Investigation of adaptive filtering and MDL mitigation based on space-time block-coding for spatial division multiplexed coherent receivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weng, Yi; He, Xuan; Yao, Wang; Pacheco, Michelle C.; Wang, Junyi; Pan, Zhongqi

2017-07-01

In this paper, we explored the performance of space-time block-coding (STBC) assisted multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scheme for modal dispersion and mode-dependent loss (MDL) mitigation in spatial-division multiplexed optical communication systems, whereas the weight matrices of frequency-domain equalization (FDE) were updated heuristically using decision-directed recursive least squares (RLS) algorithm for convergence and channel estimation. The proposed STBC-RLS algorithm can achieve 43.6% enhancement on convergence rate over conventional least mean squares (LMS) for quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) signals with merely 16.2% increase in hardware complexity. The overall optical signal to noise ratio (OSNR) tolerance can be improved via STBC by approximately 3.1, 4.9, 7.8 dB for QPSK, 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and 64-QAM with respective bit-error-rates (BER) and minimum-mean-square-error (MMSE).

The Intimin-Like Protein FdeC Is Regulated by H-NS and Temperature in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

PubMed Central

Easton, Donna M.; Allsopp, Luke P.; Phan, Minh-Duy; Moriel, Danilo Gomes; Goh, Guan Kai; Beatson, Scott A.; Mahony, Timothy J.; Cobbold, Rowland N.

2014-01-01

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a Shiga-toxigenic pathogen capable of inducing severe forms of enteritis (e.g., hemorrhagic colitis) and extraintestinal sequelae (e.g., hemolytic-uremic syndrome). The molecular basis of colonization of human and animal hosts by EHEC is not yet completely understood, and an improved understanding of EHEC mucosal adherence may lead to the development of interventions that could disrupt host colonization. FdeC, also referred to by its IHE3034 locus tag ECOK1_0290, is an intimin-like protein that was recently shown to contribute to kidney colonization in a mouse urinary tract infection model. The expression of FdeC is tightly regulated in vitro, and FdeC shows promise as a vaccine candidate against extraintestinal E. coli strains. In this study, we characterized the prevalence, regulation, and function of fdeC in EHEC. We showed that the fdeC gene is conserved in both O157 and non-O157 EHEC and encodes a protein that is expressed at the cell surface and promotes biofilm formation under continuous-flow conditions in a recombinant E. coli strain background. We also identified culture conditions under which FdeC is expressed and showed that minor alterations of these conditions, such as changes in temperature, can significantly alter the level of FdeC expression. Additionally, we demonstrated that the transcription of the fdeC gene is repressed by the global regulator H-NS. Taken together, our data suggest a role for FdeC in EHEC when it grows at temperatures above 37°C, a condition relevant to its specialized niche at the rectoanal junctions of cattle. PMID:25239893

Genetic and functional characterization of a novel meta-pathway for degradation of naringenin in Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1.

PubMed

Maria Marin, Anelis; de la Torre, Jésus; Ricardo Marques Oliveira, Alfredo; Barison, Andersson; Satie Chubatsu, Leda; Adele Monteiro, Rose; de Oliveira Pedrosa, Fabio; Maltempi de Souza, Emanuel; Wassem, Roseli; Duque, Estrella; Ramos, Juan-Luis

2016-12-01

In this study, a random mutant library of Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1 was constructed by Tn5 insertion and a mutant incapable of utilizing naringenin as a carbon source was isolated. The Tn5 transposon was found to be inserted in the fdeE gene (Hsero_1007), which encodes a monooxygenase. Two other mutant strains in fdeC (Hsero_1005) and fdeG (Hsero_1009) genes coding for a dioxygenase and a putative cyclase, respectively, were obtained by site-directed mutagenesis and then characterized. Liquid Chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS)/MS analyses of culture supernatant from the fdeE mutant strain revealed that naringenin remained unaltered, suggesting that the FdeE protein is involved in the initial step of naringenin degradation. LC-MS/MS analyses of culture supernatants from the wild-type (SmR1) and FdeC deficient mutant suggested that in H. seropedicae SmR1 naringenin is first mono-oxygenated by the FdeE protein, to produce 5,7,8-trihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-4H-chromen-4-one, that is subsequently dioxygenated and cleaved at the A-ring by the FdeC dioxygenase, since the latter compound accumulated in the fdeC strain. After meta-cleavage of the A-ring, the subsequent metabolic steps generate oxaloacetic acid that is metabolized via the tricarboxylic acid cycle. This bacterium can also modify naringenin by attaching a glycosyl group to the B-ring or a methoxy group to the A-ring, leading to the generation of dead-end products. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Photosynthetic and Heterotrophic Ferredoxin Isoproteins Are Colocalized in Fruit Plastids of Tomato1

PubMed Central

Aoki, Koh; Yamamoto, Miyuki; Wada, Keishiro

1998-01-01

Fruit tissues of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) contain both photosynthetic and heterotrophic ferredoxin (FdA and FdE, respectively) isoproteins, irrespective of their photosynthetic competence, but we did not previously determine whether these proteins were colocalized in the same plastids. In isolated fruit chloroplasts and chromoplasts, both FdA and FdE were detected by immunoblotting. Colocalization of FdA and FdE in the same plastids was demonstrated using double-staining immunofluorescence microscopy. We also found that FdA and FdE were colocalized in fruit chloroplasts and chloroamyloplasts irrespective of sink status of the plastid. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that FdA and FdE were randomly distributed within the plastid stroma. To investigate the significance of the heterotrophic Fd in fruit plastids, Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity was measured in isolated fruit and leaf plastids. Fruit chloroplasts and chromoplasts showed much higher G6PDH activity than did leaf chloroplasts, suggesting that high G6PDH activity is linked with FdE to maintain nonphotosynthetic production of reducing power. This result suggested that, despite their morphological resemblance, fruit chloroplasts are functionally different from their leaf counterparts. PMID:9765529

FDE-vdW: A van der Waals inclusive subsystem density-functional theory.

PubMed

Kevorkyants, Ruslan; Eshuis, Henk; Pavanello, Michele

2014-07-28

We present a formally exact van der Waals inclusive electronic structure theory, called FDE-vdW, based on the Frozen Density Embedding formulation of subsystem Density-Functional Theory. In subsystem DFT, the energy functional is composed of subsystem additive and non-additive terms. We show that an appropriate definition of the long-range correlation energy is given by the value of the non-additive correlation functional. This functional is evaluated using the fluctuation-dissipation theorem aided by a formally exact decomposition of the response functions into subsystem contributions. FDE-vdW is derived in detail and several approximate schemes are proposed, which lead to practical implementations of the method. We show that FDE-vdW is Casimir-Polder consistent, i.e., it reduces to the generalized Casimir-Polder formula for asymptotic inter-subsystems separations. Pilot calculations of binding energies of 13 weakly bound complexes singled out from the S22 set show a dramatic improvement upon semilocal subsystem DFT, provided that an appropriate exchange functional is employed. The convergence of FDE-vdW with basis set size is discussed, as well as its dependence on the choice of associated density functional approximant.

FDE-vdW: A van der Waals inclusive subsystem density-functional theory

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

Kevorkyants, Ruslan; Pavanello, Michele, E-mail: m.pavanello@rutgers.edu; Eshuis, Henk

2014-07-28

We present a formally exact van der Waals inclusive electronic structure theory, called FDE-vdW, based on the Frozen Density Embedding formulation of subsystem Density-Functional Theory. In subsystem DFT, the energy functional is composed of subsystem additive and non-additive terms. We show that an appropriate definition of the long-range correlation energy is given by the value of the non-additive correlation functional. This functional is evaluated using the fluctuation–dissipation theorem aided by a formally exact decomposition of the response functions into subsystem contributions. FDE-vdW is derived in detail and several approximate schemes are proposed, which lead to practical implementations of the method.more » We show that FDE-vdW is Casimir-Polder consistent, i.e., it reduces to the generalized Casimir-Polder formula for asymptotic inter-subsystems separations. Pilot calculations of binding energies of 13 weakly bound complexes singled out from the S22 set show a dramatic improvement upon semilocal subsystem DFT, provided that an appropriate exchange functional is employed. The convergence of FDE-vdW with basis set size is discussed, as well as its dependence on the choice of associated density functional approximant.« less

Conserved Features in the Structure, Mechanism, and Biogenesis of the Inverse Autotransporter Protein Family

PubMed Central

Heinz, Eva; Stubenrauch, Christopher J.; Grinter, Rhys; Croft, Nathan P.; Purcell, Anthony W.; Strugnell, Richard A.; Dougan, Gordon; Lithgow, Trevor

2016-01-01

The bacterial cell surface proteins intimin and invasin are virulence factors that share a common domain structure and bind selectively to host cell receptors in the course of bacterial pathogenesis. The β-barrel domains of intimin and invasin show significant sequence and structural similarities. Conversely, a variety of proteins with sometimes limited sequence similarity have also been annotated as “intimin-like” and “invasin” in genome datasets, while other recent work on apparently unrelated virulence-associated proteins ultimately revealed similarities to intimin and invasin. Here we characterize the sequence and structural relationships across this complex protein family. Surprisingly, intimins and invasins represent a very small minority of the sequence diversity in what has been previously the “intimin/invasin protein family”. Analysis of the assembly pathway for expression of the classic intimin, EaeA, and a characteristic example of the most prevalent members of the group, FdeC, revealed a dependence on the translocation and assembly module as a common feature for both these proteins. While the majority of the sequences in the grouping are most similar to FdeC, a further and widespread group is two-partner secretion systems that use the β-barrel domain as the delivery device for secretion of a variety of virulence factors. This comprehensive analysis supports the adoption of the “inverse autotransporter protein family” as the most accurate nomenclature for the family and, in turn, has important consequences for our overall understanding of the Type V secretion systems of bacterial pathogens. PMID:27190006

Neural correlates of working memory in first episode and recurrent depression: An fMRI study.

PubMed

Yüksel, Dilara; Dietsche, Bruno; Konrad, Carsten; Dannlowski, Udo; Kircher, Tilo; Krug, Axel

2018-06-08

Patients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) show deficits in working memory (WM) performance accompanied by bilateral fronto-parietal BOLD signal changes. It is unclear whether patients with a first depressive episode (FDE) exhibit the same signal changes as patients with recurrent depressive episodes (RDE). We investigated seventy-four MDD inpatients (48 RDE, 26 FDE) and 74 healthy control (HC) subjects performing an n-back WM task (0-back, 2-back, 3-back condition) in a 3T-fMRI. FMRI analyses revealed deviating BOLD signal in MDD in the thalamus (0-back vs. 2-back), the angular gyrus (0-back vs. 3-back), and the superior frontal gyrus (2-back vs. 3-back). Further effects were observed between RDE vs. FDE. Thus, RDE displayed differing neural activation in the middle frontal gyrus (2-back vs. 3-back), the inferior frontal gyrus, and the precentral gyrus (0-back vs. 2-back). In addition, both HC and FDE indicated a linear activation trend depending on task complexity. Although we failed to find behavioral differences between the groups, results suggest differing BOLD signal in fronto-parietal brain regions in MDD vs. HC, and in RDE vs. FDE. Moreover, both HC and FDE show similar trends in activation shapes. This indicates a link between levels of complexity-dependent activation in fronto-parietal brain regions and the stage of MDD. We therefore assume that load-dependent BOLD signal during WM is impaired in MDD, and that it is particularly affected in RDE. We also suspect neurobiological compensatory mechanisms of the reported brain regions in (working) memory functioning. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Campylobacter jejuni inactivation in New Zealand soils.

PubMed

Ross, C M; Donnison, A M

2006-11-01

The study was undertaken to determine the inactivation rate of Campylobacter jejuni in New Zealand soils. Farm dairy effluent (FDE) inoculated at c. 10(5) ml(-1) with C. jejuni was applied to intact soil cores at a rate of 2 l m(-2). Four soils were used: Hamilton (granular); Taupo (pumice); Horotiu and Waihou (allophanic). After FDE application cores were incubated at 10 degrees C for up to 32 days. For all four soils all the FDE remained within the cores and at least 99% of C. jejuni were retained in the top 5 cm. Campylobacter jejuni had declined to the limit of detection (two C. jejuni 100 g(-1)) by 25 days in Hamilton and Taupo soils and by 32 days in Waihou soil. In contrast, in Horotiu soil the decline was only three orders of magnitude after 32 days. Simulated heavy rainfall was applied 4 and 11 days after FDE application and only about 1% of the applied C. jejuni were recovered in leachates. This study demonstrated that at least 99% of applied C. jejuni were retained in the top 5 cm of four soils where they survived for at least 25 days at 10 degrees C. Soil retention of C. jejuni is efficient at FDE application rates that prevent drainage losses. The low infectious dose of C. jejuni and its ability to survive up to 25 days have implications for stock management on dairy farms.

A Climatology of dust emission in northern Africa using surface observations from 1984-2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cowie, Sophie; Knippertz, Peter; Marsham, John

2014-05-01

The huge quantity of mineral dust emitted annually from northern Africa makes this area crucial to the global dust cycle. Once in the atmosphere, dust aerosols have a significant impact on the global radiation budget, clouds, the carbon cycle and can even act as a fertilizer to rain forests in South America. Current model estimates of dust production from northern Africa are uncertain. At the heart of this problem is insufficient understanding of key dust emitting processes such as haboobs (cold pools generated through evaporation of convective precipitation), low-level jets (LLJs) and dry convection (dust devils and dust plumes). Scarce observations in this region, in particular in the Sahara, make model evaluation difficult. This work uses long-term surface observations from 70 stations situated in the Sahara and Sahel to explore the diurnal, seasonal and geographical variations in dust emission events and thresholds. Quality flags are applied to each station to indicate a day-time bias or gaps in the time period 1984-2012. The frequency of dust emission (FDE) is calculated using the present weather codes (WW) of SYNOP reports, where WW = 07,08,09,30-35 and 98. Thresholds are investigated by estimating the wind speeds for which there is a 25%, 50% and 75% probability of dust emission. The 50% threshold is used to calculate strong wind frequency (SWF) and the diagnostic parameter dust uplift potential (DUP); a thresholded cubic function of wind-speed which quantifies the dust generating power of winds. Stations are grouped into 6 areas (North Algeria, Central Sahara, Egypt, West Sahel, Central Sahel and Sudan) for more in-depth analysis of these parameters. Spatially, thresholds are highest in northern Algeria and lowest in the Sahel around the latitude band 16N-21N. Annual mean FDE is anti-correlated with the threshold, showing the importance of spatial variations in thresholds for mean dust emission. The annual cycles of FDE and SWF for the 6 grouped areas are highly correlated (0.95 to 0.99). These correlations are barely reduced when annual-mean thresholds are used, showing that seasonal variations in thresholds are not the main control on the seasonal variations in FDE. Relationships between annual cycles in FDE and DUP are more complex than between FDE and SWF, reflecting the seasonal variations in the types and intensities of dust events. FDE is highest in spring north of 23N. South of this, where stations are directly influenced by the summer monsoon, the annual cycle in FDE is much more variable. Half of the total DUP occurs at wind-speeds greater than ~ 28 ms-1, which highlights the importance of rare high-energy wind events. The likely meteorological mechanisms generating these patterns are discussed.

Some Properties of the Fractional Equation of Continuity and the Fractional Diffusion Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukunaga, Masataka

2006-05-01

The fractional equation of continuity (FEC) and the fractional diffusion equation (FDE) show peculiar behaviors that are in the opposite sense to those expected from the equation of continuity and the diffusion equation, respectively. The behaviors are interpreted in terms of the memory effect of the fractional time derivatives included in the equations. Some examples are given by solutions of the FDE.

Exact kinetic energy enables accurate evaluation of weak interactions by the FDE-vdW method.

PubMed

Sinha, Debalina; Pavanello, Michele

2015-08-28

The correlation energy of interaction is an elusive and sought-after interaction between molecular systems. By partitioning the response function of the system into subsystem contributions, the Frozen Density Embedding (FDE)-vdW method provides a computationally amenable nonlocal correlation functional based on the adiabatic connection fluctuation dissipation theorem applied to subsystem density functional theory. In reproducing potential energy surfaces of weakly interacting dimers, we show that FDE-vdW, either employing semilocal or exact nonadditive kinetic energy functionals, is in quantitative agreement with high-accuracy coupled cluster calculations (overall mean unsigned error of 0.5 kcal/mol). When employing the exact kinetic energy (which we term the Kohn-Sham (KS)-vdW method), the binding energies are generally closer to the benchmark, and the energy surfaces are also smoother.

Exact kinetic energy enables accurate evaluation of weak interactions by the FDE-vdW method

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

Sinha, Debalina; Pavanello, Michele, E-mail: m.pavanello@rutgers.edu

2015-08-28

The correlation energy of interaction is an elusive and sought-after interaction between molecular systems. By partitioning the response function of the system into subsystem contributions, the Frozen Density Embedding (FDE)-vdW method provides a computationally amenable nonlocal correlation functional based on the adiabatic connection fluctuation dissipation theorem applied to subsystem density functional theory. In reproducing potential energy surfaces of weakly interacting dimers, we show that FDE-vdW, either employing semilocal or exact nonadditive kinetic energy functionals, is in quantitative agreement with high-accuracy coupled cluster calculations (overall mean unsigned error of 0.5 kcal/mol). When employing the exact kinetic energy (which we term themore » Kohn-Sham (KS)-vdW method), the binding energies are generally closer to the benchmark, and the energy surfaces are also smoother.« less

Performance Evaluation of MIMO-UWB Systems Using Measured Propagation Data and Proposal of Timing Control Scheme in LOS Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takanashi, Masaki; Nishimura, Toshihiko; Ogawa, Yasutaka; Ohgane, Takeo

Ultrawide-band impulse radio (UWB-IR) technology and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems have attracted interest regarding their use in next-generation high-speed radio communication. We have studied the use of MIMO ultrawide-band (MIMO-UWB) systems to enable higher-speed radio communication. We used frequency-domain equalization based on the minimum mean square error criterion (MMSE-FDE) to reduce intersymbol interference (ISI) and co-channel interference (CCI) in MIMO-UWB systems. Because UWB systems are expected to be used for short-range wireless communication, MIMO-UWB systems will usually operate in line-of-sight (LOS) environments and direct waves will be received at the receiver side. Direct waves have high power and cause high correlations between antennas in such environments. Thus, it is thought that direct waves will adversely affect the performance of spatial filtering and equalization techniques used to enhance signal detection. To examine the feasibility of MIMO-UWB systems, we conducted MIMO-UWB system propagation measurements in LOS environments. From the measurements, we found that the arrival time of direct waves from different transmitting antennas depends on the MIMO configuration. Because we can obtain high power from the direct waves, direct wave reception is critical for maximizing transmission performance. In this paper, we present our measurement results, and propose a way to improve performance using a method of transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) timing control. We evaluate the bit error rate (BER) performance for this form of timing control using measured channel data.

Stressful life events and the risk of initial central nervous system demyelination.

PubMed

Saul, Alice; Ponsonby, Anne-Louise; Lucas, Robyn M; Taylor, Bruce V; Simpson, Steve; Valery, Patricia; Dwyer, Terence; Kilpatrick, Trevor J; Pender, Michael P; van der Mei, Ingrid Af

2017-06-01

There is substantial evidence that stress increases multiple sclerosis disease activity, but limited evidence on its association with the onset of multiple sclerosis. To examine the association between stressful life events and risk of first demyelinating event (FDE). This was a multicentre incident case-control study. Cases ( n = 282 with first diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) demyelination, including n = 216 with 'classic FDE') were aged 18-59 years. Controls without CNS demyelination ( n = 558) were matched to cases on age, sex and study region. Stressful life events were assessed using a questionnaire based on the Social Readjustment Rating Scale. Those who suffered from a serious illness in the previous 12 months were more likely to have an FDE (odds ratio (OR) = 2.35 (1.36, 4.06), p = 0.002), and when we limited our reference group to those who had no stressful life events, the magnitude of effect became stronger (OR = 5.41 (1.80, 16.28)). The total stress number and stress load were not convincingly associated with the risk of an FDE. Cases were more likely to report a serious illness in the previous 12 months, which could suggest that a non-specific illness provides an additional strain to an already predisposed immune system.

Subsystem real-time time dependent density functional theory.

PubMed

Krishtal, Alisa; Ceresoli, Davide; Pavanello, Michele

2015-04-21

We present the extension of Frozen Density Embedding (FDE) formulation of subsystem Density Functional Theory (DFT) to real-time Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (rt-TDDFT). FDE is a DFT-in-DFT embedding method that allows to partition a larger Kohn-Sham system into a set of smaller, coupled Kohn-Sham systems. Additional to the computational advantage, FDE provides physical insight into the properties of embedded systems and the coupling interactions between them. The extension to rt-TDDFT is done straightforwardly by evolving the Kohn-Sham subsystems in time simultaneously, while updating the embedding potential between the systems at every time step. Two main applications are presented: the explicit excitation energy transfer in real time between subsystems is demonstrated for the case of the Na4 cluster and the effect of the embedding on optical spectra of coupled chromophores. In particular, the importance of including the full dynamic response in the embedding potential is demonstrated.

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy: the case of subdiffusion.

PubMed

Lubelski, Ariel; Klafter, Joseph

2009-03-18

The theory of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy is revisited here for the case of subdiffusing molecules. Subdiffusion is assumed to stem from a continuous-time random walk process with a fat-tailed distribution of waiting times and can therefore be formulated in terms of a fractional diffusion equation (FDE). The FDE plays the central role in developing the fluorescence correlation spectroscopy expressions, analogous to the role played by the simple diffusion equation for regular systems. Due to the nonstationary nature of the continuous-time random walk/FDE, some interesting properties emerge that are amenable to experimental verification and may help in discriminating among subdiffusion mechanisms. In particular, the current approach predicts 1), a strong dependence of correlation functions on the initial time (aging); 2), sensitivity of correlation functions to the averaging procedure, ensemble versus time averaging (ergodicity breaking); and 3), that the basic mean-squared displacement observable depends on how the mean is taken.

Antituberculosis Drug-Induced Fixed Drug Eruption: A Case Report.

PubMed

Vaghela, Jitendra H; Nimbark, Vivek; Barvaliya, Manish; Mehta, Hita; Chavada, Bhavesh

2018-05-21

Fixed drug eruption (FDE) was caused by fixed-dose combination (FDC) of antituberculosis drugs in the form of tablet Forecox ® (rifampicin [rifampin] 225 mg + isoniazid 150 mg + pyrazinamide 750 mg + ethambutol 400 mg) in a 40-year-old male patient with a history of drug allergy. The patient developed FDE after taking the third dose of tablet Forecox ® for pulmonary tuberculosis. Tablet Forecox ® was withdrawn and the patient recovered from the reaction after 15 days of treatment for FDE. As per World Health Organization-Uppsala Monitoring Centre (WHO-UMC) and Naranjo causality assessment criteria, the association between the reaction and tablet Forecox ® was possible and probable, respectively. The reaction was moderately (Level 4b) severe according to the Modified Hartwig and Siegel scale. As there is an increased risk of allergic reaction in patients with a history of drug allergy, FDCs should not be used in order to avoid complexity in identifying the culprit drug.

Identification of differentially expressed genes and signalling pathways in bark of Hevea brasiliensis seedlings associated with secondary laticifer differentiation using gene expression microarray.

PubMed

Loh, Swee Cheng; Thottathil, Gincy P; Othman, Ahmad Sofiman

2016-10-01

The natural rubber of Para rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis, is the main crop involved in industrial rubber production due to its superior quality. The Hevea bark is commercially exploited to obtain latex, which is produced from the articulated secondary laticifer. The laticifer is well defined in the aspect of morphology; however, only some genes associated with its development have been reported. We successfully induced secondary laticifer in the jasmonic acid (JA)-treated and linolenic acid (LA)-treated Hevea bark but secondary laticifer is not observed in the ethephon (ET)-treated and untreated Hevea bark. In this study, we analysed 27,195 gene models using NimbleGen microarrays based on the Hevea draft genome. 491 filtered differentially expressed (FDE) transcripts that are common to both JA- and LA-treated bark samples but not ET-treated bark samples were identified. In the Eukaryotic Orthologous Group (KOG) analysis, 491 FDE transcripts belong to different functional categories that reflect the diverse processes and pathways involved in laticifer differentiation. In the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and KOG analysis, the profile of the FDE transcripts suggest that JA- and LA-treated bark samples have a sufficient molecular basis for secondary laticifer differentiation, especially regarding secondary metabolites metabolism. FDE genes in this category are from the cytochrome (CYP) P450 family, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family, short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family, or cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) family. The data includes many genes involved in cell division, cell wall synthesis, and cell differentiation. The most abundant transcript in FDE list was SDR65C, reflecting its importance in laticifer differentiation. Using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) as part of annotation and functional prediction, several characterised as well as uncharacterized transcription factors and genes were found in the dataset. Hence, the further characterization of these genes is necessary to unveil their role in laticifer differentiation. This study provides a platform for the further characterization and identification of the key genes involved in secondary laticifer differentiation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Performance of Frozen Density Embedding for Modeling Hole Transfer Reactions.

PubMed

Ramos, Pablo; Papadakis, Markos; Pavanello, Michele

2015-06-18

We have carried out a thorough benchmark of the frozen density-embedding (FDE) method for calculating hole transfer couplings. We have considered 10 exchange-correlation functionals, 3 nonadditive kinetic energy functionals, and 3 basis sets. Overall, we conclude that with a 7% mean relative unsigned error, the PBE and PW91 functionals coupled with the PW91k nonadditive kinetic energy functional and a TZP basis set constitute the most stable and accurate levels of theory for hole transfer coupling calculations. The FDE-ET method is found to be an excellent tool for computing diabatic couplings for hole transfer reactions.

Numerical solution of distributed order fractional differential equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katsikadelis, John T.

2014-02-01

In this paper a method for the numerical solution of distributed order FDEs (fractional differential equations) of a general form is presented. The method applies to both linear and nonlinear equations. The Caputo type fractional derivative is employed. The distributed order FDE is approximated with a multi-term FDE, which is then solved by adjusting appropriately the numerical method developed for multi-term FDEs by Katsikadelis. Several example equations are solved and the response of mechanical systems described by such equations is studied. The convergence and the accuracy of the method for linear and nonlinear equations are demonstrated through well corroborated numerical results.

Combining frozen-density embedding with the conductor-like screening model using Lagrangian techniques for response properties.

PubMed

Schieschke, Nils; Di Remigio, Roberto; Frediani, Luca; Heuser, Johannes; Höfener, Sebastian

2017-07-15

We present the explicit derivation of an approach to the multiscale description of molecules in complex environments that combines frozen-density embedding (FDE) with continuum solvation models, in particular the conductor-like screening model (COSMO). FDE provides an explicit atomistic description of molecule-environment interactions at reduced computational cost, while the outer continuum layer accounts for the effect of long-range isotropic electrostatic interactions. Our treatment is based on a variational Lagrangian framework, enabling rigorous derivations of ground- and excited-state response properties. As an example of the flexibility of the theoretical framework, we derive and discuss FDE + COSMO analytical molecular gradients for excited states within the Tamm-Dancoff approximation (TDA) and for ground states within second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) and a second-order approximate coupled cluster with singles and doubles (CC2). It is shown how this method can be used to describe vertical electronic excitation (VEE) energies and Stokes shifts for uracil in water and carbostyril in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), respectively. In addition, VEEs for some simplified protein models are computed, illustrating the performance of this method when applied to larger systems. The interaction terms between the FDE subsystem densities and the continuum can influence excitation energies up to 0.3 eV and, thus, cannot be neglected for general applications. We find that the net influence of the continuum in presence of the first FDE shell on the excitation energy amounts to about 0.05 eV for the cases investigated. The present work is an important step toward rigorously derived ab initio multilayer and multiscale modeling approaches. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fractional differential equations based modeling of microbial survival and growth curves: model development and experimental validation.

PubMed

Kaur, A; Takhar, P S; Smith, D M; Mann, J E; Brashears, M M

2008-10-01

A fractional differential equations (FDEs)-based theory involving 1- and 2-term equations was developed to predict the nonlinear survival and growth curves of foodborne pathogens. It is interesting to note that the solution of 1-term FDE leads to the Weibull model. Nonlinear regression (Gauss-Newton method) was performed to calculate the parameters of the 1-term and 2-term FDEs. The experimental inactivation data of Salmonella cocktail in ground turkey breast, ground turkey thigh, and pork shoulder; and cocktail of Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes in ground beef exposed at isothermal cooking conditions of 50 to 66 degrees C were used for validation. To evaluate the performance of 2-term FDE in predicting the growth curves-growth of Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella Enteritidis, and background flora in ground pork and boneless pork chops; and E. coli O157:H7 in ground beef in the temperature range of 22.2 to 4.4 degrees C were chosen. A program was written in Matlab to predict the model parameters and survival and growth curves. Two-term FDE was more successful in describing the complex shapes of microbial survival and growth curves as compared to the linear and Weibull models. Predicted curves of 2-term FDE had higher magnitudes of R(2) (0.89 to 0.99) and lower magnitudes of root mean square error (0.0182 to 0.5461) for all experimental cases in comparison to the linear and Weibull models. This model was capable of predicting the tails in survival curves, which was not possible using Weibull and linear models. The developed model can be used for other foodborne pathogens in a variety of food products to study the destruction and growth behavior.

Naringenin degradation by the endophytic diazotroph Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1.

PubMed

Marin, A M; Souza, E M; Pedrosa, F O; Souza, L M; Sassaki, G L; Baura, V A; Yates, M G; Wassem, R; Monteiro, R A

2013-01-01

Several bacteria are able to degrade flavonoids either to use them as carbon sources or as a detoxification mechanism. Degradation pathways have been proposed for several bacteria, but the genes responsible are not known. We identified in the genome of the endophyte Herbaspirillum seropedicae SmR1 an operon potentially associated with the degradation of aromatic compounds. We show that this operon is involved in naringenin degradation and that its expression is induced by naringenin and chrysin, two closely related flavonoids. Mutation of fdeA, the first gene of the operon, and fdeR, its transcriptional activator, abolished the ability of H. seropedicae to degrade naringenin.

Hindbrain A2 noradrenergic neuron adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase activation, upstream kinase/phosphorylase protein expression, and receptivity to hormone and fuel reporters of short-term food deprivation are regulated by estradiol.

PubMed

Briski, Karen P; Alenazi, Fahaad S H; Shakya, Manita; Sylvester, Paul W

2017-07-01

Estradiol (E) mitigates acute and postacute adverse effects of 12 hr-food deprivation (FD) on energy balance. Hindbrain 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates hyperphagic and hypothalamic metabolic neuropeptide and norepinephrine responses to FD in an E-dependent manner. Energy-state information from AMPK-expressing hindbrain A2 noradrenergic neurons shapes neural responses to metabolic imbalance. Here we investigate the hypothesis that FD causes divergent changes in A2 AMPK activity in E- vs. oil (O)-implanted ovariectomized female rats, alongside dissimilar adjustments in circulating metabolic fuel (glucose, free fatty acids [FFA]) and energy deficit-sensitive hormone (corticosterone, glucagon, leptin) levels. FD decreased blood glucose in oil (O)- but not E-implanted ovariectomized female rats and elevated and reduced glucagon levels in O and E, respectively. FD decreased circulating leptin in O and E, but increased corticosterone and FFA concentrations in E only. Western blot analysis of laser-microdissected A2 neurons showed that glucocorticoid receptor type II and very-long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 3 protein profiles were amplified in FD/E vs. FD/O. A2 total AMPK protein was elevated without change in activity in FD/O, whereas FD/E exhibited increased AMPK activation along with decreased upstream phosphatase expression. The catecholamine biosynthetic enzyme dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DβH) was increased in FD/O but not FD/E A2 cells. The data show discordance between A2 AMPK activation and glycemic responses to FD; sensor activity was refractory to glucose decrements in FD/O but augmented in FD/E despite stabilized glucose and elevated FFA levels. E-dependent amplification of AMPK activity may reflect adaptive conversion to fatty acid oxidation and/or glucocorticoid stimulation. FD augmentation of A2 DβH protein profiles in FD/O but not FD/E animals suggests that FD may correspondingly regulate NE synthesis vs. metabolism/release in the absence vs. presence of E. Mechanisms underlying translation of E-contingent A2 neuron responses to FD into regulatory signaling remain to be determined. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Modelling charge transfer reactions with the frozen density embedding formalism.

PubMed

Pavanello, Michele; Neugebauer, Johannes

2011-12-21

The frozen density embedding (FDE) subsystem formulation of density-functional theory is a useful tool for studying charge transfer reactions. In this work charge-localized, diabatic states are generated directly with FDE and used to calculate electronic couplings of hole transfer reactions in two π-stacked nucleobase dimers of B-DNA: 5'-GG-3' and 5'-GT-3'. The calculations rely on two assumptions: the two-state model, and a small differential overlap between donor and acceptor subsystem densities. The resulting electronic couplings agree well with benchmark values for those exchange-correlation functionals that contain a high percentage of exact exchange. Instead, when semilocal GGA functionals are used the electronic couplings are grossly overestimated.

Ursodeoxycholic acid induced generalized fixed drug eruption.

PubMed

Ozkol, Hatice Uce; Calka, Omer; Dulger, Ahmet Cumhur; Bulut, Gulay

2014-09-01

Fixed drug eruption (FDE) is a rare form of drug allergies that recur at the same cutaneous or mucosal site in every usage of drug. Single or multiple round, sharply demarcated and dusky red plaques appear soon after drug exposure. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA: 3α,7β-dihydroxy-5β-cholanic acid) is used for the treatment of cholestatic liver diseases. Some side effects may be observed, such as diarrhea, dyspepsia, pruritus and headaches. We encountered only three cases of lichenoid reaction regarding the use of UDCA among previous studies. In this article, we reported a generalized FDE case related to UDCA intake in a 59-year-old male patient with cholestasis for the first time in the literature.

Modelling charge transfer reactions with the frozen density embedding formalism

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

Pavanello, Michele; Neugebauer, Johannes

2011-12-21

The frozen density embedding (FDE) subsystem formulation of density-functional theory is a useful tool for studying charge transfer reactions. In this work charge-localized, diabatic states are generated directly with FDE and used to calculate electronic couplings of hole transfer reactions in two {pi}-stacked nucleobase dimers of B-DNA: 5{sup '}-GG-3{sup '} and 5{sup '}-GT-3{sup '}. The calculations rely on two assumptions: the two-state model, and a small differential overlap between donor and acceptor subsystem densities. The resulting electronic couplings agree well with benchmark values for those exchange-correlation functionals that contain a high percentage of exact exchange. Instead, when semilocal GGA functionalsmore » are used the electronic couplings are grossly overestimated.« less

Handwriting Examination: Moving from Art to Science

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

Jarman, Kristin H.; Hanlen, Richard C.; Manzolillo, P. A.

The scientific basis for handwriting individuality and the expertise of handwriting examiners has been questioned in several court cases and law review articles. The criticisms were originally directed at the proficiency and expertise of forensic document examiners (FDE's). However, these criticisms also illustrate the lack of empirical data to support and validate the premises and methodology of handwriting examination. As a result the admissibility and weight of FDE testimony has been called into question. These assaults on the scientific integrity of handwriting analysis have created an urgent need for the forensic document examination community to develop objective standards, measurable criteriamore » and a uniform methodology supported by properly controlled studies that evaluate and validate the significance of measurable handwriting characteristics.« less

Calculating hyperfine couplings in large ionic crystals containing hundreds of QM atoms: subsystem DFT is the key.

PubMed

Kevorkyants, Ruslan; Wang, Xiqiao; Close, David M; Pavanello, Michele

2013-11-14

We present an application of the linear scaling frozen density embedding (FDE) formulation of subsystem DFT to the calculation of isotropic hyperfine coupling constants (hfcc's) of atoms belonging to a guanine radical cation embedded in a guanine hydrochloride monohydrate crystal. The model systems range from an isolated guanine to a 15,000 atom QM/MM cluster where the QM region is comprised of 36 protonated guanine cations, 36 chlorine anions, and 42 water molecules. Our calculations show that the embedding effects of the surrounding crystal cannot be reproduced by small model systems nor by a pure QM/MM procedure. Instead, a large QM region is needed to fully capture the complicated nature of the embedding effects in this system. The unprecedented system size for a relativistic all-electron isotropic hfcc calculation can be approached in this work because the local nature of the electronic structure of the organic crystals considered is fully captured by the FDE approach.

Handwriting Examination: Moving from Art to Science

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

Jarman, K.H.; Hanlen, R.C.; Manzolillo, P.A.

In this document, we present a method for validating the premises and methodology of forensic handwriting examination. This method is intuitively appealing because it relies on quantitative measurements currently used qualitatively by FDE's in making comparisons, and it is scientifically rigorous because it exploits the power of multivariate statistical analysis. This approach uses measures of both central tendency and variation to construct a profile for a given individual. (Central tendency and variation are important for characterizing an individual's writing and both are currently used by FDE's in comparative analyses). Once constructed, different profiles are then compared for individuality using clustermore » analysis; they are grouped so that profiles within a group cannot be differentiated from one another based on the measured characteristics, whereas profiles between groups can. The cluster analysis procedure used here exploits the power of multivariate hypothesis testing. The result is not only a profile grouping but also an indication of statistical significance of the groups generated.« less

Analytical gradients for subsystem density functional theory within the slater-function-based amsterdam density functional program.

PubMed

Schlüns, Danny; Franchini, Mirko; Götz, Andreas W; Neugebauer, Johannes; Jacob, Christoph R; Visscher, Lucas

2017-02-05

We present a new implementation of analytical gradients for subsystem density-functional theory (sDFT) and frozen-density embedding (FDE) into the Amsterdam Density Functional program (ADF). The underlying theory and necessary expressions for the implementation are derived and discussed in detail for various FDE and sDFT setups. The parallel implementation is numerically verified and geometry optimizations with different functional combinations (LDA/TF and PW91/PW91K) are conducted and compared to reference data. Our results confirm that sDFT-LDA/TF yields good equilibrium distances for the systems studied here (mean absolute deviation: 0.09 Å) compared to reference wave-function theory results. However, sDFT-PW91/PW91k quite consistently yields smaller equilibrium distances (mean absolute deviation: 0.23 Å). The flexibility of our new implementation is demonstrated for an HCN-trimer test system, for which several different setups are applied. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Analysis performed in support of the Ad-Hoc Working Group of RTCA SC-159 on RAIM/FDE issues

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-01-01

In 1999, the FAA requested that RTCA SC-159 address one of the recommendations from the study performed by the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Lab (APL) on the use of GPS and augmented GPS for aviation applications. This recommendation...

Department of Transportation Data Communications Requirements Analysis.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-01

National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161. CJ0 us Department of Transportation FdeWAtcMk Adl*lt,. and Systems Research...General Administrative System . .. ................. 4.4 4.1.3 Coast Guard Administrative System . .. ............... 4.6 4.1.4 Transportation Automated...Office System .. .. ............ 4.6 4.1.5 OST Data Transmission Characteristics .. .. ............. 4.6 4.1.6 OST Data Communications

Hybrid time-frequency domain equalization for LED nonlinearity mitigation in OFDM-based VLC systems.

