Viewing Health Equity through a Legal Lens: Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

PubMed

Rosenbaum, Sara; Schmucker, Sara

2017-10-01

Enacted as part of the watershed Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VI prohibits discrimination by federally assisted entities on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Indeed, the law is as broad as federal funding across the full range of programs and services that affect health. Over the years, governmental enforcement efforts have waxed and waned, and private litigants have confronted barriers to directly invoking its protections. But Title VI endures as the formal mechanism by which the nation rejects discrimination within federally funded programs and services. Enforcement efforts confront problems of proof, remedies whose effectiveness may be blunted by underlying residential segregation patterns, and a judiciary closed to legal challenges focusing on discriminatory impact rather than intentional discrimination. But Title VI enforcement has experienced a resurgence, with strategies that seek to use the law as a basic compliance tool across the range of federally assisted programs. This resurgence reflects an enduring commitment to more equitable outcomes in federally funded programs that bear directly on community health, and it stands as a testament to the vital importance of a legal framework designed to move the nation toward greater health equity. Copyright © 2017 by Duke University Press.

Spatial and spectral resolution necessary for remotely sensed vegetation studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rock, B. N.

1982-01-01

An outline is presented of the required spatial and spectral resolution needed for accurate vegetation discrimination and mapping studies as well as for determination of state of health (i.e., detection of stress symptoms) of actively growing vegetation. Good success was achieved in vegetation discrimination and mapping of a heterogeneous forest cover in the ridge and valley portion of the Appalachians using multispectral data acquired with a spatial resolution of 15 m (IFOV). A sensor system delivering 10 to 15 m spatial resolution is needed for both vegetation mapping and detection of stress symptoms. Based on the vegetation discrimination and mapping exercises conducted at the Lost River site, accurate products (vegetation maps) are produced using broad-band spectral data ranging from the .500 to 2.500 micron portion of the spectrum. In order of decreasing utility for vegetation discrimination, the four most valuable TM simulator VNIR bands are: 6 (1.55 to 1.75 microns), 3 (0.63 to 0.69 microns), 5 (1.00 to 1.30 microns) and 4 (0.76 to 0.90 microns).

Color discrimination with broadband photoreceptors.

PubMed

Schnaitmann, Christopher; Garbers, Christian; Wachtler, Thomas; Tanimoto, Hiromu

2013-12-02

Color vision is commonly assumed to rely on photoreceptors tuned to narrow spectral ranges. In the ommatidium of Drosophila, the four types of so-called inner photoreceptors express different narrow-band opsins. In contrast, the outer photoreceptors have a broadband spectral sensitivity and were thought to exclusively mediate achromatic vision. Using computational models and behavioral experiments, we demonstrate that the broadband outer photoreceptors contribute to color vision in Drosophila. The model of opponent processing that includes the opsin of the outer photoreceptors scored the best fit to wavelength discrimination data. To experimentally uncover the contribution of individual photoreceptor types, we restored phototransduction of targeted photoreceptor combinations in a blind mutant. Dichromatic flies with only broadband photoreceptors and one additional receptor type can discriminate different colors, indicating the existence of a specific output comparison of the outer and inner photoreceptors. Furthermore, blocking interneurons postsynaptic to the outer photoreceptors specifically impaired color but not intensity discrimination. Our findings show that receptors with a complex and broad spectral sensitivity can contribute to color vision and reveal that chromatic and achromatic circuits in the fly share common photoreceptors. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Faculty perceptions of gender discrimination and sexual harassment in academic medicine.

PubMed

Carr, P L; Ash, A S; Friedman, R H; Szalacha, L; Barnett, R C; Palepu, A; Moskowitz, M M

2000-06-06

Gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment are common in medical practice and may be even more prevalent in academic medicine. To examine the prevalence of gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment among medical school faculty and the associations of gender-based discrimination with number of publications, career satisfaction, and perceptions of career advancement. A self-administered mailed questionnaire of U.S. medical school faculty that covered a broad range of topics relating to academic life. 24 randomly selected medical schools in the contiguous United States. A random sample of 3332 full-time faculty, stratified by specialty, graduation cohort, and sex. Prevalence of self-reported experiences of discrimination and harassment, number of peer-reviewed publications, career satisfaction, and perception of career advancement. Female faculty were more than 2.5 times more likely than male faculty to perceive gender-based discrimination in the academic environment (P < 0.001). Among women, rates of reported discrimination ranged from 47% for the youngest faculty to 70% for the oldest faculty. Women who reported experiencing negative gender bias had similar productivity but lower career satisfaction scores than did other women (P< 0.001). About half of female faculty but few male faculty experienced some form of sexual harassment. These experiences were similarly prevalent across the institutions in the sample and in all regions of the United States. Female faculty who reported being sexually harassed perceived gender-specific bias in the academic environment more often than did other women (80% compared with 61 %) and more often reported experiencing gender bias in professional advancement (72% compared with 47%). Publications, career satisfaction, and professional confidence were not affected by sexual harassment, and self-assessed career advancement was only marginally lower for female faculty who had experienced sexual harassment (P = 0.06). Despite substantial increases in the number of female faculty, reports of gender-based discrimination and sexual harassment remain common.

Discrimination of ionic species from broad-beam ion sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, J. R.

1993-01-01

The performance of a broad-beam, three-grid, ion extraction system incorporating radio frequency (RF) mass discrimination was investigated experimentally. This testing demonstrated that the system, based on a modified single-stage Bennett mass spectrometer, can discriminate between ionic species having about a 2-to-1 mass ratio while producing a broad-beam of ions with low kinetic energy (less than 15 eV). Testing was conducted using either argon and krypton ions or atomic and diatomic oxygen ions. A simple one-dimensional model, which ignores magnetic field and space-charge effects, was developed to predict the species separation capabilities as well as the kinetic energies of the extracted ions. The experimental results correlated well with the model predictions. This RF mass discrimination system can be used in applications where both atomic and diatomic ions are produced, but a beam of only one of the species is desired. An example of such an application is a 5 eV atomic oxygen source. This source would produce a beam of atomic oxygen with 5 eV kinetic energy, which would be directed onto a material specimen, to simulate the interaction between the surface of a satellite and the rarefied atmosphere encountered in low-Earth orbit.

Legal rights, human rights and AIDS: the first decade. Report from South Africa 2.

PubMed

Cameron, E

1993-01-01

A broad range of coercive measures has been considered internationally and applied in some countries in the interest of controlling the spread of HIV. Although a couple such measures are on the books in South Africa, they have never been invoked and will soon be officially repealed. There is, however, a problem in South Africa with the violation by health care workers, employers, and others of individuals' rights to dignity, privacy, and autonomy. The exaggerated and undue fear that doctors and other health workers have of being infected by patients with HIV has led to widespread and gross human rights abuses in clinical management and treatment. Abuses include the refusal of treatment, testing patients for HIV without their informed or any consent, insisting upon HIV testing devoid of diagnostic or therapeutic justification, and widespread breaches of confidentiality. Persons with AIDS and HIV are also denied access to their fair share of national resources. This latter phenomenon is likely to become the principal form of human rights abuse, with racism and class differences exacerbating the problem. The practice is proliferating and takes many forms including pre-employment HIV testing; exclusionary discrimination in insurance; discrimination between HIV and other life-threatening conditions in corporate medical, pension, and provident funds; and the discriminatory denial of fair and adequate health care to people with HIV or AIDS. Discrimination of all kinds, however, retards preventive efforts. Public health therefore demands the recognition and enforcement of individual human rights and that structures of discrimination be eliminated. Human rights protection may, by limiting the effect of discrimination, play a significant part in fighting the epidemic. Protective measures could include enacting legislation to prohibit pre-employment testing, legislation to regulate the provision of insurance and to prohibit or regulate pre-insurance HIV testing and the wholesale refusal of AIDS-related coverage, and more broadly drafted legislation to prohibit public enterprises from discriminating against persons on the basis of HIV or AIDS and to enshrine the principle of nondiscrimination.

Development and validation of the Survey of Organizational Research Climate (SORC).

PubMed

Martinson, Brian C; Thrush, Carol R; Lauren Crain, A

2013-09-01

Development and targeting efforts by academic organizations to effectively promote research integrity can be enhanced if they are able to collect reliable data to benchmark baseline conditions, to assess areas needing improvement, and to subsequently assess the impact of specific initiatives. To date, no standardized and validated tool has existed to serve this need. A web- and mail-based survey was administered in the second half of 2009 to 2,837 randomly selected biomedical and social science faculty and postdoctoral fellows at 40 academic health centers in top-tier research universities in the United States. Measures included the Survey of Organizational Research Climate (SORC) as well as measures of perceptions of organizational justice. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded seven subscales of organizational research climate, all of which demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α ranging from 0.81 to 0.87) and adequate test-retest reliability (Pearson r ranging from 0.72 to 0.83). A broad range of correlations between the seven subscales and five measures of organizational justice (unadjusted regression coefficients ranging from 0.13 to 0.95) document both construct and discriminant validity of the instrument. The SORC demonstrates good internal (alpha) and external reliability (test-retest) as well as both construct and discriminant validity.

Development and Validation of the Survey of Organizational Research Climate (SORC)

PubMed Central

Martinson, Brian C.; Thrush, Carol R.; Crain, A. Lauren

2012-01-01

Background Development and targeting efforts by academic organizations to effectively promote research integrity can be enhanced if they are able to collect reliable data to benchmark baseline conditions, to assess areas needing improvement, and to subsequently assess the impact of specific initiatives. To date, no standardized and validated tool has existed to serve this need. Methods A web- and mail-based survey was administered in the second half of 2009 to 2,837 randomly selected biomedical and social science faculty and postdoctoral fellows at 40 academic health centers in top-tier research universities in the United States. Measures included the Survey of Organizational Research Climate (SORC) as well as measures of perceptions of organizational justice. Results Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded seven subscales of organizational research climate, all of which demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α ranging from 0.81 to 0.87) and adequate test-retest reliability (Pearson r ranging from 0.72 to 0.83). A broad range of correlations between the seven subscales and five measures of organizational justice (unadjusted regression coefficients ranging from .13 to .95) document both construct and discriminant validity of the instrument. Conclusions The SORC demonstrates good internal (alpha) and external reliability (test-retest) as well as both construct and discriminant validity. PMID:23096775

Testing Event Discrimination over Broad Regions using the Historical Borovoye Observatory Explosion Dataset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasyanos, Michael E.; Ford, Sean R.; Walter, William R.

2014-03-01

We test the performance of high-frequency regional P/S discriminants to differentiate between earthquakes and explosions at test sites and over broad regions using a historical dataset of explosions recorded at the Borovoye Observatory in Kazakhstan. We compare these explosions to modern recordings of earthquakes at the same location. We then evaluate the separation of the two types of events using the raw measurements and those where the amplitudes are corrected for 1-D and 2-D attenuation structure. We find that high-frequency P/S amplitudes can reliably identify earthquakes and explosions, and that the discriminant is applicable over broad regions as long as propagation effects are properly accounted for. Lateral attenuation corrections provide the largest improvement in the 2-4 Hz band, the use of which may successfully enable the identification of smaller, distant events that have lower signal-to-noise at higher frequencies. We also find variations in P/S ratios among the three main nuclear testing locations within the Semipalatinsk Test Site which, due to their nearly identical paths to BRVK, must be a function of differing geology and emplacement conditions.

Lessons learned in the execution of advanced x-ray material discrimination (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Sharene

2017-05-01

Advanced X-ray Material Discrimination (AXMD) or BAA 13-05 was a broad agency announcement which was initiated in order to develop solutions to the following problem. The emergence of improvised explosive threats and their use by terrorists has placed many challenges on the aviation security screening layers. EDS and AT X-ray equipment have been presented with considerable challenges in developing a broad detection capability for improvised explosive threats during security screening of checked bags and carry-on items. Technologies are needed that increase the measurement or mathematical discrimination between improvised explosive threats and stream-of-commerce clutter in checked baggage and carry-on items. Conventional EDS utilizes two basic discriminating signatures: effective atomic number and density of screened objects. R and D is needed to identify additional discriminating signatures between improvised explosive threats and stream-of commerce clutter to improve detection capability with reduced false alarm rates. DHS S and T EXD along with stakeholders at the TSA, TSL, and the UK Home Office have been successful in funding efforts to address and potentially provide operational solutions which can be deployed as part of the Next Generation of X-ray Technologies.

Special event discrimination analysis: The TEXAR blind test and identification of the August 16, 1997 Kara Sea event. Final report, 13 September 1995--31 January 1998

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

Baumgardt, D.

1998-03-31

The International Monitoring System (IMS) for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) faces the serious challenge of being able to accurately and reliably identify seismic events in any region of the world. Extensive research has been performed in recent years on developing discrimination techniques which appear to classify seismic events into broad categories of source types, such as nuclear explosion, earthquake, and mine blast. This report examines in detail the problem of effectiveness of regional discrimination procedures in the application of waveform discriminants to Special Event identification and the issue of discriminant transportability.

Dolphin sonar detection and discrimination capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Au, Whitlow W. L.

2004-05-01

Dolphins have a very sophisticated short range sonar that surpasses all technological sonar in its capabilities to perform complex target discrimination and recognition tasks. The system that the U.S. Navy has for detecting mines buried under ocean sediment is one that uses Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. However, close examination of the dolphin sonar system will reveal that the dolphin acoustic hardware is fairly ordinary and not very special. The transmitted signals have peak-to-peak amplitudes as high as 225-228 dB re 1 μPa which translates to an rms value of approximately 210-213 dB. The transmit beamwidth is fairly broad at about 10o in both the horizontal and vertical planes and the receiving beamwidth is slightly broader by several degrees. The auditory filters are not very narrow with Q values of about 8.4. Despite these fairly ordinary features of the acoustic system, these animals still demonstrate very unusual and astonishing capabilities. Some of the capabilities of the dolphin sonar system will be presented and the reasons for their keen sonar capabilities will be discussed. Important features of their sonar include the broadband clicklike signals used, adaptive sonar search capabilities and large dynamic range of its auditory system.

Categorical ERP Repetition Effects for Human and Furniture Items in 7-Month-Old Infants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peykarjou, Stefanie; Wissner, Julia; Pauen, Sabina

2017-01-01

Behavioural and recent neural evidence indicates that young infants discriminate broad stimulus categories. However, little is known about the categorical perception of humans represented as full bodies with heads and their discrimination from inanimate objects. This study compares infants' brain processing of human and furniture pictures, probing…

Infants Experience Perceptual Narrowing for Nonprimate Faces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simpson, Elizabeth A.; Varga, Krisztina; Frick, Janet E.; Fragaszy, Dorothy

2011-01-01

Perceptual narrowing--a phenomenon in which perception is broad from birth, but narrows as a function of experience--has previously been tested with primate faces. In the first 6 months of life, infants can discriminate among individual human and monkey faces. Though the ability to discriminate monkey faces is lost after about 9 months, infants…

Optimization of radar imaging system parameters for geological analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Waite, W. P.; Macdonald, H. C.; Kaupp, V. H.

1981-01-01

The use of radar image simulation to model terrain variation and determine optimum sensor parameters for geological analysis is described. Optimum incidence angle is determined by the simulation, which evaluates separately the discrimination of surface features possible due to terrain geometry and that due to terrain scattering. Depending on the relative relief, slope, and scattering cross section, optimum incidence angle may vary from 20 to 80 degrees. Large incident angle imagery (more than 60 deg) is best for the widest range of geological applications, but in many cases these large angles cannot be achieved by satellite systems. Low relief regions require low incidence angles (less than 30 deg), so a satellite system serving a broad range of applications should have at least two selectable angles of incidence.

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

Tully, Stephen

Electricity access is already well established within the framework of human rights, either as an implicit attribute of a pre-existing right (such as non-discrimination or sustainable development) or explicitly in the context of eliminating discrimination against women. There is also broad acknowledgement by states of the desirability of eliminating energy poverty - for all, but particularly for the rural poor, and women. (author)

Geochemical fingerprinting of Wilson Creek formation tephra layers (Mono Basin, California) using titanomagnetite compositions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marcaida, Mae; Mangan, Margaret T.; Vazquez, Jorge A.; Bursik, Marcus; Lidzbarski, Marsha I.

2014-01-01

Nineteen tephra layers within the Wilson Creek formation near Mono Lake provide a record of late Pleistocene to early Holocene volcanic activity from the nearby Mono Craters and are important chronostratigraphic markers for paleomagnetic, paleoclimatic, and paleoecologic studies. These stratigraphically important tephra deposits can be geochemically identified using compositions of their titanomagnetite phenocrysts. Titanomagnetite compositions display a broad range (XUsp 0.26–0.39), which allow the tephra layers to be distinguished despite the indistinguishable major-element glass compositions (76–77 wt% SiO2) of their hosts. The concentrations of Ti and Fe in titanomagnetite display geochemical and stratigraphic groupings that allow clear discrimination between older (> 57 ka) and younger (2O3 contents. In addition, a few tephra layers can be correlated to their source vents by their titanomagnetite compositions. The unique geochemical fingerprint of the Mono Craters-sourced titanomagnetites also allows the discrimination of two tephra layers apparently sourced from nearby Mammoth Mountain volcano in Long Valley.

Homeostatic enhancement of sensory transduction

PubMed Central

Milewski, Andrew R.; Ó Maoiléidigh, Dáibhid; Salvi, Joshua D.; Hudspeth, A. J.

2017-01-01

Our sense of hearing boasts exquisite sensitivity, precise frequency discrimination, and a broad dynamic range. Experiments and modeling imply, however, that the auditory system achieves this performance for only a narrow range of parameter values. Small changes in these values could compromise hair cells’ ability to detect stimuli. We propose that, rather than exerting tight control over parameters, the auditory system uses a homeostatic mechanism that increases the robustness of its operation to variation in parameter values. To slowly adjust the response to sinusoidal stimulation, the homeostatic mechanism feeds back a rectified version of the hair bundle’s displacement to its adaptation process. When homeostasis is enforced, the range of parameter values for which the sensitivity, tuning sharpness, and dynamic range exceed specified thresholds can increase by more than an order of magnitude. Signatures in the hair cell’s behavior provide a means to determine through experiment whether such a mechanism operates in the auditory system. Robustness of function through homeostasis may be ensured in any system through mechanisms similar to those that we describe here. PMID:28760949

Application of Nitrogen and Carbon Stable Isotopes (δ15N and δ13C) to Quantify Food Chain Length and Trophic Structure

PubMed Central

Perkins, Matthew J.; McDonald, Robbie A.; van Veen, F. J. Frank; Kelly, Simon D.; Rees, Gareth; Bearhop, Stuart

2014-01-01

Increasingly, stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) are used to quantify trophic structure, though relatively few studies have tested accuracy of isotopic structural measures. For laboratory-raised and wild-collected plant-invertebrate food chains spanning four trophic levels we estimated nitrogen range (NR) using δ15N, and carbon range (CR) using δ13C, which are used to quantify food chain length and breadth of trophic resources respectively. Across a range of known food chain lengths we examined how NR and CR changed within and between food chains. Our isotopic estimates of structure are robust because they were calculated using resampling procedures that propagate variance in sample means through to quantified uncertainty in final estimates. To identify origins of uncertainty in estimates of NR and CR, we additionally examined variation in discrimination (which is change in δ15N or δ13C from source to consumer) between trophic levels and among food chains. δ15N discrimination showed significant enrichment, while variation in enrichment was species and system specific, ranged broadly (1.4‰ to 3.3‰), and importantly, propagated variation to subsequent estimates of NR. However, NR proved robust to such variation and distinguished food chain length well, though some overlap between longer food chains infers a need for awareness of such limitations. δ13C discrimination was inconsistent; generally no change or small significant enrichment was observed. Consequently, estimates of CR changed little with increasing food chain length, showing the potential utility of δ13C as a tracer of energy pathways. This study serves as a robust test of isotopic quantification of food chain structure, and given global estimates of aquatic food chains approximate four trophic levels while many food chains include invertebrates, our use of four trophic level plant-invertebrate food chains makes our findings relevant for a majority of ecological systems. PMID:24676331

Quantum Dot and Polymer Composite Cross-Reactive Array for Chemical Vapor Detection.

PubMed

Bright, Collin J; Nallon, Eric C; Polcha, Michael P; Schnee, Vincent P

2015-12-15

A cross-reactive chemical sensing array was made from CdSe Quantum Dots (QDs) and five different organic polymers by inkjet printing to create segmented fluorescent composite regions on quartz substrates. The sensor array was challenged with exposures from two sets of analytes, including one set of 14 different functionalized benzenes and one set of 14 compounds related to security concerns, including the explosives trinitrotoluene (TNT) and ammonium nitrate. The array was broadly responsive to analytes with different chemical functionalities due to the multiple sensing mechanisms that altered the QDs' fluorescence. The sensor array displayed excellent discrimination between members within both sets. Classification accuracy of more than 93% was achieved, including the complete discrimination of very similar dinitrobenzene isomers and three halogenated, substituted benzene compounds. The simple fabrication, broad responsivity, and high discrimination capacity of this type of cross-reactive array are ideal qualities for the development of sensors with excellent sensitivity to chemical and explosive threats while maintaining low false alarm rates.

Pharmacological Properties and Discriminative Stimulus Effects of a Novel and Selective 5-HT2 Receptor Agonist AL-38022A [(S)-2-(8,9-dihydro-7H-pyrano[2,3-g]indazol-1-yl)-1-methylethylamine

PubMed Central

May, Jesse A.; Sharif, Najam A.; Chen, Hwang-Hsing; Liao, John C.; Kelly, Curtis R.; Glennon, Richard A.; Young, Richard; Li, Jun-Xu; Rice, Kenner C.; France, Charles P.

2013-01-01

AL-38022A is a novel synthetic serotonergic (5-HT) ligand that exhibited high affinity for each of the 5-HT2 receptor subtypes (Ki ≤ 2.2 nM), but a significantly lower (>100-fold less) affinity for other 5-HT receptors. In addition, AL-38022A displayed a very low affinity for a broad array of other receptors, neurotransmitter transport sites, ion channels, and second messenger elements, making it a relatively selective agent. AL-38022A potently stimulated functional responses via native and cloned rat (EC50 range: 1.9 – 22.5 nM) and human (EC50 range: 0.5 – 2.2 nM) 5-HT2 receptor subtypes including [Ca2+]i mobilization and tissue contractions with apparently similar potencies and intrinsic activities and was a full agonist at all 5-HT2 receptor subtypes. The CNS activity of AL-38022A was assessed by evaluating its discriminative stimulus effects in both a rat and a monkey drug discrimination paradigm using DOM as the training drug. AL-38022A fully generalized to the DOM stimulus in each of these studies; in monkeys MDL 100907 antagonized both DOM and AL-38022A. The pharmacological profile of AL-38022A suggests that it could be a useful tool in defining 5-HT2 receptor signaling and receptor characterization where 5-HT may function as a neurotransmitter. PMID:18718483

Trace Elemental Imaging of Rare Earth Elements Discriminates Tissues at Microscale in Flat Fossils

PubMed Central

Gueriau, Pierre; Mocuta, Cristian; Dutheil, Didier B.; Cohen, Serge X.; Thiaudière, Dominique; Charbonnier, Sylvain; Clément, Gaël; Bertrand, Loïc

2014-01-01

The interpretation of flattened fossils remains a major challenge due to compression of their complex anatomies during fossilization, making critical anatomical features invisible or hardly discernible. Key features are often hidden under greatly preserved decay prone tissues, or an unpreparable sedimentary matrix. A method offering access to such anatomical features is of paramount interest to resolve taxonomic affinities and to study fossils after a least possible invasive preparation. Unfortunately, the widely-used X-ray micro-computed tomography, for visualizing hidden or internal structures of a broad range of fossils, is generally inapplicable to flattened specimens, due to the very high differential absorbance in distinct directions. Here we show that synchrotron X-ray fluorescence spectral raster-scanning coupled to spectral decomposition or a much faster Kullback-Leibler divergence based statistical analysis provides microscale visualization of tissues. We imaged exceptionally well-preserved fossils from the Late Cretaceous without needing any prior delicate preparation. The contrasting elemental distributions greatly improved the discrimination of skeletal elements material from both the sedimentary matrix and fossilized soft tissues. Aside content in alkaline earth elements and phosphorus, a critical parameter for tissue discrimination is the distinct amounts of rare earth elements. Local quantification of rare earths may open new avenues for fossil description but also in paleoenvironmental and taphonomical studies. PMID:24489809

Trace elemental imaging of rare earth elements discriminates tissues at microscale in flat fossils.

PubMed

Gueriau, Pierre; Mocuta, Cristian; Dutheil, Didier B; Cohen, Serge X; Thiaudière, Dominique; Charbonnier, Sylvain; Clément, Gaël; Bertrand, Loïc

2014-01-01

The interpretation of flattened fossils remains a major challenge due to compression of their complex anatomies during fossilization, making critical anatomical features invisible or hardly discernible. Key features are often hidden under greatly preserved decay prone tissues, or an unpreparable sedimentary matrix. A method offering access to such anatomical features is of paramount interest to resolve taxonomic affinities and to study fossils after a least possible invasive preparation. Unfortunately, the widely-used X-ray micro-computed tomography, for visualizing hidden or internal structures of a broad range of fossils, is generally inapplicable to flattened specimens, due to the very high differential absorbance in distinct directions. Here we show that synchrotron X-ray fluorescence spectral raster-scanning coupled to spectral decomposition or a much faster Kullback-Leibler divergence based statistical analysis provides microscale visualization of tissues. We imaged exceptionally well-preserved fossils from the Late Cretaceous without needing any prior delicate preparation. The contrasting elemental distributions greatly improved the discrimination of skeletal elements material from both the sedimentary matrix and fossilized soft tissues. Aside content in alkaline earth elements and phosphorus, a critical parameter for tissue discrimination is the distinct amounts of rare earth elements. Local quantification of rare earths may open new avenues for fossil description but also in paleoenvironmental and taphonomical studies.

Relationship of otolith strontium-to-calcium ratios and salinity: Experimental validation for juvenile salmonids

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zimmerman, C.E.

2005-01-01

Analysis of otolith strontium (Sr) or strontium-to-calcium (Sr:Ca) ratios provides a powerful tool to reconstruct the chronology of migration among salinity environments for diadromous salmonids. Although use of this method has been validated by examination of known individuals and translocation experiments, it has never been validated under controlled experimental conditions. In this study, incorporation of otolith Sr was tested across a range of salinities and resulting levels of ambient Sr and Ca concentrations in juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus rnykiss), and Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus). Experimental water was mixed, using stream water and seawater as end members, to create experimental salinities of 0.1, 6.3, 12.7, 18.6, 25.5, and 33.0 psu. Otolith Sr and Sr:Ca ratios were significantly related to salinity for all species (r2 range: 0.80-0.91) but provide only enough predictive resolution to discriminate among fresh water, brackish water, and saltwater residency. These results validate the use of otolith Sr:Ca ratios to broadly discriminate salinity histories encountered by salmonids but highlight the need for further research concerning the influence of osmoregulation and physiological changes associated with smoking on otolith microchemistry.

Seismic Source Scaling and Discrimination in Diverse Tectonic Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-30

3349-3352. Imanishi, K., W. L. Ellsworth, and S. G. Prejean (2004). Earthquake source parameters determined by the SAFOD Pilot Hole seismic array ... seismic discrimination by performing a thorough investigation of* earthquake source scaling using diverse, high-quality datascts from varied tectonic...these corrections has a direct impact on our ability to identify clandestine explosions in the broad regional areas characterized by low seismicity

Classification of Uxo by Principal Dipole Polarizability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kappler, K. N.

2010-12-01

Data acquired by multiple-Transmitter, multiple-receiver time-domain electromagnetic devices show great potential for determining the geometric and compositional information relating to near surface conductive targets. Here is presented an analysis of data from one such system; the Berkeley Unexploded-ordnance Discriminator (BUD) system. BUD data are succinctly reduced by processing the multi-static data matrices to obtain magnetic dipole polarizability matrices for data from each time gate. When viewed over all time gates, the projections of the data onto the principal polar axes yield so-called polarizability curves. These curves are especially well suited to discriminating between subsurface conductivity anomalies which correspond to objects of rotational symmetry and irregularly shaped objects. The curves have previously been successfully employed as library elements in a pattern recognition scheme aimed at discriminating harmless scrap metal from dangerous intact unexploded ordnance. However, previous polarizability-curve matching methods have only been applied at field sites which are known a priori to be contaminated by a single type of ordnance, and furthermore, the particular ordnance present in the subsurface was known to be large. Thus signal amplitude was a key element in the discrimination process. The work presented here applies feature-based pattern classification techniques to BUD field data where more than 20 categories of object are present. Data soundings from a calibration grid at the Yuma, AZ proving ground are used in a cross validation study to calibrate the pattern recognition method. The resultant method is then applied to a Blind Test Grid. Results indicate that when lone UXO are present and SNR is reasonably high, Polarizability Curve Matching successfully discriminates UXO from scrap metal when a broad range of objects are present.

Relating age and hearing loss to monaural, bilateral, and binaural temporal sensitivity1

PubMed Central

Gallun, Frederick J.; McMillan, Garnett P.; Molis, Michelle R.; Kampel, Sean D.; Dann, Serena M.; Konrad-Martin, Dawn L.

2014-01-01

Older listeners are more likely than younger listeners to have difficulties in making temporal discriminations among auditory stimuli presented to one or both ears. In addition, the performance of older listeners is often observed to be more variable than that of younger listeners. The aim of this work was to relate age and hearing loss to temporal processing ability in a group of younger and older listeners with a range of hearing thresholds. Seventy-eight listeners were tested on a set of three temporal discrimination tasks (monaural gap discrimination, bilateral gap discrimination, and binaural discrimination of interaural differences in time). To examine the role of temporal fine structure in these tasks, four types of brief stimuli were used: tone bursts, broad-frequency chirps with rising or falling frequency contours, and random-phase noise bursts. Between-subject group analyses conducted separately for each task revealed substantial increases in temporal thresholds for the older listeners across all three tasks, regardless of stimulus type, as well as significant correlations among the performance of individual listeners across most combinations of tasks and stimuli. Differences in performance were associated with the stimuli in the monaural and binaural tasks, but not the bilateral task. Temporal fine structure differences among the stimuli had the greatest impact on monaural thresholds. Threshold estimate values across all tasks and stimuli did not show any greater variability for the older listeners as compared to the younger listeners. A linear mixed model applied to the data suggested that age and hearing loss are independent factors responsible for temporal processing ability, thus supporting the increasingly accepted hypothesis that temporal processing can be impaired for older compared to younger listeners with similar hearing and/or amounts of hearing loss. PMID:25009458

Repertoire and classification of non-song calls in Southeast Alaskan humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae).

PubMed

Fournet, Michelle E; Szabo, Andy; Mellinger, David K

2015-01-01

On low-latitude breeding grounds, humpback whales produce complex and highly stereotyped songs as well as a range of non-song sounds associated with breeding behaviors. While on their Southeast Alaskan foraging grounds, humpback whales produce a range of previously unclassified non-song vocalizations. This study investigates the vocal repertoire of Southeast Alaskan humpback whales from a sample of 299 non-song vocalizations collected over a 3-month period on foraging grounds in Frederick Sound, Southeast Alaska. Three classification systems were used, including aural spectrogram analysis, statistical cluster analysis, and discriminant function analysis, to describe and classify vocalizations. A hierarchical acoustic structure was identified; vocalizations were classified into 16 individual call types nested within four vocal classes. The combined classification method shows promise for identifying variability in call stereotypy between vocal groupings and is recommended for future classification of broad vocal repertoires.

Discriminating between the vocalizations of Indo-Pacific humpback and Australian snubfin dolphins in Queensland, Australia.

PubMed

Berg Soto, Alvaro; Marsh, Helene; Everingham, Yvette; Smith, Joshua N; Parra, Guido J; Noad, Michael

2014-08-01

Australian snubfin and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins co-occur throughout most of their range in coastal waters of tropical Australia. Little is known of their ecology or acoustic repertoires. Vocalizations from humpback and snubfin dolphins were recorded in two locations along the Queensland coast during 2008 and 2010 to describe their vocalizations and evaluate the acoustic differences between these two species. Broad vocalization types were categorized qualitatively. Both species produced click trains burst pulses and whistles. Principal component analysis of the nine acoustic variables extracted from the whistles produced nine principal components that were input into discriminant function analyses to classify 96% of humpback dolphin whistles and about 78% of snubfin dolphin calls correctly. Results indicate clear acoustic differences between the vocal whistle repertoires of these two species. A stepwise routine identified two principal components as significantly distinguishable between whistles of each species: frequency parameters and frequency trend ratio. The capacity to identify these species using acoustic monitoring techniques has the potential to provide information on presence/absence, habitat use and relative abundance for each species.

How to find and type red/brown dwarf stars in near-infrared imaging space observatories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willemn Holwerda, Benne; Ryan, Russell; Bridge, Joanna; Pirzkal, Nor; Kenworthy, Matthew; Andersen, Morten; Wilkins, Stephen; Trenti, Michele; Meshkat, Tiffany; Bernard, Stephanie; Smit, Renske

2018-01-01

Here we evaluate the near-infrared colors of brown dwarfs as observed with four major infrared imaging space observatories: the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the EUCLID mission, and the WFIRST telescope. We use the splat ISPEX spectroscopic library to map out the colors of the M, L, and T-type brown dwarfs. We identify which color-color combination is optimal for identifying broad type and which single color is optimal to then identify the subtype (e.g., T0-9). We evaluate each observatory separately as well as the the narrow-field (HST and JWST) and wide-field (EULID and WFIRST) combinations.HST filters used thus far for high-redshift searches (e.g. CANDELS and BoRG) are close to optimal within the available filter combinations. A clear improvement over HST is one of two broad/medium filter combinations on JWST: pairing F140M with either F150W or F162M discriminates well between brown dwarf subtypes. The improvement of JWST the filter set over the HST one is so marked that any combination of HST and JWST filters does not improve the classification.The EUCLID filter set alone performs poorly in terms of typing brown dwarfs and WFIRST performs only marginally better, despite a wider selection of filters. A combined EUCLID and WFIRST observation, using WFIRST's W146 and F062 and EUCLID's Y-band, allows for a much better discrimination between broad brown dwarf categories. In this respect, WFIRST acts as a targeted follow-up observatory for the all-sky EUCLID survey. However, subsequent subtyping with the combination of EUCLID and WFIRST observations remains uncertain due to the lack of medium or narrow-band filters in this wavelength range. We argue that a medium band added to the WFIRST filter selection would greatly improve its ability to preselect against brown dwarfs in high-latitude surveys.

Cooperative synchronized assemblies enhance orientation discrimination.

PubMed

Samonds, Jason M; Allison, John D; Brown, Heather A; Bonds, A B

2004-04-27

There is no clear link between the broad tuning of single neurons and the fine behavioral capabilities of orientation discrimination. We recorded from populations of cells in the cat visual cortex (area 17) to examine whether the joint activity of cells can support finer discrimination than found in individual responses. Analysis of joint firing yields a substantial advantage (i.e., cooperation) in fine-angle discrimination. This cooperation increases to more considerable levels as the population of an assembly is increased. The cooperation in a population of six cells provides encoding of orientation with an information advantage that is at least 2-fold in terms of requiring either fewer cells or less time than independent coding. This cooperation suggests that correlated or synchronized activity can increase information.

EThcD Discrimination of Isomeric Leucine/Isoleucine Residues in Sequencing of the Intact Skin Frog Peptides with Intramolecular Disulfide Bond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samgina, Tatiana Yu; Kovalev, Sergey V.; Tolpina, Miriam D.; Trebse, Polonca; Torkar, Gregor; Lebedev, Albert T.

2018-05-01

Our scientific interests involve de novo sequencing of non-tryptic natural amphibian skin peptides including those with intramolecular S-S bond by means of exclusively mass spectrometry. Reliable discrimination of the isomeric leucine/isoleucine residues during peptide sequencing by means of mass spectrometry represents a bottleneck in the workflow for complete automation of the primary structure elucidation of these compounds. MS3 is capable of solving the problem. Earlier we demonstrated the advanced efficiency of ETD-HCD method to discriminate Leu/Ile in individual peptides by consecutive application of ETD to the polyprotonated peptides followed by HCD applied to the manually selected primary z-ions with the targeted isomeric residues at their N-termini and registration of the characteristic w-ions. Later this approach was extended to deal with several (4-7) broad band mass ranges, without special isolation of the primary z-ions. The present paper demonstrates an advanced version of this method when EThcD is applied in the whole mass range to a complex mixture of natural non-tryptic peptides without their separation and intermediate isolation of the targeted z-ions. The proposed EThcD method showed over 81% efficiency for the large natural peptides with intact disulfide ring, while the interfering process of radical site migration is suppressed. Due to higher speed and sensitivity, the proposed EThcD approach facilitates the analytical procedure and allows for the automation of the entire experiment and data processing. Moreover, in some cases it gives a chance to establish the nature of the residues in the intact intramolecular disulfide loops. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

EThcD Discrimination of Isomeric Leucine/Isoleucine Residues in Sequencing of the Intact Skin Frog Peptides with Intramolecular Disulfide Bond.

PubMed

Samgina, Tatiana Yu; Kovalev, Sergey V; Tolpina, Miriam D; Trebse, Polonca; Torkar, Gregor; Lebedev, Albert T

2018-05-01

Our scientific interests involve de novo sequencing of non-tryptic natural amphibian skin peptides including those with intramolecular S-S bond by means of exclusively mass spectrometry. Reliable discrimination of the isomeric leucine/isoleucine residues during peptide sequencing by means of mass spectrometry represents a bottleneck in the workflow for complete automation of the primary structure elucidation of these compounds. MS 3 is capable of solving the problem. Earlier we demonstrated the advanced efficiency of ETD-HCD method to discriminate Leu/Ile in individual peptides by consecutive application of ETD to the polyprotonated peptides followed by HCD applied to the manually selected primary z-ions with the targeted isomeric residues at their N-termini and registration of the characteristic w-ions. Later this approach was extended to deal with several (4-7) broad band mass ranges, without special isolation of the primary z-ions. The present paper demonstrates an advanced version of this method when EThcD is applied in the whole mass range to a complex mixture of natural non-tryptic peptides without their separation and intermediate isolation of the targeted z-ions. The proposed EThcD method showed over 81% efficiency for the large natural peptides with intact disulfide ring, while the interfering process of radical site migration is suppressed. Due to higher speed and sensitivity, the proposed EThcD approach facilitates the analytical procedure and allows for the automation of the entire experiment and data processing. Moreover, in some cases it gives a chance to establish the nature of the residues in the intact intramolecular disulfide loops. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

EThcD Discrimination of Isomeric Leucine/Isoleucine Residues in Sequencing of the Intact Skin Frog Peptides with Intramolecular Disulfide Bond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samgina, Tatiana Yu; Kovalev, Sergey V.; Tolpina, Miriam D.; Trebse, Polonca; Torkar, Gregor; Lebedev, Albert T.

2018-01-01

Our scientific interests involve de novo sequencing of non-tryptic natural amphibian skin peptides including those with intramolecular S-S bond by means of exclusively mass spectrometry. Reliable discrimination of the isomeric leucine/isoleucine residues during peptide sequencing by means of mass spectrometry represents a bottleneck in the workflow for complete automation of the primary structure elucidation of these compounds. MS3 is capable of solving the problem. Earlier we demonstrated the advanced efficiency of ETD-HCD method to discriminate Leu/Ile in individual peptides by consecutive application of ETD to the polyprotonated peptides followed by HCD applied to the manually selected primary z-ions with the targeted isomeric residues at their N-termini and registration of the characteristic w-ions. Later this approach was extended to deal with several (4-7) broad band mass ranges, without special isolation of the primary z-ions. The present paper demonstrates an advanced version of this method when EThcD is applied in the whole mass range to a complex mixture of natural non-tryptic peptides without their separation and intermediate isolation of the targeted z-ions. The proposed EThcD method showed over 81% efficiency for the large natural peptides with intact disulfide ring, while the interfering process of radical site migration is suppressed. Due to higher speed and sensitivity, the proposed EThcD approach facilitates the analytical procedure and allows for the automation of the entire experiment and data processing. Moreover, in some cases it gives a chance to establish the nature of the residues in the intact intramolecular disulfide loops.

A two-locus global DNA barcode for land plants: the coding rbcL gene complements the non-coding trnH-psbA spacer region.

PubMed

Kress, W John; Erickson, David L

2007-06-06

A useful DNA barcode requires sufficient sequence variation to distinguish between species and ease of application across a broad range of taxa. Discovery of a DNA barcode for land plants has been limited by intrinsically lower rates of sequence evolution in plant genomes than that observed in animals. This low rate has complicated the trade-off in finding a locus that is universal and readily sequenced and has sufficiently high sequence divergence at the species-level. Here, a global plant DNA barcode system is evaluated by comparing universal application and degree of sequence divergence for nine putative barcode loci, including coding and non-coding regions, singly and in pairs across a phylogenetically diverse set of 48 genera (two species per genus). No single locus could discriminate among species in a pair in more than 79% of genera, whereas discrimination increased to nearly 88% when the non-coding trnH-psbA spacer was paired with one of three coding loci, including rbcL. In silico trials were conducted in which DNA sequences from GenBank were used to further evaluate the discriminatory power of a subset of these loci. These trials supported the earlier observation that trnH-psbA coupled with rbcL can correctly identify and discriminate among related species. A combination of the non-coding trnH-psbA spacer region and a portion of the coding rbcL gene is recommended as a two-locus global land plant barcode that provides the necessary universality and species discrimination.

Target discrimination of man-made objects using passive polarimetric signatures acquired in the visible and infrared spectral bands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavigne, Daniel A.; Breton, Mélanie; Fournier, Georges; Charette, Jean-François; Pichette, Mario; Rivet, Vincent; Bernier, Anne-Pier

2011-10-01

Surveillance operations and search and rescue missions regularly exploit electro-optic imaging systems to detect targets of interest in both the civilian and military communities. By incorporating the polarization of light as supplementary information to such electro-optic imaging systems, it is possible to increase their target discrimination capabilities, considering that man-made objects are known to depolarized light in different manner than natural backgrounds. As it is known that electro-magnetic radiation emitted and reflected from a smooth surface observed near a grazing angle becomes partially polarized in the visible and infrared wavelength bands, additional information about the shape, roughness, shading, and surface temperatures of difficult targets can be extracted by processing effectively such reflected/emitted polarized signatures. This paper presents a set of polarimetric image processing algorithms devised to extract meaningful information from a broad range of man-made objects. Passive polarimetric signatures are acquired in the visible, shortwave infrared, midwave infrared, and longwave infrared bands using a fully automated imaging system developed at DRDC Valcartier. A fusion algorithm is used to enable the discrimination of some objects lying in shadowed areas. Performance metrics, derived from the computed Stokes parameters, characterize the degree of polarization of man-made objects. Field experiments conducted during winter and summer time demonstrate: 1) the utility of the imaging system to collect polarized signatures of different objects in the visible and infrared spectral bands, and 2) the enhanced performance of target discrimination and fusion algorithms to exploit the polarized signatures of man-made objects against cluttered backgrounds.

A dual-channel fluorescent chemosensor for discriminative detection of glutathione based on functionalized carbon quantum dots.

PubMed

Huang, Yuanyuan; Zhou, Jin; Feng, Hui; Zheng, Jieyu; Ma, Hui-Min; Liu, Weidong; Tang, Cong; Ao, Hang; Zhao, Meizhi; Qian, Zhaosheng

2016-12-15

A convenient, fluorescent dual-channel chemosensor on the basis of bis(3-pyridylmethyl)amine-functionalized carbon quantum dots (BPMA-CQDs) nanoprobe was constructed, and it can discriminatively detect glutathione from its analogues cysteine and homocysteine based on two distinctive strategies. Two distinct fluorescence responses of BPMA-CQDs probe to Cu(II) and Ag(I) were identified and further employed to achieve selective detection of Cu(II) and Ag(I) respectively. Based on the BPMA-CQDs/Cu(II) conjugate, discriminative detection of GSH was achieved in terms of correlation between the amounts of GSH and fluorescence recovery. The addition of GSH into BPMA-CQDs/Cu(II) system induces the reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I), which could efficiently block PET process resulting in the following fluorescence recovery. Based on the BPMA-CQDs/Ag(I) conjugate, GSH assay could also be established on the basis of fluorescence response to GSH. The introduction of GSH into the preceding system triggers the competitive coordination to Ag(I) between BPMA and GSH, and silver ions are finally taken away by GSH from the probe, where the fluorescence is restored to its original weak state. Both of the detection strategies can achieve discriminative detection of GSH from Cys and Hcy. The assays showed good stability and repeatability, and covered a broad linear range of up to 13.3μM with a lowest detection limit of 42.0nM. Moreover, both of them were utilized to monitor GSH level in live cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The differential impact of discrimination on health among Black and White women.

PubMed

Versey, H Shellae; Curtin, Nicola

2016-05-01

Despite a large body of research examining the impact of discrimination on health, the ways in which perceived discrimination may lead to disparate health outcomes through a sense of self and system consciousness is less understood. The current paper is concerned with both mental and physical health consequences of discrimination, as well as mediating pathways among African American and White women. Indirect effects analyses examine mediating paths from discrimination to health outcomes via structural awareness and self-esteem, using data from the Women's Life Path Study (N = 237). Our findings suggest that discrimination is both directly and indirectly associated with health outcomes for both Black and White women, mediated by individual (self-esteem) and group-level (structural awareness) processes. Evidence from this study indicates that discrimination is associated with heightened structural awareness, as well as lower self-esteem - both of which are related to poorer health. Discrimination negatively affected health across three domains, although the mechanisms varied somewhat for Black and White women. Broad implications of this research for interdisciplinary scholarship on the effects of discrimination on health and health disparities are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Broad phonetic class definition driven by phone confusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopes, Carla; Perdigão, Fernando

2012-12-01

Intermediate representations between the speech signal and phones may be used to improve discrimination among phones that are often confused. These representations are usually found according to broad phonetic classes, which are defined by a phonetician. This article proposes an alternative data-driven method to generate these classes. Phone confusion information from the analysis of the output of a phone recognition system is used to find clusters at high risk of mutual confusion. A metric is defined to compute the distance between phones. The results, using TIMIT data, show that the proposed confusion-driven phone clustering method is an attractive alternative to the approaches based on human knowledge. A hierarchical classification structure to improve phone recognition is also proposed using a discriminative weight training method. Experiments show improvements in phone recognition on the TIMIT database compared to a baseline system.

Origin of information-limiting noise correlations

PubMed Central

Kanitscheider, Ingmar; Coen-Cagli, Ruben; Pouget, Alexandre

2015-01-01

The ability to discriminate between similar sensory stimuli relies on the amount of information encoded in sensory neuronal populations. Such information can be substantially reduced by correlated trial-to-trial variability. Noise correlations have been measured across a wide range of areas in the brain, but their origin is still far from clear. Here we show analytically and with simulations that optimal computation on inputs with limited information creates patterns of noise correlations that account for a broad range of experimental observations while at same time causing information to saturate in large neural populations. With the example of a network of V1 neurons extracting orientation from a noisy image, we illustrate to our knowledge the first generative model of noise correlations that is consistent both with neurophysiology and with behavioral thresholds, without invoking suboptimal encoding or decoding or internal sources of variability such as stochastic network dynamics or cortical state fluctuations. We further show that when information is limited at the input, both suboptimal connectivity and internal fluctuations could similarly reduce the asymptotic information, but they have qualitatively different effects on correlations leading to specific experimental predictions. Our study indicates that noise at the sensory periphery could have a major effect on cortical representations in widely studied discrimination tasks. It also provides an analytical framework to understand the functional relevance of different sources of experimentally measured correlations. PMID:26621747

Olfactory discrimination and memory deficits in the Flinders Sensitive Line rodent model of depression.

PubMed

Cook, A; Pfeiffer, L-M; Thiele, S; Coenen, V A; Döbrössy, M D

2017-10-01

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a heterogeneous psychiatric disorder with broad symptomatic manifestations. The current study examined, for the first time, olfactory memory and discrimination in the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rodent model of depression. Male FSL rats and controls were trained on an Olfactory Discrimination (OD) and a Social Interaction (SI) test. On the OD test, the FSL and controls performed similarly at the shortest inter-trial interval (5min), however, with extended delay of 30min, the FSLs had a recall and odour discrimination deficit. At the longest delay (60min) both groups performed poorly. The FSL rats i.) had a deficit in olfactory discrimination suggesting impairment in olfactory memory and recall; ii.) were less likely to socialize with unfamiliar rats. The data suggests that FSL animals have an impaired olfactory information processing capacity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multiple Levels of Suffering

PubMed Central

Kiley, Kasey B.; Haywood, Carlton; Bediako, Shawn M.; Lanzkron, Sophie; Carroll, C. Patrick; Buenaver, Luis F.; Pejsa, Megan; Edwards, Robert R.; Haythornthwaite, Jennifer A.; Campbell, Claudia M.

2016-01-01

Objective: People living with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience severe episodic and chronic pain and frequently report poor interpersonal treatment within health-care settings. In this particularly relevant context, we examined the relationship between perceived discrimination and both clinical and laboratory pain. Methods: Seventy-one individuals with SCD provided self-reports of experiences with discrimination in health-care settings and clinical pain severity, and completed a psychophysical pain testing battery in the laboratory. Results: Discrimination in health-care settings was correlated with greater clinical pain severity and enhanced sensitivity to multiple laboratory-induced pain measures, as well as stress, depression, and sleep. After controlling for relevant covariates, discrimination remained a significant predictor of mechanical temporal summation (a marker of central pain facilitation), but not clinical pain severity or suprathreshold heat pain response. Furthermore, a significant interaction between experience with discrimination and clinical pain severity was associated with mechanical temporal summation; increased experience with discrimination was associated with an increased correlation between clinical pain severity and temporal summation of pain. Discussion: Perceived discrimination within health-care settings was associated with pain facilitation. These findings suggest that discrimination may be related to increased central sensitization among SCD patients, and more broadly that health-care social environments may interact with pain pathophysiology. PMID:26889615

Quantification of Methane Gas Flux and Bubble Fate on the Eastern Siberian Arctic Shelf Utilizing Calibrated Split-beam Echosounder Data.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weidner, E. F.; Mayer, L. A.; Weber, T. C.; Jerram, K.; Jakobsson, M.; Chernykh, D.; Ananiev, R.; Mohammad, R.; Semiletov, I. P.

2016-12-01

On the Eastern Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS) subsea permafrost, shallow gas hydrates, and trapped free gas hold an estimated 1400 Gt of methane. Recent observations of methane bubble plumes and high concentrations of dissolved methane in the water column indicate methane release via ebullition. Methane gas released from the shallow ESAS (<50 m average depth) has high potential to be transported to the atmosphere. To directly and quantitatively address the magnitude of methane flux and the fate of rising bubbles in the ESAS, methane seeps were mapped with a broadband split-beam echosounder as part of the Swedish-Russian-US Arctic Ocean Investigation of Climate-Cryosphere-Carbon Interactions program (SWERUS-C3). Acoustic measurements were made over a broad range of frequencies (16 to 29 kHz). The broad bandwidth provided excellent discrimination of individual targets in the water column, allowing for the identification of single bubbles. Absolute bubble target strength values were determined by compensating apparent target strength measurements for beam pattern effects via standard calibration techniques. The bubble size distribution of seeps with individual bubble signatures was determined by exploiting bubble target strength models over the broad range of frequencies. For denser seeps, with potential higher methane flux, bubble size distribution was determined via extrapolation from seeps in similar geomorphological settings. By coupling bubble size distributions with rise velocity measurements, which are made possible by split-beam target tracking, methane gas flux can be estimated. Of the 56 identified seeps in the SWERUS data set, individual bubbles scatterers were identified in more than half (31) of the seeps. Preliminary bubble size distribution results indicate bubble radii range from 0.75 to 3.0 mm, with relatively constant bubble size distribution throughout the water column. Initial rise velocity observations indicate bubble rise velocity increases with decreasing depth, seemingly independent of bubble radius.

Imaging the Glenoid Labrum and Labral Tears.

PubMed

De Coninck, Tineke; Ngai, Steven S; Tafur, Monica; Chung, Christine B

2016-10-01

The shoulder joint is the most unstable articulation in the entire human body. While this certainly introduces vulnerability to injury, it also confers the advantage of broad range of motion. There are many elements that work in combination to offset the inherent instability of the glenohumeral joint, but the glenoid labrum is perhaps related most often. Broadly, clinical unidirectional instability can be subdivided into anterior and posterior instability, which usually raise concern for anteroinferior and posteroinferior labral lesions, respectively. In the special case of superior labral damage, potential dislocation is blocked by structures that include the acromion; hence, while damage elsewhere commonly manifests as clinical instability, damage to the superior labrum is often described by the term microinstability. In this particular case, one of the radiologist's main concerns should be classic superior labral anteroposterior lesions. The glenoid labrum is also subject to a wide range of normal variants that can mimic labral tears. Knowledge of these variants is central to interpreting an imaging study of the labrum because misdiagnosis of labral variants as tears can lead to superfluous surgical procedures and decreased shoulder mobility. This article reviews labral anatomy and normal labral variants, describes their imaging features, and discusses how to discriminate normal variants from labral tears. Specific labral pathologic lesions are described per labral quadrant (anteroinferior, posteroinferior, and superior), and imaging features are described in detail. Online supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2016.

Multiple Levels of Suffering: Discrimination in Health-Care Settings is Associated With Enhanced Laboratory Pain Sensitivity in Sickle Cell Disease.

PubMed

Mathur, Vani A; Kiley, Kasey B; Haywood, Carlton; Bediako, Shawn M; Lanzkron, Sophie; Carroll, C Patrick; Buenaver, Luis F; Pejsa, Megan; Edwards, Robert R; Haythornthwaite, Jennifer A; Campbell, Claudia M

2016-12-01

People living with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience severe episodic and chronic pain and frequently report poor interpersonal treatment within health-care settings. In this particularly relevant context, we examined the relationship between perceived discrimination and both clinical and laboratory pain. Seventy-one individuals with SCD provided self-reports of experiences with discrimination in health-care settings and clinical pain severity, and completed a psychophysical pain testing battery in the laboratory. Discrimination in health-care settings was correlated with greater clinical pain severity and enhanced sensitivity to multiple laboratory-induced pain measures, as well as stress, depression, and sleep. After controlling for relevant covariates, discrimination remained a significant predictor of mechanical temporal summation (a marker of central pain facilitation), but not clinical pain severity or suprathreshold heat pain response. Furthermore, a significant interaction between experience with discrimination and clinical pain severity was associated with mechanical temporal summation; increased experience with discrimination was associated with an increased correlation between clinical pain severity and temporal summation of pain. Perceived discrimination within health-care settings was associated with pain facilitation. These findings suggest that discrimination may be related to increased central sensitization among SCD patients, and more broadly that health-care social environments may interact with pain pathophysiology.

Discrimination between sequential and simultaneous virtual channels with electrical hearing

PubMed Central

Landsberger, David; Galvin, John J.

2011-01-01

In cochlear implants (CIs), simultaneous or sequential stimulation of adjacent electrodes can produce intermediate pitch percepts between those of the component electrodes. However, it is unclear whether simultaneous and sequential virtual channels (VCs) can be discriminated. In this study, CI users were asked to discriminate simultaneous and sequential VCs; discrimination was measured for monopolar (MP) and bipolar + 1 stimulation (BP + 1), i.e., relatively broad and focused stimulation modes. For sequential VCs, the interpulse interval (IPI) varied between 0.0 and 1.8 ms. All stimuli were presented at comfortably loud, loudness-balanced levels at a 250 pulse per second per electrode (ppse) stimulation rate. On average, CI subjects were able to reliably discriminate between sequential and simultaneous VCs. While there was no significant effect of IPI or stimulation mode on VC discrimination, some subjects exhibited better VC discrimination with BP + 1 stimulation. Subjects’ discrimination between sequential and simultaneous VCs was correlated with electrode discrimination, suggesting that spatial selectivity may influence perception of sequential VCs. To maintain equal loudness, sequential VC amplitudes were nearly double those of simultaneous VCs, presumably resulting in a broader spread of excitation. These results suggest that perceptual differences between simultaneous and sequential VCs might be explained by differences in the spread of excitation. PMID:21895094

Discrimination between sequential and simultaneous virtual channels with electrical hearing.

PubMed

Landsberger, David; Galvin, John J

2011-09-01

In cochlear implants (CIs), simultaneous or sequential stimulation of adjacent electrodes can produce intermediate pitch percepts between those of the component electrodes. However, it is unclear whether simultaneous and sequential virtual channels (VCs) can be discriminated. In this study, CI users were asked to discriminate simultaneous and sequential VCs; discrimination was measured for monopolar (MP) and bipolar + 1 stimulation (BP + 1), i.e., relatively broad and focused stimulation modes. For sequential VCs, the interpulse interval (IPI) varied between 0.0 and 1.8 ms. All stimuli were presented at comfortably loud, loudness-balanced levels at a 250 pulse per second per electrode (ppse) stimulation rate. On average, CI subjects were able to reliably discriminate between sequential and simultaneous VCs. While there was no significant effect of IPI or stimulation mode on VC discrimination, some subjects exhibited better VC discrimination with BP + 1 stimulation. Subjects' discrimination between sequential and simultaneous VCs was correlated with electrode discrimination, suggesting that spatial selectivity may influence perception of sequential VCs. To maintain equal loudness, sequential VC amplitudes were nearly double those of simultaneous VCs, presumably resulting in a broader spread of excitation. These results suggest that perceptual differences between simultaneous and sequential VCs might be explained by differences in the spread of excitation. © 2011 Acoustical Society of America

Blur Clarified: A review and Synthesis of Blur Discrimination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Andrew B.; Ahumada, Albert J.

2011-01-01

Blur is an important attribute of human spatial vision, and sensitivity to blur has been the subject of considerable experimental research and theoretical modeling. Often these models have invoked specialized concepts or mechanisms, such as intrinsic blur, multiple channels, or blur estimation units. In this paper we review the several experimental studies of blur discrimination and find they are in broad empirical agreement. But contrary to previous modeling efforts, we find that the essential features of blur discrimination are fully accounted for by a visible contrast energy model (ViCE), in which two spatial patterns are distinguished when the integrated difference between their masked local contrast energy responses reaches a threshold value.

Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) Handbook

DOE Data Explorer

Gero, Jonathan; Hackel, Denny; Garcia, Raymond

2005-01-01

The atmospheric emitted radiance interferometer (AERI) is a ground-based instrument that measures the downwelling infrared radiance from the Earth's atmosphere. The observations have broad spectral content and sufficient spectral resolution to discriminate among gaseous emitters (e.g., carbon dioxide and water vapor) and suspended matter (e.g., aerosols, water droplets, and ice crystals). These upward-looking surface observations can be used to obtain vertical profiles of tropospheric temperature and water vapor, as well as measurements of trace gases (e.g., ozone, carbon monoxide, and methane) and downwelling infrared spectral signatures of clouds and aerosols.The AERI is a passive remote sounding instrument, employing a Fourier transform spectrometer operating in the spectral range 3.3-19.2 μm (520-3020 cm-1) at an unapodized resolution of 0.5 cm-1 (max optical path difference of 1 cm). The extended-range AERI (ER-AERI) deployed in dry climates, like in Alaska, have a spectral range of 3.3-25.0 μm (400-3020 cm-1) that allow measurements in the far-infrared region. Typically, the AERI averages views of the sky over a 16-second interval and operates continuously.

A Two-Locus Global DNA Barcode for Land Plants: The Coding rbcL Gene Complements the Non-Coding trnH-psbA Spacer Region

PubMed Central

Kress, W. John; Erickson, David L.

2007-01-01

Background A useful DNA barcode requires sufficient sequence variation to distinguish between species and ease of application across a broad range of taxa. Discovery of a DNA barcode for land plants has been limited by intrinsically lower rates of sequence evolution in plant genomes than that observed in animals. This low rate has complicated the trade-off in finding a locus that is universal and readily sequenced and has sufficiently high sequence divergence at the species-level. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, a global plant DNA barcode system is evaluated by comparing universal application and degree of sequence divergence for nine putative barcode loci, including coding and non-coding regions, singly and in pairs across a phylogenetically diverse set of 48 genera (two species per genus). No single locus could discriminate among species in a pair in more than 79% of genera, whereas discrimination increased to nearly 88% when the non-coding trnH-psbA spacer was paired with one of three coding loci, including rbcL. In silico trials were conducted in which DNA sequences from GenBank were used to further evaluate the discriminatory power of a subset of these loci. These trials supported the earlier observation that trnH-psbA coupled with rbcL can correctly identify and discriminate among related species. Conclusions/Significance A combination of the non-coding trnH-psbA spacer region and a portion of the coding rbcL gene is recommended as a two-locus global land plant barcode that provides the necessary universality and species discrimination. PMID:17551588

Diagnostic Value of a Tablet-Based Drawing Task for Discrimination of Patients in the Early Course of Alzheimer's Disease from Healthy Individuals.

PubMed

Müller, Stephan; Preische, Oliver; Heymann, Petra; Elbing, Ulrich; Laske, Christoph

2017-01-01

There is a considerable delay in the diagnosis of dementia, which may reduce the effectiveness of available treatments. Thus, it is of great interest to develop fast and easy to perform, non-invasive and non-expensive diagnostic measures for the early detection of cognitive impairment and dementia. Here we investigate movement kinematics between 20 patients with early dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (eDAT), 30 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and 20 cognitively healthy control (HC) individuals while copying a three-dimensional house using a digitizing tablet. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves and logistic regression analyzes have been conducted to explore whether alterations in movement kinematics could be used to discriminate patients with aMCI and eDAT from healthy individuals. Time-in-air (i.e., transitioning from one stroke to the next without touching the surface) differed significantly between patients with aMCI, eDAT, and HCs demonstrating an excellent sensitivity and a moderate specificity to discriminate aMCI subjects from normal elderly and an excellent sensitivity and specificity to discriminate patients affected by mild Alzheimer's disease from healthy individuals. Time-on-surface (i.e., time while stylus is touching the surface) differed only between HCs and patients with eDAT but not between HCs and patients with aMCI. Furthermore, total-time (i.e., time-in-air plus time-on-surface) did not differ between patients with aMCI and early dementia due to AD. Modern digitizing devices offer the opportunity to measure a broad range of visuoconstructive abilities that may be used as a fast and easy to perform screening instrument for the early detection of cognitive impairment and dementia in primary care.

Emotion Discrimination Using Spatially Compact Regions of Interest Extracted from Imaging EEG Activity

PubMed Central

Padilla-Buritica, Jorge I.; Martinez-Vargas, Juan D.; Castellanos-Dominguez, German

2016-01-01

Lately, research on computational models of emotion had been getting much attention due to their potential for understanding the mechanisms of emotions and their promising broad range of applications that potentially bridge the gap between human and machine interactions. We propose a new method for emotion classification that relies on features extracted from those active brain areas that are most likely related to emotions. To this end, we carry out the selection of spatially compact regions of interest that are computed using the brain neural activity reconstructed from Electroencephalography data. Throughout this study, we consider three representative feature extraction methods widely applied to emotion detection tasks, including Power spectral density, Wavelet, and Hjorth parameters. Further feature selection is carried out using principal component analysis. For validation purpose, these features are used to feed a support vector machine classifier that is trained under the leave-one-out cross-validation strategy. Obtained results on real affective data show that incorporation of the proposed training method in combination with the enhanced spatial resolution provided by the source estimation allows improving the performed accuracy of discrimination in most of the considered emotions, namely: dominance, valence, and liking. PMID:27489541

Analysis of glottal source parameters in Parkinsonian speech.

PubMed

Hanratty, Jane; Deegan, Catherine; Walsh, Mary; Kirkpatrick, Barry

2016-08-01

Diagnosis and monitoring of Parkinson's disease has a number of challenges as there is no definitive biomarker despite the broad range of symptoms. Research is ongoing to produce objective measures that can either diagnose Parkinson's or act as an objective decision support tool. Recent research on speech based measures have demonstrated promising results. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of the glottal source signal in Parkinsonian speech. An experiment is conducted in which a selection of glottal parameters are tested for their ability to discriminate between healthy and Parkinsonian speech. Results for each glottal parameter are presented for a database of 50 healthy speakers and a database of 16 speakers with Parkinsonian speech symptoms. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed to analyse the results and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) values were used to quantify the performance of each glottal parameter. The results indicate that glottal parameters can be used to discriminate between healthy and Parkinsonian speech, although results varied for each parameter tested. For the task of separating healthy and Parkinsonian speech, 2 out of the 7 glottal parameters tested produced AUC values of over 0.9.

Vapor Phase Alkyne Coating of Pharmaceutical Excipients: Discrimination Enhancement of Raman Chemical Imaging for Tablets.

PubMed

Yamashita, Mayumi; Sasaki, Hiroaki; Moriyama, Kei

2015-12-01

Raman chemical imaging has become a powerful analytical tool to investigate the crystallographic characteristics of pharmaceutical ingredients in tablet. However, it is often difficult to discriminate some pharmaceutical excipients from each other by Raman spectrum because of broad and overlapping signals, limiting their detailed assessments. To overcome this difficulty, we developed a vapor phase coating method of excipients by an alkyne, which exhibits a distinctive Raman signal in the range of 2100-2300 cm(-1) . We found that the combination of two volatile reagents, propargyl bromide and triethylamine, formed a thin and nonvolatile coating on the excipient and observed the Raman signal of the alkyne at the surface. We prepared alkyne-coated cellulose by this method and formed a tablet. The Raman chemical imaging of the tablet cross-section using the alkyne peak area intensity of 2120 cm(-1) as the index showed a much clearer particle image of cellulose than using the peak area intensity of 1370 cm(-1) , which originated from the cellulose itself. Our method provides an innovative technique to analyze the solid-state characteristics of pharmaceutical excipients in tablets. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Enhanced attentional gain as a mechanism for generalized perceptual learning in human visual cortex.

PubMed

Byers, Anna; Serences, John T

2014-09-01

Learning to better discriminate a specific visual feature (i.e., a specific orientation in a specific region of space) has been associated with plasticity in early visual areas (sensory modulation) and with improvements in the transmission of sensory information from early visual areas to downstream sensorimotor and decision regions (enhanced readout). However, in many real-world scenarios that require perceptual expertise, observers need to efficiently process numerous exemplars from a broad stimulus class as opposed to just a single stimulus feature. Some previous data suggest that perceptual learning leads to highly specific neural modulations that support the discrimination of specific trained features. However, the extent to which perceptual learning acts to improve the discriminability of a broad class of stimuli via the modulation of sensory responses in human visual cortex remains largely unknown. Here, we used functional MRI and a multivariate analysis method to reconstruct orientation-selective response profiles based on activation patterns in the early visual cortex before and after subjects learned to discriminate small offsets in a set of grating stimuli that were rendered in one of nine possible orientations. Behavioral performance improved across 10 training sessions, and there was a training-related increase in the amplitude of orientation-selective response profiles in V1, V2, and V3 when orientation was task relevant compared with when it was task irrelevant. These results suggest that generalized perceptual learning can lead to modified responses in the early visual cortex in a manner that is suitable for supporting improved discriminability of stimuli drawn from a large set of exemplars. Copyright © 2014 the American Physiological Society.

The Development and Validation of the Rational and Intuitive Decision Styles Scale.

PubMed

Hamilton, Katherine; Shih, Shin-I; Mohammed, Susan

2016-01-01

Decision styles reflect the typical manner by which individuals make decisions. The purpose of this research was to develop and validate a decision style scale that addresses conceptual and psychometric problems with current measures. The resulting 10-item scale captures a broad range of the rational and intuitive styles construct domain. Results from 5 independent samples provide initial support for the dimensionality and reliability of the new scale, as demonstrated by a clear factor structure and high internal consistency. In addition, our results show evidence of convergent and discriminant validity through expected patterns of correlations across decision-making individual differences and the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) Big Five traits. Research domains that would benefit from incorporating the concept of decision styles are discussed.

Multifactorial discrimination as a fundamental cause of mental health inequities.

PubMed

Khan, Mariam; Ilcisin, Misja; Saxton, Katherine

2017-03-04

The theory of fundamental causes explains why health disparities persist over time, even as risk factors, mechanisms, and diseases change. Using an intersectional framework, we evaluated multifactorial discrimination as a fundamental cause of mental health disparities. Using baseline data from the Project STRIDE: Stress, Identity, and Mental Health study, we examined the health effects of discrimination among individuals who self-identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. We used logistic and linear regression to assess whether multifactorial discrimination met the four criteria designating a fundamental cause, namely that the cause: 1) influences multiple health outcomes, 2) affects multiple risk factors, 3) involves access to resources that can be leveraged to reduce consequences of disease, and 4) reproduces itself in varied contexts through changing mechanisms. Multifactorial discrimination predicted high depression scores, psychological well-being, and substance use disorder diagnosis. Discrimination was positively associated with risk factors for high depression scores: chronic strain and total number of stressful life events. Discrimination was associated with significantly lower levels of mastery and self-esteem, protective factors for depressive symptomatology. Even after controlling for risk factors, discrimination remained a significant predictor for high depression scores. Among subjects with low depression scores, multifactorial discrimination also predicted anxiety and aggregate mental health scores. Multifactorial discrimination should be considered a fundamental cause of mental health inequities and may be an important cause of broad health disparities among populations with intersecting social identities.

Filter-based chemical sensors for hazardous materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Major, Kevin J.; Ewing, Kenneth J.; Poutous, Menelaos K.; Sanghera, Jasbinder S.; Aggarwal, Ishwar D.

2014-05-01

The development of new techniques for the detection of homemade explosive devices is an area of intense research for the defense community. Such sensors must exhibit high selectivity to detect explosives and/or explosives related materials in a complex environment. Spectroscopic techniques such as FTIR are capable of discriminating between the volatile components of explosives; however, there is a need for less expensive systems for wide-range use in the field. To tackle this challenge we are investigating the use of multiple, overlapping, broad-band infrared (IR) filters to enable discrimination of volatile chemicals associated with an explosive device from potential background interferants with similar chemical signatures. We present an optical approach for the detection of fuel oil (the volatile component in ammonium nitrate-fuel oil explosives) that relies on IR absorption spectroscopy in a laboratory environment. Our proposed system utilizes a three filter set to separate the IR signals from fuel oil and various background interferants in the sample headspace. Filter responses for the chemical spectra are calculated using a Gaussian filter set. We demonstrate that using a specifically chosen filter set enables discrimination of pure fuel oil, hexanes, and acetone, as well as various mixtures of these components. We examine the effects of varying carrier gasses and humidity on the collected spectra and corresponding filter response. We study the filter response on these mixtures over time as well as present a variety of methods for observing the filter response functions to determine the response of this approach to detecting fuel oil in various environments.

High-frequency energy in singing and speech

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monson, Brian Bruce

While human speech and the human voice generate acoustical energy up to (and beyond) 20 kHz, the energy above approximately 5 kHz has been largely neglected. Evidence is accruing that this high-frequency energy contains perceptual information relevant to speech and voice, including percepts of quality, localization, and intelligibility. The present research was an initial step in the long-range goal of characterizing high-frequency energy in singing voice and speech, with particular regard for its perceptual role and its potential for modification during voice and speech production. In this study, a database of high-fidelity recordings of talkers was created and used for a broad acoustical analysis and general characterization of high-frequency energy, as well as specific characterization of phoneme category, voice and speech intensity level, and mode of production (speech versus singing) by high-frequency energy content. Directionality of radiation of high-frequency energy from the mouth was also examined. The recordings were used for perceptual experiments wherein listeners were asked to discriminate between speech and voice samples that differed only in high-frequency energy content. Listeners were also subjected to gender discrimination tasks, mode-of-production discrimination tasks, and transcription tasks with samples of speech and singing that contained only high-frequency content. The combination of these experiments has revealed that (1) human listeners are able to detect very subtle level changes in high-frequency energy, and (2) human listeners are able to extract significant perceptual information from high-frequency energy.

Spectral Discrimination of the Invasive Plant Spartina alterniflora at Multiple Phenological Stages in a Saltmarsh Wetland

PubMed Central

Ouyang, Zu-Tao; Gao, Yu; Xie, Xiao; Guo, Hai-Qiang; Zhang, Ting-Ting; Zhao, Bin

2013-01-01

Spartina alterniflora has widely invaded the saltmarshes of the Yangtze River Estuary and brought negative effects to the ecosystem. Remote sensing technique has recently been used to monitor its distribution, but the similar morphology and canopy structure among S. alterniflora and its neighbor species make it difficult even with high-resolution images. Nevertheless, these species have divergence on phenological stages throughout the year, which cause distinguishing spectral characteristics among them and provide opportunities for discrimination. The field spectra of the S. alterniflora community as well as its major victims, native Phragmites australis and Scirpus mariqueter, were measured in 2009 and 2010 at multi-phenological stages in the Yangtze River Estuary, aiming to find the most appropriate periods for mapping S. alterniflora. Collected spectral data were analyzed separately for every stage firstly by re-sampling reflectance curves into continued 5-nm-wide hyper-spectral bands and then by re-sampling into broad multi-spectral bands – the same as the band ranges of the TM sensor, as well as calculating commonly used vegetation indices. The results showed that differences among saltmarsh communities’ spectral characteristics were affected by their phenological stages. The germination and early vegetative growth stage and the flowering stage were probably the best timings to identify S. alterniflora. Vegetation indices like NDVI, ANVI, VNVI, and RVI are likely to enhance spectral separability and also make it possible to discriminate S. alterniflora at its withering stage. PMID:23826265

Auditory Discrimination Learning: Role of Working Memory.

PubMed

Zhang, Yu-Xuan; Moore, David R; Guiraud, Jeanne; Molloy, Katharine; Yan, Ting-Ting; Amitay, Sygal

2016-01-01

Perceptual training is generally assumed to improve perception by modifying the encoding or decoding of sensory information. However, this assumption is incompatible with recent demonstrations that transfer of learning can be enhanced by across-trial variation of training stimuli or task. Here we present three lines of evidence from healthy adults in support of the idea that the enhanced transfer of auditory discrimination learning is mediated by working memory (WM). First, the ability to discriminate small differences in tone frequency or duration was correlated with WM measured with a tone n-back task. Second, training frequency discrimination around a variable frequency transferred to and from WM learning, but training around a fixed frequency did not. The transfer of learning in both directions was correlated with a reduction of the influence of stimulus variation in the discrimination task, linking WM and its improvement to across-trial stimulus interaction in auditory discrimination. Third, while WM training transferred broadly to other WM and auditory discrimination tasks, variable-frequency training on duration discrimination did not improve WM, indicating that stimulus variation challenges and trains WM only if the task demands stimulus updating in the varied dimension. The results provide empirical evidence as well as a theoretic framework for interactions between cognitive and sensory plasticity during perceptual experience.

Auditory Discrimination Learning: Role of Working Memory

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yu-Xuan; Moore, David R.; Guiraud, Jeanne; Molloy, Katharine; Yan, Ting-Ting; Amitay, Sygal

2016-01-01

Perceptual training is generally assumed to improve perception by modifying the encoding or decoding of sensory information. However, this assumption is incompatible with recent demonstrations that transfer of learning can be enhanced by across-trial variation of training stimuli or task. Here we present three lines of evidence from healthy adults in support of the idea that the enhanced transfer of auditory discrimination learning is mediated by working memory (WM). First, the ability to discriminate small differences in tone frequency or duration was correlated with WM measured with a tone n-back task. Second, training frequency discrimination around a variable frequency transferred to and from WM learning, but training around a fixed frequency did not. The transfer of learning in both directions was correlated with a reduction of the influence of stimulus variation in the discrimination task, linking WM and its improvement to across-trial stimulus interaction in auditory discrimination. Third, while WM training transferred broadly to other WM and auditory discrimination tasks, variable-frequency training on duration discrimination did not improve WM, indicating that stimulus variation challenges and trains WM only if the task demands stimulus updating in the varied dimension. The results provide empirical evidence as well as a theoretic framework for interactions between cognitive and sensory plasticity during perceptual experience. PMID:26799068

Homogeneous Biosensing Based on Magnetic Particle Labels

PubMed Central

Schrittwieser, Stefan; Pelaz, Beatriz; Parak, Wolfgang J.; Lentijo-Mozo, Sergio; Soulantica, Katerina; Dieckhoff, Jan; Ludwig, Frank; Guenther, Annegret; Tschöpe, Andreas; Schotter, Joerg

2016-01-01

The growing availability of biomarker panels for molecular diagnostics is leading to an increasing need for fast and sensitive biosensing technologies that are applicable to point-of-care testing. In that regard, homogeneous measurement principles are especially relevant as they usually do not require extensive sample preparation procedures, thus reducing the total analysis time and maximizing ease-of-use. In this review, we focus on homogeneous biosensors for the in vitro detection of biomarkers. Within this broad range of biosensors, we concentrate on methods that apply magnetic particle labels. The advantage of such methods lies in the added possibility to manipulate the particle labels by applied magnetic fields, which can be exploited, for example, to decrease incubation times or to enhance the signal-to-noise-ratio of the measurement signal by applying frequency-selective detection. In our review, we discriminate the corresponding methods based on the nature of the acquired measurement signal, which can either be based on magnetic or optical detection. The underlying measurement principles of the different techniques are discussed, and biosensing examples for all techniques are reported, thereby demonstrating the broad applicability of homogeneous in vitro biosensing based on magnetic particle label actuation. PMID:27275824

25 CFR 83.7 - Mandatory criteria for Federal acknowledgment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., patterned out-marriages with other Indian populations. (ii) Significant social relationships connecting individual members. (iii) Significant rates of informal social interaction which exist broadly among the... among the membership. (v) Evidence of strong patterns of discrimination or other social distinctions by...