PubMed

Li, Jianfeng; Huang, Zhitong; Liu, Xiaoshuang; Ji, Yuefeng

2015-01-12

A novel hybrid time-frequency domain equalization scheme is proposed and experimentally demonstrated to mitigate the white light emitting diode (LED) nonlinearity in visible light communication (VLC) systems based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). We handle the linear and nonlinear distortion separately in a nonlinear OFDM system. The linear part is equalized in frequency domain and the nonlinear part is compensated by an adaptive nonlinear time domain equalizer (N-TDE). The experimental results show that with only a small number of parameters the nonlinear equalizer can efficiently mitigate the LED nonlinearity. With the N-TDE the modulation index (MI) and BER performance can be significantly enhanced.

Global Hopf bifurcation analysis on a BAM neural network with delays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Chengjun; Han, Maoan; Pang, Xiaoming

2007-01-01

A delayed differential equation that models a bidirectional associative memory (BAM) neural network with four neurons is considered. By using a global Hopf bifurcation theorem for FDE and a Bendixon's criterion for high-dimensional ODE, a group of sufficient conditions for the system to have multiple periodic solutions are obtained when the sum of delays is sufficiently large.

Adaptive frequency-domain equalization in digital coherent optical receivers.

PubMed

Faruk, Md Saifuddin; Kikuchi, Kazuro

2011-06-20

We propose a novel frequency-domain adaptive equalizer in digital coherent optical receivers, which can reduce computational complexity of the conventional time-domain adaptive equalizer based on finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters. The proposed equalizer can operate on the input sequence sampled by free-running analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) at the rate of two samples per symbol; therefore, the arbitrary initial sampling phase of ADCs can be adjusted so that the best symbol-spaced sequence is produced. The equalizer can also be configured in the butterfly structure, which enables demultiplexing of polarization tributaries apart from equalization of linear transmission impairments. The performance of the proposed equalization scheme is verified by 40-Gbits/s dual-polarization quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) transmission experiments.

Diffusion-enhanced Förster resonance energy transfer and the effects of external quenchers and the donor quantum yield.

PubMed

Jacob, Maik H; Dsouza, Roy N; Ghosh, Indrajit; Norouzy, Amir; Schwarzlose, Thomas; Nau, Werner M

2013-01-10

The structural and dynamic properties of a flexible peptidic chain codetermine its biological activity. These properties are imprinted in intrachain site-to-site distances as well as in diffusion coefficients of mutual site-to-site motion. Both distance distribution and diffusion determine the extent of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between two chain sites labeled with a FRET donor and acceptor. Both could be obtained from time-resolved FRET measurements if their individual contributions to the FRET efficiency could be systematically varied. Because the FRET diffusion enhancement (FDE) depends on the donor-fluorescence lifetime, it has been proposed that the FDE can be reduced by shortening the donor lifetime through an external quencher. Benefiting from the high diffusion sensitivity of short-distance FRET, we tested this concept experimentally on a (Gly-Ser)(6) segment labeled with the donor/acceptor pair naphthylalanine/2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene (NAla/Dbo). Surprisingly, the very effective quencher potassium iodide (KI) had no effect at all on the average donor-acceptor distance, although the donor lifetime was shortened from ca. 36 ns in the absence of KI to ca. 3 ns in the presence of 30 mM KI. We show that the proposed approach had to fail because it is not the experimentally observed but the radiative donor lifetime that controls the FDE. Because of that, any FRET ensemble measurement can easily underestimate diffusion and might be misleading even if it employs the Haas-Steinberg diffusion equation (HSE). An extension of traditional FRET analysis allowed us to evaluate HSE simulations and to corroborate as well as generalize the experimental results. We demonstrate that diffusion-enhanced FRET depends on the radiative donor lifetime as it depends on the diffusion coefficient, a useful symmetry that can directly be applied to distinguish dynamic and structural effects of viscous cosolvents on the polymer chain. We demonstrate that the effective FRET rate and the recovered donor-acceptor distance depend on the quantum yield, most strongly in the absence of diffusion, which has to be accounted for in the interpretation of distance trends monitored by FRET.

[Erectile dysfunction and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome].

PubMed

Zhuravlev, V N; Frank, M A; Gomzhin, A I

2008-01-01

Of 72 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) 32 had erectile dysfunction (ED). OSAS patients with erectile dysfunction had hypogonadism in 24 cases, in 8 men testosterone level was normal. A polysomnographic investigation with monitoring of nocturnal spontaneous erections showed that 32 patients had severe sleep fragmentation with reduced or complete absence of REM and deep sleep phases. In nocturnal penile tumescencia quantitative and qualitative characteristics were abnormal suggesting organic nature of erectile dysfunction in these patients. Eight ED and OSAS patients with normal testosterone received standard OSAS therapy with administration of FDE-5 type inhibitors. Six months later improvement of the erectile function was observed in 6 patients. OSAS patients with hypogonadism were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n = 5) received CPAP therapy and group 2 (n = 19) received OSAS standard therapy. Group 2 was treated with inhibitors of FDE-5 type. Three months later improvement of erectile function was seen only in 8. Group 1 received the inhibitors and testosterone replacement. Three months later all 5 patients had no ED complaints, their testosterone was normal. It is recommended to perform monitoring of nocturnal spontaneous erections in the algorithm of examination of all men with OSAS. All patients with OSAS, ED and documented hypogonadism need testosterone replacement therapy if its level persists low despite adequate therapy of OSAS.

A Fracture Decoupling Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroujkova, A. F.; Bonner, J. L.; Leidig, M.; Ferris, A. N.; Kim, W.; Carnevale, M.; Rath, T.; Lewkowicz, J.

2012-12-01

Multiple observations made at the Semipalatinsk Test Site suggest that conducting nuclear tests in the fracture zones left by previous explosions results in decreased seismic amplitudes for the second nuclear tests (or "repeat shots"). Decreased seismic amplitudes reduce both the probability of detection and the seismically estimated yield of a "repeat shot". In order to define the physical mechanism responsible for the amplitude reduction and to quantify the degree of the amplitude reduction in fractured rocks, Weston Geophysical Corp., in collaboration with Columbia University's Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, conducted a multi-phase Fracture Decoupling Experiment (FDE) in central New Hampshire. The FDE involved conducting explosions of various yields in the damage/fracture zones of previously detonated explosions. In order to quantify rock damage after the blasts we performed well logging and seismic cross-hole tomography studies of the source region. Significant seismic velocity reduction was observed around the source regions after the initial explosions. Seismic waves produced by the explosions were recorded at near-source and local seismic networks, as well as several regional stations throughout northern New England. Our analysis confirms frequency dependent seismic amplitude reduction for the repeat shots compared to the explosions in un-fractured rocks. The amplitude reduction is caused by pore closing and/or by frictional losses within the fractured media.

United States Air Force F-35A Operational Basing Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

Evaluation (FDE) program and Weapons School (WS) beddown, the F-22 designator was used. Subsequent testing , development, and deployment resulted in...Initial F-35A Operational Basing EIS Final, September 2013 contract to develop the JSF ( designated the F-35 Lightning II). Since then, testing of F...of the aircraft even with system failures. Throughout the design and testing process, safety initiatives took previous best practices for single

Mega-Amp Opening Switch with Nested Electrodes/Pulsed Generator of Ion and Ion Cluster Beams

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-30

The use of a plasma focus as a mega-amp opening switch has been demonstrated by two modes of operation: (a) Single shot mode; (b) Repetitive Mode...energy level and under the same voltage and filling-pressure conditions but without field distortion elements. Misfirings of the plasma focus machine...are also virtually eliminated by using FDE at the coaxial electrode breech. The tests (based on about 10000 shots and five plasma focus machines

Fast convergent frequency-domain MIMO equalizer for few-mode fiber communication systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xuan; Weng, Yi; Wang, Junyi; Pan, Z.

2018-02-01

Space division multiplexing using few-mode fibers has been extensively explored to sustain the continuous traffic growth. In few-mode fiber optical systems, both spatial and polarization modes are exploited to transmit parallel channels, thus increasing the overall capacity. However, signals on spatial channels inevitably suffer from the intrinsic inter-modal coupling and large accumulated differential mode group delay (DMGD), which causes spatial modes de-multiplex even harder. Many research articles have demonstrated that frequency domain adaptive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) equalizer can effectively compensate the DMGD and demultiplex the spatial channels with digital signal processing (DSP). However, the large accumulated DMGD usually requires a large number of training blocks for the initial convergence of adaptive MIMO equalizers, which will decrease the overall system efficiency and even degrade the equalizer performance in fast-changing optical channels. Least mean square (LMS) algorithm is always used in MIMO equalization to dynamically demultiplex the spatial signals. We have proposed to use signal power spectral density (PSD) dependent method and noise PSD directed method to improve the convergence speed of adaptive frequency domain LMS algorithm. We also proposed frequency domain recursive least square (RLS) algorithm to further increase the convergence speed of MIMO equalizer at cost of greater hardware complexity. In this paper, we will compare the hardware complexity and convergence speed of signal PSD dependent and noise power directed algorithms against the conventional frequency domain LMS algorithm. In our numerical study of a three-mode 112 Gbit/s PDM-QPSK optical system with 3000 km transmission, the noise PSD directed and signal PSD dependent methods could improve the convergence speed by 48.3% and 36.1% respectively, at cost of 17.2% and 10.7% higher hardware complexity. We will also compare the frequency domain RLS algorithm against conventional frequency domain LMS algorithm. Our numerical study shows that, in a three-mode 224 Gbit/s PDM-16-QAM system with 3000 km transmission, the RLS algorithm could improve the convergence speed by 53.7% over conventional frequency domain LMS algorithm.

Mitigation of intra-channel nonlinearities using a frequency-domain Volterra series equalizer.

PubMed

Guiomar, Fernando P; Reis, Jacklyn D; Teixeira, António L; Pinto, Armando N

2012-01-16

We address the issue of intra-channel nonlinear compensation using a Volterra series nonlinear equalizer based on an analytical closed-form solution for the 3rd order Volterra kernel in frequency-domain. The performance of the method is investigated through numerical simulations for a single-channel optical system using a 20 Gbaud NRZ-QPSK test signal propagated over 1600 km of both standard single-mode fiber and non-zero dispersion shifted fiber. We carry on performance and computational effort comparisons with the well-known backward propagation split-step Fourier (BP-SSF) method. The alias-free frequency-domain implementation of the Volterra series nonlinear equalizer makes it an attractive approach to work at low sampling rates, enabling to surpass the maximum performance of BP-SSF at 2× oversampling. Linear and nonlinear equalization can be treated independently, providing more flexibility to the equalization subsystem. The parallel structure of the algorithm is also a key advantage in terms of real-time implementation.

An Investigation of the Jetevator as a Means of Thrust Vector Control

DTIC Science & Technology

1958-02-01

actual rocket firings. Description of the Tests The cold-flow jetevator tcsts were conduc.ted in the engine test cells of the Ordnance Aerophysics...45 and 210 psia, as noted on the figures. The cel. pres- sure was adjusted to give a ratio of supply pressure to cell pressure of approximately 37...CORPORATO t. r .U and SPACE DIVISION - FDN LMSD-2630 °; •GN F.]DE NT1 .A.L`. -[, GAP DEFLECTED NOZZLE JETEVATOR FLOW 6 =220 JETEVATOR .°=60O HINGE POINT

Improper excess light energy dissipation in Arabidopsis results in a metabolic reprogramming

PubMed Central

Frenkel, Martin; Külheim, Carsten; Jänkänpää, Hanna Johansson; Skogström, Oskar; Dall'Osto, Luca; Ågren, Jon; Bassi, Roberto; Moritz, Thomas; Moen, Jon; Jansson, Stefan

2009-01-01

Background Plant performance is affected by the level of expression of PsbS, a key photoprotective protein involved in the process of feedback de-excitation (FDE), or the qE component of non-photochemical quenching, NPQ. Results In studies presented here, under constant laboratory conditions the metabolite profiles of leaves of wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana and plants lacking or overexpressing PsbS were very similar, but under natural conditions their differences in levels of PsbS expression were associated with major changes in metabolite profiles. Some carbohydrates and amino acids differed ten-fold in abundance between PsbS-lacking mutants and over-expressers, with wild-type plants having intermediate amounts, showing that a metabolic shift had occurred. The transcriptomes of the genotypes also varied under field conditions, and the genes induced in plants lacking PsbS were similar to those reportedly induced in plants exposed to ozone stress or treated with methyl jasmonate (MeJA). Genes involved in the biosynthesis of JA were up-regulated, and enzymes involved in this pathway accumulated. JA levels in the undamaged leaves of field-grown plants did not differ between wild-type and PsbS-lacking mutants, but they were higher in the mutants when they were exposed to herbivory. Conclusion These findings suggest that lack of FDE results in increased photooxidative stress in the chloroplasts of Arabidopsis plants grown in the field, which elicits a response at the transcriptome level, causing a redirection of metabolism from growth towards defence that resembles a MeJA/JA response. PMID:19171025

Fixed Drug Eruption Due to Selective Hypersensitivity to Naproxen with Tolerance to other Propionic Acid NSAIDs.

PubMed

Noguerado-Mellado, Blanca; Gamboa, Abdonias R; Perez-Ezquerra, Patricia R; Cabeza, Cristina M; Fernandez, Roberto P; De Barrio Fernandez, Manuel

2016-01-01

Naproxen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), belonging to propionic acid group, and its chemical structure is a 6-metoxi-metil-2-naftalenoacetic acid. Fixed drug eruptions (FDE) have been rarely reported. A 38-year-old woman referred that after 2 hours of taking 2 tablets of naproxen for a headache, she developed several edematous and dusky-red macules, one on right forearm and the other two in both thighs and she was diagnosed with FDE probably due to naproxen. We performed patch testing (PT) (Nonweven Patch Test Strips Curatest® Lohman & Rauscher International, Rangsdorf, Germany), with ibuprofen (5% Petrolatum), ketoprofen (2.5% Petrolatum), naproxen and nabumetone (both 10% in DMSO) on the residual lesion of the forearm with naproxen and in both thighs with ibuprofen, ketoprofen and nabumetone. Readings at day 1 (D1) and day 2 (D2) showed negative results to ibuprofen, ketoprofen and nabumetone, but were positive to naproxen in D1. A single blind oral challenge test (SBOCT) with other propionic acid derivates were performed in order to check for crossreactivity between them: ibuprofen, ketoprofen and nabumetone were administered and all drugs were well tolerated. In our patient PT confirmed the diagnosis and allowed us to study the cross-reactivity between NSAIDs of the same group, and confirmed by SBOCT. Cross-reactivity between propionic acid derivatives was studied. This is a case of hypersensitivity to naproxen with good tolerance to other propionic acids NSAIDs (ibuprofen and ketoprofen) and nabumetone, confirmed by PT and SBOCT. Some relavent patents for fixed drug eruption are discussed.

76 FR 39392 - Record of Decision for the F-35 Force Development Evaluation and Weapons School Beddown, Nellis...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-06

...On June 24, 2011, the United States Air Force signed the ROD for the F-35 Force Development Evaluation (FDE) and Weapons School (WS) Beddown, Nellis AFB, Nevada. The decision was based on matters discussed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), inputs from the public and regulatory agencies, and other relevant factors. The Final EIS was made available to the public on May 13, 2011, through a Federal Register NOA (Volume 76, Number 93, Page 28029) with a wait period that ended on June 14, 2011.

Hybrid time-frequency domain equalization based on sign-sign joint decision multimodulus algorithm for 6 × 6 mode division multiplexing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiao; Hu, Guijun; Gong, Caili; Li, Li

2018-02-01

In this paper, we propose a hybrid time-frequency domain sign-sign joint decision multimodulus algorithm (Hybrid-SJDMMA) for mode-demultiplexing in a 6 × 6 mode division multiplexing (MDM) system with high-order QAM modulation. The equalization performance of Hybrid-SJDMMA was evaluated and compared with the frequency domain multimodulus algorithm (FD-MMA) and the hybrid time-frequency domain sign-sign multimodulus algorithm (Hybrid-SMMA). Simulation results revealed that Hybrid-SJDMMA exhibits a significantly lower computational complexity than FD-MMA, and its convergence speed is similar to that of FD-MMA. Additionally, the bit-error-rate performance of Hybrid-SJDMMA was obviously better than FD-MMA and Hybrid-SMMA for 16 QAM and 64 QAM.

Time-domain digital pre-equalization for band-limited signals based on receiver-side adaptive equalizers.

PubMed

Zhang, Junwen; Yu, Jianjun; Chi, Nan; Chien, Hung-Chang

2014-08-25

We theoretically and experimentally investigate a time-domain digital pre-equalization (DPEQ) scheme for bandwidth-limited optical coherent communication systems, which is based on feedback of channel characteristics from the receiver-side blind and adaptive equalizers, such as least-mean-squares (LMS) algorithm and constant or multi- modulus algorithms (CMA, MMA). Based on the proposed DPEQ scheme, we theoretically and experimentally study its performance in terms of various channel conditions as well as resolutions for channel estimation, such as filtering bandwidth, taps length, and OSNR. Using a high speed 64-GSa/s DAC in cooperation with the proposed DPEQ technique, we successfully synthesized band-limited 40-Gbaud signals in modulation formats of polarization-diversion multiplexed (PDM) quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), 8-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and 16-QAM, and significant improvement in both back-to-back and transmission BER performances are also demonstrated.

A comprehensive estimate of the static aerodynamic forces and moments of the 8 x 8 x 20 ft. cargo container

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cicolani, Luigi; Kanning, Gerd

1987-01-01

A comprehensive static aerodynamic simulation model of the 8 by 8 by 20 ft MILVAN cargo container is determined by combining the wind tunnel data from a 1972 NASA Ames Research Center study taken over the restricted domain (0 is less than or equal to phi is less than or equal to 90 degrees; 0 is less than or equal to alpha is less than or equal to 45 degrees) with extrapolation relations derived from the geometric symmetry of rectangular boxes. It is found that the aerodynamics of any attitude can be defined from the aerodynamics at an equivalent attitude in the restricted domain (0 is less than phi is less than 45 degrees; 0 is less than alpha is less than 90 degrees). However, a similar comprehensive equivalence with the domain spanned by the data is not available; in particular, about two-thirds of the domain with the absolute value of alpha is greater than 45 degrees is unrelated to the data. Nevertheless, as estimate can be defined for this region consistent with the measured or theoretical values along its boundaries and the theoretical equivalence of points within the region. These descrepancies are assumed to be due to measurement errors. Data from independent wind tunnel studies are reviewed; these are less comprehensive than the NASA Ames Research Center but show good to fair agreement with both the theory and the estimate given here.

Experimental demonstration of a frequency-domain Volterra series nonlinear equalizer in polarization-multiplexed transmission.

PubMed

Guiomar, Fernando P; Reis, Jacklyn D; Carena, Andrea; Bosco, Gabriella; Teixeira, António L; Pinto, Armando N

2013-01-14

Employing 100G polarization-multiplexed quaternary phase-shift keying (PM-QPSK) signals, we experimentally demonstrate a dual-polarization Volterra series nonlinear equalizer (VSNE) applied in frequency-domain, to mitigate intra-channel nonlinearities. The performance of the dual-polarization VSNE is assessed in both single-channel and in wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) scenarios, providing direct comparisons with its single-polarization version and with the widely studied back-propagation split-step Fourier (SSF) approach. In single-channel transmission, the optimum power has been increased by about 1 dB, relatively to the single-polarization equalizers, and up to 3 dB over linear equalization, with a corresponding bit error rate (BER) reduction of up to 63% and 85%, respectively. Despite of the impact of inter-channel nonlinearities, we show that intra-channel nonlinear equalization is still able to provide approximately 1 dB improvement in the optimum power and a BER reduction of ~33%, considering a 66 GHz WDM grid. By means of simulation, we demonstrate that the performance of nonlinear equalization can be substantially enhanced if both optical and electrical filtering are optimized, enabling the VSNE technique to outperform its SSF counterpart at high input powers.

Disgust sensitivity is primarily associated with purity-based moral judgments.

PubMed

Wagemans, Fieke M A; Brandt, Mark J; Zeelenberg, Marcel

2018-03-01

Individual differences in disgust sensitivity are associated with a range of judgments and attitudes related to the moral domain. Some perspectives suggest that the association between disgust sensitivity and moral judgments will be equally strong across all moral domains (i.e., purity, authority, loyalty, care, fairness, and liberty). Other perspectives predict that disgust sensitivity is primarily associated with judgments of specific moral domains (e.g., primarily purity). However, no study has systematically tested if disgust sensitivity is associated with moral judgments of the purity domain specifically, more generally to moral judgments of the binding moral domains, or to moral judgments of all of the moral domains equally. Across 5 studies (total N = 1,104), we find consistent evidence for the notion that disgust sensitivity relates more strongly to moral condemnation of purity-based transgressions (meta-analytic r = .40) than to moral condemnation of transgressions of any of the other domains (range meta-analytic rs: .07-.27). Our findings are in line with predictions from Moral Foundations Theory, which predicts that personality characteristics like disgust sensitivity make people more sensitive to a certain set of moral issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessment of Sensorimotor Abilities of Severely Retarded Children and Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hupp, Susan C.; And Others

1984-01-01

An investigation of the order of acquisition of domains by severely retarded children and adolescents indicated that object permanence performance always equaled or exceeded means-ends, which in turn always equaled or exceeded causality for 23 of 25 subjects. (Author/CL)

Applying Frequency-Domain Equalization to Code-Division Multiple Access and Transform-Domain Communications Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

terms the last time we spoke, I can say without a doubt that he was my favorite cousin. You are both missed, always.... I want to thank my wife for her...IEEE Communications Magazine, 50:S11–S15, September 2005. 3. Haker , M. E. Hardware Realization of a Transform Domain Communication Sys- tem. Master’s

An analysis of scatter decomposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicol, David M.; Saltz, Joel H.

1990-01-01

A formal analysis of a powerful mapping technique known as scatter decomposition is presented. Scatter decomposition divides an irregular computational domain into a large number of equal sized pieces, and distributes them modularly among processors. A probabilistic model of workload in one dimension is used to formally explain why, and when scatter decomposition works. The first result is that if correlation in workload is a convex function of distance, then scattering a more finely decomposed domain yields a lower average processor workload variance. The second result shows that if the workload process is stationary Gaussian and the correlation function decreases linearly in distance until becoming zero and then remains zero, scattering a more finely decomposed domain yields a lower expected maximum processor workload. Finally it is shown that if the correlation function decreases linearly across the entire domain, then among all mappings that assign an equal number of domain pieces to each processor, scatter decomposition minimizes the average processor workload variance. The dependence of these results on the assumption of decreasing correlation is illustrated with situations where a coarser granularity actually achieves better load balance.

Coulomb couplings in solubilised light harvesting complex II (LHCII): challenging the ideal dipole approximation from TDDFT calculations.

PubMed

López-Tarifa, P; Liguori, Nicoletta; van den Heuvel, Naudin; Croce, Roberta; Visscher, Lucas

2017-07-19

The light harvesting complex II (LHCII), is a pigment-protein complex responsible for most of the light harvesting in plants. LHCII harvests sunlight and transfers excitation energy to the reaction centre of the photo-system, where the water oxidation process takes place. The energetics of LHCII can be modulated by means of conformational changes allowing a switch from a harvesting to a quenched state. In this state, the excitation energy is no longer transferred but converted into thermal energy to prevent photooxidation. Based on molecular dynamics simulations at the microsecond time scale, we have recently proposed that the switch between different fluorescent states can be probed by correlating shifts in the chromophore-chromophore Coulomb interactions to particular protein movements. However, these findings are based upon calculations in the ideal point dipole approximation (IDA) where the Coulomb couplings are simplified as first order dipole-dipole interactions, also assuming that the chromophore transition dipole moments lay in particular directions of space with constant moduli (FIX-IDA). In this work, we challenge this approximation using the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) combined with the frozen density embedding (FDE) approach. Our aim is to establish up to which limit FIX-IDA can be applied and which chromophore types are better described under this approximation. For that purpose, we use the classical trajectories of solubilised light harvesting complex II (LHCII) we have recently reported [Liguori et al., Sci. Rep., 2015, 5, 15661] and selected three pairs of chromophores containing chlorophyll and carotenoids (Chl and Car): Chla611-Chla612, Chlb606-Chlb607 and Chla612-Lut620. Using the FDE in the Tamm-Dancoff approximation (FDEc-TDA), we show that IDA is accurate enough for predicting Chl-Chl Coulomb couplings. However, the FIX-IDA largely overestimates Chl-Car interactions mainly because the transition dipole for the Cars is not trivially oriented on the polyene chain.

Plasma focus sources: Supplement to the Neutron Resonance Radiography Workshop proceedings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nardi, Vittorio; Brzosko, Jan

1989-01-01

Since their discovery, plasma focus discharges have been recognized as very intense pulsed sources of deuterium-deuterium (D-D) or deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion-reaction neutrons, with outstanding capabilities. Specifically, the total neutron emission/shot, Y (sub n), and the rate of neutron emission, Y (sub n), of an optimized plasma focus (PF) are higher than the corresponding quantities observed in any other type of pinched discharge at the same level of powering energy W (sub 0). Recent developments have led to the concept and experimental demonstration of an Advanced Plasma Focus System (APF) that consists of a Mather-geometry plasma focus in which field distortion elements (FDEs) are inserted in the inter-electrode gap for increasing the neutron yield/shot, Y (sub n). The FDE-induced redistribution of the plasma current increases Y (sub n) by a factor approximate to or greater than 5 to 10 above the value obtained without FDEs under otherwise identical conditions of operation of the plasma focus. For example, an APF that is fed by a fast capacitor bank with an energy, W (sub 0) = 6 kJ, and voltage, V (sub 0) = 16.5 kV provides Y (sub n) congruent to 4 x 10 to the 9th D-D neutrons/shot (pure D2 filling) and Y (sub n) = 4 x 10 to the 11th D-T neutrons/shot (filling is 50 pct deuterium and 50 pct tritium). The FDE-induced increase of Y (sub n) for fixed values of (W sub 0, V sub 0), the observed scaling law Y (sub n) proportional to W (sub 0) squared for optimized plasma focus systems, and our experience with neutron scattering in bulk objects lead us to the conclusion that we can use an APF as a source of high-intensity neutron pulses (10 to the 14th n/pulse) in the field off neutron radiography (surface and bulk) with a nanosecond or millisecond time resolution.

Quality of life improvement after pressure equalization tube placement in Down syndrome: A prospective study.

PubMed

Labby, Alex; Mace, Jess C; Buncke, Michelle; MacArthur, Carol J

2016-09-01

To evaluate quality-of-life changes after bilateral pressure equalization tube placement with or without adenoidectomy for the treatment of chronic otitis media with effusion or recurrent acute otitis media in a pediatric Down syndrome population compared to controls. Prospective case-control observational study. The OM Outcome Survey (OMO-22) was administered to both patients with Down syndrome and controls before bilateral tube placement with or without adenoidectomy and at an average of 6-7 months postoperatively. Thirty-one patients with Down syndrome and 34 controls were recruited. Both pre-operative and post-operative between-group and within-group score comparisons were conducted for the Physical, Hearing/Balance, Speech, Emotional, and Social domains of the OMO-22. Both groups experienced improvement of mean symptom scores post-operatively. Patients with Down syndrome reported significant post-operative improvement in mean Physical and Hearing domain item scores while control patients reported significant improvement in Physical, Hearing, and Emotional domain item scores. All four symptom scores in the Speech domain, both pre-operatively and post-operatively, were significantly worse for Down syndrome patients compared to controls (p ≤ 0.008). Surgical placement of pressure equalizing tubes results in significant quality of life improvements in patients with Down syndrome and controls. Problems related to speech and balance are reported at a higher rate and persist despite intervention in the Down syndrome population. It is possible that longer follow up periods and/or more sensitive tools are required to measure speech improvements in the Down syndrome population after pressure equalizing tube placement ± adenoidectomy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analytical time-domain Green’s functions for power-law media

PubMed Central

Kelly, James F.; McGough, Robert J.; Meerschaert, Mark M.

2008-01-01

Frequency-dependent loss and dispersion are typically modeled with a power-law attenuation coefficient, where the power-law exponent ranges from 0 to 2. To facilitate analytical solution, a fractional partial differential equation is derived that exactly describes power-law attenuation and the Szabo wave equation [“Time domain wave-equations for lossy media obeying a frequency power-law,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 96, 491–500 (1994)] is an approximation to this equation. This paper derives analytical time-domain Green’s functions in power-law media for exponents in this range. To construct solutions, stable law probability distributions are utilized. For exponents equal to 0, 1∕3, 1∕2, 2∕3, 3∕2, and 2, the Green’s function is expressed in terms of Dirac delta, exponential, Airy, hypergeometric, and Gaussian functions. For exponents strictly less than 1, the Green’s functions are expressed as Fox functions and are causal. For exponents greater than or equal than 1, the Green’s functions are expressed as Fox and Wright functions and are noncausal. However, numerical computations demonstrate that for observation points only one wavelength from the radiating source, the Green’s function is effectively causal for power-law exponents greater than or equal to 1. The analytical time-domain Green’s function is numerically verified against the material impulse response function, and the results demonstrate excellent agreement. PMID:19045774

Within-trait heterogeneity in age group differences in personality domains and facets: implications for the development and coherence of personality traits.

PubMed

Mõttus, René; Realo, Anu; Allik, Jüri; Esko, Tõnu; Metspalu, Andres; Johnson, Wendy

2015-01-01

The study investigated differences in the Five-Factor Model (FFM) domains and facets across adulthood. The main questions were whether personality scales reflected coherent units of trait development and thereby coherent personality traits more generally. These questions were addressed by testing if the components of the trait scales (items for facet scales and facets for domain scales) showed consistent age group differences. For this, measurement invariance (MI) framework was used. In a sample of 2,711 Estonians who had completed the NEO Personality Inventory 3 (NEO PI-3), more than half of the facet scales and one domain scale did not meet the criterion for weak MI (factor loading equality) across 12 age groups spanning ages from 18 to 91 years. Furthermore, none of the facet and domain scales met the criterion for strong MI (intercept equality), suggesting that items of the same facets and facets of the same domains varied in age group differences. When items were residualized for their respective facets, 46% of them had significant (p < 0.0002) residual age-correlations. When facets were residualized for their domain scores, a majority had significant (p < 0.002) residual age-correlations. For each domain, a series of latent factors were specified using random quarters of their items: scores of such latent factors varied notably (within domains) in correlations with age. We argue that manifestations of aetiologically coherent traits should show similar age group differences. Given this, the FFM domains and facets as embodied in the NEO PI-3 do not reflect aetiologically coherent traits.

Within-Trait Heterogeneity in Age Group Differences in Personality Domains and Facets: Implications for the Development and Coherence of Personality Traits

PubMed Central

Mõttus, René; Realo, Anu; Allik, Jüri; Esko, Tõnu; Metspalu, Andres; Johnson, Wendy

2015-01-01

The study investigated differences in the Five-Factor Model (FFM) domains and facets across adulthood. The main questions were whether personality scales reflected coherent units of trait development and thereby coherent personality traits more generally. These questions were addressed by testing if the components of the trait scales (items for facet scales and facets for domain scales) showed consistent age group differences. For this, measurement invariance (MI) framework was used. In a sample of 2,711 Estonians who had completed the NEO Personality Inventory 3 (NEO PI-3), more than half of the facet scales and one domain scale did not meet the criterion for weak MI (factor loading equality) across 12 age groups spanning ages from 18 to 91 years. Furthermore, none of the facet and domain scales met the criterion for strong MI (intercept equality), suggesting that items of the same facets and facets of the same domains varied in age group differences. When items were residualized for their respective facets, 46% of them had significant (p < 0.0002) residual age-correlations. When facets were residualized for their domain scores, a majority had significant (p < 0.002) residual age-correlations. For each domain, a series of latent factors were specified using random quarters of their items: scores of such latent factors varied notably (within domains) in correlations with age. We argue that manifestations of aetiologically coherent traits should show similar age group differences. Given this, the FFM domains and facets as embodied in the NEO PI-3 do not reflect aetiologically coherent traits. PMID:25751273

Volterra-type Lyapunov functions for fractional-order epidemic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas-De-León, Cruz

2015-07-01

In this paper we prove an elementary lemma which estimates fractional derivatives of Volterra-type Lyapunov functions in the sense Caputo when α ∈ (0, 1) . Moreover, by using this result, we study the uniform asymptotic stability of some Caputo-type epidemic systems with a pair of fractional-order differential equations. These epidemic systems are the Susceptible-Infected-Susceptible (SIS), Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) and Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Susceptible (SIRS) models and Ross-Macdonald model for vector-borne diseases. We show that the unique endemic equilibrium is uniformly asymptotically stable if the basic reproductive number is greater than one. We illustrate our theoretical results with numerical simulations using the Adams-Bashforth-Moulton scheme implemented in the fde12 Matlab function.

Differential associations between domains of sibling conflict and adolescent emotional adjustment.

PubMed

Campione-Barr, Nicole; Greer, Kelly Bassett; Kruse, Anna

2013-01-01

Issues of equality and fairness and invasion of the personal domain, 2 previously identified topic areas of adolescent sibling conflict (N. Campione-Barr & J. G. Smetana, 2010), were examined in 145 dyads (Mfirst-born = 14.97, SD = 1.69 years; Msecond-born = 12.20, SD = 1.90 years) for their differential effects on youths' emotional adjustment over 1 year. The impact of internalizing symptoms on later sibling conflicts also was tested. Invasion of the personal domain conflicts were associated with higher levels of anxiety and lower self-esteem 1 year later, whereas Equality and Fairness issues were associated with greater depressed mood. Conversely, greater internalizing symptomatology and lower self-esteem predicted more of both types of conflict. Moderating influences of gender and ordinal position were also examined. © 2012 The Authors. Child Development © 2012 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Strategies of Raising the Quality of Higher Education and Attaining Equality of Educational Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petrovskiy, Igor V.; Agapova, Elena N.

2016-01-01

The aim of the research is to develop the policy and strategy recommendations to increase the quality of higher education in Russian Federation. The study examines the significance of equal educational opportunities and the influence of this factor on the educational systems of developing countries. Transformational processes in the domain of…

Using Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve to Define the Cutoff Points of Voice Handicap Index Applied to Young Adult Male Smokers.

PubMed

Tafiadis, Dionysios; Chronopoulos, Spyridon K; Kosma, Evangelia I; Voniati, Louiza; Raptis, Vasilis; Siafaka, Vasiliki; Ziavra, Nausica

2017-07-11

Voice performance is an inextricable key factor of everyday life. Obviously, the deterioration of voice quality can cause various problems to human communication and can therefore reduce the performance of social skills (relevant to voice). The deterioration could be originated from changes inside the system of the vocal tract and larynx. Various prognostic methods exist, and among them is the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). This tool includes self-reported questionnaires, used for determining the cutoff points of total score and of its three domains relevant to young male Greek smokers. The interpretation of the calculated cutoff points can serve as a strong indicator of imminent or future evaluation by a clinician. Consistent with previous calculation, the VHI can also act as a feedback for smokers' voice condition and as monitoring procedure toward smoking cessation. Specifically, the sample consisted of 130 male nondysphonic smokers (aged 18-33 years) who all participated in the VHI test procedure. The test results (through receiver operating characteristic analysis) concluded to a total cutoff point score of 19.50 (sensitivity: 0.838, 1-specificity: 0). Also, in terms of constructs, the Functional domain was equal to 7.50 (sensitivity: 0.676, 1-specificity: 0.032), the Physical domain was equal to 7.50 (sensitivity: 0.706, 1-specificity: 0.032), and the Emotional domain was equal to 6.50 (sensitivity: 0.809, 1-specificity: 0.048). Copyright © 2017 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Poincare inequalities, uniform domains and extension properties for Newton-Sobolev functions in metric spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bjorn, Jana; Shanmugalingam, Nageswari

2007-08-01

In the setting of metric measure spaces equipped with a doubling measure supporting a weak p-Poincare inequality with 1[less-than-or-equals, slant]p<[infinity], we show that any uniform domain [Omega] is an extension domain for the Newtonian space N1,p([Omega]) and that [Omega], together with the metric and the measure inherited from X, supports a weak p-Poincare inequality. For p>1, we obtain a near characterization of N1,p-extension domains with local estimates for the extension operator.

Marginal instability threshold condition of the aperiodic ordinary mode in equal-mass plasmas

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

Vafin, S.; Schlickeiser, R.; Yoon, P. H.

The purely growing ordinary (O) mode instability for counter-streaming bi-Maxwellian plasma particle distribution functions has recently received renewed attention due to its importance for the solar wind plasma. Here, the analytical marginal instability condition is derived for magnetized plasmas consisting of equal-mass charged particles, distributed in counter-streams with equal temperatures. The equal-mass composition assumption enormously facilitates the theoretical analysis due to the equality of the values of the electron and positron (positive and negative ion) plasma and gyrofrequencies. The existence of a new instability domain of the O-mode at small plasma beta values is confirmed, when the parallel counter-stream freemore » energy exceeds the perpendicular bi-Maxwellian free energy.« less

On the Domain Specificity of Cognitive Complexity: An Alternative Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Harvey S.; Feldman, Jack M.

This study attempts to assess differences in the three aspects of cognitive complexity--differentiation, discrimination, and integration--as functions of information about and interest in the relevant domain. The two groups of subjects consisted of 20 members of a local sports car club and an equal number from a local garden club. Each group had…

A TAD Closer to Understanding Dosage Compensation.

PubMed

Wood, Andrew J; Bickmore, Wendy A

2015-06-08

Eukaryotic chromosomes are organized into topological domains, but how these are established and maintained is poorly understood. Writing in Nature, Crane et al. (2015) show that a specialized condensin complex enforces the domain boundaries along the C. elegans X chromosome to equalize transcription from the X between males and hermaphrodites. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comment on ``Experimental Free Energy Reconstruction From Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy Using Jarzynski's Equality''

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

Friddle, R W

2008-01-14

Harris, Song and Kiang [1] (HSK) describe their results on reconstructing the free energy profiles for both the stretch of the titin polymer, and the unfolding of an individual I27 domain. The new finding reported in [1] is the measurement of the free energy barrier (or activation energy) to unfolding the I27 domain. Due to a misinterpretation of the mechanics involved, the free energy surface (and thus the energy barrier) to unfolding the I27 domain was not measured.

Magnetic properties of cylindrical diameter modulated Ni80Fe20 nanowires: interaction and coercive fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salem, Mohamed Shaker; Sergelius, Philip; Corona, Rosa M.; Escrig, Juan; Görlitz, Detlef; Nielsch, Kornelius

2013-04-01

Magnetic properties of cylindrical Ni80Fe20 nanowires with modulated diameters are investigated theoretically as a function of their geometrical parameters and compared with those produced inside the pores of anodic alumina membranes by pulsed electrodeposition. We observe that the Ni80Fe20 nanowires with modulated diameters reverse their magnetization via the nucleation and propagation of a vortex domain wall. The system begins generating vortex domains in the nanowire ends and in the transition region between the two segments to minimize magnetostatic energy generated by surfaces perpendicular to the initial magnetization of the sample. Besides, we observed an increase of the coercivity for the sample with equal volumes in relation to the sample with equal lengths. Finally, the interaction field is stronger in the case of constant volume segments. These structures could be used to control the motions of magnetic domain walls. In this way, these nanowires with modulated diameters can be an alternative to store information or even perform logic functions.

Effect of application of dairy manure, effluent and inorganic fertilizer on nitrogen leaching in clayey fluvo-aquic soil: A lysimeter study.

PubMed

Fan, Jianling; Xiao, Jiao; Liu, Deyan; Ye, Guiping; Luo, Jiafa; Houlbrooke, David; Laurenson, Seth; Yan, Jing; Chen, Lvjun; Tian, Jinping; Ding, Weixin

2017-08-15

Dairy farm manure and effluent are applied to cropland in China to provide a source of plant nutrients, but there are concerns over its effect on nitrogen (N) leaching loss and groundwater quality. To investigate the effects of land application of dairy manure and effluent on potential N leaching loss, two lysimeter trials were set up in clayey fluvo-aquic soil in a winter wheat-summer maize rotation cropping system on the North China Plain. The solid dairy manure trial included control without N fertilization (CK), inorganic N fertilizer (SNPK), and fresh (RAW) and composted (COM) dairy manure. The liquid dairy effluent trial consisted of control without N fertilization (CF), inorganic N fertilizer (ENPK), and fresh (FDE) and stored (SDE) dairy effluent. The N application rate was 225kgNha -1 for inorganic N fertilizer, dairy manure, and effluent treatments in both seasons. Annual N leaching loss (ANLL) was highest in SNPK (53.02 and 16.21kgNha -1 in 2013/2014 and 2014/2015, respectively), which were 1.65- and 2.04-fold that of COM, and 1.59- and 1.26-fold that of RAW. In the effluent trial (2014/2015), ANLL for ENPK and SDE (16.22 and 16.86kgNha -1 , respectively) were significantly higher than CF and FDE (6.3 and 13.21kgNha -1 , respectively). NO 3 - contributed the most (34-92%) to total N leaching loss among all treatments, followed by dissolved organic N (14-57%). COM showed the lowest N leaching loss due to a reduction in NO 3 - loss. Yield-scaled N leaching in COM (0.35kgNMg -1 silage) was significantly (P<0.05) lower than that in the other fertilization treatments. Therefore, the use of composted dairy manure should be increased and that of inorganic fertilizer decreased to reduce N leaching loss while ensuring high crop yield in the North China Plain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Novel object recognition ability in female mice following exposure to nanoparticle-rich diesel exhaust

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

Win-Shwe, Tin-Tin, E-mail: tin.tin.win.shwe@nies.go.jp; Fujimaki, Hidekazu; Fujitani, Yuji

2012-08-01

Recently, our laboratory reported that exposure to nanoparticle-rich diesel exhaust (NRDE) for 3 months impaired hippocampus-dependent spatial learning ability and up-regulated the expressions of memory function-related genes in the hippocampus of female mice. However, whether NRDE affects the hippocampus-dependent non-spatial learning ability and the mechanism of NRDE-induced neurotoxicity was unknown. Female BALB/c mice were exposed to clean air, middle-dose NRDE (M-NRDE, 47 μg/m{sup 3}), high-dose NRDE (H-NRDE, 129 μg/m{sup 3}), or filtered H-NRDE (F-DE) for 3 months. We then investigated the effect of NRDE exposure on non-spatial learning ability and the expression of genes related to glutamate neurotransmission using amore » novel object recognition test and a real-time RT-PCR analysis, respectively. We also examined microglia marker Iba1 immunoreactivity in the hippocampus using immunohistochemical analyses. Mice exposed to H-NRDE or F-DE could not discriminate between familiar and novel objects. The control and M-NRDE-exposed groups showed a significantly increased discrimination index, compared to the H-NRDE-exposed group. Although no significant changes in the expression levels of the NMDA receptor subunits were observed, the expression of glutamate transporter EAAT4 was decreased and that of glutamic acid decarboxylase GAD65 was increased in the hippocampus of H-NRDE-exposed mice, compared with the expression levels in control mice. We also found that microglia activation was prominent in the hippocampal area of the H-NRDE-exposed mice, compared with the other groups. These results indicated that exposure to NRDE for 3 months impaired the novel object recognition ability. The present study suggests that genes related to glutamate metabolism may be involved in the NRDE-induced neurotoxicity observed in the present mouse model. -- Highlights: ► The effects of nanoparticle-induced neurotoxicity remain unclear. ► We investigated the effect of exposure to nanoparticles on learning behavior. ► We found that exposure to nanoparticles impaired novel object recognition ability.« less

Chiral interface at the finite temperature transition point of QCD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frei, Z.; Patkos, A.

1990-01-01

The domain wall between coexisting chirally symmetric and broken symmetry regions is studied in a saddle point approximation to the effective three-flavor sigma model. In the chiral limit the surface tension varies in the range ((40 to -50)MeV)(exp 3). The width of the domain wall is estimated to be approximately or equal to 4.5 fm.

Differential Associations between Domains of Sibling Conflict and Adolescent Emotional Adjustment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campione-Barr, Nicole; Greer, Kelly Bassett; Kruse, Anna

2013-01-01

Issues of equality and fairness and invasion of the personal domain, 2 previously identified topic areas of adolescent sibling conflict (N. Campione-Barr & J. G. Smetana, 2010), were examined in 145 dyads ("M" [subscript first-born] = 14.97, "SD" = 1.69 years; "M" [subscript second-born] = 12.20,…

Recovering an unknown source in a fractional diffusion problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rundell, William; Zhang, Zhidong

2018-09-01

A standard inverse problem is to determine a source which is supported in an unknown domain D from external boundary measurements. Here we consider the case of a time-independent situation where the source is equal to unity in an unknown subdomain D of a larger given domain Ω and the boundary of D has the star-like shape, i.e.

On the Inequalities of Babu\\vska-Aziz, Friedrichs and Horgan-Payne

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costabel, Martin; Dauge, Monique

2015-09-01

The equivalence between the inequalities of Babu\\vska-Aziz and Friedrichs for sufficiently smooth bounded domains in the plane was shown by Horgan and Payne 30 years ago. We prove that this equivalence, and the equality between the associated constants, is true without any regularity condition on the domain. For the Horgan-Payne inequality, which is an upper bound of the Friedrichs constant for plane star-shaped domains in terms of a geometric quantity known as the Horgan-Payne angle, we show that it is true for some classes of domains, but not for all bounded star-shaped domains. We prove a weaker inequality that is true in all cases.

Note on zero temperature holographic superfluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Minyong; Lan, Shanquan; Niu, Chao; Tian, Yu; Zhang, Hongbao

2016-06-01

In this note, we have addressed various issues on zero temperature holographic superfluids. First, inspired by our numerical evidence for the equality between the superfluid density and particle density, we provide an elegant analytic proof for this equality by a boost trick. Second, using not only the frequency domain analysis but also the time domain analysis from numerical relativity, we identify the hydrodynamic normal modes and calculate out the sound speed, which is shown to increase with the chemical potential and saturate to the value predicted by the conformal field theory in the large chemical potential limit. Third, the generic non-thermalization is demonstrated by the fully nonlinear time evolution from a non-equilibrium state for our zero temperature holographic superfluid. Furthermore, a conserved Noether charge is proposed in support of this behavior.

Applying the Scientific Method & Phylogenetics to Understand the Transition from Kingdoms to Domains: Does One Plus One Equal Five, Six, or Three?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Sandra L.

2012-01-01

The progression of the taxonomic organization of life from Linnaeus's original two kingdoms to the traditional five-kingdom system to today's widely accepted three-domain system is explored in a group-learning activity. Working with a set of organisms, students organize them into each system. Discussion after each step focuses on viewing…

Asymmetry of plasma membrane lipid order in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney cells.

PubMed

Le Grimellec, C; Friedlander, G; Giocondi, M C

1988-07-01

Fluorescence anisotropy experiments have been done to estimate, in situ, the lipid order of the plasma membrane of polarized Madin-Darby Canine Kidney cells (MDCK) grown on glass cover slips and labeled by 1-[4-(trimethylamino)phenyl]-6-phenylhexa-1,3,5-triene (TMA-DPH), a specific marker of the plasma membrane of living cells. Fluorescence microscopy, back-exchange, and quenching experiments indicated that TMA-DPH labeled the highly ordered (r greater than or equal to 0.32, 37 degrees C) apical domain of the plasma membrane of confluent monolayers. Opening of tight junctions or addition of the probe to cell suspensions resulted in a homogeneous distribution of TMA-DPH over the cell surface and in a marked decrease in anisotropy (0.27 less than or equal to r less than or equal to 0.29) that was due neither to a direct effect of Ca2+ on the probe nor to a change in fluorescence lifetime. Our data indicate that the apical domain, likely the external leaflet, of the plasma membrane of polarized MDCK cells is much more ordered than its basolateral counterpart.

Early Indications of Delayed Cognitive Development in Preschool Children Born Very Preterm: Evidence from Domain-General and Domain-Specific Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitchford, Nicola; Johnson, Samantha; Scerif, Gaia; Marlow, Neil

2011-01-01

Cognitive impairment often follows preterm birth but its early underlying nature is not well understood. We used a novel approach by investigating the development of colour cognition in 54 very preterm children born less than or equal to 30 weeks gestational age without severe neurosensory impairment and 37 age-matched term-born controls, aged 2-5…

Uniqueness of boundary blow-up solutions on exterior domain of RN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Wei; Pang, Changci

2007-06-01

In this paper, we consider the existence and uniqueness of positive solutions of the degenerate logistic type elliptic equation where N[greater-or-equal, slanted]2, D[subset of]RN is a bounded domain with smooth boundary and a(x), b(x) are continuous functions on RN with b(x)[greater-or-equal, slanted]0, b(x)[not identical with]0. We show that under rather general conditions on a(x) and b(x) for large x, there exists a unique positive solution. Our results improve the corresponding ones in [W. Dong, Y. Du, Unbounded principal eigenfunctions and the logistic equation on RN, Bull. Austral. Math. Soc. 67 (2003) 413-427] and [Y. Du, L. Ma, Logistic type equations on RN by a squeezing method involving boundary blow-up solutions, J. London Math. Soc. (2) 64 (2001) 107-124].

Equalizer design techniques for dispersive cables with application to the SPS wideband kicker

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Platt, Jason; Hofle, Wolfgang; Pollock, Kristin; Fox, John

2017-10-01

A wide-band vertical instability feedback control system in development at CERN requires 1-1.5 GHz of bandwidth for the entire processing chain, from the beam pickups through the feedback signal digital processing to the back-end power amplifiers and kicker structures. Dispersive effects in cables, amplifiers, pickup and kicker elements can result in distortions in the time domain signal as it proceeds through the processing system, and deviations from linear phase response reduce the allowable bandwidth for the closed-loop feedback system. We have developed an equalizer analog circuit that compensates for these dispersive effects. Here we present a design technique for the construction of an analog equalizer that incorporates the effect of parasitic circuit elements in the equalizer to increase the fidelity of the implemented equalizer. Finally, we show results from the measurement of an assembled backend equalizer that corrects for dispersive elements in the cables over a bandwidth of 10-1000 MHz.

Electronic Equalization of Multikilometer 10-Gb/s Multimode Fiber Links: Mode-Coupling Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balemarthy, Kasyapa; Polley, Arup; Ralph, Stephen E.

2006-12-01

This paper investigates the ability of electronic equalization to compensate for modal dispersion in the presence of mode coupling in multimode fibers (MMFs) at 10 Gb/s. Using a new time-domain experimental method, mode coupling is quantified in MMF. These results, together with a comprehensive link model, allow to determine the impact of mode coupling on the performance of MMF. The equalizer performance on links from 300 m to 8 km is quantified with and without modal coupling. It is shown that the mode-coupling effects are influenced by the specific index profile and increase the equalizer penalty by as much as 1 dBo for 1-km links and 2.3 dBo for 2-km links when using a standard model of fiber profiles at 1310 nm.

Effect of the centrifugal force on domain chaos in Rayleigh-Bénard convection.

PubMed

Becker, Nathan; Scheel, J D; Cross, M C; Ahlers, Guenter

2006-06-01

Experiments and simulations from a variety of sample sizes indicated that the centrifugal force significantly affects the domain-chaos state observed in rotating Rayleigh-Bénard convection-patterns. In a large-aspect-ratio sample, we observed a hybrid state consisting of domain chaos close to the sample center, surrounded by an annulus of nearly stationary nearly radial rolls populated by occasional defects reminiscent of undulation chaos. Although the Coriolis force is responsible for domain chaos, by comparing experiment and simulation we show that the centrifugal force is responsible for the radial rolls. Furthermore, simulations of the Boussinesq equations for smaller aspect ratios neglecting the centrifugal force yielded a domain precession-frequency f approximately epsilon(mu) with mu approximately equal to 1 as predicted by the amplitude-equation model for domain chaos, but contradicted by previous experiment. Additionally the simulations gave a domain size that was larger than in the experiment. When the centrifugal force was included in the simulation, mu and the domain size were consistent with experiment.

Fractional compartmental models and multi-term Mittag-Leffler response functions.

PubMed

Verotta, Davide

2010-04-01

Systems of fractional differential equations (SFDE) have been increasingly used to represent physical and control system, and have been recently proposed for use in pharmacokinetics (PK) by (J Pharmacokinet Pharmacodyn 36:165-178, 2009) and (J Phamacokinet Pharmacodyn, 2010). We contribute to the development of a theory for the use of SFDE in PK by, first, further clarifying the nature of systems of FDE, and in particular point out the distinction and properties of commensurate versus non-commensurate ones. The second purpose is to show that for both types of systems, relatively simple response functions can be derived which satisfy the requirements to represent single-input/single-output PK experiments. The response functions are composed of sums of single- (for commensurate) or two-parameters (for non-commensurate) Mittag-Leffler functions, and establish a direct correspondence with the familiar sums of exponentials used in PK.

First time combination of frozen density embedding theory with the algebraic diagrammatic construction scheme for the polarization propagator of second order

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

Prager, Stefan, E-mail: stefan.prager@iwr.uni-heidelberg.de; Dreuw, Andreas, E-mail: dreuw@uni-heidelberg.de; Zech, Alexander, E-mail: alexander.zech@unige.ch

The combination of Frozen Density Embedding Theory (FDET) and the Algebraic Diagrammatic Construction (ADC) scheme for the polarization propagator for describing environmental effects on electronically excited states is presented. Two different ways of interfacing and expressing the so-called embedding operator are introduced. The resulting excited states are compared with supermolecular calculations of the total system at the ADC(2) level of theory. Molecular test systems were chosen to investigate molecule–environment interactions of varying strength from dispersion interaction up to multiple hydrogen bonds. The overall difference between the supermolecular and the FDE-ADC calculations in excitation energies is lower than 0.09 eV (max)more » and 0.032 eV in average, which is well below the intrinsic error of the ADC(2) method itself.« less

Parenting skills and family support programs for drug-abusing mothers.

PubMed

Kumpfer, Karol L; Fowler, Melissa A

2007-04-01

Children born to drug-using mothers can suffer from fetal alcohol or drug syndrome (FAS/FDS) or fetal alcohol or drug effect (FAE/FDE). Such children have a greater likelihood of developing acute or chronic physical, cognitive and behavioral problems. In-utero exposure to tobacco, alcohol or drugs impact on the developing fetus and, after birth, the family environment and family system exert effects on the infants and children of substance-abusing parents. Evidence-based prevention and maternal drug treatment programs focus on enhancing parental childcaring abilities, supporting parent-child attachment and encouraging family support systems to improve children's health and cognitive outcomes. FAS/FDS prevention programs, as well as selective and indicated prenatal and postnatal interventions, can improve the support given both to mother and to child, and evidence-based, in-home parenting and family-skills-training approaches are particularly useful.

Laplace-Fourier-domain dispersion analysis of an average derivative optimal scheme for scalar-wave equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jing-Bo

2014-06-01

By using low-frequency components of the damped wavefield, Laplace-Fourier-domain full waveform inversion (FWI) can recover a long-wavelength velocity model from the original undamped seismic data lacking low-frequency information. Laplace-Fourier-domain modelling is an important foundation of Laplace-Fourier-domain FWI. Based on the numerical phase velocity and the numerical attenuation propagation velocity, a method for performing Laplace-Fourier-domain numerical dispersion analysis is developed in this paper. This method is applied to an average-derivative optimal scheme. The results show that within the relative error of 1 per cent, the Laplace-Fourier-domain average-derivative optimal scheme requires seven gridpoints per smallest wavelength and smallest pseudo-wavelength for both equal and unequal directional sampling intervals. In contrast, the classical five-point scheme requires 23 gridpoints per smallest wavelength and smallest pseudo-wavelength to achieve the same accuracy. Numerical experiments demonstrate the theoretical analysis.

Optical fiber grating vibration sensor for vibration monitoring of hydraulic pump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhengyi; Liu, Chuntong; Li, Hongcai; He, Zhenxin; Zhao, Xiaofeng

2017-06-01

In view of the existing electrical vibration monitoring traditional hydraulic pump vibration sensor, the high false alarm rate is susceptible to electromagnetic interference and is not easy to achieve long-term reliable monitoring, based on the design of a beam of the uniform strength structure of the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) vibration sensor. In this paper, based on the analysis of the vibration theory of the equal strength beam, the principle of FBG vibration tuning based on the equal intensity beam is derived. According to the practical application of the project, the structural dimensions of the equal strength beam are determined, and the optimization design of the vibrator is carried out. The finite element analysis of the sensor is carried out by ANSYS, and the first order resonant frequency is 94.739 Hz. The vibration test of the sensor is carried out by using the vibration frequency of 35 Hz and the vibration source of 50 Hz. The time domain and frequency domain analysis results of test data show that the sensor has good dynamic response characteristics, which can realize the accurate monitoring of the vibration frequency and meet the special requirements of vibration monitoring of hydraulic pump under specific environment.

Polymerisation of fibrin αC-domains promotes endothelial cell migration and proliferation.

PubMed

Yakovlev, S; Mikhailenko, I; Tsurupa, G; Belkin, A M; Medved, L

2014-12-01

Upon conversion of fibrinogen into fibrin, fibrinogen αC-domains containing the RGD recognition motif form ordered αC polymers. Our previous study revealed that polymerisation of these domains promotes integrin-dependent adhesion and spreading of endothelial cells, as well as integrin-mediated activation of the FAK and ERK1/2 signalling pathways. The major goal of this study was to test the impact of αC-domain polymerisation on endothelial cell migration and proliferation during wound healing, and to clarify the mechanism underlying superior activity of αC polymers toward endothelial cells. In an in vitro wound healing assay, confluent endothelial cell monolayers on tissue culture plates coated with the αC monomer or αC polymers were wounded by scratching and wound closure was monitored by time-lapse videomicroscopy. Although the plates were coated with equal amounts of αC species, as confirmed by ELISA, wound closure by the cells occurred much faster on αC polymers, indicating that αC-domain polymerisation promotes cell migration and proliferation. In agreement, endothelial cell proliferation was also more efficient on αC polymers, as revealed by cell proliferation assay. Wound closure on both types of substrates was equally inhibited by the integrin-blocking GRGDSP peptide and a specific antagonist of the ERK1/2 signalling pathway. In contrast, blocking the FAK signaling pathway by a specific antagonist decreased wound closure only on αC polymers. These results indicate that polymerisation of the αC-domains enhances integrin-dependent endothelial cell migration and proliferation mainly through the FAK signalling pathway. Furthermore, clustering of integrin-binding RGD motifs in αC polymers is the major mechanism triggering these events.

Demultiplexing based on frequency-domain joint decision MMA for MDM system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caili, Gong; Li, Li; Guijun, Hu

2016-06-01

In this paper, we propose a demultiplexing method based on frequency-domain joint decision multi-modulus algorithm (FD-JDMMA) for mode division multiplexing (MDM) system. The performance of FD-JDMMA is compared with frequency-domain multi-modulus algorithm (FD-MMA) and frequency-domain least mean square (FD-LMS) algorithm. The simulation results show that FD-JDMMA outperforms FD-MMA in terms of BER and convergence speed in the cases of mQAM (m=4, 16 and 64) formats. And it is also demonstrated that FD-JDMMA achieves better BER performance and converges faster than FD-LMS in the cases of 16QAM and 64QAM. Furthermore, FD-JDMMA maintains similar computational complexity as the both equalization algorithms.

Does ADHD in adults affect the relative accuracy of metamemory judgments?

PubMed

Knouse, Laura E; Paradise, Matthew J; Dunlosky, John

2006-11-01

Prior research suggests that individuals with ADHD overestimate their performance across domains despite performing more poorly in these domains. The authors introduce measures of accuracy from the larger realm of judgment and decision making--namely, relative accuracy and calibration--to the study of self-evaluative judgment accuracy in adults with ADHD. Twenty-eight adults with ADHD and 28 matched controls participate in a computer-administered paired-associate learning task and predict their future recall using immediate and delayed judgments of learning (JOLs). Retrospective confidence judgments are also collected. Groups perform equally in terms of judgment magnitude and absolute judgment accuracy as measured by discrepancy scores and calibration curves. Both groups benefit equally from making their JOL at a delay, and the group with ADHD show higher relative accuracy for delayed judgments. Results suggest that under certain circumstances, adults with ADHD can make accurate judgments about their future memory.

Developmental Change in the Influence of Domain-General Abilities and Domain-Specific Knowledge on Mathematics Achievement: An Eight-Year Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Geary, David C.; Nicholas, Alan; Li, Yaoran; Sun, Jianguo

2016-01-01

The contributions of domain-general abilities and domain-specific knowledge to subsequent mathematics achievement were longitudinally assessed (n = 167) through 8th grade. First grade intelligence and working memory and prior grade reading achievement indexed domain-general effects and domain-specific effects were indexed by prior grade mathematics achievement and mathematical cognition measures of prior grade number knowledge, addition skills, and fraction knowledge. Use of functional data analysis enabled grade-by-grade estimation of overall domain-general and domain-specific effects on subsequent mathematics achievement, the relative importance of individual domain-general and domain-specific variables on this achievement, and linear and non-linear across-grade estimates of these effects. The overall importance of domain-general abilities for subsequent achievement was stable across grades, with working memory emerging as the most important domain-general ability in later grades. The importance of prior mathematical competencies on subsequent mathematics achievement increased across grades, with number knowledge and arithmetic skills critical in all grades and fraction knowledge in later grades. Overall, domain-general abilities were more important than domain-specific knowledge for mathematics learning in early grades but general abilities and domain-specific knowledge were equally important in later grades. PMID:28781382

Comparison of S. cerevisiae F-BAR domain structures reveals a conserved inositol phosphate binding site

PubMed Central

Moravcevic, Katarina; Alvarado, Diego; Schmitz, Karl R.; Kenniston, Jon A.; Mendrola, Jeannine M.; Ferguson, Kathryn M.; Lemmon, Mark A.

2015-01-01

SUMMARY F-BAR domains control membrane interactions in endocytosis, cytokinesis, and cell signaling. Although generally thought to bind curved membranes containing negatively charged phospholipids, numerous functional studies argue that differences in lipid-binding selectivities of F-BAR domains are functionally important. Here, we compare membrane-binding properties of the S. cerevisiae F-BAR domains in vitro and in vivo. Whereas some F-BAR domains (such as Bzz1p and Hof1p F-BARs) bind equally well to all phospholipids, the F-BAR domain from the RhoGAP Rgd1p preferentially binds phosphoinositides. We determined X-ray crystal structures of F-BAR domains from Hof1p and Rgd1p, the latter bound to an inositol phosphate. The structures explain phospholipid-binding selectivity differences, and reveal an F-BAR phosphoinositide binding site that is fully conserved in a mammalian RhoGAP called Gmip, and is partly retained in certain other F-BAR domains. Our findings reveal previously unappreciated determinants of F-BAR domain lipid-binding specificity, and provide a basis for its prediction from sequence. PMID:25620000

Age differences in five personality domains across the life span.

PubMed

Allemand, Mathias; Zimprich, Daniel; Hendriks, A A Jolijn

2008-05-01

The present study addresses the issue of age differences in 5 personality domains across the life span in a cross-sectional study. In contrast to most previous studies, the present study follows a methodologically more rigorous approach to warrant that age-related differences in personality structure and mean level can be meaningfully compared. It uses data on 50 items of the Five-Factor Personality Inventory (FFPI) available from a study in a large and representative Dutch sample (N = 2,494; age range: 16 to 91 years) conducted in 1996 for the purpose of establishing norms for the FFPI. After having established strict measurement invariance, tests were made for factor covariances to be equal across age groups, revealing structural continuity of personality. Additionally, factor variances were shown to be equal across age groups. A number of age differences in the mean level of the five personality domains emerged. Specifically, older adults were, on average, more agreeable and, especially, more conscientious than middle-aged and younger adults. Findings from our study suggest that both continuity and change may mark personality over the course of life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).

Pattern, growth, and aging in aggregation kinetics of a Vicsek-like active matter model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Subir K.

2017-01-01

Via molecular dynamics simulations, we study kinetics in a Vicsek-like phase-separating active matter model. Quantitative results, for isotropic bicontinuous pattern, are presented on the structure, growth, and aging. These are obtained via the two-point equal-time density-density correlation function, the average domain length, and the two-time density autocorrelation function. Both the correlation functions exhibit basic scaling properties, implying self-similarity in the pattern dynamics, for which the average domain size exhibits a power-law growth in time. The equal-time correlation has a short distance behavior that provides reasonable agreement between the corresponding structure factor tail and the Porod law. The autocorrelation decay is a power-law in the average domain size. Apart from these basic similarities, the overall quantitative behavior of the above-mentioned observables is found to be vastly different from those of the corresponding passive limit of the model which also undergoes phase separation. The functional forms of these have been quantified. An exceptionally rapid growth in the active system occurs due to fast coherent motion of the particles, mean-squared-displacements of which exhibit multiple scaling regimes, including a long time ballistic one.

A partitioning strategy for nonuniform problems on multiprocessors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berger, M. J.; Bokhari, S.

1985-01-01

The partitioning of a problem on a domain with unequal work estimates in different subddomains is considered in a way that balances the work load across multiple processors. Such a problem arises for example in solving partial differential equations using an adaptive method that places extra grid points in certain subregions of the domain. A binary decomposition of the domain is used to partition it into rectangles requiring equal computational effort. The communication costs of mapping this partitioning onto different microprocessors: a mesh-connected array, a tree machine and a hypercube is then studied. The communication cost expressions can be used to determine the optimal depth of the above partitioning.

Phylogenetic relationships in the mushroom genus Coprinus and dark-spored allies based on sequence data from the nuclear gene coding for the large ribosomal subunit RNA: divergent domains, outgroups, and monophyly.

PubMed

Hopple, J S; Vilgalys, R

1999-10-01

Phylogenetic relationships were investigated in the mushroom genus Coprinus based on sequence data from the nuclear encoded large-subunit rDNA gene. Forty-seven species of Coprinus and 19 additional species from the families Coprinaceae, Strophariaceae, Bolbitiaceae, Agaricaceae, Podaxaceae, and Montagneaceae were studied. A total of 1360 sites was sequenced across seven divergent domains and intervening sequences. A total of 302 phylogenetically informative characters was found. Ninety-eight percent of the average divergence between taxa was located within the divergent domains, with domains D2 and D8 being most divergent and domains D7 and D10 the least divergent. An empirical test of phylogenetic signal among divergent domains also showed that domains D2 and D3 had the lowest levels of homoplasy. Two equally most parsimonious trees were resolved using Wagner parsimony. A character-state weighted analysis produced 12 equally most parsimonious trees similar to those generated by Wagner parsimony. Phylogenetic analyses employing topological constraints suggest that none of the major taxonomic systems proposed for subgeneric classification is able to completely reflect phylogenetic relationships in Coprinus. A strict consensus integration of the two Wagner trees demonstrates the problematic nature of choosing outgroups within dark-spored mushrooms. The genus Coprinus is found to be polyphyletic and is separated into three distinct clades. Most Coprinus taxa belong to the first two clades, which together form a larger monophyletic group with Lacrymaria and Psathyrella in basal positions. A third clade contains members of Coprinus section Comati as well as the genus Leucocoprinus, Podaxis pistillaris, Montagnea arenaria, and Agaricus pocillator. This third clade is separated from the other species of Coprinus by members of the families Strophariaceae and Bolbitiaceae and the genus Panaeolus. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Improvement of lateral resolution of spectral domain optical coherence tomography images in out-of-focus regions with holographic data processing techniques

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

Moiseev, A A; Gelikonov, G V; Terpelov, D A

2014-08-31

An analogy between spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) data and broadband digital holography data is considered. Based on this analogy, a method for processing SD OCT data, which makes it possible to construct images with a lateral resolution in the whole investigated volume equal to the resolution in the in-focus region, is developed. Several issues concerning practical application of the proposed method are discussed. (laser biophotonics)

Why Johnny can't reengineer health care processes with information technology.

PubMed

Webster, C; McLinden, S; Begler, K

1995-01-01

Many educational institutions are developing curricula that integrate computer and business knowledge and skills concerning a specific industry, such as banking or health care. We have developed a curriculum that emphasizes, equally, medical, computer, and business management concepts. Along the way we confronted a formidable obstacle, namely the domain specificity of the reference disciplines. Knowledge within each domain is sufficiently different from other domains that it reduces the leverage of building on preexisting knowledge and skills. We review this problem from the point of view of cognitive science (in particular, knowledge representation and machine learning) to suggest strategies for coping with incommensurate domain ontologies. These strategies include reflective judgment, implicit learning, abstraction, generalization, analogy, multiple inheritance, project-orientation, selectivity, goal- and failure-driven learning, and case- and story-based learning.

Quantitative near-infrared spectroscopy on patients with peripheral vascular disease

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franceschini, Maria-Angela; Fantini, Sergio; Palumbo, Renato; Pasqualini, Leonella; Vaudo, Gaetano; Franceschini, Edoardo; Gratton, Enrico; Palumbo, Barbara; Innocente, Salvatore; Mannarino, Elmo

1998-01-01

We have used near-infrared spectroscopy to measure the hemoglobin saturation at rest and during exercise on patients affected by peripheral vascular disease (PVD). The instrument used in our study is a frequency-domain tissue oximeter which employs intensity modulated (110 MHz) laser diodes. We examined 9 subjects, 3 of which were controls and 6 were patients affected by stage II PVD. The optical probe was located on the calf muscle of the subjects. The measurement protocol consisted of: (1) baseline (approximately 5 min); (2) stationary bicycle exercise (approximately 5 min); (3) recovery (approximately 15 min). The change in hemoglobin saturation during exercise ((Delta) Y) and the recovery time after exercise (trec) were significantly greater in the PVD patients ((Delta) Y equals -21 +/- 3%, trec equals 5.9 +/- 3.8 min) than in the control subjects ((Delta) Y equals 2 +/- 3%, trec equals 0.6 +/- 0.1 min).

A Summary Score for the Framingham Heart Study Neuropsychological Battery

PubMed Central

Downer, Brian; Fardo, David W.; Schmitt, Frederick A.

2015-01-01

Objective To calculate three summary scores of the Framingham Heart Study neuropsychological battery and determine which score best differentiates between subjects classified as having normal cognition, test-based impaired learning and memory, test-based multidomain impairment, and dementia. Method The final sample included 2,503 participants. Three summary scores were assessed: (a) composite score that provided equal weight to each subtest, (b) composite score that provided equal weight to each cognitive domain assessed by the neuropsychological battery, and (c) abbreviated score comprised of subtests for learning and memory. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine which summary score best differentiated between the four cognitive states. Results The summary score that provided equal weight to each subtest best differentiated between the four cognitive states. Discussion A summary score that provides equal weight to each subtest is an efficient way to utilize all of the cognitive data collected by a neuropsychological battery. PMID:25804903

A Summary Score for the Framingham Heart Study Neuropsychological Battery.

PubMed

Downer, Brian; Fardo, David W; Schmitt, Frederick A

2015-10-01

To calculate three summary scores of the Framingham Heart Study neuropsychological battery and determine which score best differentiates between subjects classified as having normal cognition, test-based impaired learning and memory, test-based multidomain impairment, and dementia. The final sample included 2,503 participants. Three summary scores were assessed: (a) composite score that provided equal weight to each subtest, (b) composite score that provided equal weight to each cognitive domain assessed by the neuropsychological battery, and (c) abbreviated score comprised of subtests for learning and memory. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine which summary score best differentiated between the four cognitive states. The summary score that provided equal weight to each subtest best differentiated between the four cognitive states. A summary score that provides equal weight to each subtest is an efficient way to utilize all of the cognitive data collected by a neuropsychological battery. © The Author(s) 2015.

The use of linear programming techniques to design optimal digital filters for pulse shaping and channel equalization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houts, R. C.; Burlage, D. W.

1972-01-01

A time domain technique is developed to design finite-duration impulse response digital filters using linear programming. Two related applications of this technique in data transmission systems are considered. The first is the design of pulse shaping digital filters to generate or detect signaling waveforms transmitted over bandlimited channels that are assumed to have ideal low pass or bandpass characteristics. The second is the design of digital filters to be used as preset equalizers in cascade with channels that have known impulse response characteristics. Example designs are presented which illustrate that excellent waveforms can be generated with frequency-sampling filters and the ease with which digital transversal filters can be designed for preset equalization.

Fabrication of photonic crystal microprisms based on artificial opals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fenollosa, Roberto; Ibisate, Marta; Rubio, Silvia; Lopez, Ceferino; Meseguer, Francisco; Sanchez-Dehesa, Jose

2002-04-01

This paper reports a new method for faceting artificial opals based on micromanipulation techniques. By this means it was possible to fabricate an opal prism in a single domain with different faces: (111), (110) and (100), which were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Optical Reflectance Spectroscopy. Their spectra exhibit different characteristics depending on the orientation of the facet. While (111)-oriented face gives rise to a high Bragg reflection peak at about a/(lambda) equals 0.66 (where a is the lattice parameter), (110) and (100) faces show much less intense peaks corresponding to features in the band structure at a/(lambda) equals 1.12 and a/(lambda) equals 1.07 respectively. Peaks at higher energies have less obvious explanation.

Comparison of Saccharomyces cerevisiae F-BAR domain structures reveals a conserved inositol phosphate binding site.

PubMed

Moravcevic, Katarina; Alvarado, Diego; Schmitz, Karl R; Kenniston, Jon A; Mendrola, Jeannine M; Ferguson, Kathryn M; Lemmon, Mark A

2015-02-03

F-BAR domains control membrane interactions in endocytosis, cytokinesis, and cell signaling. Although they are generally thought to bind curved membranes containing negatively charged phospholipids, numerous functional studies argue that differences in lipid-binding selectivities of F-BAR domains are functionally important. Here, we compare membrane-binding properties of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae F-BAR domains in vitro and in vivo. Whereas some F-BAR domains (such as Bzz1p and Hof1p F-BARs) bind equally well to all phospholipids, the F-BAR domain from the RhoGAP Rgd1p preferentially binds phosphoinositides. We determined X-ray crystal structures of F-BAR domains from Hof1p and Rgd1p, the latter bound to an inositol phosphate. The structures explain phospholipid-binding selectivity differences and reveal an F-BAR phosphoinositide binding site that is fully conserved in a mammalian RhoGAP called Gmip and is partly retained in certain other F-BAR domains. Our findings reveal previously unappreciated determinants of F-BAR domain lipid-binding specificity and provide a basis for its prediction from sequence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Saccharomyces cerevisiae F-BAR Domain Structures Reveals a Conserved Inositol Phosphate Binding Site

DOE PAGES

Moravcevic, Katarina; Alvarado, Diego; Schmitz, Karl R.; ...

2015-01-22

F-BAR domains control membrane interactions in endocytosis, cytokinesis, and cell signaling. Although they are generally thought to bind curved membranes containing negatively charged phospholipids, numerous functional studies argue that differences in lipid-binding selectivities of F-BAR domains are functionally important. Here in this paper, we compare membrane-binding properties of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae F-BAR domains in vitro and in vivo. Whereas some F-BAR domains (such as Bzz1p and Hof1p F-BARs) bind equally well to all phospholipids, the F-BAR domain from the RhoGAP Rgd1p preferentially binds phosphoinositides. We determined X-ray crystal structures of F-BAR domains from Hof1p and Rgd1p, the latter bound tomore » an inositol phosphate. The structures explain phospholipid-binding selectivity differences and reveal an F-BAR phosphoinositide binding site that is fully conserved in a mammalian RhoGAP called Gmip and is partly retained in certain other F-BAR domains. In conclusion, our findings reveal previously unappreciated determinants of F-BAR domain lipid-binding specificity and provide a basis for its prediction from sequence.« less

Nucleation of holin domains and holes optimizes lysis timing of E. coli by phage λ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, Gillian; Rutenberg, Andrew

2007-03-01

Holin proteins regulate the precise scheduling of Escherichia coli lysis during infection by bacteriophage λ. Inserted into the host bacterium's inner membrane during infection, holins aggregate to form rafts and then holes within those rafts. We present a two-stage nucleation model of holin action, with the nucleation of condensed holin domains followed by the nucleation of holes within these domains. Late nucleation of holin rafts leads to a weak dependence of lysis timing on host cell size, though both nucleation events contribute equally to timing errors. Our simulations recover the accurate scheduling observed experimentally, and also suggest that phage-λ lysis of E.coli is optimized.

Value of parents' estimates of children's developmental ages.

PubMed

Glascoe, F P; Sandler, H

1995-11-01

To determine whether parents' estimates of children's developmental ages can function as a prescreening technique. Parents of 234 children from birth to 77 months of age seeking well-child care in pediatric offices were queried in two separate studies. In the first study, parents were asked to give an estimate of their child's overall developmental age and, in the second study, to estimate ages in each of six developmental domains. Children were administered a range of screening measures of intelligence, speech-language, and adoptive behavior. The overall age-estimate, if less than chronologic age, was 75% sensitive to likely developmental problems and, if equal to or greater than chronologic age, was 90% specific in identifying children likely to have typical development. Age estimates for each developmental domain were 81% sensitive to likely developmental problems if less than chronologic age in the domains of fine motor, language, grass motor, or behavior, and 62% specific if equal to or greater than chronologic age. Estimates at or below chronologic age in receptive language or personal-social domains were 90% sensitive and 43% specific in identifying likely behavior problems. There were no differences in the accuracy of parents estimates on the basis of children's age, gender, race, parents' level of education, or parenting experience. Parents' overall age-estimates provided a sensitive and specific indicator of global developmental status, but insufficient information about strengths and weaknesses to enable focused referrals for services. In contrast, discrete patterns of age estimates in each developmental domain sensitively discriminated children with developmental versus behavioral problems, although specificity was limited. Age estimates appear to be a potentially helpful method for identifying a subset of children in need of thorough screening, although further research is needed on a larger sample given diagnostic rather than screening tests.

The Virtues and Vices of Moral Development Theorists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helwig, Charles C.; And Others

1996-01-01

Claims that Campbell and Christopher's literature on moral development construes the cognitive-developmental and domain approaches too narrowly, overinterprets the influence of Kant, excludes other equally important non-Kantian philosophical influences, and ignores much of the research evidence. Describes the need for drawing distinctions in…

Fancy plots for SIG

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

Norris, J.; Daniels, B.