Serodiagnosis of Acute Typhoid Fever in Nigerian Pediatric Cases by Detection of Serum IgA and IgG against Hemolysin E and Lipopolysaccharide

PubMed Central

Huw Davies, D.; Jain, Aarti; Nakajima, Rie; Liang, Li; Jasinskis, Algis; Supnet, Medalyn; Felgner, Philip L.; Teng, Andy; Pablo, Jozelyn; Molina, Douglas M.; Obaro, Stephen K.

2016-01-01

Inexpensive, easy-to-use, and highly sensitive diagnostic tests are currently unavailable for typhoid fever. To identify candidate serodiagnostic markers, we have probed microarrays displaying the full Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) proteome of 4,352 different proteins + lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), with sera from Nigerian pediatric typhoid and other febrile cases, Nigerian healthy controls, and healthy U.S. adults. Nigerian antibody profiles were broad (∼500 seropositive antigens) and mainly low level, with a small number of stronger “hits,” whereas the profile in U.S. adults was < 1/5 as broad, consistent with endemic exposure in Nigeria. Nigerian profiles were largely unaffected by clinical diagnosis, although the response against t1477 (hemolysin E) consistently emerged as stronger in typhoid cases. The response to LPS was also a strong discriminator of healthy controls and typhoid, although LPS did not discriminate between typhoid and nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) disease. As a first step toward the development of a point-of-care diagnostic, t1477 and LPS were evaluated on immunostrips. Both provided good discrimination between healthy controls and typhoid/NTS disease. Such a test could provide a useful screen for salmonellosis (typhoid and NTS disease) in suspected pediatric cases that present with undefined febrile disease. PMID:27215295

Applying Neural Networks to Hyperspectral and Multispectral Field Data for Discrimination of Cruciferous Weeds in Winter Crops

PubMed Central

de Castro, Ana-Isabel; Jurado-Expósito, Montserrat; Gómez-Casero, María-Teresa; López-Granados, Francisca

2012-01-01

In the context of detection of weeds in crops for site-specific weed control, on-ground spectral reflectance measurements are the first step to determine the potential of remote spectral data to classify weeds and crops. Field studies were conducted for four years at different locations in Spain. We aimed to distinguish cruciferous weeds in wheat and broad bean crops, using hyperspectral and multispectral readings in the visible and near-infrared spectrum. To identify differences in reflectance between cruciferous weeds, we applied three classification methods: stepwise discriminant (STEPDISC) analysis and two neural networks, specifically, multilayer perceptron (MLP) and radial basis function (RBF). Hyperspectral and multispectral signatures of cruciferous weeds, and wheat and broad bean crops can be classified using STEPDISC analysis, and MLP and RBF neural networks with different success, being the MLP model the most accurate with 100%, or higher than 98.1%, of classification performance for all the years. Classification accuracy from hyperspectral signatures was similar to that from multispectral and spectral indices, suggesting that little advantage would be obtained by using more expensive airborne hyperspectral imagery. Therefore, for next investigations, we recommend using multispectral remote imagery to explore whether they can potentially discriminate these weeds and crops. PMID:22629171

Applying neural networks to hyperspectral and multispectral field data for discrimination of cruciferous weeds in winter crops.

PubMed

de Castro, Ana-Isabel; Jurado-Expósito, Montserrat; Gómez-Casero, María-Teresa; López-Granados, Francisca

2012-01-01

In the context of detection of weeds in crops for site-specific weed control, on-ground spectral reflectance measurements are the first step to determine the potential of remote spectral data to classify weeds and crops. Field studies were conducted for four years at different locations in Spain. We aimed to distinguish cruciferous weeds in wheat and broad bean crops, using hyperspectral and multispectral readings in the visible and near-infrared spectrum. To identify differences in reflectance between cruciferous weeds, we applied three classification methods: stepwise discriminant (STEPDISC) analysis and two neural networks, specifically, multilayer perceptron (MLP) and radial basis function (RBF). Hyperspectral and multispectral signatures of cruciferous weeds, and wheat and broad bean crops can be classified using STEPDISC analysis, and MLP and RBF neural networks with different success, being the MLP model the most accurate with 100%, or higher than 98.1%, of classification performance for all the years. Classification accuracy from hyperspectral signatures was similar to that from multispectral and spectral indices, suggesting that little advantage would be obtained by using more expensive airborne hyperspectral imagery. Therefore, for next investigations, we recommend using multispectral remote imagery to explore whether they can potentially discriminate these weeds and crops.

Thermal and range fusion for a planetary rover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caillas, Claude

1992-01-01

This paper describes how fusion between thermal and range imaging allows us to discriminate different types of materials in outdoor scenes. First, we analyze how pure vision segmentation algorithms applied to thermal images allow discriminating materials such as rock and sand. Second, we show how combining thermal and range information allows us to better discriminate rocks from sand. Third, as an application, we examine how an autonomous legged robot can use these techniques to explore other planets.

The Yearbook of Education Law, 2001.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russo, Charles J., Ed.

This yearbook presents legal precedents for a broad spectrum of education-related issues. Drawing on 25 experts' research in education and law, the book opens with legalities concerning school employees. It examines discrimination, constitutional rights, due process, dismissal, nonrenewal, demotion, and discipline; duty; involuntary leaves;…

An Introduction to Multicultural Counseling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Wanda M. L.

When client and counselor are from different cultural backgrounds, they tend to view things from disparate perspectives. Though a background in multiculturalism is required for program accreditation, most existing texts limit coverage to ethnicity, without the emphasis of broad concepts such as discrimination and acculturation, or coverage of…

New developments in the law for obesity discrimination protection.

PubMed

Pomeranz, Jennifer L; Puhl, Rebecca M

2013-03-01

Obese individuals are frequent targets of weight-based discrimination, particularly in the employment setting. Victims of weight discrimination have sought legal restitution like others who have suffered from different forms of discrimination. However, in the vast majority of the United States, body weight is not a protected class and weight-based employment discrimination does not provide a basis for a legal claim. Some have attempted to seek legal recourse under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (collectively, the ADA), which protect against discrimination based on mental or physical disabilities in a variety of settings. Until recently, claims of weight discrimination under the ADA have also been largely unsuccessful. However, Congress recently passed the ADA Amendments Act, expanding the definition of what constitutes a disability and incorporating a broad view of ADA's coverage. This short communication provides an update of the law as it relates to employment based discrimination of obese people. The authors propose a legislative direction for future legal recourse. The authors conducted legal research into the ADA Amendments Act, and synthesized this work relating to discrimination against weight in the employment context. In light of the ADA Amendments Act, courts and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have provided protection for severely obese people from discrimination based on actual or perceived disability in the employment context. The authors discuss this positive legal development and additionally propose a targeted solution to address weight discrimination in the employment setting. National polling suggests there is considerable public support for such a measure. The authors thus recommend the implementation of a "Weight Discrimination in Employment Act" modeled after the Age Discrimination in Employment Act to adequately address this pervasive and damaging injustice toward individuals who are affected by obesity. Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society.

Discrimination and drinking: A systematic review of the evidence.

PubMed

Gilbert, Paul A; Zemore, Sarah E

2016-07-01

Although it is widely accepted that discrimination is associated with heavy and hazardous drinking, particularly within stress and coping frameworks, there has been no comprehensive review of the evidence. In response, we conducted a systematic review of the English language peer-reviewed literature to summarize studies of discrimination and alcohol-related outcomes, broadly defined. Searching six online data bases, we identified 938 non-duplicative titles published between 1980 and 2015, of which 97 met all inclusion criteria for our review and reported quantitative tests of associations between discrimination and alcohol use. We extracted key study characteristics and assessed quality based on reported methodological details. Papers generally supported a positive association; however, the quantity and quality of evidence varied considerably. The largest number of studies was of racial/ethnic discrimination among African Americans in the United States, followed by sexual orientation and gender discrimination. Studies of racial/ethnic discrimination were notable for their frequent use of complex modeling (i.e., mediation, moderation) but focused nearly exclusively on interpersonal discrimination. In contrast, studies of sexual orientation discrimination (i.e., heterosexism, homophobia) examined both internalized and interpersonal aspects; however, the literature largely relied on global tests of association using cross-sectional data. Some populations (e.g., Native Americans, Asian and Pacific Islanders) and types of discrimination (e.g., systemic/structural racism; ageism) received scant attention. This review extends our knowledge of a key social determinant of health through alcohol use. We identified gaps in the evidence base and suggest directions for future research related to discrimination and alcohol misuse. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Discrimination and Drinking: A Systematic Review of the Evidence

PubMed Central

Gilbert, Paul A.; Zemore, Sarah E.

2016-01-01

Although it is widely accepted that discrimination is associated with heavy and hazardous drinking, particularly within stress and coping frameworks, there has been no comprehensive review of the evidence. In response, we conducted a systematic review of the English language peer-reviewed literature to summarize studies of discrimination and alcohol-related outcomes, broadly defined. Searching six online data bases, we identified 937 non-duplicative titles published between 1980 and 2015, of which 97 met all inclusion criteria for our review and reported quantitative tests of associations between discrimination and alcohol use. We extracted key study characteristics and assessed quality based on reported methodological details. Papers generally supported a positive association; however, the quantity and quality of evidence varied considerably. The largest number of studies was of racial/ethnic discrimination among African Americans in the United States, followed by sexual orientation and gender discrimination. Studies of racial/ethnic discrimination were notable for their frequent use of complex modeling (i.e., mediation, moderation) but focused nearly exclusively on interpersonal discrimination. In contrast, studies of sexual orientation discrimination (i.e., heterosexism, homophobia) examined both internalized and interpersonal aspects; however, the literature largely relied on global tests of association using cross-sectional data. Some populations (e.g., Native Americans, Asian and Pacific Islanders) and types of discrimination (e.g., systemic/structural racism; ageism) received scant attention. This review extends our knowledge of a key social determinant of health through alcohol use. We identified gaps in the evidence base and suggest directions for future research related to discrimination and alcohol misuse. PMID:27315370

The diffusion decision model: theory and data for two-choice decision tasks.

PubMed

Ratcliff, Roger; McKoon, Gail

2008-04-01

The diffusion decision model allows detailed explanations of behavior in two-choice discrimination tasks. In this article, the model is reviewed to show how it translates behavioral data-accuracy, mean response times, and response time distributions-into components of cognitive processing. Three experiments are used to illustrate experimental manipulations of three components: stimulus difficulty affects the quality of information on which a decision is based; instructions emphasizing either speed or accuracy affect the criterial amounts of information that a subject requires before initiating a response; and the relative proportions of the two stimuli affect biases in drift rate and starting point. The experiments also illustrate the strong constraints that ensure the model is empirically testable and potentially falsifiable. The broad range of applications of the model is also reviewed, including research in the domains of aging and neurophysiology.

Intelligent Front-end Electronics for Silicon photodetectors (IFES)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauerzopf, Clemens; Gruber, Lukas; Suzuki, Ken; Zmeskal, Johann; Widmann, Eberhard

2016-05-01

While high channel density can be easily achieved for big experiments using custom made microchips, providing something similar for small and medium size experiments imposes a challenge. Within this work we describe a novel and cost effective solution to operate silicon photodetectors such as silicon photo multipliers (SiPM). The IFES modules provide the bias voltage for the detectors, a leading edge discriminator featuring time over threshold and a differential amplifier, all on one printed circuit board. We demonstrate under realistic conditions that the module is usable for high resolution timing measurements exploiting both charge and time information. Furthermore we show that the modules can be easily used in larger detector arrays. All in all this confirms that the IFES modules are a viable option for a broad range of experiments if cost-effectiveness and small form factor are required.

Mock-juror evaluations of traditional and ratings-based eyewitness identification evidence.

PubMed

Sauer, James D; Palmer, Matthew A; Brewer, Neil

2017-08-01

Compared to categorical identifications, culprit likelihood ratings (having the witness rate, for each lineup member, the likelihood that the individual is the culprit) provide a promising alternative for assessing a suspect's likely guilt. Four experiments addressed 2 broad questions about the use of culprit likelihood ratings evidence by mock-jurors. First, are mock-jurors receptive to noncategorical forms of identification evidence? Second, does the additional information provided by ratings (relating to discrimination) affect jurors' evaluations of the identification evidence? Experiments 1 and 1A manipulated confidence (90% vs. 50%) and discrimination (good, poor, no information) between participants. Evaluations were influenced by confidence, but not discrimination. However, a within-participant manipulation of discrimination (Experiment 2) demonstrated that evidence of good discrimination enhanced the persuasiveness of moderate levels of confidence, while poor discrimination reduced the persuasiveness of high levels of confidence. Thus, participants can interpret ratings-based evidence, but may not intuit the discrimination information when evaluating ratings for a single identification procedure. Providing detailed instructions about interpreting ratings produced clear discrimination effects when evaluating a single identification procedure (Experiment 3). Across 4 experiments, we found no evidence that mock-jurors perceived noncategorical identification evidence to be less informative than categorical evidence. However, jurors will likely benefit from instruction when interpreting ratings provided by a single witness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Identifying the microbial taxa that consistently respond to soil warming across time and space.

PubMed

Oliverio, Angela M; Bradford, Mark A; Fierer, Noah

2017-05-01

Soil microbial communities are the key drivers of many terrestrial biogeochemical processes. However, we currently lack a generalizable understanding of how these soil communities will change in response to predicted increases in global temperatures and which microbial lineages will be most impacted. Here, using high-throughput marker gene sequencing of soils collected from 18 sites throughout North America included in a 100-day laboratory incubation experiment, we identified a core group of abundant and nearly ubiquitous soil microbes that shift in relative abundance with elevated soil temperatures. We then validated and narrowed our list of temperature-sensitive microbes by comparing the results from this laboratory experiment with data compiled from 210 soils representing multiple, independent global field studies sampled across spatial gradients with a wide range in mean annual temperatures. Our results reveal predictable and consistent responses to temperature for a core group of 189 ubiquitous soil bacterial and archaeal taxa, with these taxa exhibiting similar temperature responses across a broad range of soil types. These microbial 'bioindicators' are useful for understanding how soil microbial communities respond to warming and to discriminate between the direct and indirect effects of soil warming on microbial communities. Those taxa that were found to be sensitive to temperature represented a wide range of lineages and the direction of the temperature responses were not predictable from phylogeny alone, indicating that temperature responses are difficult to predict from simply describing soil microbial communities at broad taxonomic or phylogenetic levels of resolution. Together, these results lay the foundation for a more predictive understanding of how soil microbial communities respond to soil warming and how warming may ultimately lead to changes in soil biogeochemical processes. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Techniques for Programming Visual Demonstrations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gropper, George L.

Visual demonstrations may be used as part of programs to deliver both content objectives and process objectives. Research has shown that learning of concepts is easier, more accurate, and more broadly applied when it is accompanied by visual examples. The visual examples supporting content learning should emphasize both discrimination and…

Legal Issues Confronting Department Chairs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colm, Maxine

2002-01-01

Identifies broad areas affecting department chairs when they deal with academic personnel matters, including sexual harassment and sexual discrimination. Notes that the hiring and reappointment process is at the core of building and maintaining the highest quality faculty members, and that most federal and state courts defer to academic judgment…

A novel method for assessing contrast sensitivity in the beagle dog is sensitive to age and an antioxidant enriched food.

PubMed

de Rivera, Christina; Boutet, Isabelle; Zicker, Steven C; Milgram, Norton W

2005-03-01

Tasks requiring visual discrimination are commonly used in assessment of canine cognitive function. However, little is known about canine visual processing, and virtually nothing is known about the effects of age on canine visual function. This study describes a novel behavioural method developed to assess one aspect of canine visual function, namely contrast sensitivity. Four age groups (young, middle aged, old, and senior) were studied. We also included a group of middle aged to old animals that had been maintained for at least 4 years on a specially formulated food containing a broad spectrum of antioxidants and mitochondrial cofactors. Performance of this group was compared with a group in the same age range maintained on a control diet. In the first phase, all animals were trained to discriminate between two high contrast shapes. In the second phase, contrast was progressively reduced by increasing the luminance of the shapes. Performance decreased as a function of age, but the differences did not achieve statistical significance, possibly because of a small sample size in the young group. All age groups were able to acquire the initial discrimination, although the two older age groups showed slower learning. Errors increased with decreasing contrast with the maximal number of errors for the 1% contrast shape. Also, all animals on the antioxidant diet learned the task and had significantly fewer errors at the high contrast compared with the animals on the control diet. The initial results suggest that contrast sensitivity deteriorates with age in the canine while form perception is largely unaffected by age.

Impact of stimulus format and reward value on quantity discrimination in capuchin and squirrel monkeys.

PubMed

Gazes, Regina Paxton; Billas, Alison R; Schmitt, Vanessa

2018-03-01

Quantity discrimination abilities are seen in a diverse range of species with similarities in performance patterns, suggesting common underlying cognitive mechanisms. However, methodological factors that impact performance make it difficult to draw broad phylogenetic comparisons of numerical cognition across studies. For example, some Old World monkeys selected a higher quantity stimulus more frequently when choosing between inedible (pebbles) than edible (food) stimuli. In Experiment 1 we presented brown capuchin (Cebus [Sapajus] paella) and squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) with the same two-choice quantity discrimination task in three different stimulus conditions: edible, inedible, and edible replaced (in which choice stimuli were food items that stood in for the same quantity of food items that were given as a reward). Unlike Old World monkeys, capuchins selected the higher quantity stimulus more in the edible condition and squirrel monkeys showed generally poor performance across all stimulus types. Performance patterns suggested that differences in subjective reward value might motivate differences in choice behavior between and within species. In Experiment 2 we manipulated the subjective reinforcement value of the reward by varying reward type and delay to reinforcement and found that delay to reinforcement had no impact on choice behavior, while increasing the value of the reward significantly improved performance by both species. The results of this study indicate that species presented with identical tasks may respond differently to methodological factors such as stimulus and reward types, resulting in significant differences in choice behavior that may lead to spurious suggestions of species differences in cognitive abilities.

Reducing substance abuse during pregnancy. Discriminating among levels of response in a prenatal setting.

PubMed

Corse, S J; Smith, M

1998-01-01

Providers in prenatal care settings are well-positioned to help pregnant women with substance abuse problems take the first steps toward recovery. This study reports the results of the ANGELS Program, a program of enhanced prenatal care designed to reduce substance use among pregnant women. In a suburban office serving a broad range of pregnant women, certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and on-site addictions counselors addressed substance abuse during prenatal care. This paper describes a cohort of 77 pregnant women who were identified as abusers of alcohol and/or other drugs at the start of pregnancy. According to a level of change rating assigned by the CNM at delivery, 51% of women were able to be largely abstinent during their pregnancy, 35% had reduced their use somewhat, and 14% had shown no change in use. Discriminant analysis techniques were used to learn what characteristics differentiated women in these three level of change groups. Baseline variables that differentiated the groups included severity of cocaine and cannabis use, psychosocial stressors, and initiation of prenatal care. Significant process variables included number of prenatal visits and contact with the addictions counselors. Clinical vignettes illustrate the differences among women in the three level of change groups. Implications of the results are discussed.

A dynamic sandwich assay on magnetic beads for selective detection of single-nucleotide mutations at room temperature.

PubMed

Wang, Junxiu; Xiong, Guoliang; Ma, Liang; Wang, Shihui; Zhou, Xu; Wang, Lei; Xiao, Lehui; Su, Xin; Yu, Changyuan

2017-08-15

Single-nucleotide mutation (SNM) has proven to be associated with a variety of human diseases. Development of reliable methods for the detection of SNM is crucial for molecular diagnosis and personalized medicine. The sandwich assays are widely used tools for detecting nucleic acid biomarkers due to their low cost and rapid signaling. However, the poor hybridization specificity of signal probe at room temperature hampers the discrimination of mutant and wild type. Here, we demonstrate a dynamic sandwich assay on magnetic beads for SNM detection based on the transient binding between signal probe and target. By taking the advantage of mismatch sensitive thermodynamics of transient DNA binding, the dynamic sandwich assay exhibits high discrimination factor for mutant with a broad range of salt concentration at room temperature. The beads used in this assay serve as a tool for separation, and might be helpful to enhance SNM selectivity. Flexible design of signal probe and facile magnetic separation allow multiple-mode downstream analysis including colorimetric detection and isothermal amplification. With this method, BRAF mutations in the genomic DNA extracted from cancer cell lines were tested, allowing sensitive detection of SNM at very low abundances (0.1-0.5% mutant/wild type). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ethnic discrimination and health: the relationship between experienced ethnic discrimination and multiple health domains in Norway's rural Sami population.

PubMed

Hansen, Ketil Lenert

2015-01-01

Self-reported ethnic discrimination has been associated with a range of health outcomes. This study builds on previous efforts to investigate the prevalence of self-reported ethnic discrimination in the indigenous (Sami) population, and how such discrimination may be associated with key health indicators. The study relies on data from the 2003/2004 (n=4,389) population-based study of adults (aged 36-79 years) in 24 rural municipalities of Central and North Norway (the SAMINOR study). Self-reported ethnic discrimination was measured using the question: "Have you ever experienced discrimination due to your ethnic background?" Health indicators included questions regarding cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic muscle pain, metabolic syndrome and obesity. Logistic regression was applied to examine the relationship between self-reported ethnic discrimination and health outcomes. The study finds that for Sami people living in minority areas, self-reported ethnic discrimination is associated with all the negative health indicators included in the study. We conclude that ethnic discrimination affects a wide range of health outcomes. Our findings highlight the importance of ensuring freedom from discrimination for the Sami people of Norway.

Ethnic discrimination and health: the relationship between experienced ethnic discrimination and multiple health domains in Norway's rural Sami population

PubMed Central

Hansen, Ketil Lenert

2015-01-01

Objective Self-reported ethnic discrimination has been associated with a range of health outcomes. This study builds on previous efforts to investigate the prevalence of self-reported ethnic discrimination in the indigenous (Sami) population, and how such discrimination may be associated with key health indicators. Study design The study relies on data from the 2003/2004 (n=4,389) population-based study of adults (aged 36–79 years) in 24 rural municipalities of Central and North Norway (the SAMINOR study). Self-reported ethnic discrimination was measured using the question: “Have you ever experienced discrimination due to your ethnic background?” Health indicators included questions regarding cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic muscle pain, metabolic syndrome and obesity. Logistic regression was applied to examine the relationship between self-reported ethnic discrimination and health outcomes. Results The study finds that for Sami people living in minority areas, self-reported ethnic discrimination is associated with all the negative health indicators included in the study. Conclusion We conclude that ethnic discrimination affects a wide range of health outcomes. Our findings highlight the importance of ensuring freedom from discrimination for the Sami people of Norway. PMID:25683064

Deficits of congenital amusia beyond pitch: Evidence from impaired categorical perception of vowels in Cantonese-speaking congenital amusics

PubMed Central

Shao, Jing; Huang, Xunan

2017-01-01

Congenital amusia is a lifelong disorder of fine-grained pitch processing in music and speech. However, it remains unclear whether amusia is a pitch-specific deficit, or whether it affects frequency/spectral processing more broadly, such as the perception of formant frequency in vowels, apart from pitch. In this study, in order to illuminate the scope of the deficits, we compared the performance of 15 Cantonese-speaking amusics and 15 matched controls on the categorical perception of sound continua in four stimulus contexts: lexical tone, pure tone, vowel, and voice onset time (VOT). Whereas lexical tone, pure tone and vowel continua rely on frequency/spectral processing, the VOT continuum depends on duration/temporal processing. We found that the amusic participants performed similarly to controls in all stimulus contexts in the identification, in terms of the across-category boundary location and boundary width. However, the amusic participants performed systematically worse than controls in discriminating stimuli in those three contexts that depended on frequency/spectral processing (lexical tone, pure tone and vowel), whereas they performed normally when discriminating duration differences (VOT). These findings suggest that the deficit of amusia is probably not pitch specific, but affects frequency/spectral processing more broadly. Furthermore, there appeared to be differences in the impairment of frequency/spectral discrimination in speech and nonspeech contexts. The amusic participants exhibited less benefit in between-category discriminations than controls in speech contexts (lexical tone and vowel), suggesting reduced categorical perception; on the other hand, they performed inferiorly compared to controls across the board regardless of between- and within-category discriminations in nonspeech contexts (pure tone), suggesting impaired general auditory processing. These differences imply that the frequency/spectral-processing deficit might be manifested differentially in speech and nonspeech contexts in amusics—it is manifested as a deficit of higher-level phonological processing in speech sounds, and as a deficit of lower-level auditory processing in nonspeech sounds. PMID:28829808

Defining Hardwood Veneer Log Quality Attributes

Treesearch

Jan Wiedenbeck; Michael Wiemann; Delton Alderman; John Baumgras; William Luppold

2004-01-01

This publication provides a broad spectrum of information on the hardwood veneer industry in North America. Veneer manufacturers and their customers impose guidelines in specifying wood quality attributes that are very discriminating but poorly defined (e.g., exceptional color, texture, and/or figure characteristics). To better understand and begin to define the most...

Comparison of three PCR-based assays for SNP genotyping in sugar beet

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: PCR allelic discrimination technologies have broad applications in the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genetics and genomics. The use of fluorescence-tagged probes is the leading method for targeted SNP detection, but assay costs and error rates could be improved t...

Affirmative Action in Israel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lerner, Natan

This paper examines issues of equality, discrimination, affirmative action, and preferential treatment in Israel. An introduction provides a broad outline of topics addressed in the paper: the status of the Jewish sector, with treatment of Jewish immigrants to serve as an example of affirmative action; the policies of the state in relation to the…

Discriminantly Valid Personality Measures: Some Propositions. Research Bulletin No. 339.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Douglas N.

Starting with the premise that the construct-oriented approach is the only viable approach to personality assessment, this paper considers five propositions. First, a prerequisite to generalizable and valid psychometric measurement of personality rests on the choice of broad-based constructs with systematic univocal definitions. Next, measures…

Vocal Pitch Discrimination in the Motor System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Ausilio, Alessandro; Bufalari, Ilaria; Salmas, Paola; Busan, Pierpaolo; Fadiga, Luciano

2011-01-01

Speech production can be broadly separated into two distinct components: Phonation and Articulation. These two aspects require the efficient control of several phono-articulatory effectors. Speech is indeed generated by the vibration of the vocal-folds in the larynx (F0) followed by "filtering" by articulators, to select certain resonant…

Gloss discrimination and eye movements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Jonathan B.; Ferwerda, James A.; Nunziata, Ann

2010-02-01

Human observers are able to make fine discriminations of surface gloss. What cues are they using to perform this task? In previous studies, we identified two reflection-related cues-the contrast of the reflected image (c, contrast gloss) and the sharpness of reflected image (d, distinctness-of-image gloss)--but these were for objects rendered in standard dynamic range (SDR) images with compressed highlights. In ongoing work, we are studying the effects of image dynamic range on perceived gloss, comparing high dynamic range (HDR) images with accurate reflections and SDR images with compressed reflections. In this paper, we first present the basic findings of this gloss discrimination study then present an analysis of eye movement recordings that show where observers were looking during the gloss discrimination task. The results indicate that: 1) image dynamic range has significant influence on perceived gloss, with surfaces presented in HDR images being seen as glossier and more discriminable than their SDR counterparts; 2) observers look at both light source highlights and environmental interreflections when judging gloss; and 3) both of these results are modulated by surface geometry and scene illumination.

Serodiagnosis of Acute Typhoid Fever in Nigerian Pediatric Cases by Detection of Serum IgA and IgG Against Hemolysin E and Lipopolysaccharide.

PubMed

Davies, D Huw; Jain, Aarti; Nakajima, Rie; Liang, Li; Jasinskis, Algis; Supnet, Medalyn; Felgner, Philip L; Teng, Andy; Pablo, Jozelyn; Molina, Douglas M; Obaro, Stephen K

2016-08-03

Inexpensive, easy-to-use, and highly sensitive diagnostic tests are currently unavailable for typhoid fever. To identify candidate serodiagnostic markers, we have probed microarrays displaying the full Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) proteome of 4,352 different proteins + lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), with sera from Nigerian pediatric typhoid and other febrile cases, Nigerian healthy controls, and healthy U.S. adults. Nigerian antibody profiles were broad (∼500 seropositive antigens) and mainly low level, with a small number of stronger "hits," whereas the profile in U.S. adults was < 1/5 as broad, consistent with endemic exposure in Nigeria. Nigerian profiles were largely unaffected by clinical diagnosis, although the response against t1477 (hemolysin E) consistently emerged as stronger in typhoid cases. The response to LPS was also a strong discriminator of healthy controls and typhoid, although LPS did not discriminate between typhoid and nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) disease. As a first step toward the development of a point-of-care diagnostic, t1477 and LPS were evaluated on immunostrips. Both provided good discrimination between healthy controls and typhoid/NTS disease. Such a test could provide a useful screen for salmonellosis (typhoid and NTS disease) in suspected pediatric cases that present with undefined febrile disease. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Target discrimination strategies in optics detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sjöqvist, Lars; Allard, Lars; Henriksson, Markus; Jonsson, Per; Pettersson, Magnus

2013-10-01

Detection and localisation of optical assemblies used for weapon guidance or sniper rifle scopes has attracted interest for security and military applications. Typically a laser system is used to interrogate a scene of interest and the retro-reflected radiation is detected. Different system approaches for area coverage can be realised ranging from flood illumination to step-and-stare or continuous scanning schemes. Independently of the chosen approach target discrimination is a crucial issue, particularly if a complex scene such as in an urban environment and autonomous operation is considered. In this work target discrimination strategies in optics detection are discussed. Typical parameters affecting the reflected laser radiation from the target are the wavelength, polarisation properties, temporal effects and the range resolution. Knowledge about the target characteristics is important to predict the target discrimination capability. Two different systems were used to investigate polarisation properties and range resolution information from targets including e.g. road signs, optical reflexes, rifle sights and optical references. The experimental results and implications on target discrimination will be discussed. If autonomous operation is required target discrimination becomes critical in order to reduce the number of false alarms.

Determination of geographical origin of alcoholic beverages using ultraviolet, visible and infrared spectroscopy: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uríčková, Veronika; Sádecká, Jana

2015-09-01

The identification of the geographical origin of beverages is one of the most important issues in food chemistry. Spectroscopic methods provide a relative rapid and low cost alternative to traditional chemical composition or sensory analyses. This paper reviews the current state of development of ultraviolet (UV), visible (Vis), near infrared (NIR) and mid infrared (MIR) spectroscopic techniques combined with pattern recognition methods for determining geographical origin of both wines and distilled drinks. UV, Vis, and NIR spectra contain broad band(s) with weak spectral features limiting their discrimination ability. Despite this expected shortcoming, each of the three spectroscopic ranges (NIR, Vis/NIR and UV/Vis/NIR) provides average correct classification higher than 82%. Although average correct classification is similar for NIR and MIR regions, in some instances MIR data processing improves prediction. Advantage of using MIR is that MIR peaks are better defined and more easily assigned than NIR bands. In general, success in a classification depends on both spectral range and pattern recognition methods. The main problem still remains the construction of databanks needed for all of these methods.

Cross-modal transfer of the conditioned eyeblink response during interstimulus interval discrimination training in young rats

PubMed Central

Brown, Kevin L.; Stanton, Mark E.

2008-01-01

Eyeblink classical conditioning (EBC) was observed across a broad developmental period with tasks utilizing two interstimulus intervals (ISIs). In ISI discrimination, two distinct conditioned stimuli (CSs; light and tone) are reinforced with a periocular shock unconditioned stimulus (US) at two different CS-US intervals. Temporal uncertainty is identical in design with the exception that the same CS is presented at both intervals. Developmental changes in conditioning have been reported in each task beyond ages when single-ISI learning is well developed. The present study sought to replicate and extend these previous findings by testing each task at four separate ages. Consistent with previous findings, younger rats (postnatal day – PD - 23 and 30) trained in ISI discrimination showed evidence of enhanced cross-modal influence of the short CS-US pairing upon long CS conditioning relative to older subjects. ISI discrimination training at PD43-47 yielded outcomes similar to those in adults (PD65-71). Cross-modal transfer effects in this task therefore appear to diminish between PD30 and PD43-47. Comparisons of ISI discrimination with temporal uncertainty indicated that cross-modal transfer in ISI discrimination at the youngest ages did not represent complete generalization across CSs. ISI discrimination undergoes a more protracted developmental emergence than single-cue EBC and may be a more sensitive indicator of developmental disorders involving cerebellar dysfunction. PMID:18726989

Discrimination and sleep: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Slopen, Natalie; Lewis, Tené T.; Williams, David R.

2015-01-01

An increasing body of literature indicates that discrimination has a negative impact on health; poor sleep may be an underlying mechanism. The primary objective of this review was to examine existing studies on the relationship between discrimination and sleep to clarify (a) the potential role of discrimination in shaping population patterns of sleep and sleep disparities, and (b) research needed to develop interventions at individual and institutional levels. We identified articles from English-language publications in Pubmed and Ebsco databases from inception through July 2014. We employed a broad definition of discrimination to include any form of unfair treatment and all self-reported and objectively-assessed sleep outcomes, including duration, difficulties, and sleep architecture. Seventeen studies were identified: four prospective, twelve cross-sectional, and one that utilized a daily-diary design. Fifteen of the 17 studies evaluated interpersonal discrimination as the exposure and the majority of studies included self-reported sleep as the outcome. Only four studies incorporated objective sleep assessments. All 17 studies identified at least one association between discrimination and a measure of poorer sleep, although studies with more detailed consideration of either discrimination or sleep architecture revealed some inconsistencies. Taken together, existing studies demonstrate consistent evidence that discrimination is associated with poorer sleep outcomes. This evidence base can be strengthened with additional prospective studies that incorporate objectively-measured aspects of sleep. We outline important extensions for this field of inquiry that can inform the development of interventions to improve sleep outcomes, and consequently promote wellbeing and reduce health inequities across the life course. PMID:25770043

Discrimination and sleep: a systematic review.

PubMed

Slopen, Natalie; Lewis, Tené T; Williams, David R

2016-02-01

An increasing body of literature indicates that discrimination has a negative impact on health; poor sleep may be an underlying mechanism. The primary objective of this review was to examine existing studies on the relationship between discrimination and sleep to clarify (a) the potential role of discrimination in shaping population patterns of sleep and sleep disparities, and (b) the research needed to develop interventions at individual and institutional levels. We identified articles from English-language publications in PubMed and EBSCO databases from inception through July 2014. We employed a broad definition of discrimination to include any form of unfair treatment and all self-reported and objectively assessed sleep outcomes, including duration, difficulties, and sleep architecture. Seventeen studies were identified: four prospective, 12 cross-sectional, and one that utilized a daily-diary design. Fifteen of the 17 studies evaluated interpersonal discrimination as the exposure and the majority of studies included self-reported sleep as the outcome. Only four studies incorporated objective sleep assessments. All 17 studies identified at least one association between discrimination and a measure of poorer sleep, although studies with more detailed consideration of either discrimination or sleep architecture revealed some inconsistencies. Taken together, existing studies demonstrate consistent evidence that discrimination is associated with poorer sleep outcomes. This evidence base can be strengthened with additional prospective studies that incorporate objectively measured aspects of sleep. We outline important extensions for this field of inquiry that can inform the development of interventions to improve sleep outcomes, and consequently promote well-being and reduce health inequities across the life course. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Indirect reciprocity can overcome free-rider problems on costly moral assessment.

PubMed

Sasaki, Tatsuya; Okada, Isamu; Nakai, Yutaka

2016-07-01

Indirect reciprocity is one of the major mechanisms of the evolution of cooperation. Because constant monitoring and accurate evaluation in moral assessments tend to be costly, indirect reciprocity can be exploited by cost evaders. A recent study crucially showed that a cooperative state achieved by indirect reciprocators is easily destabilized by cost evaders in the case with no supportive mechanism. Here, we present a simple and widely applicable solution that considers pre-assessment of cost evaders. In the pre-assessment, those who fail to pay for costly assessment systems are assigned a nasty image that leads to them being rejected by discriminators. We demonstrate that considering the pre-assessment can crucially stabilize reciprocal cooperation for a broad range of indirect reciprocity models. In particular for the most leading social norms, we analyse the conditions under which a prosocial state becomes locally stable. © 2016 The Authors.

Characterization of semiconductor materials using synchrotron radiation-based near-field infrared microscopy and nano-FTIR spectroscopy.

PubMed

Hermann, Peter; Hoehl, Arne; Ulrich, Georg; Fleischmann, Claudia; Hermelink, Antje; Kästner, Bernd; Patoka, Piotr; Hornemann, Andrea; Beckhoff, Burkhard; Rühl, Eckart; Ulm, Gerhard

2014-07-28

We describe the application of scattering-type near-field optical microscopy to characterize various semiconducting materials using the electron storage ring Metrology Light Source (MLS) as a broadband synchrotron radiation source. For verifying high-resolution imaging and nano-FTIR spectroscopy we performed scans across nanoscale Si-based surface structures. The obtained results demonstrate that a spatial resolution below 40 nm can be achieved, despite the use of a radiation source with an extremely broad emission spectrum. This approach allows not only for the collection of optical information but also enables the acquisition of near-field spectral data in the mid-infrared range. The high sensitivity for spectroscopic material discrimination using synchrotron radiation is presented by recording near-field spectra from thin films composed of different materials used in semiconductor technology, such as SiO2, SiC, SixNy, and TiO2.

More than apples and oranges - Detecting cancer with a fruit fly's antenna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strauch, Martin; Lüdke, Alja; Münch, Daniel; Laudes, Thomas; Galizia, C. Giovanni; Martinelli, Eugenio; Lavra, Luca; Paolesse, Roberto; Ulivieri, Alessandra; Catini, Alexandro; Capuano, Rosamaria; di Natale, Corrado

2014-01-01

Cancer cells and non-cancer cells differ in their metabolism and they emit distinct volatile compound profiles, allowing to recognise cancer cells by their scent. Insect odorant receptors are excellent chemosensors with high sensitivity and a broad receptive range unmatched by current gas sensors. We thus investigated the potential of utilising the fruit fly's olfactory system to detect cancer cells. Using in vivo calcium imaging, we recorded an array of olfactory receptor neurons on the fruit fly's antenna. We performed multidimensional analysis of antenna responses, finding that cell volatiles from different cell types lead to characteristic response vectors. The distances between these response vectors are conserved across flies and can be used to discriminate healthy mammary epithelial cells from different types of breast cancer cells. This may expand the repertoire of clinical diagnostics, and it is the first step towards electronic noses equipped with biological sensors, integrating artificial and biological olfaction.

Cytochrome and alternative pathway respiration in green algae : measurements using inhibitors and o(2) discrimination.

PubMed

Weger, H G; Guy, R D; Turpin, D H

1990-05-01

Inhibitor titration curves and discrimination against (18)O(2) by mitochondrial respiration in three strains of green algae (Selenastrum minutum [Naeg.] Collins, and two strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Dangeard) with differing respiratory capabilities were determined. Discrimination for cytochrome pathway respiration ranged from 19.89 to 20.43%. Discrimination for alternative pathway respiration by wild-type C. reinhardtii (measured in the presence of KCN) was 25.46%, while discrimination values for a cytochrome oxidase deficient mutant of C. reinhardtii ranged from 24.24 to 24.96%. In the absence of KCN, the alternative pathway was not engaged in wild-type C. reinhardtii, the only algal strain that possessed both cytochrome and alternative pathway capacities.

Cascaded systems analysis of noise and detectability in dual-energy cone-beam CT

PubMed Central

Gang, Grace J.; Zbijewski, Wojciech; Webster Stayman, J.; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey H.

2012-01-01

Purpose: Dual-energy computed tomography and dual-energy cone-beam computed tomography (DE-CBCT) are promising modalities for applications ranging from vascular to breast, renal, hepatic, and musculoskeletal imaging. Accordingly, the optimization of imaging techniques for such applications would benefit significantly from a general theoretical description of image quality that properly incorporates factors of acquisition, reconstruction, and tissue decomposition in DE tomography. This work reports a cascaded systems analysis model that includes the Poisson statistics of x rays (quantum noise), detector model (flat-panel detectors), anatomical background, image reconstruction (filtered backprojection), DE decomposition (weighted subtraction), and simple observer models to yield a task-based framework for DE technique optimization. Methods: The theoretical framework extends previous modeling of DE projection radiography and CBCT. Signal and noise transfer characteristics are propagated through physical and mathematical stages of image formation and reconstruction. Dual-energy decomposition was modeled according to weighted subtraction of low- and high-energy images to yield the 3D DE noise-power spectrum (NPS) and noise-equivalent quanta (NEQ), which, in combination with observer models and the imaging task, yields the dual-energy detectability index (d′). Model calculations were validated with NPS and NEQ measurements from an experimental imaging bench simulating the geometry of a dedicated musculoskeletal extremities scanner. Imaging techniques, including kVp pair and dose allocation, were optimized using d′ as an objective function for three example imaging tasks: (1) kidney stone discrimination; (2) iodine vs bone in a uniform, soft-tissue background; and (3) soft tissue tumor detection on power-law anatomical background. Results: Theoretical calculations of DE NPS and NEQ demonstrated good agreement with experimental measurements over a broad range of imaging conditions. Optimization results suggest a lower fraction of total dose imparted by the low-energy acquisition, a finding consistent with previous literature. The selection of optimal kVp pair reveals the combined effect of both quantum noise and contrast in the kidney stone discrimination and soft-tissue tumor detection tasks, whereas the K-edge effect of iodine was the dominant factor in determining kVp pairs in the iodine vs bone task. The soft-tissue tumor task illustrated the benefit of dual-energy imaging in eliminating anatomical background noise and improving detectability beyond that achievable by single-energy scans. Conclusions: This work established a task-based theoretical framework that is predictive of DE image quality. The model can be utilized in optimizing a broad range of parameters in image acquisition, reconstruction, and decomposition, providing a useful tool for maximizing DE-CBCT image quality and reducing dose. PMID:22894440

Beyond Scientism and Skepticism: An Integrative Approach to Global Mental Health

PubMed Central

Stein, Dan J.; Illes, Judy

2015-01-01

The global burden of disorders has shifted from infectious disease to non-communicable diseases, including neuropsychiatric disorders. Whereas infectious disease can sometimes be combated by targeting single causal mechanisms, such as prevention of contact-spread illness by handwashing, in the case of mental disorders multiple causal mechanisms are typically relevant. The emergent field of global mental health has emphasized the magnitude of the treatment gap, particularly in the low- and middle-income world and has paid particular attention to upstream causal factors, for example, poverty, inequality, and gender discrimination in the pathogenesis of mental disorders. However, this field has also been criticized for relying erroneously on Western paradigms of mental illness, which may not be relevant or appropriate to the low- and middle-income context. Here, it is important to steer a path between scientism and skepticism. Scientism regards mental disorders as essential categories, and takes a covering law approach to causality; skepticism regards mental disorders as merely social constructions and emphasizes the role of political power in causal relations. We propose an integrative model that emphasizes the contribution of a broad range of causal mechanisms operating at biological and societal levels to mental disorders and the consequent importance of broad spectrum and multipronged approaches to intervention. PMID:26635641

Evaluation of DNA extraction methods and their clinical application for direct detection of causative bacteria in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis culture fluids from patients with peritonitis by using broad-range PCR.

PubMed

Kim, Si Hyun; Jeong, Haeng Soon; Kim, Yeong Hoon; Song, Sae Am; Lee, Ja Young; Oh, Seung Hwan; Kim, Hye Ran; Lee, Jeong Nyeo; Kho, Weon-Gyu; Shin, Jeong Hwan

2012-03-01

The aims of this study were to compare several DNA extraction methods and 16S rDNA primers and to evaluate the clinical utility of broad-range PCR in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) culture fluids. Six type strains were used as model organisms in dilutions from 10(8) to 10(0) colony-forming units (CFU)/mL for the evaluation of 5 DNA extraction methods and 5 PCR primer pairs. Broad-range PCR was applied to 100 CAPD culture fluids, and the results were compared with conventional culture results. There were some differences between the various DNA extraction methods and primer sets with regard to the detection limits. The InstaGene Matrix (Bio-Rad Laboratories, USA) and Exgene Clinic SV kits (GeneAll Biotechnology Co. Ltd, Korea) seem to have higher sensitivities than the others. The results of broad-range PCR were concordant with the results from culture in 97% of all cases (97/100). Two culture-positive cases that were broad-range PCR-negative were identified as Candida albicans, and 1 PCR-positive but culture-negative sample was identified as Bacillus circulans by sequencing. Two samples among 54 broad-range PCR-positive products could not be sequenced. There were differences in the analytical sensitivity of various DNA extraction methods and primers for broad-range PCR. The broad-range PCR assay can be used to detect bacterial pathogens in CAPD culture fluid as a supplement to culture methods.

Selective Impairment in Frequency Discrimination in a Mouse Model of Tinnitus

PubMed Central

Mwilambwe-Tshilobo, Laetitia; Davis, Andrew J. O.; Aizenberg, Mark; Geffen, Maria N.

2015-01-01

Tinnitus is an auditory disorder, which affects millions of Americans, including active duty service members and veterans. It is manifested by a phantom sound that is commonly restricted to a specific frequency range. Because tinnitus is associated with hearing deficits, understanding how tinnitus affects hearing perception is important for guiding therapies to improve the quality of life in this vast group of patients. In a rodent model of tinnitus, prolonged exposure to a tone leads to a selective decrease in gap detection in specific frequency bands. However, whether and how hearing acuity is affected for sounds within and outside those frequency bands is not well understood. We induced tinnitus in mice by prolonged exposure to a loud mid-range tone, and behaviorally assayed whether mice exhibited a change in frequency discrimination acuity for tones embedded within the mid-frequency range and high-frequency range at 1, 4, and 8 weeks post-exposure. A subset of tone-exposed mice exhibited tinnitus-like symptoms, as demonstrated by selective deficits in gap detection, which were restricted to the high frequency range. These mice exhibited impaired frequency discrimination both for tones in the mid-frequency range and high-frequency range. The remaining tone exposed mice, which did not demonstrate behavioral evidence of tinnitus, showed temporary deficits in frequency discrimination for tones in the mid-frequency range, while control mice remained unimpaired. Our findings reveal that the high frequency-specific deficits in gap detection, indicative of tinnitus, are associated with impairments in frequency discrimination at the frequency of the presumed tinnitus. PMID:26352864

A Role for the Right Superior Temporal Sulcus in Categorical Perception of Musical Chords

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Mike E.; Zatorre, Robert J.

2011-01-01

Categorical perception (CP) is a mechanism whereby non-identical stimuli that have the same underlying meaning become invariantly represented in the brain. Through behavioral identification and discrimination tasks, CP has been demonstrated to occur broadly across the auditory modality, including in perception of speech (e.g. phonemes) and music…

Diversity Initiatives in Higher Education: Just How Important "Is" Diversity in Higher Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Christine

2011-01-01

Diversity in educational settings is generally understood as the body of services and programs offered to students, faculty, and staff that seek to ensure compliance with non-discrimination and related policy and law, and to affirm social membership group differences (broadly considered) in curricular, co-curricular, and workplace contexts. Given…

From Free to Fee: Neoliberalising Preferential Policy Measures for Minority Education in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yamada, Naomi C. F.

2015-01-01

In both China and in the United States, policies of "positive discrimination" were originally intended to lessen educational and economic inequalities, and to provide equal opportunities. As with affirmative action in the American context, China's "preferential policies" are broad-reaching, but are best known for taking ethnic…

Talent identification model for sprinter using discriminant factor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusnanik, N. W.; Hariyanto, A.; Herdyanto, Y.; Satia, A.

2018-01-01

The main purpose of this study was to identify young talented sprinter using discriminant factor. The research was conducted in 3 steps including item pool, screening of item pool, and trial of instruments at the small and big size of samples. 315 male elementary school students participated in this study with mean age of 11-13 years old. Data were collected by measuring anthropometry (standing height, sitting height, body mass, and leg length); testing physical fitness (40m sprint for speed, shuttle run for agility, standing broad jump for power, multistage fitness test for endurance). Data were analyzed using discriminant factor. The result of this study found that there were 5 items that selected as an instrument to identify young talented sprinter: sitting height, body mass, leg length, sprint 40m, and multistage fitness test. Model of Discriminant for talent identification in sprinter was D = -24,497 + (0,155 sitting height) + (0,080 body mass) + (0,148 leg length) + (-1,225 Sprint 40m) + (0,563 MFT). The conclusion of this study: instrument tests that have been selected and discriminant model that have been found can be applied to identify young talented as a sprinter.

Neural correlates of own- and other-race face perception: spatial and temporal response differences.

PubMed

Natu, Vaidehi; Raboy, David; O'Toole, Alice J

2011-02-01

Humans show an "other-race effect" for face recognition, with more accurate recognition of own- versus other-race faces. We compared the neural representations of own- and other-race faces using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data in combination with a multi-voxel pattern classifier. Neural activity was recorded while Asians and Caucasians viewed Asian and Caucasian faces. A pattern classifier, applied to voxels across a broad range of ventral temporal areas, discriminated the brain activity maps elicited in response to Asian versus Caucasian faces in the brains of both Asians and Caucasians. Classification was most accurate in the first few time points of the block and required the use of own-race faces in the localizer scan to select voxels for classifier input. Next, we examined differences in the time-course of neural responses to own- and other-race faces and found evidence for a temporal "other-race effect." Own-race faces elicited a larger neural response initially that attenuated rapidly. The response to other-race faces was weaker at first, but increased over time, ultimately surpassing the magnitude of the own-race response in the fusiform "face" area (FFA). A similar temporal response pattern held across a broad range of ventral temporal areas. The pattern-classification results indicate the early availability of categorical information about own- versus other-race face status in the spatial pattern of neural activity. The slower, more sustained, brain response to other-race faces may indicate the need to recruit additional neural resources to process other-race faces for identification. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Time course of discrimination between emotional facial expressions: the role of visual saliency.

PubMed

Calvo, Manuel G; Nummenmaa, Lauri

2011-08-01

Saccadic and manual responses were used to investigate the speed of discrimination between happy and non-happy facial expressions in two-alternative-forced-choice tasks. The minimum latencies of correct saccadic responses indicated that the earliest time point at which discrimination occurred ranged between 200 and 280ms, depending on type of expression. Corresponding minimum latencies for manual responses ranged between 440 and 500ms. For both response modalities, visual saliency of the mouth region was a critical factor in facilitating discrimination: The more salient the mouth was in happy face targets in comparison with non-happy distracters, the faster discrimination was. Global image characteristics (e.g., luminance) and semantic factors (i.e., categorical similarity and affective valence of expression) made minor or no contribution to discrimination efficiency. This suggests that visual saliency of distinctive facial features, rather than the significance of expression, is used to make both early and later expression discrimination decisions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

78 FR 23826 - Information Collection Activities (Complaints, Petitions for Declaratory Orders, and Petitions...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-22

.... Under these statutory and regulatory sections, the Board provides procedures for persons to make a broad range of claims and to seek a broad range of remedies before the Board. The information collections... terminate a controversy or remove uncertainty. Because petitions for a declaratory order cover a broad range...

Broad-range PCR: past, present, or future of bacteriology?

PubMed

Renvoisé, A; Brossier, F; Sougakoff, W; Jarlier, V; Aubry, A

2013-08-01

PCR targeting the gene encoding 16S ribosomal RNA (commonly named broad-range PCR or 16S PCR) has been used for 20 years as a polyvalent tool to study prokaryotes. Broad-range PCR was first used as a taxonomic tool, then in clinical microbiology. We will describe the use of broad-range PCR in clinical microbiology. The first application was identification of bacterial strains obtained by culture but whose phenotypic or proteomic identification remained difficult or impossible. This changed bacterial taxonomy and allowed discovering many new species. The second application of broad-range PCR in clinical microbiology is the detection of bacterial DNA from clinical samples; we will review the clinical settings in which the technique proved useful (such as endocarditis) and those in which it did not (such as characterization of bacteria in ascites, in cirrhotic patients). This technique allowed identifying the etiological agents for several diseases, such as Whipple disease. This review is a synthesis of data concerning the applications, assets, and drawbacks of broad-range PCR in clinical microbiology. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Improved pulse shape discriminator for fast neutron-gamma ray detection system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lockwood, J. A.; St. Onge, R.

1969-01-01

Discriminator in nuclear particle detection system distinguishes nuclear particle type and energy among many different nuclear particles. Discriminator incorporates passive, linear circuit elements so that it will operate over a wide dynamic range.

Determination of sex from the hyoid bone in a contemporary White population.

PubMed

Logar, Ciara J; Peckmann, Tanya R; Meek, Susan; Walls, Stephen G

2016-04-01

Six discriminant functions, developed from an historic White population, were tested on a contemporary White population for determination of sex from the hyoid. One hundred and thirty four fused and unfused hyoids from a contemporary White population were used. Individuals ranged between 20 and 49 years old. Six historic White discriminant functions were applied to the fused and unfused hyoids of the pooled contemporary White population, i.e. all males and females and all age ranges combined. The overall accuracy rates were between 72.1% and 92.3%. Correct sex determination for contemporary White males ranged between 88.2% and 96.3%, while correct sex determination for contemporary White females ranged between 31.3% and 92.0%. Discriminant functions were created for the contemporary White population with overall mean accuracy rates between 67.0% and 93.0%. The multivariate discriminant function overall accuracy rates were between 89.0% and 93.0% and the univariate discriminant function overall accuracy rates were between 67.0% and 86.8%. The contemporary White population data were compared to other populations and showed significant differences between many of the variables measured. This study illustrated the need for population-specific and temporally-specific discriminant functions for determination of sex from the hyoid bone. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

[Identification of Dendrobium varieties by infrared spectroscopy].

PubMed

Liu, Fei; Wang, Yuan-Zhong; Yang, Chun-Yan; Jin, Hang

2014-11-01

The difference of Dendrobium varieties were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The infrared spectra of 206 stems from 30 Dendrobium varieties were obtained, and showed that polysaccharides, especially fiber, were the main components in Dendrobium plants. FTIR combined with Wilks' Lambda stepwise discriminative analysis was used to identify Dendrobium varieties. The effects of spectral range and number of training samples on the discrimination results were also analysed. Two hundred eighty seven variables in the spectral range of 1 800-1 250 cm(-1) were studied, and showed that the return discrimination is 100% correct when the training samples number of each species was 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively, whereas for the remaining samples the correct rates of identification were equal to 79.4%, 91.3%, 93.0%, 98.2%, and 100%, respectively. The same discriminative analyses on five different training samples in the spectral range of 1 800-1 500, 1 500-1 250, 1 250-600, 1 250-950 and 950-650 cm(-1) were compared, which showed that the variables in the range of 1 800-1 250, 1 800-1 500 and 950-600 cm(-1) were more suitable for variety identification, and one can obtain the satisfactory result for discriminative analysis when the training sample is more than 3. Our results indicate that FTIR combined with stepwise discriminative analysis is an effective way to distinguish different Dendrobium varieties.

Hox2 Genes Are Required for Tonotopic Map Precision and Sound Discrimination in the Mouse Auditory Brainstem.

PubMed

Karmakar, Kajari; Narita, Yuichi; Fadok, Jonathan; Ducret, Sebastien; Loche, Alberto; Kitazawa, Taro; Genoud, Christel; Di Meglio, Thomas; Thierry, Raphael; Bacelo, Joao; Lüthi, Andreas; Rijli, Filippo M

2017-01-03

Tonotopy is a hallmark of auditory pathways and provides the basis for sound discrimination. Little is known about the involvement of transcription factors in brainstem cochlear neurons orchestrating the tonotopic precision of pre-synaptic input. We found that in the absence of Hoxa2 and Hoxb2 function in Atoh1-derived glutamatergic bushy cells of the anterior ventral cochlear nucleus, broad input topography and sound transmission were largely preserved. However, fine-scale synaptic refinement and sharpening of isofrequency bands of cochlear neuron activation upon pure tone stimulation were impaired in Hox2 mutants, resulting in defective sound-frequency discrimination in behavioral tests. These results establish a role for Hox factors in tonotopic refinement of connectivity and in ensuring the precision of sound transmission in the mammalian auditory circuit. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Differential reporting of discriminatory experiences in Brazil and the United States.

PubMed

Burgard, Sarah; Castiglione, Debora de Pina; Lin, Katherine Y; Nobre, Aline A; Aquino, Estela M L; Pereira, Alexandre C; Bensenor, Isabela J Martins; Barreto, Sandhi M; Chor, Dora

2017-05-08

There has been little cross-national comparison of perceived discrimination, and few studies have considered how intersectional identities shape perception of discriminatory treatment in different societies. Using data from the ELSA-Brasil, a study of Brazilian civil servants, and the Americans' Changing Lives Study, a nationally-representative sample of U.S. adults, we compare reports of lifetime discrimination among race-by-gender groups in each society. We also consider whether educational attainment explains any group differences, or if differences across groups vary by level of education. Results reveal higher lifetime discrimination experiences among Black respondents in both countries, especially Black men, than among Whites, and lower reports among White women than White men. Brown men and women also reported higher levels than White men in Brazil. For all race-by-gender groups in both countries, except Brazilian White men, reports of discrimination were higher among the more educated, though adjusting for educational differences across groups did not explain group differences. In Brazil, we found the greatest racial disparities among the college educated, while U.S. Black men were more likely to report discrimination than White men at all levels of education. Results reveal broad similarities across countries, despite important differences in their histories, and an intersectional approach contributed to identification of these similarities and some differences in discrimination experiences. These findings have implications for social and public health surveillance and intervention to address the harmful consequences of discrimination.

Atmospheric evidence for a global secular increase in isotopic discrimination of land photosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keeling, R. F.; Graven, H. D.; Welp, L.; Piper, S. C.; Bollenbacher, A.; Resplandy, L.; Meijer, H. A. J.

2016-12-01

A decrease in the 13C/12C ratio of atmospheric CO2 owing to the addition of fossil-fuel derived CO2, known as the 13C-Suess effect, has been documented by direct observations since 1977 and from ice-core measurements since the industrial revolution. Measurements of this decrease have previously been used to constrain land and ocean carbon sinks. Here we show, however, that no plausible combination of land and ocean sinks can explain the 13C/12C decrease unless an increase has occurred in the isotopic discrimination of land photosynthesis, i.e. the tendency of land plants to preferentially assimilate 12CO2 compared to 13CO2. A trend toward greater discrimination at higher CO2 levels is broadly consistent with geological evidence for the response of C3 plants at times of altered atmospheric CO2 as well as with tree-ring studies over the past century. The discrimination trend will be discussed in the context of theories for optimal stomatal behavior under changing atmospheric CO2.

Developmental origins of infant stress reactivity profiles: A multi-system approach.

PubMed

Rash, Joshua A; Thomas, Jenna C; Campbell, Tavis S; Letourneau, Nicole; Granger, Douglas A; Giesbrecht, Gerald F

2016-07-01

This study tested the hypothesis that maternal physiological and psychological variables during pregnancy discriminate between theoretically informed infant stress reactivity profiles. The sample comprised 254 women and their infants. Maternal mood, salivary cortisol, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and salivary α-amylase (sAA) were assessed at 15 and 32 weeks gestational age. Infant salivary cortisol, RSA, and sAA reactivity were assessed in response to a structured laboratory frustration task at 6 months of age. Infant responses were used to classify them into stress reactivity profiles using three different classification schemes: hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis, autonomic, and multi-system. Discriminant function analyses evaluated the prenatal variables that best discriminated infant reactivity profiles within each classification scheme. Maternal stress biomarkers, along with self-reported psychological distress during pregnancy, discriminated between infant stress reactivity profiles. These results suggest that maternal psychological and physiological states during pregnancy have broad effects on the development of the infant stress response systems. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 58: 578-599, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Chromatin interaction networks revealed unique connectivity patterns of broad H3K4me3 domains and super enhancers in 3D chromatin.

PubMed

Thibodeau, Asa; Márquez, Eladio J; Shin, Dong-Guk; Vera-Licona, Paola; Ucar, Duygu

2017-10-31

Broad domain promoters and super enhancers are regulatory elements that govern cell-specific functions and harbor disease-associated sequence variants. These elements are characterized by distinct epigenomic profiles, such as expanded deposition of histone marks H3K27ac for super enhancers and H3K4me3 for broad domains, however little is known about how they interact with each other and the rest of the genome in three-dimensional chromatin space. Using network theory methods, we studied chromatin interactions between broad domains and super enhancers in three ENCODE cell lines (K562, MCF7, GM12878) obtained via ChIA-PET, Hi-C, and Hi-CHIP assays. In these networks, broad domains and super enhancers interact more frequently with each other compared to their typical counterparts. Network measures and graphlets revealed distinct connectivity patterns associated with these regulatory elements that are robust across cell types and alternative assays. Machine learning models showed that these connectivity patterns could effectively discriminate broad domains from typical promoters and super enhancers from typical enhancers. Finally, targets of broad domains in these networks were enriched in disease-causing SNPs of cognate cell types. Taken together these results suggest a robust and unique organization of the chromatin around broad domains and super enhancers: loci critical for pathologies and cell-specific functions.

Perceiving beauty in all women: Psychometric evaluation of the Broad Conceptualization of Beauty Scale.

PubMed

Tylka, Tracy L; Iannantuono, Amy C

2016-06-01

Women's ability to broadly conceptualize beauty (i.e., perceive many looks, appearances, body sizes/shapes, and inner characteristics as beautiful) has been identified as a facet of positive body image in qualitative research. A scale is needed to be able to assess this construct within quantitative research. Therefore, we developed the Broad Conceptualization of Beauty Scale (BCBS), which measures the extent women define female beauty widely within external and internal characteristics, and examined its psychometric properties among four community samples totaling 1086 women. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a unidimensional structure with nine items. The internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and construct (convergent, discriminant, and incremental) validity of its scores were upheld. Researchers and clinicians can use the BCBS alone to assess women's perceptions of female beauty, or they can use the BCBS alongside women's perceptions of self-beauty to more comprehensively explore women's ability to broadly conceptualize beauty for others and themselves. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combined use of vancomycin-modified Ag-coated magnetic nanoparticles and secondary enhanced nanoparticles for rapid surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection of bacteria.

PubMed

Wang, Chongwen; Gu, Bing; Liu, Qiqi; Pang, Yuanfeng; Xiao, Rui; Wang, Shengqi

2018-01-01

Pathogenic bacteria have always been a significant threat to human health. The detection of pathogens needs to be rapid, accurate, and convenient. We present a sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensor based on the combination of vancomycin-modified Ag-coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 @Ag-Van MNPs) and Au@Ag nanoparticles (NPs) that can effectively capture and discriminate bacterial pathogens from solution. The high-performance Fe 3 O 4 @Ag MNPs were modified with vancomycin and used as bacteria capturer for magnetic separation and enrichment. The modified MNPS were found to exhibit strong affinity with a broad range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. After separating and rinsing bacteria, Fe 3 O 4 @Ag-Van MNPs and Au@Ag NPs were synergistically used to construct a very large number of hot spots on bacteria cells, leading to ultrasensitive SERS detection. The dominant merits of our dual enhanced strategy included high bacterial-capture efficiency (>65%) within a wide pH range (pH 3.0-11.0), a short assay time (<30 min), and a low detection limit (5×10 2 cells/mL). Moreover, the spiked tests show that this method is still valid in milk and blood samples. Owing to these capabilities, the combined system enabled the sensitive and specific discrimination of different pathogens in complex solution, as verified by its detection of Gram-positive bacterium Escherichia coli , Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus , and methicillin-resistant S. aureus . This method has great potential for field applications in food safety, environmental monitoring, and infectious disease diagnosis.

Combined use of vancomycin-modified Ag-coated magnetic nanoparticles and secondary enhanced nanoparticles for rapid surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection of bacteria

PubMed Central

Pang, Yuanfeng; Xiao, Rui; Wang, Shengqi

2018-01-01

Background Pathogenic bacteria have always been a significant threat to human health. The detection of pathogens needs to be rapid, accurate, and convenient. Methods We present a sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensor based on the combination of vancomycin-modified Ag-coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@Ag-Van MNPs) and Au@Ag nanoparticles (NPs) that can effectively capture and discriminate bacterial pathogens from solution. The high-performance Fe3O4@Ag MNPs were modified with vancomycin and used as bacteria capturer for magnetic separation and enrichment. The modified MNPS were found to exhibit strong affinity with a broad range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. After separating and rinsing bacteria, Fe3O4@Ag-Van MNPs and Au@Ag NPs were synergistically used to construct a very large number of hot spots on bacteria cells, leading to ultrasensitive SERS detection. Results The dominant merits of our dual enhanced strategy included high bacterial-capture efficiency (>65%) within a wide pH range (pH 3.0–11.0), a short assay time (<30 min), and a low detection limit (5×102 cells/mL). Moreover, the spiked tests show that this method is still valid in milk and blood samples. Owing to these capabilities, the combined system enabled the sensitive and specific discrimination of different pathogens in complex solution, as verified by its detection of Gram-positive bacterium Escherichia coli, Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Conclusion This method has great potential for field applications in food safety, environmental monitoring, and infectious disease diagnosis. PMID:29520142

Enantioseparation of novel chiral sulfoxides on chlorinated polysaccharide stationary phases in supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

West, Caroline; Konjaria, Mari-Luiza; Shashviashvili, Natia; Lemasson, Elise; Bonnet, Pascal; Kakava, Rusudan; Volonterio, Alessandro; Chankvetadze, Bezhan

2017-05-26

Asymmetric sulfoxides is a particular case of chirality that may be found in natural as well as synthetic products. Twenty-four original molecules containing a sulfur atom as a centre of chirality were analyzed in supercritical fluid chromatography on seven polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases (CSP) with carbon dioxide - methanol mobile phases. While all the tested CSP provided enantioseparation for a large part of the racemates, chlorinated cellulosic phases proved to be both highly retentive and highly enantioselective towards these species. Favourable structural features were determined by careful comparison of the enantioseparation of the probe molecules. Molecular modelling studies indicate that U-shaped (folded) conformations were most favorable to achieve high enantioresolution on these CSP, while linear (extended) conformations were not so clearly discriminated. For a subset of these species adopting different conformations, a broad range of mobile phase compositions, ranging from 20 to 100% methanol in carbon dioxide, were investigated. While retention decreased continuously in this range, enantioseparation varied in a non-monotonous fashion. Abrupt changes in the tendency curves of retention and selectivity were observed when methanol proportion reaches about 60%, suggesting that a change in the conformation of the analytes and/or chiral selector is occurring at this point. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Women in Development. Farm House Dialogue (7th, Ota, Nigeria, November 17-19, 1989).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Africa Leadership Forum.

This document summarizes discussions at an invitational workshop on women in Nigeria. The discussion centered on overcoming sex bias and discrimination in all areas of life so that women could contribute to the national development effort. The following broad topics were discussed: (1) cultural attitudes that discourage the education of women; (2)…

An Examination of Section 504 in Practice: Dark Days for Student Rights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maydosz, Ann S.

2009-01-01

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a broadly worded statement that addresses discrimination in schools and other settings. Enacted at about the same time as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 has been used sparingly in elementary and secondary schools. Section 504 presents an opportunity to redress…

Psychometric Properties of the Pain Numeric Rating Scale When Applied to Multiple Body Regions among Professional Musicians.

PubMed

Saltychev, Mikhail; Vastamäki, Heidi; Mattie, Ryan; McCormick, Zachary; Vastamäki, Martti; Laimi, Katri

2016-01-01

Despite the broad popularity of a numeric rating scale (NRS) its psychometric properties are not well known. The objective was to determine if there is any difference in the discrimination ability of the NRS when used for measuring pain severity separately in different body regions. Cross-sectional survey study of 630 professional musicians. Item Response Theory (IRT) was used to define the psychometric properties of the NRS. The discrimination ability of the pain NRS was dependent on the body area to which it was applied. The discrimination was low 0.5 (95% CI 0.4. to 0.7) for the hand region and perfect for the shoulder and upper part of the neck- 3.2 (95% CI 1.2 to 5.2) and 10.5 (95% CI 10.0 to 10.9), respectively. Both shoulder and neck NRSs showed a great shift towards higher levels of pain severity meaning that the ability of the NRS to discriminate low levels of pain is poor. NRS scores obtained from all other regions did not demonstrate any discrimination ability. The pain NRS might have different psychometric properties depending on the body area to which it is applied. Overall, the modest discrimination ability of the pain NRS implies that it should be used in screening questionnaires with some reservations.

Psychometric Properties of the Pain Numeric Rating Scale When Applied to Multiple Body Regions among Professional Musicians

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Despite the broad popularity of a numeric rating scale (NRS) its psychometric properties are not well known. The objective was to determine if there is any difference in the discrimination ability of the NRS when used for measuring pain severity separately in different body regions. Methods Cross-sectional survey study of 630 professional musicians. Item Response Theory (IRT) was used to define the psychometric properties of the NRS. Results The discrimination ability of the pain NRS was dependent on the body area to which it was applied. The discrimination was low 0.5 (95% CI 0.4. to 0.7) for the hand region and perfect for the shoulder and upper part of the neck– 3.2 (95% CI 1.2 to 5.2) and 10.5 (95% CI 10.0 to 10.9), respectively. Both shoulder and neck NRSs showed a great shift towards higher levels of pain severity meaning that the ability of the NRS to discriminate low levels of pain is poor. NRS scores obtained from all other regions did not demonstrate any discrimination ability. Conclusions The pain NRS might have different psychometric properties depending on the body area to which it is applied. Overall, the modest discrimination ability of the pain NRS implies that it should be used in screening questionnaires with some reservations. PMID:27603011

Morphological and Molecular Discrimination of Fasciola Species Isolated From Domestic Ruminants of Urmia City, Iran

PubMed Central

YAKHCHALI, Mohammad; MALEKZADEH-VIAYEH, Reza; IMANI-BARAN, Abbas; MARDANI, Karim

2015-01-01

Background: The trematodes of the genus Fasciola (the liver flukes) are among the well-known instances of food-borne parasites worldwide. Differentiation of Fasciola species is important because of their different transmission and epidemiological characteristics. The current study was undertaken to discriminate Fasciola species in the domestic ruminants of Urmia city, Iran. Methods: Adult flukes were isolated from the naturally infected livers of the slaughtered water buffaloes and sheep. The flukes were initially identified based on morphological and morphometric parameters. A 618-bp-long fragment of the 28SrRNA gene of Fasciola was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplified fragment was digested by DraII or AvaII enzymes for a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis and sequenced for the phylogenetic tree construction. Results: Based on the morphometric examination, the flukes belonged to F. hepatica, F. gigantica and an intermediate Fasciola form. The PCR-RFLP analysis was able to differentiate F. hepatica from F. gigantica. While the phylogenetic reconstruction justified, to some extent, the morphological diagnosis, it failed to segregate F. hepatica from F. gigantica identified in this and the previous studies. Conclusion: To resolve fully the problem of taxonomy and evolution in Fasciola species, employing a broad range of molecular and morphological approaches is necessary. This is crucial for epidemiological surveys and successful clinical management of their infection. PMID:25904945

A Comparative Study of Discrimination in Education: The Learning Environment and Behaviours of Students and Teachers in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ghaffarzadeh, Mozhgan

2016-01-01

It is the learners' right to get an education free from discrimination. Discrimination in education ranges from gender to race, age, social class, financial status, and other characteristics. In this study the focus is on discrimination in education in regard to social class and financial status. The paper describes observations of the school…

Cytochrome and Alternative Pathway Respiration in Green Algae 1

PubMed Central

Weger, Harold G.; Guy, Robert D.; Turpin, David H.

1990-01-01

Inhibitor titration curves and discrimination against 18O2 by mitochondrial respiration in three strains of green algae (Selenastrum minutum [Naeg.] Collins, and two strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Dangeard) with differing respiratory capabilities were determined. Discrimination for cytochrome pathway respiration ranged from 19.89 to 20.43%. Discrimination for alternative pathway respiration by wild-type C. reinhardtii (measured in the presence of KCN) was 25.46%, while discrimination values for a cytochrome oxidase deficient mutant of C. reinhardtii ranged from 24.24 to 24.96%. In the absence of KCN, the alternative pathway was not engaged in wild-type C. reinhardtii, the only algal strain that possessed both cytochrome and alternative pathway capacities. PMID:16667462

33 CFR 334.480 - Archers Creek, Ribbon Creek and Broad River, S.C.; U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot rifle and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Broad River, S.C.; U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot rifle and pistol ranges, Parris Island. 334.480... DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.480 Archers Creek, Ribbon Creek and Broad River... navigation: (1) At the rifle range. Archers Creek between Broad River and Beaufort River and Ribbon Creek...

33 CFR 334.480 - Archers Creek, Ribbon Creek and Broad River, S.C.; U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot rifle and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Broad River, S.C.; U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot rifle and pistol ranges, Parris Island. 334.480... DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.480 Archers Creek, Ribbon Creek and Broad River... navigation: (1) At the rifle range. Archers Creek between Broad River and Beaufort River and Ribbon Creek...

Single Neurons in the Avian Auditory Cortex Encode Individual Identity and Propagation Distance in Naturally Degraded Communication Calls.

PubMed

Mouterde, Solveig C; Elie, Julie E; Mathevon, Nicolas; Theunissen, Frédéric E

2017-03-29

One of the most complex tasks performed by sensory systems is "scene analysis": the interpretation of complex signals as behaviorally relevant objects. The study of this problem, universal to species and sensory modalities, is particularly challenging in audition, where sounds from various sources and localizations, degraded by propagation through the environment, sum to form a single acoustical signal. Here we investigated in a songbird model, the zebra finch, the neural substrate for ranging and identifying a single source. We relied on ecologically and behaviorally relevant stimuli, contact calls, to investigate the neural discrimination of individual vocal signature as well as sound source distance when calls have been degraded through propagation in a natural environment. Performing electrophysiological recordings in anesthetized birds, we found neurons in the auditory forebrain that discriminate individual vocal signatures despite long-range degradation, as well as neurons discriminating propagation distance, with varying degrees of multiplexing between both information types. Moreover, the neural discrimination performance of individual identity was not affected by propagation-induced degradation beyond what was induced by the decreased intensity. For the first time, neurons with distance-invariant identity discrimination properties as well as distance-discriminant neurons are revealed in the avian auditory cortex. Because these neurons were recorded in animals that had prior experience neither with the vocalizers of the stimuli nor with long-range propagation of calls, we suggest that this neural population is part of a general-purpose system for vocalizer discrimination and ranging. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Understanding how the brain makes sense of the multitude of stimuli that it continually receives in natural conditions is a challenge for scientists. Here we provide a new understanding of how the auditory system extracts behaviorally relevant information, the vocalizer identity and its distance to the listener, from acoustic signals that have been degraded by long-range propagation in natural conditions. We show, for the first time, that single neurons, in the auditory cortex of zebra finches, are capable of discriminating the individual identity and sound source distance in conspecific communication calls. The discrimination of identity in propagated calls relies on a neural coding that is robust to intensity changes, signals' quality, and decreases in the signal-to-noise ratio. Copyright © 2017 Mouterde et al.

Addiction-Related Stigma and Discrimination: A Qualitative Study in Treatment Centers in Mexico City.

PubMed

Mora-Ríos, Jazmín; Ortega-Ortega, Miriam; Medina-Mora, Maria Elena

2017-04-16

Social rejection of drug use is greater than that directed at other psychiatric conditions, like depression and anxiety, which may lead to social exclusion of substance users and prevent them from seeking and receiving treatment. The objective of this study is to investigate the stigma and discrimination related to addiction in treatment centers in Mexico City. Data are from a broad mixed methods study. The present study is a qualitative analysis of 35 in-depth interviews of drug users, family members, and providers, using guidelines for the exploration of experiences of stigma and discrimination related to substance abuse. A thematic analysis was carried out using specialized software (Atlas.ti 6.2.23). The common practices of stigma and discrimination (e.g., judging, mockery, inappropriate comments, overprotection, and hostile looks), were identified in participant testimonies. The narratives provide evidence of varied conditions of social and gender inequality, as well as experience of violence and abuse, that refer to a structural context of discrimination surrounding addiction, and that constitute obstacles to treatment. The findings allow for a description of the stigmatization process surrounding addiction as a shared problem that requires the implementation of coordinated treatment strategies. They also suggest the need for more comprehensive policies of inclusion, based on human rights, which favor prevention and treatment.

Stimulus discriminability in visual search.

PubMed

Verghese, P; Nakayama, K

1994-09-01

We measured the probability of detecting the target in a visual search task, as a function of the following parameters: the discriminability of the target from the distractors, the duration of the display, and the number of elements in the display. We examined the relation between these parameters at criterion performance (80% correct) to determine if the parameters traded off according to the predictions of a limited capacity model. For the three dimensions that we studied, orientation, color, and spatial frequency, the observed relationship between the parameters deviates significantly from a limited capacity model. The data relating discriminability to display duration are better than predicted over the entire range of orientation and color differences that we examined, and are consistent with the prediction for only a limited range of spatial frequency differences--from 12 to 23%. The relation between discriminability and number varies considerably across the three dimensions and is better than the limited capacity prediction for two of the three dimensions that we studied. Orientation discrimination shows a strong number effect, color discrimination shows almost no effect, and spatial frequency discrimination shows an intermediate effect. The different trading relationships in each dimension are more consistent with early filtering in that dimension, than with a common limited capacity stage. Our results indicate that higher-level processes that group elements together also play a strong role. Our experiments provide little support for limited capacity mechanisms over the range of stimulus differences that we examined in three different dimensions.