1986-02-01

The fancy plot package is a group of five programs which allow the user to make 2- and 3-dimensional document quality plots from the SIG data base. The fancyplot package was developed using a DEC VT100 terminal fitted with a Digital Engineering Retrographics board and the QMS Laserprinter. If a terminal emulates the VT100/Retrographic terminal the package should work. A Pericom terminal for example, works perfectly. The fancy plot package is available to provide report-ready plots without resorting to cutting and pasting. This package is contained in programs FFP, TFP, TDFD, 3DFFP and 3DTFP in directory ERD131::USER2 DISK:(HUDSON.SIG). These programsmore » may be summarized as follows: FFP - 2-Dimensional Frequency Fancy Plots with magnitude/phase option; TFP - 2-Dimensional Time Fancy Plots; TDFD - 2-Dimensional Time Domain Frequency Domain Plots; and 3DFFP - equally spaced 3-Dimensional Frequency Fancy Plots; 3DTFP - equally spaced 3-Dimensional Time Plots. 8 figs.« less

Health care administration in the year 2000: practitioners' views of future issues and job requirements.

PubMed

Hudak, R P; Brooke, P P; Finstuen, K; Riley, P

1993-01-01

This research identifies the most important domains in health care administration (HCA) from now to the year 2000 and differentiates job skill, knowledge, and ability requirements necessary for successful management. Fellows of the American College of Healthcare Executives from about half of the United States responded to two iterations of a Delphi mail inquiry. Fellows identified 102 issues that were content-analyzed into nine domains by an HCA expert panel. Domains, in order of ranked importance, were cost/finance, leadership, professional staff interactions, health care delivery concepts, accessibility, ethics, quality/risk management, technology, and marketing. In the second Delphi iteration, Fellows reviewed domain results and rated job requirements on required job importance. Results indicated that while a business orientation is needed for organizational survival, an equal emphasis on person-oriented skills, knowledge, and abilities is required.

Chiral domain formation from the mixture of achiral rod-like liquid crystal and tri boomerang-shaped molecule

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Ji-Hoon; Yoon, Tae-Hoon

2013-08-01

Spontaneous formation of chiral domains such as a helical filament and a bent-broom texture was observed from the mixture of a rod-like liquid crystal octylcyano-biphenyl (8CB) and a tri boomerang-shaped 2,4,6-triphenoxy-1,3,5-triazine (triphenoxy) molecule. Although the constituent molecules were achiral, their mixture showed the chiral domains with the equal fraction of the opposite handedness. No tilt of 8CB molecules in the smectic layer was observed, implying the chirality is not due to the polar packing and tilt of the molecules. In addition, the splay and bend elastic constant of 8CB was decreased after doping triphenoxy. A structural conformation of triphenoxy and an orientational coupling between 8CB and triphenoxy are considered to be related to the chiral domain formation.

Structural insights into the functional versatility of WW domain-containing oxidoreductase tumor suppressor

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Recent work on WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) tumor suppressor is beginning to shed new light on both the molecular mechanism of action of its WW domains as well as the contiguous catalytic domain. Herein, the structural basis underlying the ability of WW1 domain to bind to various physiological ligands and how the orphan WW2 tandem partner synergizes its ligand binding in the context of WW1–WW2 tandem module of WWOX is discussed. Notably, the WW domains within the WW1–WW2 tandem module physically associate so as to adopt a fixed spatial orientation relative to each other. In this manner, the association of WW2 domain with WW1 hinders ligand binding to the latter. Consequently, ligand binding to WW1 domain not only results in the displacement of WW2 lid but also disrupts the fixed orientation of WW domains in the liganded conformation. Equally importantly, structure-guided functional approach suggests that the catalytic domain of WWOX likely serves as a retinal oxidoreductase that catalyzes the reversible oxidation and reduction of all-trans-retinal. Collectively, this review provides structural insights into the functional versatility of a key signaling protein with important implications on its biology. PMID:25662954

Structural insights into the functional versatility of WW domain-containing oxidoreductase tumor suppressor.

PubMed

Farooq, Amjad

2015-03-01

Recent work on WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) tumor suppressor is beginning to shed new light on both the molecular mechanism of action of its WW domains as well as the contiguous catalytic domain. Herein, the structural basis underlying the ability of WW1 domain to bind to various physiological ligands and how the orphan WW2 tandem partner synergizes its ligand binding in the context of WW1-WW2 tandem module of WWOX is discussed. Notably, the WW domains within the WW1-WW2 tandem module physically associate so as to adopt a fixed spatial orientation relative to each other. In this manner, the association of WW2 domain with WW1 hinders ligand binding to the latter. Consequently, ligand binding to WW1 domain not only results in the displacement of WW2 lid but also disrupts the fixed orientation of WW domains in the liganded conformation. Equally importantly, structure-guided functional approach suggests that the catalytic domain of WWOX likely serves as a retinal oxidoreductase that catalyzes the reversible oxidation and reduction of all-trans-retinal. Collectively, this review provides structural insights into the functional versatility of a key signaling protein with important implications on its biology. © 2015 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.

Long-range interaction between heterogeneously charged membranes.

PubMed

Jho, Y S; Brewster, R; Safran, S A; Pincus, P A

2011-04-19

Despite their neutrality, surfaces or membranes with equal amounts of positive and negative charge can exhibit long-range electrostatic interactions if the surface charge is heterogeneous; this can happen when the surface charges form finite-size domain structures. These domains can be formed in lipid membranes where the balance of the different ranges of strong but short-ranged hydrophobic interactions and longer-ranged electrostatic repulsion result in a finite, stable domain size. If the domain size is large enough, oppositely charged domains in two opposing surfaces or membranes can be strongly correlated by the electrostatic interactions; these correlations give rise to an attractive interaction of the two membranes or surfaces over separations on the order of the domain size. We use numerical simulations to demonstrate the existence of strong attractions at separations of tens of nanometers. Large line tensions result in larger domains but also increase the charge density within the domain. This promotes correlations and, as a result, increases the intermembrane attraction. On the other hand, increasing the salt concentration increases both the domain size and degree of domain anticorrelation, but the interactions are ultimately reduced due to increased screening. The result is a decrease in the net attraction as salt concentration is increased. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Functional Pathways of Social Support for Mental Health in Work and Family Domains Among Chinese Scientific and Technological Professionals.

PubMed

Gan, Yiqun; Gan, Tingting; Chen, Zhiyan; Miao, Miao; Zhang, Kan

2015-10-01

This study investigated the role of social support in the complex pattern of associations among stressors, work-family interferences and depression in the domains of work and family. A questionnaire was administered to a nationwide sample of 11,419 Chinese science and technology professionals. Several structural equation models were specified to determine whether social support functioned as a predictor or a mediator. Using Mplus 5.0, we compared the moderation model, the independence model, the antecedent model and the mediation model. The results revealed that the relationship between work-family interference and social support was domain specific. The independence model fit the data best in the work domain. Both the moderation model and the antecedent model fit the family domain data equally well. The current study was conducted to answer the need for comprehensive investigations of cultural uniqueness in the antecedents of work-family interference. The domain specificity, i.e. the multiple channels of the functions of support in the family domain and not in the work domain, ensures that this study is unique and culturally specific. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A New Coarsening Operator for the Optimal Preconditioning of the Dual and Primal Domain Decomposition Methods: Application to Problems with Severe Coefficient Jumps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farhat, Charbel; Rixen, Daniel

1996-01-01

We present an optimal preconditioning algorithm that is equally applicable to the dual (FETI) and primal (Balancing) Schur complement domain decomposition methods, and which successfully addresses the problems of subdomain heterogeneities including the effects of large jumps of coefficients. The proposed preconditioner is derived from energy principles and embeds a new coarsening operator that propagates the error globally and accelerates convergence. The resulting iterative solver is illustrated with the solution of highly heterogeneous elasticity problems.

Affinity and specificity of interactions between Nedd4 isoforms and the epithelial Na+ channel.

PubMed

Henry, Pauline C; Kanelis, Voula; O'Brien, M Christine; Kim, Brian; Gautschi, Ivan; Forman-Kay, Julie; Schild, Laurent; Rotin, Daniela

2003-05-30

The epithelial Na+ channel (alphabetagammaENaC) regulates salt and fluid homeostasis and blood pressure. Each ENaC subunit contains a PY motif (PPXY) that binds to the WW domains of Nedd4, a Hect family ubiquitin ligase containing 3-4 WW domains and usually a C2 domain. It has been proposed that Nedd4-2, but not Nedd4-1, isoforms can bind to and suppress ENaC activity. Here we challenge this notion and show that, instead, the presence of a unique WW domain (WW3*) in either Nedd4-2 or Nedd4-1 determines high affinity interactions and the ability to suppress ENaC. WW3* from either Nedd4-2 or Nedd4-1 binds ENaC-PY motifs equally well (e.g. Kd approximately 10 microm for alpha- or betaENaC, 3-6-fold higher affinity than WW4), as determined by intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence. Moreover, dNedd4-1, which naturally contains a WW3* instead of WW2, is able to suppress ENaC function equally well as Nedd4-2. Homology models of the WW3*.betaENaC-PY complex revealed that a Pro and Ala conserved in all WW3*, but not other Nedd4-WW domains, help form the binding pocket for PY motif prolines. Extensive contacts are formed between the betaENaC-PY motif and the Pro in WW3*, and the small Ala creates a large pocket to accommodate the peptide. Indeed, mutating the conserved Pro and Ala in WW3* reduces binding affinity 2-3-fold. Additionally, we demonstrate that mutations in PY motif residues that form contacts with the WW domain based on our previously solved structure either abolish or severely reduce binding affinity to the WW domain and that the extent of binding correlates with the level of ENaC suppression. Independently, we show that a peptide encompassing the PY motif of sgk1, previously proposed to bind to Nedd4-2 and alter its ability to regulate ENaC, does not bind (or binds poorly) the WW domains of Nedd4-2. Collectively, these results suggest that high affinity of WW domain-PY-motif interactions rather than affiliation with Nedd4-1/Nedd-2 is critical for ENaC suppression by Nedd4 proteins.

Fault tolerant multi-sensor fusion based on the information gain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hage, Joelle Al; El Najjar, Maan E.; Pomorski, Denis

2017-01-01

In the last decade, multi-robot systems are used in several applications like for example, the army, the intervention areas presenting danger to human life, the management of natural disasters, the environmental monitoring, exploration and agriculture. The integrity of localization of the robots must be ensured in order to achieve their mission in the best conditions. Robots are equipped with proprioceptive (encoders, gyroscope) and exteroceptive sensors (Kinect). However, these sensors could be affected by various faults types that can be assimilated to erroneous measurements, bias, outliers, drifts,… In absence of a sensor fault diagnosis step, the integrity and the continuity of the localization are affected. In this work, we present a muti-sensors fusion approach with Fault Detection and Exclusion (FDE) based on the information theory. In this context, we are interested by the information gain given by an observation which may be relevant when dealing with the fault tolerance aspect. Moreover, threshold optimization based on the quantity of information given by a decision on the true hypothesis is highlighted.

A patch test confirmed phenobarbital-induced fixed drug eruption in a child.

PubMed

Chadly, Zohra; Aouam, Karim; Chaabane, Amel; Belhadjali, Hichem; Abderrazzak Boughattas, Naceur; Zili, Jamel Eddine

2014-06-01

A-10-year-old girl was referred to our department for multiple hyperpigmented plaques. One week previously, she had been given one suppository of acetylsalicylic acid - phenobarbital for fever. Twelve hours after the drug intake the child developed pruritic red plaques on the left thigh. Six weeks after resolution of the acute reaction, patch tests were performed separately, with phenobarbital and acetylsalicylic acid. On 48-hour reading, only the phenobarbital patch test on residual pigmented lesion was positive. Because of possible cross-reactions between aromatic anticonvulsants, subsequent patch tests using carbamazepine and phenytoin on residual pigmented lesions were performed. They were all negative at 48-hour reading. To our knowledge, only two isolated pediatric cases of Phenobarbital-induced FDE have been reported in the literature. In this case report, as it was difficult to determine whether phenobarbital or acetylsalicylic acid was responsible for this reaction, subsequent patch tests allowed the identification of the culprit component since it was positive to phenobarbital.

Fabrication of Flexible Microneedle Array Electrodes for Wearable Bio-Signal Recording.

PubMed

Ren, Lei; Xu, Shujia; Gao, Jie; Lin, Zi; Chen, Zhipeng; Liu, Bin; Liang, Liang; Jiang, Lelun

2018-04-13

Laser-direct writing (LDW) and magneto-rheological drawing lithography (MRDL) have been proposed for the fabrication of a flexible microneedle array electrode (MAE) for wearable bio-signal monitoring. Conductive patterns were directly written onto the flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate by LDW. The microneedle array was rapidly drawn and formed from the droplets of curable magnetorheological fluid with the assistance of an external magnetic field by MRDL. A flexible MAE can maintain a stable contact interface with curved human skin due to the flexibility of the PET substrate. Compared with Ag/AgCl electrodes and flexible dry electrodes (FDE), the electrode-skin interface impedance of flexible MAE was the minimum even after a 50-cycle bending test. Flexible MAE can record electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG) and static electrocardiography (ECG) signals with good fidelity. The main features of the dynamic ECG signal recorded by flexible MAE are the most distinguishable with the least moving artifacts. Flexible MAE is an attractive candidate electrode for wearable bio-signal monitoring.

Fabrication of Flexible Microneedle Array Electrodes for Wearable Bio-Signal Recording

PubMed Central

Ren, Lei; Xu, Shujia; Gao, Jie; Lin, Zi; Chen, Zhipeng; Liu, Bin; Liang, Liang; Jiang, Lelun

2018-01-01

Laser-direct writing (LDW) and magneto-rheological drawing lithography (MRDL) have been proposed for the fabrication of a flexible microneedle array electrode (MAE) for wearable bio-signal monitoring. Conductive patterns were directly written onto the flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate by LDW. The microneedle array was rapidly drawn and formed from the droplets of curable magnetorheological fluid with the assistance of an external magnetic field by MRDL. A flexible MAE can maintain a stable contact interface with curved human skin due to the flexibility of the PET substrate. Compared with Ag/AgCl electrodes and flexible dry electrodes (FDE), the electrode–skin interface impedance of flexible MAE was the minimum even after a 50-cycle bending test. Flexible MAE can record electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG) and static electrocardiography (ECG) signals with good fidelity. The main features of the dynamic ECG signal recorded by flexible MAE are the most distinguishable with the least moving artifacts. Flexible MAE is an attractive candidate electrode for wearable bio-signal monitoring. PMID:29652835

Gender Relations, Education and Social Change in Poland.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Peggy

1992-01-01

Discusses the following issues in Poland: formal gender equality during state Socialism; public provision of child care; the domestic division of labor; women's educational careers; women's labor market position; gender inequalities in social consciousness; separation between public and private domains; and transition from a society to civil…

Ecosystems in the Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Louviere, Gregory

2011-01-01

Habitats, ecology and evolution are a few of the many metaphors commonly associated with the domain of biological ecosystems. Surprisingly, these and other similar biological metaphors are proving to be equally associated with a phenomenon known as digital ecosystems. Digital ecosystems make a direct connection between biological properties and…

Development and validation of a survey to measure features of clinical networks.

PubMed

Brown, Bernadette Bea; Haines, Mary; Middleton, Sandy; Paul, Christine; D'Este, Catherine; Klineberg, Emily; Elliott, Elizabeth

2016-09-30

Networks of clinical experts are increasingly being implemented as a strategy to improve health care processes and outcomes and achieve change in the health system. Few are ever formally evaluated and, when this is done, not all networks are equally successful in their efforts. There is a need to formatively assess the strategic and operational management and leadership of networks to identify where functioning could be improved to maximise impact. This paper outlines the development and psychometric evaluation of an Internet survey to measure features of clinical networks and provides descriptive results from a sample of members of 19 diverse clinical networks responsible for evidence-based quality improvement across a large geographical region. Instrument development was based on: a review of published and grey literature; a qualitative study of clinical network members; a program logic framework; and consultation with stakeholders. The resulting domain structure was validated for a sample of 592 clinical network members using confirmatory factor analysis. Scale reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. A summary score was calculated for each domain and aggregate level means and ranges are reported. The instrument was shown to have good construct validity across seven domains as demonstrated by a high level of internal consistency, and all Cronbach's α coefficients were equal to or above 0.75. In the survey sample of network members there was strong reported commitment and belief in network-led quality improvement initiatives, which were perceived to have improved quality of care (72.8 %) and patient outcomes (63.2 %). Network managers were perceived to be effective leaders and clinical co-chairs were perceived as champions for change. Perceived external support had the lowest summary score across the seven domains. This survey, which has good construct validity and internal reliability, provides a valid instrument to use in future research related to clinical networks. The survey will be of use to health service managers to identify strengths and areas where networks can be improved to increase effectiveness and impact on quality of care and patient outcomes. Equally, the survey could be adapted for use in the assessment of other types of networks.

The rise of environmental analytical chemistry as an interdisciplinary activity.

PubMed

Brown, Richard

2009-07-01

Modern scientific endeavour is increasingly delivered within an interdisciplinary framework. Analytical environmental chemistry is a long-standing example of an interdisciplinary approach to scientific research where value is added by the close cooperation of different disciplines. This editorial piece discusses the rise of environmental analytical chemistry as an interdisciplinary activity and outlines the scope of the Analytical Chemistry and the Environmental Chemistry domains of TheScientificWorldJOURNAL (TSWJ), and the appropriateness of TSWJ's domain format in covering interdisciplinary research. All contributions of new data, methods, case studies, and instrumentation, or new interpretations and developments of existing data, case studies, methods, and instrumentation, relating to analytical and/or environmental chemistry, to the Analytical and Environmental Chemistry domains, are welcome and will be considered equally.

Fast and accurate fitting and filtering of noisy exponentials in Legendre space.

PubMed

Bao, Guobin; Schild, Detlev

2014-01-01

The parameters of experimentally obtained exponentials are usually found by least-squares fitting methods. Essentially, this is done by minimizing the mean squares sum of the differences between the data, most often a function of time, and a parameter-defined model function. Here we delineate a novel method where the noisy data are represented and analyzed in the space of Legendre polynomials. This is advantageous in several respects. First, parameter retrieval in the Legendre domain is typically two orders of magnitude faster than direct fitting in the time domain. Second, data fitting in a low-dimensional Legendre space yields estimates for amplitudes and time constants which are, on the average, more precise compared to least-squares-fitting with equal weights in the time domain. Third, the Legendre analysis of two exponentials gives satisfactory estimates in parameter ranges where least-squares-fitting in the time domain typically fails. Finally, filtering exponentials in the domain of Legendre polynomials leads to marked noise removal without the phase shift characteristic for conventional lowpass filters.

The formation and evolution of domain walls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Press, William H.; Ryden, Barbara S.; Spergel, David N.

1991-01-01

Domain walls are sheet-like defects produced when the low energy vacuum has isolated degenerate minima. The researchers' computer code follows the evolution of a scalar field, whose dynamics are determined by its Lagrangian density. The topology of the scalar field determines the evolution of the domain walls. This approach treats both wall dynamics and reconnection. The researchers investigated not only potentials that produce single domain walls, but also potentials that produce a network of walls and strings. These networks arise in axion models where the U(1) Peccei-Quinn symmetry is broken into Z sub N discrete symmetries. If N equals 1, the walls are bounded by strings and the network quickly disappears. For N greater than 1, the network of walls and strings behaved qualitatively just as the wall network shown in the figures given here. This both confirms the researchers' pessimistic view that domain walls cannot play an important role in the formation of large scale structure and implies that axion models with multiple minimum can be cosmologically disastrous.

Equivalence of linear canonical transform domains to fractional Fourier domains and the bicanonical width product: a generalization of the space-bandwidth product.

PubMed

Oktem, Figen S; Ozaktas, Haldun M

2010-08-01

Linear canonical transforms (LCTs) form a three-parameter family of integral transforms with wide application in optics. We show that LCT domains correspond to scaled fractional Fourier domains and thus to scaled oblique axes in the space-frequency plane. This allows LCT domains to be labeled and ordered by the corresponding fractional order parameter and provides insight into the evolution of light through an optical system modeled by LCTs. If a set of signals is highly confined to finite intervals in two arbitrary LCT domains, the space-frequency (phase space) support is a parallelogram. The number of degrees of freedom of this set of signals is given by the area of this parallelogram, which is equal to the bicanonical width product but usually smaller than the conventional space-bandwidth product. The bicanonical width product, which is a generalization of the space-bandwidth product, can provide a tighter measure of the actual number of degrees of freedom, and allows us to represent and process signals with fewer samples.

Identification of pilot-vehicle dynamics from simulation and flight test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hess, Ronald A.

1990-01-01

The paper discusses an identification problem in which a basic feedback control structure, or pilot control strategy, is hypothesized. Identification algorithms are employed to determine the particular form of pilot equalization in each feedback loop. It was found that both frequency- and time-domain identification techniques provide useful information.

Analysis of spectral operators in one-dimensional domains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maday, Y.

1985-01-01

Results are proven concerning certain projection operators on the space of all polynomials of degree less than or equal to N with respect to a class of one-dimensional weighted Sobolev spaces. The results are useful in the theory of the approximation of partial differential equations with spectral methods.

A parallel-architecture parametric equalizer for air-coupled capacitive ultrasonic transducers.

PubMed

McSweeney, Sean G; Wright, William M D

2012-01-01

Parametric equalization is rarely applied to ultrasonic transducer systems, for which it could be used on either the transmitter or the receiver to achieve a desired response. An optimized equalizer with both bump and cut capabilities would be advantageous for ultrasonic systems in applications in which variations in the transducer performance or the properties of the propagating medium produce a less-than-desirable signal. Compensation for non-ideal transducer response could be achieved using equalization on a device-by-device basis. Additionally, calibration of ultrasonic systems in the field could be obtained by offline optimization of equalization coefficients. In this work, a parametric equalizer for ultrasonic applications has been developed using multiple bi-quadratic filter elements arranged in a novel parallel arrangement to increase the flexibility of the equalization. The equalizer was implemented on a programmable system-on-chip (PSOC) using a small number of parallel 4th-order infinite impulse response switchedcapacitor band-pass filters. Because of the interdependency of the required coefficients for the switched capacitors, particle swarm optimization (PSO) was used to determine the optimum values. The response of a through-transmission system using air-coupled capacitive ultrasonic transducers was then equalized to idealized Hamming function or brick-wall frequencydomain responses. In each case, there was excellent agreement between the equalized signals and the theoretical model, and the fidelity of the time-domain response was maintained. The bandwidth and center frequency response of the system were significantly improved. It was also shown that the equalizer could be used on either the transmitter or the receiver, and the system could compensate for the effects of transmitterreceiver misalignment. © 2012 IEEE

Self-Assembly of Narrowly Dispersed Brush Diblock Copolymers with Domain Spacing more than 100 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Weiyin; Sveinbjornsson, Benjamin; Hong, Sung Woo; Grubbs, Robert; Russell, Thomas

2012-02-01

Self-assembled structures of high molecular weight (MW), narrow molecular weight distribution brush block copolymers containing polylactic acid (PLA) and polystyrene (PS) side chains with similar MWs were studied in both the melt and thin films. The polynorbornene-backbone-based brush diblock copolymers containing approximately equal volume fractions of each block self-assembled into highly ordered lamellae with domain spacing over 100 nm, as revealed by SAXS, GISAXS and AFM. The domain size increased approximately linearly with backbone length, which indicated an extended conformation of the backbone in the ordered state. The length of side chains also played a significant role in terms of controlling the domain size. As the degree of polymerization (DP) increased, the symmetric brush diblock copolymers with longer side chains tended to form larger lamellar microdomains in comparison to those that have the same DP but shorter side chains.

On thick domain walls in general relativity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goetz, Guenter; Noetzold, Dirk

1989-01-01

Planar scalar field configurations in general relativity differ considerably from those in flat space. It is shown that static domain walls of finite thickness in curved space-time do not possess a reflection symmetry. At infinity, the space-time tends to the Taub vacuum on one side of the wall and to the Minkowski vacuum (Rindler space-time) on the other. Massive test particles are always accelerated towards the Minkowski side, i.e., domain walls are attractive on the Taub side, but repulsive on the Minkowski side (Taub-vacuum cleaner). It is also proved that the pressure in all directions is always negative. Finally, a brief comment is made concerning the possibility of infinite, i.e., bigger than horizon size, domain walls in our universe. All of the results are independent of the form of the potential V(phi) greater than or equal to 0 of the scalar field phi.

Carbon fixation in sediments of Sino-Pacific seas-differential contributions of bacterial and archaeal domains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Anindita; Cao, Wenrui; Zhang, Hongjie; Saren, Gaowa; Jiang, Mingyu; Yu, Xinke

2017-11-01

Oceanic stretches experiencing perpetual darkness and extreme limitation of utilizable organic matter often rely on chemosynthetic carbon (C)-fixation. However, C-fixation is not limited to carbon-deplete environments alone but might also occur in varying degrees in carbon-replete locales depending on the nature and concentration of utilizable carbon, electron donors and acceptors. Quantification of microbial C-fixation and relative contribution of domains bacteria and archaea are therefore crucial. The present experiment estimates the differential rates of C-fixation by archaea and bacteria along with the effects of different electron donors. Four Sino-Pacific marine sediments from Bashi strait (Western Pacific Warm Pool), East China Sea, South China Sea and Okinawa Trough were examined. Total microbial C-uptake was estimated by doping of aqueous NaH14CO3. Total bacterial C-uptake was measured by blocking archaeal metabolism using inhibitor GC7. Archaeal contribution was estimated by subtracting total bacterial from total microbial C-uptake. Effect of electron donor addition was analyzed by spiking with ammonium, sulfide, and reduced metals. Results suggested that C-fixation in marine sediments was not the function of archaea alone, which was in contrast to results from several recent publications. C-fixing bacteria are also equally active. Often in spite of great effort of one domain to fix carbon, the system does not become net C-fixing due to equal and opposite C-releasing activity of the other domain. Thus a C-releasing bacterial or archaeal community can become C-fixing with the change of nature and concentration of electron donors.

Fatigue effect in ferroelectric crystals: Growth of the frozen domains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shur, V. Ya.; Akhmatkhanov, A. R.; Baturin, I. S.

2012-06-01

The model of the fatigue effect during cyclic switching caused by growth of the frozen domain area with charged domain walls has been proposed. It was claimed on the basis of the previous experimental results that for switching in increasing field the frozen domain area started to grow at the given sub-threshold field value and stopped at the threshold field. The influence of the shape and frequency of the field pulses used for cyclic switching has been considered. The uniaxial ferroelectric stoichiometric lithium tantalate single crystals produced by vapor transport equilibration with record low value of coercive field have been chosen as a model material for experimental verification of the model. The formation of the charged domain walls as a result of cyclic switching has been revealed by analysis of the domain images obtained by optical and Raman confocal microscopy. It has been shown that the fatigue degree is equal to the fraction of the frozen domain area. The experimental dependence of the switched charge on the cycle number has been successfully fitted by modified Kolmogorov-Avrami formula. The experimentally observed frequency independence of fatigue profile for rectangular pulses and frequency dependence for triangular pulses has been explained by proposed model.

A minimax technique for time-domain design of preset digital equalizers using linear programming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaughn, G. L.; Houts, R. C.

1975-01-01

A linear programming technique is presented for the design of a preset finite-impulse response (FIR) digital filter to equalize the intersymbol interference (ISI) present in a baseband channel with known impulse response. A minimax technique is used which minimizes the maximum absolute error between the actual received waveform and a specified raised-cosine waveform. Transversal and frequency-sampling FIR digital filters are compared as to the accuracy of the approximation, the resultant ISI and the transmitted energy required. The transversal designs typically have slightly better waveform accuracy for a given distortion; however, the frequency-sampling equalizer uses fewer multipliers and requires less transmitted energy. A restricted transversal design is shown to use the least number of multipliers at the cost of a significant increase in energy and loss of waveform accuracy at the receiver.

Could the electroweak scale be linked to the large scale structure of the Universe?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chakravorty, Alak; Massarotti, Alessandro

1991-01-01

We study a model where the domain walls are generated through a cosmological phase transition involving a scalar field. We assume the existence of a coupling between the scalar field and dark matter and show that the interaction between domain walls and dark matter leads to an energy dependent reflection mechanism. For a simple Yakawa coupling, we find that the vacuum expectation value of the scalar field is theta approx. equals 30GeV - 1TeV, in order for the model to be successful in the formation of large scale 'pancake' structures.

Direct Observations of Nucleation in a Nondilute Multicomponent Alloy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sudbrack, Chantal K.; Noebe, Ronald D.; Seidman, David N.

2006-01-01

The chemical pathways leading to gamma'(L1(sub 2)) nucleation from nondilute Ni-5.2 Al-14.2 Cr at. %, gama(fcc), at 873 K are followed with radial distribution functions and isoconcentration surface analyses of direct-space atom-probe tomographic images. Although Cr atoms initially are randomly distributed, a distribution of congruent Ni3Al short-range-order domains (SRO), [R] approx. equals 0.6 nm, results from Al diffusion during quenching. Domain site occupancy develops as their number density increases leading to Al-rich phase separation by gamma'-nucleation, [R]=0.75 nm, after SRO occurs.

Power of the Poincaré group: elucidating the hidden symmetries in focal conic domains.

PubMed

Alexander, Gareth P; Chen, Bryan Gin-Ge; Matsumoto, Elisabetta A; Kamien, Randall D

2010-06-25

Focal conic domains are typically the "smoking gun" by which smectic liquid crystalline phases are identified. The geometry of the equally spaced smectic layers is highly generic but, at the same time, difficult to work with. In this Letter we develop an approach to the study of focal sets in smectics which exploits a hidden Poincaré symmetry revealed only by viewing the smectic layers as projections from one-higher dimension. We use this perspective to shed light upon several classic focal conic textures, including the concentric cyclides of Dupin, polygonal textures, and tilt-grain boundaries.

Experimental demonstration of an efficient hybrid equalizer for short-reach optical SSB systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Mingyue; Ying, Hao; Zhang, Jing; Yi, Xingwen; Qiu, Kun

2018-02-01

We propose an efficient enhanced hybrid equalizer combining the feed forward equalization (FFE) with a modified Volterra filter to mitigate the linear and nonlinear interference for the short-reach optical single side-band (SSB) system. The optical SSB signal is generated by a relatively low-cost dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator (DDMZM). The two driving signals are a pair of Hilbert signals with Nyquist pulse-shaped four-level pulse amplitude modulation (NPAM-4). After the fiber transmission, the neighboring received symbols are strongly correlated due to the pulse spreading in time domain caused by the chromatic dispersion (CD). At the receiver equalization stage, the FFE followed by higher order terms of modified Volterra filter, which utilizes the forward and backward neighboring symbols to construct the kernels with strong correlation, are used as an enhanced hybrid equalizer to mitigate the inter symbol interference (ISI) and nonlinear distortion due to the interaction of the CD and the square-law detection. We experimentally demonstrate that the optical SSB NPAM-4 signal of 40 Gb/s transmitting over 80 km standard single mode fiber (SSMF) with a bit-error-rate (BER) of 7 . 59 × 10-4.

When Stroop helps Piaget: An inter-task positive priming paradigm in 9-year-old children.

PubMed

Linzarini, A; Houdé, O; Borst, G

2015-11-01

To determine whether inhibitory control is domain general or domain specific in school children, we asked 40 9-year-old children to perform an inter-task priming paradigm in which they responded to Stroop items on the primes and to Piaget number conservation items on the probes. The children were more efficient in the inhibition of a misleading "length-equals-number" heuristic in the number conservation task if they had successfully inhibited a previous prepotent reading response in the Stroop task. This study provides evidence that the inhibitory control ability of school children generalizes to distinct cognitive domains, that is, verbal for the Stroop task and logico-mathematical for Piaget's number conservation task. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Children Prefer Diverse Samples for Inductive Reasoning in the Social Domain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noyes, Alexander; Christie, Stella

2016-01-01

Not all samples of evidence are equally conclusive: Diverse evidence is more representative than narrow evidence. Prior research showed that children did not use sample diversity in evidence selection tasks, indiscriminately choosing diverse or narrow sets (tiger-mouse; tiger-lion) to learn about animals. This failure is not due to a general…

Time Domain Algorithms.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-09-01

Conitr., vol. AC-2S, No. 1, pp. 07-99, Jan. 1083. [481 A. Fettweis, "Digital Circuits and Systems," ZEEE Trans. Circ. and Sys., vol. CAS-31, No. 1, pp...171 J. G. Proakis, Digital Communications, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1983. 1181 P. Monsen, "Adaptive Equalization of the Slow Fading Channel," ZEEE Tran

Social Justice and Provision for Children with Additional Support Needs in Scotland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riddell, Sheila; Weedon, Elisabet

2017-01-01

Since the re-establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999, successive administrations have reaffirmed their commitment to social justice. However, despite high-level equality policies, social-class inequality is a major feature of Scottish society, affecting all social policy domains, including education. In this article, we provide a brief…

En Face Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography for the Diagnosis and Evaluation of Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy.

PubMed

Kokame, Gregg T; Shantha, Jessica G; Hirai, Kelsi; Ayabe, Julia

2016-08-01

To evaluate the diagnostic capability of en face spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) diagnosed by indocyanine green angiography (ICGA). A retrospective, consecutive case series of 100 eyes diagnosed with PCV by ICGA were imaged with en face SD-OCT. Evaluation of the PCV complex on en face SD-OCT was performed on the ability to diagnose PCV by the characteristic configuration of the PCV complex and the extent and size of the PCV lesion. The PCV complex was better visualized on ICGA in 45 eyes, on en face SD-OCT in 44 eyes, and equally well in 11 eyes. The extent of the PCV complex was larger on en face SD-OCT in 65 eyes, larger on ICGA in 23 eyes, and equal in size in 12 eyes. En face SD-OCT images the characteristic findings of PCV and provides a noninvasive way to diagnose and treat PCV when ICGA is not available. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2016;47:737-744.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Simplicity and Specificity in Language: Domain-General Biases Have Domain-Specific Effects

PubMed Central

Culbertson, Jennifer; Kirby, Simon

2016-01-01

The extent to which the linguistic system—its architecture, the representations it operates on, the constraints it is subject to—is specific to language has broad implications for cognitive science and its relation to evolutionary biology. Importantly, a given property of the linguistic system can be “specific” to the domain of language in several ways. For example, if the property evolved by natural selection under the pressure of the linguistic function it serves then the property is domain-specific in the sense that its design is tailored for language. Equally though, if that property evolved to serve a different function or if that property is domain-general, it may nevertheless interact with the linguistic system in a way that is unique. This gives a second sense in which a property can be thought of as specific to language. An evolutionary approach to the language faculty might at first blush appear to favor domain-specificity in the first sense, with individual properties of the language faculty being specifically linguistic adaptations. However, we argue that interactions between learning, culture, and biological evolution mean any domain-specific adaptations that evolve will take the form of weak biases rather than hard constraints. Turning to the latter sense of domain-specificity, we highlight a very general bias, simplicity, which operates widely in cognition and yet interacts with linguistic representations in domain-specific ways. PMID:26793132

Time-domain comparisons of power law attenuation in causal and noncausal time-fractional wave equations

PubMed Central

Zhao, Xiaofeng; McGough, Robert J.

2016-01-01

The attenuation of ultrasound propagating in human tissue follows a power law with respect to frequency that is modeled by several different causal and noncausal fractional partial differential equations. To demonstrate some of the similarities and differences that are observed in three related time-fractional partial differential equations, time-domain Green's functions are calculated numerically for the power law wave equation, the Szabo wave equation, and for the Caputo wave equation. These Green's functions are evaluated for water with a power law exponent of y = 2, breast with a power law exponent of y = 1.5, and liver with a power law exponent of y = 1.139. Simulation results show that the noncausal features of the numerically calculated time-domain response are only evident very close to the source and that these causal and noncausal time-domain Green's functions converge to the same result away from the source. When noncausal time-domain Green's functions are convolved with a short pulse, no evidence of noncausal behavior remains in the time-domain, which suggests that these causal and noncausal time-fractional models are equally effective for these numerical calculations. PMID:27250193

Fast and Accurate Fitting and Filtering of Noisy Exponentials in Legendre Space

PubMed Central

Bao, Guobin; Schild, Detlev

2014-01-01

The parameters of experimentally obtained exponentials are usually found by least-squares fitting methods. Essentially, this is done by minimizing the mean squares sum of the differences between the data, most often a function of time, and a parameter-defined model function. Here we delineate a novel method where the noisy data are represented and analyzed in the space of Legendre polynomials. This is advantageous in several respects. First, parameter retrieval in the Legendre domain is typically two orders of magnitude faster than direct fitting in the time domain. Second, data fitting in a low-dimensional Legendre space yields estimates for amplitudes and time constants which are, on the average, more precise compared to least-squares-fitting with equal weights in the time domain. Third, the Legendre analysis of two exponentials gives satisfactory estimates in parameter ranges where least-squares-fitting in the time domain typically fails. Finally, filtering exponentials in the domain of Legendre polynomials leads to marked noise removal without the phase shift characteristic for conventional lowpass filters. PMID:24603904

Cognition in Males and Females with Autism: Similarities and Differences

PubMed Central

Lai, Meng-Chuan; Lombardo, Michael V.; Ruigrok, Amber N. V.; Chakrabarti, Bhismadev; Wheelwright, Sally J.; Auyeung, Bonnie; Allison, Carrie; Baron-Cohen, Simon

2012-01-01

The male bias in autism spectrum conditions (ASC) has led to females with ASC being under-researched. This lack of attention to females could hide variability due to sex that may explain some of the heterogeneity within ASC. In this study we investigate four key cognitive domains (mentalizing and emotion perception, executive function, perceptual attention to detail, and motor function) in ASC, to test for similarities and differences between males and females with and without ASC (n = 128 adults; n = 32 per group). In the mentalizing and facial emotion perception domain, males and females with ASC showed similar deficits compared to neurotypical controls. However, in attention to detail and dexterity involving executive function, although males with ASC showed poorer performance relative to neurotypical males, females with ASC performed comparably to neurotypical females. We conclude that performance in the social-cognitive domain is equally impaired in male and female adults with ASC. However, in specific non-social cognitive domains, performance within ASC depends on sex. This suggests that in specific domains, cognitive profiles in ASC are modulated by sex. PMID:23094036

Testing domain general learning in an Australian lizard.

PubMed

Qi, Yin; Noble, Daniel W A; Fu, Jinzhong; Whiting, Martin J

2018-06-02

A key question in cognition is whether animals that are proficient in a specific cognitive domain (domain specific hypothesis), such as spatial learning, are also proficient in other domains (domain general hypothesis) or whether there is a trade-off. Studies testing among these hypotheses are biased towards mammals and birds. To understand constraints on the evolution of cognition more generally, we need broader taxonomic and phylogenetic coverage. We used Australian eastern water skinks (Eulamprus quoyii) with known spatial learning ability in three additional tasks: an instrumental and two discrimination tasks. Under domain specific learning we predicted that lizards that were good at spatial learning would perform less well in the discrimination tasks. Conversely, we predicted that lizards that did not meet our criterion for spatial learning would likewise perform better in discrimination tasks. Lizards with domain general learning should perform approximately equally well (or poorly) in these tasks. Lizards classified as spatial learners performed no differently to non-spatial learners in both the instrumental and discrimination learning tasks. Nevertheless, lizards were proficient in all tasks. Our results reveal two patterns: domain general learning in spatial learners and domain specific learning in non-spatial learners. We suggest that delineating learning into domain general and domain specific may be overly simplistic and we need to instead focus on individual variation in learning ability, which ultimately, is likely to play a key role in fitness. These results, in combination with previously published work on this species, suggests that this species has behavioral flexibility because they are competent across multiple cognitive domains and are capable of reversal learning.

Visualizing the Logistic Map with a Microcontroller

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serna, Juan D.; Joshi, Amitabh

2012-01-01

The logistic map is one of the simplest nonlinear dynamical systems that clearly exhibits the route to chaos. In this paper, we explore the evolution of the logistic map using an open-source microcontroller connected to an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). We divide the one-dimensional domain interval [0,1] into ten equal parts, an associate…

Mothers' and Teachers' Attributions of the Academic Functioning of Israeli Second Graders: A Comparison between Social Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korat, Ofra

2004-01-01

Mothers' and teachers' academic attributions of second graders (20 girls; 20 boys) were investigated. Children were recruited equally from high versus low SES schools. Mothers evaluated their own children and teachers evaluated 10 children in each of four classrooms -- compared to classmates -- in six domains: reading, writing, arithmetic, fine…

An Overview of Peace Education in Turkey: Definitions, Difficulties, and Suggestions--A Qualitative Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demir, Semra

2011-01-01

In modern world, advances and changes experienced in social, political, and economic domains cannot be effective in diminishing the unwanted behaviors displayed by individuals in a society. This underpins the need for creating a peace culture based on equality, justice, democracy, human rights, tolerance, and solidarity in a society. The purpose…

The Complexity of School Racial Climate: Reliability and Validity of a New Measure for Secondary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrd, Christy M.

2017-01-01

Background: The conceptualization of the role of race and culture in students' experience of school has been limited. This study presents a more comprehensive and multidimensional framework than previously conceptualized and includes the two domains of (1) intergroup interactions (frequency of interaction, quality of interaction, equal status, and…

Mathematics and Science Inequalities in the United Kingdom: When Elitism, Sexism and Culture Collide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boaler, Jo; Altendorff, Lori; Kent, Geoff

2011-01-01

An examination of gender, social class and ethnicity performance and participation patterns in different UK countries shows that inequities occur in relation to gender, class and ethnicity but that the patterns of inequity look quite different in the three domains. Achievement is equal for different genders but many more males take mathematics…

Order in the Universe: The Symmetry Principle.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foundation for Integrative Education, Inc., New York, NY.

The first two papers in this booklet provide a review of the pervasiveness of symmetry in nature and art, discussing how symmetry can be traced through every domain open to our understanding, from all aspects of nature to the special provinces of man; the checks and balances of government, the concept of equal justice, and the aesthetic ordering…

Exact extreme-value statistics at mixed-order transitions.

PubMed

Bar, Amir; Majumdar, Satya N; Schehr, Grégory; Mukamel, David

2016-05-01

We study extreme-value statistics for spatially extended models exhibiting mixed-order phase transitions (MOT). These are phase transitions that exhibit features common to both first-order (discontinuity of the order parameter) and second-order (diverging correlation length) transitions. We consider here the truncated inverse distance squared Ising model, which is a prototypical model exhibiting MOT, and study analytically the extreme-value statistics of the domain lengths The lengths of the domains are identically distributed random variables except for the global constraint that their sum equals the total system size L. In addition, the number of such domains is also a fluctuating variable, and not fixed. In the paramagnetic phase, we show that the distribution of the largest domain length l_{max} converges, in the large L limit, to a Gumbel distribution. However, at the critical point (for a certain range of parameters) and in the ferromagnetic phase, we show that the fluctuations of l_{max} are governed by novel distributions, which we compute exactly. Our main analytical results are verified by numerical simulations.

Stereo Sound Field Controller Design Using Partial Model Matching on the Frequency Domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumon, Makoto; Miike, Katsuhiro; Eguchi, Kazuki; Mizumoto, Ikuro; Iwai, Zenta

The objective of sound field control is to make the acoustic characteristics of a listening room close to those of the desired system. Conventional methods apply feedforward controllers, such as digital filters, to achieve this objective. However, feedback controllers are also necessary in order to attenuate noise or to compensate the uncertainty of the acoustic characteristics of the listening room. Since acoustic characteristics are well modeled on the frequency domain, it is efficient to design controllers with respect to frequency responses, but it is difficult to design a multi input multi output (MIMO) control system on a wide frequency domain. In the present study, a partial model matching method on the frequency domain was adopted because this method requires only sampled data, rather than complex mathematical models of the plant, in order to design controllers for MIMO systems. The partial model matching method was applied to design two-degree-of-freedom controllers for acoustic equalization and noise reduction. Experiments demonstrated effectiveness of the proposed method.

Malay public attitudes toward epilepsy (PATE) scale: translation and psychometric evaluation.

PubMed

Lim, Kheng Seang; Choo, Wan Yuen; Wu, Cathie; Tan, Chong Tin

2013-11-01

None of the quantitative scales for public attitudes toward epilepsy had been translated to Malay language. This study aimed to translate and test the validity and reliability of a Malay version of the Public Attitudes Toward Epilepsy (PATE) scale. The translation was performed according to standard principles and tested in 140 Malay-speaking adults aged more than 18 years for psychometric validation. The items in each domain had similar standard deviations (equal item variance), ranging from 0.90 to 1.00 in the personal domain and from 0.87 to 1.23 in the general domain. The correlation between an item and its domain was 0.4 and above for all items and was higher than the correlation with the other domain. Multitrait analysis showed that the Malay PATE had a similar variance, floor and ceiling effects, and relative relationship between the domains as the original PATE. The Malay PATE scale showed a similar correlation with almost all demographic variables except age. Item means were generally clustered in the factor analysis as the hypothesized domains, except those for items 1 and 2. The Cronbach's α values were within acceptable range (0.757 and 0.716 for the general and personal domains, respectively). The Malay PATE scale is a validated and reliable translated version for measuring public attitudes toward epilepsy. © 2013.

Light domain walls, massive neutrinos and the large scale structure of the Universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Massarotti, Alessandro

1991-01-01

Domain walls generated through a cosmological phase transition are considered, which interact nongravitationally with light neutrinos. At a redshift z greater than or equal to 10(exp 4), the network grows rapidly and is virtually decoupled from the matter. As the friction with the matter becomes dominant, a comoving network scale close to that of the comoving horizon scale at z of approximately 10(exp 4) gets frozen. During the later phases, the walls produce matter wakes of a thickness d of approximately 10h(exp -1)Mpc, that may become seeds for the formation of the large scale structure observed in the Universe.

The N domain of somatic angiotensin-converting enzyme negatively regulates ectodomain shedding and catalytic activity.

PubMed

Woodman, Zenda L; Schwager, Sylva L U; Redelinghuys, Pierre; Carmona, Adriana K; Ehlers, Mario R W; Sturrock, Edward D

2005-08-01

sACE (somatic angiotensin-converting enzyme) consists of two homologous, N and C domains, whereas the testis isoenzyme [tACE (testis ACE)] consists of a single C domain. Both isoenzymes are shed from the cell surface by a sheddase activity, although sACE is shed much less efficiently than tACE. We hypothesize that the N domain of sACE plays a regulatory role, by occluding a recognition motif on the C domain required for ectodomain shedding and by influencing the catalytic efficiency. To test this, we constructed two mutants: CNdom-ACE and CCdom-ACE. CNdom-ACE was shed less efficiently than sACE, whereas CCdom-ACE was shed as efficiently as tACE. Notably, cleavage occurred both within the stalk and the interdomain bridge in both mutants, suggesting that a sheddase recognition motif resides within the C domain and is capable of directly cleaving at both positions. Analysis of the catalytic properties of the mutants and comparison with sACE and tACE revealed that the k(cat) for sACE and CNdom-ACE was less than or equal to the sum of the kcat values for tACE and the N-domain, suggesting negative co-operativity, whereas the kcat value for the CCdom-ACE suggested positive co-operativity between the two domains. Taken together, the results provide support for (i) the existence of a sheddase recognition motif in the C domain and (ii) molecular flexibility of the N and C domains in sACE, resulting in occlusion of the C-domain recognition motif by the N domain as well as close contact of the two domains during hydrolysis of peptide substrates.

The N domain of somatic angiotensin-converting enzyme negatively regulates ectodomain shedding and catalytic activity

PubMed Central

Woodman, Zenda L.; Schwager, Sylva L. U.; Redelinghuys, Pierre; Carmona, Adriana K.; Ehlers, Mario R. W.; Sturrock, Edward D.

2005-01-01

sACE (somatic angiotensin-converting enzyme) consists of two homologous, N and C domains, whereas the testis isoenzyme [tACE (testis ACE)] consists of a single C domain. Both isoenzymes are shed from the cell surface by a sheddase activity, although sACE is shed much less efficiently than tACE. We hypothesize that the N domain of sACE plays a regulatory role, by occluding a recognition motif on the C domain required for ectodomain shedding and by influencing the catalytic efficiency. To test this, we constructed two mutants: CNdom-ACE and CCdom-ACE. CNdom-ACE was shed less efficiently than sACE, whereas CCdom-ACE was shed as efficiently as tACE. Notably, cleavage occurred both within the stalk and the interdomain bridge in both mutants, suggesting that a sheddase recognition motif resides within the C domain and is capable of directly cleaving at both positions. Analysis of the catalytic properties of the mutants and comparison with sACE and tACE revealed that the kcat for sACE and CNdom-ACE was less than or equal to the sum of the kcat values for tACE and the N-domain, suggesting negative co-operativity, whereas the kcat value for the CCdom-ACE suggested positive co-operativity between the two domains. Taken together, the results provide support for (i) the existence of a sheddase recognition motif in the C domain and (ii) molecular flexibility of the N and C domains in sACE, resulting in occlusion of the C-domain recognition motif by the N domain as well as close contact of the two domains during hydrolysis of peptide substrates. PMID:15813703

Design of integrated all optical digital to analog converter (DAC) using 2D photonic crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moniem, Tamer A.; El-Din, Eman S.

2017-11-01

A novel design of all optical 3 bit digital to analog (DAC) converter will be presented in this paper based on 2 Dimension photonic crystals (PhC). The proposed structure is based on the photonic crystal ring resonators (PCRR) with combining the nonlinear Kerr effect on the PCRR. The total size of the proposed optical 3 bit DAC is equal to 44 μm × 37 μm of 2D square lattice photonic crystals of silicon rods with refractive index equal to 3.4. The finite different time domain (FDTD) and Plane Wave Expansion (PWE) methods are used to back the overall operation of the proposed optical DAC.

An ambiguity principle for assigning protein structural domains.

PubMed

Postic, Guillaume; Ghouzam, Yassine; Chebrek, Romain; Gelly, Jean-Christophe

2017-01-01

Ambiguity is the quality of being open to several interpretations. For an image, it arises when the contained elements can be delimited in two or more distinct ways, which may cause confusion. We postulate that it also applies to the analysis of protein three-dimensional structure, which consists in dividing the molecule into subunits called domains. Because different definitions of what constitutes a domain can be used to partition a given structure, the same protein may have different but equally valid domain annotations. However, knowledge and experience generally displace our ability to accept more than one way to decompose the structure of an object-in this case, a protein. This human bias in structure analysis is particularly harmful because it leads to ignoring potential avenues of research. We present an automated method capable of producing multiple alternative decompositions of protein structure (web server and source code available at www.dsimb.inserm.fr/sword/). Our innovative algorithm assigns structural domains through the hierarchical merging of protein units, which are evolutionarily preserved substructures that describe protein architecture at an intermediate level, between domain and secondary structure. To validate the use of these protein units for decomposing protein structures into domains, we set up an extensive benchmark made of expert annotations of structural domains and including state-of-the-art domain parsing algorithms. The relevance of our "multipartitioning" approach is shown through numerous examples of applications covering protein function, evolution, folding, and structure prediction. Finally, we introduce a measure for the structural ambiguity of protein molecules.

Structure of the E2 DNA-binding domain from human papillomavirus serotype 31 at 2.4 A.

PubMed

Bussiere, D E; Kong, X; Egan, D A; Walter, K; Holzman, T F; Lindh, F; Robins, T; Giranda, V L

1998-11-01

The papillomaviruses are a family of small double-stranded DNA viruses which exclusively infect epithelial cells and stimulate the proliferation of those cells. A key protein within the papillomavirus life-cycle is known as the E2 (Early 2) protein and is responsible for regulating viral transcription from all viral promoters as well as for replication of the papillomavirus genome in tandem with another protein known as E1. The E2 protein itself consists of three functional domains: an N-terminal trans-activation domain, a proline-rich linker, and a C-terminal DNA-binding domain. The first crystal structure of the human papillomavirus, serotype 31 (HPV-31), E2 DNA-binding domain has been determined at 2.4 A resolution. The HPV DNA-binding domain monomer consists of two beta-alpha-beta repeats of approximately equal length and is arranged as to have an anti-parallel beta-sheet flanked by the two alpha-helices. The monomers form the functional in vivo dimer by association of the beta-sheets of each monomer so as to form an eight-stranded anti-parallel beta-barrel at the center of the dimer, with the alpha-helices lining the outside of the barrel. The overall structure of HVP-31 E2 DNA-binding domain is similar to both the bovine papillomavirus E2-binding domain and the Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen-1 DNA-binding domain.

Not all risks are created equal: A twin study and meta-analyses of risk taking across seven domains.

PubMed

Wang, X T Xiao-Tian; Zheng, Rui; Xuan, Yan-Hua; Chen, Jie; Li, Shu

2016-11-01

Humans routinely deal with both traditional and novel risks. Different kinds of risks have been a driving force for both evolutionary adaptations and personal development. This study explored the genetic and environmental influences on human risk taking in different task domains. Our approach was threefold. First, we integrated several scales of domain-specific risk-taking propensity and developed a synthetic scale, including both evolutionarily typical and modern risks in the following 7 domains: cooperation/competition, safety, reproduction, natural/physical risk, moral risk, financial risk, and gambling. Second, we conducted a twin study using the scale to estimate the contributions of genes and environment to risk taking in each of these 7 domains. Third, we conducted a series of meta-analyses of extant twin studies across the 7 risk domains. The results showed that individual differences in risk-taking propensity and its consistency across domains were mainly regulated by additive genetic influences and individually unique environmental experiences. The heritability estimates from the meta-analyses ranged from 29% in financial risk taking to 55% in safety. Supporting the notion of risk-domain specificity, both the behavioral and genetic correlations among the 7 domains were generally low. Among the relatively few correlations between pairs of risk domains, our analysis revealed a common genetic factor that regulates moral, financial, and natural/physical risk taking. This is the first effort to separate genetic and environmental influences on risk taking across multiple domains in a single study and integrate the findings of extant twin studies via a series of meta-analyses conducted in different task domains. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Birth and death of protein domains: A simple model of evolution explains power law behavior

PubMed Central

Karev, Georgy P; Wolf, Yuri I; Rzhetsky, Andrey Y; Berezovskaya, Faina S; Koonin, Eugene V

2002-01-01

Background Power distributions appear in numerous biological, physical and other contexts, which appear to be fundamentally different. In biology, power laws have been claimed to describe the distributions of the connections of enzymes and metabolites in metabolic networks, the number of interactions partners of a given protein, the number of members in paralogous families, and other quantities. In network analysis, power laws imply evolution of the network with preferential attachment, i.e. a greater likelihood of nodes being added to pre-existing hubs. Exploration of different types of evolutionary models in an attempt to determine which of them lead to power law distributions has the potential of revealing non-trivial aspects of genome evolution. Results A simple model of evolution of the domain composition of proteomes was developed, with the following elementary processes: i) domain birth (duplication with divergence), ii) death (inactivation and/or deletion), and iii) innovation (emergence from non-coding or non-globular sequences or acquisition via horizontal gene transfer). This formalism can be described as a birth, death and innovation model (BDIM). The formulas for equilibrium frequencies of domain families of different size and the total number of families at equilibrium are derived for a general BDIM. All asymptotics of equilibrium frequencies of domain families possible for the given type of models are found and their appearance depending on model parameters is investigated. It is proved that the power law asymptotics appears if, and only if, the model is balanced, i.e. domain duplication and deletion rates are asymptotically equal up to the second order. It is further proved that any power asymptotic with the degree not equal to -1 can appear only if the hypothesis of independence of the duplication/deletion rates on the size of a domain family is rejected. Specific cases of BDIMs, namely simple, linear, polynomial and rational models, are considered in details and the distributions of the equilibrium frequencies of domain families of different size are determined for each case. We apply the BDIM formalism to the analysis of the domain family size distributions in prokaryotic and eukaryotic proteomes and show an excellent fit between these empirical data and a particular form of the model, the second-order balanced linear BDIM. Calculation of the parameters of these models suggests surprisingly high innovation rates, comparable to the total domain birth (duplication) and elimination rates, particularly for prokaryotic genomes. Conclusions We show that a straightforward model of genome evolution, which does not explicitly include selection, is sufficient to explain the observed distributions of domain family sizes, in which power laws appear as asymptotic. However, for the model to be compatible with the data, there has to be a precise balance between domain birth, death and innovation rates, and this is likely to be maintained by selection. The developed approach is oriented at a mathematical description of evolution of domain composition of proteomes, but a simple reformulation could be applied to models of other evolving networks with preferential attachment. PMID:12379152

Birth and death of protein domains: a simple model of evolution explains power law behavior.

PubMed

Karev, Georgy P; Wolf, Yuri I; Rzhetsky, Andrey Y; Berezovskaya, Faina S; Koonin, Eugene V

2002-10-14

Power distributions appear in numerous biological, physical and other contexts, which appear to be fundamentally different. In biology, power laws have been claimed to describe the distributions of the connections of enzymes and metabolites in metabolic networks, the number of interactions partners of a given protein, the number of members in paralogous families, and other quantities. In network analysis, power laws imply evolution of the network with preferential attachment, i.e. a greater likelihood of nodes being added to pre-existing hubs. Exploration of different types of evolutionary models in an attempt to determine which of them lead to power law distributions has the potential of revealing non-trivial aspects of genome evolution. A simple model of evolution of the domain composition of proteomes was developed, with the following elementary processes: i) domain birth (duplication with divergence), ii) death (inactivation and/or deletion), and iii) innovation (emergence from non-coding or non-globular sequences or acquisition via horizontal gene transfer). This formalism can be described as a birth, death and innovation model (BDIM). The formulas for equilibrium frequencies of domain families of different size and the total number of families at equilibrium are derived for a general BDIM. All asymptotics of equilibrium frequencies of domain families possible for the given type of models are found and their appearance depending on model parameters is investigated. It is proved that the power law asymptotics appears if, and only if, the model is balanced, i.e. domain duplication and deletion rates are asymptotically equal up to the second order. It is further proved that any power asymptotic with the degree not equal to -1 can appear only if the hypothesis of independence of the duplication/deletion rates on the size of a domain family is rejected. Specific cases of BDIMs, namely simple, linear, polynomial and rational models, are considered in details and the distributions of the equilibrium frequencies of domain families of different size are determined for each case. We apply the BDIM formalism to the analysis of the domain family size distributions in prokaryotic and eukaryotic proteomes and show an excellent fit between these empirical data and a particular form of the model, the second-order balanced linear BDIM. Calculation of the parameters of these models suggests surprisingly high innovation rates, comparable to the total domain birth (duplication) and elimination rates, particularly for prokaryotic genomes. We show that a straightforward model of genome evolution, which does not explicitly include selection, is sufficient to explain the observed distributions of domain family sizes, in which power laws appear as asymptotic. However, for the model to be compatible with the data, there has to be a precise balance between domain birth, death and innovation rates, and this is likely to be maintained by selection. The developed approach is oriented at a mathematical description of evolution of domain composition of proteomes, but a simple reformulation could be applied to models of other evolving networks with preferential attachment.

Who Decided College Access in Chinese Secondary Education? Rural-Urban Inequality of Basic Education in Contemporary China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jian

2016-01-01

This paper investigates the rural-urban inequalities in basic education of contemporary China. The China Education Panel Survey (2013-2014) (CEPS) was utilized to analyze the gaps between rural and urban inequality in junior high schools in terms of three domains, which include the equalities of access, inputs, and outcomes. From the sociocultural…

Image Reconstruction from Sparse Irregular Intensity Interferometry Measurements of Fourier Magnitude

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

of baselines than would a pattern with equal spacing . Nevertheless, many of the telescope pairs have equivalent baselines resulting in...magnitude to a spatial domain representation of the object, sparse and irregular spacing of the measurements in the Fourier plane, and low SNR...any particular geometry of the telescope array configuration. Its inputs are a list of measurements, each

Paving the Way and Passing the Torch: Mentors' Motivation and Experience of Supporting Women in Optical Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kodate, Naonori; Kodate, Kashiko; Kodate, Takako

2014-01-01

The phenomenon of women's underrepresentation in engineering is well known. However, the slow progress in achieving better gender equality here compared with other domains has accentuated the "numbers" issue, while the quality aspects have been largely ignored. This study aims to shed light on both these aspects via the lens of mentors,…

Authorship Attribution in the E-mail Domain: A Study of the Effect of Size of Author Corpus and Topic on Accuracy of Identification

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

Wilhelm Fucks discriminated between authors using the average number of syllables per word and average distance between equal-syllabled words. He concluded...363–390, 1939. [4] Conrad Mascol. Curves of pauline and pseudo-pauline style. Unitarian Review, 1888. [5] Wilhelm Fucks . On mathmatical analysis of

Participation and integration from the perspective of persons with spinal cord injury from five European countries.

PubMed

Ruoranen, Kaisa; Post, Marcel W M; Juvalta, Sibylle; Reinhardt, Jan D

2015-03-01

To examine the subjective understanding of participation and integration of persons with spinal cord injuries from 5 European countries and to compare these findings with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)'s conceptualization of participation. Semi-structured interviews with 54 persons with acquired spinal cord injuries and 3 with spina bifida from 5 countries were examined using qualitative content analysis. Integration was most often associated with social acceptance and, furthermore, with ordinary performance, equality and freedom of choice. Participation was most often described as ordinary performance, with less emphasis on social acceptance and equality. However, participation and integration overlapped in people's narratives and were difficult to separate. The perception of participation and integration was largely similar across countries. In contrast to others, however, Finnish interviewees were more likely to associate participation with contributing to society. A variety of life domains was identified, of which recreation and leisure, work life, sports and going out were the most prevalent. While participation domains are well covered by the ICF, as is the notion of ordinary performance, interviewees also referred to a rights (e.g. acceptance) and duties (e.g. contribution) perspective.

Spin-Hall magnetoresistance in multidomain helical spiral systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aqeel, A.; Mostovoy, M.; van Wees, B. J.; Palstra, T. T. M.

2017-05-01

We study the spin-Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) in multidomain helical spiral magnet Cu2OSeO{{}3}| Pt heterostructures. We compare the SMR response of Cu2OSeO3 at 5 K, when the magnetic domains are almost frozen, to that at elevated temperatures, when domain walls move easily. At 5 K the SMR amplitude vanishes at low applied magnetic fields, while at 50 K it does not. This phenomenon can be explained by the effect of the magnetic field on the domain structure of Cu2OSeO3. At elevated temperatures the system can reach the thermodynamic equilibrium state, in which a single domain that has a minimal energy for a given field direction occupies the whole sample and gives rise to a nonzero SMR signal. In contrast at 5 K, the three types of domains with mutually orthogonal spiral wave vectors have equal volumes independent of the field direction, which leads to the cancellation of the SMR signal at low fields. In the single-domain conical spiral and collinear ferrimagnetic states, the angular and field dependence of the SMR is found to be same at all temperatures (T≤slant 50 K). This behavior can be understood within the framework of the SMR theory developed for collinear magnets.

Current-induced domain wall motion in permalloy nanowires with a rectangular cross-section

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

Ai, J. H.; Miao, B. F.; Sun, L.

2011-11-01

We performed micromagnetic simulations of the current-induced domain wall motion in permalloy nanowires with rectangular cross-section. In the absence of the nonadiabatic spin-transfer term, a threshold current, J{sub c} is required to drive the domain wall moving continuously. We find that J{sub c} is proportional to the maximum cross product of the demagnetization field and magnetization orientation of the domain wall and the domain wall width. With varying both the wire thickness and width, a minimum threshold current in the order of 10{sup 6} A/cm{sup 2} is obtained when the thickness is equivalent to the wire width. With the nonadiabaticmore » spin-transfer term, the calculated domain wall velocity {nu} equals to the adiabatic spin transfer velocity u when the current is far above the Walker limit J{sub w}. Below J{sub w}, {nu}=({beta}/{alpha})u, where {beta} is the nonadiabatic parameter and {alpha} is the damping factor. For different {beta}, we find the Walker limit can be scaled as J{sub w}=({alpha}/{beta}-{alpha})J{sub c}. Our simulations agree well with the one dimensional analytical calculation, suggesting the findings are the general behaviors of the systems in this particular geometry.« less

Filament assembly by Spire: key residues and concerted actin binding.

PubMed

Rasson, Amy S; Bois, Justin S; Pham, Duy Stephen L; Yoo, Haneul; Quinlan, Margot E

2015-02-27

The most recently identified class of actin nucleators, WASp homology domain 2 (WH2) nucleators, use tandem repeats of monomeric actin-binding WH2 domains to facilitate actin nucleation. WH2 domains are involved in a wide variety of actin regulatory activities. Structurally, they are expected to clash with interprotomer contacts within the actin filament. Thus, the discovery of their role in nucleation was surprising. Here we use Drosophila Spire (Spir) as a model system to investigate both how tandem WH2 domains can nucleate actin and what differentiates nucleating WH2-containing proteins from their non-nucleating counterparts. We found that the third WH2 domain in Spir (Spir-C or SC) plays a unique role. In the context of a short nucleation construct (containing only two WH2 domains), placement of SC in the N-terminal position was required for the most potent nucleation. We found that the native organization of the WH2 domains with respect to each other is necessary for binding to actin with positive cooperativity. We identified two residues within SC that are critical for its activity. Using this information, we were able to convert a weak synthetic nucleator into one with activity equal to a native Spir construct. Lastly, we found evidence that SC binds actin filaments, in addition to monomers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protein-phosphotyrosine proteome profiling by superbinder-SH2 domain affinity purification mass spectrometry, sSH2-AP-MS.

PubMed

Tong, Jiefei; Cao, Biyin; Martyn, Gregory D; Krieger, Jonathan R; Taylor, Paul; Yates, Bradley; Sidhu, Sachdev S; Li, Shawn S C; Mao, Xinliang; Moran, Michael F

2017-03-01

Recently, "superbinder" SH2 domain variants with three amino acid substitutions (sSH2) were reported to have 100-fold or greater affinity for protein-phosphotyrosine (pY) than natural SH2 domains. Here we report a protocol in which His-tagged Src sSH2 efficiently captures pY-peptides from protease-digested HeLa cell total protein extracts. Affinity purification of pY-peptides by this method shows little bias for pY-proximal amino acid sequences, comparable to that achieved by using antibodies to pY, but with equal or higher yield. Superbinder-SH2 affinity purification mass spectrometry (sSH2-AP-MS) therefore provides an efficient and economical approach for unbiased pY-directed phospho-proteome profiling without the use of antibodies. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Stress fields around two pores in an elastic body: exact quadrature domain solutions.

PubMed

Crowdy, Darren

2015-08-08

Analytical solutions are given for the stress fields, in both compression and far-field shear, in a two-dimensional elastic body containing two interacting non-circular pores. The two complex potentials governing the solutions are found by using a conformal mapping from a pre-image annulus with those potentials expressed in terms of the Schottky-Klein prime function for the annulus. Solutions for a three-parameter family of elastic bodies with two equal symmetric pores are presented and the compressibility of a special family of pore pairs is studied in detail. The methodology extends to two unequal pores. The importance for boundary value problems of plane elasticity of a special class of planar domains known as quadrature domains is also elucidated. This observation provides the route to generalization of the mathematical approach here to finding analytical solutions for the stress fields in bodies containing any finite number of pores.

(Un)organizing equal collaboration between users and professionals: on management of patient education in Norway.

PubMed

Stokken, Roar

2013-03-01

This is an article about how patient education is managed in Norway, but it also addresses a matter of broader relevance that of how an organization imbued with a request for rational choices is able to take on board a contradictory ideology. In Norway, patient education under the auspice of hospitals is to be conducted as an equal collaboration between users and professionals, posing challenges to the ethos of rationally justified choices within the hospital sector. This calls for an exploration of how the organization copes with the contradictory demands. A theoretical approach on the basis of theories from Scandinavian institutional theory and science and technology studies, informed by documents, interviews and experiences from national, regional and local levels in Norway. The field of patient education is divided into three decoupled domains: one at management level, one at the practical level, and in the middle a domain that acts as an interface between management and practice. This interface mediates the relationship between ideas and practice, without making overt the fact that ideas might not be possible to put into practice and that practice might not reflect ideas. The decoupling of practice and management allows patient education as equal collaboration between users and professionals to thrive as an idea, not subjugated by practical challenges. Thus, it can exist as a guiding star that both management and practitioners can attune to, but this situation might now be threatened by the demand for quality assurance in the field. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

(Un)organizing equal collaboration between users and professionals: on management of patient education in Norway

PubMed Central

Stokken, Roar

2011-01-01

Abstract Background  This is an article about how patient education is managed in Norway, but it also addresses a matter of broader relevance that of how an organization imbued with a request for rational choices is able to take on board a contradictory ideology. In Norway, patient education under the auspice of hospitals is to be conducted as an equal collaboration between users and professionals, posing challenges to the ethos of rationally justified choices within the hospital sector. This calls for an exploration of how the organization copes with the contradictory demands. Methods  A theoretical approach on the basis of theories from Scandinavian institutional theory and science and technology studies, informed by documents, interviews and experiences from national, regional and local levels in Norway. Discussion  The field of patient education is divided into three decoupled domains: one at management level, one at the practical level, and in the middle a domain that acts as an interface between management and practice. This interface mediates the relationship between ideas and practice, without making overt the fact that ideas might not be possible to put into practice and that practice might not reflect ideas. Conclusions  The decoupling of practice and management allows patient education as equal collaboration between users and professionals to thrive as an idea, not subjugated by practical challenges. Thus, it can exist as a guiding star that both management and practitioners can attune to, but this situation might now be threatened by the demand for quality assurance in the field. PMID:21624027

Negation’s Not Solved: Generalizability Versus Optimizability in Clinical Natural Language Processing

PubMed Central

Wu, Stephen; Miller, Timothy; Masanz, James; Coarr, Matt; Halgrim, Scott; Carrell, David; Clark, Cheryl

2014-01-01

A review of published work in clinical natural language processing (NLP) may suggest that the negation detection task has been “solved.” This work proposes that an optimizable solution does not equal a generalizable solution. We introduce a new machine learning-based Polarity Module for detecting negation in clinical text, and extensively compare its performance across domains. Using four manually annotated corpora of clinical text, we show that negation detection performance suffers when there is no in-domain development (for manual methods) or training data (for machine learning-based methods). Various factors (e.g., annotation guidelines, named entity characteristics, the amount of data, and lexical and syntactic context) play a role in making generalizability difficult, but none completely explains the phenomenon. Furthermore, generalizability remains challenging because it is unclear whether to use a single source for accurate data, combine all sources into a single model, or apply domain adaptation methods. The most reliable means to improve negation detection is to manually annotate in-domain training data (or, perhaps, manually modify rules); this is a strategy for optimizing performance, rather than generalizing it. These results suggest a direction for future work in domain-adaptive and task-adaptive methods for clinical NLP. PMID:25393544

Quality of life of victims of intimate partner violence.

PubMed

Leung, T W; Leung, W C; Ng, E H Y; Ho, P C

2005-09-01

To evaluate the impact of intimate partner violence on the quality of life in Obstetric/Gynecological (OBGYN) patients. A total of 1614 OBGYN patients were classified into four groups (Group 1: requesting termination of pregnancy, n=300; Group 2: infertility patients, n=500; Group 3: other general gynecological patients, n=300; Group 4: obstetric patients, n=514) were successfully interviewed in the absence of their male partners, using a structured questionnaire modified from the Abuse Assessment Screen Questionnaire. Those who reported ever having been abused, together with an equal number of non-abused women as controls, were asked to complete the World Health Organization Quality of Life Measure - Abbreviated version (Hong Kong) Questionnaire. The overall lifetime prevalence of intimate partner violence was 7.2%, with the lifetime prevalence being 12.7%, 1.8%, 4.7%, and 10.9% respectively in Groups 1-4. The mean quality of life domain scores among the abused victims were significantly lower in the physical health domain, social relationship domain, environment domain and psychological health domain. The baseline quality of life of the victims of intimate partner violence is significantly impaired compared with the non-abused controls.

Curvature perturbation and domain wall formation with pseudo scaling scalar dynamics

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

Ema, Yohei; Nakayama, Kazunori; Takimoto, Masahiro, E-mail: ema@hep-th.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp, E-mail: kazunori@hep-th.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp, E-mail: takimoto@hep-th.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp

2016-02-01

Cosmological dynamics of scalar field with a monomial potential φ{sup n} with a general background equation of state is revisited. It is known that if n is smaller than a critical value, the scalar field exhibits a coherent oscillation and if n is larger it obeys a scaling solution without oscillation. We study in detail the case where n is equal to the critical value, and find a peculiar scalar dynamics which is neither oscillating nor scaling solution, and we call it a pseudo scaling solution. We also discuss cosmological implications of a pseudo scaling scalar dynamics, such as themore » curvature perturbation and the domain wall problem.« less

Spatially dispersive finite-difference time-domain analysis of sub-wavelength imaging by the wire medium slabs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yan; Belov, Pavel A.; Hao, Yang

2006-06-01

In this paper, a spatially dispersive finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method to model wire media is developed and validated. Sub-wavelength imaging properties of the finite wire medium slabs are examined. It is demonstrated that the slab with its thickness equal to an integer number of half-wavelengths is capable of transporting images with sub-wavelength resolution from one interface of the slab to another. It is also shown that the operation of such transmission devices is not sensitive to their transverse dimensions, which can be made even comparable to the wavelength. In this case, the edge diffractions are negligible and do not disturb the image formation.

Fairness of QoS supporting in optical burst switching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xuan, Xuelei; Liu, Hua; Chen, Chunfeng; Zhang, Zhizhong

2004-04-01

In this paper we investigate the fairness problem of offset-time-based quality of service (QoS) scheme proposed by Qiao and Dixit in optical burst switching (OBS) networks. In the proposed schemes, QoS relies on the fact that the requests for reservation further into the future, but for practical, benchmark offset-time of data bursts at the intermediate nodes is not equal to each other. Here, a new offset-time-based QoS scheme is introduced, where data bursts are classified according to their offset-time and isolated in the wavelength domain or time domain to achieve the parallel reservation. Through simulation, it is found that this scheme achieves fairness among data bursts with different priority.

The Power of Poincaré: Elucidating the Hidden Symmetries in Focal Conic Domains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Elisabetta A.; Alexander, Gareth P.; Chen, Bryan Gin-Ge; Kamien, Randall D.

2011-03-01

Focal conic domains are typically the ``smoking gun'' by which smectic liquid crystalline phases are identified. The geometry of the equally spaced smectic layers is highly generic but, at the same time, difficult to work with. We develop an approach to the study of focal sets in smectics which exploits a hidden Poincaré symmetry revealed only by viewing the smectic layers as projections from one-higher dimension. We use this perspective to shed light upon the concentric cyclides of Dupin and several classic focal conic textures which exhibit a more widespread level of geometric organization as in Friedel's law of corresponding cones, the networks and trellises expounded by Bouligand, or Apollonian packings.

The unhappy marriage of religion and politics: problems and pitfalls for gender equality.

PubMed

Razavi, Shahra; Jenichen, Anne

2010-01-01

This article explores how religion as a political force shapes and deflects the struggle for gender equality in contexts marked by different histories of nation building and challenges of ethnic diversity, different state-society relations (from the more authoritarian to the more democratic), and different relations between state power and religion (especially in the domain of marriage, family and personal laws). It shows how 'private' issues, related to the family, sexuality and reproduction, have become sites of intense public contestation between conservative religious actors wishing to regulate them based on some transcendent moral principle, and feminist and other human rights advocates basing their claims on pluralist and time- and context-specific solutions. Not only are claims of 'divine truth' justifying discriminatory practices against women hard to challenge, but the struggle for gender equality is further complicated by the manner in which it is closely tied up with, and inseparable from, struggles for social and economic justice, ethnic/racial recognition, and national self-determination vis--vis imperial/global domination.

Visibility Equalizer Cutaway Visualization of Mesoscopic Biological Models.

PubMed

Le Muzic, M; Mindek, P; Sorger, J; Autin, L; Goodsell, D; Viola, I

2016-06-01

In scientific illustrations and visualization, cutaway views are often employed as an effective technique for occlusion management in densely packed scenes. We propose a novel method for authoring cutaway illustrations of mesoscopic biological models. In contrast to the existing cutaway algorithms, we take advantage of the specific nature of the biological models. These models consist of thousands of instances with a comparably smaller number of different types. Our method constitutes a two stage process. In the first step, clipping objects are placed in the scene, creating a cutaway visualization of the model. During this process, a hierarchical list of stacked bars inform the user about the instance visibility distribution of each individual molecular type in the scene. In the second step, the visibility of each molecular type is fine-tuned through these bars, which at this point act as interactive visibility equalizers. An evaluation of our technique with domain experts confirmed that our equalizer-based approach for visibility specification was valuable and effective for both, scientific and educational purposes.

Visibility Equalizer Cutaway Visualization of Mesoscopic Biological Models

PubMed Central

Le Muzic, M.; Mindek, P.; Sorger, J.; Autin, L.; Goodsell, D.; Viola, I.