Differential identification of mushrooms sclerotia by IR macro-fingerprint method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choong, Yew Keong; Lan, Jin; Lee, Han Lim; Chen, Xiang-dong; Wang, Xiao-guang; Yang, Yu-ping

2016-01-01

Many macrofungus sclerotia are well-known medicinal herbs, health food and nutritional supplements. However, the prevalent adulterant commercial products are major hindrances to their incorporation into mainstream medical use in many countries. The mushroom sclerotia of Lignosus rhinocerotis, Poria cocos, Polyporus umbellatus, Pleurotus tuber-regium and Omphalia lapidescens are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, IR macro-fingerprint method was used in the identification of these sclerotia. The results showed that the spectrum of L. rhinocerotis (LR) was comparable with P. cocos with 94.4% correlation, except that the peak at 1543 cm-1 of LR appeared in lower intensity. The spectrum of P. umbellatus and P. tuber-regium was also correlated (91.5%), as both spectra could be clearly discriminated in that P. umbellatus spectrum has small base peaks located at the range of 1680-1500 cm-1. O. lapidescens was not comparable with all the other sclerotia as its spectrum was totally different. Its base peak was broad and derivated equally along the range. The first IR has revealed the dissimilarity among five mushrooms sclerotia. The second derivative and 2DIR further enhanced the identification in detail.

Differential identification of mushrooms sclerotia by IR macro-fingerprint method.

PubMed

Choong, Yew Keong; Lan, Jin; Lee, Han Lim; Chen, Xiang-Dong; Wang, Xiao-Guang; Yang, Yu-Ping

2016-01-05

Many macrofungus sclerotia are well-known medicinal herbs, health food and nutritional supplements. However, the prevalent adulterant commercial products are major hindrances to their incorporation into mainstream medical use in many countries. The mushroom sclerotia of Lignosus rhinocerotis, Poria cocos, Polyporus umbellatus, Pleurotus tuber-regium and Omphalia lapidescens are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine. In this study, IR macro-fingerprint method was used in the identification of these sclerotia. The results showed that the spectrum of L. rhinocerotis (LR) was comparable with P. cocos with 94.4% correlation, except that the peak at 1543cm(-1) of LR appeared in lower intensity. The spectrum of P. umbellatus and P. tuber-regium was also correlated (91.5%), as both spectra could be clearly discriminated in that P. umbellatus spectrum has small base peaks located at the range of 1680-1500cm(-1). O. lapidescens was not comparable with all the other sclerotia as its spectrum was totally different. Its base peak was broad and derivated equally along the range. The first IR has revealed the dissimilarity among five mushrooms sclerotia. The second derivative and 2DIR further enhanced the identification in detail. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Addressing uncertainty in adaptation planning for agriculture.

PubMed

Vermeulen, Sonja J; Challinor, Andrew J; Thornton, Philip K; Campbell, Bruce M; Eriyagama, Nishadi; Vervoort, Joost M; Kinyangi, James; Jarvis, Andy; Läderach, Peter; Ramirez-Villegas, Julian; Nicklin, Kathryn J; Hawkins, Ed; Smith, Daniel R

2013-05-21

We present a framework for prioritizing adaptation approaches at a range of timeframes. The framework is illustrated by four case studies from developing countries, each with associated characterization of uncertainty. Two cases on near-term adaptation planning in Sri Lanka and on stakeholder scenario exercises in East Africa show how the relative utility of capacity vs. impact approaches to adaptation planning differ with level of uncertainty and associated lead time. An additional two cases demonstrate that it is possible to identify uncertainties that are relevant to decision making in specific timeframes and circumstances. The case on coffee in Latin America identifies altitudinal thresholds at which incremental vs. transformative adaptation pathways are robust options. The final case uses three crop-climate simulation studies to demonstrate how uncertainty can be characterized at different time horizons to discriminate where robust adaptation options are possible. We find that impact approaches, which use predictive models, are increasingly useful over longer lead times and at higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions. We also find that extreme events are important in determining predictability across a broad range of timescales. The results demonstrate the potential for robust knowledge and actions in the face of uncertainty.

A large-scale forest fragmentation experiment: the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems Project.

PubMed

Ewers, Robert M; Didham, Raphael K; Fahrig, Lenore; Ferraz, Gonçalo; Hector, Andy; Holt, Robert D; Kapos, Valerie; Reynolds, Glen; Sinun, Waidi; Snaddon, Jake L; Turner, Edgar C

2011-11-27

Opportunities to conduct large-scale field experiments are rare, but provide a unique opportunity to reveal the complex processes that operate within natural ecosystems. Here, we review the design of existing, large-scale forest fragmentation experiments. Based on this review, we develop a design for the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Project, a new forest fragmentation experiment to be located in the lowland tropical forests of Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia). The SAFE Project represents an advance on existing experiments in that it: (i) allows discrimination of the effects of landscape-level forest cover from patch-level processes; (ii) is designed to facilitate the unification of a wide range of data types on ecological patterns and processes that operate over a wide range of spatial scales; (iii) has greater replication than existing experiments; (iv) incorporates an experimental manipulation of riparian corridors; and (v) embeds the experimentally fragmented landscape within a wider gradient of land-use intensity than do existing projects. The SAFE Project represents an opportunity for ecologists across disciplines to participate in a large initiative designed to generate a broad understanding of the ecological impacts of tropical forest modification.

A large-scale forest fragmentation experiment: the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems Project

PubMed Central

Ewers, Robert M.; Didham, Raphael K.; Fahrig, Lenore; Ferraz, Gonçalo; Hector, Andy; Holt, Robert D.; Kapos, Valerie; Reynolds, Glen; Sinun, Waidi; Snaddon, Jake L.; Turner, Edgar C.

2011-01-01

Opportunities to conduct large-scale field experiments are rare, but provide a unique opportunity to reveal the complex processes that operate within natural ecosystems. Here, we review the design of existing, large-scale forest fragmentation experiments. Based on this review, we develop a design for the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems (SAFE) Project, a new forest fragmentation experiment to be located in the lowland tropical forests of Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia). The SAFE Project represents an advance on existing experiments in that it: (i) allows discrimination of the effects of landscape-level forest cover from patch-level processes; (ii) is designed to facilitate the unification of a wide range of data types on ecological patterns and processes that operate over a wide range of spatial scales; (iii) has greater replication than existing experiments; (iv) incorporates an experimental manipulation of riparian corridors; and (v) embeds the experimentally fragmented landscape within a wider gradient of land-use intensity than do existing projects. The SAFE Project represents an opportunity for ecologists across disciplines to participate in a large initiative designed to generate a broad understanding of the ecological impacts of tropical forest modification. PMID:22006969

Addressing uncertainty in adaptation planning for agriculture

PubMed Central

Vermeulen, Sonja J.; Challinor, Andrew J.; Thornton, Philip K.; Campbell, Bruce M.; Eriyagama, Nishadi; Vervoort, Joost M.; Kinyangi, James; Jarvis, Andy; Läderach, Peter; Ramirez-Villegas, Julian; Nicklin, Kathryn J.; Hawkins, Ed; Smith, Daniel R.

2013-01-01

We present a framework for prioritizing adaptation approaches at a range of timeframes. The framework is illustrated by four case studies from developing countries, each with associated characterization of uncertainty. Two cases on near-term adaptation planning in Sri Lanka and on stakeholder scenario exercises in East Africa show how the relative utility of capacity vs. impact approaches to adaptation planning differ with level of uncertainty and associated lead time. An additional two cases demonstrate that it is possible to identify uncertainties that are relevant to decision making in specific timeframes and circumstances. The case on coffee in Latin America identifies altitudinal thresholds at which incremental vs. transformative adaptation pathways are robust options. The final case uses three crop–climate simulation studies to demonstrate how uncertainty can be characterized at different time horizons to discriminate where robust adaptation options are possible. We find that impact approaches, which use predictive models, are increasingly useful over longer lead times and at higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions. We also find that extreme events are important in determining predictability across a broad range of timescales. The results demonstrate the potential for robust knowledge and actions in the face of uncertainty. PMID:23674681

An Overview of Legal Principles and Issues Affecting Postsecondary Athletics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaplin, William A.

1977-01-01

Discussions of procedural due process, first amendment rights, sex discrimination, tort law, discrimination on the basis of handicap, and legal principles regarding athletic associations and conferences indicate the wide range of legal principles to which postsecondary athletic programs are subject. Sex discrimination is noted as a major issue in…

The Socio-Politico Development of the Chicano and His Role within Latin American Society. Project Mexico.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Estrada, Lawrence J.

This document is a course outline for a community college Chicano Studies course focusing on the development of the Chicano and his role within Latin American society. The course seeks to examine broad concepts such as colonialism, discrimination, racism, and conflict and cultural pluralism within the Chicano context in the American Southwest and…

Photoionization Modelling of the Giant Broad-Line Region in NGC 3998.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devereux, Nicholas

2018-01-01

Prior high angular resolution spectroscopic observations of the low-ionization nuclear emission-line region in NGC 3998 obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope revealed a rich UV-visible spectrum consisting of broad permitted and broad forbidden emission lines. The photoionization code XSTAR is employed together with reddening-insensitive emission line diagnostics to constrain a dynamical model for the broad-line region (BLR) in NGC 3998. The BLR is modelled as a large H+ region ~ 7 pc in radius consisting of dust-free, low density ~ 104 cm-3, low metallicity ~ 0.01 Z/Z⊙ gas. Modelling the shape of the broad Hα emission line significantly discriminates between two independent measures of the black hole mass, favouring the estimate of de Francesco (2006). Interpreting the broad Hα emission line in terms of a steady-state spherically symmetric inflow leads to a mass inflow rate of 1.4 x 10-2 M⊙/yr, well within the present uncertainty of calculations that attempt to explain the observed X-ray emission in terms of an advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF). Collectively, the model provides an explanation for the shape of the Hα emission line, the relative intensities and luminosities for the H Balmer, [OIII], and potentially several of the broad UV emission lines, as well as refining the initial conditions needed for future modelling of the ADAF.

Lithologic mapping in the Mountain Pass, California area using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rowan, L.C.; Mars, J.C.

2003-01-01

Evaluation of an Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) image of the Mountain Pass, California area indicates that several important lithologic groups can be mapped in areas with good exposure by using spectral-matching techniques. The three visible and six near-infrared bands, which have 15-m and 30-m resolution, respectively, were calibrated by using in situ measurements of spectral reflectance. Calcitic rocks were distinguished from dolomitic rocks by using matched-filter processing in which image spectra were used as references for selected spectral categories. Skarn deposits and associated bright coarse marble were mapped in contact metamorphic zones related to intrusion of Mesozoic and Tertiary granodioritic rocks. Fe-muscovite, which is common in these intrusive rocks, was distinguished from Al-muscovite present in granitic gneisses and Mesozoic granite. Quartzose rocks were readily discriminated, and carbonate rocks were mapped as a single broad unit through analysis of the 90-m resolution, five-band surface emissivity data, which is produced as a standard product at the EROS Data Center. Three additional classes resulting from spectral-angle mapper processing ranged from (1) a broad granitic rock class (2) to predominately granodioritic rocks and (3) a more mafic class consisting mainly of mafic gneiss, amphibolite and variable mixtures of carbonate rocks and silicate rocks. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Custom-made foot orthoses: an analysis of prescription characteristics from an Australian commercial orthotic laboratory.

PubMed

Menz, Hylton B; Allan, Jamie J; Bonanno, Daniel R; Landorf, Karl B; Murley, George S

2017-01-01

Foot orthoses are widely used in the prevention and treatment of foot disorders. The aim of this study was to describe characteristics of custom-made foot orthosis prescriptions from a Australian podiatric orthotic laboratory. One thousand consecutive foot orthosis prescription forms were obtained from a commercial prescription foot orthosis laboratory located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (Footwork Podiatric Laboratory). Each item from the prescription form was documented in relation to orthosis type, cast correction, arch fill technique, cast modifications, shell material, shell modifications and cover material. Cluster analysis and discriminant function analysis were applied to identify patterns in the prescription data. Prescriptions were obtained from 178 clinical practices across Australia and Hong Kong, with patients ranging in age from 5 to 92 years. Three broad categories ('clusters') were observed that were indicative of increasing 'control' of rearfoot pronation. A combination of five variables (rearfoot cast correction, cover shape, orthosis type, forefoot cast correction and plantar fascial accommodation) was able to identify these clusters with an accuracy of 70%. Significant differences between clusters were observed in relation to age and sex of the patient and the geographic location of the prescribing clinician. Foot orthosis prescriptions are complex, but can be broadly classified into three categories. Selection of these prescription subtypes appears to be influenced by both patient factors (age and sex) and clinician factors (clinic location).

Effects of Promotion and Compunction Interventions on Real Intergroup Interactions: Promotion Helps but High Compunction Hurts

PubMed Central

Greenland, Katy; Xenias, Dimitrios; Maio, Gregory R.

2017-01-01

HIGHLIGHTS  We show the promotion intervention has positive effects during intergroup contact, but that high levels of compunction can have negative effects. Intergroup contact is probably the longest standing and most comprehensively researched intervention to reduce discrimination. It is also part of ordinary social experience, and a key context in which discrimination is played out. In this paper, we explore two additional interventions which are also designed to reduce discrimination, but which have not yet been applied to real intergroup interactions. The promotion intervention encourages participants to relax and enjoy an interaction, while the compunction intervention motivates participants to avoid discrimination. Across two studies, we tested the separate effects of promotion (Study 1) and then compunction (Study 2) on participants' interactions with a confederate whom they believed to have a history of schizophrenia. In Study 1, participants received either a promotion intervention to “relax and have an enjoyable dialogue” or no intervention (control; n = 67). In Study 2, participants completed a Single-Category Implicit Attitude Test before being told that they were high in prejudice (high compunction condition) or low in prejudice (low compunction condition; n = 62). Results indicated that promotion was associated with broadly positive effects: participants reported more positive experience of the interaction (enjoyment and interest in a future interaction), and more positive evaluations of their contact partner (increased friendliness and reduced stereotyping). There were no effects on participants' reported intergroup anxiety. In contrast, high compunction had broadly negative effects: participants reported more negative experiences of the interaction and more negative evaluations of their contact partner (using the same dependent measures outlined above). In addition, participants in the high compunction condition reported increased intergroup anxiety and increased self-anxiety (anxiety around thinking or doing something that is prejudiced). Participants in the high compunction condition also reported reduced expectancies of self-efficacy (i.e., they were less confident that they would be able to make a good impression). PMID:28439248

Effects of Promotion and Compunction Interventions on Real Intergroup Interactions: Promotion Helps but High Compunction Hurts.

PubMed

Greenland, Katy; Xenias, Dimitrios; Maio, Gregory R

2017-01-01

HIGHLIGHTS   We show the promotion intervention has positive effects during intergroup contact, but that high levels of compunction can have negative effects. Intergroup contact is probably the longest standing and most comprehensively researched intervention to reduce discrimination. It is also part of ordinary social experience, and a key context in which discrimination is played out. In this paper, we explore two additional interventions which are also designed to reduce discrimination, but which have not yet been applied to real intergroup interactions. The promotion intervention encourages participants to relax and enjoy an interaction, while the compunction intervention motivates participants to avoid discrimination. Across two studies, we tested the separate effects of promotion (Study 1) and then compunction (Study 2) on participants' interactions with a confederate whom they believed to have a history of schizophrenia. In Study 1, participants received either a promotion intervention to "relax and have an enjoyable dialogue" or no intervention (control; n = 67). In Study 2, participants completed a Single-Category Implicit Attitude Test before being told that they were high in prejudice (high compunction condition) or low in prejudice (low compunction condition; n = 62). Results indicated that promotion was associated with broadly positive effects: participants reported more positive experience of the interaction (enjoyment and interest in a future interaction), and more positive evaluations of their contact partner (increased friendliness and reduced stereotyping). There were no effects on participants' reported intergroup anxiety. In contrast, high compunction had broadly negative effects: participants reported more negative experiences of the interaction and more negative evaluations of their contact partner (using the same dependent measures outlined above). In addition, participants in the high compunction condition reported increased intergroup anxiety and increased self-anxiety (anxiety around thinking or doing something that is prejudiced). Participants in the high compunction condition also reported reduced expectancies of self-efficacy (i.e., they were less confident that they would be able to make a good impression).

Improved density discrimination using agfacontour film

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodding, R. A.

1973-01-01

A technique was developed for obtaining tone separations from black and white photographic materials. Agfacontour film and photographic derivatives are utilized to improve the density discrimination and decrease the density range from 0.45 to 0.08 units. This increase in capability extends the usefulness of tone separations to a wider range of subject matter and problem areas.

Multivariate optical element platform for compressed detection of fluorescence markers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priore, Ryan J.; Swanstrom, Joseph A.

2014-05-01

The success of a commercial fluorescent diagnostic assay is dependent on the selection of a fluorescent biomarker; due to the broad nature of fluorescence biomarker emission profiles, only a small number of fluorescence biomarkers may be discriminated from each other as a function of excitation source. Multivariate Optical Elements (MOEs) are thin-film devices that encode a broad band, spectroscopic pattern allowing a simple broadband detector to generate a highly sensitive and specific detection for a target analyte. MOEs have historically been matched 1:1 to a discrete analyte or class prediction; however, MOE filter sets are capable of sensing projections of the original sparse spectroscopic space enabling a small set of MOEs to discriminate a multitude of target analytes. This optical regression can offer real-time measurements with relatively high signal-to-noise ratios that realize the advantages of multiplexed detection and pattern recognition in a simple optical instrument. The specificity advantage of MOE-based sensors allows fluorescent biomarkers that were once incapable of discrimination from one another via optical band pass filters to be employed in a common assay panel. A simplified MOE-based sensor may ultimately reduce the requirement for highly trained operators as well as move certain life science applications like disease prognostication from the laboratory to the point of care. This presentation will summarize the design and fabrication of compressed detection MOE filter sets for detecting multiple fluorescent biomarkers simultaneously with strong spectroscopic interference as well as comparing the detection performance of the MOE sensor with traditional optical band pass filter methodologies.

Different thresholds for detection and discrimination of odors in the honey bee (Apis mellifera).

PubMed

Wright, Geraldine A; Smith, Brian H

2004-02-01

Naturally occurring odors used by animals for mate recognition, food identification and other purposes must be detected at concentrations that vary across several orders of magnitude. Olfactory systems must therefore have the capacity to represent odors over a large range of concentrations regardless of dramatic changes in the salience, or perceived intensity, of a stimulus. The stability of the representation of an odor relative to other odors across concentration has not been extensively evaluated. We tested the ability of honey bees to discriminate pure odorants across a range of concentrations at and above their detection threshold. Our study showed that pure odorant compounds became progressively easier for honey bees to discriminate with increasing concentration. Discrimination is, therefore, a function of odorant concentration. We hypothesize that the recruitment of sensory cell populations across a range of concentrations may be important for odor coding, perhaps by changing its perceptual qualities or by increasing its salience against background stimuli, and that this mechanism is a general property of olfactory systems.

Cervical range of motion discriminates between asymptomatic persons and those with whiplash.

PubMed

Dall'Alba, P T; Sterling, M M; Treleaven, J M; Edwards, S L; Jull, G A

2001-10-01

A comparative study of cervical range of motion in asymptomatic persons and those with whiplash. To compare the primary and conjunct ranges of motion of the cervical spine in asymptomatic persons and those with persistent whiplash-associated disorders, and to investigate the ability of these measures of range of motion to discriminate between the groups. Evidence that range of motion is an effective indicator of physical impairment in the cervical spine is not conclusive. Few studies have evaluated the ability to discriminate between asymptomatic persons and those with whiplash on the basis of range of motion or compared three-dimensional in vivo measures of range of motion in asymptomatic persons and those with whiplash-associated disorders. The study participants were 89 asymptomatic volunteers (41 men, 48 women; mean age 39.2 years) and 114 patients with persistent whiplash-associated disorders (22 men, 93 women; mean age 37.2 years) referred to a whiplash research unit for assessment of their cervical region. Range of cervical motion was measured in three dimensions with a computerized, electromagnetic, motion-tracking device. The movements assessed were flexion, extension, left and right lateral flexion, and left and right rotation. Range of motion was reduced in all primary movements in patients with persistent whiplash-associated disorder. Sagittal plane movements were proportionally the most affected. On the basis of primary and conjunct range of motion, age, and gender, 90.3% of study participants could be correctly categorized as asymptomatic or as having whiplash (sensitivity 86.2%, specificity 95.3%). Range of motion was capable of discriminating between asymptomatic persons and those with persistent whiplash-associated disorders.

Microscale acceleration history discriminators

DOEpatents

Polosky, Marc A.; Plummer, David W.

2002-01-01

A new class of micromechanical acceleration history discriminators is claimed. These discriminators allow the precise differentiation of a wide range of acceleration-time histories, thereby allowing adaptive events to be triggered in response to the severity (or lack thereof) of an external environment. Such devices have applications in airbag activation, and other safety and surety applications.

Aging and curvature discrimination from static and dynamic touch.

PubMed

Norman, J Farley; Kappers, Astrid M L; Cheeseman, Jacob R; Ronning, Cecilia; Thomason, Kelsey E; Baxter, Michael W; Calloway, Autum B; Lamirande, Davora N

2013-01-01

Two experiments evaluated the ability of 30 older and younger adults to discriminate the curvature of simple object surfaces from static and dynamic touch. The ages of the older adults ranged from 66 to 85 years, while those of the younger adults ranged from 20 to 29 years. For each participant in both experiments, the minimum curvature magnitude needed to reliably discriminate between convex and concave surfaces was determined. In Experiment 1, participants used static touch to make their judgments of curvature, while dynamic touch was used in Experiment 2. When static touch was used to discriminate curvature, a large effect of age occurred (the thresholds were 0.67 & 1.11/m for the younger and older participants, respectively). However, when participants used dynamic touch, there was no significant difference between the ability of younger and older participants to discriminate curvature (the thresholds were 0.58 & 0.59/m for the younger and older participants, respectively). The results of the current study demonstrate that while older adults can accurately discriminate surface curvature from dynamic touch, they possess significant impairments for static touch.

Aging and Curvature Discrimination from Static and Dynamic Touch

PubMed Central

Norman, J. Farley; Kappers, Astrid M. L.; Cheeseman, Jacob R.; Ronning, Cecilia; Thomason, Kelsey E.; Baxter, Michael W.; Calloway, Autum B.; Lamirande, Davora N.

2013-01-01

Two experiments evaluated the ability of 30 older and younger adults to discriminate the curvature of simple object surfaces from static and dynamic touch. The ages of the older adults ranged from 66 to 85 years, while those of the younger adults ranged from 20 to 29 years. For each participant in both experiments, the minimum curvature magnitude needed to reliably discriminate between convex and concave surfaces was determined. In Experiment 1, participants used static touch to make their judgments of curvature, while dynamic touch was used in Experiment 2. When static touch was used to discriminate curvature, a large effect of age occurred (the thresholds were 0.67 & 1.11/m for the younger and older participants, respectively). However, when participants used dynamic touch, there was no significant difference between the ability of younger and older participants to discriminate curvature (the thresholds were 0.58 & 0.59/m for the younger and older participants, respectively). The results of the current study demonstrate that while older adults can accurately discriminate surface curvature from dynamic touch, they possess significant impairments for static touch. PMID:23844224

Auditory responses in the amygdala to social vocalizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gadziola, Marie A.

The underlying goal of this dissertation is to understand how the amygdala, a brain region involved in establishing the emotional significance of sensory input, contributes to the processing of complex sounds. The general hypothesis is that communication calls of big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) transmit relevant information about social context that is reflected in the activity of amygdalar neurons. The first specific aim analyzed social vocalizations emitted under a variety of behavioral contexts, and related vocalizations to an objective measure of internal physiological state by monitoring the heart rate of vocalizing bats. These experiments revealed a complex acoustic communication system among big brown bats in which acoustic cues and call structure signal the emotional state of a sender. The second specific aim characterized the responsiveness of single neurons in the basolateral amygdala to a range of social syllables. Neurons typically respond to the majority of tested syllables, but effectively discriminate among vocalizations by varying the response duration. This novel coding strategy underscores the importance of persistent firing in the general functioning of the amygdala. The third specific aim examined the influence of acoustic context by characterizing both the behavioral and neurophysiological responses to natural vocal sequences. Vocal sequences differentially modify the internal affective state of a listening bat, with lower aggression vocalizations evoking the greatest change in heart rate. Amygdalar neurons employ two different coding strategies: low background neurons respond selectively to very few stimuli, whereas high background neurons respond broadly to stimuli but demonstrate variation in response magnitude and timing. Neurons appear to discriminate the valence of stimuli, with aggression sequences evoking robust population-level responses across all sound levels. Further, vocal sequences show improved discrimination among stimuli compared to isolated syllables, and this improved discrimination is expressed in part by the timing of action potentials. Taken together, these data support the hypothesis that big brown bat social vocalizations transmit relevant information about the social context that is encoded within the discharge pattern of amygdalar neurons ultimately responsible for coordinating appropriate social behaviors. I further propose that vocalization-evoked amygdalar activity will have significant impact on subsequent sensory processing and plasticity.

Rats with ventral hippocampal damage are impaired at various forms of learning including conditioned inhibition, spatial navigation, and discriminative fear conditioning to similar contexts.

PubMed

McDonald, Robert J; Balog, R J; Lee, Justin Q; Stuart, Emily E; Carrels, Brianna B; Hong, Nancy S

2018-10-01

The ventral hippocampus (vHPC) has been implicated in learning and memory functions that seem to differ from its dorsal counterpart. The goal of this series of experiments was to provide further insight into the functional contributions of the vHPC. Our previous work implicated the vHPC in spatial learning, inhibitory learning, and fear conditioning to context. However, the specific role of vHPC on these different forms of learning are not clear. Accordingly, we assessed the effects of neurotoxic lesions of the ventral hippocampus on retention of a conditioned inhibitory association, early versus late spatial navigation in the water task, and discriminative fear conditioning to context under high ambiguity conditions. The results showed that the vHPC was necessary for the expression of conditioned inhibition, early spatial learning, and discriminative fear conditioning to context when the paired and unpaired contexts have high cue overlap. We argue that this pattern of effects, combined with previous work, suggests a key role for vHPC in the utilization of broad contextual representations for inhibition and discriminative memory in high ambiguity conditions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mental illness and employment discrimination.

PubMed

Stuart, Heather

2006-09-01

Work is a major determinant of mental health and a socially integrating force. To be excluded from the workforce creates material deprivation, erodes self-confidence, creates a sense of isolation and marginalization and is a key risk factor for mental disability. This review summarizes recent evidence pertaining to employment-related stigma and discrimination experienced by people with mental disabilities. A broad understanding of the stigmatization process is adopted, which includes cognitive, attitudinal, behavioural and structural disadvantages. Stigma is both a proximate and a distal cause of employment inequity for people with a mental disability who experience direct discrimination because of prejudicial attitudes from employers and workmates and indirect discrimination owing to historical patterns of disadvantage, structural disincentives against competitive employment and generalized policy neglect. Against this background, modern mental health rehabilitation models and legislative philosophies, which focus on citizenship rights and full social participation, are to be welcomed. Yet, recent findings demonstrate that the legislation remains vulnerable to the very prejudicial attitudes they are intended to abate. Research conducted during the past year continues to highlight multiple attitudinal and structural barriers that prevent people with mental disabilities from becoming active participants in the competitive labour market.

The Language of Ageism: Why We Need to Use Words Carefully.

PubMed

Gendron, Tracey L; Welleford, E Ayn; Inker, Jennifer; White, John T

2016-12-01

Language carries and conveys meaning which feeds assumptions and judgments that can lead to the development of stereotypes and discrimination. As a result, this study closely examined the specific language that is used to communicate attitudes and perceptions of aging and older adults. We conducted a qualitative study of a twitter assignment for 236 students participating in a senior mentoring program. Three hundred fifty-four tweets were qualitatively analyzed to explore language-based age discrimination using a thematic analytic approach. Twelve percent of the tweets (n = 43) were found to contain discriminatory language. Thematic analysis of the biased tweets identified 8 broad themes describing language-based age discrimination: assumptions and judgments, older people as different, uncharacteristic characteristics, old as negative, young as positive, infantilization, internalized ageism, and internalized microaggression. The language of ageism is rooted in both explicit actions and implicit attitudes which make it highly complex and difficult to identify. Continued examination of linguistic encoding is needed in order to recognize and rectify language-based age discrimination. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Background rejection of n+ surface events in GERDA Phase II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehnert, Björn

2016-05-01

The GERDA experiment searches for neutrinoless double beta (0vββ) decay in 76Ge using an array of high purity germanium (HPGe) detectors immersed in liquid argon (LAr). Phase II of the experiment uses 30 new broad energy germanium (BEGe) detectors with superior pulse shape discrimination capabilities compared to the previously used semi-coaxial detector design. By far the largest background component for BEGe detectors in GERDA are n+-surface events from 42K β decays which are intrinsic in LAr. The β particles with up to 3.5 MeV can traverse the 0.5 to 0.9 mm thick electrode and deposit energy within the region of interest for the 0vββ decay. However, those events have particular pulse shape features allowing for a strong discrimination. The understanding and simulation of this background, showing a reduction by up to a factor 145 with pulse shape discrimination alone, is presented in this work.

Eye-gaze control of the computer interface: Discrimination of zoom intent

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

Goldberg, J.H.; Schryver, J.C.

1993-10-01

An analysis methodology and associated experiment were developed to assess whether definable and repeatable signatures of eye-gaze characteristics are evident, preceding a decision to zoom-in, zoom-out, or not to zoom at a computer interface. This user intent discrimination procedure can have broad application in disability aids and telerobotic control. Eye-gaze was collected from 10 subjects in a controlled experiment, requiring zoom decisions. The eye-gaze data were clustered, then fed into a multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) for optimal definition of heuristics separating the zoom-in, zoom-out, and no-zoom conditions. Confusion matrix analyses showed that a number of variable combinations classified at amore » statistically significant level, but practical significance was more difficult to establish. Composite contour plots demonstrated the regions in parameter space consistently assigned by the MDA to unique zoom conditions. Peak classification occurred at about 1200--1600 msec. Improvements in the methodology to achieve practical real-time zoom control are considered.« less

Discrimination of communication vocalizations by single neurons and groups of neurons in the auditory midbrain.

PubMed

Schneider, David M; Woolley, Sarah M N

2010-06-01

Many social animals including songbirds use communication vocalizations for individual recognition. The perception of vocalizations depends on the encoding of complex sounds by neurons in the ascending auditory system, each of which is tuned to a particular subset of acoustic features. Here, we examined how well the responses of single auditory neurons could be used to discriminate among bird songs and we compared discriminability to spectrotemporal tuning. We then used biologically realistic models of pooled neural responses to test whether the responses of groups of neurons discriminated among songs better than the responses of single neurons and whether discrimination by groups of neurons was related to spectrotemporal tuning and trial-to-trial response variability. The responses of single auditory midbrain neurons could be used to discriminate among vocalizations with a wide range of abilities, ranging from chance to 100%. The ability to discriminate among songs using single neuron responses was not correlated with spectrotemporal tuning. Pooling the responses of pairs of neurons generally led to better discrimination than the average of the two inputs and the most discriminating input. Pooling the responses of three to five single neurons continued to improve neural discrimination. The increase in discriminability was largest for groups of neurons with similar spectrotemporal tuning. Further, we found that groups of neurons with correlated spike trains achieved the largest gains in discriminability. We simulated neurons with varying levels of temporal precision and measured the discriminability of responses from single simulated neurons and groups of simulated neurons. Simulated neurons with biologically observed levels of temporal precision benefited more from pooling correlated inputs than did neurons with highly precise or imprecise spike trains. These findings suggest that pooling correlated neural responses with the levels of precision observed in the auditory midbrain increases neural discrimination of complex vocalizations.

Deactivating stimulation sites based on low-rate thresholds improves spectral ripple and speech reception thresholds in cochlear implant users.

PubMed

Zhou, Ning

2017-03-01

The study examined whether the benefit of deactivating stimulation sites estimated to have broad neural excitation was attributed to improved spectral resolution in cochlear implant users. The subjects' spatial neural excitation pattern was estimated by measuring low-rate detection thresholds across the array [see Zhou (2016). PLoS One 11, e0165476]. Spectral resolution, as assessed by spectral-ripple discrimination thresholds, significantly improved after deactivation of five high-threshold sites. The magnitude of improvement in spectral-ripple discrimination thresholds predicted the magnitude of improvement in speech reception thresholds after deactivation. Results suggested that a smaller number of relatively independent channels provide a better outcome than using all channels that might interact.

Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of the Asian Adolescent Depression Scale and Construction of a Short Form: An Item Response Theory Analysis.

PubMed

Lo, Barbara Chuen Yee; Zhao, Yue; Kwok, Alice Wai Yee; Chan, Wai; Chan, Calais Kin Yuen

2017-07-01

The present study applied item response theory to examine the psychometric properties of the Asian Adolescent Depression Scale and to construct a short form among 1,084 teenagers recruited from secondary schools in Hong Kong. Findings suggested that some items of the full form reflected higher levels of severity and were more discriminating than others, and the Asian Adolescent Depression Scale was useful in measuring a broad range of depressive severity in community youths. Differential item functioning emerged in several items where females reported higher depressive severity than males. In the short form construction, preliminary validation suggested that, relative to the 20-item full form, our derived short form offered significantly greater diagnostic performance and stronger discriminatory ability in differentiating depressed and nondepressed groups, and simultaneously maintained adequate measurement precision with a reduced response burden in assessing depression in the Asian adolescents. Cultural variance in depressive symptomatology and clinical implications are discussed.

Elasticity of human embryonic stem cells as determined by atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Kiss, Robert; Bock, Henry; Pells, Steve; Canetta, Elisabetta; Adya, Ashok K; Moore, Andrew J; De Sousa, Paul; Willoughby, Nicholas A

2011-10-01

The expansive growth and differentiation potential of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) make them a promising source of cells for regenerative medicine. However, this promise is off set by the propensity for spontaneous or uncontrolled differentiation to result in heterogeneous cell populations. Cell elasticity has recently been shown to characterize particular cell phenotypes, with undifferentiated and differentiated cells sometimes showing significant differences in their elasticities. In this study, we determined the Young's modulus of hESCs by atomic force microscopy using a pyramidal tip. Using this method we are able to take point measurements of elasticity at multiple locations on a single cell, allowing local variations due to cell structure to be identified. We found considerable differences in the elasticity of the analyzed hESCs, reflected by a broad range of Young's modulus (0.05-10 kPa). This surprisingly high variation suggests that elasticity could serve as the basis of a simple and efficient large scale purification/separation technique to discriminate subpopulations of hESCs.

High-Throughput Lectin Microarray-Based Analysis of Live Cell Surface Glycosylation

PubMed Central

Li, Yu; Tao, Sheng-ce; Zhu, Heng; Schneck, Jonathan P.

2011-01-01

Lectins, plant-derived glycan-binding proteins, have long been used to detect glycans on cell surfaces. However, the techniques used to characterize serum or cells have largely been limited to mass spectrometry, blots, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry. While these lectin-based approaches are well established and they can discriminate a limited number of sugar isomers by concurrently using a limited number of lectins, they are not amenable for adaptation to a high-throughput platform. Fortunately, given the commercial availability of lectins with a variety of glycan specificities, lectins can be printed on a glass substrate in a microarray format to profile accessible cell-surface glycans. This method is an inviting alternative for analysis of a broad range of glycans in a high-throughput fashion and has been demonstrated to be a feasible method of identifying binding-accessible cell surface glycosylation on living cells. The current unit presents a lectin-based microarray approach for analyzing cell surface glycosylation in a high-throughput fashion. PMID:21400689

Reversing hard won victories in the name of human rights: a critique of the General Comment on Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

PubMed

Freeman, Melvyn Colin; Kolappa, Kavitha; de Almeida, Jose Miguel Caldas; Kleinman, Arthur; Makhashvili, Nino; Phakathi, Sifiso; Saraceno, Benedetto; Thornicroft, Graham

2015-09-01

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is a major milestone in safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities. However, the General Comment on Article 12 of the CRPD threatens to undermine critical rights for persons with mental disabilities, including the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, access to justice, the right to liberty, and the right to life. Stigma and discrimination might also increase. Much hinges on the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities' view that all persons have legal capacity at all times irrespective of mental status, and hence involuntary admission and treatment, substitute decision-making, and diversion from the criminal justice system are deemed indefensible. The General Comment requires urgent consideration with the full participation of practitioners and a broad range of user and family groups. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expanding the Nomological Net of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory: German Validation and Extension in a Clinical Inpatient Sample.

PubMed

Morf, Carolyn C; Schürch, Eva; Küfner, Albrecht; Siegrist, Philip; Vater, Aline; Back, Mitja; Mestel, Robert; Schröder-Abé, Michela

2017-06-01

The Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI) is a multidimensional measure for assessing grandiose and vulnerable features in narcissistic pathology. The aim of the present research was to construct and validate a German translation of the PNI and to provide further information on the PNI's nomological net. Findings from a first study confirm the psychometric soundness of the PNI and replicate its seven-factor first-order structure. A second-order structure was also supported but with several equivalent models. A second study investigating associations with a broad range of measures ( DSM Axis I and II constructs, emotions, personality traits, interpersonal and dysfunctional behaviors, and well-being) supported the concurrent validity of the PNI. Discriminant validity with the Narcissistic Personality Inventory was also shown. Finally, in a third study an extension in a clinical inpatient sample provided further evidence that the PNI is a useful tool to assess the more pathological end of narcissism.

Towards a Bayesian evaluation of features in questioned handwritten signatures.

PubMed

Gaborini, Lorenzo; Biedermann, Alex; Taroni, Franco

2017-05-01

In this work, we propose the construction of a evaluative framework for supporting experts in questioned signature examinations. Through the use of Bayesian networks, we envision to quantify the probative value of well defined measurements performed on questioned signatures, in a way that is both formalised and part of a coherent approach to evaluation. At the current stage, our project is explorative, focusing on the broad range of aspects that relate to comparative signature examinations. The goal is to identify writing features which are both highly discriminant, and easy for forensic examiners to detect. We also seek for a balance between case-specific features and characteristics which can be measured in the vast majority of signatures. Care is also taken at preserving the interpretability at every step of the reasoning process. This paves the way for future work, which will aim at merging the different contributions to a single probabilistic measure of strength of evidence using Bayesian networks. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Image Discrimination Models With Stochastic Channel Selection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahumada, Albert J., Jr.; Beard, Bettina L.; Null, Cynthia H. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

Many models of human image processing feature a large fixed number of channels representing cortical units varying in spatial position (visual field direction and eccentricity) and spatial frequency (radial frequency and orientation). The values of these parameters are usually sampled at fixed values selected to ensure adequate overlap considering the bandwidth and/or spread parameters, which are usually fixed. Even high levels of overlap does not always ensure that the performance of the model will vary smoothly with image translation or scale changes. Physiological measurements of bandwidth and/or spread parameters result in a broad distribution of estimated parameter values and the prediction of some psychophysical results are facilitated by the assumption that these parameters also take on a range of values. Selecting a sample of channels from a continuum of channels rather than using a fixed set can make model performance vary smoothly with changes in image position, scale, and orientation. It also facilitates the addition of spatial inhomogeneity, nonlinear feature channels, and focus of attention to channel models.

Bias against research on gender bias.

PubMed

Cislak, Aleksandra; Formanowicz, Magdalena; Saguy, Tamar

2018-01-01

The bias against women in academia is a documented phenomenon that has had detrimental consequences, not only for women, but also for the quality of science. First, gender bias in academia affects female scientists, resulting in their underrepresentation in academic institutions, particularly in higher ranks. The second type of gender bias in science relates to some findings applying only to male participants, which produces biased knowledge. Here, we identify a third potentially powerful source of gender bias in academia: the bias against research on gender bias. In a bibliometric investigation covering a broad range of social sciences, we analyzed published articles on gender bias and race bias and established that articles on gender bias are funded less often and published in journals with a lower Impact Factor than articles on comparable instances of social discrimination. This result suggests the possibility of an underappreciation of the phenomenon of gender bias and related research within the academic community. Addressing this meta-bias is crucial for the further examination of gender inequality, which severely affects many women across the world.

Structure of Colloidal Quantum Dots from Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Surface Enhanced NMR Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Piveteau, Laura; Ong, Ta-Chung; Rossini, Aaron J; Emsley, Lyndon; Copéret, Christophe; Kovalenko, Maksym V

2015-11-04

Understanding the chemistry of colloidal quantum dots (QDs) is primarily hampered by the lack of analytical methods to selectively and discriminately probe the QD core, QD surface and capping ligands. Here, we present a general concept for studying a broad range of QDs such as CdSe, CdTe, InP, PbSe, PbTe, CsPbBr3, etc., capped with both organic and inorganic surface capping ligands, through dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) surface enhanced NMR spectroscopy. DNP can enhance NMR signals by factors of 10-100, thereby reducing the measurement times by 2-4 orders of magnitude. 1D DNP enhanced spectra acquired in this way are shown to clearly distinguish QD surface atoms from those of the QD core, and environmental effects such as oxidation. Furthermore, 2D NMR correlation experiments, which were previously inconceivable for QD surfaces, are demonstrated to be readily performed with DNP and provide the bonding motifs between the QD surfaces and the capping ligands.

Benefits of fading in perceptual learning are driven by more than dimensional attention.

PubMed

Wisniewski, Matthew G; Radell, Milen L; Church, Barbara A; Mercado, Eduardo

2017-01-01

Individuals learn to classify percepts effectively when the task is initially easy and then gradually increases in difficulty. Some suggest that this is because easy-to-discriminate events help learners focus attention on discrimination-relevant dimensions. Here, we tested whether such attentional-spotlighting accounts are sufficient to explain easy-to-hard effects in auditory perceptual learning. In two experiments, participants were trained to discriminate periodic, frequency-modulated (FM) tones in two separate frequency ranges (300-600 Hz or 3000-6000 Hz). In one frequency range, sounds gradually increased in similarity as training progressed. In the other, stimulus similarity was constant throughout training. After training, participants showed better performance in their progressively trained frequency range, even though the discrimination-relevant dimension across ranges was the same. Learning theories that posit experience-dependent changes in stimulus representations and/or the strengthening of associations with differential responses, predict the observed specificity of easy-to-hard effects, whereas attentional-spotlighting theories do not. Calibrating the difficulty and temporal sequencing of training experiences to support more incremental representation-based learning can enhance the effectiveness of practice beyond any benefits gained from explicitly highlighting relevant dimensions.

Learning for pitch and melody discrimination in congenital amusia.

PubMed

Whiteford, Kelly L; Oxenham, Andrew J

2018-06-01

Congenital amusia is currently thought to be a life-long neurogenetic disorder in music perception, impervious to training in pitch or melody discrimination. This study provides an explicit test of whether amusic deficits can be reduced with training. Twenty amusics and 20 matched controls participated in four sessions of psychophysical training involving either pure-tone (500 Hz) pitch discrimination or a control task of lateralization (interaural level differences for bandpass white noise). Pure-tone pitch discrimination at low, medium, and high frequencies (500, 2000, and 8000 Hz) was measured before and after training (pretest and posttest) to determine the specificity of learning. Melody discrimination was also assessed before and after training using the full Montreal Battery of Evaluation of Amusia, the most widely used standardized test to diagnose amusia. Amusics performed more poorly than controls in pitch but not localization discrimination, but both groups improved with practice on the trained stimuli. Learning was broad, occurring across all three frequencies and melody discrimination for all groups, including those who trained on the non-pitch control task. Following training, 11 of 20 amusics no longer met the global diagnostic criteria for amusia. A separate group of untrained controls (n = 20), who also completed melody discrimination and pretest, improved by an equal amount as trained controls on all measures, suggesting that the bulk of learning for the control group occurred very rapidly from the pretest. Thirty-one trained participants (13 amusics) returned one year later to assess long-term maintenance of pitch and melody discrimination. On average, there was no change in performance between posttest and one-year follow-up, demonstrating that improvements on pitch- and melody-related tasks in amusics and controls can be maintained. The findings indicate that amusia is not always a life-long deficit when using the current standard diagnostic criteria. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Racial/ethnic and gender differences in the association between self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination and inflammation in the CARDIA cohort of 4 US communities.

PubMed

Cunningham, Timothy J; Seeman, Teresa E; Kawachi, Ichiro; Gortmaker, Steven L; Jacobs, David R; Kiefe, Catarina I; Berkman, Lisa F

2012-09-01

Inflammation is etiologically implicated in cardiometabolic diseases for which there are known racial/ethnic disparities. Prior studies suggest there may be an association between self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination and inflammation, particularly C-reactive protein (CRP). It is not known whether that association is influenced by race/ethnicity and gender. In separate hierarchical linear models with time-varying covariates, we examined that association among 901 Black women, 614 Black men, 958 White women, and 863 White men in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study in four US communities. Self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination were ascertained in 1992-93 and 2000-01. Inflammation was measured as log-transformed CRP in those years and 2005-06. All analyses were adjusted for blood pressure, plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), age, education, and community. Our findings extend prior research by suggesting that, broadly speaking, self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination are associated with inflammation; however, this association is complex and varies for Black and White women and men. Black women reporting 1 or 2 experiences of discrimination had higher levels of CRP compared to Black women reporting no experiences of discrimination (β = 0.141, SE = 0.062, P < 0.05). This association was not statistically significant among Black women reporting 3 or more experiences of discrimination and not independent of modifiable risks (smoking and obesity) in the final model. White women reporting 3 or more experiences of discrimination had significantly higher levels of CRP compared to White women reporting no experiences of discrimination independent of modifiable risks in the final model (β = 0.300, SE = 0.113, P < 0.01). The association between self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination and CRP was not statistically significant among Black and White men reporting 1 or 2 experiences of discrimination. Further research in other populations is needed. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Image Discrimination Predictions of a Single Channel Model with Contrast Gain Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahumada, Albert J., Jr.; Null, Cynthia H.

1995-01-01

Image discrimination models predict the number of just-noticeable-differences between two images. We report the predictions of a single channel model with contrast masking for a range of standard discrimination experiments. Despite its computational simplicity, this model has performed as well as a multiple channel model in an object detection task.

The Sociology of Discrimination: Racial Discrimination in Employment, Housing, Credit, and Consumer Markets

PubMed Central

Pager, Devah; Shepherd, Hana

2010-01-01

Persistent racial inequality in employment, housing, and a wide range of other social domains has renewed interest in the possible role of discrimination. And yet, unlike in the pre–civil rights era, when racial prejudice and discrimination were overt and widespread, today discrimination is less readily identifiable, posing problems for social scientific conceptualization and measurement. This article reviews the relevant literature on discrimination, with an emphasis on racial discrimination in employment, housing, credit markets, and consumer interactions. We begin by defining discrimination and discussing relevant methods of measurement. We then provide an overview of major findings from studies of discrimination in each of the four domains; and, finally, we turn to a discussion of the individual, organizational, and structural mechanisms that may underlie contemporary forms of discrimination. This discussion seeks to orient readers to some of the key debates in the study of discrimination and to provide a roadmap for those interested in building upon this long and important line of research. PMID:20689680

Combination of Competitive Quantitative PCR and Constant-Denaturant Capillary Electrophoresis for High-Resolution Detection and Enumeration of Microbial Cells

PubMed Central

Lim, Eelin L.; Tomita, Aoy V.; Thilly, William G.; Polz, Martin F.

2001-01-01

A novel quantitative PCR (QPCR) approach, which combines competitive PCR with constant-denaturant capillary electrophoresis (CDCE), was adapted for enumerating microbial cells in environmental samples using the marine nanoflagellate Cafeteria roenbergensis as a model organism. Competitive PCR has been used successfully for quantification of DNA in environmental samples. However, this technique is labor intensive, and its accuracy is dependent on an internal competitor, which must possess the same amplification efficiency as the target yet can be easily discriminated from the target DNA. The use of CDCE circumvented these problems, as its high resolution permitted the use of an internal competitor which differed from the target DNA fragment by a single base and thus ensured that both sequences could be amplified with equal efficiency. The sensitivity of CDCE also enabled specific and precise detection of sequences over a broad range of concentrations. The combined competitive QPCR and CDCE approach accurately enumerated C. roenbergensis cells in eutrophic, coastal seawater at abundances ranging from approximately 10 to 104 cells ml−1. The QPCR cell estimates were confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization counts, but estimates of samples with <50 cells ml−1 by QPCR were less variable. This novel approach extends the usefulness of competitive QPCR by demonstrating its ability to reliably enumerate microorganisms at a range of environmentally relevant cell concentrations in complex aquatic samples. PMID:11525983

The Mechanisms Underlying the ASD Advantage in Visual Search.

PubMed

Kaldy, Zsuzsa; Giserman, Ivy; Carter, Alice S; Blaser, Erik

2016-05-01

A number of studies have demonstrated that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are faster or more successful than typically developing control participants at various visual-attentional tasks (for reviews, see Dakin and Frith in Neuron 48:497-507, 2005; Simmons et al. in Vis Res 49:2705-2739, 2009). This "ASD advantage" was first identified in the domain of visual search by Plaisted et al. (J Child Psychol Psychiatry 39:777-783, 1998). Here we survey the findings of visual search studies from the past 15 years that contrasted the performance of individuals with and without ASD. Although there are some minor caveats, the overall consensus is that-across development and a broad range of symptom severity-individuals with ASD reliably outperform controls on visual search. The etiology of the ASD advantage has not been formally specified, but has been commonly attributed to 'enhanced perceptual discrimination', a superior ability to visually discriminate between targets and distractors in such tasks (e.g. O'Riordan in Cognition 77:81-96, 2000). As well, there is considerable evidence for impairments of the attentional network in ASD (for a review, see Keehn et al. in J Child Psychol Psychiatry 37:164-183, 2013). We discuss some recent results from our laboratory that support an attentional, rather than perceptual explanation for the ASD advantage in visual search. We speculate that this new conceptualization may offer a better understanding of some of the behavioral symptoms associated with ASD, such as over-focusing and restricted interests.

A chronometric exploration of high-resolution 'sensitive TMS masking' effects on subjective and objective measures of vision.

PubMed

de Graaf, Tom A; Herring, Jim; Sack, Alexander T

2011-03-01

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can induce masking by interfering with ongoing neural activity in early visual cortex. Previous work has explored the chronometry of occipital involvement in vision by using single pulses of TMS with high temporal resolution. However, conventionally TMS intensities have been high and the only measure used to evaluate masking was objective in nature. Recent studies have begun to incorporate subjective measures of vision, alongside objective ones. The current study goes beyond previous work in two regards. First, we explored both objective vision (an orientation discrimination task) and subjective vision (a stimulus visibility rating on a four-point scale), across a wide range of time windows with high temporal resolution. Second, we used a very sensitive TMS-masking paradigm: stimulation was at relatively low TMS intensities, with a figure-8 coil, and the small stimulus was difficult to discriminate already at baseline level. We hypothesized that this should increase the effective temporal resolution of our paradigm. Perhaps for this reason, we are able to report a rather interesting masking curve. Within the classical-masking time window, previously reported to encompass broad SOAs anywhere between 60 and 120 ms, we report not one, but at least two dips in objective performance, with no masking in-between. The subjective measure of vision did not mirror this pattern. These preliminary data from our exploratory design suggest that, with sensitive TMS masking, we might be able to reveal visual processes in early visual cortex previously unreported.

Application of machine learning methods to describe the effects of conjugated equine estrogens therapy on region-specific brain volumes.

PubMed

Casanova, Ramon; Espeland, Mark A; Goveas, Joseph S; Davatzikos, Christos; Gaussoin, Sarah A; Maldjian, Joseph A; Brunner, Robert L; Kuller, Lewis H; Johnson, Karen C; Mysiw, W Jerry; Wagner, Benjamin; Resnick, Susan M

2011-05-01

Use of conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) has been linked to smaller regional brain volumes in women aged ≥65 years; however, it is unknown whether this results in a broad-based characteristic pattern of effects. Structural magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess regional volumes of normal tissue and ischemic lesions among 513 women who had been enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of CEE therapy for an average of 6.6 years, beginning at ages 65-80 years. A multivariate pattern analysis, based on a machine learning technique that combined Random Forest and logistic regression with L(1) penalty, was applied to identify patterns among regional volumes associated with therapy and whether patterns discriminate between treatment groups. The multivariate pattern analysis detected smaller regional volumes of normal tissue within the limbic and temporal lobes among women that had been assigned to CEE therapy. Mean decrements ranged as high as 7% in the left entorhinal cortex and 5% in the left perirhinal cortex, which exceeded the effect sizes reported previously in frontal lobe and hippocampus. Overall accuracy of classification based on these patterns, however, was projected to be only 54.5%. Prescription of CEE therapy for an average of 6.6 years is associated with lower regional brain volumes, but it does not induce a characteristic spatial pattern of changes in brain volumes of sufficient magnitude to discriminate users and nonusers. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS): Independent validation in a large sample of Italian patients with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Mucci, A; Galderisi, S; Merlotti, E; Rossi, A; Rocca, P; Bucci, P; Piegari, G; Chieffi, M; Vignapiano, A; Maj, M

2015-07-01

The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) was developed to address the main limitations of the existing scales for the assessment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The initial validation of the scale by the group involved in its development demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity, and a factor structure confirming the two domains of negative symptoms (reduced emotional/verbal expression and anhedonia/asociality/avolition). However, only relatively small samples of patients with schizophrenia were investigated. Further independent validation in large clinical samples might be instrumental to the broad diffusion of the scale in clinical research. The present study aimed to examine the BNSS inter-rater reliability, convergent/discriminant validity and factor structure in a large Italian sample of outpatients with schizophrenia. Our results confirmed the excellent inter-rater reliability of the BNSS (the intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.81 to 0.98 for individual items and was 0.98 for the total score). The convergent validity measures had r values from 0.62 to 0.77, while the divergent validity measures had r values from 0.20 to 0.28 in the main sample (n=912) and in a subsample without clinically significant levels of depression and extrapyramidal symptoms (n=496). The BNSS factor structure was supported in both groups. The study confirms that the BNSS is a promising measure for quantifying negative symptoms of schizophrenia in large multicenter clinical studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Application of machine learning methods to describe the effects of conjugated equine estrogens therapy on region-specific brain volumes

PubMed Central

Casanova, Ramon; Espeland, Mark A.; Goveas, Joseph S.; Davatzikos, Christos; Gaussoin, Sarah A.; Maldjian, Joseph A.; Brunner, Robert L.; Kuller, Lewis H.; Johnson, Karen C.; Mysiw, W. Jerry; Wagner, Benjamin; Resnick, Susan M.

2011-01-01

Use of conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) has been linked to smaller regional brain volumes in women aged ≥65 years, however it is unknown whether this results in a broad-based characteristic pattern of effects. Structural MRI was used to assess regional volumes of normal tissue and ischemic lesions among 513 women who had been enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of CEE therapy for an average of 6.6 years, beginning at ages 65-80 years. A multivariate pattern analysis, based on a machine learning technique that combined Random Forest and logistic regression with L1 penalty, was applied to identify patterns among regional volumes associated with therapy and whether patterns discriminate between treatment groups. The multivariate pattern analysis detected smaller regional volumes of normal tissue within the limbic and temporal lobes among women that had been assigned to CEE therapy. Mean decrements ranged as high as 7% in the left entorhinal cortex and 5% in the left perirhinal cortex, which exceeded the effect sizes reported previously in frontal lobe and hippocampus. Overall accuracy of classification based on these patterns, however, was projected to be only 54.5%. Prescription of CEE therapy for an average of 6.6 years is associated with lower regional brain volumes, but it does not induce a characteristic spatial pattern of changes in brain volumes of sufficient magnitude to discriminate users and non-users. PMID:21292420

Discrimination, religious and cultural factors, and Middle Eastern/Arab Americans' psychological distress.

PubMed

Ikizler, Ayse S; Szymanski, Dawn M

2018-01-11

We investigated (1) the moderating role of religiosity in the link between religious affiliation and ethnic discrimination and (2) the moderating roles of religiosity, ethnic identity, and family connectedness in the relations between ethnic discrimination and psychological distress. Our sample consisted of 122 (60% women, 40% men) Middle Eastern/Arab Americans (MEAAs), ranging in age from 18 to 82 years old, who completed an online survey. Muslim identification predicted discrimination for MEAAs with high but not low religiosity. Higher levels of discrimination, more family connectedness, the interaction of discrimination and religiosity, and the interaction of discrimination and family connectedness were unique predictors of psychological distress. Religiosity is a risk factor for experiencing ethnic discrimination among Muslim identified MEAAs. MEAAs who have high religiosity and low to moderate levels of family connectedness are vulnerable to psychological distress associated with ethnic discrimination. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Spectral timbre perception in ferrets: discrimination of artificial vowels under different listening conditions.

PubMed

Bizley, Jennifer K; Walker, Kerry M M; King, Andrew J; Schnupp, Jan W H

2013-01-01

Spectral timbre is an acoustic feature that enables human listeners to determine the identity of a spoken vowel. Despite its importance to sound perception, little is known about the neural representation of sound timbre and few psychophysical studies have investigated timbre discrimination in non-human species. In this study, ferrets were positively conditioned to discriminate artificial vowel sounds in a two-alternative-forced-choice paradigm. Animals quickly learned to discriminate the vowel sound /u/ from /ε/ and were immediately able to generalize across a range of voice pitches. They were further tested in a series of experiments designed to assess how well they could discriminate these vowel sounds under different listening conditions. First, a series of morphed vowels was created by systematically shifting the location of the first and second formant frequencies. Second, the ferrets were tested with single formant stimuli designed to assess which spectral cues they could be using to make their decisions. Finally, vowel discrimination thresholds were derived in the presence of noise maskers presented from either the same or a different spatial location. These data indicate that ferrets show robust vowel discrimination behavior across a range of listening conditions and that this ability shares many similarities with human listeners.

Spectral timbre perception in ferrets; discrimination of artificial vowels under different listening conditions

PubMed Central

Bizley, Jennifer K; Walker, Kerry MM; King, Andrew J; Schnupp, Jan WH

2013-01-01

Spectral timbre is an acoustic feature that enables human listeners to determine the identity of a spoken vowel. Despite its importance to sound perception, little is known about the neural representation of sound timbre and few psychophysical studies have investigated timbre discrimination in non-human species. In this study, ferrets were positively conditioned to discriminate artificial vowel sounds in a two-alternative-forced-choice paradigm. Animals quickly learned to discriminate the vowel sound /u/ from /ε/, and were immediately able to generalize across a range of voice pitches. They were further tested in a series of experiments designed to assess how well they could discriminate these vowel sounds under different listening conditions. First, a series of morphed vowels was created by systematically shifting the location of the first and second formant frequencies. Second, the ferrets were tested with single formant stimuli designed to assess which spectral cues they could be using to make their decisions. Finally, vowel discrimination thresholds were derived in the presence of noise maskers presented from either the same or a different spatial location. These data indicate that ferrets show robust vowel discrimination behavior across a range of listening conditions and that this ability shares many similarities with human listeners. PMID:23297909

Individual factors that influence experiences and perceptions of stigma and discrimination towards people with mental illness in Ghana.

PubMed

Gyamfi, Sebastian; Hegadoren, Kathy; Park, Tanya

2018-02-01

People with a mental illness often encounter stigma and discrimination from a variety of sources, reinforcing negative self-perceptions and influencing their health and well-being. Even though support systems and attitudes of the general public act as powerful sources of stigma, views and perceptions held by people with mental illness also influence their sensitivity to the experiences they encounter. The aim of the present qualitative study was to examine perceptions of stigma and discrimination and self-stigma in individuals diagnosed with a mental illness. This study adopted a narrative, descriptive method, using a semistructured interview guide to elicit participant perceptions regarding sources of stigma, discrimination, and personal factors that might influence their experiences. Twelve outpatients attending a clinic in Ghana were interviewed. Thematic content analysis was completed and augmented by field notes. Participants' perceptions about personal impacts of stigma were found to be influenced by self-stigma, anticipated stigma and discrimination, perceived discrimination, and their knowledge about their illness. For many participants, their views served to augment societal views, and thus reinforce negative self-perceptions and their future. However, for other participants, their views served as a buffer in the face of environmental situations that reflect stigma and discrimination. Stigma is a complex, socially-sanctioned phenomenon that can seriously affect the health of people with mental illness. As such, it requires coordinated strategies among public policy makers, governmental bodies, and health-care providers to address stigma on a societal level, and to address its potential impacts on broad health outcomes for individuals with mental illness. © 2017 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Photoionization modelling of the giant broad-line region in NGC 3998

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devereux, Nick

2018-01-01

Prior high angular resolution spectroscopic observations of the Low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (Liner) in NGC 3998 obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) revealed a rich UV-visible spectrum consisting of broad permitted and broad forbidden emission lines. The photoionization code XSTAR is employed together with reddening-insensitive emission line diagnostics to constrain a dynamical model for the broad-line region (BLR) in NGC 3998. The BLR is modelled as a large H+ region ∼ 7 pc in radius consisting of dust-free, low-density ∼ 104 cm-3, low-metallicity ∼ 0.01 Z/Z⊙ gas. Modelling the shape of the broad H α emission line significantly discriminates between two independent measures of the black hole (BH) mass, favouring the estimate of de Francesco, Capetti & Marconi (2006). Interpreting the broad H α emission line in terms of a steady-state spherically symmetric inflow leads to a mass inflow rate of 1.4 × 10-2 M⊙ yr-1, well within the present uncertainty of calculations that attempt to explain the observed X-ray emission in terms of an advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF). Collectively, the model provides an explanation for the shape of the H α emission line, the relative intensities and luminosities for the H Balmer, [O III], and potentially several of the broad UV emission lines, as well as refining the initial conditions needed for future modelling of the ADAF.

Discrimination and racial disparities in health: evidence and needed research

PubMed Central

Mohammed, Selina A.

2010-01-01

This paper provides a review and critique of empirical research on perceived discrimination and health. The patterns of racial disparities in health suggest that there are multiple ways by which racism can affect health. Perceived discrimination is one such pathway and the paper reviews the published research on discrimination and health that appeared in PubMed between 2005 and 2007. This recent research continues to document an inverse association between discrimination and health. This pattern is now evident in a wider range of contexts and for a broader array of outcomes. Advancing our understanding of the relationship between perceived discrimination and health will require more attention to situating discrimination within the context of other health-relevant aspects of racism, measuring it comprehensively and accurately, assessing its stressful dimensions, and identifying the mechanisms that link discrimination to health. PMID:19030981

An Integrated Metabolomic and Genomic Mining Workflow To Uncover the Biosynthetic Potential of Bacteria

PubMed Central

Maansson, Maria; Vynne, Nikolaj G.; Klitgaard, Andreas; Nybo, Jane L.; Melchiorsen, Jette; Nguyen, Don D.; Sanchez, Laura M.; Ziemert, Nadine; Dorrestein, Pieter C.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Microorganisms are a rich source of bioactives; however, chemical identification is a major bottleneck. Strategies that can prioritize the most prolific microbial strains and novel compounds are of great interest. Here, we present an integrated approach to evaluate the biosynthetic richness in bacteria and mine the associated chemical diversity. Thirteen strains closely related to Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea isolated from all over the Earth were analyzed using an untargeted metabolomics strategy, and metabolomic profiles were correlated with whole-genome sequences of the strains. We found considerable diversity: only 2% of the chemical features and 7% of the biosynthetic genes were common to all strains, while 30% of all features and 24% of the genes were unique to single strains. The list of chemical features was reduced to 50 discriminating features using a genetic algorithm and support vector machines. Features were dereplicated by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) networking to identify molecular families of the same biosynthetic origin, and the associated pathways were probed using comparative genomics. Most of the discriminating features were related to antibacterial compounds, including the thiomarinols that were reported from P. luteoviolacea here for the first time. By comparative genomics, we identified the biosynthetic cluster responsible for the production of the antibiotic indolmycin, which could not be predicted with standard methods. In conclusion, we present an efficient, integrative strategy for elucidating the chemical richness of a given set of bacteria and link the chemistry to biosynthetic genes. IMPORTANCE We here combine chemical analysis and genomics to probe for new bioactive secondary metabolites based on their pattern of distribution within bacterial species. We demonstrate the usefulness of this combined approach in a group of marine Gram-negative bacteria closely related to Pseudoalteromonas luteoviolacea, which is a species known to produce a broad spectrum of chemicals. The approach allowed us to identify new antibiotics and their associated biosynthetic pathways. Combining chemical analysis and genetics is an efficient “mining” workflow for identifying diverse pharmaceutical candidates in a broad range of microorganisms and therefore of great use in bioprospecting. PMID:27822535

Reducing stigma and discrimination to improve child health and survival in low- and middle-income countries: promising approaches and implications for future research.

PubMed

Nayar, Usha S; Stangl, Anne L; De Zalduondo, Barbara; Brady, Laura M

2014-01-01

The social processes of stigmatization and discrimination can have complex and devastating effects on the health and welfare of families and communities, and thus on the environments in which children live and grow. The authors conducted a literature review to identify interventions for reducing the stigma and discrimination that impede child health and well-being in low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on nutrition, HIV/AIDS, neonatal survival and infant health, and early child development. Despite broad consensus on the importance of stigma and discrimination as barriers to access and uptake of health information and services, the authors found a dearth of research and program evaluations directly assessing effective interventions in the area of child health except in the area of reducing HIV-related stigma and discrimination. While the literature demonstrates that poverty and social exclusion are often stigma-laden and impede adult access to health information and services, and to education relevant to family planning, child rearing, nutrition, health promotion, and disease prevention, the child health literature does not document direct connections between these known mediators of child health and the stigmatization of either children or their caregivers. The child health field would greatly benefit from more research to understand and address stigma as it relates to child health and well-being. The authors suggest applying a framework, adapted from the HIV stigma field, to direct future research and the adaptation of existing strategies to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination to address social and health-related stigmas affecting children and their families.

Taste Receptor Cells That Discriminate Between Bitter Stimuli

PubMed Central

Caicedo, Alejandro; Roper, Stephen D.

2013-01-01

Recent studies showing that single taste bud cells express multiple bitter taste receptors have reignited a long-standing controversy over whether single gustatory receptor cells respond selectively or broadly to tastants. We examined calcium responses of rat taste receptor cells in situ to a panel of bitter compounds to determine whether individual cells distinguish between bitter stimuli. Most bitter-responsive taste cells were activated by only one out of five compounds tested. In taste cells that responded to multiple stimuli, there were no significant associations between any two stimuli. Bitter sensation does not appear to occur through the activation of a homogeneous population of broadly tuned bitter-sensitive taste cells. Instead, different bitter stimuli may activate different subpopulations of bitter-sensitive taste cells. PMID:11222863

Maturation of cortical mismatch responses to occasional pitch change in early infancy: effects of presentation rate and magnitude of change.

PubMed

He, Chao; Hotson, Lisa; Trainor, Laurel J

2009-01-01

Previous studies have reported two types of event-related potential (ERP) mismatch responses in infants to infrequent auditory changes: a broad discriminative positivity in younger infants and a negativity resembling adult mismatch negativity (MMN) in older infants. In the present study, we investigated whether the positive discriminative slow wave and the adult-like MMN are functionally distinct by examining how they are affected by presentation rate and magnitude of change. We measured ERPs from adults, 2-month-olds, and 4-month-olds to a repeating piano tone (standard) that occasionally changed in pitch (deviant). The pitch changes between standards and deviants were either small (1/12 octave) or large (1/2 octave) in magnitude, and the stimulus presentation rate was either slow (800 ms SOA) or fast (400 ms SOA). As the presentation rate increased, both adults and 4-month-olds showed an MMN response that decreased in latency, but was unaffected in amplitude. As the magnitude of the pitch change increased, MMN increased in amplitude. On the other hand, only a broad positive mismatch response was seen in 2-month-olds. As the presentation rate increased, 2-month-olds' responses to standard tones decreased in amplitude while their responses to deviant tones were unaffected. The magnitude of the pitch change did not affect 2-month-olds' responses. These results suggest that pitch is processed differently in auditory cortex by 2-month-olds and 4-month-olds, and that a cortical change-detection mechanism for pitch discrimination similar to that of adults emerges between 2 and 4 months of age.

Fat discrimination: A phenotype with potential implications for studying fat intake behaviors and obesity

PubMed Central

Liang, Lisa C.H.; Sakimura, Johannah; May, Daniel; Breen, Cameron; Driggin, Elissa; Tepper, Beverly J.; Chung, Wendy K.; Keller, Kathleen L.

2013-01-01

Variations in fat preference and intake across humans are poorly understood in part because of difficulties in studying this behavior. The objective of this study was to develop a simple procedure to assess fat discrimination, the ability to accurately perceive differences in the fat content of foods, and assess the associations between this phenotype and fat ingestive behaviors and adiposity. African-American adults (n=317) were tested for fat discrimination using 7 forced choice same/different tests with Italian salad dressings that ranged in fat-by-weight content from 5–55%. Performance on this procedure was determined by tallying the number of trials in which a participant correctly identified the pair of samples as “same” or “different” across all test pairs (ranging from 1–7). Individuals who received the lowest scores on this task (≤3 out of 7 correct) were classified as fat non-discriminators (n=33) and those who received the highest scores (7 out of 7 correct) were classified as fat discriminators (n=59). These 2 groups were compared for the primary outcome variables: reported food intake, preferences, and adiposity. After adjusting for BMI, sex, age, and dietary restraint and disinhibition, fat non-discriminators reported greater consumption of both added fats and reduced fat foods (p<0.05 for both). Fat non-discriminators also had greater abdominal adiposity compared to fat discriminators (p<0.05). Test-retest scores performed in a subset of participants (n=40) showed moderate reliability of the fat discrimination test (rho=0.53;p<0.01). If these results are replicated, fat discrimination may serve as clinical research tool to identify participants who are at risk for obesity and other chronic diseases due to increased fat intake. PMID:21925524

Fat discrimination: a phenotype with potential implications for studying fat intake behaviors and obesity.

PubMed

Liang, Lisa C H; Sakimura, Johannah; May, Daniel; Breen, Cameron; Driggin, Elissa; Tepper, Beverly J; Chung, Wendy K; Keller, Kathleen L

2012-01-18

Variations in fat preference and intake across humans are poorly understood in part because of difficulties in studying this behavior. The objective of this study was to develop a simple procedure to assess fat discrimination, the ability to accurately perceive differences in the fat content of foods, and assess the associations between this phenotype and fat ingestive behaviors and adiposity. African-American adults (n=317) were tested for fat discrimination using 7 forced choice same/different tests with Italian salad dressings that ranged in fat-by-weight content from 5 to 55%. Performance on this procedure was determined by tallying the number of trials in which a participant correctly identified the pair of samples as "same" or "different" across all test pairs (ranging from 1 to 7). Individuals who received the lowest scores on this task (≤3 out of 7 correct) were classified as fat non-discriminators (n=33) and those who received the highest scores (7 out of 7 correct) were classified as fat discriminators (n=59). These 2 groups were compared for the primary outcome variables: reported food intake, preferences, and adiposity. After adjusting for BMI, sex, age, and dietary restraint and disinhibition, fat non-discriminators reported greater consumption of both added fats and reduced fat foods (p<0.05 for both). Fat non-discriminators also had greater abdominal adiposity compared to fat discriminators (p<0.05). Test-retest scores performed in a subset of participants (n=40) showed moderate reliability of the fat discrimination test (rho=0.53; p<0.01). If these results are replicated, fat discrimination may serve as clinical research tool to identify participants who are at risk for obesity and other chronic diseases due to increased fat intake. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[The application of radiological image in forensic medicine].

PubMed

Zhang, Ji-Zong; Che, Hong-Min; Xu, Li-Xiang

2006-04-01

Personal identification is an important work in forensic investigation included sex discrimination, age and stature estimation. Human identification depended on radiological image technique analysis is a practice and proper method in forensic science field. This paper intended to understand the advantage and defect by reviewed the employing of forensic radiology in forensic science field broadly and provide a reference to perfect the application of forensic radiology in forensic science field.

Discriminant Analysis of Defective and Non-Defective Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) into Broad Market Grades Based on Digital Image Features.

PubMed

McDonald, Linda S; Panozzo, Joseph F; Salisbury, Phillip A; Ford, Rebecca

2016-01-01

Field peas (Pisum sativum L.) are generally traded based on seed appearance, which subjectively defines broad market-grades. In this study, we developed an objective Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) model to classify market grades of field peas based on seed colour, shape and size traits extracted from digital images. Seeds were imaged in a high-throughput system consisting of a camera and laser positioned over a conveyor belt. Six colour intensity digital images were captured (under 405, 470, 530, 590, 660 and 850nm light) for each seed, and surface height was measured at each pixel by laser. Colour, shape and size traits were compiled across all seed in each sample to determine the median trait values. Defective and non-defective seed samples were used to calibrate and validate the model. Colour components were sufficient to correctly classify all non-defective seed samples into correct market grades. Defective samples required a combination of colour, shape and size traits to achieve 87% and 77% accuracy in market grade classification of calibration and validation sample-sets respectively. Following these results, we used the same colour, shape and size traits to develop an LDA model which correctly classified over 97% of all validation samples as defective or non-defective.

Discriminant Analysis of Defective and Non-Defective Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) into Broad Market Grades Based on Digital Image Features

PubMed Central

McDonald, Linda S.; Panozzo, Joseph F.; Salisbury, Phillip A.; Ford, Rebecca

2016-01-01

Field peas (Pisum sativum L.) are generally traded based on seed appearance, which subjectively defines broad market-grades. In this study, we developed an objective Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) model to classify market grades of field peas based on seed colour, shape and size traits extracted from digital images. Seeds were imaged in a high-throughput system consisting of a camera and laser positioned over a conveyor belt. Six colour intensity digital images were captured (under 405, 470, 530, 590, 660 and 850nm light) for each seed, and surface height was measured at each pixel by laser. Colour, shape and size traits were compiled across all seed in each sample to determine the median trait values. Defective and non-defective seed samples were used to calibrate and validate the model. Colour components were sufficient to correctly classify all non-defective seed samples into correct market grades. Defective samples required a combination of colour, shape and size traits to achieve 87% and 77% accuracy in market grade classification of calibration and validation sample-sets respectively. Following these results, we used the same colour, shape and size traits to develop an LDA model which correctly classified over 97% of all validation samples as defective or non-defective. PMID:27176469

Classification of tree species based on longwave hyperspectral data from leaves, a case study for a tropical dry forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, D.; Rivard, B.; Sánchez-Azofeifa, A.

2018-04-01

Remote sensing of the environment has utilized the visible, near and short-wave infrared (IR) regions of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum to characterize vegetation health, vigor and distribution. However, relatively little research has focused on the use of the longwave infrared (LWIR, 8.0-12.5 μm) region for studies of vegetation. In this study LWIR leaf reflectance spectra were collected in the wet seasons (May through December) of 2013 and 2014 from twenty-six tree species located in a high species diversity environment, a tropical dry forest in Costa Rica. A continuous wavelet transformation (CWT) was applied to all spectra to minimize noise and broad amplitude variations attributable to non-compositional effects. Species discrimination was then explored with Random Forest classification and accuracy improved was observed with preprocessing of reflectance spectra with continuous wavelet transformation. Species were found to share common spectral features that formed the basis for five spectral types that were corroborated with linear discriminate analysis. The source of most of the observed spectral features is attributed to cell wall or cuticle compounds (cellulose, cutin, matrix glycan, silica and oleanolic acid). Spectral types could be advantageous for the analysis of airborne hyperspectral data because cavity effects will lower the spectral contrast thus increasing the reliance of classification efforts on dominant spectral features. Spectral types specifically derived from leaf level data are expected to support the labeling of spectral classes derived from imagery. The results of this study and that of Ribeiro Da Luz (2006), Ribeiro Da Luz and Crowley (2007, 2010), Ullah et al. (2012) and Rock et al. (2016) have now illustrated success in tree species discrimination across a range of ecosystems using leaf-level spectral observations. With advances in LWIR sensors and concurrent improvements in their signal to noise, applications to large-scale species detection from airborne imagery appear feasible.

Noninvasive fluorescence excitation spectroscopy for the diagnosis of oral neoplasia in vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebenezar, Jeyasingh; Ganesan, Singaravelu; Aruna, Prakasarao; Muralinaidu, Radhakrishnan; Renganathan, Kannan; Saraswathy, Thillai Rajasekaran

2012-09-01

Fluorescence excitation spectroscopy (FES) is an emerging approach to cancer detection. The goal of this pilot study is to evaluate the diagnostic potential of FES technique for the detection and characterization of normal and cancerous oral lesions in vivo. Fluorescence excitation (FE) spectra from oral mucosa were recorded in the spectral range of 340 to 600 nm at 635 nm emission using a fiberoptic probe spectrofluorometer to obtain spectra from the buccal mucosa of 30 sites of 15 healthy volunteers and 15 sites of 10 cancerous patients. Significant FE spectral differences were observed between normal and well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (WDSCC) oral lesions. The FE spectra of healthy volunteers consists of a broad emission band around 440 to 470 nm, whereas in WDSCC lesions, a new primary peak was seen at 410 nm with secondary peaks observed at 505, 540, and 580 nm due to the accumulation of porphyrins in oral lesions. The FE spectral bands of the WDSCC lesions resemble the typical absorption spectra of a porphyrin. Three potential ratios (I410/I505, I410/I540, and I410/I580) were calculated from the FE spectra and used as input variables for a stepwise linear discriminant analysis (SLDA) for normal and WDSCC groups. Leave-one-out (LOO) method of cross-validation was performed to check the reliability on spectral data for tissue characterization. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were determined for normal and WDSCC lesions from the scatter plot of the discriminant function scores. It was observed that diagnostic algorithm based on discriminant function scores obtained by SLDA-LOO method was able to distinguish WDSCC from normal lesions with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 100%. Results of the pilot study demonstrate that the FE spectral changes due to porphyrin have a good diagnostic potential; therefore, porphyrin can be used as a native tumor marker.