2017-01-01

In scientific illustrations and visualization, cutaway views are often employed as an effective technique for occlusion management in densely packed scenes. We propose a novel method for authoring cutaway illustrations of mesoscopic biological models. In contrast to the existing cutaway algorithms, we take advantage of the specific nature of the biological models. These models consist of thousands of instances with a comparably smaller number of different types. Our method constitutes a two stage process. In the first step, clipping objects are placed in the scene, creating a cutaway visualization of the model. During this process, a hierarchical list of stacked bars inform the user about the instance visibility distribution of each individual molecular type in the scene. In the second step, the visibility of each molecular type is fine-tuned through these bars, which at this point act as interactive visibility equalizers. An evaluation of our technique with domain experts confirmed that our equalizer-based approach for visibility specification was valuable and effective for both, scientific and educational purposes. PMID:28344374

An ambiguity principle for assigning protein structural domains

PubMed Central

Postic, Guillaume; Ghouzam, Yassine; Chebrek, Romain; Gelly, Jean-Christophe

2017-01-01

Ambiguity is the quality of being open to several interpretations. For an image, it arises when the contained elements can be delimited in two or more distinct ways, which may cause confusion. We postulate that it also applies to the analysis of protein three-dimensional structure, which consists in dividing the molecule into subunits called domains. Because different definitions of what constitutes a domain can be used to partition a given structure, the same protein may have different but equally valid domain annotations. However, knowledge and experience generally displace our ability to accept more than one way to decompose the structure of an object—in this case, a protein. This human bias in structure analysis is particularly harmful because it leads to ignoring potential avenues of research. We present an automated method capable of producing multiple alternative decompositions of protein structure (web server and source code available at www.dsimb.inserm.fr/sword/). Our innovative algorithm assigns structural domains through the hierarchical merging of protein units, which are evolutionarily preserved substructures that describe protein architecture at an intermediate level, between domain and secondary structure. To validate the use of these protein units for decomposing protein structures into domains, we set up an extensive benchmark made of expert annotations of structural domains and including state-of-the-art domain parsing algorithms. The relevance of our “multipartitioning” approach is shown through numerous examples of applications covering protein function, evolution, folding, and structure prediction. Finally, we introduce a measure for the structural ambiguity of protein molecules. PMID:28097215

Group therapy task training versus individual task training during inpatient stroke rehabilitation: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Renner, Caroline Ie; Outermans, Jacqueline; Ludwig, Ricarda; Brendel, Christiane; Kwakkel, Gert; Hummelsheim, Horst

2016-07-01

To compare the efficacy of intensive daily applied progressive group therapy task training with equally dosed individual progressive task training on self-reported mobility for patients with moderate to severe stroke during inpatient rehabilitation. Randomized controlled clinical trial. In-patient rehabilitation center. A total of 73 subacute patients with stroke who were not able to walk without physical assistance at randomisation. Patients were allocated to group therapy task training (GT) or individual task training (IT). Both interventions were intended to improve walking competency and comprised 30 sessions of 90 minutes over six weeks. Primary outcome was the mobility domain of the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS-3.0). Secondary outcomes were the other domains of SIS-3.0, standing balance, gait speed, walking distance, stair climbing, fatigue, anxiety and depression. No adverse events were reported in either arm of the trial. There were no significant differences between groups for the SIS mobility domain at the end of the intervention (Z= -0.26, P = 0.79). No significant differences between groups were found in gait speed improvements (GT:0.38 ±0.23; IT:0.26±0.35), any other gait related parameters, or in non-physical outcomes such as depression and fatigue. Inpatient group therapy task training for patients with moderate to severe stroke is safe and equally effective as a dose-matched individual task training therapy. Group therapy task training may be delivered as an alternative to individual therapy or as valuable adjunct to increase time spent in gait-related activities. © The Author(s) 2015.

A Revised Spanish/English Oral Proficiency Test, 1974 Field Test Results. Research and Development Memorandum No. 134.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramirez, Arnulfo G.; Politzer, Robert L.

A revised Spanish/English oral-proficiency test battery was administered to 40 Spanish-surnamed pupils equally divided by sex at grade levels 1, 3, 5, and 7. The test battery included parallel Spanish and English versions of: (1) a 12-item vocabulary pretest, (2) a 32-item vocabulary-by-domain test consisting of four sections--home, neighborhood,…

Assessing Does Not Mean Threatening: The Purpose of Assessment as a Key Determinant of Girls' and Boys' Performance in a Science Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Souchal, Carine; Toczek, Marie-Christine; Darnon, Céline; Smeding, Annique; Butera, Fabrizio; Martinot, Delphine

2014-01-01

Background: Is it possible to reach performance equality between boys and girls in a science class? Given the stereotypes targeting their groups in scientific domains, diagnostic contexts generally lower girls' performance and non-diagnostic contexts may harm boys' performance. Aim: The present study tested the effectiveness of a…

Mechanism of and relation between the sorption and desorption of nonylphenol on black carbon-inclusive sediment.

PubMed

Liping, Lou; Guanghuan, Cheng; Jingyou, Deng; Mingyang, Sun; Huanyu, Chen; Qiang, Yang; Xinhua, Xu

2014-07-01

Correlation between the sorption and desorption of nonylphenol (NP) and binary linear regression were conducted to reveal the underlying mechanism of and relation between sorption domains and desorption sites in black carbon (BC)-amended sediment. The sorption and desorption data could be fitted well using dual-mode (R(2) = 0.971-0.996) and modified two-domain model (R(2) = 0.986-0.995), respectively, and there were good correlations between these two parts of parameters (R(2) = 0.884-0.939, P < 0.01). The NP percentage in desorbable fraction was almost equal to that of the partition fraction, suggesting the desorbed NP came from linear partition domain, whereas the resistant desorption NP was segregated in nonlinear adsorption sites, which were dominated by pores in BC-amended sediment. Our investigation refined theory about the relation between sorption domains and desorption sites in sediment and could be used to predict the release risk of NP using sorption data when BC is used for NP pollution control. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Building a patchwork - The yeast plasma membrane as model to study lateral domain formation.

PubMed

Schuberth, Christian; Wedlich-Söldner, Roland

2015-04-01

The plasma membrane (PM) has to fulfill a wide range of biological functions including selective uptake of substances, signal transduction and modulation of cell polarity and cell shape. To allow efficient regulation of these processes many resident proteins and lipids of the PM are laterally segregated into different functional domains. A particularly striking example of lateral segregation has been described for the budding yeast PM, where integral membrane proteins as well as lipids exhibit very slow translational mobility and form a patchwork of many overlapping micron-sized domains. Here we discuss the molecular and physical mechanisms contributing to the formation of a multi-domain membrane and review our current understanding of yeast PM organization. Many of the fundamental principles underlying membrane self-assembly and organization identified in yeast are expected to equally hold true in other organisms, even for the more transient and elusive organization of the PM in mammalian cells. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Nanoscale membrane organisation and signalling. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spirituality and wellbeing in later life: a multidimensional approach.

PubMed

Lifshitz, Rinat; Nimrod, Galit; Bachner, Yaacov G

2018-04-18

Previous studies pointed at positive associations between spirituality and Subjective Wellbeing (SWB) in later life, but were typically limited to one dimension of spirituality and/or one measure of SWB. Applying Fisher's (2010) multidimensional approach to spirituality and measuring both positive and negative aspects of SWB, this study aims at providing deeper understanding of this association. The study was based on an online survey with 306 individuals aged 50 years and over. The questionnaire included the SHALOM spirituality scale as well as measures of depression, satisfaction with life, and personal background. Personal and communal spirituality were the most dominant domains reported by study participants, followed by environmental spirituality. Transcendental spirituality was the least reported domain. Personal spirituality was the only domain positively associated with SWB (lower depression and higher life satisfaction), whereas communal and transcendental spirituality were associated with more depression. These findings demonstrate that not all spirituality domains are equally dominant in people's lives or positively associate with SWB. They also suggest that encouraging elderly people to develop their personal spirituality and self-growth may contribute to their wellbeing.

Parallel-Processing Equalizers for Multi-Gbps Communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gray, Andrew; Ghuman, Parminder; Hoy, Scott; Satorius, Edgar H.

2004-01-01

Architectures have been proposed for the design of frequency-domain least-mean-square complex equalizers that would be integral parts of parallel- processing digital receivers of multi-gigahertz radio signals and other quadrature-phase-shift-keying (QPSK) or 16-quadrature-amplitude-modulation (16-QAM) of data signals at rates of multiple gigabits per second. Equalizers as used here denotes receiver subsystems that compensate for distortions in the phase and frequency responses of the broad-band radio-frequency channels typically used to convey such signals. The proposed architectures are suitable for realization in very-large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuitry and, in particular, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) application- specific integrated circuits (ASICs) operating at frequencies lower than modulation symbol rates. A digital receiver of the type to which the proposed architecture applies (see Figure 1) would include an analog-to-digital converter (A/D) operating at a rate, fs, of 4 samples per symbol period. To obtain the high speed necessary for sampling, the A/D and a 1:16 demultiplexer immediately following it would be constructed as GaAs integrated circuits. The parallel-processing circuitry downstream of the demultiplexer, including a demodulator followed by an equalizer, would operate at a rate of only fs/16 (in other words, at 1/4 of the symbol rate). The output from the equalizer would be four parallel streams of in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) samples.

Metallofullerenol Gd@C82(OH)22 distracts the proline-rich-motif from putative binding on the SH3 domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Seung-Gu; Huynh, Tien; Zhou, Ruhong

2013-03-01

Biocompatibility is often regarded as one important aspect of de novo designed nanomaterials for biosafety. However, the toxicological effect, appearing along with its latency, is much more difficult to address by linearly mapping physicochemical properties of related nanomaterials with biological effects such as immune or cellular regulatory responses due to the complicated protein-protein interactions. Here, we investigate a potential interference of a metallofullerenol, Gd@C82(OH)22, on the function of SH3 domain, a highly promiscuous protein-protein interaction mediator involved in signaling and regulatory pathways through its binding with the proline-rich motif (PRM) peptides, using the atomistic molecular dynamics simulation. Our study shows that when only Gd@C82(OH)22 and the SH3 domain are present (without the PRM ligand), Gd@C82(OH)22 can interact with the SH3 domain by either directly blocking the hydrophobic active site or binding with a hydrophilic off-site with almost equal probability, which can be understood from its intrinsic amphiphilic nature. In a binding competition with the PRM onto the SH3 domain, however, the on-site binding mode is depleted while Gd@C82(OH)22 effectively intercepts the PRM from the putative binding site of the SH3 domain, implying that Gd@C82(OH)22 can disturb protein-protein interactions mediated by the SH3 domain. Despite a successful surface modification in an aqueous biological medium and a more recent demonstration as potential de novo cancer therapeutics, our study indicates that greater attention is needed in assessing the potential cytotoxicity of these nanomaterials.Biocompatibility is often regarded as one important aspect of de novo designed nanomaterials for biosafety. However, the toxicological effect, appearing along with its latency, is much more difficult to address by linearly mapping physicochemical properties of related nanomaterials with biological effects such as immune or cellular regulatory responses due to the complicated protein-protein interactions. Here, we investigate a potential interference of a metallofullerenol, Gd@C82(OH)22, on the function of SH3 domain, a highly promiscuous protein-protein interaction mediator involved in signaling and regulatory pathways through its binding with the proline-rich motif (PRM) peptides, using the atomistic molecular dynamics simulation. Our study shows that when only Gd@C82(OH)22 and the SH3 domain are present (without the PRM ligand), Gd@C82(OH)22 can interact with the SH3 domain by either directly blocking the hydrophobic active site or binding with a hydrophilic off-site with almost equal probability, which can be understood from its intrinsic amphiphilic nature. In a binding competition with the PRM onto the SH3 domain, however, the on-site binding mode is depleted while Gd@C82(OH)22 effectively intercepts the PRM from the putative binding site of the SH3 domain, implying that Gd@C82(OH)22 can disturb protein-protein interactions mediated by the SH3 domain. Despite a successful surface modification in an aqueous biological medium and a more recent demonstration as potential de novo cancer therapeutics, our study indicates that greater attention is needed in assessing the potential cytotoxicity of these nanomaterials. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr33756a

Use of inequality constrained least squares estimation in small area estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abeygunawardana, R. A. B.; Wickremasinghe, W. N.

2017-05-01

Traditional surveys provide estimates that are based only on the sample observations collected for the population characteristic of interest. However, these estimates may have unacceptably large variance for certain domains. Small Area Estimation (SAE) deals with determining precise and accurate estimates for population characteristics of interest for such domains. SAE usually uses least squares or maximum likelihood procedures incorporating prior information and current survey data. Many available methods in SAE use constraints in equality form. However there are practical situations where certain inequality restrictions on model parameters are more realistic. It will lead to Inequality Constrained Least Squares (ICLS) estimates if the method used is least squares. In this study ICLS estimation procedure is applied to many proposed small area estimates.

Gender and stereotypes in motivation to study computer programming for careers in multimedia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doubé, Wendy; Lang, Catherine

2012-03-01

A multimedia university programme with relatively equal numbers of male and female students in elective programming subjects provided a rare opportunity to investigate female motivation to study and pursue computer programming in a career. The MSLQ was used to survey 85 participants. In common with research into deterrence of females from STEM domains, females displayed significantly lower self-efficacy and expectancy for success. In contrast to research into deterrence of females from STEM domains, both genders placed similar high values on computer programming and shared high extrinsic and intrinsic goal orientation. The authors propose that the stereotype associated with a creative multimedia career could attract female participation in computer programming whereas the stereotype associated with computer science could be a deterrent.

The envelope of ballistic trajectories and elliptic orbits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butikov, Eugene I.

2015-11-01

Simple geometric derivations are given for the shape of the "safety domain" boundary for the family of Keplerian orbits of equal energy in a central gravitational field and for projectile trajectories in a uniform field. Examples of practical uses of the envelope of the family of orbits are discussed and illustrated by computer simulations. This material is appropriate for physics teachers and undergraduate students studying classical mechanics and orbital motions.

All framing effects are not created equal: Low convergent validity between two classic measurements of framing

PubMed Central

Zhen, Shanshan; Yu, Rongjun

2016-01-01

Human risk-taking attitudes can be influenced by two logically equivalent but descriptively different frames, termed the framing effect. The classic hypothetical vignette-based task (Asian disease problem) and a recently developed reward-based gambling task have been widely used to assess individual differences in the framing effect. Previous studies treat framing bias as a stable trait that has genetic basis. However, these two paradigms differ in terms of task domain (loss vs. gain) and task context (vignette-based vs. reward-based) and the convergent validity of these measurements remains unknown. Here, we developed a vignette-based task and a gambling task in both gain and loss domains and tested correlations of the framing effect among these tasks in 159 young adults. Our results revealed no significant correlation between the vignette-based task in the loss domain and the gambling task in the gain domain, indicating low convergent validity. The current findings raise the question of how to measure the framing effect precisely, especially in individual difference studies using large samples and expensive neuroscience methods. Our results suggest that the framing effect is influenced by both task domain and task context and future research should be cautious about the operationalization of the framing effect. PMID:27436680

Eisosomes Are Dynamic Plasma Membrane Domains Showing Pil1-Lsp1 Heteroligomer Binding Equilibrium

PubMed Central

Olivera-Couto, Agustina; Salzman, Valentina; Mailhos, Milagros; Digman, Michelle A.; Gratton, Enrico; Aguilar, Pablo S.

2015-01-01

Eisosomes are plasma membrane domains concentrating lipids, transporters, and signaling molecules. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, these domains are structured by scaffolds composed mainly by two cytoplasmic proteins Pil1 and Lsp1. Eisosomes are immobile domains, have relatively uniform size, and encompass thousands of units of the core proteins Pil1 and Lsp1. In this work we used fluorescence fluctuation analytical methods to determine the dynamics of eisosome core proteins at different subcellular locations. Using a combination of scanning techniques with autocorrelation analysis, we show that Pil1 and Lsp1 cytoplasmic pools freely diffuse whereas an eisosome-associated fraction of these proteins exhibits slow dynamics that fit with a binding-unbinding equilibrium. Number and brightness analysis shows that the eisosome-associated fraction is oligomeric, while cytoplasmic pools have lower aggregation states. Fluorescence lifetime imaging results indicate that Pil1 and Lsp1 directly interact in the cytoplasm and within the eisosomes. These results support a model where Pil1-Lsp1 heterodimers are the minimal eisosomes building blocks. Moreover, individual-eisosome fluorescence fluctuation analysis shows that eisosomes in the same cell are not equal domains: while roughly half of them are mostly static, the other half is actively exchanging core protein subunits. PMID:25863055

All framing effects are not created equal: Low convergent validity between two classic measurements of framing.

PubMed

Zhen, Shanshan; Yu, Rongjun

2016-07-20

Human risk-taking attitudes can be influenced by two logically equivalent but descriptively different frames, termed the framing effect. The classic hypothetical vignette-based task (Asian disease problem) and a recently developed reward-based gambling task have been widely used to assess individual differences in the framing effect. Previous studies treat framing bias as a stable trait that has genetic basis. However, these two paradigms differ in terms of task domain (loss vs. gain) and task context (vignette-based vs. reward-based) and the convergent validity of these measurements remains unknown. Here, we developed a vignette-based task and a gambling task in both gain and loss domains and tested correlations of the framing effect among these tasks in 159 young adults. Our results revealed no significant correlation between the vignette-based task in the loss domain and the gambling task in the gain domain, indicating low convergent validity. The current findings raise the question of how to measure the framing effect precisely, especially in individual difference studies using large samples and expensive neuroscience methods. Our results suggest that the framing effect is influenced by both task domain and task context and future research should be cautious about the operationalization of the framing effect.

The prion-like domain of FUS is multiphosphorylated following DNA damage without altering nuclear localization.

PubMed

Rhoads, Shannon N; Monahan, Zachary T; Yee, Debra S; Leung, Andrew Y; Newcombe, Cameron G; O'Meally, Robert N; Cole, Robert N; Shewmaker, Frank P

2018-06-13

FUS is an abundant, predominantly nuclear protein involved in RNA processing. Under various conditions, FUS functionally associates with RNA and other macromolecules to form distinct, reversible phase-separated liquid structures. Persistence of the phase-separated state and increased cytoplasmic localization are both hypothesized to predispose FUS to irreversible aggregation, which is a pathological hallmark of subtypes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. We previously showed that phosphorylation of FUS's prion-like domain suppressed phase separation and toxic aggregation, proportionally to the number of added phosphates. However, phosphorylation of FUS's prion-like domain was previously reported to promote its cytoplasmic localization, potentially favoring pathological behavior. Here, we used mass spectrometry and human cell models to further identify phosphorylation sites within FUS's prion-like domain, specifically following DNA-damaging stress. In total, 28 putative sites have been identified, about half of which are DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) consensus sites. Custom antibodies were developed to confirm the phosphorylation of two of these sites (Ser26 and Ser30). Both sites were usually phosphorylated in a sub-population of cellular FUS following a variety of DNA-damaging stresses, but not necessarily equally or simultaneously. Importantly, we found DNA-PK-dependent multi-phosphorylation of FUS's prion-like domain does not cause cytoplasmic localization.

A study of the tolerance block approach to special stratification. [winter wheat in Kansas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, W. (Principal Investigator)

1979-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Twelve winter wheat LACIE segments in Kansas were used to compare the performance of three clustering methods: (1) BCLUST, which uses a spectral distance function to accumulate clusters; (2) blocks-alone, which divides spectral space into equally populated blocks; and (3) block-seeds, which uses spectral means of blocks-alone as seeds for accumulating distance-type clusters. Both BCLUST and block-seeds performed equally well and outperformed blocks-alone significantly. Their average variance ratio of about 0.5 showed imperfect separation of wheat from non-wheat. This result points to the need to explore the achievable crop separability in the spectral/temporal domain, and suggest evaluating derived features rather than data channels as a means to achieve purer spectral strata.

A Recyclable Cu-MOF-74 Catalyst for the Ligand-Free O-Arylation Reaction of 4-Nitrobenzaldehyde and Phenol

PubMed Central

Leo, Pedro; Orcajo, Gisela; Briones, David; Calleja, Guillermo; Sánchez-Sánchez, Manuel; Martínez, Fernando

2017-01-01

The activity and recyclability of Cu-MOF-74 as a catalyst was studied for the ligand-free C–O cross-coupling reaction of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde (NB) with phenol (Ph) to form 4-formyldiphenyl ether (FDE). Cu-MOF-74 is characterized by having unsaturated copper sites in a highly porous metal-organic framework. The influence of solvent, reaction temperature, NB/Ph ratio, catalyst concentration, and basic agent (type and concentration) were evaluated. High conversions were achieved at 120 °C, 5 mol % of catalyst, NB/Ph ratio of 1:2, DMF as solvent, and 1 equivalent of K2CO3 base. The activity of Cu-MOF-74 material was higher than other ligand-free copper catalytic systems tested in this study. This catalyst was easily separated and reused in five successive runs, achieving a remarkable performance without significant porous framework degradation. The leaching of copper species in the reaction medium was negligible. The O-arylation between NB and Ph took place only in the presence of Cu-MOF-74 material, being negligible without the solid catalyst. The catalytic advantages of using nanostructured Cu-MOF-74 catalyst were also proven. PMID:28621710

A Recyclable Cu-MOF-74 Catalyst for the Ligand-Free O-Arylation Reaction of 4-Nitrobenzaldehyde and Phenol.

PubMed

Leo, Pedro; Orcajo, Gisela; Briones, David; Calleja, Guillermo; Sánchez-Sánchez, Manuel; Martínez, Fernando

2017-06-16

The activity and recyclability of Cu-MOF-74 as a catalyst was studied for the ligand-free C-O cross-coupling reaction of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde (NB) with phenol (Ph) to form 4-formyldiphenyl ether (FDE). Cu-MOF-74 is characterized by having unsaturated copper sites in a highly porous metal-organic framework. The influence of solvent, reaction temperature, NB/Ph ratio, catalyst concentration, and basic agent (type and concentration) were evaluated. High conversions were achieved at 120 °C, 5 mol % of catalyst, NB/Ph ratio of 1:2, DMF as solvent, and 1 equivalent of K₂CO₃ base. The activity of Cu-MOF-74 material was higher than other ligand-free copper catalytic systems tested in this study. This catalyst was easily separated and reused in five successive runs, achieving a remarkable performance without significant porous framework degradation. The leaching of copper species in the reaction medium was negligible. The O-arylation between NB and Ph took place only in the presence of Cu-MOF-74 material, being negligible without the solid catalyst. The catalytic advantages of using nanostructured Cu-MOF-74 catalyst were also proven.

The Carbon Budget of Coastal Waters of Eastern North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najjar, R.; Boyer, E. W.; Burdige, D.; Butman, D. E.; Cai, W. J.; Canuel, E. A.; Chen, R. F.; Friedrichs, M. A.; Griffith, P. C.; Herrmann, M.; Kemp, W. M.; Kroeger, K. D.; Mannino, A.; McCallister, S. L.; McGillis, W. R.; Mulholland, M. R.; Salisbury, J.; Signorini, S. R.; Tian, H.; Tzortziou, M.; Vlahos, P.; Wang, A. Z.; Zimmerman, R. C.; Pilskaln, C. H.

2015-12-01

Observations and the output of numerical and statistical models are synthesized to construct a carbon budget of the coastal waters of eastern North America. The domain extends from the head of tide to (roughly) the continental shelf break and from southern Florida to southern Nova Scotia. The domain area is 2% tidal wetlands, 19% estuarine open water, and 78% shelf water. Separate budgets are constructed for inorganic and organic carbon; for tidal wetlands, estuaries, and shelf waters; and for three main subregions: the Gulf of Maine, the Mid-Atlantic Bight, and the South Atlantic Bight. Net primary production for the study region is about 150 Tg C yr-1, with 12% occurring in tidal wetlands and 7% in estuaries. Though respiration and photosynthesis are nearly balanced in most systems and regions, tidal wetlands and shelf waters are each found to be net autotrophic whereas estuaries are net heterotrophic. The domain as a whole is a sink of 5 Tg C yr-1 of atmospheric CO2, with tidal wetlands and shelf waters taking up 10 Tg C yr-1 (split roughly equally) and estuaries releasing 5 Tg C yr-1 to the atmosphere. Carbon burial is about 3 Tg C yr-1, split roughly equally among tidal wetlands, estuaries, and shelf waters. Rivers supply 6-7 Tg C yr-1 to estuaries, about 2/3 of which is organic. Tidal wetlands supply an additional 4 Tg C yr-1 to estuaries, about half of which is organic. Carbon in organic and inorganic forms is exported from estuaries to shelf waters and from shelf waters to the open ocean. In summary, tidal wetlands and estuaries, though small in area, contribute substantially to the overall carbon budget of the region.

Implementation of a Message Passing Interface into a Cloud-Resolving Model for Massively Parallel Computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juang, Hann-Ming Henry; Tao, Wei-Kuo; Zeng, Xi-Ping; Shie, Chung-Lin; Simpson, Joanne; Lang, Steve

2004-01-01

The capability for massively parallel programming (MPP) using a message passing interface (MPI) has been implemented into a three-dimensional version of the Goddard Cumulus Ensemble (GCE) model. The design for the MPP with MPI uses the concept of maintaining similar code structure between the whole domain as well as the portions after decomposition. Hence the model follows the same integration for single and multiple tasks (CPUs). Also, it provides for minimal changes to the original code, so it is easily modified and/or managed by the model developers and users who have little knowledge of MPP. The entire model domain could be sliced into one- or two-dimensional decomposition with a halo regime, which is overlaid on partial domains. The halo regime requires that no data be fetched across tasks during the computational stage, but it must be updated before the next computational stage through data exchange via MPI. For reproducible purposes, transposing data among tasks is required for spectral transform (Fast Fourier Transform, FFT), which is used in the anelastic version of the model for solving the pressure equation. The performance of the MPI-implemented codes (i.e., the compressible and anelastic versions) was tested on three different computing platforms. The major results are: 1) both versions have speedups of about 99% up to 256 tasks but not for 512 tasks; 2) the anelastic version has better speedup and efficiency because it requires more computations than that of the compressible version; 3) equal or approximately-equal numbers of slices between the x- and y- directions provide the fastest integration due to fewer data exchanges; and 4) one-dimensional slices in the x-direction result in the slowest integration due to the need for more memory relocation for computation.

Similarity in depressive symptom profile in a population-based study of migrants in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Schrier, Agnes C; de Wit, Matty A S; Rijmen, Frank; Tuinebreijer, Wilco C; Verhoeff, Arnoud P; Kupka, Ralph W; Dekker, Jack; Beekman, Aartjan T F

2010-10-01

Depression is a clinical syndrome developed in Western Europe and North-America. The expression of symptoms and the impact of symptoms on functioning may therefore be expected to vary across cultures and languages. Our first aim was to study differences in depressive symptom profile between indigenous and non-Western immigrant populations in the Netherlands. We hypothesized that differences in expression of depressive symptoms would be more likely in the domains of mood and cognitions, and less likely in the domains of psychomotor and vegetative symptoms. Our second aim was to study ethnic differences in the association of depressive symptoms and general functioning. In a random community sample stratified for ethnicity in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, depressive symptoms were assessed by bilingual interviewers using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 2.1) and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Impairments in functioning were measured by the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS II). Results were obtained from 812 subjects: N = 321 native Dutch, N = 213 Turkish-Dutch, N = 191 Moroccan-Dutch, N = 87 Surinamese-Dutch. Differences in depressive symptom expression were tested by differential item functioning. The prevalence of DSM-IV depressive disorder and the overall level of depressive symptoms were higher in the Turkish and Moroccan immigrant groups compared to native Dutch subjects. Ethnic differences in item functioning of depressive symptoms were rare, and equally unlikely in all four symptom domains. Depression was equally associated with functional impairment across ethnic groups. Although depressive symptoms were more common among migrants than in the indigenous population, both the depressive symptom profile and the associated functional impairments were comparable. These findings may help diminishing concerns about the validity of using existing diagnostic procedures among ethnic minority groups.

An Assessment of Direct Restorative Material Use in Posterior Teeth by American and Canadian Pediatric Dentists: III. Preferred Level of Participation in Decision-making.

PubMed

Varughese, Rae E; Andrews, Paul; Sigal, Michael J; Azarpazhooh, Amir

2016-11-15

The purpose of this study was to assess Canadian and American pediatric dentists' preferred level of participation in clinical decision-making. A web-based survey was used to collect the opinions of all active Royal College of Dentists of Canada members and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry members on the use of direct restorative materials in posterior teeth (n equals 4,648; 19.3 percent response rate). The main survey also included a domain to elicit participants' preferred role in clinical decision-making, ranging from an active role (the dentist takes the primary role in decision-making while considering patients/caregivers opinions) to a passive role (the dentist prefers to have the patient guide the decision-making). Bivariate and multivariate analyses for the preferred role and its predictor were performed (two-tailed P<0.05). Fifty-eight percent of participants preferred an active role. The passive role was chosen three times more by those who worked in a hospital-based setting (odds ratio [OR] equals 3.15, 95 percent confidence interval [CI] equals 1.13 to 8.79) or a university-based setting versus a combined setting (OR equals 3.61, 95 percent CI equals 1.11 to 11.77). The majority of participants preferred an active role in decision-making, a role that may not be consistent with a patient-centered practice that emphasizes patient autonomy in decision-making.

Nonlinear rescaling of control values simplifies fuzzy control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanlangingham, H.; Tsoukkas, A.; Kreinovich, V.; Quintana, C.

1993-01-01

Traditional control theory is well-developed mainly for linear control situations. In non-linear cases there is no general method of generating a good control, so we have to rely on the ability of the experts (operators) to control them. If we want to automate their control, we must acquire their knowledge and translate it into a precise control strategy. The experts' knowledge is usually represented in non-numeric terms, namely, in terms of uncertain statements of the type 'if the obstacle is straight ahead, the distance to it is small, and the velocity of the car is medium, press the brakes hard'. Fuzzy control is a methodology that translates such statements into precise formulas for control. The necessary first step of this strategy consists of assigning membership functions to all the terms that the expert uses in his rules (in our sample phrase these words are 'small', 'medium', and 'hard'). The appropriate choice of a membership function can drastically improve the quality of a fuzzy control. In the simplest cases, we can take the functions whose domains have equally spaced endpoints. Because of that, many software packages for fuzzy control are based on this choice of membership functions. This choice is not very efficient in more complicated cases. Therefore, methods have been developed that use neural networks or generic algorithms to 'tune' membership functions. But this tuning takes lots of time (for example, several thousands iterations are typical for neural networks). In some cases there are evident physical reasons why equally space domains do not work: e.g., if the control variable u is always positive (i.e., if we control temperature in a reactor), then negative values (that are generated by equal spacing) simply make no sense. In this case it sounds reasonable to choose another scale u' = f(u) to represent u, so that equal spacing will work fine for u'. In the present paper we formulate the problem of finding the best rescaling function, solve this problem, and show (on a real-life example) that after an optimal rescaling, the un-tuned fuzzy control can be as good as the best state-of-art traditional non-linear controls.

Dopant profile modeling by rare event enhanced domain-following molecular dynamics

DOEpatents

Beardmore, Keith M.; Jensen, Niels G.

2002-01-01

A computer-implemented molecular dynamics-based process simulates a distribution of ions implanted in a semiconductor substrate. The properties of the semiconductor substrate and ion dose to be simulated are first initialized, including an initial set of splitting depths that contain an equal number of virtual ions implanted in each substrate volume determined by the splitting depths. A first ion with selected velocity is input onto an impact position of the substrate that defines a first domain for the first ion during a first timestep, where the first domain includes only those atoms of the substrate that exert a force on the ion. A first position and velocity of the first ion is determined after the first timestep and a second domain of the first ion is formed at the first position. The first ion is split into first and second virtual ions if the first ion has passed through a splitting interval. The process then follows each virtual ion until all of the virtual ions have come to rest. A new ion is input to the surface and the process repeats until all of the ion dose has been input. The resulting ion rest positions form the simulated implant distribution.

Ubiquitin protein ligase Nedd4 binds to connexin43 by a phosphorylation-modulated process.

PubMed

Leykauf, Kerstin; Salek, Mojibrahman; Bomke, Jörg; Frech, Matthias; Lehmann, Wolf-Dieter; Dürst, Matthias; Alonso, Angel

2006-09-01

Connexin43 is degraded by the proteasomal as well as the lysosomal pathway with ubiquitin playing a role in both degradation pathways. So far, no ubiquitin protein ligase has been identified for any of the connexins. By using pull-down assays, here we show binding of a ubiquitin protein ligase, Nedd4, to the C-terminus of connexin43. This observation was confirmed in vivo by coimmunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence, showing colocalization of Nedd4 and connexin43. Binding of Nedd4 to its interaction partners is generally carried out by its WW domains. Our results indicate that the interaction with connexin43 occurs through all three WW domains of Nedd4. Furthermore, whereas WW1 and WW2 domains mainly interact with the unphosphorylated form of connexin43, WW3 binds phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms equally. In addition, using the surface plasmon resonance approach we show that only the WW2 domain binds to the PY motif located at the C-terminus of connexin43. Suppression of Nedd4 expression with siRNA resulted in an accumulation of gap junction plaques at the plasma membrane, suggesting an involvement of the ubiquitin protein ligase Nedd4 in gap junction internalization.

Cognitive Profile of Intellectually Gifted Adults: Analyzing the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale.

PubMed

Lang, Margherita; Matta, Michael; Parolin, Laura; Morrone, Cristina; Pezzuti, Lina

2017-09-01

The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) has been used extensively to study intellectual abilities of special groups. Here, we report the results of an intellectually gifted group on the WAIS-IV. Gifted individuals are people who obtained scores equal to or greater than 2 standard deviations above the mean on an intelligence test. Hence, the current study aims first, to examine mean group performance data of gifted individuals on the WAIS-IV; second, to revalidate the pattern of performance identified in this special group in previous studies (i.e., verbal skills higher than all other abilities); third, to compare scatter measures across intellectual domains with a matched comparison group. A total of 130 gifted individuals (79 males) were administered the full battery and their performance was compared with a matched comparison group. Analyses revealed that gifted group displayed higher scores in all intellectual domains. Contrary to expectations, they showed the highest scores in perceptual reasoning tasks. A multivariate approach revealed that this ability was statistically different from all other domains within the gifted group. Moreover, gifted individuals showed higher discrepancies across intellectual domains than average-intelligence people. Findings have important practical implications to detect intellectual giftedness in adulthood.

Molecular- and Domain-level Microstructure-dependent Material Model for Nano-segregated Polyurea

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-15

material subroutine VUMAT of ABAQUS /Explicit (Dassault Systems, 2010), a commercial finite element code. This subroutine is called by the ABAQUS solver...rate of change of the local internal thermal energy is equal to the corresponding rate of dissipative work. Critical assessment of this model identified...The model also takes into account the plastic expansion or contraction of voids and therefore the stresses are appropriately modified to account for

Changes in quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) and addiction severity index (ASI) among participants in opioid substitution treatment (OST) in low and middle income countries: an international systematic review.

PubMed

Feelemyer, Jonathan P; Jarlais, Don C Des; Arasteh, Kamyar; Phillips, Benjamin W; Hagan, Holly

2014-01-01

Opioid substitution treatment (OST) can increase quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) and reduce addiction severity index (ASI) scores among participants over time. OST program participants have noted that improvement in quality of life is one of the most important variables to their reduction in drug use. However, there is little systematic understanding of WHOQOL-BREF and ASI domain changes among OST participants in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Utilizing PRISMA guidelines we conducted a systematic literature search to identify OST program studies documenting changes in WHOQOL-BREF or ASI domains for participants in buprenorphine or methadone programs in LMIC. Standardized mean differences for baseline and follow-up domain scores were compared along with relationships between domain scores, OST dosage, and length of follow-up. There were 13 OST program studies with 1801 participants from five countries eligible for inclusion in the review. Overall, statistically significant changes were noted in all four WHOQOL-BREF domain and four of the seven ASI domain scores (drug, psychological, legal, and family) documented in studies. Dosage of pharmacologic medication and length of follow-up did not affect changes in domain scores. WHOQOL-BREF and ASI domain scoring is a useful tool in measuring overall quality of life and levels of addiction among OST participants. Coupled with measurements of blood-borne infection, drug use, relapse, and overdose, WHOQOL-BREF and ASI represent equally important tools for evaluating the effects of OST over time and should be further developed as integrated tools in the evaluation of participants in LMIC. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Repartitioning Strategies for Massively Parallel Simulation of Reacting Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisciuneri, Patrick; Zheng, Angen; Givi, Peyman; Labrinidis, Alexandros; Chrysanthis, Panos

2015-11-01

The majority of parallel CFD simulators partition the domain into equal regions and assign the calculations for a particular region to a unique processor. This type of domain decomposition is vital to the efficiency of the solver. However, as the simulation develops, the workload among the partitions often become uneven (e.g. by adaptive mesh refinement, or chemically reacting regions) and a new partition should be considered. The process of repartitioning adjusts the current partition to evenly distribute the load again. We compare two repartitioning tools: Zoltan, an architecture-agnostic graph repartitioner developed at the Sandia National Laboratories; and Paragon, an architecture-aware graph repartitioner developed at the University of Pittsburgh. The comparative assessment is conducted via simulation of the Taylor-Green vortex flow with chemical reaction.

Optimized Signaling Method for High-Speed Transmission Channels with Higher Order Transfer Function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ševčík, Břetislav; Brančík, Lubomír; Kubíček, Michal

2017-08-01

In this paper, the selected results from testing of optimized CMOS friendly signaling method for high-speed communications over cables and printed circuit boards (PCBs) are presented and discussed. The proposed signaling scheme uses modified concept of pulse width modulated (PWM) signal which enables to better equalize significant channel losses during data high-speed transmission. Thus, the very effective signaling method to overcome losses in transmission channels with higher order transfer function, typical for long cables and multilayer PCBs, is clearly analyzed in the time and frequency domain. Experimental results of the measurements include the performance comparison of conventional PWM scheme and clearly show the great potential of the modified signaling method for use in low power CMOS friendly equalization circuits, commonly considered in modern communication standards as PCI-Express, SATA or in Multi-gigabit SerDes interconnects.

In blind pursuit of racial equality?

PubMed

Apfelbaum, Evan P; Pauker, Kristin; Sommers, Samuel R; Ambady, Nalini

2010-11-01

Despite receiving little empirical assessment, the color-blind approach to managing diversity has become a leading institutional strategy for promoting racial equality, across domains and scales of practice. We gauged the utility of color blindness as a means to eliminating future racial inequity--its central objective--by assessing its impact on a sample of elementary-school students. Results demonstrated that students exposed to a color-blind mind-set, as opposed to a value-diversity mind-set, were actually less likely both to detect overt instances of racial discrimination and to describe such events in a manner that would prompt intervention by certified teachers. Institutional messages of color blindness may therefore artificially depress formal reporting of racial injustice. Color-blind messages may thus appear to function effectively on the surface even as they allow explicit forms of bias to persist.

Dual-LP11 mode 4×4 MIMO-OFDM transmission over a two-mode fiber.

PubMed

Al Amin, Abdullah; Li, An; Chen, Simin; Chen, Xi; Gao, Guanjun; Shieh, William

2011-08-15

We report successful transmission of dual-LP(11) mode (LP(11a) and LP(11b)), dual polarization coherent optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (CO-OFDM) signals over two-mode fibers (TMF) using all-fiber mode converters. Mode converters based on mechanically induced long-period grating with better than 20 dB extinction ratios are realized and used for interfacing single-mode fiber transmitter and receivers to the TMF. We demonstrate that by using 4×4 MIMO-OFDM processing, the random coupling of the two LP(11) spatial modes can be successfully tracked and equalized with a one-tap frequency-domain equalizer. We achieve successful transmission of 35.3 Gb/s over 26-km two-mode fiber with less than 3 dB penalty. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Digital backpropagation accounting for polarization-mode dispersion.

PubMed

Czegledi, Cristian B; Liga, Gabriele; Lavery, Domaniç; Karlsson, Magnus; Agrell, Erik; Savory, Seb J; Bayvel, Polina

2017-02-06

Digital backpropagation (DBP) is a promising digital-domain technique to mitigate Kerr-induced nonlinear interference. While it successfully removes deterministic signal-signal interactions, the performance of ideal DBP is limited by stochastic effects, such as polarization-mode dispersion (PMD). In this paper, we consider an ideal full-field DBP implementation and modify it to additionally account for PMD; reversing the PMD effects in the backward propagation by passing the reverse propagated signal also through PMD sections, which concatenated equal the inverse of the PMD in the forward propagation. These PMD sections are calculated analytically at the receiver based on the total accumulated PMD of the link estimated from channel equalizers. Numerical simulations show that, accounting for nonlinear polarization-related interactions in the modified DBP algorithm, additional signal-to-noise ratio gains of 1.1 dB are obtained for transmission over 1000 km.

Advanced EMT and Phasor-Domain Hybrid Simulation with Simulation Mode Switching Capability for Transmission and Distribution Systems

DOE PAGES

Huang, Qiuhua; Vittal, Vijay

2018-05-09

Conventional electromagnetic transient (EMT) and phasor-domain hybrid simulation approaches presently exist for trans-mission system level studies. Their simulation efficiency is generally constrained by the EMT simulation. With an increasing number of distributed energy resources and non-conventional loads being installed in distribution systems, it is imperative to extend the hybrid simulation application to include distribution systems and integrated transmission and distribution systems. Meanwhile, it is equally important to improve the simulation efficiency as the modeling scope and complexity of the detailed system in the EMT simulation increases. To meet both requirements, this paper introduces an advanced EMT and phasor-domain hybrid simulationmore » approach. This approach has two main features: 1) a comprehensive phasor-domain modeling framework which supports positive-sequence, three-sequence, three-phase and mixed three-sequence/three-phase representations and 2) a robust and flexible simulation mode switching scheme. The developed scheme enables simulation switching from hybrid simulation mode back to pure phasor-domain dynamic simulation mode to achieve significantly improved simulation efficiency. The proposed method has been tested on integrated transmission and distribution systems. In conclusion, the results show that with the developed simulation switching feature, the total computational time is significantly reduced compared to running the hybrid simulation for the whole simulation period, while maintaining good simulation accuracy.« less

Advanced EMT and Phasor-Domain Hybrid Simulation with Simulation Mode Switching Capability for Transmission and Distribution Systems

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

Huang, Qiuhua; Vittal, Vijay

Conventional electromagnetic transient (EMT) and phasor-domain hybrid simulation approaches presently exist for trans-mission system level studies. Their simulation efficiency is generally constrained by the EMT simulation. With an increasing number of distributed energy resources and non-conventional loads being installed in distribution systems, it is imperative to extend the hybrid simulation application to include distribution systems and integrated transmission and distribution systems. Meanwhile, it is equally important to improve the simulation efficiency as the modeling scope and complexity of the detailed system in the EMT simulation increases. To meet both requirements, this paper introduces an advanced EMT and phasor-domain hybrid simulationmore » approach. This approach has two main features: 1) a comprehensive phasor-domain modeling framework which supports positive-sequence, three-sequence, three-phase and mixed three-sequence/three-phase representations and 2) a robust and flexible simulation mode switching scheme. The developed scheme enables simulation switching from hybrid simulation mode back to pure phasor-domain dynamic simulation mode to achieve significantly improved simulation efficiency. The proposed method has been tested on integrated transmission and distribution systems. In conclusion, the results show that with the developed simulation switching feature, the total computational time is significantly reduced compared to running the hybrid simulation for the whole simulation period, while maintaining good simulation accuracy.« less

Computationally efficient algorithm for high sampling-frequency operation of active noise control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rout, Nirmal Kumar; Das, Debi Prasad; Panda, Ganapati

2015-05-01

In high sampling-frequency operation of active noise control (ANC) system the length of the secondary path estimate and the ANC filter are very long. This increases the computational complexity of the conventional filtered-x least mean square (FXLMS) algorithm. To reduce the computational complexity of long order ANC system using FXLMS algorithm, frequency domain block ANC algorithms have been proposed in past. These full block frequency domain ANC algorithms are associated with some disadvantages such as large block delay, quantization error due to computation of large size transforms and implementation difficulties in existing low-end DSP hardware. To overcome these shortcomings, the partitioned block ANC algorithm is newly proposed where the long length filters in ANC are divided into a number of equal partitions and suitably assembled to perform the FXLMS algorithm in the frequency domain. The complexity of this proposed frequency domain partitioned block FXLMS (FPBFXLMS) algorithm is quite reduced compared to the conventional FXLMS algorithm. It is further reduced by merging one fast Fourier transform (FFT)-inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) combination to derive the reduced structure FPBFXLMS (RFPBFXLMS) algorithm. Computational complexity analysis for different orders of filter and partition size are presented. Systematic computer simulations are carried out for both the proposed partitioned block ANC algorithms to show its accuracy compared to the time domain FXLMS algorithm.

Improved Plane-Wave Ultrasound Beamforming by Incorporating Angular Weighting and Coherent Compounding in Fourier Domain.

PubMed

Chen, Chuan; Hendriks, Gijs A G M; van Sloun, Ruud J G; Hansen, Hendrik H G; de Korte, Chris L

2018-05-01

In this paper, a novel processing framework is introduced for Fourier-domain beamforming of plane-wave ultrasound data, which incorporates coherent compounding and angular weighting in the Fourier domain. Angular weighting implies spectral weighting by a 2-D steering-angle-dependent filtering template. The design of this filter is also optimized as part of this paper. Two widely used Fourier-domain plane-wave ultrasound beamforming methods, i.e., Lu's f-k and Stolt's f-k methods, were integrated in the framework. To enable coherent compounding in Fourier domain for the Stolt's f-k method, the original Stolt's f-k method was modified to achieve alignment of the spectra for different steering angles in k-space. The performance of the framework was compared for both methods with and without angular weighting using experimentally obtained data sets (phantom and in vivo), and data sets (phantom) provided by the IEEE IUS 2016 plane-wave beamforming challenge. The addition of angular weighting enhanced the image contrast while preserving image resolution. This resulted in images of equal quality as those obtained by conventionally used delay-and-sum (DAS) beamforming with apodization and coherent compounding. Given the lower computational load of the proposed framework compared to DAS, to our knowledge it can, therefore, be concluded that it outperforms commonly used beamforming methods such as Stolt's f-k, Lu's f-k, and DAS.

An eye for relations: eye-tracking indicates long-term negative effects of operational thinking on understanding of math equivalence.

PubMed

Chesney, Dana L; McNeil, Nicole M; Brockmole, James R; Kelley, Ken

2013-10-01

Prior knowledge in the domain of mathematics can sometimes interfere with learning and performance in that domain. One of the best examples of this phenomenon is in students' difficulties solving equations with operations on both sides of the equal sign. Elementary school children in the U.S. typically acquire incorrect, operational schemata rather than correct, relational schemata for interpreting equations. Researchers have argued that these operational schemata are never unlearned and can continue to affect performance for years to come, even after relational schemata are learned. In the present study, we investigated whether and how operational schemata negatively affect undergraduates' performance on equations. We monitored the eye movements of 64 undergraduate students while they solved a set of equations that are typically used to assess children's adherence to operational schemata (e.g., 3 + 4 + 5 = 3 + __). Participants did not perform at ceiling on these equations, particularly when under time pressure. Converging evidence from performance and eye movements showed that operational schemata are sometimes activated instead of relational schemata. Eye movement patterns reflective of the activation of relational schemata were specifically lacking when participants solved equations by adding up all the numbers or adding the numbers before the equal sign, but not when they used other types of incorrect strategies. These findings demonstrate that the negative effects of acquiring operational schemata extend far beyond elementary school.

Quantifying the importance of disease burden on perceived general health and depressive symptoms in patients within the Mayo Clinic Biobank.

PubMed

Ryu, Euijung; Takahashi, Paul Y; Olson, Janet E; Hathcock, Matthew A; Novotny, Paul J; Pathak, Jyotishman; Bielinski, Suzette J; Cerhan, James R; Sloan, Jeff A

2015-07-03

Deficits in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) may be associated with worse patient experiences, outcomes and even survival. While there exists evidence to identify risk factors associated with deficits in HRQOL among patients with individual medical conditions such as cancer, it is less well established in more general populations without attention to specific illnesses. This study used patients with a wide range of medical conditions to identify contributors with the greatest influence on HRQOL deficits. Self-perceived general health and depressive symptoms were assessed using data from 21,736 Mayo Clinic Biobank (MCB) participants. Each domain was dichotomized into categories related to poor health: deficit (poor/fair for general health and ≥3 for PHQ-2 depressive symptoms) or non-deficit. Logistic regression models were used to test the association of commonly collected demographic characteristics and disease burden with each HRQOL domain, adjusting for age and gender. Gradient boosting machine (GBM) models were applied to quantify the relative influence of contributors on each HRQOL domain. The prevalence of participants with a deficit was 9.5 % for perception of general health and 4.6 % for depressive symptoms. For both groups, disease burden had the strongest influence for deficit in HRQOL (63 % for general health and 42 % for depressive symptoms). For depressive symptoms, age was equally influential. The prevalence of a deficit in general health increased slightly with age for males, but remained stable across age for females. Deficit in depressive symptoms was inversely associated with age. For both HRQOL domains, risk of a deficit was associated with higher disease burden, lower levels of education, no alcohol consumption, smoking, and obesity. Subjects with deficits were less likely to report that they were currently working for pay than those without a deficit; this association was stronger among males than females. Comorbid health burden has the strongest influence on deficits in self-perceived general health, while demographic factors show relatively minimal impact. For depressive symptoms, both age and comorbid health burden were equally important, with decreasing deficits in depressive symptoms with increasing age. For interpreting patient-reported metrics and comparison, one must account for comorbid health burden.

Weighted finite impulse response filter for chromatic dispersion equalization in coherent optical fiber communication systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Ziyi; Yang, Aiying; Guo, Peng; Feng, Lihui

2018-01-01

Time-domain CD equalization using finite impulse response (FIR) filter is now a common approach for coherent optical fiber communication systems. The complex weights of FIR taps are calculated from a truncated impulse response of the CD transfer function, and the modulus of the complex weights is constant. In our work, we take the limited bandwidth of a single channel signal into account and propose weighted FIRs to improve the performance of CD equalization. The key in weighted FIR filters is the selection and optimization of weighted functions. In order to present the performance of different types of weighted FIR filters, a square-root raised cosine FIR (SRRC-FIR) and a Gaussian FIR (GS-FIR) are investigated. The optimization of square-root raised cosine FIR and Gaussian FIR are made in term of the bit rate error (BER) of QPSK and 16QAM coherent detection signal. The results demonstrate that the optimized parameters of the weighted filters are independent of the modulation format, symbol rate and the length of transmission fiber. With the optimized weighted FIRs, the BER of CD equalization signal is decreased significantly. Although this paper has investigated two types of weighted FIR filters, i.e. SRRC-FIR filter and GS-FIR filter, the principle of weighted FIR can also be extended to other symmetric functions super Gaussian function, hyperbolic secant function and etc.

Method of detecting system function by measuring frequency response

DOEpatents

Morrison, John L.; Morrison, William H.

2008-07-01

Real time battery impedance spectrum is acquired using one time record, Compensated Synchronous Detection (CSD). This parallel method enables battery diagnostics. The excitation current to a test battery is a sum of equal amplitude sin waves of a few frequencies spread over range of interest. The time profile of this signal has duration that is a few periods of the lowest frequency. The voltage response of the battery, average deleted, is the impedance of the battery in the time domain. Since the excitation frequencies are known, synchronous detection processes the time record and each component, both magnitude and phase, is obtained. For compensation, the components, except the one of interest, are reassembled in the time domain. The resulting signal is subtracted from the original signal and the component of interest is synchronously detected. This process is repeated for each component.

Method of Detecting System Function by Measuring Frequency Response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, John L. (Inventor); Morrison, William H. (Inventor)

2008-01-01

Real time battery impedance spectrum is acquired using one time record, Compensated Synchronous Detection (CSD). This parallel method enables battery diagnostics. The excitation current to a test battery is a sum of equal amplitude sin waves of a few frequencies spread over range of interest. The time profile of this signal has duration that is a few periods of the lowest frequency. The voltage response of the battery, average deleted, is the impedance of the battery in the time domain. Since the excitation frequencies are known, synchronous detection processes the time record and each component, both magnitude and phase, is obtained. For compensation, the components, except the one of interest, are reassembled in the time domain. The resulting signal is subtracted from the original signal and the component of interest is synchronously detected. This process is repeated for each component.

Categorization of extremely brief auditory stimuli: domain-specific or domain-general processes?

PubMed

Bigand, Emmanuel; Delbé, Charles; Gérard, Yannick; Tillmann, Barbara

2011-01-01

The present study investigated the minimum amount of auditory stimulation that allows differentiation of spoken voices, instrumental music, and environmental sounds. Three new findings were reported. 1) All stimuli were categorized above chance level with 50 ms-segments. 2) When a peak-level normalization was applied, music and voices started to be accurately categorized with 20 ms-segments. When the root-mean-square (RMS) energy of the stimuli was equalized, voice stimuli were better recognized than music and environmental sounds. 3) Further psychoacoustical analyses suggest that the categorization of extremely brief auditory stimuli depends on the variability of their spectral envelope in the used set. These last two findings challenge the interpretation of the voice superiority effect reported in previously published studies and propose a more parsimonious interpretation in terms of an emerging property of auditory categorization processes.

Colloidal crystal grain boundary formation and motion

PubMed Central

Edwards, Tara D.; Yang, Yuguang; Beltran-Villegas, Daniel J.; Bevan, Michael A.

2014-01-01

The ability to assemble nano- and micro- sized colloidal components into highly ordered configurations is often cited as the basis for developing advanced materials. However, the dynamics of stochastic grain boundary formation and motion have not been quantified, which limits the ability to control and anneal polycrystallinity in colloidal based materials. Here we use optical microscopy, Brownian Dynamic simulations, and a new dynamic analysis to study grain boundary motion in quasi-2D colloidal bicrystals formed within inhomogeneous AC electric fields. We introduce “low-dimensional” models using reaction coordinates for condensation and global order that capture first passage times between critical configurations at each applied voltage. The resulting models reveal that equal sized domains at a maximum misorientation angle show relaxation dominated by friction limited grain boundary diffusion; and in contrast, asymmetrically sized domains with less misorientation display much faster grain boundary migration due to significant thermodynamic driving forces. By quantifying such dynamics vs. compression (voltage), kinetic bottlenecks associated with slow grain boundary relaxation are understood, which can be used to guide the temporal assembly of defect-free single domain colloidal crystals. PMID:25139760

A novel partitioning method for block-structured adaptive meshes

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

Fu, Lin, E-mail: lin.fu@tum.de; Litvinov, Sergej, E-mail: sergej.litvinov@aer.mw.tum.de; Hu, Xiangyu Y., E-mail: xiangyu.hu@tum.de

We propose a novel partitioning method for block-structured adaptive meshes utilizing the meshless Lagrangian particle concept. With the observation that an optimum partitioning has high analogy to the relaxation of a multi-phase fluid to steady state, physically motivated model equations are developed to characterize the background mesh topology and are solved by multi-phase smoothed-particle hydrodynamics. In contrast to well established partitioning approaches, all optimization objectives are implicitly incorporated and achieved during the particle relaxation to stationary state. Distinct partitioning sub-domains are represented by colored particles and separated by a sharp interface with a surface tension model. In order to obtainmore » the particle relaxation, special viscous and skin friction models, coupled with a tailored time integration algorithm are proposed. Numerical experiments show that the present method has several important properties: generation of approximately equal-sized partitions without dependence on the mesh-element type, optimized interface communication between distinct partitioning sub-domains, continuous domain decomposition which is physically localized and implicitly incremental. Therefore it is particularly suitable for load-balancing of high-performance CFD simulations.« less

Intergenerational transmission of prejudice, sex role stereotyping, and intolerance.

PubMed

O'Bryan, Megan; Fishbein, Harold D; Ritchey, P Neal

2004-01-01

The attitudes of 111 ninth and eleventh graders and both of their biological parents were independently assessed for prejudice against people with HIV/ AIDS, homosexuals, Blacks, and fat people, as well as for male and female sex role stereotyping. This study corrected for two shortcomings in previous research: neglecting to assess both parents and assessing only a single domain of prejudice. We addressed the intergenerational transmission of prejudice and stereotyping using three competing models: same-sex, parent equivalent, and differential effects. Using multiple regressions in which parents' scores were entered separately, along with control variables, different maternal and paternal influences were detected. Mothers were the primary influence for prejudice regarding HIV/AIDS, fatness, and race, and fathers were the primary influence for male and female stereotyping and prejudice against homosexuals, supporting the differential effects model. We also established that prejudice and stereotyping in specific domains reflected a more general proclivity to be intolerant. In contrast to prejudice and stereotyping in specific domains, fathers and mothers about equally shaped the adolescents' intolerance, supporting the parent equivalent model.

A novel partitioning method for block-structured adaptive meshes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Lin; Litvinov, Sergej; Hu, Xiangyu Y.; Adams, Nikolaus A.

2017-07-01

We propose a novel partitioning method for block-structured adaptive meshes utilizing the meshless Lagrangian particle concept. With the observation that an optimum partitioning has high analogy to the relaxation of a multi-phase fluid to steady state, physically motivated model equations are developed to characterize the background mesh topology and are solved by multi-phase smoothed-particle hydrodynamics. In contrast to well established partitioning approaches, all optimization objectives are implicitly incorporated and achieved during the particle relaxation to stationary state. Distinct partitioning sub-domains are represented by colored particles and separated by a sharp interface with a surface tension model. In order to obtain the particle relaxation, special viscous and skin friction models, coupled with a tailored time integration algorithm are proposed. Numerical experiments show that the present method has several important properties: generation of approximately equal-sized partitions without dependence on the mesh-element type, optimized interface communication between distinct partitioning sub-domains, continuous domain decomposition which is physically localized and implicitly incremental. Therefore it is particularly suitable for load-balancing of high-performance CFD simulations.

Novel Fourier-domain constraint for fast phase retrieval in coherent diffraction imaging.

PubMed

Latychevskaia, Tatiana; Longchamp, Jean-Nicolas; Fink, Hans-Werner

2011-09-26

Coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) for visualizing objects at atomic resolution has been realized as a promising tool for imaging single molecules. Drawbacks of CDI are associated with the difficulty of the numerical phase retrieval from experimental diffraction patterns; a fact which stimulated search for better numerical methods and alternative experimental techniques. Common phase retrieval methods are based on iterative procedures which propagate the complex-valued wave between object and detector plane. Constraints in both, the object and the detector plane are applied. While the constraint in the detector plane employed in most phase retrieval methods requires the amplitude of the complex wave to be equal to the squared root of the measured intensity, we propose a novel Fourier-domain constraint, based on an analogy to holography. Our method allows achieving a low-resolution reconstruction already in the first step followed by a high-resolution reconstruction after further steps. In comparison to conventional schemes this Fourier-domain constraint results in a fast and reliable convergence of the iterative reconstruction process. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Rigid body mode identification of the PAH-2 helicopter using the eigensystem realization algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schenk, Axel; Pappa, Richard S.

1992-01-01

The rigid body modes of the PAH-2 'Tiger' helicopter were identified using the Eigensystem Realization Algorithm (ERA). This work complements ground vibration tests performed using DLR's traditional phase resonance technique and the ISSPA (Identification of Structural System Parameters) method. Rigid body modal parameters are important for ground resonance prediction. Time-domain data for ERA were obtained by inverse Fourier transformation of frequency response functions measured with stepped-sine excitation. Mode purity (based on the Phase Resonance Criterion) was generally equal to or greater than corresponding results obtained in the ground vibration tests. All identified natural frequencies and mode shapes correlate well with corresponding ground vibration test results. The modal identification approach discussed in this report has become increasingly attractive in recent years due to the steadily declining cost and increased performance of scientific computers. As illustrated in this application, modern time-domain methods can be successfully applied to data acquired using DLR's existing test equipment. Some suggestions are made for future applications of time domain modal identification in this manner.

Asymmetric optical image encryption using Kolmogorov phase screens and equal modulus decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Ravi; Bhaduri, Basanta; Quan, Chenggen

2017-11-01

An asymmetric technique for optical image encryption is proposed using Kolmogorov phase screens (KPSs) and equal modulus decomposition (EMD). The KPSs are generated using the power spectral density of Kolmogorov turbulence. The input image is first randomized and then Fresnel propagated with distance d. Further, the output in the Fresnel domain is modulated with a random phase mask, and the gyrator transform (GT) of the modulated image is obtained with an angle α. The EMD is operated on the GT spectrum to get the complex images, Z1 and Z2. Among these, Z2 is reserved as a private key for decryption and Z1 is propagated through a medium consisting of four KPSs, located at specified distances, to get the final encrypted image. The proposed technique provides a large set of security keys and is robust against various potential attacks. Numerical simulation results validate the effectiveness and security of the proposed technique.

Plasma entry into the earth's magnetosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, L. A.

1972-01-01

Both high- and low-altitude measurements are used to establish the salient features of the three regions presently thought to be the best candidates for the entry of magnetosheath plasma into the magnetosphere, and hence the primal sources of charged particles for the plasma sheet and its earthward termination in the ring current. These three regions are (1) the polar cusps and their extensions into the nighttime magnetosphere, (2) the downstream flanks of the magnetosphere at geocentric radial distances approximately equal to 10 to 50 earth radii along the plasma sheet-magnetosheath interface, and (3) the distant magnetotail at radial distances greater than or approximately equal to 50 earth radii. Present observational knowledge of each of these regions is discussed critically as to evidences for charged particle entry into the magnetosphere from the magnetosheath. The possibility that all three of these magnetospheric domains share an intimate topological relationship is also examined.

Far-Infrared Hydrogen Lasers in the Peculiar Star MWC 349A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strelnitski, Vladimir; Haas, Michael R.; Smith, Howard A.; Erickson, Edwin F.; Colgan, Sean W. J.; Hollenbach, David J.

1996-01-01

Far-infrared hydrogen recombination lines H15(alpha)(169.4 micrometers), H12(alpha)(88.8 micrometers), and H10(alpha)(52.5 micrometers) were detected in the peculiar luminous star MWC 349A from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. Here it is shown that at least H15(alpha) is strongly amplified, with the probable amplification factor being greater than or about equal to 10(exp 3) and a brightness temperature that is greater than or about equal to 10(exp 7) kelvin. The other two lines also show signs of amplification, although to a lesser degree. Beyond H10(alpha) the amplification apparently vanishes. The newly detected amplified lines fall into the laser wavelength domain. These lasers, as well as the previously detected hydrogen masers may originate in the photoionized circumstellar disk of MWC 349A and constrain the disk's physics and structure.

Method of estimating pulse response using an impedance spectrum

DOEpatents

Morrison, John L; Morrison, William H; Christophersen, Jon P; Motloch, Chester G

2014-10-21

Electrochemical Impedance Spectrum data are used to predict pulse performance of an energy storage device. The impedance spectrum may be obtained in-situ. A simulation waveform includes a pulse wave with a period greater than or equal to the lowest frequency used in the impedance measurement. Fourier series coefficients of the pulse train can be obtained. The number of harmonic constituents in the Fourier series are selected so as to appropriately resolve the response, but the maximum frequency should be less than or equal to the highest frequency used in the impedance measurement. Using a current pulse as an example, the Fourier coefficients of the pulse are multiplied by the impedance spectrum at corresponding frequencies to obtain Fourier coefficients of the voltage response to the desired pulse. The Fourier coefficients of the response are then summed and reassembled to obtain the overall time domain estimate of the voltage using the Fourier series analysis.

Emotional recognition from dynamic facial, vocal and musical expressions following traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Drapeau, Joanie; Gosselin, Nathalie; Peretz, Isabelle; McKerral, Michelle

2017-01-01

To assess emotion recognition from dynamic facial, vocal and musical expressions in sub-groups of adults with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) of different severities and identify possible common underlying mechanisms across domains. Forty-one adults participated in this study: 10 with moderate-severe TBI, nine with complicated mild TBI, 11 with uncomplicated mild TBI and 11 healthy controls, who were administered experimental (emotional recognition, valence-arousal) and control tasks (emotional and structural discrimination) for each domain. Recognition of fearful faces was significantly impaired in moderate-severe and in complicated mild TBI sub-groups, as compared to those with uncomplicated mild TBI and controls. Effect sizes were medium-large. Participants with lower GCS scores performed more poorly when recognizing fearful dynamic facial expressions. Emotion recognition from auditory domains was preserved following TBI, irrespective of severity. All groups performed equally on control tasks, indicating no perceptual disorders. Although emotional recognition from vocal and musical expressions was preserved, no correlation was found across auditory domains. This preliminary study may contribute to improving comprehension of emotional recognition following TBI. Future studies of larger samples could usefully include measures of functional impacts of recognition deficits for fearful facial expressions. These could help refine interventions for emotional recognition following a brain injury.

The nanoscale phase distinguishing of PCL-PB-PCL blended in epoxy resin by tapping mode atomic force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Huiqin; Sun, Limin; Shen, Guangxia; Liang, Qi

2012-02-01

In this work, we investigated the bulk phase distinguishing of the poly(ɛ-caprolactone)-polybutadiene-poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL-PB-PCL) triblock copolymer blended in epoxy resin by tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM). We found that at a set-point amplitude ratio ( r sp) less than or equal to 0.85, a clear phase contrast could be obtained using a probe with a force constant of 40 N/m. When r sp was decreased to 0.1 or less, the measured size of the PB-rich domain relatively shrank; however, the height images of the PB-rich domain would take reverse (translating from the original light to dark) at r sp = 0.85. Force-probe measurements were carried out on the phase-separated regions by TM-AFM. According to the phase shift angle vs. r sp curve, it could be concluded that the different force exerting on the epoxy matrix or on the PB-rich domain might result in the height and phase image reversion. Furthermore, the indentation depth vs. r sp plot showed that with large tapping force (lower r sp), the indentation depth for the PB-rich domain was nearly identical for the epoxy resin matrix.

A general framework for time series data mining based on event analysis: application to the medical domains of electroencephalography and stabilometry.

PubMed

Lara, Juan A; Lizcano, David; Pérez, Aurora; Valente, Juan P

2014-10-01

There are now domains where information is recorded over a period of time, leading to sequences of data known as time series. In many domains, like medicine, time series analysis requires to focus on certain regions of interest, known as events, rather than analyzing the whole time series. In this paper, we propose a framework for knowledge discovery in both one-dimensional and multidimensional time series containing events. We show how our approach can be used to classify medical time series by means of a process that identifies events in time series, generates time series reference models of representative events and compares two time series by analyzing the events they have in common. We have applied our framework on time series generated in the areas of electroencephalography (EEG) and stabilometry. Framework performance was evaluated in terms of classification accuracy, and the results confirmed that the proposed schema has potential for classifying EEG and stabilometric signals. The proposed framework is useful for discovering knowledge from medical time series containing events, such as stabilometric and electroencephalographic time series. These results would be equally applicable to other medical domains generating iconographic time series, such as, for example, electrocardiography (ECG). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multi-scale Morphological Image Enhancement of Chest Radiographs by a Hybrid Scheme.

PubMed

Alavijeh, Fatemeh Shahsavari; Mahdavi-Nasab, Homayoun

2015-01-01

Chest radiography is a common diagnostic imaging test, which contains an enormous amount of information about a patient. However, its interpretation is highly challenging. The accuracy of the diagnostic process is greatly influenced by image processing algorithms; hence enhancement of the images is indispensable in order to improve visibility of the details. This paper aims at improving radiograph parameters such as contrast, sharpness, noise level, and brightness to enhance chest radiographs, making use of a triangulation method. Here, contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization technique and noise suppression are simultaneously performed in wavelet domain in a new scheme, followed by morphological top-hat and bottom-hat filtering. A unique implementation of morphological filters allows for adjustment of the image brightness and significant enhancement of the contrast. The proposed method is tested on chest radiographs from Japanese Society of Radiological Technology database. The results are compared with conventional enhancement techniques such as histogram equalization, contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization, Retinex, and some recently proposed methods to show its strengths. The experimental results reveal that the proposed method can remarkably improve the image contrast while keeping the sensitive chest tissue information so that radiologists might have a more precise interpretation.

Multi-scale Morphological Image Enhancement of Chest Radiographs by a Hybrid Scheme

PubMed Central

Alavijeh, Fatemeh Shahsavari; Mahdavi-Nasab, Homayoun

2015-01-01

Chest radiography is a common diagnostic imaging test, which contains an enormous amount of information about a patient. However, its interpretation is highly challenging. The accuracy of the diagnostic process is greatly influenced by image processing algorithms; hence enhancement of the images is indispensable in order to improve visibility of the details. This paper aims at improving radiograph parameters such as contrast, sharpness, noise level, and brightness to enhance chest radiographs, making use of a triangulation method. Here, contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization technique and noise suppression are simultaneously performed in wavelet domain in a new scheme, followed by morphological top-hat and bottom-hat filtering. A unique implementation of morphological filters allows for adjustment of the image brightness and significant enhancement of the contrast. The proposed method is tested on chest radiographs from Japanese Society of Radiological Technology database. The results are compared with conventional enhancement techniques such as histogram equalization, contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization, Retinex, and some recently proposed methods to show its strengths. The experimental results reveal that the proposed method can remarkably improve the image contrast while keeping the sensitive chest tissue information so that radiologists might have a more precise interpretation. PMID:25709942

Frequency-Domain Channel Estimation and Equalization for Single Carrier Underwater Acoustic Communications

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

synchronization ; vm(k) white Gaussian noise with average power σ2. If the Doppler shift f m,k is significant, then it causes the received signal ym(k) to be time ...intersymbol interference (ISI) to extend over 20-300 symbols at a data rate of 2-10 kilosymbols per second. Another obstacle is the time -varying Doppler... synchronization that employs a phase-locked loop (PLL) or delay-locked loop (DLL). However, the DFE and PLL/DLL have to interact in a nonlinear fashion

FFTFIL; a filtering program based on two-dimensional Fourier analysis of geophysical data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hildenbrand, T.G.

1983-01-01

The filtering program 'fftfil' performs a variety of operations commonly required in geophysical studies of gravity, magnetic, and terrain data. Filtering operations are carried out in the wave number domain where the Fourier coefficients of the input data are multiplied by the response of the selected filter. Input grids can be large (2=number of rows or columns=1024) and are not required to have numbers of rows and columns equal to powers of two.

Change of Multifractal Thermal Characteristics in the Western Philippine Sea Upper Layer During Internal Wave-Soliton Propagation

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

where H is the scaling exponent , or called the Hurst exponent . In 1941, Kolmogorov suggested that the velocity increment in high-Reynolds number...turbulent flows should scale with the mean (time-averaged) energy dissipation and the separation length scale. The Hurst exponent H is equal to 1/3. For...the internal solitons change the power exponent of the power spectra drastically especially in the low wave number domain; break down the power law

Understanding emotions in others: mirror neuron dysfunction in children with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Dapretto, Mirella; Davies, Mari S; Pfeifer, Jennifer H; Scott, Ashley A; Sigman, Marian; Bookheimer, Susan Y; Iacoboni, Marco

2006-01-01

To examine mirror neuron abnormalities in autism, high-functioning children with autism and matched controls underwent fMRI while imitating and observing emotional expressions. Although both groups performed the tasks equally well, children with autism showed no mirror neuron activity in the inferior frontal gyrus (pars opercularis). Notably, activity in this area was inversely related to symptom severity in the social domain, suggesting that a dysfunctional 'mirror neuron system' may underlie the social deficits observed in autism.

Group Γ (2) and the fractional quantum Hall effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgelin, Yvon; Wallet, Jean-Christophe

1997-02-01

We analyze the action of the inhomogeneous modular group Γ (2) on the three cusps of its principal fundamental domain in the Poincaré half plane. From this, we obtain an exhaustive classification of the fractional quantum Hall numbers. This classification, in which the integer and the fractional states appear on an equal level, is somehow similar to the one given by Jain. We also present some resulting remarks concerning direct phase transitions between the different quantum Hall states.

Magneto-structural correlations in a family of Fe(II)Re(IV)(CN)2 single-chain magnets: density functional theory and ab initio calculations.

PubMed

Zhang, Yi-Quan; Luo, Cheng-Lin; Wu, Xin-Bao; Wang, Bing-Wu; Gao, Song

2014-04-07

Until now, the expressions of the anisotropic energy barriers Δξ and ΔA, using the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy D, the intrachain coupling strength J, and the high-spin ground state S for single-chain magnets (SCMs) in the intermediate region between the Ising and the Heisenberg limits, were unknown. To explore this relationship, we used density functional theory and ab initio methods to obtain expressions of Δξ and ΔA in terms of D, J, and S of six R4Fe(II)-Re(IV)Cl4(CN)2 (R = diethylformamide (1), dibutylformamide (2), dimethylformamide (3), dimethylbutyramide (4), dimethylpropionamide (5), and diethylacetamide (6)) SCMs in the intermediate region. The ΔA value for compounds 1-3 was very similar to the magnetic anisotropic energy of a single Fe(II), while the value of Δξ was predicted using the exchange interaction of Fe(II) with the neighboring Re(IV), which could be expressed as 2JSReSFe. Similar to compounds 1-3, the anisotropy energy barrier ΔA of compounds 4 and 5 was also equal to (Di - Ei)SFe(2), but the correlation energy Δξ was closely equal to 2JSReSFe(cos 98.4 - cos 180) due to the reversal of the spins on the opposite Fe(II). For compound 6, one unit cell of Re(IV)Fe(II) was regarded as a domain wall since it had two different Re(IV)-Fe(II) couplings. Thus, the Δξ of compound 6 was expressed as 4J″SRe1Fe1SRe2Fe2, where J″ was the coupling constant of the neighboring unit cells of Re1Fe1 and Re2Fe2, and ΔA was equal to the anisotropic energy barrier of one domain wall given by DRe1Fe1(S(2)Re1Fe1 - 1/4).

Kinematics of Signature Writing in Healthy Aging*

PubMed Central

Caligiuri, Michael P.; Kim, Chi; Landy, Kelly M.

2014-01-01

Forensic document examiners (FDE) called upon to distinguish a genuine from a forged signature of an elderly person are often required to consider the question of age-related deterioration and whether the available exemplars reliably capture the natural effects of aging of the original writer. An understanding of the statistical relationship between advanced age and handwriting movements can reduce the uncertainty that may exist in an examiner’s approach to questioned signatures formed by elderly writers. The primary purpose of this study was to systematically examine age-related changes in signature kinematics in healthy writers. Forty-two healthy subjects between the ages of 60–91 years participated in this study. Signatures were recorded using a digitizing tablet and commercial software was used to examine the temporal and spatial stroke kinematics and pen pressure. Results indicated that vertical stroke duration and dysfluency increased with age, whereas vertical stroke amplitude and velocity decreased with age. Pen pressure decreased with age. We found that a linear model characterized the best-fit relationship between advanced age and handwriting movement parameters for signature formation. Male writers exhibited stronger age effects than female writers, especially for pen pressure and stroke dysfluency. The present study contributes to an understanding of how advanced age alters signature formation in otherwise healthy adults. PMID:24673648

NLOS Correction/Exclusion for GNSS Measurement Using RAIM and City Building Models.

PubMed

Hsu, Li-Ta; Gu, Yanlei; Kamijo, Shunsuke

2015-07-17

Currently, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers can provide accurate and reliable positioning service in open-field areas. However, their performance in the downtown areas of cities is still affected by the multipath and none-line-of-sight (NLOS) receptions. This paper proposes a new positioning method using 3D building models and the receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) satellite selection method to achieve satisfactory positioning performance in urban area. The 3D building model uses a ray-tracing technique to simulate the line-of-sight (LOS) and NLOS signal travel distance, which is well-known as pseudorange, between the satellite and receiver. The proposed RAIM fault detection and exclusion (FDE) is able to compare the similarity between the raw pseudorange measurement and the simulated pseudorange. The measurement of the satellite will be excluded if the simulated and raw pseudoranges are inconsistent. Because of the assumption of the single reflection in the ray-tracing technique, an inconsistent case indicates it is a double or multiple reflected NLOS signal. According to the experimental results, the RAIM satellite selection technique can reduce by about 8.4% and 36.2% the positioning solutions with large errors (solutions estimated on the wrong side of the road) for the 3D building model method in the middle and deep urban canyon environment, respectively.

Spectral analysis of point-vortex dynamics: first application to vortex polygons in a circular domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speetjens, M. F. M.; Meleshko, V. V.; van Heijst, G. J. F.

2014-06-01

The present study addresses the classical problem of the dynamics and stability of a cluster of N-point vortices of equal strength arranged in a polygonal configuration (‘N-vortex polygons’). In unbounded domains, such N-vortex polygons are unconditionally stable for N\\leqslant 7. Confinement in a circular domain tightens the stability conditions to N\\leqslant 6 and a maximum polygon size relative to the domain radius. This work expands on existing studies on stability and integrability by a first giving an exploratory spectral analysis of the dynamics of N vortex polygons in circular domains. Key to this is that the spectral signature of the time evolution of vortex positions reflects their qualitative behaviour. Expressing vortex motion by a generic evolution operator (the so-called Koopman operator) provides a rigorous framework for such spectral analyses. This paves the way to further differentiation and classification of point-vortex behaviour beyond stability and integrability. The concept of Koopman-based spectral analysis is demonstrated for N-vortex polygons. This reveals that conditional stability can be seen as a local form of integrability and confirms an important generic link between spectrum and dynamics: discrete spectra imply regular (quasi-periodic) motion; continuous (sub-)spectra imply chaotic motion. Moreover, this exposes rich nonlinear dynamics as intermittency between regular and chaotic motion and quasi-coherent structures formed by chaotic vortices. Dedicated to the memory of Slava Meleshko, a dear friend and inspiring colleague.

Optimization of pyDock for the new CAPRI challenges: Docking of homology-based models, domain-domain assembly and protein-RNA binding.

PubMed

Pons, Carles; Solernou, Albert; Perez-Cano, Laura; Grosdidier, Solène; Fernandez-Recio, Juan

2010-11-15

We describe here our results in the last CAPRI edition. We have participated in all targets, both as predictors and as scorers, using our pyDock docking methodology. The new challenges (homology-based modeling of the interacting subunits, domain-domain assembling, and protein-RNA interactions) have pushed our computer tools to the limits and have encouraged us to devise new docking approaches. Overall, the results have been quite successful, in line with previous editions, especially considering the high difficulty of some of the targets. Our docking approaches succeeded in five targets as predictors or as scorers (T29, T34, T35, T41, and T42). Moreover, with the inclusion of available information on the residues expected to be involved in the interaction, our protocol would have also succeeded in two additional cases (T32 and T40). In the remaining targets (except T37), results were equally poor for most of the groups. We submitted the best model (in ligand RMSD) among scorers for the unbound-bound target T29, the second best model among scorers for the protein-RNA target T34, and the only correct model among predictors for the domain assembly target T35. In summary, our excellent results for the new proposed challenges in this CAPRI edition showed the limitations and applicability of our approaches and encouraged us to continue developing methodologies for automated biomolecular docking. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Conceptual design of a 10 to the 8th power bit magnetic bubble domain mass storage unit and fabrication, test and delivery of a feasibility model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The conceptual design of a highly reliable 10 to the 8th power-bit bubble domain memory for the space program is described. The memory has random access to blocks of closed-loop shift registers, and utilizes self-contained bubble domain chips with on-chip decoding. Trade-off studies show that the highest reliability and lowest power dissipation is obtained when the memory is organized on a bit-per-chip basis. The final design has 800 bits/register, 128 registers/chip, 16 chips/plane, and 112 planes, of which only seven are activated at a time. A word has 64 data bits +32 checkbits, used in a 16-adjacent code to provide correction of any combination of errors in one plane. 100 KHz maximum rotational frequency keeps power low (equal to or less than, 25 watts) and also allows asynchronous operation. Data rate is 6.4 megabits/sec, access time is 200 msec to an 800-word block and an additional 4 msec (average) to a word. The fabrication and operation are also described for a 64-bit bubble domain memory chip designed to test the concept of on-chip magnetic decoding. Access to one of the chip's four shift registers for the read, write, and clear functions is by means of bubble domain decoders utilizing the interaction between a conductor line and a bubble.