Policy, phylogeny, and the parasite.

PubMed

Stentiford, Grant D; Feist, Stephen W; Stone, David M; Peeler, Edmund J; Bass, David

2014-06-01

Animal diseases gain political attention by their inclusion on lists of global bodies such as those of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Inclusion requires national governments to report outbreaks promptly but may lead to trading restrictions between nations in an attempt to limit spread. Detection therefore has consequences that may have direct impact from farm to state levels. We consider here current approaches to discriminating listed parasites from related but unlisted counterparts. We outline necessary drivers for the discrimination of important taxa and how these may be influenced by national policies. Further, we propose a set of 'best practice' measures, broadly based upon current taxonomic philosophies for protists and metazoans, that should be applied when defining taxa for listing as notifiable. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A model for discriminating reinforcers in time and space.

PubMed

Cowie, Sarah; Davison, Michael; Elliffe, Douglas

2016-06-01

Both the response-reinforcer and stimulus-reinforcer relation are important in discrimination learning; differential responding requires a minimum of two discriminably-different stimuli and two discriminably-different associated contingencies of reinforcement. When elapsed time is a discriminative stimulus for the likely availability of a reinforcer, choice over time may be modeled by an extension of the Davison and Nevin (1999) model that assumes that local choice strictly matches the effective local reinforcer ratio. The effective local reinforcer ratio may differ from the obtained local reinforcer ratio for two reasons: Because the animal inaccurately estimates times associated with obtained reinforcers, and thus incorrectly discriminates the stimulus-reinforcer relation across time; and because of error in discriminating the response-reinforcer relation. In choice-based timing tasks, the two responses are usually highly discriminable, and so the larger contributor to differences between the effective and obtained reinforcer ratio is error in discriminating the stimulus-reinforcer relation. Such error may be modeled either by redistributing the numbers of reinforcers obtained at each time across surrounding times, or by redistributing the ratio of reinforcers obtained at each time in the same way. We assessed the extent to which these two approaches to modeling discrimination of the stimulus-reinforcer relation could account for choice in a range of temporal-discrimination procedures. The version of the model that redistributed numbers of reinforcers accounted for more variance in the data. Further, this version provides an explanation for shifts in the point of subjective equality that occur as a result of changes in the local reinforcer rate. The inclusion of a parameter reflecting error in discriminating the response-reinforcer relation enhanced the ability of each version of the model to describe data. The ability of this class of model to account for a range of data suggests that timing, like other conditional discriminations, is choice under the joint discriminative control of elapsed time and differential reinforcement. Understanding the role of differential reinforcement is therefore critical to understanding control by elapsed time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An evaluation of multiband photography for rock discrimination. [sedimentary rocks of Front Range, Colorado

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, K. (Principal Investigator); Raines, G. L.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. With the advent of ERTS and Skylab satellites, multiband imagery and photography have become readily available to geologists. The ability of multiband photography to discriminate sedimentary rocks was examined. More than 8600 in situ measurements of band reflectance of the sedimentary rocks of the Front Range, Colorado, were acquired. Statistical analysis of these measurements showed that: (1) measurements from one site can be used at another site 100 miles away; (2) there is basically only one spectral reflectance curve for these rocks, with constant amplitude differences between the curves; and (3) the natural variation is so large that at least 150 measurements per formation are required to select best filters. These conclusions are supported by subjective tests with aerial multiband photography. The designed multiband photography concept for rock discrimination is not a practical method of improving sedimentary rock discrimination capabilities.

Experimentally Derived δ13C and δ15N Discrimination Factors for Gray Wolves and the Impact of Prior Information in Bayesian Mixing Models

PubMed Central

Bucci, Melanie E.; Callahan, Peggy; Koprowski, John L.; Polfus, Jean L.; Krausman, Paul R.

2015-01-01

Stable isotope analysis of diet has become a common tool in conservation research. However, the multiple sources of uncertainty inherent in this analysis framework involve consequences that have not been thoroughly addressed. Uncertainty arises from the choice of trophic discrimination factors, and for Bayesian stable isotope mixing models (SIMMs), the specification of prior information; the combined effect of these aspects has not been explicitly tested. We used a captive feeding study of gray wolves (Canis lupus) to determine the first experimentally-derived trophic discrimination factors of C and N for this large carnivore of broad conservation interest. Using the estimated diet in our controlled system and data from a published study on wild wolves and their prey in Montana, USA, we then investigated the simultaneous effect of discrimination factors and prior information on diet reconstruction with Bayesian SIMMs. Discrimination factors for gray wolves and their prey were 1.97‰ for δ13C and 3.04‰ for δ15N. Specifying wolf discrimination factors, as opposed to the commonly used red fox (Vulpes vulpes) factors, made little practical difference to estimates of wolf diet, but prior information had a strong effect on bias, precision, and accuracy of posterior estimates. Without specifying prior information in our Bayesian SIMM, it was not possible to produce SIMM posteriors statistically similar to the estimated diet in our controlled study or the diet of wild wolves. Our study demonstrates the critical effect of prior information on estimates of animal diets using Bayesian SIMMs, and suggests species-specific trophic discrimination factors are of secondary importance. When using stable isotope analysis to inform conservation decisions researchers should understand the limits of their data. It may be difficult to obtain useful information from SIMMs if informative priors are omitted and species-specific discrimination factors are unavailable. PMID:25803664

Experimentally derived δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N discrimination factors for gray wolves and the impact of prior information in Bayesian mixing models.

PubMed

Derbridge, Jonathan J; Merkle, Jerod A; Bucci, Melanie E; Callahan, Peggy; Koprowski, John L; Polfus, Jean L; Krausman, Paul R

2015-01-01

Stable isotope analysis of diet has become a common tool in conservation research. However, the multiple sources of uncertainty inherent in this analysis framework involve consequences that have not been thoroughly addressed. Uncertainty arises from the choice of trophic discrimination factors, and for Bayesian stable isotope mixing models (SIMMs), the specification of prior information; the combined effect of these aspects has not been explicitly tested. We used a captive feeding study of gray wolves (Canis lupus) to determine the first experimentally-derived trophic discrimination factors of C and N for this large carnivore of broad conservation interest. Using the estimated diet in our controlled system and data from a published study on wild wolves and their prey in Montana, USA, we then investigated the simultaneous effect of discrimination factors and prior information on diet reconstruction with Bayesian SIMMs. Discrimination factors for gray wolves and their prey were 1.97‰ for δ13C and 3.04‰ for δ15N. Specifying wolf discrimination factors, as opposed to the commonly used red fox (Vulpes vulpes) factors, made little practical difference to estimates of wolf diet, but prior information had a strong effect on bias, precision, and accuracy of posterior estimates. Without specifying prior information in our Bayesian SIMM, it was not possible to produce SIMM posteriors statistically similar to the estimated diet in our controlled study or the diet of wild wolves. Our study demonstrates the critical effect of prior information on estimates of animal diets using Bayesian SIMMs, and suggests species-specific trophic discrimination factors are of secondary importance. When using stable isotope analysis to inform conservation decisions researchers should understand the limits of their data. It may be difficult to obtain useful information from SIMMs if informative priors are omitted and species-specific discrimination factors are unavailable.

29 CFR Appendix to Part 1630 - Interpretive Guidance on Title I of the Americans With Disabilities Act Introduction

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... U.S.C. 12101 et seq., as amended. In passing the ADA, Congress recognized that “discrimination... resulting from dependency and nonproductivity.” 42 U.S.C. 12101(a)(2), (8). Discrimination on the basis of... employment. 42 U.S.C. 12101(a)(3). Accordingly, the ADA prohibits discrimination in a wide range of areas...

The pervasive effects of racism: experiences of racial discrimination in New Zealand over time and associations with multiple health domains.

PubMed

Harris, Ricci; Cormack, Donna; Tobias, Martin; Yeh, Li-Chia; Talamaivao, Natalie; Minster, Joanna; Timutimu, Roimata

2012-02-01

Self-reported experience of racial discrimination has been linked to a range of health outcomes in various countries and for different ethnic groups. This study builds on previous work in New Zealand to further investigate the prevalence of self-reported experience of racial discrimination by ethnicity, changes over time and associations with multiple health measures. The study uses data from the 2002/03 (n=12,500) and 2006/07 (n=12,488) New Zealand Health Surveys, nationally representative population-based surveys of adults (15+ years). Reported experience of racial discrimination was measured in both surveys and covered 5 items: experience of an ethnically motivated physical or verbal attack; and unfair treatment because of ethnicity by a health professional, in work, or when gaining housing. Ethnicity was classified as Maori, Pacific, Asian or European. Health indicators included measures of: mental health (SF36 mental health scale, psychological distress, doctor diagnosed mental health condition); physical health (self-rated health, SF36 physical functioning scale, cardiovascular disease); and health risk (smoking, hazardous drinking, excess body fat). Logistic regression was used to examine changes in prevalence of reported experience of racial discrimination over time and associations with health. Reported experience of racial discrimination increased between 2002/03 (28.1% ever) and 2006/07 (35.0% ever) among Asian peoples but remained largely unchanged for other ethnic groupings (Maori 29.5%, Pacific 23.0%, European 13.5%). Experience of racial discrimination was associated with all negative health measures except excess body fat. Where there were significant associations, a dose-response relationship was also evident. We conclude that racial discrimination experienced across a range of settings has the potential to impact on a wide range of health outcomes and risk factors. While ongoing research is needed to understand the multifarious nature of racism and the pathways by which it leads to poor health, it is feasible to monitor experiences of racial discrimination in national surveys. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radioactive anomaly discrimination from spectral ratios

DOEpatents

Maniscalco, James; Sjoden, Glenn; Chapman, Mac Clements

2013-08-20

A method for discriminating a radioactive anomaly from naturally occurring radioactive materials includes detecting a first number of gamma photons having energies in a first range of energy values within a predetermined period of time and detecting a second number of gamma photons having energies in a second range of energy values within the predetermined period of time. The method further includes determining, in a controller, a ratio of the first number of gamma photons having energies in the first range and the second number of gamma photons having energies in the second range, and determining that a radioactive anomaly is present when the ratio exceeds a threshold value.

Specific in situ discrimination of amyloid fibrils versus α-helical fibres by the fluorophore NIAD-4.

PubMed

Brandenburg, Enrico; von Berlepsch, Hans; Koksch, Beate

2012-02-01

A wide range of human pathologies, including neurodegenerative diseases and other forms of amyloidosis, are associated with the formation of insoluble fibrillar protein aggregates known as amyloids. To gain insights into this process analytical methods are needed, which give quantitative data on the molecular events that are taking place. The dye Thioflavin T (ThT) is widely used for the spectroscopic determination of amyloid fibril formation. Different binding affinities to amyloids at neutral and acidic pH and the frequently observed poor binding at acidic pH are problematic in the use of the cationic ThT. The uncharged fluorescence probe [[5'-(4-hydroxyphenyl)[2,2'-bithiophen]-5-yl]methylene]-propanedinitrile (NIAD-4) has been recently designed by Swager and coworkers, in order to eliminate some of the limitations of ThT. Here we have used this novel dye for in vitro monitoring of the amyloid formation processes of de novo designed model peptides. Amyloid structures were successfully detected by NIAD-4 at neutral as well as acidic pH and no significant fluorescence was detectable in the presence of α-helical fibres. Thus, NIAD-4 proved to be a valuable alternative to ThT for spectroscopic studies on amyloid structures over a broad pH range.

GIANO and HARPS-N together: towards an Earth-mass detection instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tozzi, A.; Oliva, E.; Iuzzolino, M.; Fini, L.; Puglisi, A.; Sozzi, M.; Falcini, G.; Carbonaro, L.; Ghedina, A.; Mercatelli, L.; Seemann, U.; Claudi, R.

2016-08-01

This article describes the works we are doing for modifying the interface between the high resolution infrared spectrograph GIANO (0.97-2.4 micron) and the TNG telescope, passing from a fiber feed configuration to the original design of a direct light-feeding from the telescope to the spectrograph. So doing the IR spectrograph, GIANO, will work in parallel to HARPS-N spectrometer (0.38-0.70 micron), the visible high resolution spectrograph, thanks to a new telescope interface based on a dichroic window that simultaneously feeds the two instrumentes: this is GIARPS (GIAno and haRPS). The scientific aims of this project are to improve the radial velocity accuracy achievable with GIANO, down to a goal of 1 m/s, the value necessary to detect Earth-mass planets on habitable orbits around late-M stars, to implement simultaneous observations with Harps-N and GIANO optimizing the study of planets around cool stars. The very broad wavelengths range is particularly important to discriminate false radial velocity signals caused by stellar activity. We therefore include several absorption cells with different mixtures of gases and a stabilized Fabry Perot cavity, necessary to have absorption lines over the 0.97-2.4 microns range covered by GIANO. The commissioning of GIARPS is scheduled by the end of 2016.

The future of primordial features with large-scale structure surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xingang; Dvorkin, Cora; Huang, Zhiqi; Namjoo, Mohammad Hossein; Verde, Licia

2016-11-01

Primordial features are one of the most important extensions of the Standard Model of cosmology, providing a wealth of information on the primordial Universe, ranging from discrimination between inflation and alternative scenarios, new particle detection, to fine structures in the inflationary potential. We study the prospects of future large-scale structure (LSS) surveys on the detection and constraints of these features. We classify primordial feature models into several classes, and for each class we present a simple template of power spectrum that encodes the essential physics. We study how well the most ambitious LSS surveys proposed to date, including both spectroscopic and photometric surveys, will be able to improve the constraints with respect to the current Planck data. We find that these LSS surveys will significantly improve the experimental sensitivity on features signals that are oscillatory in scales, due to the 3D information. For a broad range of models, these surveys will be able to reduce the errors of the amplitudes of the features by a factor of 5 or more, including several interesting candidates identified in the recent Planck data. Therefore, LSS surveys offer an impressive opportunity for primordial feature discovery in the next decade or two. We also compare the advantages of both types of surveys.

A search for new phenomena in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] in final states with missing transverse momentum and at least one jet using the [Formula: see text] variable.

PubMed

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2017-01-01

A search for new phenomena is performed in final states containing one or more jets and an imbalance in transverse momentum in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13[Formula: see text]. The analysed data sample, recorded with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.3[Formula: see text]. Several kinematic variables are employed to suppress the dominant background, multijet production, as well as to discriminate between other standard model and new physics processes. The search provides sensitivity to a broad range of new-physics models that yield a stable weakly interacting massive particle. The number of observed candidate events is found to agree with the expected contributions from standard model processes, and the result is interpreted in the mass parameter space of fourteen simplified supersymmetric models that assume the pair production of gluinos or squarks and a range of decay modes. For models that assume gluino pair production, masses up to 1575 and 975[Formula: see text] are excluded for gluinos and neutralinos, respectively. For models involving the pair production of top squarks and compressed mass spectra, top squark masses up to 400[Formula: see text] are excluded.

The future of primordial features with large-scale structure surveys

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

Chen, Xingang; Namjoo, Mohammad Hossein; Dvorkin, Cora

2016-11-01

Primordial features are one of the most important extensions of the Standard Model of cosmology, providing a wealth of information on the primordial Universe, ranging from discrimination between inflation and alternative scenarios, new particle detection, to fine structures in the inflationary potential. We study the prospects of future large-scale structure (LSS) surveys on the detection and constraints of these features. We classify primordial feature models into several classes, and for each class we present a simple template of power spectrum that encodes the essential physics. We study how well the most ambitious LSS surveys proposed to date, including both spectroscopicmore » and photometric surveys, will be able to improve the constraints with respect to the current Planck data. We find that these LSS surveys will significantly improve the experimental sensitivity on features signals that are oscillatory in scales, due to the 3D information. For a broad range of models, these surveys will be able to reduce the errors of the amplitudes of the features by a factor of 5 or more, including several interesting candidates identified in the recent Planck data. Therefore, LSS surveys offer an impressive opportunity for primordial feature discovery in the next decade or two. We also compare the advantages of both types of surveys.« less

A search for new phenomena in pp collisions at √{s} = 13 {TeV} in final states with missing transverse momentum and at least one jet using the α T variable

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khachatryan, V.; Sirunyan, A. M.; Tumasyan, A.; Adam, W.; Asilar, E.; Bergauer, T.; Brandstetter, J.; Brondolin, E.; Dragicevic, M.; Erö, J.; Flechl, M.; Friedl, M.; Frühwirth, R.; Ghete, V. M.; Hartl, C.; Hörmann, N.; Hrubec, J.; Jeitler, M.; König, A.; Krätschmer, I.; Liko, D.; Matsushita, T.; Mikulec, I.; Rabady, D.; Rad, N.; Rahbaran, B.; Rohringer, H.; Schieck, J.; Strauss, J.; Waltenberger, W.; Wulz, C.-E.; Dvornikov, O.; Makarenko, V.; Zykunov, V.; Mossolov, V.; Shumeiko, N.; Suarez Gonzalez, J.; Alderweireldt, S.; De Wolf, E. A.; Janssen, X.; Lauwers, J.; Van De Klundert, M.; Van Haevermaet, H.; Van Mechelen, P.; Van Remortel, N.; Van Spilbeeck, A.; Abu Zeid, S.; Blekman, F.; D'Hondt, J.; Daci, N.; De Bruyn, I.; Deroover, K.; Lowette, S.; Moortgat, S.; Moreels, L.; Olbrechts, A.; Python, Q.; Tavernier, S.; Van Doninck, W.; Van Mulders, P.; Van Parijs, I.; Brun, H.; Clerbaux, B.; De Lentdecker, G.; Delannoy, H.; Fasanella, G.; Favart, L.; Goldouzian, R.; Grebenyuk, A.; Karapostoli, G.; Lenzi, T.; Léonard, A.; Luetic, J.; Maerschalk, T.; Marinov, A.; Randle-conde, A.; Seva, T.; Vander Velde, C.; Vanlaer, P.; Vannerom, D.; Yonamine, R.; Zenoni, F.; Zhang, F.; Cimmino, A.; Cornelis, T.; Dobur, D.; Fagot, A.; Garcia, G.; Gul, M.; Khvastunov, I.; Poyraz, D.; Salva, S.; Schöfbeck, R.; Sharma, A.; Tytgat, M.; Van Driessche, W.; Yazgan, E.; Zaganidis, N.; Bakhshiansohi, H.; Beluffi, C.; Bondu, O.; Brochet, S.; Bruno, G.; Caudron, A.; De Visscher, S.; Delaere, C.; Delcourt, M.; Francois, B.; Giammanco, A.; Jafari, A.; Jez, P.; Komm, M.; Krintiras, G.; Lemaitre, V.; Magitteri, A.; Mertens, A.; Musich, M.; Nuttens, C.; Piotrzkowski, K.; Quertenmont, L.; Selvaggi, M.; Vidal Marono, M.; Wertz, S.; Beliy, N.; Aldá Júnior, W. L.; Alves, F. L.; Alves, G. A.; Brito, L.; Hensel, C.; Moraes, A.; Pol, M. E.; Rebello Teles, P.; Belchior Batista Das Chagas, E.; Carvalho, W.; Chinellato, J.; Custódio, A.; Da Costa, E. M.; Da Silveira, G. G.; De Jesus Damiao, D.; De Oliveira Martins, C.; De Souza, S. Fonseca; Huertas Guativa, L. M.; Malbouisson, H.; Matos Figueiredo, D.; Mora Herrera, C.; Mundim, L.; Nogima, H.; Prado Da Silva, W. L.; Santoro, A.; Sznajder, A.; Tonelli Manganote, E. J.; Vilela Pereira, A.; Ahuja, S.; Bernardes, C. A.; Dogra, S.; Fernandez Perez Tomei, T. R.; Gregores, E. M.; Mercadante, P. G.; Moon, C. S.; Novaes, S. F.; Padula, Sandra S.; Romero Abad, D.; Ruiz Vargas, J. C.; Aleksandrov, A.; Hadjiiska, R.; Iaydjiev, P.; Rodozov, M.; Stoykova, S.; Sultanov, G.; Vutova, M.; Dimitrov, A.; Glushkov, I.; Litov, L.; Pavlov, B.; Petkov, P.; Fang, W.; Ahmad, M.; Bian, J. G.; Chen, G. M.; Chen, H. S.; Chen, M.; Chen, Y.; Cheng, T.; Jiang, C. H.; Leggat, D.; Liu, Z.; Romeo, F.; Shaheen, S. M.; Spiezia, A.; Tao, J.; Wang, C.; Wang, Z.; Zhang, H.; Zhao, J.; Ban, Y.; Chen, G.; Li, Q.; Liu, S.; Mao, Y.; Qian, S. J.; Wang, D.; Xu, Z.; Avila, C.; Cabrera, A.; Chaparro Sierra, L. F.; Florez, C.; Gomez, J. P.; González Hernández, C. F.; Ruiz Alvarez, J. D.; Sanabria, J. C.; Godinovic, N.; Lelas, D.; Puljak, I.; Ribeiro Cipriano, P. M.; Sculac, T.; Antunovic, Z.; Kovac, M.; Brigljevic, V.; Ferencek, D.; Kadija, K.; Micanovic, S.; Sudic, L.; Susa, T.; Attikis, A.; Mavromanolakis, G.; Mousa, J.; Nicolaou, C.; Ptochos, F.; Razis, P. A.; Rykaczewski, H.; Tsiakkouri, D.; Finger, M.; Finger, M.; Carrera Jarrin, E.; El-khateeb, E.; Elgammal, S.; Mohamed, A.; Calpas, B.; Kadastik, M.; Murumaa, M.; Perrini, L.; Raidal, M.; Tiko, A.; Veelken, C.; Eerola, P.; Pekkanen, J.; Voutilainen, M.; Härkönen, J.; Järvinen, T.; Karimäki, V.; Kinnunen, R.; Lampén, T.; Lassila-Perini, K.; Lehti, S.; Lindén, T.; Luukka, P.; Tuominiemi, J.; Tuovinen, E.; Wendland, L.; Talvitie, J.; Tuuva, T.; Besancon, M.; Couderc, F.; Dejardin, M.; Denegri, D.; Fabbro, B.; Faure, J. L.; Favaro, C.; Ferri, F.; Ganjour, S.; Ghosh, S.; Givernaud, A.; Gras, P.; Hamel de Monchenault, G.; Jarry, P.; Kucher, I.; Locci, E.; Machet, M.; Malcles, J.; Rander, J.; Rosowsky, A.; Titov, M.; Zghiche, A.; Abdulsalam, A.; Antropov, I.; Baffioni, S.; Beaudette, F.; Busson, P.; Cadamuro, L.; Chapon, E.; Charlot, C.; Davignon, O.; Granier de Cassagnac, R.; Jo, M.; Lisniak, S.; Miné, P.; Nguyen, M.; Ochando, C.; Ortona, G.; Paganini, P.; Pigard, P.; Regnard, S.; Salerno, R.; Sirois, Y.; Strebler, T.; Yilmaz, Y.; Zabi, A.; Agram, J.-L.; Andrea, J.; Aubin, A.; Bloch, D.; Brom, J.-M.; Buttignol, M.; Chabert, E. C.; Chanon, N.; Collard, C.; Conte, E.; Coubez, X.; Fontaine, J.-C.; Gelé, D.; Goerlach, U.; Le Bihan, A.-C.; Skovpen, K.; Van Hove, P.; Gadrat, S.; Beauceron, S.; Bernet, C.; Boudoul, G.; Bouvier, E.; Carrillo Montoya, C. A.; Chierici, R.; Contardo, D.; Courbon, B.; Depasse, P.; El Mamouni, H.; Fan, J.; Fay, J.; Gascon, S.; Gouzevitch, M.; Grenier, G.; Ille, B.; Lagarde, F.; Laktineh, I. B.; Lethuillier, M.; Mirabito, L.; Pequegnot, A. L.; Perries, S.; Popov, A.; Sabes, D.; Sordini, V.; Vander Donckt, M.; Verdier, P.; Viret, S.; Toriashvili, T.; Tsamalaidze, Z.; Autermann, C.; Beranek, S.; Feld, L.; Heister, A.; Kiesel, M. K.; Klein, K.; Lipinski, M.; Ostapchuk, A.; Preuten, M.; Raupach, F.; Schael, S.; Schomakers, C.; Schulz, J.; Verlage, T.; Weber, H.; Zhukov, V.; Albert, A.; Brodski, M.; Dietz-Laursonn, E.; Duchardt, D.; Endres, M.; Erdmann, M.; Erdweg, S.; Esch, T.; Fischer, R.; Güth, A.; Hamer, M.; Hebbeker, T.; Heidemann, C.; Hoepfner, K.; Knutzen, S.; Merschmeyer, M.; Meyer, A.; Millet, P.; Mukherjee, S.; Olschewski, M.; Padeken, K.; Pook, T.; Radziej, M.; Reithler, H.; Rieger, M.; Scheuch, F.; Sonnenschein, L.; Teyssier, D.; Thüer, S.; Cherepanov, V.; Flügge, G.; Hoehle, F.; Kargoll, B.; Kress, T.; Künsken, A.; Lingemann, J.; Müller, T.; Nehrkorn, A.; Nowack, A.; Nugent, I. M.; Pistone, C.; Pooth, O.; Stahl, A.; Aldaya Martin, M.; Arndt, T.; Asawatangtrakuldee, C.; Beernaert, K.; Behnke, O.; Behrens, U.; Bin Anuar, A. A.; Borras, K.; Campbell, A.; Connor, P.; Contreras-Campana, C.; Costanza, F.; Diez Pardos, C.; Dolinska, G.; Eckerlin, G.; Eckstein, D.; Eichhorn, T.; Eren, E.; Gallo, E.; Garay Garcia, J.; Geiser, A.; Gizhko, A.; Grados Luyando, J. M.; Gunnellini, P.; Harb, A.; Hauk, J.; Hempel, M.; Jung, H.; Kalogeropoulos, A.; Karacheban, O.; Kasemann, M.; Keaveney, J.; Kleinwort, C.; Korol, I.; Krücker, D.; Lange, W.; Lelek, A.; Leonard, J.; Lipka, K.; Lobanov, A.; Lohmann, W.; Mankel, R.; Melzer-Pellmann, I.-A.; Meyer, A. B.; Mittag, G.; Mnich, J.; Mussgiller, A.; Ntomari, E.; Pitzl, D.; Placakyte, R.; Raspereza, A.; Roland, B.; Sahin, M. Ö.; Saxena, P.; Schoerner-Sadenius, T.; Seitz, C.; Spannagel, S.; Stefaniuk, N.; Van Onsem, G. P.; Walsh, R.; Wissing, C.; Blobel, V.; Centis Vignali, M.; Draeger, A. R.; Dreyer, T.; Garutti, E.; Gonzalez, D.; Haller, J.; Hoffmann, M.; Junkes, A.; Klanner, R.; Kogler, R.; Kovalchuk, N.; Lapsien, T.; Lenz, T.; Marchesini, I.; Marconi, D.; Meyer, M.; Niedziela, M.; Nowatschin, D.; Pantaleo, F.; Peiffer, T.; Perieanu, A.; Poehlsen, J.; Sander, C.; Scharf, C.; Schleper, P.; Schmidt, A.; Schumann, S.; Schwandt, J.; Stadie, H.; Steinbrück, G.; Stober, F. M.; Stöver, M.; Tholen, H.; Troendle, D.; Usai, E.; Vanelderen, L.; Vanhoefer, A.; Vormwald, B.; Akbiyik, M.; Barth, C.; Baur, S.; Baus, C.; Berger, J.; Butz, E.; Caspart, R.; Chwalek, T.; Colombo, F.; De Boer, W.; Dierlamm, A.; Fink, S.; Freund, B.; Friese, R.; Giffels, M.; Gilbert, A.; Goldenzweig, P.; Haitz, D.; Hartmann, F.; Heindl, S. M.; Husemann, U.; Katkov, I.; Kudella, S.; Lobelle Pardo, P.; Mildner, H.; Mozer, M. U.; Müller, Th.; Plagge, M.; Quast, G.; Rabbertz, K.; Röcker, S.; Roscher, F.; Schröder, M.; Shvetsov, I.; Sieber, G.; Simonis, H. J.; Ulrich, R.; Wagner-Kuhr, J.; Wayand, S.; Weber, M.; Weiler, T.; Williamson, S.; Wöhrmann, C.; Wolf, R.; Anagnostou, G.; Daskalakis, G.; Geralis, T.; Giakoumopoulou, V. A.; Kyriakis, A.; Loukas, D.; Topsis-Giotis, I.; Kesisoglou, S.; Panagiotou, A.; Saoulidou, N.; Tziaferi, E.; Evangelou, I.; Flouris, G.; Foudas, C.; Kokkas, P.; Loukas, N.; Manthos, N.; Papadopoulos, I.; Paradas, E.; Filipovic, N.; Bencze, G.; Hajdu, C.; Hidas, P.; Horvath, D.; Sikler, F.; Veszpremi, V.; Vesztergombi, G.; Zsigmond, A. J.; Beni, N.; Czellar, S.; Karancsi, J.; Makovec, A.; Molnar, J.; Szillasi, Z.; Bartók, M.; Raics, P.; Trocsanyi, Z. L.; Ujvari, B.; Bahinipati, S.; Choudhury, S.; Mal, P.; Mandal, K.; Nayak, A.; Sahoo, D. K.; Sahoo, N.; Swain, S. K.; Bansal, S.; Beri, S. B.; Bhatnagar, V.; Chawla, R.; Bhawandeep, U.; Kalsi, A. K.; Kaur, A.; Kaur, M.; Kumar, R.; Kumari, P.; Mehta, A.; Mittal, M.; Singh, J. B.; Walia, G.; Kumar, Ashok; Bhardwaj, A.; Choudhary, B. C.; Garg, R. B.; Keshri, S.; Malhotra, S.; Naimuddin, M.; Nishu, N.; Ranjan, K.; Sharma, R.; Sharma, V.; Bhattacharya, R.; Bhattacharya, S.; Chatterjee, K.; Dey, S.; Dutt, S.; Dutta, S.; Ghosh, S.; Majumdar, N.; Modak, A.; Mondal, K.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; Nandan, S.; Purohit, A.; Roy, A.; Roy, D.; Roy Chowdhury, S.; Sarkar, S.; Sharan, M.; Thakur, S.; Behera, P. K.; Chudasama, R.; Dutta, D.; Jha, V.; Kumar, V.; Mohanty, A. K.; Netrakanti, P. K.; Pant, L. M.; Shukla, P.; Topkar, A.; Aziz, T.; Dugad, S.; Kole, G.; Mahakud, B.; Mitra, S.; Mohanty, G. B.; Parida, B.; Sur, N.; Sutar, B.; Banerjee, S.; Bhowmik, S.; Dewanjee, R. K.; Ganguly, S.; Guchait, M.; Jain, Sa.; Kumar, S.; Maity, M.; Majumder, G.; Mazumdar, K.; Sarkar, T.; Wickramage, N.; Chauhan, S.; Dube, S.; Hegde, V.; Kapoor, A.; Kothekar, K.; Pandey, S.; Rane, A.; Sharma, S.; Behnamian, H.; Chenarani, S.; Eskandari Tadavani, E.; Etesami, S. M.; Fahim, A.; Khakzad, M.; Mohammadi Najafabadi, M.; Naseri, M.; Paktinat Mehdiabadi, S.; Rezaei Hosseinabadi, F.; Safarzadeh, B.; Zeinali, M.; Felcini, M.; Grunewald, M.; Abbrescia, M.; Calabria, C.; Caputo, C.; Colaleo, A.; Creanza, D.; Cristella, L.; De Filippis, N.; De Palma, M.; Fiore, L.; Iaselli, G.; Maggi, G.; Maggi, M.; Miniello, G.; My, S.; Nuzzo, S.; Pompili, A.; Pugliese, G.; Radogna, R.; Ranieri, A.; Selvaggi, G.; Silvestris, L.; Venditti, R.; Verwilligen, P.; Abbiendi, G.; Battilana, C.; Bonacorsi, D.; Braibant-Giacomelli, S.; Brigliadori, L.; Campanini, R.; Capiluppi, P.; Castro, A.; Cavallo, F. R.; Chhibra, S. S.; Codispoti, G.; Cuffiani, M.; Dallavalle, G. M.; Fabbri, F.; Fanfani, A.; Fasanella, D.; Giacomelli, P.; Grandi, C.; Guiducci, L.; Marcellini, S.; Masetti, G.; Montanari, A.; Navarria, F. L.; Perrotta, A.; Rossi, A. M.; Rovelli, T.; Siroli, G. P.; Tosi, N.; Albergo, S.; Chiorboli, M.; Costa, S.; Di Mattia, A.; Giordano, F.; Potenza, R.; Tricomi, A.; Tuve, C.; Barbagli, G.; Ciulli, V.; Civinini, C.; D'Alessandro, R.; Focardi, E.; Gori, V.; Lenzi, P.; Meschini, M.; Paoletti, S.; Sguazzoni, G.; Viliani, L.; Benussi, L.; Bianco, S.; Fabbri, F.; Piccolo, D.; Primavera, F.; Calvelli, V.; Ferro, F.; Lo Vetere, M.; Monge, M. R.; Robutti, E.; Tosi, S.; Brianza, L.; Dinardo, M. E.; Fiorendi, S.; Gennai, S.; Ghezzi, A.; Govoni, P.; Malberti, M.; Malvezzi, S.; Manzoni, R. A.; Menasce, D.; Moroni, L.; Paganoni, M.; Pedrini, D.; Pigazzini, S.; Ragazzi, S.; Tabarelli de Fatis, T.; Buontempo, S.; Cavallo, N.; De Nardo, G.; Di Guida, S.; Esposito, M.; Fabozzi, F.; Fienga, F.; Iorio, A. O. M.; Lanza, G.; Lista, L.; Meola, S.; Paolucci, P.; Sciacca, C.; Thyssen, F.; Azzi, P.; Bacchetta, N.; Benato, L.; Bisello, D.; Boletti, A.; Carlin, R.; Carvalho Antunes De Oliveira, A.; Checchia, P.; Dall'Osso, M.; De Castro Manzano, P.; Dorigo, T.; Dosselli, U.; Gasparini, F.; Gasparini, U.; Gozzelino, A.; Lacaprara, S.; Margoni, M.; Meneguzzo, A. T.; Pazzini, J.; Pozzobon, N.; Ronchese, P.; Simonetto, F.; Torassa, E.; Zanetti, M.; Zotto, P.; Zumerle, G.; Braghieri, A.; Magnani, A.; Montagna, P.; Ratti, S. P.; Re, V.; Riccardi, C.; Salvini, P.; Vai, I.; Vitulo, P.; Alunni Solestizi, L.; Bilei, G. M.; Ciangottini, D.; Fanò, L.; Lariccia, P.; Leonardi, R.; Mantovani, G.; Menichelli, M.; Saha, A.; Santocchia, A.; Androsov, K.; Azzurri, P.; Bagliesi, G.; Bernardini, J.; Boccali, T.; Castaldi, R.; Ciocci, M. A.; Dell'Orso, R.; Donato, S.; Fedi, G.; Giassi, A.; Grippo, M. T.; Ligabue, F.; Lomtadze, T.; Martini, L.; Messineo, A.; Palla, F.; Rizzi, A.; Savoy-Navarro, A.; Spagnolo, P.; Tenchini, R.; Tonelli, G.; Venturi, A.; Verdini, P. G.; Barone, L.; Cavallari, F.; Cipriani, M.; Del Re, D.; Diemoz, M.; Gelli, S.; Longo, E.; Margaroli, F.; Marzocchi, B.; Meridiani, P.; Organtini, G.; Paramatti, R.; Preiato, F.; Rahatlou, S.; Rovelli, C.; Santanastasio, F.; Amapane, N.; Arcidiacono, R.; Argiro, S.; Arneodo, M.; Bartosik, N.; Bellan, R.; Biino, C.; Cartiglia, N.; Cenna, F.; Costa, M.; Covarelli, R.; Degano, A.; Demaria, N.; Finco, L.; Kiani, B.; Mariotti, C.; Maselli, S.; Migliore, E.; Monaco, V.; Monteil, E.; Obertino, M. M.; Pacher, L.; Pastrone, N.; Pelliccioni, M.; Pinna Angioni, G. L.; Ravera, F.; Romero, A.; Ruspa, M.; Sacchi, R.; Shchelina, K.; Sola, V.; Solano, A.; Staiano, A.; Traczyk, P.; Belforte, S.; Casarsa, M.; Cossutti, F.; Della Ricca, G.; Zanetti, A.; Kim, D. H.; Kim, G. N.; Kim, M. S.; Lee, S.; Lee, S. W.; Oh, Y. D.; Sekmen, S.; Son, D. C.; Yang, Y. C.; Lee, A.; Kim, H.; Brochero Cifuentes, J. A.; Kim, T. J.; Cho, S.; Choi, S.; Go, Y.; Gyun, D.; Ha, S.; Hong, B.; Jo, Y.; Kim, Y.; Lee, B.; Lee, K.; Lee, K. S.; Lee, S.; Lim, J.; Park, S. K.; Roh, Y.; Almond, J.; Kim, J.; Lee, H.; Oh, S. B.; Radburn-Smith, B. C.; Seo, S. H.; Yang, U. K.; Yoo, H. D.; Yu, G. B.; Choi, M.; Kim, H.; Kim, J. H.; Lee, J. S. H.; Park, I. C.; Ryu, G.; Ryu, M. S.; Choi, Y.; Goh, J.; Hwang, C.; Lee, J.; Yu, I.; Dudenas, V.; Juodagalvis, A.; Vaitkus, J.; Ahmed, I.; Ibrahim, Z. A.; Komaragiri, J. R.; Md Ali, M. A. B.; Mohamad Idris, F.; Wan Abdullah, W. A. T.; Yusli, M. N.; Zolkapli, Z.; Castilla-Valdez, H.; De La Cruz-Burelo, E.; Heredia-De La Cruz, I.; Hernandez-Almada, A.; Lopez-Fernandez, R.; Magaña Villalba, R.; Mejia Guisao, J.; Sanchez-Hernandez, A.; Carrillo Moreno, S.; Oropeza Barrera, C.; Vazquez Valencia, F.; Carpinteyro, S.; Pedraza, I.; Salazar Ibarguen, H. A.; Uribe Estrada, C.; Morelos Pineda, A.; Krofcheck, D.; Butler, P. H.; Ahmad, A.; Ahmad, M.; Hassan, Q.; Hoorani, H. R.; Khan, W. A.; Saddique, A.; Shah, M. A.; Shoaib, M.; Waqas, M.; Bialkowska, H.; Bluj, M.; Boimska, B.; Frueboes, T.; Górski, M.; Kazana, M.; Nawrocki, K.; Romanowska-Rybinska, K.; Szleper, M.; Zalewski, P.; Bunkowski, K.; Byszuk, A.; Doroba, K.; Kalinowski, A.; Konecki, M.; Krolikowski, J.; Misiura, M.; Olszewski, M.; Walczak, M.; Bargassa, P.; Beirão Da Cruz E Silva, C.; Di Francesco, A.; Faccioli, P.; Ferreira Parracho, P. G.; Gallinaro, M.; Hollar, J.; Leonardo, N.; Lloret Iglesias, L.; Nemallapudi, M. V.; Rodrigues Antunes, J.; Seixas, J.; Toldaiev, O.; Vadruccio, D.; Varela, J.; Vischia, P.; Afanasiev, S.; Bunin, P.; Gavrilenko, M.; Golutvin, I.; Gorbunov, I.; Kamenev, A.; Karjavin, V.; Lanev, A.; Malakhov, A.; Matveev, V.; Palichik, V.; Perelygin, V.; Shmatov, S.; Shulha, S.; Skatchkov, N.; Smirnov, V.; Voytishin, N.; Zarubin, A.; Chtchipounov, L.; Golovtsov, V.; Ivanov, Y.; Kim, V.; Kuznetsova, E.; Murzin, V.; Oreshkin, V.; Sulimov, V.; Vorobyev, A.; Andreev, Yu.; Dermenev, A.; Gninenko, S.; Golubev, N.; Karneyeu, A.; Kirsanov, M.; Krasnikov, N.; Pashenkov, A.; Tlisov, D.; Toropin, A.; Epshteyn, V.; Gavrilov, V.; Lychkovskaya, N.; Popov, V.; Pozdnyakov, I.; Safronov, G.; Spiridonov, A.; Toms, M.; Vlasov, E.; Zhokin, A.; Bylinkin, A.; Chadeeva, M.; Rusinov, V.; Tarkovskii, E.; Andreev, V.; Azarkin, M.; Dremin, I.; Kirakosyan, M.; Leonidov, A.; Rusakov, S. V.; Terkulov, A.; Baskakov, A.; Belyaev, A.; Boos, E.; Dubinin, M.; Dudko, L.; Ershov, A.; Gribushin, A.; Klyukhin, V.; Kodolova, O.; Lokhtin, I.; Miagkov, I.; Obraztsov, S.; Petrushanko, S.; Savrin, V.; Snigirev, A.; Blinov, V.; Skovpen, Y.; Shtol, D.; Azhgirey, I.; Bayshev, I.; Bitioukov, S.; Elumakhov, D.; Kachanov, V.; Kalinin, A.; Konstantinov, D.; Krychkine, V.; Petrov, V.; Ryutin, R.; Sobol, A.; Troshin, S.; Tyurin, N.; Uzunian, A.; Volkov, A.; Adzic, P.; Cirkovic, P.; Devetak, D.; Dordevic, M.; Milosevic, J.; Rekovic, V.; Alcaraz Maestre, J.; Barrio Luna, M.; Calvo, E.; Cerrada, M.; Chamizo Llatas, M.; Colino, N.; De La Cruz, B.; Delgado Peris, A.; Escalante Del Valle, A.; Fernandez Bedoya, C.; Fernández Ramos, J. P.; Flix, J.; Fouz, M. C.; Garcia-Abia, P.; Gonzalez Lopez, O.; Goy Lopez, S.; Hernandez, J. M.; Josa, M. I.; Navarro De Martino, E.; Pérez-Calero Yzquierdo, A.; Puerta Pelayo, J.; Quintario Olmeda, A.; Redondo, I.; Romero, L.; Soares, M. S.; de Trocóniz, J. F.; Missiroli, M.; Moran, D.; Cuevas, J.; Fernandez Menendez, J.; Gonzalez Caballero, I.; González Fernández, J. R.; Palencia Cortezon, E.; Sanchez Cruz, S.; Suárez Andrés, I.; Vizan Garcia, J. M.; Cabrillo, I. J.; Calderon, A.; Castiñeiras De Saa, J. R.; Curras, E.; Fernandez, M.; Garcia-Ferrero, J.; Gomez, G.; Lopez Virto, A.; Marco, J.; Martinez Rivero, C.; Matorras, F.; Piedra Gomez, J.; Rodrigo, T.; Ruiz-Jimeno, A.; Scodellaro, L.; Trevisani, N.; Vila, I.; Vilar Cortabitarte, R.; Abbaneo, D.; Auffray, E.; Auzinger, G.; Bachtis, M.; Baillon, P.; Ball, A. H.; Barney, D.; Bloch, P.; Bocci, A.; Bonato, A.; Botta, C.; Camporesi, T.; Castello, R.; Cepeda, M.; Cerminara, G.; D'Alfonso, M.; d'Enterria, D.; Dabrowski, A.; Daponte, V.; David, A.; De Gruttola, M.; De Roeck, A.; Di Marco, E.; Dobson, M.; Dorney, B.; du Pree, T.; Duggan, D.; Dünser, M.; Dupont, N.; Elliott-Peisert, A.; Fartoukh, S.; Franzoni, G.; Fulcher, J.; Funk, W.; Gigi, D.; Gill, K.; Girone, M.; Glege, F.; Gulhan, D.; Gundacker, S.; Guthoff, M.; Hammer, J.; Harris, P.; Hegeman, J.; Innocente, V.; Janot, P.; Kieseler, J.; Kirschenmann, H.; Knünz, V.; Kornmayer, A.; Kortelainen, M. J.; Kousouris, K.; Krammer, M.; Lange, C.; Lecoq, P.; Lourenço, C.; Lucchini, M. T.; Malgeri, L.; Mannelli, M.; Martelli, A.; Meijers, F.; Merlin, J. A.; Mersi, S.; Meschi, E.; Milenovic, P.; Moortgat, F.; Morovic, S.; Mulders, M.; Neugebauer, H.; Orfanelli, S.; Orsini, L.; Pape, L.; Perez, E.; Peruzzi, M.; Petrilli, A.; Petrucciani, G.; Pfeiffer, A.; Pierini, M.; Racz, A.; Reis, T.; Rolandi, G.; Rovere, M.; Ruan, M.; Sakulin, H.; Sauvan, J. B.; Schäfer, C.; Schwick, C.; Seidel, M.; Sharma, A.; Silva, P.; Sphicas, P.; Steggemann, J.; Stoye, M.; Takahashi, Y.; Tosi, M.; Treille, D.; Triossi, A.; Tsirou, A.; Veckalns, V.; Veres, G. I.; Verweij, M.; Wardle, N.; Wöhri, H. K.; Zagozdzinska, A.; Zeuner, W. D.; Bertl, W.; Deiters, K.; Erdmann, W.; Horisberger, R.; Ingram, Q.; Kaestli, H. C.; Kotlinski, D.; Langenegger, U.; Rohe, T.; Bachmair, F.; Bäni, L.; Bianchini, L.; Casal, B.; Dissertori, G.; Dittmar, M.; Donegà, M.; Grab, C.; Heidegger, C.; Hits, D.; Hoss, J.; Kasieczka, G.; Lecomte, P.; Lustermann, W.; Mangano, B.; Marionneau, M.; Martinez Ruiz del Arbol, P.; Masciovecchio, M.; Meinhard, M. T.; Meister, D.; Micheli, F.; Musella, P.; Nessi-Tedaldi, F.; Pandolfi, F.; Pata, J.; Pauss, F.; Perrin, G.; Perrozzi, L.; Quittnat, M.; Rossini, M.; Schönenberger, M.; Starodumov, A.; Tavolaro, V. R.; Theofilatos, K.; Wallny, R.; Aarrestad, T. K.; Amsler, C.; Caminada, L.; Canelli, M. F.; De Cosa, A.; Galloni, C.; Hinzmann, A.; Hreus, T.; Kilminster, B.; Ngadiuba, J.; Pinna, D.; Rauco, G.; Robmann, P.; Salerno, D.; Yang, Y.; Zucchetta, A.; Candelise, V.; Doan, T. H.; Jain, Sh.; Khurana, R.; Konyushikhin, M.; Kuo, C. M.; Lin, W.; Lu, Y. J.; Pozdnyakov, A.; Yu, S. S.; Kumar, Arun; Chang, P.; Chang, Y. H.; Chang, Y. W.; Chao, Y.; Chen, K. F.; Chen, P. H.; Dietz, C.; Fiori, F.; Hou, W.-S.; Hsiung, Y.; Liu, Y. F.; Lu, R.-S.; Miñano Moya, M.; Paganis, E.; Psallidas, A.; Tsai, J. F.; Tzeng, Y. M.; Asavapibhop, B.; Singh, G.; Srimanobhas, N.; Suwonjandee, N.; Adiguzel, A.; Cerci, S.; Damarseckin, S.; Demiroglu, Z. S.; Dozen, C.; Dumanoglu, I.; Girgis, S.; Gokbulut, G.; Guler, Y.; Hos, I.; Kangal, E. E.; Kara, O.; Kayis Topaksu, A.; Kiminsu, U.; Oglakci, M.; Onengut, G.; Ozdemir, K.; Sunar Cerci, D.; Topakli, H.; Turkcapar, S.; Zorbakir, I. S.; Zorbilmez, C.; Bilin, B.; Bilmis, S.; Isildak, B.; Karapinar, G.; Yalvac, M.; Zeyrek, M.; Gülmez, E.; Kaya, M.; Kaya, O.; Yetkin, E. A.; Yetkin, T.; Cakir, A.; Cankocak, K.; Sen, S.; Grynyov, B.; Levchuk, L.; Sorokin, P.; Aggleton, R.; Ball, F.; Beck, L.; Brooke, J. J.; Burns, D.; Clement, E.; Cussans, D.; Flacher, H.; Goldstein, J.; Grimes, M.; Heath, G. P.; Heath, H. F.; Jacob, J.; Kreczko, L.; Lucas, C.; Newbold, D. M.; Paramesvaran, S.; Poll, A.; Sakuma, T.; Seif El Nasr-storey, S.; Smith, D.; Smith, V. J.; Bell, K. W.; Belyaev, A.; Brew, C.; Brown, R. M.; Calligaris, L.; Cieri, D.; Cockerill, D. J. A.; Coughlan, J. A.; Harder, K.; Harper, S.; Olaiya, E.; Petyt, D.; Shepherd-Themistocleous, C. H.; Thea, A.; Tomalin, I. R.; Williams, T.; Baber, M.; Bainbridge, R.; Buchmuller, O.; Bundock, A.; Burton, D.; Casasso, S.; Citron, M.; Colling, D.; Corpe, L.; Dauncey, P.; Davies, G.; De Wit, A.; Della Negra, M.; Di Maria, R.; Dunne, P.; Elwood, A.; Futyan, D.; Haddad, Y.; Hall, G.; Iles, G.; James, T.; Lane, R.; Laner, C.; Lucas, R.; Lyons, L.; Magnan, A.-M.; Malik, S.; Mastrolorenzo, L.; Nash, J.; Nikitenko, A.; Pela, J.; Penning, B.; Pesaresi, M.; Raymond, D. M.; Richards, A.; Rose, A.; Seez, C.; Summers, S.; Tapper, A.; Uchida, K.; Vazquez Acosta, M.; Virdee, T.; Wright, J.; Zenz, S. C.; Cole, J. E.; Hobson, P. R.; Khan, A.; Kyberd, P.; Leslie, D.; Reid, I. D.; Symonds, P.; Teodorescu, L.; Turner, M.; Borzou, A.; Call, K.; Dittmann, J.; Hatakeyama, K.; Liu, H.; Pastika, N.; Charaf, O.; Cooper, S. I.; Henderson, C.; Rumerio, P.; West, C.; Arcaro, D.; Avetisyan, A.; Bose, T.; Gastler, D.; Rankin, D.; Richardson, C.; Rohlf, J.; Sulak, L.; Zou, D.; Benelli, G.; Berry, E.; Cutts, D.; Garabedian, A.; Hakala, J.; Heintz, U.; Hogan, J. M.; Jesus, O.; Kwok, K. H. M.; Laird, E.; Landsberg, G.; Mao, Z.; Narain, M.; Piperov, S.; Sagir, S.; Spencer, E.; Syarif, R.; Breedon, R.; Breto, G.; Burns, D.; Calderon De La Barca Sanchez, M.; Chauhan, S.; Chertok, M.; Conway, J.; Conway, R.; Cox, P. T.; Erbacher, R.; Flores, C.; Funk, G.; Gardner, M.; Ko, W.; Lander, R.; Mclean, C.; Mulhearn, M.; Pellett, D.; Pilot, J.; Shalhout, S.; Smith, J.; Squires, M.; Stolp, D.; Tripathi, M.; Wilbur, S.; Yohay, R.; Bravo, C.; Cousins, R.; Dasgupta, A.; Everaerts, P.; Florent, A.; Hauser, J.; Ignatenko, M.; Mccoll, N.; Saltzberg, D.; Schnaible, C.; Takasugi, E.; Valuev, V.; Weber, M.; Burt, K.; Clare, R.; Ellison, J.; Gary, J. W.; Ghiasi Shirazi, S. M. A.; Hanson, G.; Heilman, J.; Jandir, P.; Kennedy, E.; Lacroix, F.; Long, O. R.; Olmedo Negrete, M.; Paneva, M. I.; Shrinivas, A.; Si, W.; Wei, H.; Wimpenny, S.; Yates, B. R.; Branson, J. G.; Cerati, G. B.; Cittolin, S.; Derdzinski, M.; Gerosa, R.; Holzner, A.; Klein, D.; Krutelyov, V.; Letts, J.; Macneill, I.; Olivito, D.; Padhi, S.; Pieri, M.; Sani, M.; Sharma, V.; Simon, S.; Tadel, M.; Vartak, A.; Wasserbaech, S.; Welke, C.; Wood, J.; Würthwein, F.; Yagil, A.; Zevi Della Porta, G.; Amin, N.; Bhandari, R.; Bradmiller-Feld, J.; Campagnari, C.; Dishaw, A.; Dutta, V.; Flowers, K.; Franco Sevilla, M.; Geffert, P.; George, C.; Golf, F.; Gouskos, L.; Gran, J.; Heller, R.; Incandela, J.; Mullin, S. D.; Ovcharova, A.; Qu, H.; Richman, J.; Stuart, D.; Suarez, I.; Yoo, J.; Anderson, D.; Apresyan, A.; Bendavid, J.; Bornheim, A.; Bunn, J.; Chen, Y.; Duarte, J.; Lawhorn, J. M.; Mott, A.; Newman, H. B.; Pena, C.; Spiropulu, M.; Vlimant, J. R.; Xie, S.; Zhu, R. Y.; Andrews, M. B.; Azzolini, V.; Ferguson, T.; Paulini, M.; Russ, J.; Sun, M.; Vogel, H.; Vorobiev, I.; Weinberg, M.; Cumalat, J. P.; Ford, W. T.; Jensen, F.; Johnson, A.; Krohn, M.; Mulholland, T.; Stenson, K.; Wagner, S. R.; Alexander, J.; Chaves, J.; Chu, J.; Dittmer, S.; Mcdermott, K.; Mirman, N.; Nicolas Kaufman, G.; Patterson, J. R.; Rinkevicius, A.; Ryd, A.; Skinnari, L.; Soffi, L.; Tan, S. M.; Tao, Z.; Thom, J.; Tucker, J.; Wittich, P.; Zientek, M.; Winn, D.; Abdullin, S.; Albrow, M.; Apollinari, G.; Banerjee, S.; Bauerdick, L. A. T.; Beretvas, A.; Berryhill, J.; Bhat, P. C.; Bolla, G.; Burkett, K.; Butler, J. N.; Cheung, H. W. K.; Chlebana, F.; Cihangir, S.; Cremonesi, M.; Elvira, V. D.; Fisk, I.; Freeman, J.; Gottschalk, E.; Gray, L.; Green, D.; Grünendahl, S.; Gutsche, O.; Hare, D.; Harris, R. M.; Hasegawa, S.; Hirschauer, J.; Hu, Z.; Jayatilaka, B.; Jindariani, S.; Johnson, M.; Joshi, U.; Klima, B.; Kreis, B.; Lammel, S.; Linacre, J.; Lincoln, D.; Lipton, R.; Liu, M.; Liu, T.; Lopes De Sá, R.; Lykken, J.; Maeshima, K.; Magini, N.; Marraffino, J. M.; Maruyama, S.; Mason, D.; McBride, P.; Merkel, P.; Mrenna, S.; Nahn, S.; Newman-Holmes, C.; O'Dell, V.; Pedro, K.; Prokofyev, O.; Rakness, G.; Ristori, L.; Sexton-Kennedy, E.; Soha, A.; Spalding, W. J.; Spiegel, L.; Stoynev, S.; Strait, J.; Strobbe, N.; Taylor, L.; Tkaczyk, S.; Tran, N. V.; Uplegger, L.; Vaandering, E. W.; Vernieri, C.; Verzocchi, M.; Vidal, R.; Wang, M.; Weber, H. A.; Whitbeck, A.; Wu, Y.; Acosta, D.; Avery, P.; Bortignon, P.; Bourilkov, D.; Brinkerhoff, A.; Carnes, A.; Carver, M.; Curry, D.; Das, S.; Field, R. D.; Furic, I. K.; Konigsberg, J.; Korytov, A.; Low, J. F.; Ma, P.; Matchev, K.; Mei, H.; Mitselmakher, G.; Rank, D.; Shchutska, L.; Sperka, D.; Thomas, L.; Wang, J.; Wang, S.; Yelton, J.; Linn, S.; Markowitz, P.; Martinez, G.; Rodriguez, J. L.; Ackert, A.; Adams, J. R.; Adams, T.; Askew, A.; Bein, S.; Diamond, B.; Hagopian, S.; Hagopian, V.; Johnson, K. F.; Khatiwada, A.; Prosper, H.; Santra, A.; Baarmand, M. M.; Bhopatkar, V.; Colafranceschi, S.; Hohlmann, M.; Noonan, D.; Roy, T.; Yumiceva, F.; Adams, M. R.; Apanasevich, L.; Berry, D.; Betts, R. R.; Bucinskaite, I.; Cavanaugh, R.; Evdokimov, O.; Gauthier, L.; Gerber, C. E.; Hofman, D. J.; Jung, K.; Kurt, P.; O'Brien, C.; Sandoval Gonzalez, I. D.; Turner, P.; Varelas, N.; Wang, H.; Wu, Z.; Zakaria, M.; Zhang, J.; Bilki, B.; Clarida, W.; Dilsiz, K.; Durgut, S.; Gandrajula, R. P.; Haytmyradov, M.; Khristenko, V.; Merlo, J.-P.; Mermerkaya, H.; Mestvirishvili, A.; Moeller, A.; Nachtman, J.; Ogul, H.; Onel, Y.; Ozok, F.; Penzo, A.; Snyder, C.; Tiras, E.; Wetzel, J.; Yi, K.; Anderson, I.; Blumenfeld, B.; Cocoros, A.; Eminizer, N.; Fehling, D.; Feng, L.; Gritsan, A. V.; Maksimovic, P.; Martin, C.; Osherson, M.; Roskes, J.; Sarica, U.; Swartz, M.; Xiao, M.; Xin, Y.; You, C.; Al-bataineh, A.; Baringer, P.; Bean, A.; Boren, S.; Bowen, J.; Bruner, C.; Castle, J.; Forthomme, L.; Kenny, R. P.; Khalil, S.; Kropivnitskaya, A.; Majumder, D.; Mcbrayer, W.; Murray, M.; Sanders, S.; Stringer, R.; Tapia Takaki, J. D.; Wang, Q.; Ivanov, A.; Kaadze, K.; Maravin, Y.; Mohammadi, A.; Saini, L. K.; Skhirtladze, N.; Toda, S.; Rebassoo, F.; Wright, D.; Anelli, C.; Baden, A.; Baron, O.; Belloni, A.; Calvert, B.; Eno, S. C.; Ferraioli, C.; Gomez, J. A.; Hadley, N. J.; Jabeen, S.; Kellogg, R. G.; Kolberg, T.; Kunkle, J.; Lu, Y.; Mignerey, A. C.; Ricci-Tam, F.; Shin, Y. H.; Skuja, A.; Tonjes, M. B.; Tonwar, S. C.; Abercrombie, D.; Allen, B.; Apyan, A.; Barbieri, R.; Baty, A.; Bi, R.; Bierwagen, K.; Brandt, S.; Busza, W.; Cali, I. A.; Demiragli, Z.; Di Matteo, L.; Gomez Ceballos, G.; Goncharov, M.; Hsu, D.; Iiyama, Y.; Innocenti, G. M.; Klute, M.; Kovalskyi, D.; Krajczar, K.; Lai, Y. S.; Lee, Y.-J.; Levin, A.; Luckey, P. D.; Maier, B.; Marini, A. C.; Mcginn, C.; Mironov, C.; Narayanan, S.; Niu, X.; Paus, C.; Roland, C.; Roland, G.; Salfeld-Nebgen, J.; Stephans, G. S. F.; Sumorok, K.; Tatar, K.; Varma, M.; Velicanu, D.; Veverka, J.; Wang, J.; Wang, T. W.; Wyslouch, B.; Yang, M.; Zhukova, V.; Benvenuti, A. C.; Chatterjee, R. M.; Evans, A.; Finkel, A.; Gude, A.; Hansen, P.; Kalafut, S.; Kao, S. C.; Kubota, Y.; Lesko, Z.; Mans, J.; Nourbakhsh, S.; Ruckstuhl, N.; Rusack, R.; Tambe, N.; Turkewitz, J.; Acosta, J. G.; Oliveros, S.; Avdeeva, E.; Bartek, R.; Bloom, K.; Claes, D. R.; Dominguez, A.; Fangmeier, C.; Gonzalez Suarez, R.; Kamalieddin, R.; Kravchenko, I.; Malta Rodrigues, A.; Meier, F.; Monroy, J.; Siado, J. E.; Snow, G. R.; Stieger, B.; Alyari, M.; Dolen, J.; George, J.; Godshalk, A.; Harrington, C.; Iashvili, I.; Kaisen, J.; Kharchilava, A.; Kumar, A.; Parker, A.; Rappoccio, S.; Roozbahani, B.; Alverson, G.; Barberis, E.; Hortiangtham, A.; Massironi, A.; Morse, D. M.; Nash, D.; Orimoto, T.; Teixeira De Lima, R.; Trocino, D.; Wang, R.-J.; Wood, D.; Bhattacharya, S.; Hahn, K. A.; Kubik, A.; Kumar, A.; Mucia, N.; Odell, N.; Pollack, B.; Schmitt, M. H.; Sung, K.; Trovato, M.; Velasco, M.; Dev, N.; Hildreth, M.; Hurtado Anampa, K.; Jessop, C.; Karmgard, D. J.; Kellams, N.; Lannon, K.; Marinelli, N.; Meng, F.; Mueller, C.; Musienko, Y.; Planer, M.; Reinsvold, A.; Ruchti, R.; Smith, G.; Taroni, S.; Wayne, M.; Wolf, M.; Woodard, A.; Alimena, J.; Antonelli, L.; Brinson, J.; Bylsma, B.; Durkin, L. S.; Flowers, S.; Francis, B.; Hart, A.; Hill, C.; Hughes, R.; Ji, W.; Liu, B.; Luo, W.; Puigh, D.; Winer, B. L.; Wulsin, H. W.; Cooperstein, S.; Driga, O.; Elmer, P.; Hardenbrook, J.; Hebda, P.; Lange, D.; Luo, J.; Marlow, D.; Mc Donald, J.; Medvedeva, T.; Mei, K.; Mooney, M.; Olsen, J.; Palmer, C.; Piroué, P.; Stickland, D.; Svyatkovskiy, A.; Tully, C.; Zuranski, A.; Malik, S.; Barker, A.; Barnes, V. E.; Folgueras, S.; Gutay, L.; Jha, M. K.; Jones, M.; Jung, A. W.; Miller, D. H.; Neumeister, N.; Schulte, J. F.; Shi, X.; Sun, J.; Wang, F.; Xie, W.; Xu, L.; Parashar, N.; Stupak, J.; Adair, A.; Akgun, B.; Chen, Z.; Ecklund, K. M.; Geurts, F. J. M.; Guilbaud, M.; Li, W.; Michlin, B.; Northup, M.; Padley, B. P.; Redjimi, R.; Roberts, J.; Rorie, J.; Tu, Z.; Zabel, J.; Betchart, B.; Bodek, A.; de Barbaro, P.; Demina, R.; Duh, Y. T.; Ferbel, T.; Galanti, M.; Garcia-Bellido, A.; Han, J.; Hindrichs, O.; Khukhunaishvili, A.; Lo, K. H.; Tan, P.; Verzetti, M.; Agapitos, A.; Chou, J. P.; Contreras-Campana, E.; Gershtein, Y.; Gómez Espinosa, T. A.; Halkiadakis, E.; Heindl, M.; Hidas, D.; Hughes, E.; Kaplan, S.; Kunnawalkam Elayavalli, R.; Kyriacou, S.; Lath, A.; Nash, K.; Saka, H.; Salur, S.; Schnetzer, S.; Sheffield, D.; Somalwar, S.; Stone, R.; Thomas, S.; Thomassen, P.; Walker, M.; Delannoy, A. G.; Foerster, M.; Heideman, J.; Riley, G.; Rose, K.; Spanier, S.; Thapa, K.; Bouhali, O.; Celik, A.; Dalchenko, M.; De Mattia, M.; Delgado, A.; Dildick, S.; Eusebi, R.; Gilmore, J.; Huang, T.; Juska, E.; Kamon, T.; Mueller, R.; Pakhotin, Y.; Patel, R.; Perloff, A.; Perniè, L.; Rathjens, D.; Rose, A.; Safonov, A.; Tatarinov, A.; Ulmer, K. A.; Akchurin, N.; Cowden, C.; Damgov, J.; De Guio, F.; Dragoiu, C.; Dudero, P. R.; Faulkner, J.; Gurpinar, E.; Kunori, S.; Lamichhane, K.; Lee, S. W.; Libeiro, T.; Peltola, T.; Undleeb, S.; Volobouev, I.; Wang, Z.; Greene, S.; Gurrola, A.; Janjam, R.; Johns, W.; Maguire, C.; Melo, A.; Ni, H.; Sheldon, P.; Tuo, S.; Velkovska, J.; Xu, Q.; Arenton, M. W.; Barria, P.; Cox, B.; Goodell, J.; Hirosky, R.; Ledovskoy, A.; Li, H.; Neu, C.; Sinthuprasith, T.; Sun, X.; Wang, Y.; Wolfe, E.; Xia, F.; Clarke, C.; Harr, R.; Karchin, P. E.; Sturdy, J.; Belknap, D. A.; Caillol, C.; Dasu, S.; Dodd, L.; Duric, S.; Gomber, B.; Grothe, M.; Herndon, M.; Hervé, A.; Klabbers, P.; Lanaro, A.; Levine, A.; Long, K.; Loveless, R.; Ojalvo, I.; Perry, T.; Pierro, G. A.; Polese, G.; Ruggles, T.; Savin, A.; Smith, N.; Smith, W. H.; Taylor, D.; Woods, N.

2017-05-01

A search for new phenomena is performed in final states containing one or more jets and an imbalance in transverse momentum in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 {TeV}. The analysed data sample, recorded with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 {fb}^{-1}. Several kinematic variables are employed to suppress the dominant background, multijet production, as well as to discriminate between other standard model and new physics processes. The search provides sensitivity to a broad range of new-physics models that yield a stable weakly interacting massive particle. The number of observed candidate events is found to agree with the expected contributions from standard model processes, and the result is interpreted in the mass parameter space of fourteen simplified supersymmetric models that assume the pair production of gluinos or squarks and a range of decay modes. For models that assume gluino pair production, masses up to 1575 and 975 {GeV} are excluded for gluinos and neutralinos, respectively. For models involving the pair production of top squarks and compressed mass spectra, top squark masses up to 400 {GeV} are excluded.

Experiences of stigma, discrimination, care and support among people living with HIV: A four country study

PubMed Central

Neuman, Melissa; Obermeyer, Carla Makhlouf; Cherutich, Peter; Desclaux, Alice; Hardon, Anita; Ky-Zerbo, Odette; Namakhoma, Ireen; Wanyenze, Rhoda

2013-01-01

While it is widely agreed that HIV-related stigma may impede access to treatment and support, there is little evidence describing who is most likely to experience different forms of stigma and discrimination and how these affect disclosure and access to care. This study examined experiences of interpersonal discrimination, internalized stigma, and discrimination at health care facilities among HIV-positive adults aged 18 years and older utilizing health facilities in four countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (N=536). Prevalence of interpersonal discrimination across all countries was 34.6%, with women significantly more likely to experience interpersonal discrimination than men. Prevalences of internalized stigma varied across countries, ranging from 9.6% (Malawi) to 45.0% (Burkina Faso). Prevalence of health care discrimination was 10.4% across all countries. In multivariate analyses, we found positive, significant, and independent associations between disclosure and interpersonal discrimination and support group utilization, and positive associations between both internalized stigma and health care discrimination and referral for medications. PMID:23479002

A pattern jitter free AFC scheme for mobile satellite systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yoshida, Shousei

1993-01-01

This paper describes a scheme for pattern jitter free automatic frequency control (AFC) with a wide frequency acquisition range. In this scheme, equalizing signals fed to the frequency discriminator allow pattern jitter free performance to be achieved for all roll-off factors. In order to define the acquisition range, frequency discrimination characateristics are analyzed on a newly derived frequency domain model. As a result, it is shown that a sufficiently wide acquisition range over a given system symbol rate can be achieved independent of symbol timing errors. Additionally, computer simulation demonstrates that frequency jitter performance improves in proportion to E(sub b)/N(sub 0) because pattern-dependent jitter is suppressed in the discriminator output. These results show significant promise for applciation to mobile satellite systems, which feature relatively low symbol rate transmission with an approximately 0.4-0.7 roll-off factor.

Cross-domain transfer of quantitative discriminations: is it all a matter of proportion?

PubMed

Balci, Fuat; Gallistel, Charles R

2006-08-01

Meck and Church (1983) estimated a 5:1 scale factor relating the mental magnitudes representing number to the mental magnitudes representing duration. We repeated their experiment with human subjects. We obtained transfer regardless of the objective scaling between the ranges; a 5:1 scaling for number versus duration (measured in seconds) was not necessary. We obtained transfer even when the proportions between the endpoints of the number range were different. We conclude that, at least in human subjects, transfer from a discrimination based on continuous quantity (duration) to a discrimination based on discrete quantity (number) is mediated by the cross-domain comparability of within-domain proportions. The results of our second and third experiments also suggest that the subjects compare a probe with a criterion determined by the range of stimuli tested rather than by trial-specific referents, in accordance with the pseudologistic model of Killeen, Fetterman, and Bizo (1997).

Atmospheric evidence for a global secular increase in carbon isotopic discrimination of land photosynthesis

PubMed Central

Resplandy, Laure; Bi, Jian; Piper, Stephen C.; Sun, Ying; Bollenbacher, Alane; Meijer, Harro A. J.

2017-01-01

A decrease in the 13C/12C ratio of atmospheric CO2 has been documented by direct observations since 1978 and from ice core measurements since the industrial revolution. This decrease, known as the 13C-Suess effect, is driven primarily by the input of fossil fuel-derived CO2 but is also sensitive to land and ocean carbon cycling and uptake. Using updated records, we show that no plausible combination of sources and sinks of CO2 from fossil fuel, land, and oceans can explain the observed 13C-Suess effect unless an increase has occurred in the 13C/12C isotopic discrimination of land photosynthesis. A trend toward greater discrimination under higher CO2 levels is broadly consistent with tree ring studies over the past century, with field and chamber experiments, and with geological records of C3 plants at times of altered atmospheric CO2, but increasing discrimination has not previously been included in studies of long-term atmospheric 13C/12C measurements. We further show that the inferred discrimination increase of 0.014 ± 0.007‰ ppm−1 is largely explained by photorespiratory and mesophyll effects. This result implies that, at the global scale, land plants have regulated their stomatal conductance so as to allow the CO2 partial pressure within stomatal cavities and their intrinsic water use efficiency to increase in nearly constant proportion to the rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration. PMID:28893986

Stigma, discrimination and the implications for people living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

PubMed

Skinner, D; Mfecane, S

2004-11-01

Stigma and discrimination play significant roles in the development and maintenance of the HIV epidemic. It is well documented that people living with HIV and AIDS experience stigma and discrimination on an ongoing basis. This impact goes beyond individuals infected with HIV to reach broadly into society, both disrupting the functioning of communities and complicating prevention and treatment of HIV. This paper reviews the available scientific literature on HIV/AIDS and stigma in South Africa, as well as press reports on the same subject over a period of 3 years. Analysis of this material indicates that stigma drives HIV out of the public sight, so reducing the pressure for behaviour change. Stigma also introduces a desire not to know one's own status, thus delaying testing and accessing treatment. At an individual level stigma undermines the person's identity and capacity to cope with the disease. Fear of discrimination limits the possibility of disclosure even to potential important sources of support such as family and friends. Finally, stigma impacts on behaviour change as it limits the possibility of using certain safer sexual practices. Behaviour such as wanting to use condoms could be seen as a marker of HIV, leading to rejection and stigma. All interventions need to address stigma as part of their focus. However, the difficulty of the task should not be underestimated, as has been shown by the persistence of discrimination based on factors such as race, gender and sexual orientation.

Atmospheric evidence for a global secular increase in carbon isotopic discrimination of land photosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keeling, Ralph F.; Graven, Heather D.; Welp, Lisa R.; Resplandy, Laure; Bi, Jian; Piper, Stephen C.; Sun, Ying; Bollenbacher, Alane; Meijer, Harro A. J.

2017-09-01

A decrease in the 13C/12C ratio of atmospheric CO2 has been documented by direct observations since 1978 and from ice core measurements since the industrial revolution. This decrease, known as the 13C-Suess effect, is driven primarily by the input of fossil fuel-derived CO2 but is also sensitive to land and ocean carbon cycling and uptake. Using updated records, we show that no plausible combination of sources and sinks of CO2 from fossil fuel, land, and oceans can explain the observed 13C-Suess effect unless an increase has occurred in the 13C/12C isotopic discrimination of land photosynthesis. A trend toward greater discrimination under higher CO2 levels is broadly consistent with tree ring studies over the past century, with field and chamber experiments, and with geological records of C3 plants at times of altered atmospheric CO2, but increasing discrimination has not previously been included in studies of long-term atmospheric 13C/12C measurements. We further show that the inferred discrimination increase of 0.014 ± 0.007‰ ppm-1 is largely explained by photorespiratory and mesophyll effects. This result implies that, at the global scale, land plants have regulated their stomatal conductance so as to allow the CO2 partial pressure within stomatal cavities and their intrinsic water use efficiency to increase in nearly constant proportion to the rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration.

Atmospheric evidence for a global secular increase in carbon isotopic discrimination of land photosynthesis.

PubMed

Keeling, Ralph F; Graven, Heather D; Welp, Lisa R; Resplandy, Laure; Bi, Jian; Piper, Stephen C; Sun, Ying; Bollenbacher, Alane; Meijer, Harro A J

2017-09-26

A decrease in the 13 C/ 12 C ratio of atmospheric CO 2 has been documented by direct observations since 1978 and from ice core measurements since the industrial revolution. This decrease, known as the 13 C-Suess effect, is driven primarily by the input of fossil fuel-derived CO 2 but is also sensitive to land and ocean carbon cycling and uptake. Using updated records, we show that no plausible combination of sources and sinks of CO 2 from fossil fuel, land, and oceans can explain the observed 13 C-Suess effect unless an increase has occurred in the 13 C/ 12 C isotopic discrimination of land photosynthesis. A trend toward greater discrimination under higher CO 2 levels is broadly consistent with tree ring studies over the past century, with field and chamber experiments, and with geological records of C 3 plants at times of altered atmospheric CO 2 , but increasing discrimination has not previously been included in studies of long-term atmospheric 13 C/ 12 C measurements. We further show that the inferred discrimination increase of 0.014 ± 0.007‰ ppm -1 is largely explained by photorespiratory and mesophyll effects. This result implies that, at the global scale, land plants have regulated their stomatal conductance so as to allow the CO 2 partial pressure within stomatal cavities and their intrinsic water use efficiency to increase in nearly constant proportion to the rise in atmospheric CO 2 concentration.

Are the effects of benzodiazepines on discrimination and punishment dissociable?

PubMed

Hodges, H; Green, S

1987-01-01

Studies have shown that benzodiazepines (BZs) both disrupt discrimination and increase resistance to punishment. Using a delayed response task, we provide evidence that effects of BZs on discrimination cannot be fully explained by deficits in either short or long term memory, or by intolerance for delay of reward. A schedule with rewarded, nonrewarded (Time out: TO) and conflict components was used to investigate effects in rats of compounds active at the BZ receptor on successive discrimination and punished responding in parallel. The GABA transaminase inhibitor ethanolamine-O-sulphate exerted additive effects with chlordiazepoxide (CDP) on punished but not TO responding. Both GABA and CDP injected into the amygdala selectively increased conflict rates, but with peripheral treatment CDP also increased TO rates. Two inverse BZ agonists, CGS 8216 and FG 7142 antagonzied the anti-conflict effects of GABA and CDP, given within the amygdala or peripherally, but the increase in TO rates induced by systemic CDP was counteracted only by peripheral treatments. These compounds also reduced rates of conflict responding below baseline, consistent with anxiogenic activity. Effects of the BZ antagonist Ro 15-1788 were broadly similar to those of the inverse agonists, except that it did not antagonise the anti-conflict action of intra-amygdaloid GABA, nor significantly reduce punished responding at the single dose used. We conclude from these results that the anti-conflict effects of BZs are mediated by a GABAergic amygdaloid mechanism, but that the same mechanism is not involved in BZ effects on discrimination.

Colour discrimination ellipses in choroideremia.

PubMed

Seitz, Immanuel P; Jolly, Jasleen K; Dominik Fischer, M; Simunovic, Matthew P

2018-04-01

The purpose of this study was to characterise alterations in colour discrimination in a cohort of patients with choroideremia prior to gene therapy, using a test previously validated for use in patients with retinal dystrophies. We tested 20 eyes of 10 patients with a diagnosis of choroideremia and an age-matched cohort of 10 eyes of 10 normal controls using the "Cambridge Colour Test" (CCT), in which subjects are required to distinguish the gap in a C presented in one of 4 orientations in a Stilling-type array. Colour discrimination was probed along eight axes in the CIE L*u*v* colour space, and the resulting data were plotted in the CIE 1976 chromaticity diagram and fitted with least-squares ellipses. Subsequently, we estimated the achromatic area for each subject by calculating the area of the resultant discrimination ellipse and calculated sensitivity thresholds along relevant colour confusion axes. Colour discrimination-as quantified by log 10 of the ellipse area expressed in square 1/1000th 2 units in CIE 1976-was 2.26 (range 1.82 to 2.67) for normal subjects and 3.85 (range 2.35 to 5.41) for choroideremia patients. There was a statistically significant correlation between both achromatic area and red-green colour discrimination at the CCT and BCVA, and to a lesser degree between blue colour discrimination at the CCT and BCVA. The majority of ellipses in choroideremia were aligned close to the tritan axis, and loss of sensitivity was significantly larger in the tritan direction than in the red-green. The majority of our patients demonstrated greater loss in tritan discrimination than in red-green colour discrimination using the CCT. There was a significant correlation between achromatic area and BCVA. In keeping with our current understanding of the machinery of colour vision, there was a significant correlation between BCVA and colour discrimination thresholds, which was stronger for red-green colour discrimination, than for tritan colour discrimination. We propose that this and similar tests of colour discrimination may prove to be suitable tools for assessing functional outcomes in gene therapy trials for choroideremia.

The response to selection for broad male response to female sex pheromone and its implications for divergence in close-range mating behavior in the European corn borer moth, Ostrinia nubilalis.

PubMed

Droney, David C; Musto, Callie J; Mancuso, Katie; Roelofs, Wendell L; Linn, Charles E

2012-12-01

Coordinated sexual communication systems, seen in many species of moths, are hypothesized to be under strong stabilizing natural selection. Stabilized communication systems should be resistant to change, but there are examples of species/populations that show great diversification. A possible solution is that it is directional sexual selection on variation in male response that drives evolution. We tested a component of this model by asking whether 'rare' males (ca. 5 % of all males in a population) of the European corn borer moth (ECB), Ostrinia nubilalis, that respond to the sex pheromones of both ECB and a different Ostrinia species (O. furnacalis, the Asian corn borer, ACB), might play an important role in diversification. We specifically tested, via artificial selection, whether this broad male response has an evolvable genetic component. We increased the frequency of broad male response from 5 to 70 % in 19 generations, showing that broad-responding males could be important for the evolution of novel communication systems in ECB. We did not find a broader range of mating acceptance of broad males by females of the base population, however, suggesting that broad response would be unlikely to increase in frequency without the involvement of other factors. However, we found that ECB selection-line females accepted a broader range of courting males, including those of ACB, than did females of the base population. Thus, a genetic correlation exists between broad, long-range response to female sex pheromone and the breadth of female acceptance of males at close range. These results are discussed in the context of evolution of novel communication systems in Ostrinia.

Proceedings of the 11th Annual DARPA/AFGL Seismic Research symposium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewkowicz, James F.; McPhetres, Jeanne M.

1990-11-01

The following subjects are covered: near source observations of quarry explosions; small explosion discrimination and yield estimation; Rg as a depth discriminant for earthquakes and explosions: a case study in New England; a comparative study of high frequency seismic noise at selected sites in the USSR and USA; chemical explosions and the discrimination problem; application of simulated annealing to joint hypocenter determination; frequency dependence of Q(sub Lg) and Q in the continental crust; statistical approaches to testing for compliance with a threshold test ban treaty; broad-band studies of seismic sources at regional and teleseismic distances using advanced time series analysis methods; effects of depth of burial and tectonic release on regional and teleseismic explosion waveforms; finite difference simulations of seismic wave excitation at Soviet test sites with deterministic structures; stochastic geologic effects on near-field ground motions; the damage mechanics of porous rock; nonlinear attenuation mechanism in salt at moderate strain; compressional- and shear-wave polarizations at the Anza seismic array; and a generalized beamforming approach to real time network detection and phase association.

Regional Magnitude Research Supporting Broad-Area Monitoring of Small Seismic Events

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

detonated at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and the Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS). Observations for both test sites show that Pn amplitudes yield scale 10...identification procedures, and yield, via direct comparison to test site results for high frequencies (>1 Hz). Coda techniques are known to be effective...2006). Source spectral modeling of regional P/S discriminants at nuclear test sites in China and the former Soviet Union, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am

The association between discrimination and health: findings on Russian, Somali and Kurdish origin populations in Finland.

PubMed

Rask, Shadia; Elo, Irma T; Koskinen, Seppo; Lilja, Eero; Koponen, Päivikki; Castaneda, Anu E

2018-06-06

The Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey recently demonstrated widespread discrimination across EU countries, with high discrimination rates observed in countries like Finland. Discrimination is known to negatively impact health, but fewer studies have examined how different types of perceived discrimination are related to health. This study examines (i) the prevalence of different types of perceived discrimination among Russian, Somali and Kurdish origin populations in Finland, and (ii) the association between different types of perceived discrimination (no experiences; subtle discrimination only; overt or subtle and overt discrimination) and health (self-rated health; limiting long-term illness (LLTI) or disability; mental health symptoms). Data are from the Finnish Migrant Health and Wellbeing Study (n = 1795). Subtle discrimination implies reporting being treated with less courtesy and/or treated with less respect than others, and overt discrimination being called names or insulted and/or threatened or harassed. The prevalence of discrimination and the associations between discrimination and health were calculated with predicted margins and logistic regression. Experiences of subtle discrimination were more common than overt discrimination in all the studied groups. Subtle discrimination was reported by 29% of Somali origin persons and 35% Russian and Kurdish origin persons. The prevalence of overt discrimination ranged between 22% and 24%. Experiences of discrimination increased the odds for poor self-reported health, LLTI and mental health symptoms, particularly among those reporting subtle discrimination only. To promote the health of diverse populations, actions against racism and discrimination are highly needed, including initiatives that promote shared belonging.

Identifying optimal threshold statistics for elimination of hookworm using a stochastic simulation model.

PubMed

Truscott, James E; Werkman, Marleen; Wright, James E; Farrell, Sam H; Sarkar, Rajiv; Ásbjörnsdóttir, Kristjana; Anderson, Roy M

2017-06-30

There is an increased focus on whether mass drug administration (MDA) programmes alone can interrupt the transmission of soil-transmitted helminths (STH). Mathematical models can be used to model these interventions and are increasingly being implemented to inform investigators about expected trial outcome and the choice of optimum study design. One key factor is the choice of threshold for detecting elimination. However, there are currently no thresholds defined for STH regarding breaking transmission. We develop a simulation of an elimination study, based on the DeWorm3 project, using an individual-based stochastic disease transmission model in conjunction with models of MDA, sampling, diagnostics and the construction of study clusters. The simulation is then used to analyse the relationship between the study end-point elimination threshold and whether elimination is achieved in the long term within the model. We analyse the quality of a range of statistics in terms of the positive predictive values (PPV) and how they depend on a range of covariates, including threshold values, baseline prevalence, measurement time point and how clusters are constructed. End-point infection prevalence performs well in discriminating between villages that achieve interruption of transmission and those that do not, although the quality of the threshold is sensitive to baseline prevalence and threshold value. Optimal post-treatment prevalence threshold value for determining elimination is in the range 2% or less when the baseline prevalence range is broad. For multiple clusters of communities, both the probability of elimination and the ability of thresholds to detect it are strongly dependent on the size of the cluster and the size distribution of the constituent communities. Number of communities in a cluster is a key indicator of probability of elimination and PPV. Extending the time, post-study endpoint, at which the threshold statistic is measured improves PPV value in discriminating between eliminating clusters and those that bounce back. The probability of elimination and PPV are very sensitive to baseline prevalence for individual communities. However, most studies and programmes are constructed on the basis of clusters. Since elimination occurs within smaller population sub-units, the construction of clusters introduces new sensitivities for elimination threshold values to cluster size and the underlying population structure. Study simulation offers an opportunity to investigate key sources of sensitivity for elimination studies and programme designs in advance and to tailor interventions to prevailing local or national conditions.

A First Look at Airborne Imaging Spectrometer (AIS) Data in an Area of Altered Volcanic Rocks and Carbonate Formations, Hot Creek Range, South Central Nevada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feldman, S. C.; Taranik, J. V.; Mouat, D. A.

1985-01-01

Three flight lines of Airborne Imaging Spectrometer (AIS) data were collected in 128 bands between 1.2 and 2.4 microns in the Hot Creek Range, Nevada on July 25, 1984. The flight lines are underlain by hydrothermally altered and unaltered Paleozoic carbonates and Tertiary rhyolitic to latitic volcanics in the Tybo mining district. The original project objectives were to discriminate carbonate rocks from other rock types, to distinguish limestone from dolomite, and to discriminate carbonate units from each other using AIS imagery. Because of high cloud cover over the prime carbonate flight line and because of the acquisition of another flight line in altered and unaltered volcanics, the study has been extended to the discrimination of alteration products. In an area of altered and unaltered rhyolites and latites in Red Rock Canyon, altered and unaltered rock could be discriminated from each other using spectral features in the 1.16 to 2.34 micron range. The altered spectral signatures resembled montmorillonite and kaolinite. Field samples were gathered and the presence of montmorillonite was confirmed by X-ray analysis.

Fresh broad (Vicia faba) tissue homogenate-based biosensor for determination of phenolic compounds.

PubMed

Ozcan, Hakki Mevlut; Sagiroglu, Ayten

2014-08-01

In this study, a novel fresh broad (Vicia faba) tissue homogenate-based biosensor for determination of phenolic compounds was developed. The biosensor was constructed by immobilizing tissue homogenate of fresh broad (Vicia faba) on to glassy carbon electrode. For the stability of the biosensor, general immobilization techniques were used to secure the fresh broad tissue homogenate in gelatin-glutaraldehyde cross-linking matrix. In the optimization and characterization studies, the amount of fresh broad tissue homogenate and gelatin, glutaraldehyde percentage, optimum pH, optimum temperature and optimum buffer concentration, thermal stability, interference effects, linear range, storage stability, repeatability and sample applications (Wine, beer, fruit juices) were also investigated. Besides, the detection ranges of thirteen phenolic compounds were obtained with the help of the calibration graphs. A typical calibration curve for the sensor revealed a linear range of 5-60 μM catechol. In reproducibility studies, variation coefficient (CV) and standard deviation (SD) were calculated as 1.59%, 0.64×10(-3) μM, respectively.

Speed discrimination predicts word but not pseudo-word reading rate in adults and children

PubMed Central

Main, Keith L.; Pestilli, Franco; Mezer, Aviv; Yeatman, Jason; Martin, Ryan; Phipps, Stephanie; Wandell, Brian

2014-01-01

Word familiarity may affect magnocellular processes of word recognition. To explore this idea, we measured reading rate, speed-discrimination, and contrast detection thresholds in adults and children with a wide range of reading abilities. We found that speed-discrimination thresholds are higher in children than in adults and are correlated with age. Speed discrimination thresholds are also correlated with reading rate, but only for words, not for pseudo-words. Conversely, we found no correlation between contrast sensitivity and reading rate and no correlation between speed discrimination thresholds WASI subtest scores. These findings support the position that reading rate is influenced by magnocellular circuitry attuned to the recognition of familiar word-forms. PMID:25278418

Tertiary climates and floristic relationships at high latitudes in the northern hemisphere

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolfe, J.A.

1980-01-01

During the Paleocene and Eocene, climates were characterized by a low mean annual range of temperature (a maximum of 10-15??C), a moderate to high mean annual temperature (10-20??C), and abundant precipitation; strong broad-leaved evergreen vegetation extended to almost lat. 60??N during the Paleocene and to well above 61??N during the Eocene. Poleward of the broad-leaved evergreen forests were forests that were broad-leaved deciduous; these deciduous forests, however, were unlike extant broad-leaved deciduous forests in general floristic composition and physiognomy. Coniferous forests probably occupied the northernmost latitudes. At the end of the Eocene, a major climatic deterioration resulted in a high (> 30??C) mean annual range of temperature and a low mean annual temperature (< 10??C). Vegetation represented temperate broad-leaved deciduous and coniferous forests. The Oligocene and Neogene climatic trends represent a decrease in both mean annual range of temperature and mean annual temperature. Tundra vegetation did not appear until late in the Neogene. The present distribution of broad-leaved evergreens concomitant with the principles of plant physiology indicates that present winter light conditions at high latitudes could not support broad-leaved evergreen forest. A possible solution to the problem is to increase winter light by lessening the inclination of the earth's rotational axis. ?? 1980.

Reducing Stigma and Discrimination to Improve Child Health and Survival in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Promising Approaches and Implications for Future Research

PubMed Central

Nayar, Usha S.; Stangl, Anne L.; De Zalduondo, Barbara; Brady, Laura M.

2014-01-01

The social processes of stigmatization and discrimination can have complex and devastating effects on the health and welfare of families and communities, and thus on the environments in which children live and grow. The authors conducted a literature review to identify interventions for reducing the stigma and discrimination that impede child health and well-being in low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on nutrition, HIV/AIDS, neonatal survival and infant health, and early child development. Despite broad consensus on the importance of stigma and discrimination as barriers to access and uptake of health information and services, the authors found a dearth of research and program evaluations directly assessing effective interventions in the area of child health except in the area of reducing HIV-related stigma and discrimination. While the literature demonstrates that poverty and social exclusion are often stigma-laden and impede adult access to health information and services, and to education relevant to family planning, child rearing, nutrition, health promotion, and disease prevention, the child health literature does not document direct connections between these known mediators of child health and the stigmatization of either children or their caregivers. The child health field would greatly benefit from more research to understand and address stigma as it relates to child health and well-being. The authors suggest applying a framework, adapted from the HIV stigma field, to direct future research and the adaptation of existing strategies to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination to address social and health-related stigmas affecting children and their families. PMID:25207451

Micropatterned Pyramidal Ionic Gels for Sensing Broad-Range Pressures with High Sensitivity.

PubMed

Cho, Sung Hwan; Lee, Seung Won; Yu, Seunggun; Kim, Hyeohn; Chang, Sooho; Kang, Donyoung; Hwang, Ihn; Kang, Han Sol; Jeong, Beomjin; Kim, Eui Hyuk; Cho, Suk Man; Kim, Kang Lib; Lee, Hyungsuk; Shim, Wooyoung; Park, Cheolmin

2017-03-22

The development of pressure sensors that are effective over a broad range of pressures is crucial for the future development of electronic skin applicable to the detection of a wide pressure range from acoustic wave to dynamic human motion. Here, we present flexible capacitive pressure sensors that incorporate micropatterned pyramidal ionic gels to enable ultrasensitive pressure detection. Our devices show superior pressure-sensing performance, with a broad sensing range from a few pascals up to 50 kPa, with fast response times of <20 ms and a low operating voltage of 0.25 V. Since high-dielectric-constant ionic gels were employed as constituent sensing materials, an unprecedented sensitivity of 41 kPa -1 in the low-pressure regime of <400 Pa could be realized in the context of a metal-insulator-metal platform. This broad-range capacitive pressure sensor allows for the efficient detection of pressure from a variety of sources, including sound waves, a lightweight object, jugular venous pulses, radial artery pulses, and human finger touch. This platform offers a simple, robust approach to low-cost, scalable device design, enabling practical applications of electronic skin.

The contribution of respiration in tree-stems to the Dole Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angert, A.; Muhr, J.; Negron Juarez, R.; Alegria Muñoz, W.; Kraemer, G.; Ramirez Santillan, J.; Chambers, J. Q.; Trumbore, S. E.

2012-01-01

Understanding the variability and the current value of the Dole Effect, which has been used to infer past changes in biospheric productivity, requires accurate information on the discrimination associated with respiratory oxygen consumption in each of the biosphere components. Respiration in tree stems is an important component of the land carbon cycle. Here we measured, for the first time, the discrimination associated with tree stem oxygen uptake. The measurements included tropical forest trees, which are major contributors to the global fluxes of carbon and oxygen. We found discrimination in the range of 12.6-21.5 ‰, indicating both diffusion limitation, resulting in O2 discrimination values below 20 ‰, and alternative oxidase respiration, which resulted in discrimination values greater than 20 ‰. Discrimination varied seasonally, between and within tree species. Calculations based on these results show that variability in woody plants discrimination can result in significant variations in the global Dole Effect.

The contribution of respiration in tree stems to the Dole Effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angert, A.; Muhr, J.; Negron Juarez, R.; Alegria Muñoz, W.; Kraemer, G.; Ramirez Santillan, J.; Chambers, J. Q.; Trumbore, S. E.

2012-10-01

Understanding the variability and the current value of the Dole Effect, which has been used to infer past changes in biospheric productivity, requires accurate information on the isotopic discrimination associated with respiratory oxygen consumption in each of the biosphere components. Respiration in tree stems is an important component of the land carbon cycle. Here we measured, for the first time, the discrimination associated with tree stem oxygen uptake. The measurements included tropical forest trees, which are major contributors to the global fluxes of carbon and oxygen. We found discrimination in the range of 12.6-21.5‰, indicating both diffusion limitation, resulting in O2 discrimination values below 20‰, and alternative oxidase respiration, which resulted in discrimination values greater than 20‰. Discrimination varied seasonally, between and within tree species. Calculations based on these results show that variability in woody plants discrimination can result in significant variations in the global Dole Effect.

Racial discrimination, social support, and sexual HIV risk among Black heterosexual men.

PubMed

Bowleg, Lisa; Burkholder, Gary J; Massie, Jenné S; Wahome, Rahab; Teti, Michelle; Malebranche, David J; Tschann, Jeanne M

2013-01-01

Numerous studies document the adverse impact of racial discrimination on African Americans' health outcomes, but few have focused on HIV risk. We examined the relationship between racial discrimination and sexual risk in a sample of 526 Black heterosexual men and tested the hypothesis that social support would moderate this relationship. Participants in the predominantly low-income urban sample ranged in age from 18 to 45. High social support had a buffering impact on the relationship between racial discrimination and sexual risk. Among men reporting high racial discrimination, those with more social support reported less sexual risk than men with low social support. Men who reported high racial discrimination and low social support reported more sexual risk than men in any of the other groups. The study highlights social support as an important but understudied protective factor that may reduce sexual risk for Black heterosexual men who report high levels of racial discrimination.

Broad-Range 16S rDNA PCR on Heart Valves in Infective Endocarditis.

PubMed

Müller Premru, Manica; Lejko Zupanc, Tatjana; Klokočovnik, Tomislav; Ruzić Sabljić, Eva; Cerar, Tjaša

2016-03-01

Infective endocarditis (IE) is diagnosed by blood and/or resected valve cultivation and echocardiographic findings, as defined by the Duke criteria. Unfortunately, cultures may be negative due to prior antibiotic therapy or fastidious or slow-growing microorganisms. The study aim was to investigate the value of the broad-range polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in addition to blood and valve culture for the detection of causative microorganisms. Between February 2012 and March 2015, valve samples from 36 patients undergoing cardiac surgery were analyzed; of these patients, 26 had a preoperative diagnosis of IE and 10 served as controls. Multiple blood cultures were obtained from 34 patients before antibiotic therapy was commenced. Valve samples were inoculated on bacteriological media and underwent analysis using broad-range PCR (16S rDNA). IE was confirmed microbiologically in 21 of the 26 patients (80.7%); in 20 cases (76.9%) this was by positive blood cultures and in 16 (61.5%) by positive valves. Valves were positive in 15 blood culturepositive patients, and in one blood-culture negative patient. Broad-range PCR detected a microorganism in valves significantly more frequently (n = 14; 53.8%) compared to valve culture (n = 8; 30.7%) (chisquare 11.5, p <0.001). The predominant microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus of the viridans group, coagulasenegative staphylococci and Enterococcus faecalis. Blood, valve cultures and broad-range PCR were negative in five patients (19.3%) with IE, and in all 10 subjects of the control group. Broad-range PCR on valves was more sensitive than valve culture. However, blood culture, if taken before the start of antibiotic therapy, was the best method for detecting IE.

The human right to water: the importance of domestic and productive water rights.

PubMed

Hall, Ralph P; Van Koppen, Barbara; Van Houweling, Emily

2014-12-01

The United Nations (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Rights engenders important state commitments to respect, fulfill, and protect a broad range of socio-economic rights. In 2010, a milestone was reached when the UN General Assembly recognized the human right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation. However, water plays an important role in realizing other human rights such as the right to food and livelihoods, and in realizing the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. These broader water-related rights have been recognized but have not yet been operationalized. This paper unravels these broader water-related rights in a more holistic interpretation of existing international human rights law. By focusing on an emerging approach to water services provision--known as 'domestic-plus' services--the paper argues how this approach operationalizes a comprehensive range of socio-economic rights in rural and peri-urban areas. Domestic-plus services provide water for domestic and productive uses around homesteads, which challenges the widespread practice in the public sector of planning and designing water infrastructure for a single-use. Evidence is presented to show that people in rural communities are already using their water supplies planned for domestic uses to support a wide range of productive activities. Domestic-plus services recognize and plan for these multiple-uses, while respecting the priority for clean and safe drinking water. The paper concludes that domestic-plus services operationalize the obligation to progressively fulfill a comprehensive range of indivisible socio-economic rights in rural and peri-urban areas.

Contemporary Business Administration Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gleason, James R.

2006-01-01

The National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) career clusters initiative was designed to research and foster development of curicula and assessments for each of 16 broad occupational groupings known as career clusters. These clusters encompass a broad range of careers, ranging from agriculture to…

Self-reported experiences of discrimination and health: scientific advances, ongoing controversies, and emerging issues.

PubMed

Lewis, Tené T; Cogburn, Courtney D; Williams, David R

2015-01-01

Over the past two decades, research examining the impact of self-reported experiences of discrimination on mental and physical health has increased dramatically. Studies have found consistent associations between exposure to discrimination and a wide range of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-diagnosed mental disorders as well as objective physical health outcomes. Associations are seen in cross-sectional as well as longitudinal studies and persist even after adjustment for confounding variables, including personality characteristics and other threats to validity. However, controversies remain, particularly around the best approach to measuring experiences of discrimination, the significance of racial/ethnic discrimination versus overall mistreatment, the need to account for "intersectionalities," and the importance of comprehensive assessments. These issues are discussed in detail, along with emerging areas of emphasis including cyber discrimination, anticipatory stress or vigilance around discrimination, and interventions with potential to reduce the negative effects of discrimination on health. We also discuss priorities for future research and implications for interventions and policy.

Auditory phase and frequency discrimination: a comparison of nine procedures.

PubMed

Creelman, C D; Macmillan, N A

1979-02-01

Two auditory discrimination tasks were thoroughly investigated: discrimination of frequency differences from a sinusoidal signal of 200 Hz and discrimination of differences in relative phase of mixed sinusoids of 200 Hz and 400 Hz. For each task psychometric functions were constructed for three observers, using nine different psychophysical measurement procedures. These procedures included yes-no, two-interval forced-choice, and various fixed- and variable-standard designs that investigators have used in recent years. The data showed wide ranges of apparent sensitivity. For frequency discrimination, models derived from signal detection theory for each psychophysical procedure seem to account for the performance differences. For phase discrimination the models do not account for the data. We conclude that for some discriminative continua the assumptions of signal detection theory are appropriate, and underlying sensitivity may be derived from raw data by appropriate transformations. For other continua the models of signal detection theory are probably inappropriate; we speculate that phase might be discriminable only on the basis of comparison or change and suggest some tests of our hypothesis.

SELF-REPORTED EXPERIENCES OF DISCRIMINATION AND HEALTH: SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES, ONGOING CONTROVERSIES, AND EMERGING ISSUES

PubMed Central

Lewis, Tené T.; Cogburn, Courtney D.; Williams, David R.

2017-01-01

Over the past two decades, research examining the impact of self-reported experiences of discrimination on mental and physical health has increased dramatically. Studies have found consistent associations between exposure to discrimination and a wide range of DSM-diagnosed mental disorders, as well as objective physical health outcomes. Associations are seen in cross-sectional as well as longitudinal studies and persist even after adjustment for controls, including personality characteristics and other threats to validity. However, controversies remain, particularly around the best approach to measuring experiences of discrimination; the significance of racial/ethnic discrimination versus overall mistreatment; the need to account for “intersectionalities”; and the importance of comprehensive assessments. These issues are discussed in detail, along with emerging areas of emphasis including: cyber-discrimination; anticipatory stress or vigilance around discrimination; and interventions with potential to reduce the negative effects of discrimination on health. We also discuss priorities for future research, and implications for interventions and policy. PMID:25581238

Micro-Raman spectroscopy of natural and synthetic indigo samples.

PubMed

Vandenabeele, Peter; Moens, Luc

2003-02-01

In this work indigo samples from three different sources are studied by using Raman spectroscopy: the synthetic pigment and pigments from the woad (Isatis tinctoria) and the indigo plant (Indigofera tinctoria). 21 samples were obtained from 8 suppliers; for each sample 5 Raman spectra were recorded and used for further chemometrical analysis. Principal components analysis (PCA) was performed as data reduction method before applying hierarchical cluster analysis. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was implemented as a non-hierarchical supervised pattern recognition method to build a classification model. In order to avoid broad-shaped interferences from the fluorescence background, the influence of 1st and 2nd derivatives on the classification was studied by using cross-validation. Although chemically identical, it is shown that Raman spectroscopy in combination with suitable chemometric methods has the potential to discriminate between synthetic and natural indigo samples.

A quantitative link between face discrimination deficits and neuronal selectivity for faces in autism☆

PubMed Central

Jiang, Xiong; Bollich, Angela; Cox, Patrick; Hyder, Eric; James, Joette; Gowani, Saqib Ali; Hadjikhani, Nouchine; Blanz, Volker; Manoach, Dara S.; Barton, Jason J.S.; Gaillard, William D.; Riesenhuber, Maximilian

2013-01-01

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) appear to show a general face discrimination deficit across a range of tasks including social–emotional judgments as well as identification and discrimination. However, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies probing the neural bases of these behavioral differences have produced conflicting results: while some studies have reported reduced or no activity to faces in ASD in the Fusiform Face Area (FFA), a key region in human face processing, others have suggested more typical activation levels, possibly reflecting limitations of conventional fMRI techniques to characterize neuron-level processing. Here, we test the hypotheses that face discrimination abilities are highly heterogeneous in ASD and are mediated by FFA neurons, with differences in face discrimination abilities being quantitatively linked to variations in the estimated selectivity of face neurons in the FFA. Behavioral results revealed a wide distribution of face discrimination performance in ASD, ranging from typical performance to chance level performance. Despite this heterogeneity in perceptual abilities, individual face discrimination performance was well predicted by neural selectivity to faces in the FFA, estimated via both a novel analysis of local voxel-wise correlations, and the more commonly used fMRI rapid adaptation technique. Thus, face processing in ASD appears to rely on the FFA as in typical individuals, differing quantitatively but not qualitatively. These results for the first time mechanistically link variations in the ASD phenotype to specific differences in the typical face processing circuit, identifying promising targets for interventions. PMID:24179786

Pattern-based detection of anion pollutants in water with DNA polyfluorophores† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Additional figures and tables and experimental details. See DOI: 10.1039/c4sc03992k Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Kwon, Hyukin; Jiang, Wei

2015-01-01

Many existing irrigation, industrial and chemical storage sites are currently introducing hazardous anions into groundwater, making the monitoring of such sites a high priority. Detecting and quantifying anions in water samples typically requires complex instrumentation, adding cost and delaying analysis. Here we address these challenges by development of an optical molecular method to detect and discriminate a broad range of anionic contaminants with DNA-based fluorescent sensors. A library of 1296 tetrameric-length oligodeoxyfluorosides (ODFs) composed of metal ligand and fluorescence modulating monomers was constructed with a DNA synthesizer on PEG-polystyrene microbeads. These oligomers on beads were incubated with YIII or ZnII ions to provide affinity and responsiveness to anions. Seventeen anions were screened with the library under an epifluorescence microscope, ultimately yielding eight chemosensors that could discriminate 250 μM solutions of all 17 anions in buffered water using their patterns of response. This sensor set was able to identify two unknown anion samples from ten closely-responding anions and could also function quantitatively, determining unknown concentrations of anions such as cyanide (as low as 1 mM) and selenate (as low as 50 μM). Further studies with calibration curves established detection limits of selected anions including thiocyanate (detection limit ∼300 μM) and arsenate (∼800 μM). The results demonstrate DNA-like fluorescent chemosensors as versatile tools for optically analyzing environmentally hazardous anions in aqueous environments. PMID:26146537

An electroglottographical analysis-based discriminant function model differentiating multiple sclerosis patients from healthy controls.

PubMed

Vavougios, George D; Doskas, Triantafyllos; Konstantopoulos, Kostas

2018-05-01

Dysarthrophonia is a predominant symptom in many neurological diseases, affecting the quality of life of the patients. In this study, we produced a discriminant function equation that can differentiate MS patients from healthy controls, using electroglottographic variables not analyzed in a previous study. We applied stepwise linear discriminant function analysis in order to produce a function and score derived from electroglottographic variables extracted from a previous study. The derived discriminant function's statistical significance was determined via Wilk's λ test (and the associated p value). Finally, a 2 × 2 confusion matrix was used to determine the function's predictive accuracy, whereas the cross-validated predictive accuracy is estimated via the "leave-one-out" classification process. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) was used to create a linear function of continuous predictors. DFA produced the following model (Wilk's λ = 0.043, χ2 = 388.588, p < 0.0001, Tables 3 and 4): D (MS vs controls) = 0.728*DQx1 mean monologue + 0.325*CQx monologue + 0.298*DFx1 90% range monologue + 0.443*DQx1 90% range reading - 1.490*DQx1 90% range monologue. The derived discriminant score (S1) was used subsequently in order to form the coordinates of a ROC curve. Thus, a cutoff score of - 0.788 for S1 corresponded to a perfect classification (100% sensitivity and 100% specificity, p = 1.67e -22 ). Consistent with previous findings, electroglottographic evaluation represents an easy to implement and potentially important assessment in MS patients, achieving adequate classification accuracy. Further evaluation is needed to determine its use as a biomarker.

AIDS-Related Stigma and Mental Disorders among People Living with HIV: A Cross-Sectional Study in Cambodia

PubMed Central

Yi, Siyan; Chhoun, Pheak; Suong, Samedy; Thin, Kouland; Brody, Carinne; Tuot, Sovannary

2015-01-01

Background AIDS-related stigma and mental disorders are the most common conditions in people living with HIV (PLHIV). We therefore conducted this study to examine the association of AIDS-related stigma and discrimination with mental disorders among PLHIV in Cambodia. Methods A two-stage cluster sampling method was used to select 1,003 adult PLHIV from six provinces. The People Living with HIV Stigma Index was used to measure stigma and discrimination, and a short version of general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) was used to measure mental disorders. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results The reported experiences of discrimination in communities in the past 12 months ranged from 0.8% for reports of being denied health services to 42.3% for being aware of being gossiped about. Internal stigma was also common ranging from 2.8% for avoiding going to a local clinic and/or hospital to 59.6% for deciding not to have (more) children. The proportions of PLHIV who reported fear of stigma and discrimination ranged from 13.9% for fear of being physically assaulted to 34.5% for fear of being gossiped about. The mean score of GHQ-12 was 3.2 (SD = 2.4). After controlling for several potential confounders, higher levels of mental disorders (GHQ-12≥ 4) remained significantly associated with higher levels of experiences of stigma and discrimination in family and communities (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4–2.6), higher levels of internal stigma (AOR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.2–2.3), and higher levels of fear of stigma and discrimination in family and communities (AOR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.1–2.2). Conclusions AIDS-related stigma and discrimination among PLHIV in Cambodia are common and may have potential impacts on their mental health conditions. These findings indicate a need for community-based interventions to reduce stigma and discrimination in the general public and to help PLHIV to cope with this situation. PMID:25806534

Perceived Interpersonal Discrimination and Older Women’s Mental Health: Accumulation Across Domains, Attributions, and Time

PubMed Central

Bécares, Laia; Zhang, Nan

2018-01-01

Abstract Experiencing discrimination is associated with poor mental health, but how cumulative experiences of perceived interpersonal discrimination across attributes, domains, and time are associated with mental disorders is still unknown. Using data from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (1996–2008), we applied latent class analysis and generalized linear models to estimate the association between cumulative exposure to perceived interpersonal discrimination and older women’s mental health. We found 4 classes of perceived interpersonal discrimination, ranging from cumulative exposure to discrimination over attributes, domains, and time to none or minimal reports of discrimination. Women who experienced cumulative perceived interpersonal discrimination over time and across attributes and domains had the highest risk of depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score ≥16) compared with women in all other classes. This was true for all women regardless of race/ethnicity, although the type and severity of perceived discrimination differed across racial/ethnic groups. Cumulative exposure to perceived interpersonal discrimination across attributes, domains, and time has an incremental negative long-term association with mental health. Studies that examine exposure to perceived discrimination due to a single attribute in 1 domain or at 1 point in time underestimate the magnitude and complexity of discrimination and its association with health. PMID:29036550

Comparison of color discrimination in chronic heavy smokers and healthy subjects

PubMed Central

Fernandes, Thiago Monteiro de Paiva; Almeida, Natalia Leandro; dos Santos, Natanael Antonio

2017-01-01

Background: Cigarette smoke is probably the most significant source of exposure to toxic chemicals for humans, involving health-damaging components, such as nicotine, hydrogen cyanide and formaldehyde. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of chronic heavy smoking on color discrimination (CD). Methods: All subjects were free of any neuropsychiatric disorder, identifiable ocular disease and had normal acuity. No abnormalities were detected in the fundoscopic examination and in the optical coherence tomography exam. We assessed color vision for healthy heavy smokers ( n = 15; age range, 20-45 years), deprived smokers ( n = 15, age range 20-45 years) and healthy non-smokers ( n = 15; age range, 20-45 years), using the psychophysical forced-choice method. All groups were matched for gender and education level. In this test, the volunteers had to choose the pseudoisochromatic stimulus containing a test frequency at four directions (e.g., up, down, right and left) in the subtest of Cambridge Colour Test (CCT): Trivector. Results: Performance on CCT differed between groups, and the observed pattern was that smokers had lower discrimination compared to non-smokers. In addition, deprived smokers presented lower discrimination to smokers and non-smokers. Contrary to expectation, the largest differences were observed for medium and long wavelengths. Conclusions: These results suggests that cigarette smoking, chronic exposure to its compounds, and withdrawal from nicotine affect color discrimination. This highlights the importance of understanding the diverse effects of nicotine on attentional bias. PMID:28928940

Forensic discrimination of three common brands of kitchen knives in China by ICP-AES and infrared absorption.

PubMed

Bai, Ru-feng; Ma, Shu-hua; Zhang, Hai-dong; Chang, Lin; Zhang, Zhong; Liu, Li; Zhang, Feng-qin; Guo, Zhao-ming; Shi, Mei-sen

2014-03-01

A block of an injury instrument will be left in wounds sometimes, and the suspect instrument can be discriminated by comparison with the block that was left through elemental analysis. In this study, three brands (Shibazi, Zhangxiaoquan, Qiaoxifu) of kitchen knives with forged, chop, and slice application series were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and Infrared Absorption to investigate the type, number of elements and the reference range used for comparing. The results show that when regarding one or more element as the discriminative threshold, together with 5% relative standard deviation (RSD) as the reference range, all the samples could be distinguished among different series. Furthermore, within the same series, the discriminative capability could reach up to 88.57% for all samples. In addition, elements with high content, such as Cr, Mn, and C, were useful to discriminate among different series, and trace elements, such as Ni, Si, and Cu, were useful within the same series. However, in practice, it is necessary to evaluate the accuracy of the method by Standard Reference Material (SRM) before an examination is performed.

Turning semicircular canal function on its head: dinosaurs and a novel vestibular analysis.

PubMed

Georgi, Justin A; Sipla, Justin S; Forster, Catherine A

2013-01-01

Previous investigations have correlated vestibular function to locomotion in vertebrates by scaling semicircular duct radius of curvature to body mass. However, this method fails to discriminate bipedal from quadrupedal non-avian dinosaurs. Because they exhibit a broad range of relative head sizes, we use dinosaurs to test the hypothesis that semicircular ducts scale more closely with head size. Comparing the area enclosed by each semicircular canal to estimated body mass and to two different measures of head size, skull length and estimated head mass, reveals significant patterns that corroborate a connection between physical parameters of the head and semicircular canal morphology. Head mass more strongly correlates with anterior semicircular canal size than does body mass and statistically separates bipedal from quadrupedal taxa, with bipeds exhibiting relatively larger canals. This morphologic dichotomy likely reflects adaptations of the vestibular system to stability demands associated with terrestrial locomotion on two, versus four, feet. This new method has implications for reinterpreting previous studies and informing future studies on the connection between locomotion type and vestibular function.

Turning Semicircular Canal Function on Its Head: Dinosaurs and a Novel Vestibular Analysis

PubMed Central

Georgi, Justin A.; Sipla, Justin S.; Forster, Catherine A.

2013-01-01

Previous investigations have correlated vestibular function to locomotion in vertebrates by scaling semicircular duct radius of curvature to body mass. However, this method fails to discriminate bipedal from quadrupedal non-avian dinosaurs. Because they exhibit a broad range of relative head sizes, we use dinosaurs to test the hypothesis that semicircular ducts scale more closely with head size. Comparing the area enclosed by each semicircular canal to estimated body mass and to two different measures of head size, skull length and estimated head mass, reveals significant patterns that corroborate a connection between physical parameters of the head and semicircular canal morphology. Head mass more strongly correlates with anterior semicircular canal size than does body mass and statistically separates bipedal from quadrupedal taxa, with bipeds exhibiting relatively larger canals. This morphologic dichotomy likely reflects adaptations of the vestibular system to stability demands associated with terrestrial locomotion on two, versus four, feet. This new method has implications for reinterpreting previous studies and informing future studies on the connection between locomotion type and vestibular function. PMID:23516495

Internet addiction assessment tools: dimensional structure and methodological status.

PubMed

Lortie, Catherine L; Guitton, Matthieu J

2013-07-01

Excessive internet use is becoming a concern, and some have proposed that it may involve addiction. We evaluated the dimensions assessed by, and psychometric properties of, a range of questionnaires purporting to assess internet addiction. Fourteen questionnaires were identified purporting to assess internet addiction among adolescents and adults published between January 1993 and October 2011. Their reported dimensional structure, construct, discriminant and convergent validity and reliability were assessed, as well as the methods used to derive these. Methods used to evaluate internet addiction questionnaires varied considerably. Three dimensions of addiction predominated: compulsive use (79%), negative outcomes (86%) and salience (71%). Less common were escapism (21%), withdrawal symptoms (36%) and other dimensions. Measures of validity and reliability were found to be within normally acceptable limits. There is a broad convergence of questionnaires purporting to assess internet addiction suggesting that compulsive use, negative outcome and salience should be covered and the questionnaires show adequate psychometric properties. However, the methods used to evaluate the questionnaires vary widely and possible factors contributing to excessive use such as social motivation do not appear to be covered. © 2013 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Access to the odor world: olfactory receptors and their role for signal transduction in insects.

PubMed

Fleischer, Joerg; Pregitzer, Pablo; Breer, Heinz; Krieger, Jürgen

2018-02-01

The sense of smell enables insects to recognize and discriminate a broad range of volatile chemicals in their environment originating from prey, host plants and conspecifics. These olfactory cues are received by olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that relay information about food sources, oviposition sites and mates to the brain and thus elicit distinct odor-evoked behaviors. Research over the last decades has greatly advanced our knowledge concerning the molecular basis underlying the reception of odorous compounds and the mechanisms of signal transduction in OSNs. The emerging picture clearly indicates that OSNs of insects recognize odorants and pheromones by means of ligand-binding membrane proteins encoded by large and diverse families of receptor genes. In contrast, the mechanisms of the chemo-electrical transduction process are not fully understood; the present status suggests a contribution of ionotropic as well as metabotropic mechanisms. In this review, we will summarize current knowledge on the peripheral mechanisms of odor sensing in insects focusing on olfactory receptors and their specific role in the recognition and transduction of odorant and pheromone signals by OSNs.

Dynamic interrogator for elastic wave sensing using Fabry Perot filters based on fiber Bragg gratings.

PubMed

Harish, Achar V; Varghese, Bibin; Rao, Babu; Balasubramaniam, Krishnan; Srinivasan, Balaji

2015-07-01

Use of in-fiber Fabry-Perot (FP) filters based on fiber Bragg gratings as both sensor as well as an interrogator for enhancing the detection limit of elastic wave sensing is investigated in this paper. The sensitivity of such a demodulation scheme depends on the spectral discrimination of the sensor and interrogator gratings. Simulations have shown that the use of in-fiber FP filters with high finesse provide better performance in terms of sensitivity compared to the demodulation using fiber Bragg gratings. Based on these results, a dynamic interrogator capable of sensing acoustic waves with amplitude of less than 1 micro-strain over frequencies of 10 kHz to several 100 kHz has been implemented. Frequency response of the fiber Bragg gratings in the given experimental setup has been compared to that of the conventional piezo sensors demonstrating that fiber Bragg gratings can be used over a relatively broad frequency range. Dynamic interrogator has been packaged in a compact box without any degradation in its performance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous three wavelength imaging with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope.

PubMed

Reinholz, F; Ashman, R A; Eikelboom, R H

1999-11-01

Various imaging properties of scanning laser ophthalmoscopes (SLO) such as contrast or depth discrimination, are superior to those of the traditional photographic fundus camera. However, most SLO are monochromatic whereas photographic systems produce colour images, which inherently contain information over a broad wavelength range. An SLO system has been modified to allow simultaneous three channel imaging. Laser light sources in the visible and infrared spectrum were concurrently launched into the system. Using different wavelength triads, digital fundus images were acquired at high frame rates. Favourable wavelengths combinations were established and high contrast, true (red, green, blue) or false (red, green, infrared) colour images of the retina were recorded. The monochromatic frames which form the colour image exhibit improved distinctness of different retinal structures such as the nerve fibre layer, the blood vessels, and the choroid. A multi-channel SLO combines the advantageous imaging properties of a tunable, monochrome SLO with the benefits and convenience of colour ophthalmoscopy. The options to modify parameters such as wavelength, intensity, gain, beam profile, aperture sizes, independently for every channel assign a high degree of versatility to the system. Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Development of a structured sensory honey analysis: application to artisanal Madrid honeys.

PubMed

González, M M; de Lorenzo, C; Pérez, R A

2010-02-01

In this work a methodology to evaluate the sensory properties of honeys has been developed. The sensory analysis was carried out by means of a quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) method, based on several reference scales, for the coverage of the designed range for each descriptor. The peculiarity of this sensory analysis is that the reference scales have been constituted by common foodstuffs agreed upon by consensus of the panel. The main sensory attributes evaluated in the analyses were: adhesiveness, viscosity, bitterness, aroma, sweetness, acidity, color and granularity. Both the intensity and persistence of honey aromas have also been estimated, together with the classification of the identified aromatic attributes into different groups. The method was applied to 55 artisanal honeys from Madrid (Spain) with the following results: (i) the developed sensory profile sheet allowed a satisfactory description of Madrid honeys; (ii) correlations between sensory attributes of three broad groups of Madrid honeys were obtained and (iii) aroma persistence, sweetness, bitterness, color and granularity appeared as the main sensorial characteristics of honey with discrimination power between floral and honeydew honeys.

Discrimination between olfactory receptor agonists and non-agonists.

PubMed

Topin, Jérémie; de March, Claire A; Charlier, Landry; Ronin, Catherine; Antonczak, Serge; Golebiowski, Jérôme

2014-08-11

A joint approach combining free-energy calculations and calcium-imaging assays on the broadly tuned human 1G1 olfactory receptor is reported. The free energy of binding of ten odorants was computed by means of molecular-dynamics simulations. This state function allows separating the experimentally determined eight agonists from the two non-agonists. This study constitutes a proof-of-principle for the computational deorphanization of olfactory receptors. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Integration of gender-transformative interventions into health professional education reform for the 21st century: implications of an expert review.

PubMed

Newman, Constance; Ng, Crystal; Pacqué-Margolis, Sara; Frymus, Diana

2016-04-12

Gender discrimination and inequality in health professional education (HPE) affect students and faculty and hinder production of the robust health workforces needed to meet health and development goals, yet HPE reformers pay scant attention to these gender barriers. Gender equality must be a core value and professional practice competency for all actors in HPE and health employment systems. Peer-review and non-peer-review literature previously identified in a review of the literature identified interventions to counter gender discrimination and inequality in HPE and tertiary education systems in North America and the Caribbean; West, East, and Southern Africa; Asia; the Middle East and North Africa; Europe; Australia; and South America. An assessment considered 51 interventions addressing sexual harassment (18), caregiver discrimination (27), and gender equality (6). Reviewers with expertise in gender and health system strengthening rated and ranked interventions according to six gender-transformative criteria. Thirteen interventions were considered to have transformational potential to address gender-related obstacles to entry, retention, career progression, and graduation in HPE, when implemented in core sets of interventions. The review identified one set with potential to counter sexual harassment in HPE and two sets to counter caregiver discrimination. Gender centers and equal employment opportunity units are structural interventions that can address multiple forms of gender discrimination and inequality. The paper's broad aim is to encourage HPE leaders to make gender-transformative reforms in the current way of doing business and commit to themselves to countering gender discrimination and inequality. Interventions to counter gender discrimination should be seen as integral parts of institutional and instructional reforms and essential investments to scale up quality HPE and recruit and retain health workers in the systems that educate and employ them. Implementation challenges spanning financial, informational, and cultural barriers need consideration. The application of core sets of interventions and a strong learning agenda should be part of ongoing HPE reform efforts.

Constraining the geometry and kinematics of the quasar broad emission line region using gravitational microlensing. I. Models and simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braibant, L.; Hutsemékers, D.; Sluse, D.; Goosmann, R.

2017-11-01

Recent studies have shown that line profile distortions are commonly observed in gravitationally lensed quasar spectra. Often attributed to microlensing differential magnification, line profile distortions can provide information on the geometry and kinematics of the broad emission line region (BLR) in quasars. We investigate the effect of gravitational microlensing on quasar broad emission line profiles and their underlying continuum, combining the emission from simple representative BLR models with generic microlensing magnification maps. Specifically, we considered Keplerian disk, polar, and equatorial wind BLR models of various sizes. The effect of microlensing has been quantified with four observables: μBLR, the total magnification of the broad emission line; μcont, the magnification of the underlying continuum; as well as red/blue, RBI and wings/core, WCI, indices that characterize the line profile distortions. The simulations showed that distortions of line profiles, such as those recently observed in lensed quasars, can indeed be reproduced and attributed to the differential effect of microlensing on spatially separated regions of the BLR. While the magnification of the emission line μBLR sets an upper limit on the BLR size and, similarly, the magnification of the continuum μcont sets an upper limit on the size of the continuum source, the line profile distortions mainly depend on the BLR geometry and kinematics. We thus built (WCI,RBI) diagrams that can serve as diagnostic diagrams to discriminate between the various BLR models on the basis of quantitative measurements. It appears that a strong microlensing effect puts important constraints on the size of the BLR and on its distance to the high-magnification caustic. In that case, BLR models with different geometries and kinematics are more prone to produce distinctive line profile distortions for a limited number of caustic configurations, which facilitates their discrimination. When the microlensing effect is weak, there is a larger overlap between the characteristics of the line profile distortions produced by the different models, and constraints can only be derived on a statistical basis.

Comparing gender discrimination and inequality in indie and traditional publishing.

PubMed

Weinberg, Dana B; Kapelner, Adam

2018-01-01

In traditional publishing, female authors' titles command nearly half (45%) the price of male authors' and are underrepresented in more prestigious genres, and books are published by publishing houses, which determined whose books get published, subject classification, and retail price. In the last decade, the growth of digital technologies and sales platforms have enabled unprecedented numbers of authors to bypass publishers to publish and sell books. The rise of indie publishing (aka self-publishing) reflects the growth of the "gig" economy, where the influence of firms has diminished and workers are exposed more directly to external markets. Encompassing the traditional and the gig economy, the book industry illuminates how the gig economy may disrupt, replicate, or transform the gender discrimination mechanisms and inequality found in the traditional economy. In a natural experiment spanning from 2002 to 2012 and including over two million book titles, we compare discrimination mechanisms and inequality in indie and traditional publishing. We find that indie publishing, though more egalitarian, largely replicates traditional publishing's gender discrimination patterns, showing an unequal distribution of male and female authors by genre (allocative discrimination), devaluation of genres written predominantly by female authors (valuative discrimination), and lower prices within genres for books by female authors (within-job discrimination). However, these discrimination mechanisms are associated with far less price inequality in indie, only 7%, in large part due to the smaller and lower range of prices in indie publishing compared to traditional publishing. We conclude that, with greater freedom, workers in the gig economy may be inclined to greater equality but will largely replicate existing labor market segmentation and the lower valuation of female-typical work and of female workers. Nonetheless, price setting for work may be more similar for workers in the gig economy due to market competition that will compress prices ranges.

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics for the characterization and discrimination of writing/photocopier paper types: Application in forensic document examinations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Raj; Kumar, Vinay; Sharma, Vishal

2017-01-01

The aim of the present work is to explore the non-destructive application of ATR-FTIR technique for characterization and discrimination of paper samples which could be helpful to give forensic aid in resolving legal cases. Twenty-four types of paper brands were purchased from local market in and around Chandigarh, India. All the paper samples were subjected to ATR-FTIR analysis from 400 to 4000 cm- 1 wavenumber range. The qualitative feature and Chemometrics of the obtained spectral data are used for characterization and discrimination. Characterization is achieved by matching the peaks with standards of cellulose and inorganic fillers, a usual constituents of paper. Three different regions of IR, i.e. 400-2000 cm- 1, 2000-4000 cm- 1 and 400-4000 cm- 1 were selected for differentiation by Chemometrics analysis. The discrimination is achieved on the basis of three principal components, i.e. PC 1, PC 2 and PC 3. It is observed that maximum discrimination was procured in the wave number range of i.e. 2000-4000 cm- 1. Discriminating power was calculated on the basis of qualitative features as well, and it is found that the discrimination of paper samples was better achieved by Chemometrics analysis rather than qualitative features. The discriminating power by Chemometrics is 99.64% and which is larger as ever achieved by any group for present number of samples. The present result confirms that this study will be highly useful in forensic document examination work in the legal cases, where the authenticity of the document is challenged. The results are completely analytical and, therefore, overcome the problem encounter in traditional routine light/radiation scanning methods which are still in practice by various questioned document laboratories.

Characterisation of an ion source on the Helix MC Plus noble gas mass spectrometer - pressure dependent mass discrimination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X.

2017-12-01

Characterisation of an ion source on the Helix MC Plusnoble gas mass spectrometer - pressure dependent mass discrimination Xiaodong Zhang* dong.zhang@anu.edu.au Masahiko Honda Masahiko.honda@anu.edu.au Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia To obtain reliable measurements of noble gas elemental and isotopic abundances in a geological sample it is essential that the mass discrimination (instrument-induced isotope fractionation) of the mass spectrometer remain constant over the working range of noble gas partial pressures. It is known, however, that there are pressure-dependent variations in sensitivity and mass discrimination in conventional noble gas mass spectrometers [1, 2, 3]. In this study, we discuss a practical approach to ensuring that the pressure effect in the Helix MC Plus high resolution, multi-collector noble gas mass spectrometer is minimised. The isotopic composition of atmospheric Ar was measured under a range of operating conditions to test the effects of different parameters on Ar mass discrimination. It was found that the optimised ion source conditions for pressure independent mass discrimination for Ar were different from those for maximised Ar sensitivity. The optimisation can be achieved by mainly adjusting the repeller voltage. It is likely that different ion source settings will be required to minimise pressure-dependent mass discrimination for different noble gases. A recommended procedure for tuning an ion source to reduce pressure dependent mass discrimination will be presented. References: Honda M., et al., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 57, 859 -874, 1993. Burnard P. G., and Farley K. A., Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, Volume 1, 2000GC00038, 2000. Mabry J., et al., Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 27, 1012 - 1017, 2012.

The role of spectral and temporal cues in voice gender discrimination by normal-hearing listeners and cochlear implant users.

PubMed

Fu, Qian-Jie; Chinchilla, Sherol; Galvin, John J

2004-09-01

The present study investigated the relative importance of temporal and spectral cues in voice gender discrimination and vowel recognition by normal-hearing subjects listening to an acoustic simulation of cochlear implant speech processing and by cochlear implant users. In the simulation, the number of speech processing channels ranged from 4 to 32, thereby varying the spectral resolution; the cutoff frequencies of the channels' envelope filters ranged from 20 to 320 Hz, thereby manipulating the available temporal cues. For normal-hearing subjects, results showed that both voice gender discrimination and vowel recognition scores improved as the number of spectral channels was increased. When only 4 spectral channels were available, voice gender discrimination significantly improved as the envelope filter cutoff frequency was increased from 20 to 320 Hz. For all spectral conditions, increasing the amount of temporal information had no significant effect on vowel recognition. Both voice gender discrimination and vowel recognition scores were highly variable among implant users. The performance of cochlear implant listeners was similar to that of normal-hearing subjects listening to comparable speech processing (4-8 spectral channels). The results suggest that both spectral and temporal cues contribute to voice gender discrimination and that temporal cues are especially important for cochlear implant users to identify the voice gender when there is reduced spectral resolution.

Discrimination of fish oil and mineral oil slicks on sea water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mac Dowall, J.

1969-01-01

Fish oil and mineral oil slicks on sea water can be discriminated by their different spreading characteristics and by their reflectivities and color variations over a range of wavelengths. Reflectivities of oil and oil films are determined using a duel beam reflectance apparatus.

Broad-Spectrum Molecular Detection of Fungal Nucleic Acids by PCR-Based Amplification Techniques.

PubMed

Czurda, Stefan; Lion, Thomas

2017-01-01

Over the past decade, the incidence of life-threatening invasive fungal infections has dramatically increased. Infections caused by hitherto rare and emerging fungal pathogens are associated with significant morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised patients. These observations render the coverage of a broad range of clinically relevant fungal pathogens highly important. The so-called panfungal or, perhaps more correctly, broad-range nucleic acid amplification techniques do not only facilitate sensitive detection of all clinically relevant fungal species but are also rapid and can be applied to analyses of any patient specimens. They have therefore become valuable diagnostic tools for sensitive screening of patients at risk of invasive fungal infections. This chapter summarizes the currently available molecular technologies employed in testing of a wide range of fungal pathogens, and provides a detailed workflow for patient screening by broad-spectrum nucleic acid amplification techniques.

An evaluation of the predictive performance of distributional models for flora and fauna in north-east New South Wales.

PubMed

Pearce, J; Ferrier, S; Scotts, D

2001-06-01

To use models of species distributions effectively in conservation planning, it is important to determine the predictive accuracy of such models. Extensive modelling of the distribution of vascular plant and vertebrate fauna species within north-east New South Wales has been undertaken by linking field survey data to environmental and geographical predictors using logistic regression. These models have been used in the development of a comprehensive and adequate reserve system within the region. We evaluate the predictive accuracy of models for 153 small reptile, arboreal marsupial, diurnal bird and vascular plant species for which independent evaluation data were available. The predictive performance of each model was evaluated using the relative operating characteristic curve to measure discrimination capacity. Good discrimination ability implies that a model's predictions provide an acceptable index of species occurrence. The discrimination capacity of 89% of the models was significantly better than random, with 70% of the models providing high levels of discrimination. Predictions generated by this type of modelling therefore provide a reasonably sound basis for regional conservation planning. The discrimination ability of models was highest for the less mobile biological groups, particularly the vascular plants and small reptiles. In the case of diurnal birds, poor performing models tended to be for species which occur mainly within specific habitats not well sampled by either the model development or evaluation data, highly mobile species, species that are locally nomadic or those that display very broad habitat requirements. Particular care needs to be exercised when employing models for these types of species in conservation planning.

Device and method for generating a beam of acoustic energy from a borehole, and applications thereof

DOEpatents

Vu, Cung Khac; Sinha, Dipen N; Pantea, Cristian; Nihei, Kurt T; Schmitt, Denis P; Skelt, Christopher

2013-10-01

In some aspects of the invention, a method of generating a beam of acoustic energy in a borehole is disclosed. The method includes generating a first broad-band acoustic pulse at a first broad-band frequency range having a first central frequency and a first bandwidth spread; generating a second broad-band acoustic pulse at a second broad-band frequency range different than the first frequency range having a second central frequency and a second bandwidth spread, wherein the first acoustic pulse and second acoustic pulse are generated by at least one transducer arranged on a tool located within the borehole; and transmitting the first and the second broad-band acoustic pulses into an acoustically non-linear medium, wherein the composition of the non-linear medium produces a collimated pulse by a non-linear mixing of the first and second acoustic pulses, wherein the collimated pulse has a frequency equal to the difference in frequencies between the first central frequency and the second central frequency and a bandwidth spread equal to the sum of the first bandwidth spread and the second bandwidth spread.

Flexible Ferroelectric Sensors with Ultrahigh Pressure Sensitivity and Linear Response over Exceptionally Broad Pressure Range.

PubMed

Lee, Youngoh; Park, Jonghwa; Cho, Soowon; Shin, Young-Eun; Lee, Hochan; Kim, Jinyoung; Myoung, Jinyoung; Cho, Seungse; Kang, Saewon; Baig, Chunggi; Ko, Hyunhyub

2018-04-24

Flexible pressure sensors with a high sensitivity over a broad linear range can simplify wearable sensing systems without additional signal processing for the linear output, enabling device miniaturization and low power consumption. Here, we demonstrate a flexible ferroelectric sensor with ultrahigh pressure sensitivity and linear response over an exceptionally broad pressure range based on the material and structural design of ferroelectric composites with a multilayer interlocked microdome geometry. Due to the stress concentration between interlocked microdome arrays and increased contact area in the multilayer design, the flexible ferroelectric sensors could perceive static/dynamic pressure with high sensitivity (47.7 kPa -1 , 1.3 Pa minimum detection). In addition, efficient stress distribution between stacked multilayers enables linear sensing over exceptionally broad pressure range (0.0013-353 kPa) with fast response time (20 ms) and high reliability over 5000 repetitive cycles even at an extremely high pressure of 272 kPa. Our sensor can be used to monitor diverse stimuli from a low to a high pressure range including weak gas flow, acoustic sound, wrist pulse pressure, respiration, and foot pressure with a single device.

Predicting dynamic range and intensity discrimination for electrical pulse-train stimuli using a stochastic auditory nerve model: the effects of stimulus noise.

PubMed

Xu, Yifang; Collins, Leslie M

2005-06-01

This work investigates dynamic range and intensity discrimination for electrical pulse-train stimuli that are modulated by noise using a stochastic auditory nerve model. Based on a hypothesized monotonic relationship between loudness and the number of spikes elicited by a stimulus, theoretical prediction of the uncomfortable level has previously been determined by comparing spike counts to a fixed threshold, Nucl. However, no specific rule for determining Nucl has been suggested. Our work determines the uncomfortable level based on the excitation pattern of the neural response in a normal ear. The number of fibers corresponding to the portion of the basilar membrane driven by a stimulus at an uncomfortable level in a normal ear is related to Nucl at an uncomfortable level of the electrical stimulus. Intensity discrimination limens are predicted using signal detection theory via the probability mass function of the neural response and via experimental simulations. The results show that the uncomfortable level for pulse-train stimuli increases slightly as noise level increases. Combining this with our previous threshold predictions, we hypothesize that the dynamic range for noise-modulated pulse-train stimuli should increase with additive noise. However, since our predictions indicate that intensity discrimination under noise degrades, overall intensity coding performance may not improve significantly.

Vertebral Osteomyelitis Caused by Helicobacter cinaedi Identified Using Broad-range Polymerase Chain Reaction with Sequencing of the Biopsied Specimen.

PubMed

Hase, Ryota; Hirooka, Takuya; Itabashi, Takashi; Endo, Yasunobu; Otsuka, Yoshihito

2018-05-15

A 65-year-old man presented with gradually exacerbating low back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed vertebral osteomyelitis in the Th11-L2 vertebral bodies and discs. The patient showed negative findings on conventional cultures. Direct broad-range polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with sequencing of the biopsied specimen had the highest similarity to the 16S rRNA gene of Helicobacter cinaedi. This case suggests that direct broad-range PCR with sequencing should be considered when conventional cultures cannot identify the causative organism of vertebral osteomyelitis, and that this method may be particularly useful when the pathogen is a fastidious organism, such as H. cinaedi.

Can CT imaging features of ground-glass opacity predict invasiveness? A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Dai, Jian; Yu, Guoyou; Yu, Jianqiang

2018-04-01

A meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the diagnostic performance of computed tomography (CT) imaging features of ground-glass opacity (GGO) to predict invasiveness. Two reviewers independently searched PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Embase and CNKI for relevant studies. CT imaging signs of bubble lucency, speculation, lobulated margin, and pleural indentation were used as diagnostic references to discriminate pre-invasive and invasive disease. The sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves, and the area under the SROC curve (AUC) were calculated to evaluate diagnostic efficiency. Twelve studies were finally included. Diagnostic performance ranged from 0.41 to 0.52 for sensitivity and 0.56 to 0.63 for specificity. The diagnostic positive and negative likelihood ratios ranged from 1.03 to 2.13 and 0.52 to 1.05, respectively. The DORs of the GGO CT features for discriminating invasive disease ranged from 1.02 to 4.00. The area under the ROC curve was also low, with a range of 0.60 to 0.67 for discriminating pre-invasive and invasive disease. The diagnostic value of a single CT imaging sign of GGO, such as bubble lucency, speculation, lobulated margin, or pleural indentation is limited for discriminating pre-invasive and invasive disease because of low sensitivity, specificity, and AUC. © 2018 The Authors. Thoracic Cancer published by China Lung Oncology Group and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

The Association Between Broad Antigen HLA Mismatches, Eplet HLA Mismatches and Acute Rejection After Kidney Transplantation.

PubMed

Do Nguyen, Hung Thanh; Wong, Germaine; Chapman, Jeremy R; McDonald, Stephen P; Coates, Patrick T; Watson, Narelle; Russ, Graeme R; D'Orsogna, Lloyd; Lim, Wai Hon

2016-12-01

Epitope matching, which evaluates mismatched amino acids within antigen-antibody interaction sites (eplets), may better predict acute rejection than broad antigen matching alone. We aimed to determine the association between eplet mismatches and acute rejection in kidney transplant recipients. The association between eplet mismatches, broad antigen mismatches and acute rejection was assessed using adjusted Cox proportional hazard regression. Model discrimination for acute rejection was evaluated using the area under receiver operating characteristic curves. Of the 3,499 kidney transplant recipients from 2006 to 2011, the average (SD) number of broad antigen and eplet mismatches were 3.4 (1.7) and 22.8 (12.2), respectively. Compared with 0 to 2 eplet mismatches, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for acute rejection among those with 20 or greater eplet mismatches was 2.16 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33-3.52; P = 0.001). The adjusted area under the curve for broad antigen mismatches was 0.58 (95% CI, 0.56-0.61), similar to that for eplet mismatches (HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.56-0.61; P = 0.365). In recipients who were considered as low immunological risk (0-2 broad antigen HLA-ABDR mismatch), those with 20 or greater eplet mismatches experienced an increased risk of rejection compared to those with less than 20 mismatches (adjusted HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.11-3.08; P = 0.019). Increasing number of eplet mismatches is associated with acute rejection in kidney transplant recipients. Consideration of eplet HLA mismatches may improve risk stratification for acute rejection in a selected group of kidney transplant candidates.

Differences in reward processing between putative cell types in primate prefrontal cortex

PubMed Central

Fan, Hongwei; Wang, Rubin; Sakagami, Masamichi

2017-01-01

Single-unit studies in monkeys have demonstrated that neurons in the prefrontal cortex predict the reward type, reward amount or reward availability associated with a stimulus. To examine contributions of pyramidal cells and interneurons in reward processing, single-unit activity was extracellularly recorded in prefrontal cortices of four monkeys performing a reward prediction task. Based on their shapes of spike waveforms, prefrontal neurons were classified into broad-spike and narrow-spike units that represented putative pyramidal cells and interneurons, respectively. We mainly observed that narrow-spike neurons showed higher firing rates but less bursty discharges than did broad-spike neurons. Both narrow-spike and broad-spike cells selectively responded to the stimulus, reward and their interaction, and the proportions of each type of selective neurons were similar between the two cell classes. Moreover, the two types of cells displayed equal reliability of reward or stimulus discrimination. Furthermore, we found that broad-spike and narrow-spike cells showed distinct mechanisms for encoding reward or stimulus information. Broad-spike neurons raised their firing rate relative to the baseline rate to represent the preferred reward or stimulus information, whereas narrow-spike neurons inhibited their firing rate lower than the baseline rate to encode the non-preferred reward or stimulus information. Our results suggest that narrow-spike and broad-spike cells were equally involved in reward and stimulus processing in the prefrontal cortex. They utilized a binary strategy to complementarily represent reward or stimulus information, which was consistent with the task structure in which the monkeys were required to remember two reward conditions and two visual stimuli. PMID:29261734

Differences in reward processing between putative cell types in primate prefrontal cortex.

PubMed

Fan, Hongwei; Pan, Xiaochuan; Wang, Rubin; Sakagami, Masamichi

2017-01-01

Single-unit studies in monkeys have demonstrated that neurons in the prefrontal cortex predict the reward type, reward amount or reward availability associated with a stimulus. To examine contributions of pyramidal cells and interneurons in reward processing, single-unit activity was extracellularly recorded in prefrontal cortices of four monkeys performing a reward prediction task. Based on their shapes of spike waveforms, prefrontal neurons were classified into broad-spike and narrow-spike units that represented putative pyramidal cells and interneurons, respectively. We mainly observed that narrow-spike neurons showed higher firing rates but less bursty discharges than did broad-spike neurons. Both narrow-spike and broad-spike cells selectively responded to the stimulus, reward and their interaction, and the proportions of each type of selective neurons were similar between the two cell classes. Moreover, the two types of cells displayed equal reliability of reward or stimulus discrimination. Furthermore, we found that broad-spike and narrow-spike cells showed distinct mechanisms for encoding reward or stimulus information. Broad-spike neurons raised their firing rate relative to the baseline rate to represent the preferred reward or stimulus information, whereas narrow-spike neurons inhibited their firing rate lower than the baseline rate to encode the non-preferred reward or stimulus information. Our results suggest that narrow-spike and broad-spike cells were equally involved in reward and stimulus processing in the prefrontal cortex. They utilized a binary strategy to complementarily represent reward or stimulus information, which was consistent with the task structure in which the monkeys were required to remember two reward conditions and two visual stimuli.

From bird to sparrow: Learning-induced modulations in fine-grained semantic discrimination.

PubMed

De Meo, Rosanna; Bourquin, Nathalie M-P; Knebel, Jean-François; Murray, Micah M; Clarke, Stephanie

2015-09-01

Recognition of environmental sounds is believed to proceed through discrimination steps from broad to more narrow categories. Very little is known about the neural processes that underlie fine-grained discrimination within narrow categories or about their plasticity in relation to newly acquired expertise. We investigated how the cortical representation of birdsongs is modulated by brief training to recognize individual species. During a 60-minute session, participants learned to recognize a set of birdsongs; they improved significantly their performance for trained (T) but not control species (C), which were counterbalanced across participants. Auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) were recorded during pre- and post-training sessions. Pre vs. post changes in AEPs were significantly different between T and C i) at 206-232ms post stimulus onset within a cluster on the anterior part of the left superior temporal gyrus; ii) at 246-291ms in the left middle frontal gyrus; and iii) 512-545ms in the left middle temporal gyrus as well as bilaterally in the cingulate cortex. All effects were driven by weaker activity for T than C species. Thus, expertise in discriminating T species modulated early stages of semantic processing, during and immediately after the time window that sustains the discrimination between human vs. animal vocalizations. Moreover, the training-induced plasticity is reflected by the sharpening of a left lateralized semantic network, including the anterior part of the temporal convexity and the frontal cortex. Training to identify birdsongs influenced, however, also the processing of C species, but at a much later stage. Correct discrimination of untrained sounds seems to require an additional step which results from lower-level features analysis such as apperception. We therefore suggest that the access to objects within an auditory semantic category is different and depends on subject's level of expertise. More specifically, correct intra-categorical auditory discrimination for untrained items follows the temporal hierarchy and transpires in a late stage of semantic processing. On the other hand, correct categorization of individually trained stimuli occurs earlier, during a period contemporaneous with human vs. animal vocalization discrimination, and involves a parallel semantic pathway requiring expertise. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Binaural pitch fusion: Comparison of normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listenersa)

PubMed Central

Reiss, Lina A. J.; Shayman, Corey S.; Walker, Emily P.; Bennett, Keri O.; Fowler, Jennifer R.; Hartling, Curtis L.; Glickman, Bess; Lasarev, Michael R.; Oh, Yonghee

2017-01-01

Binaural pitch fusion is the fusion of dichotically presented tones that evoke different pitches between the ears. In normal-hearing (NH) listeners, the frequency range over which binaural pitch fusion occurs is usually <0.2 octaves. Recently, broad fusion ranges of 1–4 octaves were demonstrated in bimodal cochlear implant users. In the current study, it was hypothesized that hearing aid (HA) users would also exhibit broad fusion. Fusion ranges were measured in both NH and hearing-impaired (HI) listeners with hearing losses ranging from mild-moderate to severe-profound, and relationships of fusion range with demographic factors and with diplacusis were examined. Fusion ranges of NH and HI listeners averaged 0.17 ± 0.13 octaves and 1.7 ± 1.5 octaves, respectively. In HI listeners, fusion ranges were positively correlated with a principal component measure of the covarying factors of young age, early age of hearing loss onset, and long durations of hearing loss and HA use, but not with hearing threshold, amplification level, or diplacusis. In NH listeners, no correlations were observed with age, hearing threshold, or diplacusis. The association of broad fusion with early onset, long duration of hearing loss suggests a possible role of long-term experience with hearing loss and amplification in the development of broad fusion. PMID:28372056

Multispectral fluorescence imaging technique for discrimination of cucumber (Cucumis Sativus) seed viability

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this study, we developed a nondestructive method for discriminating viable cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seeds based on hyperspectral fluorescence imaging. The fluorescence spectra of cucumber seeds in the 420–700 nm range were extracted from hyperspectral fluorescence images obtained using 365 nm u...

Life Span Changes in Visual Enumeration: The Number Discrimination Task.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trick, Lana M.; And Others

1996-01-01

Ninety-eight participants from 5 age groups with mean ages of 6, 8, 10, 22, and 72 years were tested in a series of speeded number discriminations. Found that response time slope as a function of number size decreased with age for numbers in the 1-4 range. (MDM)

Light collection and pulse-shape discrimination in elongated scintillator cells for the PROSPECT reactor antineutrino experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashenfelter, J.; Balantekin, B.; Band, H. R.; Barclay, G.; Bass, C. D.; Berish, D.; Bowden, N. S.; Bowes, A.; Brodsky, J. P.; Bryan, C. D.; Cherwinka, J. J.; Chu, R.; Classen, T.; Commeford, K.; Davee, D.; Dean, D.; Deichert, G.; Diwan, M. V.; Dolinski, M. J.; Dolph, J.; Dwyer, D. A.; Gaison, J. K.; Galindo-Uribarri, A.; Gilje, K.; Glenn, A.; Goddard, B. W.; Green, M.; Han, K.; Hans, S.; Heeger, K. M.; Heffron, B.; Jaffe, D. E.; Langford, T. J.; Littlejohn, B. R.; Martinez Caicedo, D. A.; McKeown, R. D.; Mendenhall, M. P.; Mueller, P.; Mumm, H. P.; Napolitano, J.; Neilson, R.; Norcini, D.; Pushin, D.; Qian, X.; Romero, E.; Rosero, R.; Saldana, L.; Seilhan, B. S.; Sharma, R.; Sheets, S.; Stemen, N. T.; Surukuchi, P. T.; Varner, R. L.; Viren, B.; Wang, W.; White, B.; White, C.; Wilhelmi, J.; Williams, C.; Wise, T.; Yao, H.; Yeh, M.; Yen, Y. R.; Zangakis, G.; Zhang, C.; Zhang, X.

2015-11-01

A meter-long, 23-liter EJ-309 liquid scintillator detector has been constructed to study the light collection and pulse-shape discrimination performance of elongated scintillator cells for the PROSPECT reactor antineutrino experiment. The magnitude and uniformity of light collection and neutron-gamma discrimination power in the energy range of antineutrino inverse beta decay products have been studied using gamma and spontaneous fission calibration sources deployed along the cell axis. We also study neutron-gamma discrimination and light collection abilities for differing PMT and reflector configurations. Key design features for optimizing MeV-scale response and background rejection capabilities are identified.

Classification of Fusarium-Infected Korean Hulled Barley Using Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis

PubMed Central

Lim, Jongguk; Kim, Giyoung; Mo, Changyeun; Oh, Kyoungmin; Yoo, Hyeonchae; Ham, Hyeonheui; Kim, Moon S.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to use near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy equipment to nondestructively and rapidly discriminate Fusarium-infected hulled barley. Both normal hulled barley and Fusarium-infected hulled barley were scanned by using a NIR spectrometer with a wavelength range of 1175 to 2170 nm. Multiple mathematical pretreatments were applied to the reflectance spectra obtained for Fusarium discrimination and the multivariate analysis method of partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used for discriminant prediction. The PLS-DA prediction model developed by applying the second-order derivative pretreatment to the reflectance spectra obtained from the side of hulled barley without crease achieved 100% accuracy in discriminating the normal hulled barley and the Fusarium-infected hulled barley. These results demonstrated the feasibility of rapid discrimination of the Fusarium-infected hulled barley by combining multivariate analysis with the NIR spectroscopic technique, which is utilized as a nondestructive detection method. PMID:28974012

Fast discrimination of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose using portable Raman spectrometer and multivariate methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Biao; Lu, Dan; Peng, Ming; Li, Xia; Zou, Ye; Huang, Meizhen; Lu, Feng

2017-02-01

Raman spectroscopy is developed as a fast and non-destructive method for the discrimination and classification of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) samples. 44 E series and 41 K series of HPMC samples are measured by a self-developed portable Raman spectrometer (Hx-Raman) which is excited by a 785 nm diode laser and the spectrum range is 200-2700 cm-1 with a resolution (FWHM) of 6 cm-1. Multivariate analysis is applied for discrimination of E series from K series. By methods of principal components analysis (PCA) and Fisher discriminant analysis (FDA), a discrimination result with sensitivity of 90.91% and specificity of 95.12% is achieved. The corresponding receiver operating characteristic (ROC) is 0.99, indicting the accuracy of the predictive model. This result demonstrates the prospect of portable Raman spectrometer for rapid, non-destructive classification and discrimination of E series and K series samples of HPMC.

Regulation of Cortical Dynamic Range by Background Synaptic Noise and Feedforward Inhibition

PubMed Central

Khubieh, Ayah; Ratté, Stéphanie; Lankarany, Milad; Prescott, Steven A.

2016-01-01

The cortex encodes a broad range of inputs. This breadth of operation requires sensitivity to weak inputs yet non-saturating responses to strong inputs. If individual pyramidal neurons were to have a narrow dynamic range, as previously claimed, then staggered all-or-none recruitment of those neurons would be necessary for the population to achieve a broad dynamic range. Contrary to this explanation, we show here through dynamic clamp experiments in vitro and computer simulations that pyramidal neurons have a broad dynamic range under the noisy conditions that exist in the intact brain due to background synaptic input. Feedforward inhibition capitalizes on those noise effects to control neuronal gain and thereby regulates the population dynamic range. Importantly, noise allows neurons to be recruited gradually and occludes the staggered recruitment previously attributed to heterogeneous excitation. Feedforward inhibition protects spike timing against the disruptive effects of noise, meaning noise can enable the gain control required for rate coding without compromising the precise spike timing required for temporal coding. PMID:26209846

Correlates of patient-reported racial/ethnic health care discrimination in the Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE).

PubMed

Lyles, Courtney R; Karter, Andrew J; Young, Bessie A; Spigner, Clarence; Grembowski, David; Schillinger, Dean; Adler, Nancy E

2011-02-01

We examined possible determinants of self-reported health care discrimination. We examined survey data from the Diabetes Study of Northern California (DISTANCE), a race-stratified sample of Kaiser diabetes patients. Respondents reported perceived discrimination, and regression models examined socioeconomic, acculturative, and psychosocial correlates. Subjects (n=17,795) included 20% Blacks, 23% Latinos, 13% East Asians, 11% Filipinos, and 27% Whites. Three percent and 20% reported health care and general discrimination. Health care discrimination was more frequently reported by minorities (ORs ranging from 2.0 to 2.9 compared with Whites) and those with poorer health literacy (OR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.04-1.16), limited English proficiency (OR=1.91, 95% CI: 1.32-2.78), and depression (OR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.10-2.13). In addition to race/ethnicity, health literacy and English proficiency may be bases of discrimination. Evaluation is needed to determine whether patients are treated differently or more apt to perceive discrimination, and whether depression fosters and/or follows perceived discrimination.

Racial Discrimination and Health Among Asian Americans: Evidence, Assessment, and Directions for Future Research

PubMed Central

Gee, Gilbert C.; Ro, Annie; Shariff-Marco, Salma; Chae, David

2016-01-01

Research shows that racial discrimination is related to illness among diverse racial and ethnic populations. Studies of racial discrimination and health among Asian Americans, however, remain underdeveloped. In this paper, the authors review evidence on racial discrimination and health among Asian Americans, identify gaps in the literature, and provide suggestions for future research. They identified 62 empirical articles assessing the relation between discrimination and health among Asian Americans. The majority of articles focused on mental health problems, followed by physical and behavioral problems. Most studies find that discrimination was associated with poorer health, although the most consistent findings were for mental health problems. This review suggests that future studies should continue to investigate the following: 1) the measurement of discrimination among Asian Americans, whose experiences may be qualitatively different from those of other racial minority groups; 2) the heterogeneity among Asian Americans, including those factors that are particularly salient in this population, such as ethnic ancestry and immigration history; and 3) the health implications of discrimination at multiple ecologic levels, ranging from the individual level to the structural level. PMID:19805401

A Novel Approach for Weed Type Classification Based on Shape Descriptors and a Fuzzy Decision-Making Method

PubMed Central

Herrera, Pedro Javier; Dorado, José.; Ribeiro, Ángela.

2014-01-01

An important objective in weed management is the discrimination between grasses (monocots) and broad-leaved weeds (dicots), because these two weed groups can be appropriately controlled by specific herbicides. In fact, efficiency is higher if selective treatment is performed for each type of infestation instead of using a broadcast herbicide on the whole surface. This work proposes a strategy where weeds are characterised by a set of shape descriptors (the seven Hu moments and six geometric shape descriptors). Weeds appear in outdoor field images which display real situations obtained from a RGB camera. Thus, images present a mixture of both weed species under varying conditions of lighting. In the presented approach, four decision-making methods were adapted to use the best shape descriptors as attributes and a choice was taken. This proposal establishes a novel methodology with a high success rate in weed species discrimination. PMID:25195854

Altering sensorimotor feedback disrupts visual discrimination of facial expressions.

PubMed

Wood, Adrienne; Lupyan, Gary; Sherrin, Steven; Niedenthal, Paula

2016-08-01

Looking at another person's facial expression of emotion can trigger the same neural processes involved in producing the expression, and such responses play a functional role in emotion recognition. Disrupting individuals' facial action, for example, interferes with verbal emotion recognition tasks. We tested the hypothesis that facial responses also play a functional role in the perceptual processing of emotional expressions. We altered the facial action of participants with a gel facemask while they performed a task that involved distinguishing target expressions from highly similar distractors. Relative to control participants, participants in the facemask condition demonstrated inferior perceptual discrimination of facial expressions, but not of nonface stimuli. The findings suggest that somatosensory/motor processes involving the face contribute to the visual perceptual-and not just conceptual-processing of facial expressions. More broadly, our study contributes to growing evidence for the fundamentally interactive nature of the perceptual inputs from different sensory modalities.

Variations in the Intragene Methylation Profiles Hallmark Induced Pluripotency

PubMed Central

Druzhkov, Pavel; Zolotykh, Nikolay; Meyerov, Iosif; Alsaedi, Ahmed; Shutova, Maria; Ivanchenko, Mikhail; Zaikin, Alexey

2015-01-01

We demonstrate the potential of differentiating embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells by the regularized linear and decision tree machine learning classification algorithms, based on a number of intragene methylation measures. The resulting average accuracy of classification has been proven to be above 95%, which overcomes the earlier achievements. We propose a constructive and transparent method of feature selection based on classifier accuracy. Enrichment analysis reveals statistically meaningful presence of stemness group and cancer discriminating genes among the selected best classifying features. These findings stimulate the further research on the functional consequences of these differences in methylation patterns. The presented approach can be broadly used to discriminate the cells of different phenotype or in different state by their methylation profiles, identify groups of genes constituting multifeature classifiers, and assess enrichment of these groups by the sets of genes with a functionality of interest. PMID:26618180

Prosodic differences between declaratives and interrogatives in infant-directed speech.

PubMed

Geffen, Susan; Mintz, Toben H

2017-07-01

In many languages, declaratives and interrogatives differ in word order properties, and in syntactic organization more broadly. Thus, in order to learn the distinct syntactic properties of the two sentence types, learners must first be able to distinguish them using non-syntactic information. Prosodic information is often assumed to be a useful basis for this type of discrimination, although no systematic studies of the prosodic cues available to infants have been reported. Analysis of maternal speech in three Standard American English-speaking mother-infant dyads found that polar interrogatives differed from declaratives on the patterning of pitch and duration on the final two syllables, but wh-questions did not. Thus, while prosody is unlikely to aid discrimination of declaratives from wh-questions, infant-directed speech provides prosodic information that infants could use to distinguish declaratives and polar interrogatives. We discuss how learners could leverage this information to identify all question forms, in the context of syntax acquisition.

Application of mental illness stigma theory to Chinese societies: synthesis and new directions.

PubMed

Yang, L H

2007-11-01

The rapidly-evolving literature concerning stigma towards psychiatric illnesses among Chinese groups has demonstrated pervasive negative attitudes and discriminatory treatment towards people with mental illness. However, a systematic integration of current stigma theories and empirical findings to examine how stigma processes may occur among Chinese ethnic groups has yet to be undertaken. This paper first introduces several major stigma models, and specifies how these models provide a theoretical basis as to how stigma broadly acts on individuals with schizophrenia through three main mechanisms: direct individual discrimination, internalisation of negative stereotypes, and structural discrimination. In Chinese societies, the particular manifestations of stigma associated with schizophrenia are shaped by cultural meanings embedded within Confucianism, the centrality of "face", and pejorative aetiological beliefs of mental illnesses. These cultural meanings are reflected in severe and culturally-specific expressions of stigma in Chinese societies. Implications and directions to advance stigma research within Chinese cultural settings are provided.

Discrimination between patients with mild Alzheimer's disease and healthy subjects based on cerebral blood flow images of the lateral views in xenon-enhanced computed tomography.

PubMed

Sase, Shigeru; Yamamoto, Homaro; Kawashima, Ena; Tan, Xin; Sawa, Yutaka

2018-01-01

Quantitative cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurement is expected to help early detection of functional abnormalities caused by Alzheimer's disease (AD) and enable AD treatment to begin in its early stages. Recently, a technique of layer analysis was reported that allowed CBF to be analyzed from the outer to inner layers of the brain. The aim of this work was to develop methods for discriminating between patients with mild AD and healthy subjects based on CBF images of the lateral views created with the layer analysis technique in xenon-enhanced computed tomography. Xenon-enhanced computed tomography using a wide-volume CT was performed on 17 patients with mild AD aged 75 or older and on 15 healthy age-matched volunteers. For each subject, we created CBF images of the right and left lateral views with a depth of 10-15 mm from the surface of the brain. Ten circular regions of interest (ROI) were placed on each image, and CBF was calculated for each ROI. We determined discriminant ROI that had CBF that could be used to differentiate between the AD and volunteer groups. AD patients' CBF range (mean - SD to mean + SD) and healthy volunteers' CBF range (mean - SD to mean + SD) were obtained for each ROI. Receiver-operator curves were created to identify patients with AD for each of the discriminant ROI and for the AD patients' and healthy volunteers' CBF ranges. We selected an ROI on both the right and left temporal lobes as the discriminant ROI. Areas under the receiver-operator curve were 93.3% using the ROI on the right temporal lobe, 95.3% using the ROI on the left temporal lobe, and 92.4% using the AD patients' and healthy volunteers' CBF ranges. We could effectively discriminate between patients with mild AD and healthy subjects using ROI placed on CBF images of the lateral views in xenon-enhanced computed tomography. © 2017 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

An EThcD-Based Method for Discrimination of Leucine and Isoleucine Residues in Tryptic Peptides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhokhov, Sergey S.; Kovalyov, Sergey V.; Samgina, Tatiana Yu.; Lebedev, Albert T.

2017-08-01

An EThcD-based approach for the reliable discrimination of isomeric leucine and isoleucine residues in peptide de novo sequencing procedure has been proposed. A multistage fragmentation of peptide ions was performed with Orbitrap Elite mass spectrometer in electrospray ionization mode. At the first stage, z-ions were produced by ETD or ETcaD fragmentation of doubly or triply charged peptide precursor ions. These primary ions were further fragmented by HCD with broad-band ion isolation, and the resulting w-ions showed different mass for leucine and isoleucine residues. The procedure did not require manual isolation of specific z-ions prior to HCD stage. Forty-three tryptic peptides (3 to 27 residues) obtained by trypsinolysis of human serum albumin (HSA) and gp188 protein were analyzed. To demonstrate a proper solution for radical site migration problem, three non-tryptic peptides were also analyzed. A total of 93 leucine and isoleucine residues were considered and 83 of them were correctly identified. The developed approach can be a reasonable substitution for additional Edman degradation procedure, which is still used in peptide sequencing for leucine and isoleucine discrimination.

Discrimination Method of the Volatiles from Fresh Mushrooms by an Electronic Nose Using a Trapping System and Statistical Standardization to Reduce Sensor Value Variation

PubMed Central

Fujioka, Kouki; Shimizu, Nobuo; Manome, Yoshinobu; Ikeda, Keiichi; Yamamoto, Kenji; Tomizawa, Yasuko

2013-01-01

Electronic noses have the benefit of obtaining smell information in a simple and objective manner, therefore, many applications have been developed for broad analysis areas such as food, drinks, cosmetics, medicine, and agriculture. However, measurement values from electronic noses have a tendency to vary under humidity or alcohol exposure conditions, since several types of sensors in the devices are affected by such variables. Consequently, we show three techniques for reducing the variation of sensor values: (1) using a trapping system to reduce the infering components; (2) performing statistical standardization (calculation of z-score); and (3) selecting suitable sensors. With these techniques, we discriminated the volatiles of four types of fresh mushrooms: golden needle (Flammulina velutipes), white mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), shiitake (Lentinus edodes), and eryngii (Pleurotus eryngii) among six fresh mushrooms (hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa), shimeji (Hypsizygus marmoreus) plus the above mushrooms). Additionally, we succeeded in discrimination of white mushroom, only comparing with artificial mushroom flavors, such as champignon flavor and truffle flavor. In conclusion, our techniques will expand the options to reduce variations in sensor values. PMID:24233028

Assessment of the Technologies for Molecular Biodosimetry for Human Low-Dose Radiation Exposure Symposium: Agenda and Abstracts

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

Coleman, Matthew A.; Ramakrishnan, Narayani

In the event of a radiological accident, the rapid evaluation of the individual absorbed dose is paramount to discriminate those individuals who must receive medical attention. New research with genomic- and proteomic-wide tools is showing that within minutes to hours after exposure to ionizing radiation the cellular machinery is modified. For example: large-scale changes occur in the gene expression profiles involving a broad variety of cellular pathways after a wide range of both low dose (<10 cGy) and high dose (>10 cGy) ionizing radiation exposures. Symposium 12 was organized to address a wide range of biological effects using the latestmore » technologies. To address current models following ionizing radiation exposure, methods in biodosimetry and dose effects the symposia featured a general overview titled “Model Systems and Current Approaches in Biodosimetry” by Matthew A. Coleman, from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a talk entitled “Brief Overview of Biodosimetry Projects in the NIH Rad/Nuc Program” by Dr. Narayani Ramakrishnan, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. These two talk set the tone for issues in data and model integration as well as addressing the national need for robust technologies for biological dosimetry. The report continues with more description of the presentations, along with the agenda and abstracts of the papers presented.« less

A search for new phenomena in pp collisions at $$\\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV$$ in final states with missing transverse momentum and at least one jet using the $$\\alpha _{\\mathrm {T}}$$ variable

DOE PAGES

Khachatryan, V.; Sirunyan, A. M.; Tumasyan, A.; ...

2017-05-08

A search for new phenomena is performed in final states containing one or more jets and an imbalance in transverse momentum in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13more » $$\\,\\text {TeV}$$. The analysed data sample, recorded with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 $$\\,\\text {fb}^{-1}$$. Several kinematic variables are employed to suppress the dominant background, multijet production, as well as to discriminate between other standard model and new physics processes. The search provides sensitivity to a broad range of new-physics models that yield a stable weakly interacting massive particle. The number of observed candidate events is found to agree with the expected contributions from standard model processes, and the result is interpreted in the mass parameter space of fourteen simplified supersymmetric models that assume the pair production of gluinos or squarks and a range of decay modes. For models that assume gluino pair production, masses up to 1575 and 975 $$\\,\\text {GeV}$$ are excluded for gluinos and neutralinos, respectively. For models involving the pair production of top squarks and compressed mass spectra, top squark masses up to 400 $$\\,\\text {GeV}$$ are excluded.« less

Impact of ethics and economics on end-of-life decisions in an Indian neonatal unit.

PubMed

Miljeteig, Ingrid; Sayeed, Sadath Ali; Jesani, Amar; Johansson, Kjell Arne; Norheim, Ole Frithjof

2009-08-01

The aim of this article was to describe how providers in an Indian NICU reach life-or-death treatment decisions. Qualitative in-depth interviews, field observations, and document analysis were conducted at an Indian nonprofit private tertiary institution that provided advanced neonatal care under conditions of resource scarcity. Compared with American and European units with similar technical capabilities, the unit studied maintained a much higher threshold for treatment initiation and continuation (range: 28-32 completed gestational weeks). We observed that complex, interrelated socioeconomic reasons influenced specific treatment decisions. Providers desired to protect families and avoid a broad range of perceived harms: they were reluctant to risk outcomes with chronic disability; they openly factored scarcity of institutional resources; they were sensitive to local, culturally entrenched intrafamilial dynamics; they placed higher regard for "precious" infants; and they felt relatively powerless to prevent gender discrimination. Formal or regulatory guidelines were either lacking or not controlling. In a tertiary-level academic Indian NICU, multiple factors external to predicted clinical survival of a preterm newborn influence treatment decisions. Providers adjust their decisions about withdrawing or withholding treatment on the basis of pragmatic considerations. Numerous issues related to resource scarcity are relevant, and providers prioritize outcomes that affect stakeholders other than the newborn. These findings may have implications for initiatives that seek to improve global neonatal health.

Understanding the neurophysiological basis of auditory abilities for social communication: a perspective on the value of ethological paradigms.

PubMed

Bennur, Sharath; Tsunada, Joji; Cohen, Yale E; Liu, Robert C

2013-11-01

Acoustic communication between animals requires them to detect, discriminate, and categorize conspecific or heterospecific vocalizations in their natural environment. Laboratory studies of the auditory-processing abilities that facilitate these tasks have typically employed a broad range of acoustic stimuli, ranging from natural sounds like vocalizations to "artificial" sounds like pure tones and noise bursts. However, even when using vocalizations, laboratory studies often test abilities like categorization in relatively artificial contexts. Consequently, it is not clear whether neural and behavioral correlates of these tasks (1) reflect extensive operant training, which drives plastic changes in auditory pathways, or (2) the innate capacity of the animal and its auditory system. Here, we review a number of recent studies, which suggest that adopting more ethological paradigms utilizing natural communication contexts are scientifically important for elucidating how the auditory system normally processes and learns communication sounds. Additionally, since learning the meaning of communication sounds generally involves social interactions that engage neuromodulatory systems differently than laboratory-based conditioning paradigms, we argue that scientists need to pursue more ethological approaches to more fully inform our understanding of how the auditory system is engaged during acoustic communication. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Communication Sounds and the Brain: New Directions and Perspectives". Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cultural adaptation and validation of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ): robust nine-dimension Danish language confirmatory factor model.

PubMed

Maindal, Helle Terkildsen; Kayser, Lars; Norgaard, Ole; Bo, Anne; Elsworth, Gerald R; Osborne, Richard H

2016-01-01

Health literacy is an important construct in population health and healthcare requiring rigorous measurement. The Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), with nine scales, measures a broad perception of health literacy. This study aimed to adapt the HLQ to the Danish setting, and to examine the factor structure, homogeneity, reliability and discriminant validity. The HLQ was adapted using forward-backward translation, consensus conference and cognitive interviews (n = 15). Psychometric properties were examined based on data collected by face-to-face interview (n = 481). Tests included difficulty level, composite scale reliability and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Cognitive testing revealed that only minor re-wording was required. The easiest scale to respond to positively was 'Social support for health', and the hardest were 'Navigating the healthcare system' and 'Appraisal of health information'. CFA of the individual scales showed acceptably high loadings (range 0.49-0.93). CFA fit statistics after including correlated residuals were good for seven scales, acceptable for one. Composite reliability and Cronbach's α were >0.8 for all but one scale. A nine-factor CFA model was fitted to items with no cross-loadings or correlated residuals allowed. Given this restricted model, the fit was satisfactory. The HLQ appears robust for its intended application of assessing health literacy in a range of settings. Further work is required to demonstrate sensitivity to measure changes.

A search for new phenomena in pp collisions at $$\\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV$$ in final states with missing transverse momentum and at least one jet using the $$\\alpha _{\\mathrm {T}}$$ variable

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

Khachatryan, V.; Sirunyan, A. M.; Tumasyan, A.

A search for new phenomena is performed in final states containing one or more jets and an imbalance in transverse momentum in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13more » $$\\,\\text {TeV}$$. The analysed data sample, recorded with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 2.3 $$\\,\\text {fb}^{-1}$$. Several kinematic variables are employed to suppress the dominant background, multijet production, as well as to discriminate between other standard model and new physics processes. The search provides sensitivity to a broad range of new-physics models that yield a stable weakly interacting massive particle. The number of observed candidate events is found to agree with the expected contributions from standard model processes, and the result is interpreted in the mass parameter space of fourteen simplified supersymmetric models that assume the pair production of gluinos or squarks and a range of decay modes. For models that assume gluino pair production, masses up to 1575 and 975 $$\\,\\text {GeV}$$ are excluded for gluinos and neutralinos, respectively. For models involving the pair production of top squarks and compressed mass spectra, top squark masses up to 400 $$\\,\\text {GeV}$$ are excluded.« less

Colour vision in AIDS patients without HIV retinopathy.

PubMed

Sommerhalder, J; Baglivo, E; Barbey, C; Hirschel, B; Roth, A; Pelizzone, M

1998-11-01

Patients suffering from AIDS develop ocular complications, the most frequent being HIV retinopathy. It is however not clear, if functional visual impairments can be observed as early indicators of ocular complications, before clinical diagnosis of HIV retinopathy is made at fundus examination. To address this issue, we measured colour vision in a group of 49 AIDS subjects with normal clinical fundi using the 'two equation method'. This method, combining red-green Rayleigh and the blue-green Moreland metameric matches, enables more complete and quantitative assessments of colour vision than those based on pigmentary tests. Data were collected on our computer controlled colorimeter and compared to those of normal subjects. While most AIDS subjects without HIV retinopathy demonstrated normal colour vision, a significant portion of them had wider matches than normal subjects (11% for the Rayleigh equation and 16% for the Moreland equation). Furthermore, matching ranges of the Moreland equation were significantly correlated with CD4 lymphocyte counts. Patients with low CD4 values tended to produce larger matching ranges than the patients with high CD4 values. A within subject study on 17 patients confirmed this trend and showed that the patients who increased/decreased their CD4 blood counts generally improved/impaired their colour discrimination in the Moreland match. No such correlation was found between the matching ranges of the Rayleigh equation and the CD4 counts. These results show that colour discrimination is slightly reduced in some AIDS subjects, although there are no detectable ocular complications. They also suggest two different types of colour vision impairments in AIDS patients without retinopathy: one reversible process affecting colour discrimination in the blue-green range; and another irreversible process affecting colour discrimination in the red-green range.

MEASURING EVERYDAY RACIAL/ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION IN HEALTH SURVEYS: How Best to Ask the Questions, in One or Two Stages, Across Multiple Racial/Ethnic Groups?

PubMed

Shariff-Marco, Salma; Breen, Nancy; Landrine, Hope; Reeve, Bryce B; Krieger, Nancy; Gee, Gilbert C; Williams, David R; Mays, Vickie M; Ponce, Ninez A; Alegría, Margarita; Liu, Benmei; Willis, Gordon; Johnson, Timothy P

2011-01-01

While it is clear that self-reported racial/ethnic discrimination is related to illness, there are challenges in measuring self-reported discrimination or unfair treatment. In the present study, we evaluate the psychometric properties of a self-reported instrument across racial/ ethnic groups in a population-based sample, and we test and interpret findings from applying two different widely-used approaches to asking about discrimination and unfair treatment. Even though we found that the subset of items we tested tap into a single underlying concept, we also found that different groups are more likely to report on different aspects of discrimination. Whether race is mentioned in the survey question affects both frequency and mean scores of reports of racial/ethnic discrimination. Our findings suggest caution to researchers when comparing studies that have used different approaches to measure racial/ethnic discrimination and allow us to suggest practical empirical guidelines for measuring and analyzing racial/ethnic discrimination. No less important, we have developed a self-reported measure of recent racial/ethnic discrimination that functions well in a range of different racial/ethnic groups and makes it possible to compare how racial/ethnic discrimination is associated with health disparities among multiple racial/ethnic groups.

Interpulse interval discrimination within and across channels: comparison of monopolar and tripolar mode of stimulation.

PubMed

Fielden, Claire A; Kluk, Karolina; McKay, Colette M

2014-05-01

Perception of temporal patterns is crucial to speech understanding and music perception in normal hearing, and is fundamental in the design and implementation of processing strategies for cochlear implants. Two experiments described here investigated the effect of stimulation mode (monopolar versus tripolar) on interpulse interval discrimination using single-electrode stimulation (experiment 1) and dual-electrode stimulation (experiment 2). Experiment 1 required participants to discriminate stimuli containing different interpulse intervals and experiment 2 required listeners to discriminate between two dual-electrode stimuli that had the same temporal pattern on each electrode, but differed in inter-electrode timing. The hypotheses were that (i) stimulation mode would affect the ability to distinguish interpulse interval patterns on a single electrode and (ii) the electrode separation range in which subjects were sensitive to inter-electrode timing would be more restricted in tripolar than in monopolar stimulation. Results in nine cochlear implant users showed that mode did not have a significant mean effect on either the ability to discriminate interpulse intervals in single-electrode stimulation or the range of electrode separation in dual-electrode stimulation in which participants were sensitive to inter-electrode timing. In conclusion, tripolar stimulation did not show any advantage in delivering temporal information within or across channels in this group.

Discriminant functions for sex estimation of modern Japanese skulls.

PubMed

Ogawa, Yoshinori; Imaizumi, Kazuhiko; Miyasaka, Sachio; Yoshino, Mineo

2013-05-01

The purpose of this study is to generate a set of discriminant functions in order to estimate the sex of modern Japanese skulls. To conduct the analysis, the anthropological measurement data of 113 individuals (73 males and 40 females) were collected from recent forensic anthropological test records at the National Research Institute of Police Science, Japan. Birth years of the individuals ranged from 1926 to 1979, and age at death was over 19 years for all individuals. A total of 10 anthropological measurements were used in the discriminant function analysis: maximum cranial length, cranial base length, maximum cranial breadth, maximum frontal breadth, basion-bregmatic height, upper facial breadth, bizygomatic breadth, bicondylar breadth, bigonial breadth, and ramal height. As a result, nine discriminant functions were established. The classification accuracy ranged from 79.0 to 89.9% when the measurements of the 113 individuals were substituted into the established functions, from 77.8 to 88.1% when a leave-one-out cross-validation procedure was applied to the data, and from 86.7 to 93.0% when the measurements of 50 new individuals (25 males and 25 females), unrelated to the establishment of the discriminant functions, were used. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Validation of SplitVectors Encoding for Quantitative Visualization of Large-Magnitude-Range Vector Fields

PubMed Central

Zhao, Henan; Bryant, Garnett W.; Griffin, Wesley; Terrill, Judith E.; Chen, Jian

2017-01-01

We designed and evaluated SplitVectors, a new vector field display approach to help scientists perform new discrimination tasks on large-magnitude-range scientific data shown in three-dimensional (3D) visualization environments. SplitVectors uses scientific notation to display vector magnitude, thus improving legibility. We present an empirical study comparing the SplitVectors approach with three other approaches - direct linear representation, logarithmic, and text display commonly used in scientific visualizations. Twenty participants performed three domain analysis tasks: reading numerical values (a discrimination task), finding the ratio between values (a discrimination task), and finding the larger of two vectors (a pattern detection task). Participants used both mono and stereo conditions. Our results suggest the following: (1) SplitVectors improve accuracy by about 10 times compared to linear mapping and by four times to logarithmic in discrimination tasks; (2) SplitVectors have no significant differences from the textual display approach, but reduce cluttering in the scene; (3) SplitVectors and textual display are less sensitive to data scale than linear and logarithmic approaches; (4) using logarithmic can be problematic as participants' confidence was as high as directly reading from the textual display, but their accuracy was poor; and (5) Stereoscopy improved performance, especially in more challenging discrimination tasks. PMID:28113469

Validation of SplitVectors Encoding for Quantitative Visualization of Large-Magnitude-Range Vector Fields.

PubMed

Henan Zhao; Bryant, Garnett W; Griffin, Wesley; Terrill, Judith E; Jian Chen

2017-06-01

We designed and evaluated SplitVectors, a new vector field display approach to help scientists perform new discrimination tasks on large-magnitude-range scientific data shown in three-dimensional (3D) visualization environments. SplitVectors uses scientific notation to display vector magnitude, thus improving legibility. We present an empirical study comparing the SplitVectors approach with three other approaches - direct linear representation, logarithmic, and text display commonly used in scientific visualizations. Twenty participants performed three domain analysis tasks: reading numerical values (a discrimination task), finding the ratio between values (a discrimination task), and finding the larger of two vectors (a pattern detection task). Participants used both mono and stereo conditions. Our results suggest the following: (1) SplitVectors improve accuracy by about 10 times compared to linear mapping and by four times to logarithmic in discrimination tasks; (2) SplitVectors have no significant differences from the textual display approach, but reduce cluttering in the scene; (3) SplitVectors and textual display are less sensitive to data scale than linear and logarithmic approaches; (4) using logarithmic can be problematic as participants' confidence was as high as directly reading from the textual display, but their accuracy was poor; and (5) Stereoscopy improved performance, especially in more challenging discrimination tasks.

Perceptions of weight discrimination: prevalence and comparison to race and gender discrimination in America.

PubMed

Puhl, R M; Andreyeva, T; Brownell, K D

2008-06-01

Limited data are available on the prevalence and patterns of body weight discrimination from representative samples. This study examined experiences of weight/height discrimination in a nationally representative sample of US adults and compared their prevalence and patterns with discrimination experiences based on race and gender. Data were from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, a 1995-1996 community-based survey of English-speaking adults aged 25-74 (N=2290). Reported experiences of weight/height discrimination included a variety of institutional settings and interpersonal relationships. Multivariate regression analyses were used to predict weight/height discrimination controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and body weight status. The prevalence of weight/height discrimination ranged from 5% among men to 10% among women, but these average percentages obscure the much higher risk of weight discrimination among heavier individuals (40% for adults with body mass index (BMI) of 35 and above). Younger individuals with a higher BMI had a particularly high risk of weight/height discrimination regardless of their race, education and weight status. Women were at greater risk for weight/height discrimination than men, especially women with a BMI of 30-35 who were three times more likely to report weight/height discrimination compared to male peers of a similar weight. Weight/height discrimination is prevalent in American society and is relatively close to reported rates of racial discrimination, particularly among women. Both institutional forms of weight/height discrimination (for example, in employment settings) and interpersonal mistreatment due to weight/height (for example, being called names) were common, and in some cases were even more prevalent than discrimination due to gender and race.

Evaluation of factors in development of Vis/NIR spectroscopy models for discriminating PSE, DFD and normal broiler breast meat

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

1. To evaluate the performance of visible and near-infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroscopic models for discriminating true pale, soft and exudative (PSE), normal and dark, firm and dry (DFD) broiler breast meat in different conditions of preprocessing methods, spectral ranges, characteristic wavelength sele...

Racial Socialization of Biracial Youth: Maternal Messages and Approaches to Address Discrimination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rollins, Alethea; Hunter, Andrea G.

2013-01-01

We explored how mothers of biracial youth prepare their children to navigate diverse racial ecologies and experiences of racism and discrimination. A qualitative thematic analysis was used to identify racial socialization messages mothers used and emergent racial socialization approaches. Mothers of biracial youth engaged in the full range of…

Court Cases Alleging Employment Discrimination in Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Speers, Gary M.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this research was to examine Court Cases Alleging Employment Discrimination in Public Schools by analyzing 115 law based court cases ranging during 1980-2012, through the most available publication of "West's Educational Law Digest" of 2012. Employment is a means to provide sustainable income to support the individual(s)…

Infants' Auditory Enumeration: Evidence for Analog Magnitudes in the Small Number Range

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

vanMarle, Kristy; Wynn, Karen

2009-01-01

Vigorous debate surrounds the issue of whether infants use different representational mechanisms to discriminate small and large numbers. We report evidence for ratio-dependent performance in infants' discrimination of small numbers of auditory events, suggesting that infants can use analog magnitudes to represent small values, at least in the…

[Support vector machine?assisted diagnosis of human malignant gastric tissues based on dielectric properties].

PubMed

Zhang, Sa; Li, Zhou; Xin, Xue-Gang

2017-12-20

To achieve differential diagnosis of normal and malignant gastric tissues based on discrepancies in their dielectric properties using support vector machine. The dielectric properties of normal and malignant gastric tissues at the frequency ranging from 42.58 to 500 MHz were measured by coaxial probe method, and the Cole?Cole model was used to fit the measured data. Receiver?operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the discrimination capability with respect to permittivity, conductivity, and Cole?Cole fitting parameters. Support vector machine was used for discriminating normal and malignant gastric tissues, and the discrimination accuracy was calculated using k?fold cross? The area under the ROC curve was above 0.8 for permittivity at the 5 frequencies at the lower end of the measured frequency range. The combination of the support vector machine with the permittivity at all these 5 frequencies combined achieved the highest discrimination accuracy of 84.38% with a MATLAB runtime of 3.40 s. The support vector machine?assisted diagnosis is feasible for human malignant gastric tissues based on the dielectric properties.

The association between income, education, and experiences of discrimination in older African American and European American patients.

PubMed

Halanych, Jewell H; Safford, Monika M; Shikany, James M; Cuffee, Yendelela; Person, Sharina D; Scarinci, Isabel C; Kiefe, Catarina I; Allison, Jeroan J

2011-01-01

Racial/ethnic discrimination has adverse effects on health outcomes, as does low income and education, but the relationship between discrimination, income, and education is not well characterized. In this study, we describe the associations of discrimination with income and education in elderly African Americans (AA) and European Americans (EA). Cross-sectional observational study involving computer-assisted telephone survey. Southeastern United States. AA and EA Medicare managed care enrollees. Discrimination was measured with the Experience of Discrimination (EOD) scale (range 0-35). We used zero-inflated negative binomial models to determine the association between self-reported income and education and 1) presence of any discrimination and 2) intensity of discrimination. Among 1,800 participants (45% AA, 56% female, and mean age 73 years), EA reported less discrimination than AA (4% vs. 47%; P < .001). AA men reported more discrimination and more intense discrimination than AA women (EOD scores 4.35 vs. 2.50; P < .001). Both income and education were directly and linearly associated with both presence of discrimination and intensity of discrimination in AA, so that people with higher incomes and education experienced more discrimination. In adjusted models, predicted EOD scores among AA decreased with increasing age categories (3.42, 3.21, 2.99, 2.53; P < .01) and increased with increasing income (2.36, 3.44, 4.17; P < .001) and education categories (2.31, 3.09, 5.12; P < .001). This study suggests future research should focus less on differences between racial/ethnic groups and more on factors within minority populations that may contribute to healthcare disparities.

Atmospheric simulator and calibration system for remote sensing radiometers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holland, J. A.

1983-01-01

A system for calibrating the MAPS (measurement of air pollution from satellites) instruments was developed. The design of the system provides a capability for simulating a broad range of radiant energy source temperatures and a broad range of atmospheric pressures, temperatures, and pollutant concentrations for a single slab atmosphere. The system design and the system operation are described.

Light collection and pulse-shape discrimination in elongated scintillator cells for the PROSPECT reactor antineutrino experiment

DOE PAGES

Ashenfelter, J.; Jaffe, D.; Diwan, M. V.; ...

2015-11-06

A meter-long, 23-liter EJ-309 liquid scintillator detector has been constructed to study the light collection and pulse-shape discrimination performance of elongated scintillator cells for the PROSPECT reactor antineutrino experiment. The magnitude and uniformity of light collection and neutron-gamma discrimination power in the energy range of antineutrino inverse beta decay products have been studied using gamma and spontaneous fission calibration sources deployed along the cell axis. We also study neutron-gamma discrimination and light collection abilities for differing PMT and reflector configurations. As a result, key design features for optimizing MeV-scale response and background rejection capabilities are identified.

Perceptual Reorganization of Lexical Tones: Effects of Age and Experimental Procedure

PubMed Central

Götz, Antonia; Yeung, H. Henny; Krasotkina, Anna; Schwarzer, Gudrun; Höhle, Barbara

2018-01-01

Findings on the perceptual reorganization of lexical tones are mixed. Some studies report good tone discrimination abilities for all tested age groups, others report decreased or enhanced discrimination with increasing age, and still others report U-shaped developmental curves. Since prior studies have used a wide range of contrasts and experimental procedures, it is unclear how specific task requirements interact with discrimination abilities at different ages. In the present work, we tested German and Cantonese adults on their discrimination of Cantonese lexical tones, as well as German-learning infants between 6 and 18 months of age on their discrimination of two specific Cantonese tones using two different types of experimental procedures. The adult experiment showed that German native speakers can discriminate between lexical tones, but native Cantonese speakers show significantly better performance. The results from German-learning infants suggest that 6- and 18-month-olds discriminate tones, while 9-month-olds do not, supporting a U-shaped developmental curve. Furthermore, our results revealed an effect of methodology, with good discrimination performance at 6 months after habituation but not after familiarization. These results support three main conclusions. First, habituation can be a more sensitive procedure for measuring infants' discrimination than familiarization. Second, the previous finding of a U-shaped curve in the discrimination of lexical tones is further supported. Third, discrimination abilities at 18 months appear to reflect mature perceptual sensitivity to lexical tones, since German adults also discriminated the lexical tones with high accuracy. PMID:29681877

Social cognition in a case of amnesia with neurodevelopmental mechanisms.

PubMed

Staniloiu, Angelica; Borsutzky, Sabine; Woermann, Friedrich G; Markowitsch, Hans J

2013-01-01

Episodic-autobiographical memory (EAM) is considered to emerge gradually in concert with the development of other cognitive abilities (such as executive functions, personal semantic knowledge, emotional knowledge, theory of mind (ToM) functions, language, and working memory). On the brain level its emergence is accompanied by structural and functional reorganization of different components of the so-called EAM network. This network includes the hippocampal formation, which is viewed as being vital for the acquisition of memories of personal events for long-term storage. Developmental studies have emphasized socio-cultural-linguistic mechanisms that may be unique to the development of EAM. Furthermore it was hypothesized that one of the main functions of EAM is the social one. In the research field, the link between EAM and social cognition remains however debated. Herein we aim to bring new insights into the relation between EAM and social information processing (including social cognition) by describing a young adult patient with amnesia with neurodevelopmental mechanisms due to perinatal complications accompanied by hypoxia. The patient was investigated medically, psychiatrically, and with neuropsychological and neuroimaging methods. Structural high resolution magnetic resonance imaging revealed significant bilateral hippocampal atrophy as well as indices for degeneration in the amygdalae, basal ganglia, and thalamus, when a less conservative threshold was applied. In addition to extensive memory investigations and testing other (non-social) cognitive functions, we employed a broad range of tests that assessed social information processing (social perception, social cognition, social regulation). Our results point to both preserved (empathy, core ToM functions, visual affect selection, and discrimination, affective prosody discrimination) and impaired domains of social information processing (incongruent affective prosody processing, complex social judgments). They support proposals for a role of the hippocampal formation in processing more complex social information that likely requires multimodal relational handling.

Social cognition in a case of amnesia with neurodevelopmental mechanisms

PubMed Central

Staniloiu, Angelica; Borsutzky, Sabine; Woermann, Friedrich G.; Markowitsch, Hans J.

2013-01-01

Episodic–autobiographical memory (EAM) is considered to emerge gradually in concert with the development of other cognitive abilities (such as executive functions, personal semantic knowledge, emotional knowledge, theory of mind (ToM) functions, language, and working memory). On the brain level its emergence is accompanied by structural and functional reorganization of different components of the so-called EAM network. This network includes the hippocampal formation, which is viewed as being vital for the acquisition of memories of personal events for long-term storage. Developmental studies have emphasized socio-cultural-linguistic mechanisms that may be unique to the development of EAM. Furthermore it was hypothesized that one of the main functions of EAM is the social one. In the research field, the link between EAM and social cognition remains however debated. Herein we aim to bring new insights into the relation between EAM and social information processing (including social cognition) by describing a young adult patient with amnesia with neurodevelopmental mechanisms due to perinatal complications accompanied by hypoxia. The patient was investigated medically, psychiatrically, and with neuropsychological and neuroimaging methods. Structural high resolution magnetic resonance imaging revealed significant bilateral hippocampal atrophy as well as indices for degeneration in the amygdalae, basal ganglia, and thalamus, when a less conservative threshold was applied. In addition to extensive memory investigations and testing other (non-social) cognitive functions, we employed a broad range of tests that assessed social information processing (social perception, social cognition, social regulation). Our results point to both preserved (empathy, core ToM functions, visual affect selection, and discrimination, affective prosody discrimination) and impaired domains of social information processing (incongruent affective prosody processing, complex social judgments). They support proposals for a role of the hippocampal formation in processing more complex social information that likely requires multimodal relational handling. PMID:23805111

Abiotic ozone and oxygen in atmospheres similar to prebiotic Earth

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

Domagal-Goldman, Shawn D.; Segura, Antígona; Claire, Mark W.

The search for life on planets outside our solar system will use spectroscopic identification of atmospheric biosignatures. The most robust remotely detectable potential biosignature is considered to be the detection of oxygen (O{sub 2}) or ozone (O{sub 3}) simultaneous to methane (CH{sub 4}) at levels indicating fluxes from the planetary surface in excess of those that could be produced abiotically. Here we use an altitude-dependent photochemical model with the enhanced lower boundary conditions necessary to carefully explore abiotic O{sub 2} and O{sub 3} production on lifeless planets with a wide variety of volcanic gas fluxes and stellar energy distributions. Onmore » some of these worlds, we predict limited O{sub 2} and O{sub 3} buildup, caused by fast chemical production of these gases. This results in detectable abiotic O{sub 3} and CH{sub 4} features in the UV-visible, but no detectable abiotic O{sub 2} features. Thus, simultaneous detection of O{sub 3} and CH{sub 4} by a UV-visible mission is not a strong biosignature without proper contextual information. Discrimination between biological and abiotic sources of O{sub 2} and O{sub 3} is possible through analysis of the stellar and atmospheric context—particularly redox state and O atom inventory—of the planet in question. Specifically, understanding the spectral characteristics of the star and obtaining a broad wavelength range for planetary spectra should allow more robust identification of false positives for life. This highlights the importance of wide spectral coverage for future exoplanet characterization missions. Specifically, discrimination between true and false positives may require spectral observations that extend into infrared wavelengths and provide contextual information on the planet's atmospheric chemistry.« less

Quantitative fluorescence in intracranial tumor: implications for ALA-induced PpIX as an intraoperative biomarker

PubMed Central

Valdés, Pablo A.; Leblond, Frederic; Kim, Anthony; Harris, Brent T.; Wilson, Brian C.; Fan, Xiaoyao; Tosteson, Tor D.; Hartov, Alex; Ji, Songbai; Erkmen, Kadir; Simmons, Nathan E.; Paulsen, Keith D.; Roberts, David W.

2011-01-01

Object Accurate discrimination between tumor and normal tissue is crucial for optimal tumor resection. Qualitative fluorescence of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), synthesized endogenously following δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) administration, has been used for this purpose in high-grade glioma (HGG). The authors show that diagnostically significant but visually imperceptible concentrations of PpIX can be quantitatively measured in vivo and used to discriminate normal from neoplastic brain tissue across a range of tumor histologies. Methods The authors studied 14 patients with diagnoses of low-grade glioma (LGG), HGG, meningioma, and metastasis under an institutional review board–approved protocol for fluorescence-guided resection. The primary aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic capabilities of a highly sensitive, spectrally resolved quantitative fluorescence approach to conventional fluorescence imaging for detection of neoplastic tissue in vivo. Results A significant difference in the quantitative measurements of PpIX concentration occurred in all tumor groups compared with normal brain tissue. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of PpIX concentration as a diagnostic variable for detection of neoplastic tissue yielded a classification efficiency of 87% (AUC = 0.95, specificity = 92%, sensitivity = 84%) compared with 66% (AUC = 0.73, specificity = 100%, sensitivity = 47%) for conventional fluorescence imaging (p < 0.0001). More than 81% (57 of 70) of the quantitative fluorescence measurements that were below the threshold of the surgeon's visual perception were classified correctly in an analysis of all tumors. Conclusions These findings are clinically profound because they demonstrate that ALA-induced PpIX is a targeting biomarker for a variety of intracranial tumors beyond HGGs. This study is the first to measure quantitative ALA-induced PpIX concentrations in vivo, and the results have broad implications for guidance during resection of intracranial tumors. PMID:21438658

A contemporary risk model for predicting 30-day mortality following percutaneous coronary intervention in England and Wales.

PubMed

McAllister, Katherine S L; Ludman, Peter F; Hulme, William; de Belder, Mark A; Stables, Rodney; Chowdhary, Saqib; Mamas, Mamas A; Sperrin, Matthew; Buchan, Iain E

2016-05-01

The current risk model for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the UK is based on outcomes of patients treated in a different era of interventional cardiology. This study aimed to create a new model, based on a contemporary cohort of PCI treated patients, which would: predict 30 day mortality; provide good discrimination; and be well calibrated across a broad risk-spectrum. The model was derived from a training dataset of 336,433 PCI cases carried out between 2007 and 2011 in England and Wales, with 30 day mortality provided by record linkage. Candidate variables were selected on the basis of clinical consensus and data quality. Procedures in 2012 were used to perform temporal validation of the model. The strongest predictors of 30-day mortality were: cardiogenic shock; dialysis; and the indication for PCI and the degree of urgency with which it was performed. The model had an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.85 on the training data and 0.86 on validation. Calibration plots indicated a good model fit on development which was maintained on validation. We have created a contemporary model for PCI that encompasses a range of clinical risk, from stable elective PCI to emergency primary PCI and cardiogenic shock. The model is easy to apply and based on data reported in national registries. It has a high degree of discrimination and is well calibrated across the risk spectrum. The examination of key outcomes in PCI audit can be improved with this risk-adjusted model. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Large-scale optimization-based classification models in medicine and biology.

PubMed

Lee, Eva K

2007-06-01

We present novel optimization-based classification models that are general purpose and suitable for developing predictive rules for large heterogeneous biological and medical data sets. Our predictive model simultaneously incorporates (1) the ability to classify any number of distinct groups; (2) the ability to incorporate heterogeneous types of attributes as input; (3) a high-dimensional data transformation that eliminates noise and errors in biological data; (4) the ability to incorporate constraints to limit the rate of misclassification, and a reserved-judgment region that provides a safeguard against over-training (which tends to lead to high misclassification rates from the resulting predictive rule); and (5) successive multi-stage classification capability to handle data points placed in the reserved-judgment region. To illustrate the power and flexibility of the classification model and solution engine, and its multi-group prediction capability, application of the predictive model to a broad class of biological and medical problems is described. Applications include: the differential diagnosis of the type of erythemato-squamous diseases; predicting presence/absence of heart disease; genomic analysis and prediction of aberrant CpG island meythlation in human cancer; discriminant analysis of motility and morphology data in human lung carcinoma; prediction of ultrasonic cell disruption for drug delivery; identification of tumor shape and volume in treatment of sarcoma; discriminant analysis of biomarkers for prediction of early atherosclerois; fingerprinting of native and angiogenic microvascular networks for early diagnosis of diabetes, aging, macular degeneracy and tumor metastasis; prediction of protein localization sites; and pattern recognition of satellite images in classification of soil types. In all these applications, the predictive model yields correct classification rates ranging from 80 to 100%. This provides motivation for pursuing its use as a medical diagnostic, monitoring and decision-making tool.

Different Neuroplasticity for Task Targets and Distractors

PubMed Central

Spingath, Elsie Y.; Kang, Hyun Sug; Plummer, Thane; Blake, David T.

2011-01-01

Adult learning-induced sensory cortex plasticity results in enhanced action potential rates in neurons that have the most relevant information for the task, or those that respond strongly to one sensory stimulus but weakly to its comparison stimulus. Current theories suggest this plasticity is caused when target stimulus evoked activity is enhanced by reward signals from neuromodulatory nuclei. Prior work has found evidence suggestive of nonselective enhancement of neural responses, and suppression of responses to task distractors, but the differences in these effects between detection and discrimination have not been directly tested. Using cortical implants, we defined physiological responses in macaque somatosensory cortex during serial, matched, detection and discrimination tasks. Nonselective increases in neural responsiveness were observed during detection learning. Suppression of responses to task distractors was observed during discrimination learning, and this suppression was specific to cortical locations that sampled responses to the task distractor before learning. Changes in receptive field size were measured as the area of skin that had a significant response to a constant magnitude stimulus, and these areal changes paralleled changes in responsiveness. From before detection learning until after discrimination learning, the enduring changes were selective suppression of cortical locations responsive to task distractors, and nonselective enhancement of responsiveness at cortical locations selective for target and control skin sites. A comparison of observations in prior studies with the observed plasticity effects suggests that the non-selective response enhancement and selective suppression suffice to explain known plasticity phenomena in simple spatial tasks. This work suggests that differential responsiveness to task targets and distractors in primary sensory cortex for a simple spatial detection and discrimination task arise from nonselective increases in response over a broad cortical locus that includes the representation of the task target, and selective suppression of responses to the task distractor within this locus. PMID:21297962

Mathematical and Statistical Software Index.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-08-01

geometric) mean HMEAN - harmonic mean MEDIAN - median MODE - mode QUANT - quantiles OGIVE - distribution curve IQRNG - interpercentile range RANGE ... range mutliphase pivoting algorithm cross-classification multiple discriminant analysis cross-tabul ation mul tipl e-objecti ve model curve fitting...Statistics). .. .. .... ...... ..... ...... ..... .. 21 *RANGEX (Correct Correlations for Curtailment of Range ). .. .. .... ...... ... 21 *RUMMAGE II (Analysis

Spatial-frequency spectrum of patterns changes the visibility of spatial-phase differences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawton, T. B.

1985-01-01

It is shown that spatial-frequency components over a 4-octave range affected the visibility of spatial-phase differences. Contrast thresholds were measured for discrimination between two (+45- and -45-deg) spatial phases of a sinusoidal test grating added to a background grating. The background could contain one or several sinusoidal components, all in 0-deg phase. Phase differences between the test and the background were visible at lower contrasts when test and background frequencies were harmonically related than when they were not, when test and background frequencies were within 1 octave than when they were farther apart, when the fundamental frequency of the background was low than when it was high, and for some discriminations more than for others, after practice. The visibility of phase differences was not affected by additional components in the background if the fundamental and difference frequencies of the background remained unchanged. Observers' reports of their strategies gave information about the types of attentive processing that were used to discriminate phase differences. Attentive processing facilitated phase discrimination for multifrequency gratings spanning a much wider range of spatial frequencies than would be possible by using only local preattentive processing. These results were consistent with the visibility of phase differences being processed by some combination of even- and odd-symmetric simple cells tuned to a wide range of different spatial frequencies.

Visuomotor sensitivity to visual information about surface orientation.

PubMed

Knill, David C; Kersten, Daniel

2004-03-01

We measured human visuomotor sensitivity to visual information about three-dimensional surface orientation by analyzing movements made to place an object on a slanted surface. We applied linear discriminant analysis to the kinematics of subjects' movements to surfaces with differing slants (angle away form the fronto-parallel) to derive visuomotor d's for discriminating surfaces differing in slant by 5 degrees. Subjects' visuomotor sensitivity to information about surface orientation was very high, with discrimination "thresholds" ranging from 2 to 3 degrees. In a first experiment, we found that subjects performed only slightly better using binocular cues alone than monocular texture cues and that they showed only weak evidence for combining the cues when both were available, suggesting that monocular cues can be just as effective in guiding motor behavior in depth as binocular cues. In a second experiment, we measured subjects' perceptual discrimination and visuomotor thresholds in equivalent stimulus conditions to decompose visuomotor sensitivity into perceptual and motor components. Subjects' visuomotor thresholds were found to be slightly greater than their perceptual thresholds for a range of memory delays, from 1 to 3 s. The data were consistent with a model in which perceptual noise increases with increasing delay between stimulus presentation and movement initiation, but motor noise remains constant. This result suggests that visuomotor and perceptual systems rely on the same visual estimates of surface slant for memory delays ranging from 1 to 3 s.

Seismo-acoustic analysis of the near quarry blasts using Plostina small aperture array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghica, Daniela; Stancu, Iulian; Ionescu, Constantin

2013-04-01

Seismic and acoustic signals are important to recognize different type of industrial blasting sources in order to discriminate between them and natural earthquakes. We have analyzed the seismic events listed in the Romanian catalogue (Romplus) for the time interval between 2011 and 2012, and occurred in the Dobrogea region, in order to determine detection seismo-acoustic signals of quarry blasts by Plostina array stations. Dobrogea is known as a seismic region characterized by crustal earthquakes with low magnitudes; at the same time, over 40 quarry mines are located in the area, being sources of blasts recorded both with the seismic and infrasound sensors of the Romanian Seismic Network. Plostina seismo-acoustic array, deployed in the central part of Romania, consists of 7 seismic sites (3C broad-band instruments and accelerometers) collocated with 7 infrasound instruments. The array is particularly used for the seismic monitoring of the local and regional events, as well as for the detection of infrasonic signals produced by various sources. Considering the characteristics of the infrasound sensors (frequency range, dynamic, sensibility), the array proved its efficiency in observing the signals produced by explosions, mine explosion and quarry blasts. The quarry mines included for this study cover distances of two hundreds of kilometers from the station and routinely generate explosions that are detected as seismic and infrasonic signals with Plostina array. The combined seismo-acoustic analysis uses two types of detectors for signal identification: one, applied for the seismic signal identification, is based on array processing techniques (beamforming and frequency-wave number analysis), while the other one, which is used for infrasound detection and characterization, is the automatic detector DFX-PMCC (Progressive Multi-Channel Correlation Method). Infrasonic waves generated by quarry blasts have frequencies ranging from 0.05 Hz up to at least 6 Hz and amplitudes below 5 Pa. Seismic data analysis shows that the frequency range of the signals are above 2 Hz. Surface explosions such as quarry blasts are useful sources for checking detection and location efficiency, when seismic measurements are added. The process is crucial for discrimination purposes and for establishing of a set of ground-truth infrasound events. Ground truth information plays a key role in the interpretation of infrasound signals, by including near-field observations from industrial blasts.

Auditory mechanics and sensitivity in the tropical butterfly Morpho peleides (Papilionoidea, Nymphalidae).

PubMed

Lucas, Kathleen M; Windmill, James F C; Robert, Daniel; Yack, Jayne E

2009-11-01

The ears of insects exhibit a broad functional diversity with the ability to detect sounds across a wide range of frequencies and intensities. In tympanal ears, the membrane is a crucial step in the transduction of the acoustic stimulus into a neural signal. The tropical butterfly Morpho peleides has an oval-shaped membrane at the base of the forewing with an unusual dome in the middle of the structure. We are testing the hypothesis that this unconventional anatomical arrangement determines the mechanical tuning properties of this butterfly ear. Using microscanning laser Doppler vibrometry to measure the vibrational characteristics of this novel tympanum, the membrane was found to vibrate in two distinct modes, depending on the frequency range: at lower frequencies (1-5 kHz) the vibration was focused at the proximal half of the posterior side of the outer membrane, while at higher frequencies (5-20 kHz) the entire membrane contributed to the vibration. The maximum deflection points of the two vibrational modes correspond to the locations of the associated chordotonal organs, suggesting that M. peleides has the capacity for frequency partitioning because of the different vibrational properties of the two membrane components. Extracellular nerve recordings confirm that the innervating chordotonal organs respond to the same frequency range of 1-20 kHz, and are most sensitive between 2 and 4 kHz, although distinct frequency discrimination was not observed. We suggest that this remarkable variation in structure is associated with function that provides a selective advantage, particularly in predator detection.

Contribution of sonicate-fluid cultures and broad-range PCR to microbiological diagnosis in vascular graft infections.

PubMed

Kokosar Ulcar, Barbara; Lakic, Nikola; Jeverica, Samo; Pecavar, Blaz; Logar, Mateja; Cerar, Tjasa Kisek; Lejko-Zupanc, Tatjana

2018-06-01

Vascular graft infections (VGI) are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality, and antimicrobial treatment is an important adjunct to surgical treatment. While microbial aetiology of VGI is often difficult to determine, other techniques such as sonication of implanted material may be used to enhance the recovery of biofilm-associated organisms. We performed a retrospective analysis of 22 consecutive patients treated for VGI at University Medical Centre Ljubljana from May 2011 through January 2015. Explanted vascular grafts were flooded with sterile Ringer solution, sonicated for 1 min at a frequency of 40 kHz and inoculated on solid and liquid culture media. Aerobic and anaerobic cultures were performed, incubated for 14 days and any significant bacterial growth was quantitatively evaluated. Additionally, broad-range PCR from sonicate fluid was performed. Microbiological results were compared with the results of preoperatively taken blood cultures and the results of intraoperative tissue cultures (material from peri-graft collection). Identification of the causative organism (irrespective of the method) was achieved in 95.8%. Preoperative blood cultures were positive in 35.3%, intraoperative tissue cultures in 31.8%, sonicate fluid culture in 79.2%, while broad-range PCR from sonicate fluid was positive in 66.7%. In 37.5% the pathogen detected in sonicate fluid culture or broad-range PCR was the only positive microbiological result. Sonicate fluid culture and broad-range PCR from explanted vascular grafts may contribute to optimization of antimicrobial treatment. Optimal timing of antibiotic therapy before explantation should be further assessed to improve diagnostic yield.

A paralogue of the phosphomutase-like gene family in Candida glabrata, CgPmu2, gained broad-range phosphatase activity due to a small number of clustered substitutions.

PubMed

Orlando, Kelly A; Iosue, Christine L; Leone, Sarah G; Davies, Danielle L; Wykoff, Dennis D

2015-10-15

Inorganic phosphate is required for a range of cellular processes, such as DNA/RNA synthesis and intracellular signalling. The phosphate starvation-inducible phosphatase activity of Candida glabrata is encoded by the gene CgPMU2 (C. glabrata phosphomutase-like protein). CgPMU2 is part of a three-gene family (∼75% identical) created through gene duplication in the C. glabrata clade; only CgPmu2 is a PHO-regulated broad range acid phosphatase. We identified amino acids that confer broad range phosphatase activity on CgPmu2 by creating fusions of sections of CgPMU2 with CgPMU1, a paralogue with little broad range phosphatase activity. We used site-directed mutagenesis on various fusions to sequentially convert CgPmu1 to CgPmu2. Based on molecular modelling of the Pmu proteins on to a histidine phosphatase crystal structure, clusters of amino acids were found in two distinct regions that were able to confer phosphatase activity. Substitutions in these two regions together conferred broad phosphatase activity on CgPmu1. Interestingly, one change is a histidine adjacent to the active site histidine of CgPmu2 and it exhibits a novel ability to partially replace the conserved active site histidine in CgPmu2. Additionally, a second amino acid change was able to confer nt phosphatase activity to CgPmu1, suggesting single amino acid changes neofunctionalize CgPmu2. © 2015 Authors; published by Portland Press Limited.

A comparison of skin tone discrimination among African American men: 1995 and 2003

PubMed Central

Uzogara, Ekeoma E.; Lee, Hedwig; Abdou, Cleopatra M.; Jackson, James S.

2015-01-01

This study investigated perceptions of skin tone discrimination among adult African American men. Research suggests that through negative African American stereotypes, out-group members (Whites) perceive light-skinned African Americans favorably and dark-skinned African Americans unfavorably. However, it is unclear how treatment by in-group members (other African Americans) uniquely affects men. Using data from the 1995 Detroit Area Study and the 2003 National Survey of American Life, we investigated these relationships among African American men representing a wide range of socioeconomic groups. We found that African American men’s perceptions of out-group and in-group treatment, respectively, were similar across time. Light-skinned men perceived the least out-group discrimination while dark-skinned men perceived the most out-group discrimination. In appraisals of skin tone discrimination from in-group members, medium-skinned men perceived the least discrimination while both light- and dark-skinned men perceived more in-group discrimination. Additionally, men of lower social economic groups were more affected by skin tone bias than others. Future research should explore the influence of these out- and in-group experiences of skin tone discrimination on social and psychological functioning of African American men. PMID:25798076

Application of Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy for Rapid and Non-Destructive Discrimination of Hulled Barley, Naked Barley, and Wheat Contaminated with Fusarium

PubMed Central

Lim, Jongguk; Kim, Giyoung; Mo, Changyeun; Oh, Kyoungmin; Kim, Geonseob; Ham, Hyeonheui; Kim, Seongmin; Kim, Moon S.

2018-01-01

Fusarium is a common fungal disease in grains that reduces the yield of barley and wheat. In this study, a near infrared reflectance spectroscopic technique was used with a statistical prediction model to rapidly and non-destructively discriminate grain samples contaminated with Fusarium. Reflectance spectra were acquired from hulled barley, naked barley, and wheat samples contaminated with Fusarium using near infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy with a wavelength range of 1175–2170 nm. After measurement, the samples were cultured in a medium to discriminate contaminated samples. A partial least square discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) prediction model was developed using the acquired reflectance spectra and the culture results. The correct classification rate (CCR) of Fusarium for the hulled barley, naked barley, and wheat samples developed using raw spectra was 98% or higher. The accuracy of discrimination prediction improved when second and third-order derivative pretreatments were applied. The grains contaminated with Fusarium could be rapidly discriminated using spectroscopy technology and a PLS-DA discrimination model, and the potential of the non-destructive discrimination method could be verified. PMID:29301319

Fitting prelingually deafened adult cochlear implant users based on electrode discrimination performance.

PubMed

Debruyne, Joke A; Francart, Tom; Janssen, A Miranda L; Douma, Kim; Brokx, Jan P L

2017-03-01

This study investigated the hypotheses that (1) prelingually deafened CI users do not have perfect electrode discrimination ability and (2) the deactivation of non-discriminable electrodes can improve auditory performance. Electrode discrimination difference limens were determined for all electrodes of the array. The subjects' basic map was subsequently compared to an experimental map, which contained only discriminable electrodes, with respect to speech understanding in quiet and in noise, listening effort, spectral ripple discrimination and subjective appreciation. Subjects were six prelingually deafened, late implanted adults using the Nucleus cochlear implant. Electrode discrimination difference limens across all subjects and electrodes ranged from 0.5 to 7.125, with significantly larger limens for basal electrodes. No significant differences were found between the basic map and the experimental map on auditory tests. Subjective appreciation was found to be significantly poorer for the experimental map. Prelingually deafened CI users were unable to discriminate between all adjacent electrodes. There was no difference in auditory performance between the basic and experimental map. Potential factors contributing to the absence of improvement with the experimental map include the reduced number of maxima, incomplete adaptation to the new frequency allocation, and the mainly basal location of deactivated electrodes.

Statistical classification approach to discrimination between weak earthquakes and quarry blasts recorded by the Israel Seismic Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kushnir, A. F.; Troitsky, E. V.; Haikin, L. M.; Dainty, A.

1999-06-01

A semi-automatic procedure has been developed to achieve statistically optimum discrimination between earthquakes and explosions at local or regional distances based on a learning set specific to a given region. The method is used for step-by-step testing of candidate discrimination features to find the optimum (combination) subset of features, with the decision taken on a rigorous statistical basis. Linear (LDF) and Quadratic (QDF) Discriminant Functions based on Gaussian distributions of the discrimination features are implemented and statistically grounded; the features may be transformed by the Box-Cox transformation z=(1/ α)( yα-1) to make them more Gaussian. Tests of the method were successfully conducted on seismograms from the Israel Seismic Network using features consisting of spectral ratios between and within phases. Results showed that the QDF was more effective than the LDF and required five features out of 18 candidates for the optimum set. It was found that discrimination improved with increasing distance within the local range, and that eliminating transformation of the features and failing to correct for noise led to degradation of discrimination.

Mu Opioid Mediated Discriminative-Stimulus Effects of Tramadol: An Individual Subjects Analysis

PubMed Central

Strickland, Justin C.; Rush, Craig R.; Stoops, William W.

2015-01-01

Drug discrimination procedures use dose-dependent generalization, substitution, and pretreatment with selective agonists and antagonists to evaluate receptor systems mediating interoceptive effects of drugs. Despite the extensive use of these techniques in the nonhuman animal literature, few studies have used human subjects. Specifically, human studies have not routinely used antagonist administration as a pharmacological tool to elucidate the mechanisms mediating the discriminative stimulus effects of drugs. This study evaluated the discriminative-stimulus effects of tramadol, an atypical analgesic with monoamine and mu opioid activity. Three human subjects first learned to discriminate 100 mg tramadol from placebo. A range of tramadol doses (25 to 150 mg) and hydromorphone (4 mg) with and without naltrexone pretreatment (50 mg) were then administered to subjects after acquiring the discrimination. Tramadol produced dose-dependent increases in drug-appropriate responding and hydromorphone partially or fully substituted for tramadol in all subjects. These effects were attenuated by naltrexone. Individual subject records indicated a relationship between mu opioid activity (i.e., miosis) and drug discrimination performance. Our findings indicate that mu opioid activity may mediate the discriminative-stimulus effects of tramadol in humans. The correspondence of generalization, substitution, and pretreatment findings with the animal literature supports the neuropharmacological specificity of the drug discrimination procedure. PMID:25664525

Broad-band UHF dipole array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, M. C.

1985-01-01

A 6X6 array of fan-dipoles was designed to operate in the 510 to 660 MHz frequency range for aircraft flight test and evaluation of a UHF radiometer system. A broad-band dipole design operating near the first resonance is detailed. Measured VSWR and radiation patterns for the dipole array demonstrate achievable bandwidths in the 35 percent to 40 percent range.

Regulation of Cortical Dynamic Range by Background Synaptic Noise and Feedforward Inhibition.

PubMed

Khubieh, Ayah; Ratté, Stéphanie; Lankarany, Milad; Prescott, Steven A

2016-08-01

The cortex encodes a broad range of inputs. This breadth of operation requires sensitivity to weak inputs yet non-saturating responses to strong inputs. If individual pyramidal neurons were to have a narrow dynamic range, as previously claimed, then staggered all-or-none recruitment of those neurons would be necessary for the population to achieve a broad dynamic range. Contrary to this explanation, we show here through dynamic clamp experiments in vitro and computer simulations that pyramidal neurons have a broad dynamic range under the noisy conditions that exist in the intact brain due to background synaptic input. Feedforward inhibition capitalizes on those noise effects to control neuronal gain and thereby regulates the population dynamic range. Importantly, noise allows neurons to be recruited gradually and occludes the staggered recruitment previously attributed to heterogeneous excitation. Feedforward inhibition protects spike timing against the disruptive effects of noise, meaning noise can enable the gain control required for rate coding without compromising the precise spike timing required for temporal coding. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Effect of Antimicrobial Peptide KSL-W on Human Gingival Tissue and C. albicans Growth, Transition and Secreted Aspartyl Proteinase (SAPS) 2, 4, 5 and 6 Expressions

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-07-01

broad range of antibacterial activity and could play a role in preventing microbial infections(Decanis et al., 2009), (Zaslof, 2002). These antimicrobial...range of antibacterial activity and could play a role in preventing microbial infections(Decanis et al., 2009),(Zaslof, 2002). These antimicrobial...KSL- W (KKVVFWVKFK)(Na et al., 2007), which possess a broad range of antibacterial activity . It killed selected strains of non-oral and oral

Melting and its relationship to impact crater morphology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Okeefe, John D.; Ahrens, Thomas J.

1992-01-01

Shock-melting features occur on planets at scales that range from micrometers to megameters. It is the objective of this study to determine the extent of thickness, volume geometry of the melt, and relationship with crater morphology. The variation in impact crater morphology on planets is influenced by a broad range of parameters: e.g., planetary density, thermal state, strength, impact velocity, gravitational acceleration. We modeled the normal impact of spherical projectiles on a semi-infinite planet over a broad range of conditions using numerical techniques.

Comparing gender discrimination and inequality in indie and traditional publishing

PubMed Central

Kapelner, Adam

2018-01-01

In traditional publishing, female authors’ titles command nearly half (45%) the price of male authors’ and are underrepresented in more prestigious genres, and books are published by publishing houses, which determined whose books get published, subject classification, and retail price. In the last decade, the growth of digital technologies and sales platforms have enabled unprecedented numbers of authors to bypass publishers to publish and sell books. The rise of indie publishing (aka self-publishing) reflects the growth of the “gig” economy, where the influence of firms has diminished and workers are exposed more directly to external markets. Encompassing the traditional and the gig economy, the book industry illuminates how the gig economy may disrupt, replicate, or transform the gender discrimination mechanisms and inequality found in the traditional economy. In a natural experiment spanning from 2002 to 2012 and including over two million book titles, we compare discrimination mechanisms and inequality in indie and traditional publishing. We find that indie publishing, though more egalitarian, largely replicates traditional publishing’s gender discrimination patterns, showing an unequal distribution of male and female authors by genre (allocative discrimination), devaluation of genres written predominantly by female authors (valuative discrimination), and lower prices within genres for books by female authors (within-job discrimination). However, these discrimination mechanisms are associated with far less price inequality in indie, only 7%, in large part due to the smaller and lower range of prices in indie publishing compared to traditional publishing. We conclude that, with greater freedom, workers in the gig economy may be inclined to greater equality but will largely replicate existing labor market segmentation and the lower valuation of female-typical work and of female workers. Nonetheless, price setting for work may be more similar for workers in the gig economy due to market competition that will compress prices ranges. PMID:29630619

Frequency-dependent pollinator discrimination acts against female plants in the gynodioecious Geranium maculatum.

PubMed

Van Etten, Megan L; Chang, Shu-Mei

2014-12-01

Gynodioecy, the co-occurrence of female and hermaphroditic individuals, is thought to be an intermediate step between hermaphroditism and separate sexes, a major transition in flowering plants. Because retaining females in a population requires that they have increased seed fitness (to compensate for the lack of pollen fitness), factors that affect seed fitness are of great importance to the evolution of this mating system and have often been studied. However, factors negatively affecting female fitness are equally important and have been largely neglected. One such factor stems from female flowers being less attractive to insects than hermaphrodite flowers, thereby decreasing their relative fitness. To test the severity and consequences of this type of pollinator discrimination in Geranium maculatum, experimental populations with the range of sex ratios observed in nature were created, ranging from 13 % to 42 % females. Pollinators were observed in order to measure the strength of discrimination, and pollen deposition and seed production of both sexes were measured to determine the fitness consequences of this discrimination. Additionally a comparison was made across the sex ratios to determine whether discrimination was frequency-dependent. It was found that female flowers, on average, were visited at half of the rate of hermaphrodite flowers, which decreased their pollen receipt and seed production. Additionally, females were most discriminated against when rare, due to both changes in the pollinators' behaviour and a shift in pollinator composition. The results suggest that pollinator discrimination negatively affects females' relative fitness when they are rare. Thus, the initial spread of females in a population, the first step in the evolution of gynodioecy, may be made more difficult due to pollinator discrimination. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics for the characterization and discrimination of writing/photocopier paper types: Application in forensic document examinations.

PubMed

Kumar, Raj; Kumar, Vinay; Sharma, Vishal

2017-01-05

The aim of the present work is to explore the non-destructive application of ATR-FTIR technique for characterization and discrimination of paper samples which could be helpful to give forensic aid in resolving legal cases. Twenty-four types of paper brands were purchased from local market in and around Chandigarh, India. All the paper samples were subjected to ATR-FTIR analysis from 400 to 4000cm(-1) wavenumber range. The qualitative feature and Chemometrics of the obtained spectral data are used for characterization and discrimination. Characterization is achieved by matching the peaks with standards of cellulose and inorganic fillers, a usual constituents of paper. Three different regions of IR, i.e. 400-2000cm(-1), 2000-4000cm(-1) and 400-4000cm(-1) were selected for differentiation by Chemometrics analysis. The discrimination is achieved on the basis of three principal components, i.e. PC 1, PC 2 and PC 3. It is observed that maximum discrimination was procured in the wave number range of i.e. 2000-4000cm(-1). Discriminating power was calculated on the basis of qualitative features as well, and it is found that the discrimination of paper samples was better achieved by Chemometrics analysis rather than qualitative features. The discriminating power by Chemometrics is 99.64% and which is larger as ever achieved by any group for present number of samples. The present result confirms that this study will be highly useful in forensic document examination work in the legal cases, where the authenticity of the document is challenged. The results are completely analytical and, therefore, overcome the problem encounter in traditional routine light/radiation scanning methods which are still in practice by various questioned document laboratories. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Case Study to Explore the Impact of Knowledge Management Systems on Workplace Diversity Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gautier, Michael

2012-01-01

The ongoing debate over the definition and application of workplace diversity policies results in a wide range of viewpoints. There are a number of theoreticians who feel that if diversity is more than avoidance of discrimination, that the traditional body of anti-discrimination programs such as the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) efforts…

Development and Validation of a Coping with Discrimination Scale: Factor Structure, Reliability, and Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wei, Meifen; Alvarez, Alvin N.; Ku, Tsun-Yao; Russell, Daniel W.; Bonett, Douglas G.

2010-01-01

Four studies were conducted to develop and validate the Coping With Discrimination Scale (CDS). In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis (N = 328) identified 5 factors: Education/Advocacy, Internalization, Drug and Alcohol Use, Resistance, and Detachment, with internal consistency reliability estimates ranging from 0.72 to 0.90. In Study 2, a…

Discriminative-stimulus effects of zolpidem, triazolam, pentobarbital, and caffeine in zolpidem-trained humans.

PubMed

Rush, C R; Baker, R W; Rowlett, J K

2000-02-01

Six non-drug-abusing humans were trained to discriminate 15 mg zolpidem in the present experiment. After participants acquired discrimination, a range of doses of zolpidem (2.5-15.0 mg), triazolam (0.0625-0.3750 mg), pentobarbital (25-150 mg), caffeine (100-600 mg), and placebo were tested to determine whether they shared discriminative-stimulus effects with 15 mg zolpidem. The participant-rated and performance-impairing effects of zolpidem, triazolam, pentobarbital, and caffeine were assessed concurrently. Triazolam and pentobarbital dose dependently increased zolpidem-appropriate responding. Caffeine occasioned low levels of zolpidem-appropriate responding. Zolpidem, triazolam, and pentobarbital, but not caffeine, generally produced a similar constellation of participant-rated drug effects (e.g., increased scores for the Pentobarbital, Chlorpromazine, and Alcohol Group subscale on the Addiction Research Center Inventory) and dose dependently impaired performance. These results suggest that humans can reliably discriminate zolpidem. Despite its unique benzodiazepine-receptor binding profile, the discriminative-stimulus, participant-rated, and performance-impairing effects of zolpidem are similar to those of the barbiturates and benzodiazepines.

Perceived discrimination among Latino immigrants in new destinations: The case of Durham, NC1

PubMed Central

Flippen, Chenoa A.; Parrado, Emilio A.

2015-01-01

This paper draws on original survey data to assess the prevalence of perceived discrimination among Latin American immigrants to Durham, NC, a “new immigrant destinations” in the Southeastern United States. Even though discrimination has a wide-ranging impact on social groups, from blocked opportunities, to adverse health outcomes, to highlighting and reifying inter-group boundaries, research among immigrant Latinos is rare, especially in new destinations. Our theoretical framework and empirical analysis expand social constructivist approaches that view ethnic discrimination as emerging from processes of competition and incorporation. We broaden prior discussions by investigating the specific social forces that give rise to perceived discrimination. In particular, we examine the extent to which perceptions of unequal treatment vary by gender, elaborating on the situational conditions than differentiate discrimination experiences for men and women. We also incorporate dimensions unique to the contemporary Latino immigrant experience, such as legal status, family migration dynamics, and transnationalism. PMID:26848208

Performance variability on perceptual discrimination tasks in profoundly deaf adults with cochlear implants.

PubMed

Hay-McCutcheon, Marcia J; Peterson, Nathaniel R; Pisoni, David B; Kirk, Karen Iler; Yang, Xin; Parton, Jason

The purpose of this study was to evaluate performance on two challenging listening tasks, talker and regional accent discrimination, and to assess variables that could have affected the outcomes. A prospective study using 35 adults with one cochlear implant (CI) or a CI and a contralateral hearing aid (bimodal hearing) was conducted. Adults completed talker and regional accent discrimination tasks. Two-alternative forced-choice tasks were used to assess talker and accent discrimination in a group of adults who ranged in age from 30 years old to 81 years old. A large amount of performance variability was observed across listeners for both discrimination tasks. Three listeners successfully discriminated between talkers for both listening tasks, 14 participants successfully completed one discrimination task and 18 participants were not able to discriminate between talkers for either listening task. Some adults who used bimodal hearing benefitted from the addition of acoustic cues provided through a HA but for others the HA did not help with discrimination abilities. Acoustic speech feature analysis of the test signals indicated that both the talker speaking rate and the fundamental frequency (F0) helped with talker discrimination. For accent discrimination, findings suggested that access to more salient spectral cues was important for better discrimination performance. The ability to perform challenging discrimination tasks successfully likely involves a number of complex interactions between auditory and non-auditory pre- and post-implant factors. To understand why some adults with CIs perform similarly to adults with normal hearing and others experience difficulty discriminating between talkers, further research will be required with larger populations of adults who use unilateral CIs, bilateral CIs and bimodal hearing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The influence of tongue strength on oral viscosity discrimination acuity.

PubMed

Steele, Catriona M

2018-06-01

The ability to generate tongue pressures is widely considered to be critical for liquid bolus propulsion in swallowing. It has been proposed that the application of tongue pressure may also serve the function of collecting sensory information regarding bolus viscosity (resistance to flow). In this study, we explored the impact of age-related reductions in tongue strength on oral viscosity discrimination acuity. The experiment employed a triangle test discrimination protocol with an array of xanthan-gum thickened liquids in the mildly to moderately thick consistency range. A sample of 346 healthy volunteers was recruited, with age ranging from 12 to 86 (164 men, 182 women). On average, participants were able to detect a 0.29-fold increase in xanthan-gum concentration, corresponding to a 0.5-fold increase in viscosity at 50/s. Despite having significantly reduced tongue strength on maximum isometric tongue-palate pressure tasks, and regardless of sex, older participants in this study showed no reductions in viscosity discrimination acuity. In this article, the relationship between tongue strength and the ability to discriminate small differences in liquid viscosity during oral processing is explored. Given that tongue strength declines with age in healthy adults and is also reduced in individuals with dysphagia, it is interesting to determine whether reduced tongue strength might contribute to difficulties in evaluating liquid viscosity during the oral stage of swallowing. Using an array of mildly to moderately thick xanthan-gum thickened liquids, this experiment failed to find any evidence that reductions in tongue strength influence oral viscosity discrimination acuity. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Commercial tree species discrimination using airborne AISA Eagle hyperspectral imagery and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peerbhay, Kabir Yunus; Mutanga, Onisimo; Ismail, Riyad

2013-05-01

Discriminating commercial tree species using hyperspectral remote sensing techniques is critical in monitoring the spatial distributions and compositions of commercial forests. However, issues related to data dimensionality and multicollinearity limit the successful application of the technology. The aim of this study was to examine the utility of the partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) technique in accurately classifying six exotic commercial forest species (Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus nitens, Eucalyptus smithii, Pinus patula, Pinus elliotii and Acacia mearnsii) using airborne AISA Eagle hyperspectral imagery (393-900 nm). Additionally, the variable importance in the projection (VIP) method was used to identify subsets of bands that could successfully discriminate the forest species. Results indicated that the PLS-DA model that used all the AISA Eagle bands (n = 230) produced an overall accuracy of 80.61% and a kappa value of 0.77, with user's and producer's accuracies ranging from 50% to 100%. In comparison, incorporating the optimal subset of VIP selected wavebands (n = 78) in the PLS-DA model resulted in an improved overall accuracy of 88.78% and a kappa value of 0.87, with user's and producer's accuracies ranging from 70% to 100%. Bands located predominantly within the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum (393-723 nm) showed the most capability in terms of discriminating between the six commercial forest species. Overall, the research has demonstrated the potential of using PLS-DA for reducing the dimensionality of hyperspectral datasets as well as determining the optimal subset of bands to produce the highest classification accuracies.

Cortical activity patterns predict speech discrimination ability

PubMed Central

Engineer, Crystal T; Perez, Claudia A; Chen, YeTing H; Carraway, Ryan S; Reed, Amanda C; Shetake, Jai A; Jakkamsetti, Vikram; Chang, Kevin Q; Kilgard, Michael P

2010-01-01

Neural activity in the cerebral cortex can explain many aspects of sensory perception. Extensive psychophysical and neurophysiological studies of visual motion and vibrotactile processing show that the firing rate of cortical neurons averaged across 50–500 ms is well correlated with discrimination ability. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that primary auditory cortex (A1) neurons use temporal precision on the order of 1–10 ms to represent speech sounds shifted into the rat hearing range. Neural discrimination was highly correlated with behavioral performance on 11 consonant-discrimination tasks when spike timing was preserved and was not correlated when spike timing was eliminated. This result suggests that spike timing contributes to the auditory cortex representation of consonant sounds. PMID:18425123

A chemiluminescence sensor array for discriminating natural sugars and artificial sweeteners.

PubMed

Niu, Weifen; Kong, Hao; Wang, He; Zhang, Yantu; Zhang, Sichun; Zhang, Xinrong

2012-01-01

In this paper, we report a chemiluminescence (CL) sensor array based on catalytic nanomaterials for the discrimination of ten sweeteners, including five natural sugars and five artificial sweeteners. The CL response patterns ("fingerprints") can be obtained for a given compound on the nanomaterial array and then identified through linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Moreover, each pure sweetener was quantified based on the emission intensities of selected sensor elements. The linear ranges for these sweeteners lie within 0.05-100 mM, but vary with the type of sweetener. The applicability of this array to real-life samples was demonstrated by applying it to various beverages, and the results showed that the sensor array possesses excellent discrimination power and reversibility.

Perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms, smoking, and recent alcohol use in pregnancy.

PubMed

Bennett, Ian M; Culhane, Jennifer F; Webb, David A; Coyne, James C; Hogan, Vijaya; Mathew, Leny; Elo, Irma T

2010-06-01

Perceived discrimination is associated with poor mental health and health-compromising behaviors in a range of vulnerable populations, but this link has not been assessed among pregnant women. We aimed to determine whether perceived discrimination was associated with these important targets of maternal health care among low-income pregnant women. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in English or Spanish with 4,454 multiethnic, low-income, inner-city women at their first prenatal visit at public health centers in Philadelphia, Penn, USA, from 1999 to 2004. Perceived chronic everyday discrimination (moderate and high levels) in addition to experiences of major discrimination, depressive symptomatology (CES-D >or= 23), smoking in pregnancy (current), and recent alcohol use (12 months before pregnancy) were assessed by patients' self-report. Moderate everyday discrimination was reported by 873 (20%) women, high everyday discrimination by 238 (5%) women, and an experience of major discrimination by 789 (18%) women. Everyday discrimination was independently associated with depressive symptomatology (moderate = prevalence ratio [PR] of 1.58, 95% CI: 1.38-1.79; high = PR of 1.82, 95% CI: 1.49-2.21); smoking (moderate = PR of 1.19, 95% CI: 1.05-1.36; high = PR of 1.41, 95% CI: 1.15-1.74); and recent alcohol use (moderate = PR of 1.23, 95% CI: 1.12-1.36). However, major discrimination was not independently associated with these outcomes. This study demonstrated that perceived chronic everyday discrimination, but not major discrimination, was associated with depressive symptoms and health-compromising behaviors independent of potential confounders, including race and ethnicity, among pregnant low-income women.

Synthesis of polycyclic spiroindolines by highly diastereoselective interrupted Ugi cascade reactions of 3-(2-isocyanoethyl)indoles.

PubMed

Saya, Jordy M; Oppelaar, Barry; Cioc, Răzvan C; van der Heijden, Gydo; Vande Velde, Christophe M L; Orru, Romano V A; Ruijter, Eelco

2016-10-13

We report a highly diastereoselective interrupted Ugi reaction to construct a broad range of structurally congested and stereochemically complex spiroindolines from tryptamine-derived isocyanides. The reaction is facilitated by using fluorinated alcohols (TFE or HFIP) as solvents and tolerates a broad range of amines, aldehydes and 2-isocyanoethylindoles to give polycyclic products in moderate to excellent yields.

Promoting Equitable Biology Lab Instruction by Engaging All Students in a Broad Range of Science Practices: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strimaitis, Anna M.; Southerland, Sherry A.; Sampson, Victor; Enderle, Patrick; Grooms, Jonathon

2017-01-01

This study examines what students enrolled in the honors and general sections of a high school biology course offered at the same school learn when they have an opportunity to participate in a broad or narrow range of science practices during their laboratory experiences. The results of our analysis suggest that the students enrolled in the…

Development of Neural Sensitivity to Face Identity Correlates with Perceptual Discriminability

PubMed Central

Barnett, Michael A.; Hartley, Jake; Gomez, Jesse; Stigliani, Anthony; Grill-Spector, Kalanit

2016-01-01

Face perception is subserved by a series of face-selective regions in the human ventral stream, which undergo prolonged development from childhood to adulthood. However, it is unknown how neural development of these regions relates to the development of face-perception abilities. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain responses of ventral occipitotemporal regions in children (ages, 5–12 years) and adults (ages, 19–34 years) when they viewed faces that parametrically varied in dissimilarity. Since similar faces generate lower responses than dissimilar faces due to fMRI adaptation, this design objectively evaluates neural sensitivity to face identity across development. Additionally, a subset of subjects participated in a behavioral experiment to assess perceptual discriminability of face identity. Our data reveal three main findings: (1) neural sensitivity to face identity increases with age in face-selective but not object-selective regions; (2) the amplitude of responses to faces increases with age in both face-selective and object-selective regions; and (3) perceptual discriminability of face identity is correlated with the neural sensitivity to face identity of face-selective regions. In contrast, perceptual discriminability is not correlated with the amplitude of response in face-selective regions or of responses of object-selective regions. These data suggest that developmental increases in neural sensitivity to face identity in face-selective regions improve perceptual discriminability of faces. Our findings significantly advance the understanding of the neural mechanisms of development of face perception and open new avenues for using fMRI adaptation to study the neural development of high-level visual and cognitive functions more broadly. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Face perception, which is critical for daily social interactions, develops from childhood to adulthood. However, it is unknown what developmental changes in the brain lead to improved performance. Using fMRI in children and adults, we find that from childhood to adulthood, neural sensitivity to changes in face identity increases in face-selective regions. Critically, subjects' perceptual discriminability among faces is linked to neural sensitivity: participants with higher neural sensitivity in face-selective regions demonstrate higher perceptual discriminability. Thus, our results suggest that developmental increases in face-selective regions' sensitivity to face identity improve perceptual discrimination of faces. These findings significantly advance understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the development of face perception and have important implications for assessing both typical and atypical development. PMID:27798143

A note on the stability and discriminability of graph-based features for classification problems in digital pathology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz-Roa, Angel; Xu, Jun; Madabhushi, Anant

2015-01-01

Nuclear architecture or the spatial arrangement of individual cancer nuclei on histopathology images has been shown to be associated with different grades and differential risk for a number of solid tumors such as breast, prostate, and oropharyngeal. Graph-based representations of individual nuclei (nuclei representing the graph nodes) allows for mining of quantitative metrics to describe tumor morphology. These graph features can be broadly categorized into global and local depending on the type of graph construction method. While a number of local graph (e.g. Cell Cluster Graphs) and global graph (e.g. Voronoi, Delaunay Triangulation, Minimum Spanning Tree) features have been shown to associated with cancer grade, risk, and outcome for different cancer types, the sensitivity of the preceding segmentation algorithms in identifying individual nuclei can have a significant bearing on the discriminability of the resultant features. This therefore begs the question as to which features while being discriminative of cancer grade and aggressiveness are also the most resilient to the segmentation errors. These properties are particularly desirable in the context of digital pathology images, where the method of slide preparation, staining, and type of nuclear segmentation algorithm employed can all dramatically affect the quality of the nuclear graphs and corresponding features. In this paper we evaluated the trade off between discriminability and stability of both global and local graph-based features in conjunction with a few different segmentation algorithms and in the context of two different histopathology image datasets of breast cancer from whole-slide images (WSI) and tissue microarrays (TMA). Specifically in this paper we investigate a few different performance measures including stability, discriminability and stability vs discriminability trade off, all of which are based on p-values from the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance for local and global graph features. Apart from identifying the set of local and global features that satisfied the trade off between stability and discriminability, our most interesting finding was that a simple segmentation method was sufficient to identify the most discriminant features for invasive tumour detection in TMAs, whereas for tumour grading in WSI, the graph based features were more sensitive to the accuracy of the segmentation algorithm employed.

Wireless gas detection with a smartphone via rf communication

PubMed Central

Azzarelli, Joseph M.; Mirica, Katherine A.; Ravnsbæk, Jens B.; Swager, Timothy M.

2014-01-01

Chemical sensing is of critical importance to human health, safety, and security, yet it is not broadly implemented because existing sensors often require trained personnel, expensive and bulky equipment, and have large power requirements. This study reports the development of a smartphone-based sensing strategy that employs chemiresponsive nanomaterials integrated into the circuitry of commercial near-field communication tags to achieve non-line-of-sight, portable, and inexpensive detection and discrimination of gas-phase chemicals (e.g., ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, cyclohexanone, and water) at part-per-thousand and part-per-million concentrations. PMID:25489066

Perceived discrimination In Primary Healthcare in Europe: evidence from the cross-sectional QUALICOPC study.

PubMed

Hanssens, Lise G M; Detollenaere, Jens D J; Van Pottelberge, Amelie; Baert, Stijn; Willems, Sara J T

2017-03-01

Recent figures show that discrimination in healthcare is still persistent in the European Union. Research has confirmed these results but focused mainly on the outcomes of perceived discrimination. Studies that take into account socioeconomic determinants of discrimination limit themselves to either ethnicity, income or education. This article explores the influence of several socioeconomic indicators (e.g. gender, age, income, education and ethnicity) on perceived discrimination in 30 European countries. Data from the QUALICOPC study were used. These data were collected between October 2011 and December 2013 in the participating countries. In total, 7183 GPs (general practitioners) and 61932 patients participated in the study, which had an average response rate of 74.1%. Data collection was co-ordinated by NIVEL (Dutch Institute for Research of Health Care). Bivariate binomial logistic regressions were used to estimate the impact of each socioeconomic indicator on perceived discrimination. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to estimate the unique effect of each indicator. Results indicate that in Europe, overall 7% of the respondents felt discriminated, ranging between 1.4% and 12.8% at the country level. With regard to socioeconomic determinants in perceived discrimination, income and age are both important indicators, with lower income groups and younger people having a higher chance to feel discriminated. In addition, we find significant influences of education, gender, age and ethnicity in several countries. In most countries, higher educated people, older people, women and the indigenous population appeared to feel less discriminated. In conclusion, perceived discrimination in healthcare is reported in almost all European countries, but there is large variation between European countries. A high prevalence of perceived discrimination within a country also does not imply a correlation between socioeconomic indicators and perceived discrimination. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genetic variation in growth, carbon isotope discrimination, and foliar N concentration in Picea mariana: analyses from a half-diallel mating design using field-grown trees

Treesearch

Kurt H. Johnsen; Lawrence B. Flanagan; Dudley A. Huber; John E. Major

1999-01-01

The authors performed genetic analyses of growth, carbon isotope discrimination (?13C), and foliar N concentration using a half-diallel subset of a 7 × 7 complete diallel planted on three sites ranging in water availability. Trees were 22 years old. Heritabilities; general and...

Infrasound as a Depth Discriminant

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

INFRASOUND AS A DEPTH DISCRIMINANT Stephen J. Arrowsmith, Rod W. Whitaker, and Richard J. Stead Los Alamos National Laboratory Sponsored by the... infrasound from earthquakes, in conjunction with modeling, to better constrain our understanding of the generation of infrasound from earthquakes, in...particular the effect of source depth. Here, we first outline a systematic search for infrasound from earthquakes from a range of magnitudes. Based

Sex discrimination from the acetabulum in a twentieth-century skeletal sample from France using digital photogrammetry.

PubMed

Macaluso, P J

2011-02-01

Digital photogrammetric methods were used to collect diameter, area, and perimeter data of the acetabulum for a twentieth-century skeletal sample from France (Georges Olivier Collection, Musée de l'Homme, Paris) consisting of 46 males and 36 females. The measurements were then subjected to both discriminant function and logistic regression analyses in order to develop osteometric standards for sex assessment. Univariate discriminant functions and logistic regression equations yielded overall correct classification accuracy rates for both the left and the right acetabula ranging from 84.1% to 89.6%. The multivariate models developed in this study did not provide increased accuracy over those using only a single variable. Classification sex bias ratios ranged between 1.1% and 7.3% for the majority of models. The results of this study, therefore, demonstrate that metric analysis of acetabular size provides a highly accurate, and easily replicable, method of discriminating sex in this documented skeletal collection. The results further suggest that the addition of area and perimeter data derived from digital images may provide a more effective method of sex assessment than that offered by traditional linear measurements alone. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Resolving dual binding conformations of cellulosome cohesin-dockerin complexes using single-molecule force spectroscopy.

PubMed

Jobst, Markus A; Milles, Lukas F; Schoeler, Constantin; Ott, Wolfgang; Fried, Daniel B; Bayer, Edward A; Gaub, Hermann E; Nash, Michael A

2015-10-31

Receptor-ligand pairs are ordinarily thought to interact through a lock and key mechanism, where a unique molecular conformation is formed upon binding. Contrary to this paradigm, cellulosomal cohesin-dockerin (Coh-Doc) pairs are believed to interact through redundant dual binding modes consisting of two distinct conformations. Here, we combined site-directed mutagenesis and single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) to study the unbinding of Coh:Doc complexes under force. We designed Doc mutations to knock out each binding mode, and compared their single-molecule unfolding patterns as they were dissociated from Coh using an atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever. Although average bulk measurements were unable to resolve the differences in Doc binding modes due to the similarity of the interactions, with a single-molecule method we were able to discriminate the two modes based on distinct differences in their mechanical properties. We conclude that under native conditions wild-type Doc from Clostridium thermocellum exocellulase Cel48S populates both binding modes with similar probabilities. Given the vast number of Doc domains with predicted dual binding modes across multiple bacterial species, our approach opens up new possibilities for understanding assembly and catalytic properties of a broad range of multi-enzyme complexes.

A high-throughput assay for the comprehensive profiling of DNA ligase fidelity

PubMed Central

Lohman, Gregory J. S.; Bauer, Robert J.; Nichols, Nicole M.; Mazzola, Laurie; Bybee, Joanna; Rivizzigno, Danielle; Cantin, Elizabeth; Evans, Thomas C.

2016-01-01

DNA ligases have broad application in molecular biology, from traditional cloning methods to modern synthetic biology and molecular diagnostics protocols. Ligation-based detection of polynucleotide sequences can be achieved by the ligation of probe oligonucleotides when annealed to a complementary target sequence. In order to achieve a high sensitivity and low background, the ligase must efficiently join correctly base-paired substrates, while discriminating against the ligation of substrates containing even one mismatched base pair. In the current study, we report the use of capillary electrophoresis to rapidly generate mismatch fidelity profiles that interrogate all 256 possible base-pair combinations at a ligation junction in a single experiment. Rapid screening of ligase fidelity in a 96-well plate format has allowed the study of ligase fidelity in unprecedented depth. As an example of this new method, herein we report the ligation fidelity of Thermus thermophilus DNA ligase at a range of temperatures, buffer pH and monovalent cation strength. This screen allows the selection of reaction conditions that maximize fidelity without sacrificing activity, while generating a profile of specific mismatches that ligate detectably under each set of conditions. PMID:26365241

A high-throughput assay for the comprehensive profiling of DNA ligase fidelity.

PubMed

Lohman, Gregory J S; Bauer, Robert J; Nichols, Nicole M; Mazzola, Laurie; Bybee, Joanna; Rivizzigno, Danielle; Cantin, Elizabeth; Evans, Thomas C

2016-01-29

DNA ligases have broad application in molecular biology, from traditional cloning methods to modern synthetic biology and molecular diagnostics protocols. Ligation-based detection of polynucleotide sequences can be achieved by the ligation of probe oligonucleotides when annealed to a complementary target sequence. In order to achieve a high sensitivity and low background, the ligase must efficiently join correctly base-paired substrates, while discriminating against the ligation of substrates containing even one mismatched base pair. In the current study, we report the use of capillary electrophoresis to rapidly generate mismatch fidelity profiles that interrogate all 256 possible base-pair combinations at a ligation junction in a single experiment. Rapid screening of ligase fidelity in a 96-well plate format has allowed the study of ligase fidelity in unprecedented depth. As an example of this new method, herein we report the ligation fidelity of Thermus thermophilus DNA ligase at a range of temperatures, buffer pH and monovalent cation strength. This screen allows the selection of reaction conditions that maximize fidelity without sacrificing activity, while generating a profile of specific mismatches that ligate detectably under each set of conditions. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Performance on naturalistic virtual reality tasks depends on global cognitive functioning as assessed via traditional neurocognitive tests.

PubMed

Oliveira, Jorge; Gamito, Pedro; Alghazzawi, Daniyal M; Fardoun, Habib M; Rosa, Pedro J; Sousa, Tatiana; Picareli, Luís Felipe; Morais, Diogo; Lopes, Paulo

2017-08-14

This investigation sought to understand whether performance in naturalistic virtual reality tasks for cognitive assessment relates to the cognitive domains that are supposed to be measured. The Shoe Closet Test (SCT) was developed based on a simple visual search task involving attention skills, in which participants have to match each pair of shoes with the colors of the compartments in a virtual shoe closet. The interaction within the virtual environment was made using the Microsoft Kinect. The measures consisted of concurrent paper-and-pencil neurocognitive tests for global cognitive functioning, executive functions, attention, psychomotor ability, and the outcomes of the SCT. The results showed that the SCT correlated with global cognitive performance as measured with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The SCT explained one third of the total variance of this test and revealed good sensitivity and specificity in discriminating scores below one standard deviation in this screening tool. These findings suggest that performance of such functional tasks involves a broad range of cognitive processes that are associated with global cognitive functioning and that may be difficult to isolate through paper-and-pencil neurocognitive tests.

Auditory brainstem response (ABR) profiling tests as diagnostic support for schizophrenia and adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

PubMed

Juselius Baghdassarian, Eva; Nilsson Markhed, Maria; Lindström, Eva; Nilsson, Björn M; Lewander, Tommy

2018-06-01

To evaluate the performances of two auditory brainstem response (ABR) profiling tests as potential biomarkers and diagnostic support for schizophrenia and adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), respectively, in an investigator-initiated blinded study design. Male and female patients with schizophrenia (n=26) and adult ADHD (n=24) meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition (DSM IV) diagnostic criteria and healthy controls (n=58) comprised the analysis set (n=108) of the total number of study participants (n=119). Coded sets of randomized ABR recordings were analysed by an independent party blinded to clinical diagnoses before a joint code-breaking session. The ABR profiling test for schizophrenia identified schizophrenia patients versus controls with a sensitivity of 84.6% and a specificity of 93.1%. The ADHD test identified patients with adult ADHD versus controls with a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 91.4%. The ABR profiling tests discriminated schizophrenia and ADHD versus healthy controls with high sensitivity and specificity. The methods deserve to be further explored in larger clinical studies including a broad range of psychiatric disorders to determine their utility as potential diagnostic biomarkers.

The war on obesity: a social determinant of health.

PubMed

O'Hara, Lily; Gregg, Jane

2006-12-01

The weight-centred health paradigm is an important contributor to the broader cultural paradigm in which corpulence is eschewed in favour of leanness. The desirability to reduce body fat or weight or to prevent gaining 'excess' fat is driven by both aesthetic and health ideals. The 'war on obesity' is a broad health-based set of policies and programs designed to problematise 'excess' body fat and create solutions to the 'problem'. There is a substantial body of literature that claims to demonstrate the harmful effects of 'excess' body fat. Recent critiques of 'obesity prevention' programs have highlighted the importance of focusing on environmental changes rather than individuals due in part to the risk of harmful consequences associated with individualistic, victim-blaming approaches. Beyond this, there are suggestions that framing body weight as the source of health problems - known as the weight-centred health paradigm - is in itself a harmful approach. The range of harms includes body dissatisfaction, dieting, disordered eating, discrimination and death. Health promotion policies and programs that operate within the weight-centred paradigm have the potential to have a negative impact on the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

Hearing in alpacas (Vicugna pacos): audiogram, localization acuity, and use of binaural locus cues.

PubMed

Heffner, Rickye S; Koay, Gimseong; Heffner, Henry E

2014-02-01

Behavioral audiograms and sound localization abilities were determined for three alpacas (Vicugna pacos). Their hearing at a level of 60 dB sound pressure level (SPL) (re 20 μPa) extended from 40 Hz to 32.8 kHz, a range of 9.7 octaves. They were most sensitive at 8 kHz, with an average threshold of -0.5 dB SPL. The minimum audible angle around the midline for 100-ms broadband noise was 23°, indicating relatively poor localization acuity and potentially supporting the finding that animals with broad areas of best vision have poorer sound localization acuity. The alpacas were able to localize low-frequency pure tones, indicating that they can use the binaural phase cue, but they were unable to localize pure tones above the frequency of phase ambiguity, thus indicating complete inability to use the binaural intensity-difference cue. In contrast, the alpacas relied on their high-frequency hearing for pinna cues; they could discriminate front-back sound sources using 3-kHz high-pass noise, but not 3-kHz low-pass noise. These results are compared to those of other hoofed mammals and to mammals more generally.

A generalized approach to automated NMR peak list editing: application to reduced dimensionality triple resonance spectra.

PubMed

Moseley, Hunter N B; Riaz, Nadeem; Aramini, James M; Szyperski, Thomas; Montelione, Gaetano T

2004-10-01

We present an algorithm and program called Pattern Picker that performs editing of raw peak lists derived from multidimensional NMR experiments with characteristic peak patterns. Pattern Picker detects groups of correlated peaks within peak lists from reduced dimensionality triple resonance (RD-TR) NMR spectra, with high fidelity and high yield. With typical quality RD-TR NMR data sets, Pattern Picker performs almost as well as human analysis, and is very robust in discriminating real peak sets from noise and other artifacts in unedited peak lists. The program uses a depth-first search algorithm with short-circuiting to efficiently explore a search tree representing every possible combination of peaks forming a group. The Pattern Picker program is particularly valuable for creating an automated peak picking/editing process. The Pattern Picker algorithm can be applied to a broad range of experiments with distinct peak patterns including RD, G-matrix Fourier transformation (GFT) NMR spectra, and experiments to measure scalar and residual dipolar coupling, thus promoting the use of experiments that are typically harder for a human to analyze. Since the complexity of peak patterns becomes a benefit rather than a drawback, Pattern Picker opens new opportunities in NMR experiment design.

A broad pH range indicator-based spectrophotometric assay for true lipases using tributyrin and tricaprylin[S

PubMed Central

Camacho-Ruiz, María de los Angeles; Mateos-Díaz, Juan Carlos; Carrière, Frédéric; Rodriguez, Jorge A.

2015-01-01

A continuous assay is proposed for the screening of acidic, neutral, or alkaline lipases using microtiter plates, emulsified short- and medium-chain TGs, and a pH indicator. The lipase activity measurement is based on the decrease of the pH indicator optical density due to protonation which is caused by the release of FFAs during the hydrolysis of TGs and thus acidification. Purified lipases with distinct pH optima and an esterase were used to validate the method. The rate of lipolysis was found to be linear with time and proportional to the amount of enzyme added in each case. Specific activities measured with this microplate assay method were lower than those obtained by the pH-stat technique. Nevertheless, the pH-dependent profiles of enzymatic activity were similar with both assays. In addition, the substrate preference of each enzyme tested was not modified and this allowed discriminating lipase and esterase activities using tributyrin (low water solubility) and tricaprylin (not water soluble) as substrates. This continuous lipase assay is compatible with a high sample throughput and can be applied for the screening of lipases and lipase inhibitors from biological samples. PMID:25748441

Femtosecond soliton source with fast and broad spectral tunability.

PubMed

Masip, Martin E; Rieznik, A A; König, Pablo G; Grosz, Diego F; Bragas, Andrea V; Martinez, Oscar E

2009-03-15

We present a complete set of measurements and numerical simulations of a femtosecond soliton source with fast and broad spectral tunability and nearly constant pulse width and average power. Solitons generated in a photonic crystal fiber, at the low-power coupling regime, can be tuned in a broad range of wavelengths, from 850 to 1200 nm using the input power as the control parameter. These solitons keep almost constant time duration (approximately 40 fs) and spectral widths (approximately 20 nm) over the entire measured spectra regardless of input power. Our numerical simulations agree well with measurements and predict a wide working wavelength range and robustness to input parameters.

THE HUBBLE WIDE FIELD CAMERA 3 TEST OF SURFACES IN THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM: SPECTRAL VARIATION ON KUIPER BELT OBJECTS

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

Fraser, Wesley C.; Brown, Michael E.; Glass, Florian, E-mail: wesley.fraser@nrc.ca

2015-05-01

Here, we present additional photometry of targets observed as part of the Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) Test of Surfaces in the Outer Solar System. Twelve targets were re-observed with the WFC3 in the optical and NIR wavebands designed to complement those used during the first visit. Additionally, all of the observations originally presented by Fraser and Brown were reanalyzed through the same updated photometry pipeline. A re-analysis of the optical and NIR color distribution reveals a bifurcated optical color distribution and only two identifiable spectral classes, each of which occupies a broad range of colors and has correlatedmore » optical and NIR colors, in agreement with our previous findings. We report the detection of significant spectral variations on five targets which cannot be attributed to photometry errors, cosmic rays, point-spread function or sensitivity variations, or other image artifacts capable of explaining the magnitude of the variation. The spectrally variable objects are found to have a broad range of dynamical classes and absolute magnitudes, exhibit a broad range of apparent magnitude variations, and are found in both compositional classes. The spectrally variable objects with sufficiently accurate colors for spectral classification maintain their membership, belonging to the same class at both epochs. 2005 TV189 exhibits a sufficiently broad difference in color at the two epochs that span the full range of colors of the neutral class. This strongly argues that the neutral class is one single class with a broad range of colors, rather than the combination of multiple overlapping classes.« less

Early Parkinson's disease patients on rasagiline present with better odor discrimination.

PubMed

Haehner, Antje; Habersack, Angela; Wienecke, Miriam; Storch, Alexander; Reichmann, Heinz; Hummel, Thomas

2015-11-01

The effects of rasagiline on olfaction in animal studies are convincing. However, apart from various anecdotal patient reports, they could not be reproduced in prospective studies in humans. Cross-sectional data of large patient groups are still missing. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the olfactory function in a broad heterogeneous Parkinson's disease (PD) population with and without rasagiline intake. In this single-center, cross-sectional study 224 PD patients with and without rasagiline (1 mg/day) participated. Seventy-four of them received rasagiline as mono, or adjunct therapy. One-hundred fifty patients were untreated or received PD medication other than rasagiline. Comprehensive olfactory testing was performed for phenyl-ethyl alcohol odor thresholds, odor discrimination, and odor identification. Olfactory function did not differ between the two treatment groups with disease duration up to 29 years. Rasagiline-treated patients with disease duration of less than 8 years, however, presented with significant better odor discrimination abilities compared to PD patients without rasagiline treatment. This effect was no longer evident in patients with longer disease duration and proofed to be independent of age, sex, and medication. Our results may suggest that rasagiline treatment has a positive effect on the processing of olfactory information in early PD.

Examining the ecological validity of the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire.

PubMed

Martindale, Russell J J; Collins, Dave; Douglas, Carl; Whike, Ally

2013-01-01

It is clear that high class expertise and effective practice exists within many talent development environments across the world. However, there is also a general consensus that widespread evidence-based policy and practice is lacking. As such, it is crucial to develop solutions which can facilitate effective dissemination of knowledge and promotion of evidence-based talent development systems. While the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (Martindale et al., 2010 ) provides a method through which this could be facilitated, its ecological validity has remained untested. As such, this study aimed to investigate the real world applicability of the questionnaire through discriminant function analysis. Athletes across ten distinct regional squads and academies were identified and separated into two broad levels, 'higher quality' (n = 48) and 'lower quality' (n = 51) environments, based on their process quality and productivity. Results revealed that the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire was able to discriminate with 77.8% accuracy. Furthermore, in addition to the questionnaire as a whole, two individual features, 'quality preparation' (P < 0.01) and 'understanding the athlete' (P < 0.01), were found to be significant discriminators. In conclusion, the results indicate robust structural properties and sound ecological validity, allowing the questionnaire to be used with more confidence in applied and research settings.

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

Ashenfelter, J.; Jaffe, D.; Diwan, M. V.

A meter-long, 23-liter EJ-309 liquid scintillator detector has been constructed to study the light collection and pulse-shape discrimination performance of elongated scintillator cells for the PROSPECT reactor antineutrino experiment. The magnitude and uniformity of light collection and neutron-gamma discrimination power in the energy range of antineutrino inverse beta decay products have been studied using gamma and spontaneous fission calibration sources deployed along the cell axis. We also study neutron-gamma discrimination and light collection abilities for differing PMT and reflector configurations. As a result, key design features for optimizing MeV-scale response and background rejection capabilities are identified.

Prevalence and Correlates of Perceived Ethnic Discrimination in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study

PubMed Central

Arellano-Morales, Leticia; Roesch, Scott C.; Gallo, Linda C.; Emory, Kristen T.; Molina, Kristine M.; Gonzalez, Patricia; Penedo, Frank J.; Navas-Nacher, Elena L.; Teng, Yanping; Deng, Yu; Isasi, Carmen R.; Schneiderman, Neil; Brondolo, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

Empirical studies examining perceived ethnic discrimination in Latinos of diverse background groups are limited. This study examined prevalence and correlates of discrimination in a diverse sample of U.S. Latinos (N=5,291) from the multi-site Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) and HCHS/SOL Sociocultural Ancillary Study. The sample permitted an examination of differences across seven groups (Central American, Cuban, Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South American, and Other/Multiple Background). Most participants (79.5%) reported lifetime discrimination exposure and prevalence rates ranged from 64.9% to 98% across groups. Structural Equation Models (SEM) indicated that after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates most group differences in reports of discrimination were eliminated. However, Cubans reported the lowest levels of discrimination, overall among all groups. Furthermore, regional effects were more important than group effects. Participants from Chicago reported the highest levels of discrimination in comparison to other regions. Group differences among Latinos appear to be primarily a function of sociodemographic differences in education, income, and acculturation. In addition, differences in exposure to discrimination may be tied to variables associated with both immigration patterns and integration to U.S. culture. Results highlight the importance of considering historical context and the intersection of discrimination and immigration when evaluating the mental health of Latinos. PMID:26491624

The perception of prosody and associated auditory cues in early-implanted children: the role of auditory working memory and musical activities.

PubMed

Torppa, Ritva; Faulkner, Andrew; Huotilainen, Minna; Järvikivi, Juhani; Lipsanen, Jari; Laasonen, Marja; Vainio, Martti

2014-03-01

To study prosodic perception in early-implanted children in relation to auditory discrimination, auditory working memory, and exposure to music. Word and sentence stress perception, discrimination of fundamental frequency (F0), intensity and duration, and forward digit span were measured twice over approximately 16 months. Musical activities were assessed by questionnaire. Twenty-one early-implanted and age-matched normal-hearing (NH) children (4-13 years). Children with cochlear implants (CIs) exposed to music performed better than others in stress perception and F0 discrimination. Only this subgroup of implanted children improved with age in word stress perception, intensity discrimination, and improved over time in digit span. Prosodic perception, F0 discrimination and forward digit span in implanted children exposed to music was equivalent to the NH group, but other implanted children performed more poorly. For children with CIs, word stress perception was linked to digit span and intensity discrimination: sentence stress perception was additionally linked to F0 discrimination. Prosodic perception in children with CIs is linked to auditory working memory and aspects of auditory discrimination. Engagement in music was linked to better performance across a range of measures, suggesting that music is a valuable tool in the rehabilitation of implanted children.

Inverse associations between perceived racism and coronary artery calcification.

PubMed

Everage, Nicholas J; Gjelsvik, Annie; McGarvey, Stephen T; Linkletter, Crystal D; Loucks, Eric B

2012-03-01

To evaluate whether racial discrimination is associated with coronary artery calcification (CAC) in African-American participants of the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. The study included American Black men (n = 571) and women (n = 791) aged 33 to 45 years in the CARDIA study. Perceived racial discrimination was assessed based on the Experiences of Discrimination scale (range, 1-35). CAC was evaluated using computed tomography. Primary analyses assessed associations between perceived racial discrimination and presence of CAC using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis, adjusted for age, gender, socioeconomic position (SEP), psychosocial variables, and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors. In age- and gender-adjusted logistic regression models, odds of CAC decreased as the perceived racial discrimination score increased (odds ratio [OR], 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.90-0.98 per 1-unit increase in Experiences of Discrimination scale). The relationship did not markedly change after further adjustment for SEP, psychosocial variables, or CHD risk factors (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.87-0.99). Perceived racial discrimination was negatively associated with CAC in this study. Estimation of more forms of racial discrimination as well as replication of analyses in other samples will help to confirm or refute these findings. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Discrimination of static and dynamic spectral patterns by children and young adults in relationship to speech perception in noise.

PubMed

Rayes, Hanin; Sheft, Stanley; Shafiro, Valeriy

2014-01-01

Past work has shown relationship between the ability to discriminate spectral patterns and measures of speech intelligibility. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of both children and young adults to discriminate static and dynamic spectral patterns, comparing performance between the two groups and evaluating within-group results in terms of relationship to speech-in-noise perception. Data were collected from normal-hearing children (age range: 5.4 - 12.8 yrs) and young adults (mean age: 22.8 yrs) on two spectral discrimination tasks and speech-in-noise perception. The first discrimination task, involving static spectral profiles, measured the ability to detect a change in the phase of a low-density sinusoidal spectral ripple of wideband noise. Using dynamic spectral patterns, the second task determined the signal-to-noise ratio needed to discriminate the temporal pattern of frequency fluctuation imposed by stochastic low-rate frequency modulation (FM). Children performed significantly poorer than young adults on both discrimination tasks. For children, a significant correlation between speech-in-noise perception and spectral-pattern discrimination was obtained only with the dynamic patterns of the FM condition, with partial correlation suggesting that factors related to the children's age mediated the relationship.

The relationship between perceived discrimination and patient experiences with health care.

PubMed

Weech-Maldonado, Robert; Hall, Allyson; Bryant, Thomas; Jenkins, Kevin A; Elliott, Marc N

2012-09-01

Prior studies have shown that racial/ethnic minorities have lower Consumer Assessments of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) scores. Perceived discrimination may mediate the relationship between race/ethnicity and patient experiences with care. To examine the relationship between perceived discrimination based on race/ethnicity and Medicaid insurance and CAHPS reports and ratings of care. The study analyzed 2007 survey data from 1509 Florida Medicaid beneficiaries. CAHPS reports (getting needed care, timeliness of care, communication with doctor, and health plan customer service) and ratings (personal doctor, specialist care, overall health care, and health plan) of care were the primary outcome variables. Patient perceptions of discrimination based on their race/ethnicity and having Medicaid insurance were the primary independent variables. Regression analysis modeled the effect of perceptions of discrimination on CAHPS reports and ratings controlling for age, sex, education, self-rated health status, race/ethnicity, survey language, and fee-for-service enrollment. SEs were corrected for correlation within plans. Medicaid beneficiaries reporting discrimination based on race/ethnicity had lower CAHPS scores, ranging from 15 points lower (on a 0-100 scale) for getting needed care to 6 points lower for specialist rating, compared with those who never experienced discrimination. Similar results were obtained for perceived discrimination based on Medicaid insurance. Perceptions of discrimination based on race/ethnicity and Medicaid insurance are prevalent and are associated with substantially lower CAHPS reports and ratings of care. Practices must develop and implement strategies to reduce perceived discrimination among patients.

Ethnic discrimination and Latino depression: The mediating role of traumatic stress symptoms and alcohol use.

PubMed

Torres, Lucas; Vallejo, Leticia G

2015-10-01

Previous research has established a link between ethnic discrimination and poor mental health, yet the process by which this relationship occurs remains unclear. It has been hypothesized that the potential mechanisms accounting for the negative consequences of ethnic discrimination may be through stress responses and health behaviors (Pascoe & Smart Richman, 2009). The present study sought to examine the role of traumatic stress symptoms and alcohol use in mediating the relationship between ethnic discrimination and depressive symptoms. Two aspects of ethnic discrimination were assessed, namely source of discrimination and reaction to discrimination. The sample for the current study included 244 adult Latinos averaging approximately 40 years of age (SD = 15.29; range 18-85). Participants, which were comprised of mainly women (66%, n = 156), completed a series of paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Multiple mediator analyses revealed that, among U.S.-born but not foreign-born Latinos, both source of discrimination and reaction to discrimination were related to increased traumatic stress symptoms, which, in turn, was associated with depressive symptomatology. The traumatic stress symptoms pathway showed a robust indirect effect while alcohol use was not a statistically significant mediator. These major findings suggest that, while ethnic discrimination has a direct effect on depression, increased traumatic stress can account for this relationship particularly for U.S.-born Latinos. The findings are discussed within a stress and coping framework. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Heart rate, multiple body temperature, long-range and long-life telemetry system for free-ranging animals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lund, G. F.; Westbrook, R. M.; Fryer, T. B.

1980-01-01

The design details and rationale for a versatile, long-range, long-life telemetry data acquisition system for heart rates and body temperatures at multiple locations from free-ranging animals are presented. The design comprises an implantable transmitter for short to medium range transmission, a receiver retransmitter collar to be worn for long-range transmission, and a signal conditioner interface circuit to assist in signal discrimination and demodulation of receiver or tape-recorded audio outputs. Implanted electrodes are used to obtain an ECG, from which R-wave characteristics are selected to trigger a short RF pulse. Pulses carrying heart rate information are interrupted periodically by a series of pulse interval modulated RF pulses conveying temperature information sensed at desired locations by thermistors. Pulse duration and pulse sequencing are used to discriminate between heart rate and temperature pulses as well as radio frequency interference. The implanted transmitter may be used alone for medium and short-range tracking, or with a receiver-transmitter collar that employs commercial tracking equipment for transmissions of up to 12 km. A system prototype has been tested on a dog.

Focusing light through strongly scattering media using genetic algorithm with SBR discriminant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bin; Zhang, Zhenfeng; Feng, Qi; Liu, Zhipeng; Lin, Chengyou; Ding, Yingchun

2018-02-01

In this paper, we have experimentally demonstrated light focusing through strongly scattering media by performing binary amplitude optimization with a genetic algorithm. In the experiments, we control 160 000 mirrors of digital micromirror device to modulate and optimize the light transmission paths in the strongly scattering media. We replace the universal target-position-intensity (TPI) discriminant with signal-to-background ratio (SBR) discriminant in genetic algorithm. With 400 incident segments, a relative enhancement value of 17.5% with a ground glass diffuser is achieved, which is higher than the theoretical value of 1/(2π )≈ 15.9 % for binary amplitude optimization. According to our repetitive experiments, we conclude that, with the same segment number, the enhancement for the SBR discriminant is always higher than that for the TPI discriminant, which results from the background-weakening effect of SBR discriminant. In addition, with the SBR discriminant, the diameters of the focus can be changed ranging from 7 to 70 μm at arbitrary positions. Besides, multiple foci with high enhancement are obtained. Our work provides a meaningful reference for the study of binary amplitude optimization in the wavefront shaping field.

Difference magnitude is not measured by discrimination steps for order of point patterns.

PubMed

Protonotarios, Emmanouil D; Johnston, Alan; Griffin, Lewis D

2016-07-01

We have shown in previous work that the perception of order in point patterns is consistent with an interval scale structure (Protonotarios, Baum, Johnston, Hunter, & Griffin, 2014). The psychophysical scaling method used relies on the confusion between stimuli with similar levels of order, and the resulting discrimination scale is expressed in just-noticeable differences (jnds). As with other perceptual dimensions, an interesting question is whether suprathreshold (perceptual) differences are consistent with distances between stimuli on the discrimination scale. To test that, we collected discrimination data, and data based on comparison of perceptual differences. The stimuli were jittered square lattices of dots, covering the range from total disorder (Poisson) to perfect order (square lattice), roughly equally spaced on the discrimination scale. Observers picked the most ordered pattern from a pair, and the pair of patterns with the greatest difference in order from two pairs. Although the judgments of perceptual difference were found to be consistent with an interval scale, like the discrimination judgments, no common interval scale that could predict both sets of data was possible. In particular, the midpattern of the perceptual scale is 11 jnds away from the ordered end, and 5 jnds from the disordered end of the discrimination scale.

A multiple maximum scatter difference discriminant criterion for facial feature extraction.

PubMed

Song, Fengxi; Zhang, David; Mei, Dayong; Guo, Zhongwei

2007-12-01

Maximum scatter difference (MSD) discriminant criterion was a recently presented binary discriminant criterion for pattern classification that utilizes the generalized scatter difference rather than the generalized Rayleigh quotient as a class separability measure, thereby avoiding the singularity problem when addressing small-sample-size problems. MSD classifiers based on this criterion have been quite effective on face-recognition tasks, but as they are binary classifiers, they are not as efficient on large-scale classification tasks. To address the problem, this paper generalizes the classification-oriented binary criterion to its multiple counterpart--multiple MSD (MMSD) discriminant criterion for facial feature extraction. The MMSD feature-extraction method, which is based on this novel discriminant criterion, is a new subspace-based feature-extraction method. Unlike most other subspace-based feature-extraction methods, the MMSD computes its discriminant vectors from both the range of the between-class scatter matrix and the null space of the within-class scatter matrix. The MMSD is theoretically elegant and easy to calculate. Extensive experimental studies conducted on the benchmark database, FERET, show that the MMSD out-performs state-of-the-art facial feature-extraction methods such as null space method, direct linear discriminant analysis (LDA), eigenface, Fisherface, and complete LDA.

Broadband sensitive pump-probe setup for ultrafast optical switching of photonic nanostructures and semiconductors.

PubMed

Euser, Tijmen G; Harding, Philip J; Vos, Willem L

2009-07-01

We describe an ultrafast time resolved pump-probe spectroscopy setup aimed at studying the switching of nanophotonic structures. Both femtosecond pump and probe pulses can be independently tuned over broad frequency range between 3850 and 21,050 cm(-1). A broad pump scan range allows a large optical penetration depth, while a broad probe scan range is crucial to study strongly photonic crystals. A new data acquisition method allows for sensitive pump-probe measurements, and corrects for fluctuations in probe intensity and pump stray light. We observe a tenfold improvement of the precision of the setup compared to laser fluctuations, allowing a measurement accuracy of better than DeltaR=0.07% in a 1 s measurement time. Demonstrations of the improved technique are presented for a bulk Si wafer, a three-dimensional Si inverse opal photonic bandgap crystal, and z-scan measurements of the two-photon absorption coefficient of Si, GaAs, and the three-photon absorption coefficient of GaP in the infrared wavelength range.

The association between discrimination and PTSD in African Americans: exploring the role of gender.

PubMed

Brooks Holliday, Stephanie; Dubowitz, Tamara; Haas, Ann; Ghosh-Dastidar, Bonnie; DeSantis, Amy; Troxel, Wendy M

2018-02-28

Research has demonstrated the adverse impact that discrimination has on physical and mental health. However, few studies have examined the association between discrimination and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There is evidence that African Americans experience higher rates of PTSD and are more likely to develop PTSD following trauma exposure than Whites, and discrimination may be one reason for this disparity. To examine the association between discrimination and PTSD among a cross-sectional sample largely comprising African American women, controlling for other psychosocial stressors (psychological distress, neighborhood safety, crime). A sample of 806 participants was recruited from two low-income predominantly African American neighborhoods. Participants completed self-report measures of PTSD symptoms, perceived discrimination, perceived safety, and psychological distress. Information on neighborhood crime was obtained through data requested from the city. Multivariate linear regression models were estimated to assess adjusted relationships between PTSD symptoms and discrimination. Discrimination was significantly associated with PTSD symptoms with a small effect size, controlling for relevant sociodemographic variables. This association remained consistent after controlling for psychological distress, perceived safety, and total neighborhood crime. There was no evidence of a gender by discrimination interaction. Participants who experienced any discrimination were significantly more likely to screen positive for PTSD. Discrimination may contribute to the disparate rates of PTSD experienced by African Americans. PTSD is associated with a range of negative consequences, including poorer physical health, mental health, and quality of life. These results suggest the importance of finding ways to promote resilience in this at-risk population.

Manufacturing Work Measurement System Evaluation. Reference Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-01

discussions with users of the MTM-MEK predetermined time system. The coranents listed below are based on these discussions and, while a broad range...discussions with users of the MTM-V predeterroined time system. The coranents listed below are based on these discussions and, while a broad range of...industries were sampled, coranents should not be considered universal and therefore may not be applicable to all manufacturing environments: 0 Easy to

A broad-host range dual-fluorescence reporter system for gene expression analysis in Gram-negative bacteria.

PubMed

Hennessy, Rosanna C; Christiansen, Line; Olsson, Stefan; Stougaard, Peter

2018-01-01

Fluorescence-based reporter systems are valuable tools for studying gene expression dynamics in living cells. Here we describe a dual-fluorescence reporter system carrying the red fluorescent marker mCherry and the blue fluorescent protein EBFP2 enabling the simultaneous analysis of two promoters in broad-host range autofluorescent Gram-negative bacteria. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A MS-lesion pattern discrimination plot based on geostatistics.

PubMed

Marschallinger, Robert; Schmidt, Paul; Hofmann, Peter; Zimmer, Claus; Atkinson, Peter M; Sellner, Johann; Trinka, Eugen; Mühlau, Mark

2016-03-01

A geostatistical approach to characterize MS-lesion patterns based on their geometrical properties is presented. A dataset of 259 binary MS-lesion masks in MNI space was subjected to directional variography. A model function was fit to express the observed spatial variability in x, y, z directions by the geostatistical parameters Range and Sill. Parameters Range and Sill correlate with MS-lesion pattern surface complexity and total lesion volume. A scatter plot of ln(Range) versus ln(Sill), classified by pattern anisotropy, enables a consistent and clearly arranged presentation of MS-lesion patterns based on geometry: the so-called MS-Lesion Pattern Discrimination Plot. The geostatistical approach and the graphical representation of results are considered efficient exploratory data analysis tools for cross-sectional, follow-up, and medication impact analysis.

Exploring social inclusion strategies for public health research and practice: The use of participatory visual methods to counter stigmas surrounding street-based substance abuse in Colombia.

PubMed

Ritterbusch, Amy E

2016-01-01

This paper presents the participatory visual research design and findings from a qualitative assessment of the social impact of bazuco and inhalant/glue consumption among street youth in Bogotá, Colombia. The paper presents the visual methodologies our participatory action research (PAR) team employed in order to identify and overcome the stigmas and discrimination that street youth experience in society and within state-sponsored drug rehabilitation programmes. I call for critical reflection regarding the broad application of the terms 'participation' and 'participatory' in visual research and urge scholars and public health practitioners to consider the transformative potential of PAR for both the research and practice of global public health in general and rehabilitation programmes for street-based substance abuse in Colombia in particular. The paper concludes with recommendations as to how participatory visual methods can be used to promote social inclusion practices and to work against stigma and discrimination in health-related research and within health institutions.

Military Families' Perceptions of Neighborhood Characteristics Affecting Reintegration: Development of an Aggregate Measure.

PubMed

Beehler, Sarah; Ahern, Jennifer; Balmer, Brandi; Kuhlman, Jennifer

2017-01-01

This pilot study evaluated the validity and reliability of an Experience of Neighborhood (EON) measure developed to assess neighborhood characteristics that shape reintegration opportunities for returning service members and their families. A total of 91 post-9/11 veterans and spouses completed a survey administered at the Minnesota State Fair. Participants self-reported on their reintegration status (veterans), social functioning (spouses), social support, and mental health. EON factor structure, internal consistency reliability, and validity (discriminant, content, criterion) were analyzed. The EON measure showed adequate reliability, discriminant validity, and content validity. More work is needed to assess criterion validity because EON scores were not correlated with scores on a Census-based index used to measure quality of military neighborhoods. The EON may be useful in assessing broad local factors influencing health among returning veterans and spouses. More research is needed to understand geographic variation in neighborhood conditions and how those affect reintegration and mental health for military families.

Discrimination, harassment, abuse, and bullying in the workplace: contribution of workplace injustice to occupational health disparities.

PubMed

Okechukwu, Cassandra A; Souza, Kerry; Davis, Kelly D; de Castro, A Butch

2014-05-01

This paper synthesizes research on the contribution of workplace injustices to occupational health disparities. We conducted a broad review of research and other reports on the impact of workplace discrimination, harassment, and bullying on workers' health and on family and job outcomes. Members of demographic minority groups are more likely to be victims of workplace injustice and suffer more adverse outcomes when exposed to workplace injustice compared to demographic majority groups. A growing body of research links workplace injustice to poor psychological and physical health, and a smaller body of evidence links workplace injustice to unhealthy behaviors. Although not as well studied, studies show that workplace injustice can influence workers' health through effects on workers' family life and job-related outcomes. Injustice is a key contributor to occupational health injustice and prospective studies with oversample of disadvantaged workers and refinement of methods for characterizing workplace injustices are needed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Caste-, work-, and descent-based discrimination as a determinant of health in social epidemiology.

PubMed

Patil, Rajan R

2014-01-01

Social epidemiology explores health in the context of broad social determinants of health, where the boundary lines between health and politics appear increasingly blurred. Social determinants of health such as caste, discrimination, and social exclusion are inherently political in nature, hence it becomes imperative to look at health through a broader perspective of political philosophy, ideology, and caste that imposes enormous obstacles to a person's full attainment of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. Caste is descent based and hereditary in nature. It is a characteristic determined by one's birth into a particular caste, irrespective of the faith practiced by the individual. Caste denotes a system of rigid social stratification into ranked groups defined by descent and occupation. Under various caste systems throughout the world, caste divisions also dominate in housing, marriage, and general social interaction divisions that are reinforced through the practice and threat of social ostracism, economic boycotts, and even physical violence-all of which undermine health equality.

Military Families’ Perceptions of Neighborhood Characteristics Affecting Reintegration: Development of an Aggregate Measure

PubMed Central

Beehler, Sarah; Ahern, Jennifer; Balmer, Brandi; Kuhlman, Jennifer

2017-01-01

This pilot study evaluated the validity and reliability of an Experience of Neighborhood (EON) measure developed to assess neighborhood characteristics that shape reintegration opportunities for returning service members and their families. A total of 91 post-9/11 veterans and spouses completed a survey administered at the Minnesota State Fair. Participants self-reported on their reintegration status (veterans), social functioning (spouses), social support, and mental health. EON factor structure, internal consistency reliability, and validity (discriminant, content, criterion) were analyzed. The EON measure showed adequate reliability, discriminant validity, and content validity. More work is needed to assess criterion validity because EON scores were not correlated with scores on a Census-based index used to measure quality of military neighborhoods. The EON may be useful in assessing broad local factors influencing health among returning veterans and spouses. More research is needed to understand geographic variation in neighborhood conditions and how those affect reintegration and mental health for military families. PMID:28936370

Reactions of hexadehydro-Diels-Alder benzynes with structurally complex multifunctional natural products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, Sean P.; Hoye, Thomas R.

2017-06-01

An important question in organic chemistry concerns the extent to which benzynes—one of the classical reactive intermediates in organic chemistry—can react in discriminating fashion with trapping reagents. In particular, whether these species can react selectively with substrates containing multiple functional groups and possible sites of reactivity has remained unanswered. Natural products comprise a palette of multifunctional compounds with which to address this question. Here, we show that benzynes produced by the hexadehydro-Diels-Alder (HDDA) reaction react with many secondary metabolites with a preference for one among several pathways. Examples demonstrating such selectivity include reactions with: phenolics, through dearomatizing ortho-substitution; alkaloids, through Hofmann-type elimination; tropolone and furan, through cycloaddition; and alkaloids, through three-component fragmentation-coupling reactions. We also demonstrate that the cinchona alkaloids quinidine and quinine give rise to products (some in as few as three steps) that enable subsequent and rapid access to structurally diverse polyheterocyclic compounds. The results show that benzynes are quite discriminating in their reactivity—a trait perhaps not broadly enough appreciated.

Pulse shape discrimination performance of inverted coaxial Ge detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domula, A.; Hult, M.; Kermaïdic, Y.; Marissens, G.; Schwingenheuer, B.; Wester, T.; Zuber, K.

2018-05-01

We report on the characterization of two inverted coaxial Ge detectors in the context of being employed in future 76Ge neutrinoless double beta (0 νββ) decay experiments. It is an advantage that such detectors can be produced with bigger Ge mass as compared to the planar Broad Energy Ge (BEGe) or p-type Point Contact (PPC) detectors that are currently used in the GERDA and MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR 0 νββ decay experiments respectively. This will result in a lower background for the search of 0 νββ decay due to a reduction of detector surface to volume ratio, cables, electronics and holders which are dominating nearby radioactive sources. The measured resolution near the 76Ge Q-value at 2039 keV is 2.3 keV FWHM and their pulse-shape discrimination of background events are similar to BEGe and PPC detectors. It is concluded that this type of Ge-detector is suitable for usage in 76Ge 0 νββ decay experiments.

Implementation of Structures in the CMS: Part 2, Weir

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

sharp - crested weir , it is between 0.55 and 0.58, and a broad - crested ...implementation, different weir coefficients are specified for the weir structure design, sharp - crested or broad - crested weir . The lowest value in the...coefficient range is used for the sharp - crested (0.55) and broad - crested (0.46) weir , respectively; the flux comparison between these two

Foliage discrimination using a rotating ladar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castano, A.; Matthies, L.

2003-01-01

We present a real time algorithm that detects foliage using range from a rotating laser. Objects not classified as foliage are conservatively labeled as non-driving obstacles. In contrast to related work that uses range statistics to classify objects, we exploit the expected localities and continuities of an obstacle, in both space and time. Also, instead of attempting to find a single accurate discriminating factor for every ladar return, we hypothesize the class of some few returns and then spread the confidence (and classification) to other returns using the locality constraints. The Urbie robot is presently using this algorithm to descriminate drivable grass from obstacles during outdoor autonomous navigation tasks.

Integrated InP frequency discriminator for Phase-modulated microwave photonic links.

PubMed

Fandiño, J S; Doménech, J D; Muñoz, P; Capmany, J

2013-02-11

We report the design, fabrication and characterization of an integrated frequency discriminator on InP technology for microwave photonic phase modulated links. The optical chip is, to the best of our knowledge, the first reported in an active platform and the first to include the optical detectors. The discriminator, designed as a linear filter in intensity, features preliminary SFDR values the range between 67 and 79 dB.Hz(2/3) for signal frequencies in the range of 5-9 GHz limited, in principle, by the high value of the optical losses arising from the use of several free space coupling devices in our experimental setup. As discussed, these losses can be readily reduced by the use of integrated spot-size converters improving the SFDR by 17.3 dB (84-96 dB.Hz(2/3)). Further increase up to a range of (104-116 dB.Hz(2/3)) is possible by reducing the system noise eliminating the EDFA employed in the setup and using a commercially available laser source providing higher output power and lower relative intensity noise. Other paths for improvement requiring a filter redesign to be linear in the optical field are also discussed.

Industrial defect discrimination applying infrared imaging spectroscopy and artificial neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Allende, Pilar Beatriz; Conde, Olga M.; Madruga, Francisco J.; Cubillas, Ana M.; Lopez-Higuera, Jose M.

2008-03-01

A non-intrusive infrared sensor for the detection of spurious elements in an industrial raw material chain has been developed. The system is an extension to the whole near infrared range of the spectrum of a previously designed system based on the Vis-NIR range (400 - 1000 nm). It incorporates a hyperspectral imaging spectrograph able to register simultaneously the NIR reflected spectrum of the material under study along all the points of an image line. The working material has been different tobacco leaf blends mixed with typical spurious elements of this field such as plastics, cardboards, etc. Spurious elements are discriminated automatically by an artificial neural network able to perform the classification with a high degree of accuracy. Due to the high amount of information involved in the process, Principal Component Analysis is first applied to perform data redundancy removal. By means of the extension to the whole NIR range of the spectrum, from 1000 to 2400 nm, the characterization of the material under test is highly improved. The developed technique could be applied to the classification and discrimination of other materials, and, as a consequence of its non-contact operation it is particularly suitable for food quality control.

Identification of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients by transcriptome-based rule set generation

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Introduction Discrimination of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients from patients with other inflammatory or degenerative joint diseases or healthy individuals purely on the basis of genes differentially expressed in high-throughput data has proven very difficult. Thus, the present study sought to achieve such discrimination by employing a novel unbiased approach using rule-based classifiers. Methods Three multi-center genome-wide transcriptomic data sets (Affymetrix HG-U133 A/B) from a total of 79 individuals, including 20 healthy controls (control group - CG), as well as 26 osteoarthritis (OA) and 33 RA patients, were used to infer rule-based classifiers to discriminate the disease groups. The rules were ranked with respect to Kiendl’s statistical relevance index, and the resulting rule set was optimized by pruning. The rule sets were inferred separately from data of one of three centers and applied to the two remaining centers for validation. All rules from the optimized rule sets of all centers were used to analyze their biological relevance applying the software Pathway Studio. Results The optimized rule sets for the three centers contained a total of 29, 20, and 8 rules (including 10, 8, and 4 rules for ‘RA’), respectively. The mean sensitivity for the prediction of RA based on six center-to-center tests was 96% (range 90% to 100%), that for OA 86% (range 40% to 100%). The mean specificity for RA prediction was 94% (range 80% to 100%), that for OA 96% (range 83.3% to 100%). The average overall accuracy of the three different rule-based classifiers was 91% (range 80% to 100%). Unbiased analyses by Pathway Studio of the gene sets obtained by discrimination of RA from OA and CG with rule-based classifiers resulted in the identification of the pathogenetically and/or therapeutically relevant interferon-gamma and GM-CSF pathways. Conclusion First-time application of rule-based classifiers for the discrimination of RA resulted in high performance, with means for all assessment parameters close to or higher than 90%. In addition, this unbiased, new approach resulted in the identification not only of pathways known to be critical to RA, but also of novel molecules such as serine/threonine kinase 10. PMID:24690414

Discrimination of face-like patterns in the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).

PubMed

Dungl, Eveline; Schratter, Dagmar; Huber, Ludwig

2008-11-01

The black-and-white pattern of the giant panda's (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) fur is a conspicuous signal and may be used for mate-choice and intraspecific communication. Here the authors examined whether they have the perceptual and cognitive potential to make use of this information. Two juvenile subjects were trained on several discrimination problems in steps of increasing difficulty, whereby the stimuli required to discriminate ranged from geometric figures to pairs of differently orientated ellipses, pairs of ellipses with the same orientation but different angles, and finally discrimination of panda-like eye-mask patterns that differed only subtly in shape. Not only did both subjects achieve significant levels of discrimination in all these tasks, they also remembered discriminations for 6 months or even 1 year after the first presentation. Thus this study provided the first solid evidence of sufficient visual and cognitive potential in the giant panda to use the fur pattern or the facial masks for individual recognition, social communication, and perhaps, mate choice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).

Laser scanning cytometry as a tool for biomarker validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mittag, Anja; Füldner, Christiane; Lehmann, Jörg; Tarnok, Attila

2013-03-01

Biomarkers are essential for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. As diverse is the range of diseases the broad is the range of biomarkers and the material used for analysis. Whereas body fluids can be relatively easily obtained and analyzed, the investigation of tissue is in most cases more complicated. The same applies for the screening and the evaluation of new biomarkers and the estimation of the binding of biomarkers found in animal models which need to be transferred into applications in humans. The latter in particular is difficult if it recognizes proteins or cells in tissue. A better way to find suitable cellular biomarkers for immunoscintigraphy or PET analyses may be therefore the in situ analysis of the cells in the respective tissue. In this study we present a method for biomarker validation using Laser Scanning Cytometry which allows the emulation of future in vivo analysis. The biomarker validation is exemplarily shown for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on synovial membrane. Cryosections were scanned and analyzed by phantom contouring. Adequate statistical methods allowed the identification of suitable markers and combinations. The fluorescence analysis of the phantoms allowed the discrimination between synovial membrane of RA patients and non-RA control sections by using median fluorescence intensity and the "affected area". As intensity and area are relevant parameters of in vivo imaging (e.g. PET scan) too, the presented method allows emulation of a probable outcome of in vivo imaging, i.e. the binding of the target protein and hence, the validation of the potential of the respective biomarker.

Identity development in adolescents with mental problems.

PubMed

Jung, Emanuel; Pick, Oliver; Schlüter-Müller, Susanne; Schmeck, Klaus; Goth, Kirstin

2013-07-31

In the revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), "Identity" is an essential diagnostic criterion for personality disorders (self-related personality functioning) in the alternative approach to the diagnosis of personality disorders in Section III of DSM-5. Integrating a broad range of established identity concepts, AIDA (Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence) is a new questionnaire to assess pathology-related identity development in healthy and disturbed adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. Aim of the present study is to investigate differences in identity development between adolescents with different psychiatric diagnoses. Participants were 86 adolescent psychiatric in- and outpatients aged 12 to 18 years. The test set includes the questionnaire AIDA and two semi-structured psychiatric interviews (SCID-II, K-DIPS). The patients were assigned to three diagnostic groups (personality disorders, internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders). Differences were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance MANOVA. In line with our hypotheses, patients with personality disorders showed the highest scores in all AIDA scales with T>70. Patients with externalizing disorders showed scores in an average range compared to population norms, while patients with internalizing disorders lay in between with scores around T=60. The AIDA total score was highly significant between the groups with a remarkable effect size of f= 0.44. Impairment of identity development differs between adolescent patients with different forms of mental disorders. The AIDA questionnaire is able to discriminate between these groups. This may help to improve assessment and treatment of adolescents with severe psychiatric problems.

Nonlinear spectral imaging of biological tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palero, J. A.

2007-07-01

The work presented in this thesis demonstrates live high resolution 3D imaging of tissue in its native state and environment. The nonlinear interaction between focussed femtosecond light pulses and the biological tissue results in the emission of natural autofluorescence and second-harmonic signal. Because biological intrinsic emission is generally very weak and extends from the ultraviolet to the visible spectral range, a broad-spectral range and high sensitivity 3D spectral imaging system is developed. Imaging the spectral characteristics of the biological intrinsic emission reveals the structure and biochemistry of the cells and extra-cellular components. By using different methods in visualizing the spectral images, discrimination between different tissue structures is achieved without the use of any stain or fluorescent label. For instance, RGB real color spectral images of the intrinsic emission of mouse skin tissues show blue cells, green hair follicles, and purple collagen fibers. The color signature of each tissue component is directly related to its characteristic emission spectrum. The results of this study show that skin tissue nonlinear intrinsic emission is mainly due to the autofluorescence of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate), flavins, keratin, melanin, phospholipids, elastin and collagen and nonlinear Raman scattering and second-harmonic generation in Type I collagen. In vivo time-lapse spectral imaging is implemented to study metabolic changes in epidermal cells in tissues. Optical scattering in tissues, a key factor in determining the maximum achievable imaging depth, is also investigated in this work.

Simpson's Paradox: A Data Set and Discrimination Case Study Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Stanley A.; Mickel, Amy E.

2014-01-01

In this article, we present a data set and case study exercise that can be used by educators to teach a range of statistical concepts including Simpson's paradox. The data set and case study are based on a real-life scenario where there was a claim of discrimination based on ethnicity. The exercise highlights the importance of performing…

Intrapopulation variability shaping isotope discrimination and turnover: experimental evidence in arctic foxes.

PubMed

Lecomte, Nicolas; Ahlstrøm, Oystein; Ehrich, Dorothée; Fuglei, Eva; Ims, Rolf A; Yoccoz, Nigel G

2011-01-01

Tissue-specific stable isotope signatures can provide insights into the trophic ecology of consumers and their roles in food webs. Two parameters are central for making valid inferences based on stable isotopes, isotopic discrimination (difference in isotopic ratio between consumer and its diet) and turnover time (renewal process of molecules in a given tissue usually measured when half of the tissue composition has changed). We investigated simultaneously the effects of age, sex, and diet types on the variation of discrimination and half-life in nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes (δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C, respectively) in five tissues (blood cells, plasma, muscle, liver, nail, and hair) of a top predator, the arctic fox Vulpes lagopus. We fed 40 farmed foxes (equal numbers of adults and yearlings of both sexes) with diet capturing the range of resources used by their wild counterparts. We found that, for a single species, six tissues, and three diet types, the range of discrimination values can be almost as large as what is known at the scale of the whole mammalian or avian class. Discrimination varied depending on sex, age, tissue, and diet types, ranging from 0.3‰ to 5.3‰ (mean  = 2.6‰) for δ¹⁵N and from 0.2‰ to 2.9‰ (mean  = 0.9‰) for δ¹³C. We also found an impact of population structure on δ¹⁵N half-life in blood cells. Varying across individuals, δ¹⁵N half-life in plasma (6 to 10 days) was also shorter than for δ¹³C (14 to 22 days), though δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C half-lives are usually considered as equal. Overall, our multi-factorial experiment revealed that at least six levels of isotopic variations could co-occur in the same population. Our experimental analysis provides a framework for quantifying multiple sources of variation in isotopic discrimination and half-life that needs to be taken into account when designing and analysing ecological field studies.

Inseparability of Go and Stop in Inhibitory Control: Go Stimulus Discriminability Affects Stopping Behavior.

PubMed

Ma, Ning; Yu, Angela J

2016-01-01

Inhibitory control, the ability to stop or modify preplanned actions under changing task conditions, is an important component of cognitive functions. Two lines of models of inhibitory control have previously been proposed for human response in the classical stop-signal task, in which subjects must inhibit a default go response upon presentation of an infrequent stop signal: (1) the race model, which posits two independent go and stop processes that race to determine the behavioral outcome, go or stop; and (2) an optimal decision-making model, which posits that observers decides whether and when to go based on continually (Bayesian) updated information about both the go and stop stimuli. In this work, we probe the relationship between go and stop processing by explicitly manipulating the discrimination difficulty of the go stimulus. While the race model assumes the go and stop processes are independent, and therefore go stimulus discriminability should not affect the stop stimulus processing, we simulate the optimal model to show that it predicts harder go discrimination should result in longer go reaction time (RT), lower stop error rate, as well as faster stop-signal RT. We then present novel behavioral data that validate these model predictions. The results thus favor a fundamentally inseparable account of go and stop processing, in a manner consistent with the optimal model, and contradicting the independence assumption of the race model. More broadly, our findings contribute to the growing evidence that the computations underlying inhibitory control are systematically modulated by cognitive influences in a Bayes-optimal manner, thus opening new avenues for interpreting neural responses underlying inhibitory control.

[Phoneme analysis and phoneme discrimination of juvenile speech therapy school students].

PubMed

Franz, S; Rosanowski, F; Eysholdt, U; Hoppe, U

2011-05-01

Phoneme analysis and phoneme discrimination, important factors in acquiring spoken and written language, have been evaluated in juvenile speech therapy school students. The results have been correlated with the results of a school achievement test. The following questions were of interest: Do students in the lower verbal skill segment show pathological phoneme analysis and phoneme discrimination skills? Do the results of the school achievement test differ from the results by students visiting German "Hauptschule"? How does phoneme analysis and phoneme discrimination performance correlate to other tested parameters? 74 students of a speech therapy school ranging from 7 (th) to 9 (th) grade were examined (ages 12;10-17;04) with the Heidelberg Phoneme Discrimination Test H-LAD and the school achievement test "Prüfsystem für Schul- und Bildungsberatung PSB-R 6-13". Compared to 4 (th) graders the juvenile speech therapy school students showed worse results in the H-LAD test with good differentiation in the lower measuring range. In the PSB-R 6-13 test the examined students did worse compared to students visiting German "Hauptschule" for all grades except 9 (th) grade. Comparing H-LAD and PSB-R 6-13 shows a significant correlation for the sub-tests covering language competence and intelligence but not for the concentration tests. Pathological phoneme analysis and phoneme discrimination skills suggest elevated need for counseling, but this needs to corroborated through additional linguistic parameters and measuring non-verbal intelligence. Further trails are needed in order to clarify whether the results can lead to sophisticated therapy algorithms for educational purposes. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The evolution of environmental tolerance and range size: a comparison of geographically restricted and widespread Mimulus.

PubMed

Sheth, Seema N; Angert, Amy L

2014-10-01

The geographic ranges of closely related species can vary dramatically, yet we do not fully grasp the mechanisms underlying such variation. The niche breadth hypothesis posits that species that have evolved broad environmental tolerances can achieve larger geographic ranges than species with narrow environmental tolerances. In turn, plasticity and genetic variation in ecologically important traits and adaptation to environmentally variable areas can facilitate the evolution of broad environmental tolerance. We used five pairs of western North American monkeyflowers to experimentally test these ideas by quantifying performance across eight temperature regimes. In four species pairs, species with broader thermal tolerances had larger geographic ranges, supporting the niche breadth hypothesis. As predicted, species with broader thermal tolerances also had more within-population genetic variation in thermal reaction norms and experienced greater thermal variation across their geographic ranges than species with narrow thermal tolerances. Species with narrow thermal tolerance may be particularly vulnerable to changing climatic conditions due to lack of plasticity and insufficient genetic variation to respond to novel selection pressures. Conversely, species experiencing high variation in temperature across their ranges may be buffered against extinction due to climatic changes because they have evolved tolerance to a broad range of temperatures. © 2014 The Author(s). Evolution © 2014 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Surgical Risk Preoperative Assessment System (SURPAS): II. Parsimonious Risk Models for Postoperative Adverse Outcomes Addressing Need for Laboratory Variables and Surgeon Specialty-specific Models.

PubMed

Meguid, Robert A; Bronsert, Michael R; Juarez-Colunga, Elizabeth; Hammermeister, Karl E; Henderson, William G

2016-07-01

To develop parsimonious prediction models for postoperative mortality, overall morbidity, and 6 complication clusters applicable to a broad range of surgical operations in adult patients. Quantitative risk assessment tools are not routinely used for preoperative patient assessment, shared decision making, informed consent, and preoperative patient optimization, likely due in part to the burden of data collection and the complexity of incorporation into routine surgical practice. Multivariable forward selection stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to develop predictive models for 30-day mortality, overall morbidity, and 6 postoperative complication clusters, using 40 preoperative variables from 2,275,240 surgical cases in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data set, 2005 to 2012. For the mortality and overall morbidity outcomes, prediction models were compared with and without preoperative laboratory variables, and generic models (based on all of the data from 9 surgical specialties) were compared with specialty-specific models. In each model, the cumulative c-index was used to examine the contribution of each added predictor variable. C-indexes, Hosmer-Lemeshow analyses, and Brier scores were used to compare discrimination and calibration between models. For the mortality and overall morbidity outcomes, the prediction models without the preoperative laboratory variables performed as well as the models with the laboratory variables, and the generic models performed as well as the specialty-specific models. The c-indexes were 0.938 for mortality, 0.810 for overall morbidity, and for the 6 complication clusters ranged from 0.757 for infectious to 0.897 for pulmonary complications. Across the 8 prediction models, the first 7 to 11 variables entered accounted for at least 99% of the c-index of the full model (using up to 28 nonlaboratory predictor variables). Our results suggest that it will be possible to develop parsimonious models to predict 8 important postoperative outcomes for a broad surgical population, without the need for surgeon specialty-specific models or inclusion of laboratory variables.

Target detection, shape discrimination, and signal characteristics of an echolocating false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens).

PubMed

Brill, R L; Pawloski, J L; Helweg, D A; Au, W W; Moore, P W

1992-09-01

This study demonstrated the ability of a false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) to discriminate between two targets and investigated the parameters of the whale's emitted signals for changes related to test conditions. Target detection performance comparable to the bottlenose dolphin's (Tursiops truncatus) has previously been reported for echolocating false killer whales. No other echolocation capabilities have been reported. A false killer whale, naive to conditioned echolocation tasks, was initially trained to detect a cylinder in a "go/no-go" procedure over ranges of 3 to 8 m. The transition from a detection task to a discrimination task was readily achieved by introducing a spherical comparison target. Finally, the cylinder was successfully compared to spheres of two different sizes and target strengths. Multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the parameters of emitted signals. Duncan's multiple range tests showed significant decreases (df = 185, p less than 0.05) in both source level and bandwidth in the transition from detection to discrimination. Analysis of variance revealed a significant decrease in the number of clicks over test conditions [F(5.26) = 5.23, p less than 0.0001]. These data suggest that the whale relied on cues relevant to target shape as well as target strength, that changes in source level and bandwidth were task-related, that the decrease in clicks was associated with learning experience, and that Pseudorca's ability to discriminate shapes using echolocation may be comparable to that of Tursiops truncatus.

Discrimination and chemical phylogenetic study of seven species of Dendrobium using infrared spectroscopy combined with cluster analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Congpei; He, Tao; Chun, Ze

2013-04-01

Dendrobium is a commonly used and precious herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The high biodiversity of Dendrobium and the therapeutic needs require tools for the correct and fast discrimination of different Dendrobium species. This study investigates Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy followed by cluster analysis for discrimination and chemical phylogenetic study of seven Dendrobium species. Despite the general pattern of the IR spectra, different intensities, shapes, peak positions were found in the IR spectra of these samples, especially in the range of 1800-800 cm-1. The second derivative transformation and alcoholic extracting procedure obviously enlarged the tiny spectral differences among these samples. The results indicated each Dendrobium species had a characteristic IR spectra profile, which could be used to discriminate them. The similarity coefficients among the samples were analyzed based on their second derivative IR spectra, which ranged from 0.7632 to 0.9700, among the seven Dendrobium species, and from 0.5163 to 0.9615, among the ethanol extracts. A dendrogram was constructed based on cluster analysis the IR spectra for studying the chemical phylogenetic relationships among the samples. The results indicated that D. denneanum and D. crepidatum could be the alternative resources to substitute D. chrysotoxum, D. officinale and D. nobile which were officially recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. In conclusion, with the advantages of high resolution, speediness and convenience, the experimental approach can successfully discriminate and construct the chemical phylogenetic relationships of the seven Dendrobium species.

Cr-doped scandium borate laser

DOEpatents

Chai, Bruce H.; Lai, Shui T.; Long, Margaret N.

1989-01-01

A broadly wavelength-tunable laser is provided which comprises as the laser medium a single crystal of MBO.sub.3 :Cr.sup.3+, where M is selected from the group of Sc, In and Lu. The laser may be operated over a broad temperature range from cryogenic temperatures to elevated temperatures. Emission is in a spectral range from red to infrared, and the laser is useful in the fields of defense, communications, isotope separation, photochemistry, etc.

Can job redesign interventions influence a broad range of employee outcomes by changing multiple job characteristics? A quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Holman, David; Axtell, Carolyn

2016-07-01

Many job redesign interventions are based on a multiple mediator-multiple outcome model in which the job redesign intervention indirectly influences a broad range of employee outcomes by changing multiple job characteristics. As this model remains untested, the aim of this study is to test a multiple mediator-multiple outcome model of job redesign. Multilevel analysis of data from a quasi-experimental job redesign intervention in a call center confirmed the hypothesized model and showed that the job redesign intervention affected a broad range of employee outcomes (i.e., employee well-being, psychological contract fulfillment, and supervisor-rated job performance) through changes in 2 job characteristics (i.e., job control and feedback). The results provide further evidence for the efficacy and mechanisms of job redesign interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Forms of organic phosphorus in wetland soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheesman, A. W.; Turner, B. L.; Reddy, K. R.

2014-12-01

Phosphorus (P) cycling in freshwater wetlands is dominated by biological mechanisms, yet there has been no comprehensive examination of the forms of biogenic P (i.e., forms derived from biological activity) in wetland soils. We used solution 31P NMR spectroscopy to identify and quantify P forms in surface soils of 28 palustrine wetlands spanning a range of climatic, hydrogeomorphic, and vegetation types. Total P concentrations ranged between 51 and 3516 μg P g-1, of which an average of 58% was extracted in a single-step NaOH-EDTA procedure. The extracts contained a broad range of P forms, including phosphomonoesters (averaging 24% of the total soil P), phosphodiesters (averaging 10% of total P), phosphonates (up to 4% of total P), and both pyrophosphate and long-chain polyphosphates (together averaging 6% of total P). Soil P composition was found to be dependant upon two key biogeochemical properties: organic matter content and pH. For example, stereoisomers of inositol hexakisphosphate were detected exclusively in acidic soils with high mineral content, while phosphonates were detected in soils from a broad range of vegetation and hydrogeomorphic types but only under acidic conditions. Conversely inorganic polyphosphates occurred in a broad range of wetland soils, and their abundance appears to reflect more broadly that of a "substantial" and presumably active microbial community with a significant relationship between total inorganic polyphosphates and microbial biomass P. We conclude that soil P composition varies markedly among freshwater wetlands but can be predicted by fundamental soil properties.

Forms of organic phosphorus in wetland soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheesman, A. W.; Turner, B. L.; Reddy, K. R.

2014-06-01

Phosphorus (P) cycling in freshwater wetlands is dominated by biological mechanisms, yet there has been no comprehensive examination of the forms of biogenic P (i.e. forms derived from biological activity) in wetland soils. We used solution 31P NMR spectroscopy to identify and quantify P forms in surface soils of 28 palustrine wetlands spanning a range of climatic, hydro-geomorphic and vegetation types. Total P concentrations ranged between 51 and 3516 μg P g

Multimodal discrimination of immune cells using a combination of Raman spectroscopy and digital holographic microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McReynolds, Naomi; Cooke, Fiona G. M.; Chen, Mingzhou; Powis, Simon J.; Dholakia, Kishan

2017-03-01

The ability to identify and characterise individual cells of the immune system under label-free conditions would be a significant advantage in biomedical and clinical studies where untouched and unmodified cells are required. We present a multi-modal system capable of simultaneously acquiring both single point Raman spectra and digital holographic images of single cells. We use this combined approach to identify and discriminate between immune cell populations CD4+ T cells, B cells and monocytes. We investigate several approaches to interpret the phase images including signal intensity histograms and texture analysis. Both modalities are independently able to discriminate between cell subsets and dual-modality may therefore be used a means for validation. We demonstrate here sensitivities achieved in the range of 86.8% to 100%, and specificities in the range of 85.4% to 100%. Additionally each modality provides information not available from the other providing both a molecular and a morphological signature of each cell.

Discrimination of selected species of pathogenic bacteria using near-infrared Raman spectroscopy and principal components analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Siqueira e Oliveira, Fernanda SantAna; Giana, Hector Enrique; Silveira, Landulfo

2012-10-01

A method, based on Raman spectroscopy, for identification of different microorganisms involved in bacterial urinary tract infections has been proposed. Spectra were collected from different bacterial colonies (Gram-negative: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter cloacae, and Gram-positive: Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus spp.), grown on culture medium (agar), using a Raman spectrometer with a fiber Raman probe (830 nm). Colonies were scraped from the agar surface and placed on an aluminum foil for Raman measurements. After preprocessing, spectra were submitted to a principal component analysis and Mahalanobis distance (PCA/MD) discrimination algorithm. We found that the mean Raman spectra of different bacterial species show similar bands, and S. aureus was well characterized by strong bands related to carotenoids. PCA/MD could discriminate Gram-positive bacteria with sensitivity and specificity of 100% and Gram-negative bacteria with sensitivity ranging from 58 to 88% and specificity ranging from 87% to 99%.

Wide tracking range, auto ranging, low jitter phase lock loop for swept and fixed frequency systems

DOEpatents

Kerner, Thomas M.

2001-01-01

The present invention provides a wide tracking range phase locked loop (PLL) circuit that achieves minimal jitter in a recovered clock signal, regardless of the source of the jitter (i.e. whether it is in the source or the transmission media). The present invention PLL has automatic harmonic lockout detection circuitry via a novel lock and seek control logic in electrical communication with a programmable frequency discriminator and a code balance detector. (The frequency discriminator enables preset of a frequency window of upper and lower frequency limits to derive a programmable range within which signal acquisition is effected. The discriminator works in combination with the code balance detector circuit to minimize the sensitivity of the PLL circuit to random data in the data stream). In addition, the combination of a differential loop integrator with the lock and seek control logic obviates a code preamble and guarantees signal acquisition without harmonic lockup. An adaptive cable equalizer is desirably used in combination with the present invention PLL to recover encoded transmissions containing a clock and/or data. The equalizer automatically adapts to equalize short haul cable lengths of coaxial and twisted pair cables or wires and provides superior jitter performance itself. The combination of the equalizer with the present invention PLL is desirable in that such combination permits the use of short haul wires without significant jitter.

Method of high precision interval measurement in pulse laser ranging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhen; Lv, Xin-yuan; Mao, Jin-jin; Liu, Wei; Yang, Dong

2013-09-01

Laser ranging is suitable for laser system, for it has the advantage of high measuring precision, fast measuring speed,no cooperative targets and strong resistance to electromagnetic interference,the measuremen of laser ranging is the key paremeters affecting the performance of the whole system.The precision of the pulsed laser ranging system was decided by the precision of the time interval measurement, the principle structure of laser ranging system was introduced, and a method of high precision time interval measurement in pulse laser ranging system was established in this paper.Based on the analysis of the factors which affected the precision of range measure,the pulse rising edges discriminator was adopted to produce timing mark for the start-stop time discrimination,and the TDC-GP2 high precision interval measurement system based on TMS320F2812 DSP was designed to improve the measurement precision.Experimental results indicate that the time interval measurement method in this paper can obtain higher range accuracy. Compared with the traditional time interval measurement system,the method simplifies the system design and reduce the influence of bad weather conditions,furthermore,it satisfies the requirements of low costs and miniaturization.

Absolute Pitch in Boreal Chickadees and Humans: Exceptions that Test a Phylogenetic Rule

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weisman, Ronald G.; Balkwill, Laura-Lee; Hoeschele, Marisa; Moscicki, Michele K.; Bloomfield, Laurie L.; Sturdy, Christopher B.

2010-01-01

This research examined generality of the phylogenetic rule that birds discriminate frequency ranges more accurately than mammals. Human absolute pitch chroma possessors accurately tracked transitions between frequency ranges. Independent tests showed that they used note naming (pitch chroma) to remap the tones into ranges; neither possessors nor…

Seismic attenuation in the African LLSVP estimated from PcS phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chujie; Grand, Stephen P.

2018-05-01

Seismic tomography models have revealed two broad regions in the lowermost mantle marked by ∼3% slower shear velocity than normal beneath the south central Pacific and southern Africa. These two regions are known as large-low-shear-velocity provinces (LLSVP). There is debate over whether the LLSVPs can be explained by purely thermal variations or whether they must be chemically distinct from normal mantle. Elastic properties alone, have been unable to distinguish the thermal from chemical interpretations. Anelastic structure, however, can help discriminate among models of the LLSVPs since intrinsic attenuation is more sensitive to temperature than to chemical variations. Here we estimate Qμ (the shear wave quality factor) in the African LLSVP using PcS waves generated from a Scotia Arc earthquake, recorded by broadband seismometers deployed in Southern Africa during the Kaapvaal experiment. The upward leg of the PcS waves sweeps from normal mantle into the African LLSVP across the array. We use the spectral ratio (SR) and instantaneous frequency matching (IFM) techniques to measure the differential attenuation (Δt*) between waves sampling the African LLSVP and the waves that sample normal lower mantle. Using both methods for estimating Δt* we find that PcS waves sampling the LLSVP are more attenuated than the waves that miss the LLSVP yielding a Δt* difference of more than 1 s. Using the Δt* measurements we estimate the average Qμ in the LLSVP to be about 110. Using a range of activation enthalpy (H*) estimates, we find an average temperature anomaly within the LLSVP ranging from +250 to +800 K. Our estimated temperature anomaly range overlaps previous isochemical geodynamic studies that explain the LLSVP as a purely thermal structure although the large uncertainties cannot rule out chemical variations as well.

Field determination of optimal dates for the discrimination of invasive wetland plant species using derivative spectral analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laba, M.; Tsai, F.; Ogurcak, D.; Smith, S.; Richmond, M.E.

2005-01-01

Mapping invasive plant species in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems helps to understand the causes of their progression, manage some of their negative consequences, and control them. In recent years, a variety of new remote-sensing techniques, like Derivative Spectral Analysis (DSA) of hyperspectral data, have been developed to facilitate this mapping. A number of questions related to these techniques remain to be addressed. This article attempts to answer one of these questions: Is the application of DSA optimal at certain times of the year? Field radiometric data gathered weekly during the summer of 1999 at selected field sites in upstate New York, populated with purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria L.), common reed (Phragmites australis (Cav.)) and cattail (Typha L.) are analyzed using DSA to differentiate among plant community types. First, second and higher-order derivatives of the reflectance spectra of nine field plots, varying in plant composition, are calculated and analyzed in detail to identify spectral ranges in which one or more community types have distinguishing features. On the basis of the occurrence and extent of these spectral ranges, experimental observations suggest that a satisfactory differentiation among community types was feasible on 30 August, when plants experienced characteristic phenological changes (transition from flowers to seed heads). Generally, dates in August appear optimal from the point of view of species differentiability and could be selected for image acquisitions. This observation, as well as the methodology adopted in this article, should provide a firm basis for the acquisition of hyperspectral imagery and for mapping the targeted species over a broad range of spatial scales. ?? 2005 American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.

Bovid ecomorphology and hominin paleoenvironments of the Shungura Formation, lower Omo River Valley, Ethiopia.

PubMed

Plummer, Thomas W; Ferraro, Joseph V; Louys, Julien; Hertel, Fritz; Alemseged, Zeresenay; Bobe, René; Bishop, L C

2015-11-01

The Shungura Formation in the lower Omo River Valley, southern Ethiopia, has yielded an important paleontological and archeological record from the Pliocene and Pleistocene of eastern Africa. Fossils are common throughout the sequence and provide evidence of paleoenvironments and environmental change through time. This study developed discriminant function ecomorphology models that linked astragalus morphology to broadly defined habitat categories (open, light cover, heavy cover, forest, and wetlands) using modern bovids of known ecology. These models used seven variables suitable for use on fragmentary fossils and had overall classification success rates of >82%. Four hundred and one fossils were analyzed from Shungura Formation members B through G (3.4-1.9 million years ago). Analysis by member documented the full range of ecomorph categories, demonstrating that a wide range of habitats existed along the axis of the paleo-Omo River. Heavy cover ecomorphs, reflecting habitats such as woodland and heavy bushland, were the most common in the fossil sample. The trend of increasing open cover habitats from Members C through F suggested by other paleoenvironmental proxies was documented by the increase in open habitat ecomorphs during this interval. However, finer grained analysis demonstrated considerable variability in ecomorph frequencies over time, suggesting that substantial short-term variability is masked when grouping samples by member. The hominin genera Australopithecus, Homo, and Paranthropus are associated with a range of ecomorphs, indicating that all three genera were living in temporally variable and heterogeneous landscapes. Australopithecus finds were predominantly associated with lower frequencies of open habitat ecomorphs, and high frequencies of heavy cover ecomorphs, perhaps indicating a more woodland focus for this genus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a diatom-based multimetric index for acid mine drainage impacted depressional wetlands.

PubMed

Riato, Luisa; Leira, Manel; Della Bella, Valentina; Oberholster, Paul J

2018-01-15

Acid mine drainage (AMD) from coal mining in the Mpumalanga Highveld region of South Africa has caused severe chemical and biological degradation of aquatic habitats, specifically depressional wetlands, as mines use these wetlands for storage of AMD. Diatom-based multimetric indices (MMIs) to assess wetland condition have mostly been developed to assess agricultural and urban land use impacts. No diatom MMI of wetland condition has been developed to assess AMD impacts related to mining activities. Previous approaches to diatom-based MMI development in wetlands have not accounted for natural variability. Natural variability among depressional wetlands may influence the accuracy of MMIs. Epiphytic diatom MMIs sensitive to AMD were developed for a range of depressional wetland types to account for natural variation in biological metrics. For this, we classified wetland types based on diatom typologies. A range of 4-15 final metrics were selected from a pool of ~140 candidate metrics to develop the MMIs based on their: (1) broad range, (2) high separation power and (3) low correlation among metrics. Final metrics were selected from three categories: similarity to reference sites, functional groups, and taxonomic composition, which represent different aspects of diatom assemblage structure and function. MMI performances were evaluated according to their precision in distinguishing reference sites, responsiveness to discriminate reference and disturbed sites, sensitivity to human disturbances and relevancy to AMD-related stressors. Each MMI showed excellent discriminatory power, whether or not it accounted for natural variation. However, accounting for variation by grouping sites based on diatom typologies improved overall performance of MMIs. Our study highlights the usefulness of diatom-based metrics and provides a model for the biological assessment of depressional wetland condition in South Africa and elsewhere. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mexican Origin Youths’ Trajectories of Perceived Peer Discrimination from Middle Childhood to Adolescence: Variation by Neighborhood Ethnic Concentration

PubMed Central

White, Rebecca M. B.; Zeiders, Katharine H.; Knight, George P.; Roosa, Mark W.; Tein, Jenn-Yun

2014-01-01

Developmentally salient research on perceived peer discrimination among minority youths is limited. Little is known about trajectories of perceived peer discrimination across the developmental period ranging from middle childhood to adolescence. Ethically concentrated neighborhoods are hypothesized to protect minority youths from discrimination, but strong empirical tests are lacking. The first aim of the current study was to estimate trajectories of perceived peer discrimination from middle childhood to adolescence, as youths transitioned from elementary to middle and to high school. The second aim was to examine the relationship between neighborhood ethnic concentration and perceived peer discrimination over time. Using a diverse sample of 749 Mexican origin youths (48.9% female), a series of growth models revealed that youths born in Mexico, relative to those born in the U.S., perceived higher discrimination in the 5th grade and decreases across time. Youths who had higher averages on neighborhood ethnic concentration (across the developmental period) experienced decreases in perceived peer discrimination over time; those that had lower average neighborhood ethnic concentration levels showed evidence of increasing trajectories. Further, when individuals experienced increases in their own neighborhood ethnic concentration levels (relative to their own cross-time averages), they reported lower levels of perceived peer discrimination. Neighborhood ethnic concentration findings were not explained by the concurrent changes youths were experiencing in school ethnic concentrations. The results support a culturally-informed developmental view of perceived peer discrimination that recognizes variability in co-ethnic neighborhood contexts. The results advance a view of ethnic enclaves as protective from mainstream threats. PMID:24488094

Mexican origin youths' trajectories of perceived peer discrimination from middle childhood to adolescence: variation by neighborhood ethnic concentration.

PubMed

White, Rebecca M B; Zeiders, Katharine H; Knight, George P; Roosa, Mark W; Tein, Jenn-Yun

2014-10-01

Developmentally salient research on perceived peer discrimination among minority youths is limited. Little is known about trajectories of perceived peer discrimination across the developmental period ranging from middle childhood to adolescence. Ethically concentrated neighborhoods are hypothesized to protect minority youths from discrimination, but strong empirical tests are lacking. The first aim of the current study was to estimate trajectories of perceived peer discrimination from middle childhood to adolescence, as youths transitioned from elementary to middle and to high school. The second aim was to examine the relationship between neighborhood ethnic concentration and perceived peer discrimination over time. Using a diverse sample of 749 Mexican origin youths (48.9% female), a series of growth models revealed that youths born in Mexico, relative to those born in the U.S., perceived higher discrimination in the 5th grade and decreases across time. Youths who had higher averages on neighborhood ethnic concentration (across the developmental period) experienced decreases in perceived peer discrimination over time; those that had lower average neighborhood ethnic concentration levels showed evidence of increasing trajectories. Further, when individuals experienced increases in their own neighborhood ethnic concentration levels (relative to their own cross-time averages), they reported lower levels of perceived peer discrimination. Neighborhood ethnic concentration findings were not explained by the concurrent changes youths were experiencing in school ethnic concentrations. The results support a culturally-informed developmental view of perceived peer discrimination that recognizes variability in co-ethnic neighborhood contexts. The results advance a view of ethnic enclaves as protective from mainstream threats.

Perception, experience, and response to genetic discrimination in Huntington's disease: the Australian results of The International RESPOND-HD study.

PubMed

Goh, Anita M Y; Chiu, Edmond; Yastrubetskaya, Olga; Erwin, Cheryl; Williams, Janet K; Juhl, Andrew R; Paulsen, Jane S

2013-02-01

This study examines elements of genetic discrimination among an at-risk, clinically undiagnosed Huntington's disease (HD) population. Sixty at-risk individuals, either positive or negative for the HD genetic mutation, completed a survey regarding their experiences of genetic discrimination, adverse and unfair treatment, and knowledge about existing laws and policies surrounding genetic discrimination. Sixty eight percent of participants reported feeling "Great benefit" from knowing their genetic test results. Reported benefits of knowledge included planning for the future, making decisions, and many individuals found meaning in active participation in the HD community and in advocating for themselves or families at risk for HD. Many individuals found personal meaning and a sense of community from knowledge of this information and from the ability to participate in research. Despite these positive feelings toward gene testing, results demonstrated that 33% of participants perceived experiences of genetic discrimination, which occurred repeatedly and caused great self-reported distress. Significantly, more gene-positive respondents reported experiencing incidents of genetic discrimination, compared to gene-negative respondents. At least 58 separate incidents of discrimination were reported, the number of incidents ranged from 1 to 10, with 45% of individuals (9/20 respondents) indicating more than one event. Of the most significant events of discrimination, 58% were related to insurance, 21% to employment, 16% to transactions of daily life, and 5% to relationships. Results contribute toward validation of empirical data regarding genetic discrimination.

Discrimination of synthesized English vowels by American and Korean listeners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Byunggon

2004-05-01

This study explored the discrimination of synthesized English vowel pairs by 27 American and Korean, male and female listeners. The average formant values of nine monophthongs produced by ten American English male speakers were employed to synthesize the vowels. Then, subjects were instructed explicitly to respond to AX discrimination tasks in which the standard vowel was followed by another one with the increment or decrement of the original formant values. The highest and lowest formant values of the same vowel quality were collected and compared to examine patterns of vowel discrimination. Results showed that the American and Korean groups discriminated the vowel pairs almost identically and their center formant frequency values of the high and low boundary fell almost exactly on those of the standards. In addition, the acceptable range of the same vowel quality was similar among the language and gender groups. The acceptable thresholds of each vowel formed an oval to maintain perceptual contrast from adjacent vowels. Pedagogical implications of those findings are discussed.

Trends and Patterns in Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) Charges.

PubMed

von Schrader, Sarah; Nazarov, Zafar E

2016-07-01

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects individuals aged 40 years and over from discrimination throughout the employment process. Using data on ADEA charges from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 1993 to 2010, we present labor force-adjusted charge rates demonstrating that the highest charge rates are among those in the preretirement age range, and only the rate of charges among those aged 65 years and older has not decreased. We examine characteristics of ADEA charges including the prevalence of different alleged discriminatory actions (or issues) and highlight the increasing proportion of age discrimination charges that are jointly filed with other antidiscrimination statutes. Through a regression analysis, we find that the likelihood of citing various issues differs by charging party characteristics, such as age, gender, and minority status, and on charges that cite only age discrimination as compared to those that are jointly filed. Implications of these findings for employers are discussed. © The Author(s) 2016.

Classification of debtor credit status and determination amount of credit risk by using linier discriminant function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aidi, Muhammad Nur; Sari, Resty Indah

2012-05-01

A decision of credit that given by bank or another creditur must have a risk and it called credit risk. Credit risk is an investor's risk of loss arising from a borrower who does not make payments as promised. The substantial of credit risk can lead to losses for the banks and the debtor. To minimize this problem need a further study to identify a potential new customer before the decision given. Identification of debtor can using various approaches analysis, one of them is by using discriminant analysis. Discriminant analysis in this study are used to classify whether belonging to the debtor's good credit or bad credit. The result of this study are two discriminant functions that can identify new debtor. Before step built the discriminant function, selection of explanatory variables should be done. Purpose of selection independent variable is to choose the variable that can discriminate the group maximally. Selection variables in this study using different test, for categoric variable selection of variable using proportion chi-square test, and stepwise discriminant for numeric variable. The result of this study are two discriminant functions that can identify new debtor. The selected variables that can discriminating two groups of debtor maximally are status of existing checking account, credit history, credit amount, installment rate in percentage of disposable income, sex, age in year, other installment plans, and number of people being liable to provide maintenance. This classification produce a classification accuracy rate is good enough, that is equal to 74,70%. Debtor classification using discriminant analysis has risk level that is small enough, and it ranged beetwen 14,992% and 17,608%. Based on that credit risk rate, using discriminant analysis on the classification of credit status can be used effectively.

Threshold dose for discrimination of nicotine via cigarette smoking.

PubMed

Perkins, Kenneth A; Kunkle, Nicole; Karelitz, Joshua L; Michael, Valerie C; Donny, Eric C

2016-06-01

The lowest nicotine threshold "dose" in cigarettes discriminated from a cigarette containing virtually no nicotine may help inform the minimum dose maintaining dependence. Spectrum research cigarettes (from NIDA) differing in nicotine content were used to evaluate a procedure to determine discrimination thresholds. Dependent smokers (n = 18; 13 M, 5 F) were tested on ability to discriminate cigarettes with nicotine contents of 11, 5, 2.4, and 1.3 mg/g, one per session, from the "ultralow" cigarette with 0.4 mg/g, after having discriminated 16 mg/g from 0.4 mg/g (all had 9-10 mg "tar"). Exposure to each was limited to 4 puffs/trial. All subjects were abstinent from smoking overnight prior to each session, and the number of sessions was determined by the participant's success in discrimination behavior on >80 % of trials. Subjective perceptions and behavioral choice between cigarettes were also assessed and related to discrimination behavior. The median threshold was 11 mg/g, but the range was 2.4 to 16 mg/g, suggesting wide variability in discrimination threshold. Compared to the ultralow, puff choice was greater for the subject's threshold dose but only marginal for the subthreshold (next lowest nicotine) cigarette. Threshold and subthreshold also differed on subjective perceptions but not withdrawal relief. Under these testing conditions, threshold content for discriminating nicotine via cigarettes may be 11 mg/g or greater for most smokers, but some can discriminate nicotine contents one-half or one-quarter this amount. Further study with other procedures and cigarette exposure amounts may identify systematic differences in nicotine discrimination thresholds.

Statistical analysis of Thematic Mapper Simulator data for the geobotanical discrimination of rock types in southwest Oregon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrissey, L. A.; Weinstock, K. J.; Mouat, D. A.; Card, D. H.

1984-01-01

An evaluation of Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS) data for the geobotanical discrimination of rock types based on vegetative cover characteristics is addressed in this research. A methodology for accomplishing this evaluation utilizing univariate and multivariate techniques is presented. TMS data acquired with a Daedalus DEI-1260 multispectral scanner were integrated with vegetation and geologic information for subsequent statistical analyses, which included a chi-square test, an analysis of variance, stepwise discriminant analysis, and Duncan's multiple range test. Results indicate that ultramafic rock types are spectrally separable from nonultramafics based on vegetative cover through the use of statistical analyses.

The IFITMs Inhibit Zika Virus Replication.

PubMed

Savidis, George; Perreira, Jill M; Portmann, Jocelyn M; Meraner, Paul; Guo, Zhiru; Green, Sharone; Brass, Abraham L

2016-06-14

Zika virus has emerged as a severe health threat with a rapidly expanding range. The IFITM family of restriction factors inhibits the replication of a broad range of viruses, including the closely related flaviruses West Nile virus and dengue virus. Here, we show that IFITM1 and IFITM3 inhibit Zika virus infection early in the viral life cycle. Moreover, IFITM3 can prevent Zika-virus-induced cell death. These results suggest that strategies to boost the actions and/or levels of the IFITMs might be useful for inhibiting a broad range of emerging viruses. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

[Study on the genuineness and producing area of Panax notoginseng based on infrared spectroscopy combined with discriminant analysis].

PubMed

Liu, Fei; Wang, Yuan-zhong; Yang, Chun-yan; Jin, Hang

2015-01-01

The genuineness and producing area of Panax notoginseng were studied based on infrared spectroscopy combined with discriminant analysis. The infrared spectra of 136 taproots of P. notoginseng from 13 planting point in 11 counties were collected and the second derivate spectra were calculated by Omnic 8. 0 software. The infrared spectra and their second derivate spectra in the range 1 800 - 700 cm-1 were used to build model by stepwise discriminant analysis, which was in order to distinguish study on the genuineness of P. notoginseng. The model built based on the second derivate spectra showed the better recognition effect for the genuineness of P. notoginseng. The correct rate of returned classification reached to 100%, and the prediction accuracy was 93. 4%. The stability of model was tested by cross validation and the method was performed extrapolation validation. The second derivate spectra combined with the same discriminant analysis method were used to distinguish the producing area of P. notoginseng. The recognition effect of models built based on different range of spectrum and different numbers of samples were compared and found that when the model was built by collecting 8 samples from each planting point as training sample and the spectrum in the range 1 500 - 1 200 cm-1 , the recognition effect was better, with the correct rate of returned classification reached to 99. 0%, and the prediction accuracy was 76. 5%. The results indicated that infrared spectroscopy combined with discriminant analysis showed good recognition effect for the genuineness of P. notoginseng. The method might be a hopeful new method for identification of genuineness of P. notoginseng in practice. The method could recognize the producing area of P. notoginseng to some extent and could be a new thought for identification of the producing area of P. natoginseng.

Plight of the New Americans: Discrimination against Immigrants and Refugees. Report on a Public Hearing Sponsored by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations, CA.

This report is a digest of testimony presented at a hearing, conducted by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations, on discrimination against immigrants and refugees. The hearing featured 27 presentations from representatives of a wide range of organizations and concerns. Nine major areas of concern were identified, including:…

Man-Portable Vector (MPV) EMI Sensor for UXO Contamination Assessment at Former Spencer Artillery Range, Tennessee

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-16

instantaneous polarization model ( Pasion and Oldenburg, 2001). The target polarizability decay parameters are the main features for the ensuing...Bell, T., Geo-location Requirements for UXO Discrimination. SERDP Geo-location Workshop, 2005. Billings, S., Pasion , L., Lhomme, N. and Oldenburg...Report. ESTCP Project MR-201005, 2011b. Pasion , L. & Oldenburg, D., A Discrimination Algorithm for UXO Using Time Domain Electromagnetics. Journal of

Smoke and mirrors: Testing the scope of chimpanzees’ appearance-reality understanding

PubMed Central

Lurz, Robert; Russell, Jamie L.; Hopkins, William D.

2016-01-01

The ability to make appearance-reality (AR) discriminations is an important higher-order cognitive adaptation in humans but is still poorly understood in our closest primate relatives. Previous research showed that chimpanzees are capable of AR discrimination when choosing between food items that appear, due to the effects of distorting lenses, to be smaller or larger than they actually are (Krachun, Call & Tomasello, 2009). In the current study, we investigated the scope and flexibility of chimpanzees’ AR discrimination abilities by presenting them with a wider range of illusory stimuli. In addition to using lenses to change the apparent size of food items (Experiment 1), we used a mirror to change the apparent number of items (Experiment 2), and tinted filters to change their apparent color (Experiment 3). In all three experiments, some chimpanzees were able to maximize their food rewards by making a choice based on the real properties of the stimuli in contrast to their manifest apparent properties. These results replicate the earlier findings for size illusions and extend them to additional situations involving illusory number and color. Control tests, together with findings from previous studies, ruled out lower-level explanations for the chimpanzees’ performance. The findings thus support the hypothesis that chimpanzees are capable of making AR discriminations with a range of illusory stimuli. PMID:26848736

Analysis of Active Sensor Discrimination Requirements for Various Defense Missile Defense Scenarios Final Report 1999(99-ERD-080)

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

Ledebuhr, A.G.; Ng, L.C.; Gaughan, R.J.

2000-02-15

During FY99, we have explored and analyzed a combined passive/active sensor concept to support the advanced discrimination requirements for various missile defense scenario. The idea is to combine multiple IR spectral channels with an imaging LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) behind a common optical system. The imaging LIDAR would itself consist of at least two channels; one at the fundamental laser wavelength (e.g., the 1.064 {micro}m for Nd:YAG) and one channel at the frequency doubled (at 532 nm for Nd:YAG). two-color laser output would, for example, allow the longer wavelength for a direct detection time of flight ranger and anmore » active imaging channel at the shorter wavelength. The LIDAR can function as a high-resolution 2D spatial image either passively or actively with laser illumination. Advances in laser design also offer three color (frequency tripled) systems, high rep-rate operation, better pumping efficiencies that can provide longer distance acquisition, and ranging for enhanced discrimination phenomenology. New detector developments can enhance the performance and operation of both LIDAR channels. A real time data fusion approach that combines multi-spectral IR phenomenology with LIDAR imagery can improve both discrimination and aim-point selection capability.« less

Energy-discrimination X-ray computed tomography system utilizing a silicon-PIN detector and its application to 2.0-keV-width K-edge imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagiwara, Osahiko; Watanabe, Manabu; Sato, Eiichi; Matsukiyo, Hiroshi; Osawa, Akihiro; Enomoto, Toshiyuki; Nagao, Jiro; Sato, Shigehiro; Ogawa, Akira; Onagawa, Jun

2011-05-01

Demonstration of narrow-energy-width computed tomography (CT) was carried out by means of energy-discrimination. An X-ray CT system is of a first-generation type and consists of an X-ray generator, a turntable, a translation stage, a two-stage controller, a silicon-PIN detector system with amplifiers, a multi-channel analyzer (MCA), a counter card (CC), and a personal computer (PC). CT is accomplished by repeating the translation and the rotation of an object, and projection curves of the object are obtained by the translation of the moving object. Both photon-energy level and energy width are determined by the MCA, and the pulses of the discriminated event signal from the MCA are counted by CC in conjunction with PC. The maximum count rate was approximately 300 cps (counts per second) with energy widths of 2.0 keV, and energy-discrimination CT was carried out with a photon-energy resolution of 0.15 keV. To perform iodine K-edge CT, X-ray photons with an energy range from 33.2 to 35.2 keV were used. Next, to carry out cerium K-edge CT, an energy range from 40.3 to 42.3 keV was selected.

Development and validation of the University of Washington Clinical Assessment of Music Perception test.

PubMed

Kang, Robert; Nimmons, Grace Liu; Drennan, Ward; Longnion, Jeff; Ruffin, Chad; Nie, Kaibao; Won, Jong Ho; Worman, Tina; Yueh, Bevan; Rubinstein, Jay

2009-08-01

Assessment of cochlear implant outcomes centers around speech discrimination. Despite dramatic improvements in speech perception, music perception remains a challenge for most cochlear implant users. No standardized test exists to quantify music perception in a clinically practical manner. This study presents the University of Washington Clinical Assessment of Music Perception (CAMP) test as a reliable and valid music perception test for English-speaking, adult cochlear implant users. Forty-two cochlear implant subjects were recruited from the University of Washington Medical Center cochlear implant program and referred by two implant manufacturers. Ten normal-hearing volunteers were drawn from the University of Washington Medical Center and associated campuses. A computer-driven, self-administered test was developed to examine three specific aspects of music perception: pitch direction discrimination, melody recognition, and timbre recognition. The pitch subtest used an adaptive procedure to determine just-noticeable differences for complex tone pitch direction discrimination within the range of 1 to 12 semitones. The melody and timbre subtests assessed recognition of 12 commonly known melodies played with complex tones in an isochronous manner and eight musical instruments playing an identical five-note sequence, respectively. Testing was repeated for cochlear implant subjects to evaluate test-retest reliability. Normal-hearing volunteers were also tested to demonstrate differences in performance in the two populations. For cochlear implant subjects, pitch direction discrimination just-noticeable differences ranged from 1 to 8.0 semitones (Mean = 3.0, SD = 2.3). Melody and timbre recognition ranged from 0 to 94.4% correct (mean = 25.1, SD = 22.2) and 20.8 to 87.5% (mean = 45.3, SD = 16.2), respectively. Each subtest significantly correlated at least moderately with both Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant (CNC) word recognition scores and spondee recognition thresholds in steady state noise and two-talker babble. Intraclass coefficients demonstrating test-retest correlations for pitch, melody, and timbre were 0.85, 0.92, and 0.69, respectively. Normal-hearing volunteers had a mean pitch direction discrimination threshold of 1.0 semitone, the smallest interval tested, and mean melody and timbre recognition scores of 87.5 and 94.2%, respectively. The CAMP test discriminates a wide range of music perceptual ability in cochlear implant users. Moderate correlations were seen between music test results and both Consonant-Nucleus-Consonant word recognition scores and spondee recognition thresholds in background noise. Test-retest reliability was moderate to strong. The CAMP test provides a reliable and valid metric for a clinically practical, standardized evaluation of music perception in adult cochlear implant users.

Supersensitive detection and discrimination of enantiomers by dorsal olfactory receptors: evidence for hierarchical odour coding.

PubMed

Sato, Takaaki; Kobayakawa, Reiko; Kobayakawa, Ko; Emura, Makoto; Itohara, Shigeyoshi; Kizumi, Miwako; Hamana, Hiroshi; Tsuboi, Akio; Hirono, Junzo

2015-09-11

Enantiomeric pairs of mirror-image molecular structures are difficult to resolve by instrumental analyses. The human olfactory system, however, discriminates (-)-wine lactone from its (+)-form rapidly within seconds. To gain insight into receptor coding of enantiomers, we compared behavioural detection and discrimination thresholds of wild-type mice with those of ΔD mice in which all dorsal olfactory receptors are genetically ablated. Surprisingly, wild-type mice displayed an exquisite "supersensitivity" to enantiomeric pairs of wine lactones and carvones. They were capable of supersensitive discrimination of enantiomers, consistent with their high detection sensitivity. In contrast, ΔD mice showed selective major loss of sensitivity to the (+)-enantiomers. The resulting 10(8)-fold differential sensitivity of ΔD mice to (-)- vs. (+)-wine lactone matched that observed in humans. This suggests that humans lack highly sensitive orthologous dorsal receptors for the (+)-enantiomer, similarly to ΔD mice. Moreover, ΔD mice showed >10(10)-fold reductions in enantiomer discrimination sensitivity compared to wild-type mice. ΔD mice detected one or both of the (-)- and (+)-enantiomers over a wide concentration range, but were unable to discriminate them. This "enantiomer odour discrimination paradox" indicates that the most sensitive dorsal receptors play a critical role in hierarchical odour coding for enantiomer identification.

Supersensitive detection and discrimination of enantiomers by dorsal olfactory receptors: evidence for hierarchical odour coding

PubMed Central

Sato, Takaaki; Kobayakawa, Reiko; Kobayakawa, Ko; Emura, Makoto; Itohara, Shigeyoshi; Kizumi, Miwako; Hamana, Hiroshi; Tsuboi, Akio; Hirono, Junzo

2015-01-01

Enantiomeric pairs of mirror-image molecular structures are difficult to resolve by instrumental analyses. The human olfactory system, however, discriminates (−)-wine lactone from its (+)-form rapidly within seconds. To gain insight into receptor coding of enantiomers, we compared behavioural detection and discrimination thresholds of wild-type mice with those of ΔD mice in which all dorsal olfactory receptors are genetically ablated. Surprisingly, wild-type mice displayed an exquisite “supersensitivity” to enantiomeric pairs of wine lactones and carvones. They were capable of supersensitive discrimination of enantiomers, consistent with their high detection sensitivity. In contrast, ΔD mice showed selective major loss of sensitivity to the (+)-enantiomers. The resulting 108-fold differential sensitivity of ΔD mice to (−)- vs. (+)-wine lactone matched that observed in humans. This suggests that humans lack highly sensitive orthologous dorsal receptors for the (+)-enantiomer, similarly to ΔD mice. Moreover, ΔD mice showed >1010-fold reductions in enantiomer discrimination sensitivity compared to wild-type mice. ΔD mice detected one or both of the (−)- and (+)-enantiomers over a wide concentration range, but were unable to discriminate them. This “enantiomer odour discrimination paradox” indicates that the most sensitive dorsal receptors play a critical role in hierarchical odour coding for enantiomer identification. PMID:26361056

PERCEIVED DISCRIMINATION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING: THE MEDIATING AND MODERATING ROLE OF SENSE OF CONTROL*

PubMed Central

Jang, Yuri; Chiriboga, David A.; Small, Brent J.

2010-01-01

Being discriminated against is an unpleasant and stressful experience, and its connection to reduced psychological well-being is well-documented. The present study hypothesized that a sense of control would serve as both mediator and moderator in the dynamics of perceived discrimination and psychological well-being. In addition, variations by age, gender, and race in the effects of perceived discrimination were explored. Data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) survey (N = 1,554; age range = 45 to 74) provided supportive evidence for the hypotheses. The relationships between perceived discrimination and positive and negative affect were reduced when sense of control was controlled, demonstrating the role of sense of control as a mediator. The moderating role of sense of control was also supported, but only in the analysis for negative affect: the combination of a discriminatory experience and low sense of control markedly increased negative affect. In addition, age and gender variations were observed: the negative impact of perceived discrimination on psychological well-being was more pronounced among younger adults and females compared to their counterparts. The findings elucidated the mechanisms by which perceived discrimination manifested its psychological outcomes, and suggest ways to reduce adverse consequences associated with discriminatory experiences. PMID:18459602

The relationship between hue discrimination and contrast sensitivity deficits in patients with diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Trick, G L; Burde, R M; Gordon, M O; Santiago, J V; Kilo, C

1988-05-01

In an attempt to elucidate more fully the pathophysiologic basis of early visual dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus, color vision (hue discrimination) and spatial resolution (contrast sensitivity) were tested in diabetic patients with little or no retinopathy (n = 57) and age-matched visual normals (n = 35). Some evidence of visual dysfunction was observed in 37.8% of the diabetics with no retinopathy and 60.0% of the diabetics with background retinopathy. Although significant hue discrimination and contrast sensitivity deficits were observed in both groups of diabetic patients, contrast sensitivity was abnormal more frequently than hue discrimination. However, only 5.4% of the diabetics with no retinopathy and 10.0% of the diabetics with background retinopathy exhibited both abnormal hue discrimination and abnormal contrast sensitivity. Contrary to previous reports, blue-yellow (B-Y) and red-green (R-G) hue discrimination deficits were observed with approximately equal frequency. In the diabetic group, contrast sensitivity was reduced at all spatial frequencies tested, but for individual diabetic patients, significant deficits were only evident for the mid-range spatial frequencies. Among diabetic patients, the hue discrimination deficits, but not the contrast sensitivity abnormalities, were correlated with the patients' hemoglobin A1 level. A negative correlation between contrast sensitivity at 6.0 cpd and the duration of diabetes also was observed.

Stimulus generalization, discrimination learning, and peak shift in horses.

PubMed Central

Dougherty, D M; Lewis, P

1991-01-01

Using horses, we investigated three aspects of the stimulus control of lever-pressing behavior: stimulus generalization, discrimination learning, and peak shift. Nine solid black circles, ranging in size from 0.5 in. to 4.5 in. (1.3 cm to 11.4 cm) served as stimuli. Each horse was shaped, using successive approximations, to press a rat lever with its lip in the presence of a positive stimulus, the 2.5-in. (6.4-cm) circle. Shaping proceeded quickly and was comparable to that of other laboratory organisms. After responding was maintained on a variable-interval 30-s schedule, stimulus generalization gradients were collected from 2 horses prior to discrimination training. During discrimination training, grain followed lever presses in the presence of a positive stimulus (a 2.5-in circle) and never followed lever presses in the presence of a negative stimulus (a 1.5-in. [3.8-cm] circle). Three horses met a criterion of zero responses to the negative stimulus in fewer than 15 sessions. Horses given stimulus generalization testing prior to discrimination training produced symmetrical gradients; horses given discrimination training prior to generalization testing produced asymmetrical gradients. The peak of these gradients shifted away from the negative stimulus. These results are consistent with discrimination, stimulus generalization, and peak-shift phenomena observed in other organisms. PMID:1940765

Perceived discrimination and psychological well-being: the mediating and moderating role of sense of control.

PubMed

Jang, Yuri; Chiriboga, David A; Small, Brent J

2008-01-01

Being discriminated against is an unpleasant and stressful experience, and its connection to reduced psychological well-being is well-documented. The present study hypothesized that a sense of control would serve as both mediator and moderator in the dynamics of perceived discrimination and psychological well-being. In addition, variations by age, gender, and race in the effects of perceived discrimination were explored. Data from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) survey (N=1554; age range = 45 to 74) provided supportive evidence for the hypotheses. The relationships between perceived discrimination and positive and negative affect were reduced when sense of control was controlled, demonstrating the role of sense of control as a mediator. The moderating role of sense of control was also supported, but only in the analysis for negative affect: the combination of a discriminatory experience and low sense of control markedly increased negative affect. In addition, age and gender variations were observed: the negative impact of perceived discrimination on psychological well-being was more pronounced among younger adults and females compared to their counterparts. The findings elucidated the mechanisms by which perceived discrimination manifested its psychological outcomes, and suggest ways to reduce adverse consequences associated with discriminatory experiences.

Multibin long-range correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialas, A.; Zalewski, K.

2011-06-01

A new method to study the long-range correlations in multiparticle production is developed. It is proposed to measure the joint factorial moments or cumulants of multiplicity distribution in several (more than two) bins. It is shown that this step dramatically increases the discriminative power of data.

Double Jeopardy: Insurance, Animal Harm, and Domestic Violence.

PubMed

Signal, Tania; Taylor, Nik; Burke, Karena J; Brownlow, Luke

2018-05-01

Although the role of companion animals within the dynamic of domestic violence (DV) is increasingly recognized, the overlap of animal harm and insurance discrimination for victims/survivors of DV has not been considered. Prompted by a case study presented in a National Link Coalition LINK-Letter, this research note examines "Pet Insurance" policies available in Australia and whether nonaccidental injury caused by an intimate partner would be covered. We discuss the implications of exclusion criteria for victims/survivors of DV, shelters providing places for animals within a DV dynamic, and, more broadly, for cross- or mandatory-reporting (of animal harm) initiatives.

A New Clinical Pain Knowledge Test for Nurses: Development and Psychometric Evaluation.

PubMed

Bernhofer, Esther I; St Marie, Barbara; Bena, James F

2017-08-01

All nurses care for patients with pain, and pain management knowledge and attitude surveys for nurses have been around since 1987. However, no validated knowledge test exists to measure postlicensure clinicians' knowledge of the core competencies of pain management in current complex patient populations. To develop and test the psychometric properties of an instrument designed to measure pain management knowledge of postlicensure nurses. Psychometric instrument validation. Four large Midwestern U.S. hospitals. Registered nurses employed full time and part time August 2015 to April 2016, aged M = 43.25 years; time as RN, M = 16.13 years. Prospective survey design using e-mail to invite nurses to take an electronic multiple choice pain knowledge test. Content validity of initial 36-item test "very good" (95.1% agreement). Completed tests that met analysis criteria, N = 747. Mean initial test score, 69.4% correct (range 27.8-97.2). After revision/removal of 13 unacceptable questions, mean test score was 50.4% correct (range 8.7-82.6). Initial test item percent difficulty range was 15.2%-98.1%; discrimination values range, 0.03-0.50; final test item percent difficulty range, 17.6%-91.1%, discrimination values range, -0.04 to 1.04. Split-half reliability final test was 0.66. A high decision consistency reliability was identified, with test cut-score of 75%. The final 23-item Clinical Pain Knowledge Test has acceptable discrimination, difficulty, decision consistency, reliability, and validity in the general clinical inpatient nurse population. This instrument will be useful in assessing pain management knowledge of clinical nurses to determine gaps in education, evaluate knowledge after pain management education, and measure research outcomes. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Novel approach for identification of influenza virus host range and zoonotic transmissible sequences by determination of host-related associative positions in viral genome segments.

PubMed

Kargarfard, Fatemeh; Sami, Ashkan; Mohammadi-Dehcheshmeh, Manijeh; Ebrahimie, Esmaeil

2016-11-16

Recent (2013 and 2009) zoonotic transmission of avian or porcine influenza to humans highlights an increase in host range by evading species barriers. Gene reassortment or antigenic shift between viruses from two or more hosts can generate a new life-threatening virus when the new shuffled virus is no longer recognized by antibodies existing within human populations. There is no large scale study to help understand the underlying mechanisms of host transmission. Furthermore, there is no clear understanding of how different segments of the influenza genome contribute in the final determination of host range. To obtain insight into the rules underpinning host range determination, various supervised machine learning algorithms were employed to mine reassortment changes in different viral segments in a range of hosts. Our multi-host dataset contained whole segments of 674 influenza strains organized into three host categories: avian, human, and swine. Some of the sequences were assigned to multiple hosts. In point of fact, the datasets are a form of multi-labeled dataset and we utilized a multi-label learning method to identify discriminative sequence sites. Then algorithms such as CBA, Ripper, and decision tree were applied to extract informative and descriptive association rules for each viral protein segment. We found informative rules in all segments that are common within the same host class but varied between different hosts. For example, for infection of an avian host, HA14V and NS1230S were the most important discriminative and combinatorial positions. Host range identification is facilitated by high support combined rules in this study. Our major goal was to detect discriminative genomic positions that were able to identify multi host viruses, because such viruses are likely to cause pandemic or disastrous epidemics.

A rapid method to assess a broad inventory of organic species in marine sediments using ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Radović, Jagoš R; Silva, Renzo C; Snowdon, Ryan W; Brown, Melisa; Larter, Steve; Oldenburg, Thomas B P

2016-06-15

A broad range of organic species in marine sediments is routinely used as biogeochemical proxies of Earth history. These species are typically analyzed using different analytical methods, targeting very specific components and often including time-intensive sample preparation. There is, therefore, a need for a more comprehensive, rapid and high-throughput approach to simultaneously analyze a broad range of known sedimentary polar species and also have a surveillance capability able to identify candidate new species classes. Whole solvent extracts from recently deposited Gulf of Mexico marine sediments were obtained after a simple, one-step extraction. They were analyzed by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS), using atmospheric pressure photoionization in positive ion mode (APPI-P), over a broad mass range (m/z 150-1500). From 3000 to over 5000 peaks per sample were assigned molecular formulae, and the majority of assignments (90%) showed an absolute error lower than 200 ppb. The detected species belong to the NO1-7 , N4 O2-8 , O1-9 , HC, N and OS compound classes, including known biomarker species such as pigments (e.g. tetrapyrrole macrocycles and carotenoids) and lipids (e.g. glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers, GDGTs), but also compounds of still unknown detailed molecular structure, but with clear potential geochemical relevance. The reported method enables rapid (12 min FTICR-MS analysis time) and simultaneous detection of a broad range of multi-heteroatom, polar organic species in whole sediment extracts. This allows for higher sample throughput, a more comprehensive investigation of sedimentary geochemistry, and potentially the discovery of new components and derivation of novel, multi-species proxies. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development of Neural Sensitivity to Face Identity Correlates with Perceptual Discriminability.

PubMed

Natu, Vaidehi S; Barnett, Michael A; Hartley, Jake; Gomez, Jesse; Stigliani, Anthony; Grill-Spector, Kalanit

2016-10-19

Face perception is subserved by a series of face-selective regions in the human ventral stream, which undergo prolonged development from childhood to adulthood. However, it is unknown how neural development of these regions relates to the development of face-perception abilities. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain responses of ventral occipitotemporal regions in children (ages, 5-12 years) and adults (ages, 19-34 years) when they viewed faces that parametrically varied in dissimilarity. Since similar faces generate lower responses than dissimilar faces due to fMRI adaptation, this design objectively evaluates neural sensitivity to face identity across development. Additionally, a subset of subjects participated in a behavioral experiment to assess perceptual discriminability of face identity. Our data reveal three main findings: (1) neural sensitivity to face identity increases with age in face-selective but not object-selective regions; (2) the amplitude of responses to faces increases with age in both face-selective and object-selective regions; and (3) perceptual discriminability of face identity is correlated with the neural sensitivity to face identity of face-selective regions. In contrast, perceptual discriminability is not correlated with the amplitude of response in face-selective regions or of responses of object-selective regions. These data suggest that developmental increases in neural sensitivity to face identity in face-selective regions improve perceptual discriminability of faces. Our findings significantly advance the understanding of the neural mechanisms of development of face perception and open new avenues for using fMRI adaptation to study the neural development of high-level visual and cognitive functions more broadly. Face perception, which is critical for daily social interactions, develops from childhood to adulthood. However, it is unknown what developmental changes in the brain lead to improved performance. Using fMRI in children and adults, we find that from childhood to adulthood, neural sensitivity to changes in face identity increases in face-selective regions. Critically, subjects' perceptual discriminability among faces is linked to neural sensitivity: participants with higher neural sensitivity in face-selective regions demonstrate higher perceptual discriminability. Thus, our results suggest that developmental increases in face-selective regions' sensitivity to face identity improve perceptual discrimination of faces. These findings significantly advance understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the development of face perception and have important implications for assessing both typical and atypical development. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/3610893-15$15.00/0.

Competitive exclusion over broad spatial extents is a slow process: Evidence and implications for species distribution modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yackulic, Charles B.

2016-01-01

There is considerable debate about the role of competition in shaping species distributions over broad spatial extents. This debate has practical implications because predicting changes in species' geographic ranges in response to ongoing environmental change would be simpler if competition could be ignored. While this debate has been the subject of many reviews, recent literature has not addressed the rates of relevant processes. This omission is surprising in that ecologists hypothesized decades ago that regional competitive exclusion is a slow process. The goal of this review is to reassess the debate under the hypothesis that competitive exclusion over broad spatial extents is a slow process.Available evidence, including simulations presented for the first time here, suggests that competitive exclusion over broad spatial extents occurs slowly over temporal extents of many decades to millennia. Ecologists arguing against an important role for competition frequently study modern patterns and/or range dynamics over periods of decades, while much of the evidence for competition shaping geographic ranges at broad spatial extents comes from paleoecological studies over time scales of centuries or longer. If competition is slow, as evidence suggests, the geographic distributions of some, perhaps many species, would continue to change over time scales of decades to millennia, even if environmental conditions did not continue to change. If the distributions of competing species are at equilibrium it is possible to predict species distributions based on observed species–environment relationships. However, disequilibrium is widespread as a result of competition and many other processes. Studies whose goal is accurate predictions over intermediate time scales (decades to centuries) should focus on factors associated with range expansion (colonization) and loss (local extinction), as opposed to current patterns. In general, understanding of modern range dynamics would be enhanced by considering the rates of relevant processes.

An Efficient Strategy for Broad-Range Detection of Low Abundance Bacteria without DNA Decontamination of PCR Reagents

PubMed Central

Chang, Shy-Shin; Hsu, Hsung-Ling; Cheng, Ju-Chien; Tseng, Ching-Ping

2011-01-01

Background Bacterial DNA contamination in PCR reagents has been a long standing problem that hampers the adoption of broad-range PCR in clinical and applied microbiology, particularly in detection of low abundance bacteria. Although several DNA decontamination protocols have been reported, they all suffer from compromised PCR efficiency or detection limits. To date, no satisfactory solution has been found. Methodology/Principal Findings We herein describe a method that solves this long standing problem by employing a broad-range primer extension-PCR (PE-PCR) strategy that obviates the need for DNA decontamination. In this method, we first devise a fusion probe having a 3′-end complementary to the template bacterial sequence and a 5′-end non-bacterial tag sequence. We then hybridize the probes to template DNA, carry out primer extension and remove the excess probes using an optimized enzyme mix of Klenow DNA polymerase and exonuclease I. This strategy allows the templates to be distinguished from the PCR reagent contaminants and selectively amplified by PCR. To prove the concept, we spiked the PCR reagents with Staphylococcus aureus genomic DNA and applied PE-PCR to amplify template bacterial DNA. The spiking DNA neither interfered with template DNA amplification nor caused false positive of the reaction. Broad-range PE-PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA gene was also validated and minute quantities of template DNA (10–100 fg) were detectable without false positives. When adapting to real-time and high-resolution melting (HRM) analytical platforms, the unique melting profiles for the PE-PCR product can be used as the molecular fingerprints to further identify individual bacterial species. Conclusions/Significance Broad-range PE-PCR is simple, efficient, and completely obviates the need to decontaminate PCR reagents. When coupling with real-time and HRM analyses, it offers a new avenue for bacterial species identification with a limited source of bacterial DNA, making it suitable for use in clinical and applied microbiology laboratories. PMID:21637859

See no evil: color blindness and perceptions of subtle racial discrimination in the workplace.

PubMed

Offermann, Lynn R; Basford, Tessa E; Graebner, Raluca; Jaffer, Salman; De Graaf, Sumona Basu; Kaminsky, Samuel E

2014-10-01

Workplace discrimination has grown more ambiguous, with interracial interactions often perceived differently by different people. The present study adds to the literature by examining a key individual difference variable in the perception of discrimination at work, namely individual color-blind attitudes. We examined relationships between 3 dimensions of color-blind attitudes (Racial Privilege, Institutional Discrimination, and Blatant Racial Issues) and perceptions of racial microaggressions in the workplace as enacted by a White supervisor toward a Black employee (i.e., discriminatory actions ranging from subtle to overt). Findings showed that observer views on institutional discrimination fully mediated, and blatant racial issues partially mediated, the relationships between racial group membership and the perception of workplace microaggressions. Non-Hispanic Whites endorsed color blindness as institutional discrimination and blatant racial issues significantly more than members of racioethnic minority groups, and higher levels of color-blind worldviews were associated with lower likelihoods of perceiving microaggressions. Views on racial privilege did not differ significantly between members of different racial groups or affect microaggression perceptions. Implications for organizations concerned about promoting more inclusive workplaces are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Attributing discrimination to weight: Associations with well-being, self-care, and disease status in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

PubMed Central

Potter, Lindsey; Wallston, Kenneth; Trief, Paula; Ulbrecht, Jan; Juth, Vanessa; Smyth, Joshua

2015-01-01

This study examined the association between attributing self-reported discrimination to weight and diabetes outcomes (glycemic control, diabetes-related distress, and diabetes self-care). A community dwelling sample of 185 adults (mean age = 55.4; 80% White/Caucasian, 65% female) with poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes (HbA1c level ≥7.5%) provided demographic and several self-report measures (including diabetes-related distress, diabetes self-care activities, discrimination, and attributions of discrimination), and had height, weight, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) assessed by trained research staff as part of a larger research study. Individuals who attributed self-reported discrimination to weight had significantly higher HbA1c levels, higher levels of diabetes-related distress, and worse diabetes-related self-care behaviors (general diet, exercise, and glucose testing). These relationships persisted even when controlling for BMI, overall discrimination, depressive symptoms, and demographic characteristics. Results indicate that the perception of weight stigma among individuals with type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with a range of poor diabetes outcomes. Efforts to reduce exposure to and/or teach adaptive coping for weight stigma may benefit patients with type 2 diabetes. PMID:26133488

The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS): normative data and latent structure in a large non-clinical sample.

PubMed

Crawford, John R; Henry, Julie D

2003-06-01

To provide UK normative data for the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) and test its convergent, discriminant and construct validity. Cross-sectional, correlational and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The DASS was administered to a non-clinical sample, broadly representative of the general adult UK population (N = 1,771) in terms of demographic variables. Competing models of the latent structure of the DASS were derived from theoretical and empirical sources and evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis. Correlational analysis was used to determine the influence of demographic variables on DASS scores. The convergent and discriminant validity of the measure was examined through correlating the measure with two other measures of depression and anxiety (the HADS and the sAD), and a measure of positive and negative affectivity (the PANAS). The best fitting model (CFI =.93) of the latent structure of the DASS consisted of three correlated factors corresponding to the depression, anxiety and stress scales with correlated error permitted between items comprising the DASS subscales. Demographic variables had only very modest influences on DASS scores. The reliability of the DASS was excellent, and the measure possessed adequate convergent and discriminant validity Conclusions: The DASS is a reliable and valid measure of the constructs it was intended to assess. The utility of this measure for UK clinicians is enhanced by the provision of large sample normative data.

Characterization of Microbiota in Children with Chronic Functional Constipation.

PubMed

de Meij, Tim G J; de Groot, Evelien F J; Eck, Anat; Budding, Andries E; Kneepkens, C M Frank; Benninga, Marc A; van Bodegraven, Adriaan A; Savelkoul, Paul H M

2016-01-01

Disruption of the intestinal microbiota is considered an etiological factor in pediatric functional constipation. Scientifically based selection of potential beneficial probiotic strains in functional constipation therapy is not feasible due to insufficient knowledge of microbiota composition in affected subjects. The aim of this study was to describe microbial composition and diversity in children with functional constipation, compared to healthy controls. Fecal samples from 76 children diagnosed with functional constipation according to the Rome III criteria (median age 8.0 years; range 4.2-17.8) were analyzed by IS-pro, a PCR-based microbiota profiling method. Outcome was compared with intestinal microbiota profiles of 61 healthy children (median 8.6 years; range 4.1-17.9). Microbiota dissimilarity was depicted by principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), diversity was calculated by Shannon diversity index. To determine the most discriminative species, cross validated logistic ridge regression was performed. Applying total microbiota profiles (all phyla together) or per phylum analysis, no disease-specific separation was observed by PCoA and by calculation of diversity indices. By ridge regression, however, functional constipation and controls could be discriminated with 82% accuracy. Most discriminative species were Bacteroides fragilis, Bacteroides ovatus, Bifidobacterium longum, Parabacteroides species (increased in functional constipation) and Alistipes finegoldii (decreased in functional constipation). None of the commonly used unsupervised statistical methods allowed for microbiota-based discrimination of children with functional constipation and controls. By ridge regression, however, both groups could be discriminated with 82% accuracy. Optimization of microbiota-based interventions in constipated children warrants further characterization of microbial signatures linked to clinical subgroups of functional constipation.

The Consumer Quality Index in an accident and emergency department: internal consistency, validity and discriminative capacity.

PubMed

Bos, Nanne; Sturms, Leontien M; Stellato, Rebecca K; Schrijvers, Augustinus J P; van Stel, Henk F

2015-10-01

Patients' experiences are an indicator of health-care performance in the accident and emergency department (A&E). The Consumer Quality Index for the Accident and Emergency department (CQI A&E), a questionnaire to assess the quality of care as experienced by patients, was investigated. The internal consistency, construct validity and discriminative capacity of the questionnaire were examined. In the Netherlands, twenty-one A&Es participated in a cross-sectional survey, covering 4883 patients. The questionnaire consisted of 78 questions. Principal components analysis determined underlying domains. Internal consistency was determined by Cronbach's alpha coefficients, construct validity by Pearson's correlation coefficients and the discriminative capacity by intraclass correlation coefficients and reliability of A&E-level mean scores (G-coefficient). Seven quality domains emerged from the principal components analysis: information before treatment, timeliness, attitude of health-care professionals, professionalism of received care, information during treatment, environment and facilities, and discharge management. Domains were internally consistent (range: 0.67-0.84). Five domains and the 'global quality rating' had the capacity to discriminate among A&Es (significant intraclass correlation coefficient). Four domains and the 'global quality rating' were close to or above the threshold for reliably demonstrating differences among A&Es. The patients' experiences score on the domain timeliness showed the largest range between the worst- and best-performing A&E. The CQI A&E is a validated survey to measure health-care performance in the A&E from patients' perspective. Five domains regarding quality of care aspects and the 'global quality rating' had the capacity to discriminate among A&Es. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Highly sensitive and selective sugar detection by terahertz nano-antennas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Dong-Kyu; Kang, Ji-Hun; Lee, Jun-Seok; Kim, Hyo-Seok; Kim, Chulki; Hun Kim, Jae; Lee, Taikjin; Son, Joo-Hiuk; Park, Q.-Han; Seo, Minah

2015-10-01

Molecular recognition and discrimination of carbohydrates are important because carbohydrates perform essential roles in most living organisms for energy metabolism and cell-to-cell communication. Nevertheless, it is difficult to identify or distinguish various carbohydrate molecules owing to the lack of a significant distinction in the physical or chemical characteristics. Although there has been considerable effort to develop a sensing platform for individual carbohydrates selectively using chemical receptors or an ensemble array, their detection and discrimination limits have been as high in the millimolar concentration range. Here we show a highly sensitive and selective detection method for the discrimination of carbohydrate molecules using nano-slot-antenna array-based sensing chips which operate in the terahertz (THz) frequency range (0.5-2.5 THz). This THz metamaterial sensing tool recognizes various types of carbohydrate molecules over a wide range of molecular concentrations. Strongly localized and enhanced terahertz transmission by nano-antennas can effectively increase the molecular absorption cross sections, thereby enabling the detection of these molecules even at low concentrations. We verified the performance of nano-antenna sensing chip by both THz spectra and images of transmittance. Screening and identification of various carbohydrates can be applied to test even real market beverages with a high sensitivity and selectivity.

Sex determination from the talus in a contemporary Greek population using discriminant function analysis.

PubMed

Peckmann, Tanya R; Orr, Kayla; Meek, Susan; Manolis, Sotiris K

2015-07-01

The determination of sex is an important part of building the biological profile for unknown human remains. Many of the bones traditionally used for the determination of sex are often found fragmented or incomplete in forensic and archaeological cases. The goal of the present research was to derive discriminant function equations from the talus, a preservationally favoured bone, for sexing skeletons from a contemporary Greek population. Nine parameters were measured on 182 individuals (96 males and 86 females) from the University of Athens Human Skeletal Reference Collection. The individuals ranged in age from 20 to 99 years old. The statistical analyses showed that all measured parameters were sexually dimorphic. Discriminant function score equations were generated for use in sex determination. The average accuracy of sex classification ranged from 65.2% to 93.4% for the univariate analysis, 90%-96.5% for the direct method and 86.7% for the stepwise method. Comparisons to other populations were made. Overall, the cross-validated accuracies ranged from 65.5% to 83.2% and males were most often correctly identified. The talus was shown to be useful for sex determination in the modern Greek population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Highly sensitive and selective sugar detection by terahertz nano-antennas

PubMed Central

Lee, Dong-Kyu; Kang, Ji-Hun; Lee, Jun-Seok; Kim, Hyo-Seok; Kim, Chulki; Hun Kim, Jae; Lee, Taikjin; Son, Joo-Hiuk; Park, Q-Han; Seo, Minah

2015-01-01

Molecular recognition and discrimination of carbohydrates are important because carbohydrates perform essential roles in most living organisms for energy metabolism and cell-to-cell communication. Nevertheless, it is difficult to identify or distinguish various carbohydrate molecules owing to the lack of a significant distinction in the physical or chemical characteristics. Although there has been considerable effort to develop a sensing platform for individual carbohydrates selectively using chemical receptors or an ensemble array, their detection and discrimination limits have been as high in the millimolar concentration range. Here we show a highly sensitive and selective detection method for the discrimination of carbohydrate molecules using nano-slot-antenna array-based sensing chips which operate in the terahertz (THz) frequency range (0.5–2.5 THz). This THz metamaterial sensing tool recognizes various types of carbohydrate molecules over a wide range of molecular concentrations. Strongly localized and enhanced terahertz transmission by nano-antennas can effectively increase the molecular absorption cross sections, thereby enabling the detection of these molecules even at low concentrations. We verified the performance of nano-antenna sensing chip by both THz spectra and images of transmittance. Screening and identification of various carbohydrates can be applied to test even real market beverages with a high sensitivity and selectivity. PMID:26494203

Seismic Discrimination

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-30

Frequency-wave-number analyses of data from Nevada Test Site (NTS) shots recorded at LASA were computed in the frequency range from 0.01 to 0.05 Hz (Ref...from events in the Soviet Union at a known test site . In order to put further factual basis behind the SP spectral discriminants we used, comparisons...explosion. A catalogue of presumed explosion# in the Soviet Union away from the regular test sites was assembled. A time-domain analysis of seismograms

Broad Detection Range Rhenium Diselenide Photodetector Enhanced by (3-Aminopropyl)Triethoxysilane and Triphenylphosphine Treatment.

PubMed

Jo, Seo-Hyeon; Park, Hyung-Youl; Kang, Dong-Ho; Shim, Jaewoo; Jeon, Jaeho; Choi, Seunghyuk; Kim, Minwoo; Park, Yongkook; Lee, Jaehyeong; Song, Young Jae; Lee, Sungjoo; Park, Jin-Hong

2016-08-01

The effects of triphenylphosphine and (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane on a rhenium diselenide (ReSe2 ) photodetector are systematically studied by comparing with conventional MoS2 devices. This study demonstrates a very high performance ReSe2 photodetector with high photoresponsivity (1.18 × 10(6) A W(-1) ), fast photoswitching speed (rising/decaying time: 58/263 ms), and broad photodetection range (possible above 1064 nm). © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Solid-state lighting for the International Space Station: Tests of visual performance and melatonin regulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brainard, George C.; Coyle, William; Ayers, Melissa; Kemp, John; Warfield, Benjamin; Maida, James; Bowen, Charles; Bernecker, Craig; Lockley, Steven W.; Hanifin, John P.

2013-11-01

The International Space Station (ISS) uses General Luminaire Assemblies (GLAs) that house fluorescent lamps for illuminating the astronauts' working and living environments. Solid-state light emitting diodes (LEDs) are attractive candidates for replacing the GLAs on the ISS. The advantages of LEDs over conventional fluorescent light sources include lower up-mass, power consumption and heat generation, as well as fewer toxic materials, greater resistance to damage and long lamp life. A prototype Solid-State Lighting Assembly (SSLA) was developed and successfully installed on the ISS. The broad aim of the ongoing work is to test light emitted by prototype SSLAs for supporting astronaut vision and assessing neuroendocrine, circadian, neurobehavioral and sleep effects. Three completed ground-based studies are presented here including experiments on visual performance, color discrimination, and acute plasma melatonin suppression in cohorts of healthy, human subjects under different SSLA light exposure conditions within a high-fidelity replica of the ISS Crew Quarters (CQ). All visual tests were done under indirect daylight at 201 lx, fluorescent room light at 531 lx and 4870 K SSLA light in the CQ at 1266 lx. Visual performance was assessed with numerical verification tests (NVT). NVT data show that there are no significant differences in score (F=0.73, p=0.48) or time (F=0.14, p=0.87) for subjects performing five contrast tests (10%-100%). Color discrimination was assessed with Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue tests (FM-100). The FM-100 data showed no significant differences (F=0.01, p=0.99) in color discrimination for indirect daylight, fluorescent room light and 4870 K SSLA light in the CQ. Plasma melatonin suppression data show that there are significant differences (F=29.61, p<0.0001) across the percent change scores of plasma melatonin for five corneal irradiances, ranging from 0 to 405 μW/cm2 of 4870 K SSLA light in the CQ (0-1270 lx). Risk factors for the health and safety of astronauts include disturbed circadian rhythms and altered sleep-wake patterns. These studies will help determine if SSLA lighting can be used both to support astronaut vision and serve as an in-flight countermeasure for circadian desynchrony, sleep disruption and cognitive performance deficits on the ISS.

Visually induced gains in pitch discrimination: Linking audio-visual processing with auditory abilities.

PubMed

Møller, Cecilie; Højlund, Andreas; Bærentsen, Klaus B; Hansen, Niels Chr; Skewes, Joshua C; Vuust, Peter

2018-05-01

Perception is fundamentally a multisensory experience. The principle of inverse effectiveness (PoIE) states how the multisensory gain is maximal when responses to the unisensory constituents of the stimuli are weak. It is one of the basic principles underlying multisensory processing of spatiotemporally corresponding crossmodal stimuli that are well established at behavioral as well as neural levels. It is not yet clear, however, how modality-specific stimulus features influence discrimination of subtle changes in a crossmodally corresponding feature belonging to another modality. Here, we tested the hypothesis that reliance on visual cues to pitch discrimination follow the PoIE at the interindividual level (i.e., varies with varying levels of auditory-only pitch discrimination abilities). Using an oddball pitch discrimination task, we measured the effect of varying visually perceived vertical position in participants exhibiting a wide range of pitch discrimination abilities (i.e., musicians and nonmusicians). Visual cues significantly enhanced pitch discrimination as measured by the sensitivity index d', and more so in the crossmodally congruent than incongruent condition. The magnitude of gain caused by compatible visual cues was associated with individual pitch discrimination thresholds, as predicted by the PoIE. This was not the case for the magnitude of the congruence effect, which was unrelated to individual pitch discrimination thresholds, indicating that the pitch-height association is robust to variations in auditory skills. Our findings shed light on individual differences in multisensory processing by suggesting that relevant multisensory information that crucially aids some perceivers' performance may be of less importance to others, depending on their unisensory abilities.

Contribution of different taste cells and signaling pathways to the discrimination of "bitter" taste stimuli by an insect.

PubMed

Glendinning, John I; Davis, Adrienne; Ramaswamy, Sudha

2002-08-15

Animals can discriminate among many different types of foods. This discrimination process involves multiple sensory systems, but the sense of taste is known to play a central role. We asked how the taste system contributes to the discrimination of different "bitter" taste stimuli in Manduca sexta caterpillars. This insect has approximately eight bilateral pairs of taste cells that respond selectively to bitter taste stimuli. Each bilateral pair of bitter-sensitive taste cells has a different molecular receptive range (MRR); some of these taste cells also contain two signaling pathways with distinctive MRRs and temporal patterns of spiking. To test for discrimination, we habituated the caterpillar's taste-mediated aversive response to one bitter taste stimulus (salicin) and then asked whether this habituation phenomenon generalized to four other bitter taste stimuli (caffeine, aristolochic acid, Grindelia extract, and Canna extract). We inferred that the two compounds were discriminable if the habituation phenomenon failed to generalize (e.g., from salicin to aristolochic acid). We found that M. sexta could discriminate between salicin and those bitter taste stimuli that activate (1) different populations of bitter-sensitive taste cells (Grindelia extract and Canna extract) or (2) different signaling pathways within the same bitter-sensitive taste cell (aristolochic acid). M. sexta could not discriminate between salicin and a bitter taste stimulus that activates the same signaling pathway within the same bitter-sensitive taste cell (caffeine). We propose that the heterogeneous population of bitter-sensitive taste cells and signaling pathways within this insect facilitates the discrimination of bitter taste stimuli.

England's time to change antistigma campaign: one-year outcomes of service user-rated experiences of discrimination.

PubMed

Henderson, Claire; Corker, Elizabeth; Lewis-Holmes, Elanor; Hamilton, Sarah; Flach, Clare; Rose, Diana; Williams, Paul; Pinfold, Vanessa; Thornicroft, Graham

2012-01-01

This study evaluated the progress at one year of England's Time to Change (TTC) program, launched in 2009, toward meeting its target to reduce mental health-related stigma and discrimination by 5%. TTC comprises three national components: antistigma marketing campaign activities, mass physical exercise events (Time to Get Moving) to facilitate social contact between people with and without mental health problems, and an online resource on mental health and employment (Time to Challenge). Part of the TTC evaluation consists of an annual national phone survey of mental health service users. Participants (537 in 2008 and 1,047 in 2009) were current outpatient service users aged 18-65 registered with National Health Service community mental health teams that are selected annually to represent the range of socioeconomic deprivation. Telephone interviews were conducted with service users with the Discrimination and Stigma Scale (DISC) to document experienced discrimination and anticipated discrimination in the past 12 months. One or more experiences of discrimination were reported by 9-1% of participants in 2008 and 87% of participants in 2009 (p = .03). In 2009 significantly less discrimination was reported from a number of common sources, including family (reported by 53% in 2008 and 46% in 2009), friends (53% and 39%), finding employment (24% and 16%), and keeping employment (from 17% to 13%). Experiences of discrimination from mental health professionals did not change significantly (reported by about one-third of participants in both years). Results suggest positive progress toward meeting the program's targeted 5% reduction in discrimination.

A comparison of digital zero-crossing and charge-comparison methods for neutron/γ-ray discrimination with liquid scintillation detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakhostin, M.

2015-10-01

In this paper, we have compared the performances of the digital zero-crossing and charge-comparison methods for n/γ discrimination with liquid scintillation detectors at low light outputs. The measurements were performed with a 2″×2″ cylindrical liquid scintillation detector of type BC501A whose outputs were sampled by means of a fast waveform digitizer with 10-bit resolution, 4 GS/s sampling rate and one volt input range. Different light output ranges were measured by operating the photomultiplier tube at different voltages and a new recursive algorithm was developed to implement the digital zero-crossing method. The results of our study demonstrate the superior performance of the digital zero-crossing method at low light outputs when a large dynamic range is measured. However, when the input range of the digitizer is used to measure a narrow range of light outputs, the charge-comparison method slightly outperforms the zero-crossing method. The results are discussed in regard to the effects of the quantization noise and the noise filtration performance of the zero-crossing filter.

Patterns and correlates of self-reported racial discrimination among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, 2008–09: analysis of national survey data

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background There is now considerable evidence that racism is a pernicious and enduring social problem with a wide range of detrimental outcomes for individuals, communities and societies. Although indigenous people worldwide are subjected to high levels of racism, there is a paucity of population-based, quantitative data about the factors associated with their reporting of racial discrimination, about the settings in which such discrimination takes place, and about the frequency with which it is experienced. Such information is essential in efforts to reduce both exposure to racism among indigenous people and the harms associated with such exposure. Methods Weighted data on self-reported racial discrimination from over 7,000 Indigenous Australian adults participating in the 2008–09 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey, a nationally representative survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, were analysed by socioeconomic, demographic and cultural factors. Results More than one in four respondents (27%) reported experiencing racial discrimination in the past year. Racial discrimination was most commonly reported in public (41% of those reporting any racial discrimination), legal (40%) and work (30%) settings. Among those reporting any racial discrimination, about 40% experienced this discrimination most or all of the time (as opposed to a little or some of the time) in at least one setting. Reporting of racial discrimination peaked in the 35–44 year age group and then declined. Higher reporting of racial discrimination was associated with removal from family, low trust, unemployment, having a university degree, and indicators of cultural identity and participation. Lower reporting of racial discrimination was associated with home ownership, remote residence and having relatively few Indigenous friends. Conclusions These data indicate that racial discrimination is commonly experienced across a wide variety of settings, with public, legal and work settings identified as particularly salient. The observed relationships, while not necessarily causal, help to build a detailed picture of self-reported racial discrimination experienced by Indigenous people in contemporary Australia, providing important evidence to inform anti-racism policy. PMID:23816052

Patterns and correlates of self-reported racial discrimination among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, 2008-09: analysis of national survey data.

PubMed

Cunningham, Joan; Paradies, Yin C

2013-07-01

There is now considerable evidence that racism is a pernicious and enduring social problem with a wide range of detrimental outcomes for individuals, communities and societies. Although indigenous people worldwide are subjected to high levels of racism, there is a paucity of population-based, quantitative data about the factors associated with their reporting of racial discrimination, about the settings in which such discrimination takes place, and about the frequency with which it is experienced. Such information is essential in efforts to reduce both exposure to racism among indigenous people and the harms associated with such exposure. Weighted data on self-reported racial discrimination from over 7,000 Indigenous Australian adults participating in the 2008-09 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey, a nationally representative survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, were analysed by socioeconomic, demographic and cultural factors. More than one in four respondents (27%) reported experiencing racial discrimination in the past year. Racial discrimination was most commonly reported in public (41% of those reporting any racial discrimination), legal (40%) and work (30%) settings. Among those reporting any racial discrimination, about 40% experienced this discrimination most or all of the time (as opposed to a little or some of the time) in at least one setting. Reporting of racial discrimination peaked in the 35-44 year age group and then declined. Higher reporting of racial discrimination was associated with removal from family, low trust, unemployment, having a university degree, and indicators of cultural identity and participation. Lower reporting of racial discrimination was associated with home ownership, remote residence and having relatively few Indigenous friends. These data indicate that racial discrimination is commonly experienced across a wide variety of settings, with public, legal and work settings identified as particularly salient. The observed relationships, while not necessarily causal, help to build a detailed picture of self-reported racial discrimination experienced by Indigenous people in contemporary Australia, providing important evidence to inform anti-racism policy.

Integrated all-optical logic discriminators based on plasmonic bandgap engineering

PubMed Central

Lu, Cuicui; Hu, Xiaoyong; Yang, Hong; Gong, Qihuang

2013-01-01

Optical computing uses photons as information carriers, opening up the possibility for ultrahigh-speed and ultrawide-band information processing. Integrated all-optical logic devices are indispensible core components of optical computing systems. However, up to now, little experimental progress has been made in nanoscale all-optical logic discriminators, which have the function of discriminating and encoding incident light signals according to wavelength. Here, we report a strategy to realize a nanoscale all-optical logic discriminator based on plasmonic bandgap engineering in a planar plasmonic microstructure. Light signals falling within different operating wavelength ranges are differentiated and endowed with different logic state encodings. Compared with values previously reported, the operating bandwidth is enlarged by one order of magnitude. Also the SPP light source is integrated with the logic device while retaining its ultracompact size. This opens up a way to construct on-chip all-optical information processors and artificial intelligence systems. PMID:24071647

Discrimination of genetically modified sugar beets based on terahertz spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Tao; Li, Zhi; Yin, Xianhua; Hu, Fangrong; Hu, Cong

2016-01-01

The objective of this paper was to apply terahertz (THz) spectroscopy combined with chemometrics techniques for discrimination of genetically modified (GM) and non-GM sugar beets. In this paper, the THz spectra of 84 sugar beet samples (36 GM sugar beets and 48 non-GM ones) were obtained by using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) system in the frequency range from 0.2 to 1.2 THz. Three chemometrics methods, principal component analysis (PCA), discriminant analysis (DA) and discriminant partial least squares (DPLS), were employed to classify sugar beet samples into two groups: genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and non-GMOs. The DPLS method yielded the best classification result, and the percentages of successful classification for GM and non-GM sugar beets were both 100%. Results of the present study demonstrate the usefulness of THz spectroscopy together with chemometrics methods as a powerful tool to distinguish GM and non-GM sugar beets.

[Low level alpha activity measurements with pulse shape discrimination--the analytical system and its characteristics].

PubMed

Noguchi, M; Satoh, K; Higuchi, H

1984-12-01

Pulse shape discrimination of alpha and beta rays with liquid scintillation counting was investigated for the purpose of low level alpha activity measurements. Various liquid scintillators for pulse shape discrimination were examined by means of pulse rise time analysis. A new scintillator of low cost and of superior characteristics was found. The figure of merits better than 3.5 in rise time spectrum and the energy resolution better than 9% were obtained for carefully prepared samples. The background counting rate for a sample of 10 ml was reduced to 0.013 cpm/MeV in the range of alpha ray energy 5 to 7 MeV.