Thunder-induced ground motions: 1. Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Ting-L.; Langston, Charles A.

2009-04-01

Acoustic pressure from thunder and its induced ground motions were investigated using a small array consisting of five three-component short-period surface seismometers, a three-component borehole seismometer, and five infrasound microphones. We used the array to constrain wave parameters of the incident acoustic and seismic waves. The incident slowness differences between acoustic pressure and ground motions suggest that ground reverberations were first initiated somewhat away from the array. Using slowness inferred from ground motions is preferable to obtain the seismic source parameters. We propose a source equalization procedure for acoustic/seismic deconvolution to generate the time domain transfer function, a procedure similar to that of obtaining teleseismic earthquake receiver functions. The time domain transfer function removes the incident pressure time history from the seismogram. An additional vertical-to-radial ground motion transfer function was used to identify the Rayleigh wave propagation mode of induced seismic waves complementing that found using the particle motions and amplitude variations in the borehole. The initial motions obtained by the time domain transfer functions suggest a low Poisson's ratio for the near-surface layer. The acoustic-to-seismic transfer functions show a consistent reverberation series at frequencies near 5 Hz. This gives an empirical measure of site resonance that depends on the ratio of the layer velocity to layer thickness for earthquake P and S waves. The time domain transfer function approach by transferring a spectral division into the time domain provides an alternative method for studying acoustic-to-seismic coupling.

The use of typed lambda calculus for comprehension and construction of simulation models in the domain of ecology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uschold, Michael

1992-01-01

We are concerned with two important issues in simulation modelling: model comprehension and model construction. Model comprehension is limited because many important choices taken during the modelling process are not documented. This makes it difficult for models to be modified or used by others. A key factor hindering model construction is the vast modelling search space which must be navigated. This is exacerbated by the fact that many modellers are unfamiliar with the terms and concepts catered to by current tools. The root of both problems is the lack of facilities for representing or reasoning about domain concepts in current simulation technology. The basis for our achievements in both of these areas is the development of a language with two distinct levels; one for representing domain information, and the other for representing the simulation model. Of equal importance, is the fact that we make formal connections between these two levels. The domain we are concerned with is ecological modelling. This language, called Elklogic, is based on the typed lambda calculus. Important features include a rich type structure, the use of various higher order functions, and semantics. This enables complex expressions to be constructed from relatively few primitives. The meaning of each expression can be determined in terms of the domain, the simulation model, or the relationship between the two. We describe a novel representation for sets and substructure, and a variety of other general concepts that are especially useful in the ecological domain. We use the type structure in a novel way: for controlling the modelling search space, rather than a proof search space. We facilitate model comprehension by representing modelling decisions that are embodied in the simulation model. We represent the simulation model separately from, but in terms of a domain mode. The explicit links between the two models constitute the modelling decisions. The semantics of Elklogic enables English text to be generated to explain the simulation model in domain terms.

Recognition of β-calcineurin by the domains of calmodulin: thermodynamic and structural evidence for distinct roles.

PubMed

O'Donnell, Susan E; Yu, Liping; Fowler, C Andrew; Shea, Madeline A

2011-03-01

Calcineurin (CaN, PP2B, PPP3), a heterodimeric Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent Ser/Thr phosphatase, regulates swimming in Paramecia, stress responses in yeast, and T-cell activation and cardiac hypertrophy in humans. Calcium binding to CaN(B) (the regulatory subunit) triggers conformational change in CaN(A) (the catalytic subunit). Two isoforms of CaN(A) (α, β) are both abundant in brain and heart and activated by calcium-saturated calmodulin (CaM). The individual contribution of each domain of CaM to regulation of calcineurin is not known. Hydrodynamic analyses of (Ca(2+))₄-CaM(1-148) bound to βCaNp, a peptide representing its CaM-binding domain, indicated a 1:1 stoichiometry. βCaNp binding to CaM increased the affinity of calcium for the N- and C-domains equally, thus preserving intrinsic domain differences, and the preference of calcium for sites III and IV. The equilibrium constants for individual calcium-saturated CaM domains dissociating from βCaNp were ∼1 μM. A limiting K(d) ≤ 1 nM was measured directly for full-length CaM, while thermodynamic linkage analysis indicated that it was approximately 1 pM. βCaNp binding to ¹⁵N-(Ca(2+))₄-CaM(1-148) monitored by ¹⁵N/¹HN HSQC NMR showed that association perturbed the N-domain of CaM more than its C-domain. NMR resonance assignments of CaM and βCaNp, and interpretation of intermolecular NOEs observed in the ¹³C-edited and ¹²C-¹⁴N-filtered 3D NOESY spectrum indicated anti-parallel binding. The sole aromatic residue (Phe) located near the βCaNp C-terminus was in close contact with several residues of the N-domain of CaM outside the hydrophobic cleft. These structural and thermodynamic properties would permit the domains of CaM to have distinct physiological roles in regulating activation of βCaN. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Akt1 binds focal adhesion kinase via the Akt1 kinase domain independently of the pleckstrin homology domain.

PubMed

Basson, M D; Zeng, B; Wang, S

2015-10-01

Akt1 and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) are protein kinases that play key roles in normal cell signaling. Individually, aberrant expression of these kinases has been linked to a variety of cancers. Together, Akt1/FAK interactions facilitate cancer metastasis by increasing cell adhesion under conditions of increased extracellular pressure. Pathological and iatrogenic sources of pressure arise from tumor growth against constraining stroma or direct perioperative manipulation. We previously reported that 15 mmHg increased extracellular pressure causes Akt1 to both directly interact with FAK and to phosphorylate and activate it. We investigated the nature of the Akt1/FAK binding by creating truncations of recombinant FAK, conjugated to glutathione S-transferase (GST), to pull down full-length Akt1. Western blots probing for Akt1 showed that FAK/Akt1 binding persisted in FAK truncations consisting of only amino acids 1-126, FAK(NT1), which contains the F1 subdomain of its band 4.1, ezrin, radixin, and moesin (FERM) domain. Using FAK(NT1) as bait, we then pulled down truncated versions of recombinant Akt1 conjugated to HA (human influenza hemagglutinin). Probes for GST-FAK(NT1) showed Akt1-FAK binding to occur in the absence of the both the Akt1 (N)-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain and its adjacent hinge region. The Akt1 (C)-terminal regulatory domain was equally unnecessary for Akt1/FAK co-immunoprecipitation. Truncations involving the Akt1 catalytic domain showed that the domain by itself was enough to pull down FAK. Additionally, a fragment spanning from the PH domain to half way through the catalytic domain demonstrated increased FAK binding compared to full length Akt1. These results begin to delineate the Akt1/FAK interaction and can be used to manipulate their force-activated signal interactions. Furthermore, the finding that the N-terminal half of the Akt1 catalytic domain binds so strongly to FAK when cleaved from the rest of the protein may suggest a means for developing novel inhibitors that target this specific Akt1/FAK interaction.

Ultrahigh-resolution high-speed retinal imaging using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cense, Barry; Nassif, Nader A.; Chen, Teresa C.; Pierce, Mark C.; Yun, Seok-Hyun; Hyle Park, B.; Bouma, Brett E.; Tearney, Guillermo J.; de Boer, Johannes F.

2004-05-01

We present the first ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) structural intensity images and movies of the human retina in vivo at 29.3 frames per second with 500 A-lines per frame. Data was acquired at a continuous rate of 29,300 spectra per second with a 98% duty cycle. Two consecutive spectra were coherently summed to improve sensitivity, resulting in an effective rate of 14,600 A-lines per second at an effective integration time of 68 μs. The turn-key source was a combination of two super luminescent diodes with a combined spectral width of more than 150 nm providing 4.5 mW of power. The spectrometer of the spectraldomain OCT (SD-OCT) setup was centered around 885 nm with a bandwidth of 145 nm. The effective bandwidth in the eye was limited to approximately 100 nm due to increased absorption of wavelengths above 920 nm in the vitreous. Comparing the performance of our ultrahighresolution SD-OCT system with a conventional high-resolution time domain OCT system, the A-line rate of the spectral-domain OCT system was 59 times higher at a 5.4 dB lower sensitivity. With use of a software based dispersion compensation scheme, coherence length broadening due to dispersion mismatch between sample and reference arms was minimized. The coherence length measured from a mirror in air was equal to 4.0 μm (n= 1). The coherence length determined from the specular reflection of the foveal umbo in vivo in a healthy human eye was equal to 3.5 μm (n = 1.38). With this new system, two layers at the location of the retinal pigmented epithelium seem to be present, as well as small features in the inner and outer plexiform layers, which are believed to be small blood vessels.

Hands on what? The relative effectiveness of physical versus virtual materials in an engineering design project by middle school children

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klahr, David; Triona, Lara M.; Williams, Cameron

2007-01-01

Hands-on activities play an important, but controversial, role in early science education. In this study we attempt to clarify some of the issues surrounding the controversy by calling attention to distinctions between: (a) type of instruction (direct or discovery); (b) type of knowledge to be acquired (domain-general or domain-specific); and (c) type of materials that are used (physical or virtual). We then describe an empirical study that investigates the relative effectiveness of the physical-virtual dimension. In the present study, seventh and eighth grade students assembled and tested mousetrap cars with the goal of designing a car that would go the farthest. Children were assigned to four different conditions, depending on whether they manipulated physical or virtual materials, and whether they had a fixed number of cars they could construct or a fixed amount of time in which to construct them. All four conditions were equally effective in producing significant gains in learners' knowledge about causal factors, in their ability to design optimal cars, and in their confidence in their knowledge. Girls' performance, knowledge, and effort were equal to boys' in all conditions, but girls' confidence remained below boys' throughout. Given the fact that, on several different measures, children were able to learn as well with virtual as with physical materials, the inherent pragmatic advantages of virtual materials in science may make them the preferred instructional medium in many hands-on contexts.

Using Wirtinger calculus and holomorphic matching to obtain the discharge potential for an elliptical pond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strack, O. D. L.

2009-01-01

We present in this paper a new method for deriving discharge potentials for groundwater flow. Discharge potentials are two-dimensional functions; the discharge potential to be presented represents steady groundwater flow with an elliptical pond of constant rate of extraction or infiltration. The method relies on Wirtinger calculus. We demonstrate that it is possible, in principle, to construct a holomorphic function Ω(z), defined so as to produce the same gradient vector in two dimensions as that obtained from an arbitrary function F(x, y) along any Jordan curve ?. We will call Ω(z) the holomorphic match of F(x, y) along ?. Let the line ? be a closed contour bounding a domain ?, and let F(x, y) be defined in ? and represent the discharge potential for some case of divergent groundwater flow. Holomorphic matching makes it possible to create a function Ω(z), valid outside ?, such that ?Ω equals F(x, y) and the gradient of ?Ω equals that of F(x, y) along ?. (Note that the technique applies also if ? is the domain outside ?.) We can use this technique to construct solutions for cases of flow where there is nonzero divergence (due to infiltration or leakage, for example) in ? but zero divergence outside ?. The special case that the divergence within ? is constant and is zero outside ? is chosen to illustrate the approach and to obtain a solution that, to the knowledge of the author, does not exist in the field of groundwater flow.

"Girls Are as Good as Boys at Math" Implies That Boys Are Probably Better: A Study of Expressions of Gender Equality.

PubMed

Chestnut, Eleanor K; Markman, Ellen M

2018-06-28

Although "Girls are as good as boys at math" explicitly expresses equality, we predict it could nevertheless suggest that boys have more raw talent. In statements with this subject-complement structure, the item in the complement position serves as the reference point and is thus considered more typical and prominent. This explains why "Tents are like houses," for instance, sounds better than "Houses are like tents"-people generally think of houses as more typical. For domains about ability, the reference point should be the item that is typically more skilled. We further propose that the reference point should be naturally more skilled. In two experiments, we presented adults with summaries of actual scientific evidence for gender equality in math (Experiment 1) or verbal ability (Experiment 2), but we manipulated whether the reference point in the statements of equality in the summaries (e.g., "Boys' verbal ability is as good as girls'") was girls or boys. As predicted, adults attributed more natural ability to each gender when it was in the complement rather than subject position. Yet, in Experiment 3, we found that when explicitly asked, participants judged that such sentences were not biased in favor of either gender, indicating that subject-complement statements must be transmitting this bias in a subtle way. Thus, statements such as "Girls are as good as boys at math" can actually backfire and perpetuate gender stereotypes about natural ability. © 2018 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Fitting aerodynamic forces in the Laplace domain: An application of a nonlinear nongradient technique to multilevel constrained optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tiffany, S. H.; Adams, W. M., Jr.

1984-01-01

A technique which employs both linear and nonlinear methods in a multilevel optimization structure to best approximate generalized unsteady aerodynamic forces for arbitrary motion is described. Optimum selection of free parameters is made in a rational function approximation of the aerodynamic forces in the Laplace domain such that a best fit is obtained, in a least squares sense, to tabular data for purely oscillatory motion. The multilevel structure and the corresponding formulation of the objective models are presented which separate the reduction of the fit error into linear and nonlinear problems, thus enabling the use of linear methods where practical. Certain equality and inequality constraints that may be imposed are identified; a brief description of the nongradient, nonlinear optimizer which is used is given; and results which illustrate application of the method are presented.

Acoustic Radiation from High-Speed Turbulent Boundary Layers in a Tunnel-Like Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duan, Lian; Choudhari, Meelan M.; Zhang, Chao

2015-01-01

Direct numerical simulation of acoustic radiation from a turbulent boundary layer in a cylindrical domain will be conducted under the flow conditions corresponding to those at the nozzle exit of the Boeing/AFOSR Mach-6 Quiet Tunnel (BAM6QT) operated under noisy-flow conditions with a total pressure p(sub t) of 225 kPa and a total temperature of T(sub t) equal to 430 K. Simulations of acoustic radiation from a turbulent boundary layer over a flat surface are used as a reference configuration to illustrate the effects of the cylindrical enclosure. A detailed analysis of acoustic freestream disturbances in the cylindrical domain will be reported in the final paper along with a discussion pertaining to the significance of the flat-plate acoustic simulations and guidelines concerning the modeling of the effects of an axisymmetric tunnel wall on the noise field.

Determining the Size of Pores in a Partially Transparent Ceramics from Total-Reflection Spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mironov, R. A.; Zabezhailov, M. O.; Georgiu, I. F.; Cherepanov, V. V.; Rusin, M. Yu.

2018-03-01

A technique is proposed for determining the pore-size distribution based on measuring the dependence of total reflectance in the domain of partial transparency of a material. An assumption about equality of scattering-coefficient spectra determined by solving the inverse radiation transfer problem and by theoretical calculation with the Mie theory is used. The technique is applied to studying a quartz ceramics. The poresize distribution is also determined using mercury and gas porosimetry. All three methods are shown to produce close results for pores with diameters of <180 nm, which occupy 90% of the void volume. In the domain of pore dimensions of >180 nm, the methods show differences that might be related to both specific procedural features and the structural properties of ceramics. The spectral-scattering method has a number of advantages over traditional porosimetry, and it can be viewed as a routine industrial technique.

Charge carrier mobility in a two-phase disordered organic system in the low-carrier concentration regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woellner, Cristiano F.; Li, Zi; Freire, José A.; Lu, Gang; Nguyen, Thuc-Quyen

2013-09-01

In this paper we use a three-dimensional Pauli master equation to investigate the charge carrier mobility of a two-phase system which can mimic donor-acceptor and amorphous-crystalline bulk heterojunctions. By taking the energetic disorder of each phase, their energy offset, and domain morphology into consideration, we show that the carrier mobility can have a completely different behavior when compared to a one-phase system. When the energy offset is equal to zero, the mobility is controlled by the more disordered phase. When the energy offset is nonzero, we show that the mobility electric field dependence switches from negative to positive at a threshold field proportional to the energy offset. Additionally, the influence of morphology, through the domain size and volume ratio parameters, on the transport is investigated and an approximate analytical expression for the zero field mobility is provided.

Landscape evolution models using the stream power incision model show unrealistic behavior when m / n equals 0.5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwang, Jeffrey S.; Parker, Gary

2017-12-01

Landscape evolution models often utilize the stream power incision model to simulate river incision: E = KAmSn, where E is the vertical incision rate, K is the erodibility constant, A is the upstream drainage area, S is the channel gradient, and m and n are exponents. This simple but useful law has been employed with an imposed rock uplift rate to gain insight into steady-state landscapes. The most common choice of exponents satisfies m / n = 0.5. Yet all models have limitations. Here, we show that when hillslope diffusion (which operates only on small scales) is neglected, the choice m / n = 0.5 yields a curiously unrealistic result: the predicted landscape is invariant to horizontal stretching. That is, the steady-state landscape for a 10 km2 horizontal domain can be stretched so that it is identical to the corresponding landscape for a 1000 km2 domain.

Cultural adaptation and validation of Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 version in Uganda: A small-scale study

PubMed Central

Kamwesiga, Julius T; von Koch, Lena; Kottorp, Anders; Guidetti, Susanne

2016-01-01

Background: Knowledge is scarce about the impact of stroke in Uganda, and culturally adapted, psychometrically tested patient-reported outcome measures are lacking. The Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 is recommended, but it has not been culturally adapted and validated in Uganda. Objective: To culturally adapt and determine the psychometric properties of the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 in the Ugandan context on a small scale. Method: The Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 was culturally adapted to form Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 Uganda (in English) by involving 25 participants in three different expert committees. Subsequently, Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 Uganda from English to Luganda language was done in accordance with guidelines. The first language in Uganda is English and Luganda is the main spoken language in Kampala city and its surroundings. Translation of Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 Uganda (both in English and Luganda) was then tested psychometrically by applying a Rasch model on data collected from 95 participants with stroke. Results: Overall, 10 of 59 (17%) items in the eight domains of the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 were culturally adapted. The majority were 6 of 10 items in the domain Activities of Daily Living, 2 of 9 items in the domain Mobility, and 2 of 5 items in the domain Hand function. Only in two domains, all items demonstrated acceptable goodness of fit to the Rasch model. There were also more than 5% person misfits in the domains Participation and Emotion, while the Communication, Mobility, and Hand function domains had the lowest proportions of person misfits. The reliability coefficient was equal or larger than 0.90 in all domains except the Emotion domain, which was below the set criterion of 0.80 (0.75). Conclusion: The cultural adaptation and translation of Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 Uganda provides initial evidence of validity of the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 when used in this context. The results provide support for several aspects of validity and precision but also point out issues for further adaptation and improvement of the Stroke Impact Scale. PMID:27746913

Cultural adaptation and validation of Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 version in Uganda: A small-scale study.

PubMed

Kamwesiga, Julius T; von Koch, Lena; Kottorp, Anders; Guidetti, Susanne

2016-01-01

Knowledge is scarce about the impact of stroke in Uganda, and culturally adapted, psychometrically tested patient-reported outcome measures are lacking. The Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 is recommended, but it has not been culturally adapted and validated in Uganda. To culturally adapt and determine the psychometric properties of the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 in the Ugandan context on a small scale. The Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 was culturally adapted to form Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 Uganda ( in English ) by involving 25 participants in three different expert committees. Subsequently, Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 Uganda from English to Luganda language was done in accordance with guidelines. The first language in Uganda is English and Luganda is the main spoken language in Kampala city and its surroundings. Translation of Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 Uganda ( both in English and Luganda ) was then tested psychometrically by applying a Rasch model on data collected from 95 participants with stroke. Overall, 10 of 59 (17%) items in the eight domains of the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 were culturally adapted. The majority were 6 of 10 items in the domain Activities of Daily Living, 2 of 9 items in the domain Mobility, and 2 of 5 items in the domain Hand function. Only in two domains, all items demonstrated acceptable goodness of fit to the Rasch model. There were also more than 5% person misfits in the domains Participation and Emotion, while the Communication, Mobility, and Hand function domains had the lowest proportions of person misfits. The reliability coefficient was equal or larger than 0.90 in all domains except the Emotion domain, which was below the set criterion of 0.80 (0.75). The cultural adaptation and translation of Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 Uganda provides initial evidence of validity of the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 when used in this context. The results provide support for several aspects of validity and precision but also point out issues for further adaptation and improvement of the Stroke Impact Scale.

Re-evaluation of the definition of remission on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale based on recovery in health-related quality of life in an observational post-marketing study.

PubMed

Sawamura, Jitsuki; Ishigooka, Jun; Nishimura, Katsuji

2018-01-16

Although a score of less than 7 for the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D17) has been widely adopted to define remission of depression, a full recovery from depression is closely related to the patient's quality of life as well. Accordingly, we re-evaluated this definition of remission using HAM-D17 in comparison with the corresponding score for health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measured by the SF-36. Using the data for depressive patients reported by GlaxoSmithKline K.K. (Study No. BRL29060A/863) in a post-marketing observational study of paroxetine, with a sample size of n = 722, multivariate logistic regression was performed with the HAM-D17 score as a dependent variable and with each of the eight domain scores of HRQOL (from the SF-36) transformed into a binominal form according to the national standard value for Japan. Then, area under curve of receiver operating characteristic analyses were conducted. Based on the obtained results, a multivariate analysis was performed using the HAM-D17 score in a binomial form with HAM-D17 as a dependent variable and with each of the eight HRQOL domain scores (SF-36) as binominalized independent variables. A cutoff value for the HAM-D17 score of 5 provided the maximum ROC-AUC at "0.864." The significantly associated scores of the eight HRQOL domains (SF-36) were identified for the HAM-D17 cutoff values of ≥5 and ≤4. The scores for physical functioning (odds ratio, 0.473), bodily pain (0.557), vitality (0.379), social functioning (0.540), role-emotion (0.265), and mental health (0.467) had a significant negative association with the HAM-D17 score (p < 0.05), and HRQOL domain scores for HAM-D17 ≥ 5 were significantly lower compared with those for HAM-D17 ≤ 4. A cutoff value for HAM-D17 of less than or equal to 4 was the best candidate for indicating remission of depression when the recovery of HRQOL is considered. Restoration of social function and performance should be considered equally important in assessing the adequacy of treatment for patients with depression.

Phase transition dynamics for hot nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borderie, B.; Le Neindre, N.; Rivet, M. F.; Désesquelles, P.; Bonnet, E.; Bougault, R.; Chbihi, A.; Dell'Aquila, D.; Fable, Q.; Frankland, J. D.; Galichet, E.; Gruyer, D.; Guinet, D.; La Commara, M.; Lombardo, I.; Lopez, O.; Manduci, L.; Napolitani, P.; Pârlog, M.; Rosato, E.; Roy, R.; St-Onge, P.; Verde, G.; Vient, E.; Vigilante, M.; Wieleczko, J. P.; Indra Collaboration

2018-07-01

An abnormal production of events with almost equal-sized fragments was theoretically proposed as a signature of spinodal instabilities responsible for nuclear multifragmentation in the Fermi energy domain. On the other hand finite size effects are predicted to strongly reduce this abnormal production. High statistics quasifusion hot nuclei produced in central collisions between Xe and Sn isotopes at 32 and 45 A MeV incident energies have been used to definitively establish, through the experimental measurement of charge correlations, the presence of spinodal instabilities. N/Z influence was also studied.

Phase noise suppression for coherent optical block transmission systems: a unified framework.

PubMed

Yang, Chuanchuan; Yang, Feng; Wang, Ziyu

2011-08-29

A unified framework for phase noise suppression is proposed in this paper, which could be applied in any coherent optical block transmission systems, including coherent optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (CO-OFDM), coherent optical single-carrier frequency-domain equalization block transmission (CO-SCFDE), etc. Based on adaptive modeling of phase noise, unified observation equations for different coherent optical block transmission systems are constructed, which lead to unified phase noise estimation and suppression. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposal is powerful in mitigating laser phase noise.

Socially Extended Cognition and Shared Intentionality

PubMed Central

Lyre, Holger

2018-01-01

The paper looks at the intersection of extended cognition and social cognition. The central claim is that the mechanisms of shared intentionality can equally be considered as coupling mechanisms of cognitive extension into the social domain. This claim will be demonstrated by investigating a detailed example of cooperative action, and it will be argued that such cases imply that socially extended cognition is not only about cognitive vehicles, but that content must additionally be taken into account. It is finally outlined how social content externalism can in principle be grounded in socially extended cognition. PMID:29892254

A numerical investigation of pumping-test responses from contiguous aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafini, Silvain; Chesnaux, Romain; Ferroud, Anouck

2017-05-01

Adequate groundwater management requires models capable of representing the heterogeneous nature of aquifers. A key point is the theoretical knowledge of flow behaviour in various heterogeneous archetypal conditions, using analytically or numerically based models. This study numerically investigates transient pressure transfers between linearly contiguous homogeneous domains with non-equal hydraulic properties, optionally separated by a conductive fault. Responses to pumping are analysed in terms of time-variant flow dimension, n. Two radial stages are predicted ( n: 2 - 2) with a positive or negative vertical offset depending of the transmissivity ratio between domains. A transitional n = 4 segment occurs when the non-pumped domain is more transmissive ( n: 2 - 4 - 2), and a fractional flow segment occurs when the interface is a fault ( n: 2 - 4 - 1.5 - 2). The hydrodynamics are generally governed by the transmissivity ratio; the storativity ratio impact is limited. The drawdown log-derivative late stabilization, recorded at any well, does not tend to reflect the local transmissivity but rather the higher transmissivity region, possibly distant and blind, as it predominantly supplies groundwater to the well. This study provides insights on the behaviour of non-uniform aquifers and on theoretical responses that can aid practitioners to detect such conditions in nature.

Evolution of imitation networks in Minority Game model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavička, H.; Slanina, F.

2007-03-01

The Minority Game is adapted to study the “imitation dilemma”, i.e. the tradeoff between local benefit and global harm coming from imitation. The agents are placed on a substrate network and are allowed to imitate more successful neighbours. Imitation domains, which are oriented trees, are formed. We investigate size distribution of the domains and in-degree distribution within the trees. We use four types of substrate: one-dimensional chain; Erdös-Rényi graph; Barabási-Albert scale-free graph; Barabási-Albert 'model A' graph. The behaviour of some features of the imitation network strongly depend on the information cost epsilon, which is the percentage of gain the imitators must pay to the imitated. Generally, the system tends to form a few domains of equal size. However, positive epsilon makes the system stay in a long-lasting metastable state with complex structure. The in-degree distribution is found to follow a power law in two cases of those studied: for Erdös-Rényi substrate for any epsilon and for Barabási-Albert scale-free substrate for large enough epsilon. A brief comparison with empirical data is provided.

Simple stochastic birth and death models of genome evolution: was there enough time for us to evolve?

PubMed

Karev, Georgy P; Wolf, Yuri I; Koonin, Eugene V

2003-10-12

The distributions of many genome-associated quantities, including the membership of paralogous gene families can be approximated with power laws. We are interested in developing mathematical models of genome evolution that adequately account for the shape of these distributions and describe the evolutionary dynamics of their formation. We show that simple stochastic models of genome evolution lead to power-law asymptotics of protein domain family size distribution. These models, called Birth, Death and Innovation Models (BDIM), represent a special class of balanced birth-and-death processes, in which domain duplication and deletion rates are asymptotically equal up to the second order. The simplest, linear BDIM shows an excellent fit to the observed distributions of domain family size in diverse prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. However, the stochastic version of the linear BDIM explored here predicts that the actual size of large paralogous families is reached on an unrealistically long timescale. We show that introduction of non-linearity, which might be interpreted as interaction of a particular order between individual family members, allows the model to achieve genome evolution rates that are much better compatible with the current estimates of the rates of individual duplication/loss events.

Acoustic field in unsteady moving media

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, F.; Maestrello, L.; Ting, L.

1995-01-01

In the interaction of an acoustic field with a moving airframe the authors encounter a canonical initial value problem for an acoustic field induced by an unsteady source distribution, q(t,x) with q equivalent to 0 for t less than or equal to 0, in a medium moving with a uniform unsteady velocity U(t)i in the coordinate system x fixed on the airframe. Signals issued from a source point S in the domain of dependence D of an observation point P at time t will arrive at point P more than once corresponding to different retarded times, Tau in the interval (0, t). The number of arrivals is called the multiplicity of the point S. The multiplicity equals 1 if the velocity U remains subsonic and can be greater when U becomes supersonic. For an unsteady uniform flow U(t)i, rules are formulated for defining the smallest number of I subdomains V(sub i) of D with the union of V(sub i) equal to D. Each subdomain has multiplicity 1 and a formula for the corresponding retarded time. The number of subdomains V(sub i) with nonempty intersection is the multiplicity m of the intersection. The multiplicity is at most I. Examples demonstrating these rules are presented for media at accelerating and/or decelerating supersonic speed.

Myonuclear domain size and myosin isoform expression in muscle fibres from mammals representing a 100,000-fold difference in body size.

PubMed

Liu, Jing-Xia; Höglund, Anna-Stina; Karlsson, Patrick; Lindblad, Joakim; Qaisar, Rizwan; Aare, Sudhakar; Bengtsson, Ewert; Larsson, Lars

2009-01-01

This comparative study of myonuclear domain (MND) size in mammalian species representing a 100,000-fold difference in body mass, ranging from 25 g to 2500 kg, was undertaken to improve our understanding of myonuclear organization in skeletal muscle fibres. Myonuclear domain size was calculated from three-dimensional reconstructions in a total of 235 single muscle fibre segments at a fixed sarcomere length. Irrespective of species, the largest MND size was observed in muscle fibres expressing fast myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms, but in the two smallest mammalian species studied (mouse and rat), MND size was not larger in the fast-twitch fibres expressing the IIA MyHC isofom than in the slow-twitch type I fibres. In the larger mammals, the type I fibres always had the smallest average MND size, but contrary to mouse and rat muscles, type IIA fibres had lower mitochondrial enzyme activities than type I fibres. Myonuclear domain size was highly dependent on body mass in the two muscle fibre types expressed in all species, i.e. types I and IIA. Myonuclear domain size increased in muscle fibres expressing both the beta/slow (type I; r = 0.84, P < 0.001) and the fast IIA MyHC isoform (r = 0.90; P < 0.001). Thus, MND size scales with body size and is highly dependent on muscle fibre type, independent of species. However, myosin isoform expression is not the sole protein determining MND size, and other protein systems, such as mitochondrial proteins, may be equally or more important determinants of MND size.

C60 superstructure and carbide formation on the Al-terminated Al9Co2(001 ) surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ledieu, J.; Gaudry, É.; de Weerd, M.-C.; Gille, P.; Diehl, R. D.; Fournée, V.

2015-04-01

We report the formation of an ordered C60 monolayer on the Al9Co2 (001) surface using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), x-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS/UPS), and ab initio calculations. Dosing fullerenes at 300 K results in a disordered overlayer. However, the adsorption of C60 with the sample held between 573-673 K leads to a [4, -2 ∣1 ,3 ] phase. The growth of C60 proceeds with the formation of two domains which are mirror symmetric with respect to the [100] direction. Within each domain, the superstructure unit cell contains six molecules and this implies an area per fullerene equal to 91 Å2. The molecules exhibit two types of contrast (bright and dim) which are bias dependent. The adsorption energies and preferred molecular configuration at several possible adsorption sites have been determined theoretically. These calculations lead to a possible scheme describing the configuration of each C60 in the observed superstructure. Several defects (vacancies, protrusions,…) and domain boundaries observed in the film are also discussed. If the sample temperature is higher than 693 K when dosing, impinging C60 molecules dissociate at the surface, hence leading to the formation of a carbide film as observed by STM and LEED measurements. The formation of Al4C3 domains and the molecular dissociation are confirmed by XPS/UPS measurements acquired at different stages of the experiment. The cluster substructure present at the Al9Co2 (001) surface dictates the carbide domain orientations.

Stress induced magnetic-domain evolution in magnetoelectric composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trivedi, Harsh; Shvartsman, Vladimir V.; Lupascu, Doru C.; Medeiros, Marco S. A.; Pullar, Robert C.

2018-06-01

Local observation of the stress mediated magnetoelectric (ME) effect in composites has gained a great deal of interest over the last decades. However, there is an apparent lack of rigorous methods for a quantitative characterization of the ME effect at the local scale, especially in polycrystalline microstructures. In the present work, we address this issue by locally probing the surface magnetic state of barium titante–hexagonal barium ferrite (BaTiO3–BaFe12O19) ceramic composites using magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The effect of the piezoelectrically induced local stress on the magnetostrictive component (BaFe12O19, BaM) was observed in the form of the evolution of the magnetic domains. The local piezoelectric stress was induced by applying a voltage to the neighboring BaTiO3 grains, using a conductive atomic force microscopy tip. The resulting stochastic evolution of magnetic domains was studied in the context of the induced magnetoelastic anisotropy. In order to overcome the ambiguity in the domain changes observed by MFM, certain generalizations about the observed MFM contrast are put forward, followed by application of an algorithm for extracting the average micromagnetic changes. An average change in domain wall thickness of 50 nm was extracted, giving a lower limit on the corresponding induced magnetoelastic anisotropy energy. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this induced magnetomechanical energy is approximately equal to the K1 magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant of BaM, and compare it with a modeled value of applied elastic energy density. The comparison allowed us to judge the quality of the interfaces in the composite system, by roughly gauging the energy conversion ratio.

Depinning of the transverse domain wall trapped at magnetic impurities patterned in planar nanowires: Control of the wall motion using low-intensity and short-duration current pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paixão, E. L. M.; Toscano, D.; Gomes, J. C. S.; Monteiro, M. G.; Sato, F.; Leonel, S. A.; Coura, P. Z.

2018-04-01

Understanding and controlling of domain wall motion in magnetic nanowires is extremely important for the development and production of many spintronic devices. It is well known that notches are able to pin domain walls, but their pinning potential strength are too strong and it demands high-intensity current pulses to achieve wall depinning in magnetic nanowires. However, traps of pinning can be also originated from magnetic impurities, consisting of located variations of the nanowire's magnetic properties, such as exchange stiffness constant, saturation magnetization, anisotropy constant, damping parameter, and so on. In this work, we have performed micromagnetic simulations to investigate the depinning mechanism of a transverse domain wall (TDW) trapped at an artificial magnetic defect using spin-polarized current pulses. In order to create pinning traps, a simplified magnetic impurity model, only based on a local reduction of the exchange stiffness constant, have been considered. In order to provide a background for experimental studies, we have varied the parameter related to the pinning potential strength of the magnetic impurity. By adjusting the pinning potential of magnetic impurities and choosing simultaneously a suitable current pulse, we have found that it is possible to obtain domain wall depinning by applying low-intensity and short-duration current pulses. Furthermore, it was considered a planar magnetic nanowire containing a linear distribution of equally-spaced magnetic impurities and we have demonstrated the position control of a single TDW by applying sequential current pulses; that means the wall movement from an impurity to another.

Exchanging the minimal cell binding fragments of tetanus neurotoxin in botulinum neurotoxin A and B impacts their toxicity at the neuromuscular junction and central neurons.

PubMed

Höltje, Markus; Schulze, Sebastian; Strotmeier, Jasmin; Mahrhold, Stefan; Richter, Karin; Binz, Thomas; Bigalke, Hans; Ahnert-Hilger, Gudrun; Rummel, Andreas

2013-12-01

The modular four domain structure of clostridial neurotoxins supports the idea to reassemble individual domains from tetanus and botulinum neurotoxins to generate novel molecules with altered pharmacological properties. To treat disorders of the central nervous system drug transporter molecules based on catalytically inactive clostridial neurotoxins circumventing the passage of the blood-brain-barrier are desired. Such molecules can be produced based on the highly effective botulinum neurotoxin serotype A incorporating the retrograde axonal sorting property of tetanus neurotoxin which is supposed to be encoded within its C-terminal cell binding domain HC. The corresponding exchange of the tetanus neurotoxin HC-fragment in botulinum neurotoxin A yielded the novel hybrid molecule AATT which displayed decreased potency at the neuromuscular junction like tetanus neurotoxin but exerted equal activity in cortical neurons compared to botulinum neurotoxin A wild-type. Minimizing the tetanus neurotoxin cell binding domain to its N- or C-terminal half drastically reduced the potencies of AATA and AAAT in cortical neurons indicating that the structural motif mediating sorting of tetanus neurotoxin is predominantly encoded within the entire HC-fragment. However, the reciprocal exchange resulted in TTAA which showed a similar potency as tetanus neurotoxin at the neuromuscular junction indicating that the tetanus neurotoxin portion prevents a high potency as observed for botulinum neurotoxins. In conclusion, clostridial neurotoxin based inactivated drug transporter for targeting central neurons should contain the cell binding domain of tetanus neurotoxin to exert its tropism for the central nervous system. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Magnetic Characteristics of Powder Magnetic Core and Evaluation of Motor Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enomoto, Yuji; Ito, Motoya; Masaki, Ryozo; Yamazaki, Katsuyuki; Asaka, Kazuo; Ishihara, Chio; Ohiwa, Syoji

A magnetic characteristic measurement, a motor characteristic forecast, and an experimental evaluation of various powder magnetic cores were performed aiming at a fixed quantity grasp when the powder magnetic core was applied to the motor core as the magnetic material. The manufacturing conditions were changed, and magnetic characteristic compares a direct current magnetization characteristic and an iron disadvantageous characteristic with the silicon steel board for a different powder magnetic core. Therefore, though some permeabilities are low, characteristics almost equal to those of a silicon steel board were obtained in the maximum saturation magnetic induction, which confirms that the powder magnetic core in disadvantageous iron in a certain frequency domain, and to confirm disadvantageous iron lowers. Moreover, it has been shown to obtain characteristics almost equal to the silicon steel board when compared in terms of motor efficiency, though some disadvantageous iron increases since the effect when applying to the motor is verified the silicon steel board and the comparison evaluation for the surface type permanent magnet motor.

Same-Sex Couples' Decisions and Experiences of Marriage in the Context of Minority Stress: Interviews From a Population-Based Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Rostosky, Sharon S; Riggle, Ellen D B; Rothblum, Esther D; Balsam, Kimberly F

2016-08-01

In the emerging context of marriage equality, it is important to explore the reasons for and experience of marriage for long-term same-sex couples, including the role of minority stress. In Wave 3 of the population-based, longitudinal CUPPLES Study we interviewed 21 long-term same-sex couples (14 female, 7 male) who resided in 12 different states and who were legally married. Couple members ranged in age from 37 to 84 and reported being together as a couple from 15 to 41 years. Seven couples lived in states that did not recognize their marriage at the time of the interview. Legal protection and social validation emerged as the two primary domains that captured couples' lived experiences of marriage. Minority stress experiences emerged in the narratives in the context of couples' long-term commitment, the availability of civil marriage, and couples' participation in activist efforts on behalf of marriage equality for themselves and others.

Rapid heating of Alaska pollock and chicken breast myofibrillar protein gels as affecting water-holding properties.

PubMed

Stevenson, Clinton D; Liu, Wenjie; Lanier, Tyre C

2012-10-10

The gelation response of salted muscle minces to rapid versus slow heating rates is thought to differ between homeotherm and poikilotherm species. This study investigated water-holding (WH) properties of pastes prepared from refined myofibrils, at equal pH, of chicken breast versus Alaska pollock both during [cook loss (CL)] and following [expressible water (EW)] their cooking by rapid [microwave (MW)] versus slow [water bath (WB)] heating and whether such properties were related to gel matrix structure parameters and water mobility. Results did not confirm the industrial experience that pastes of meat from homeotherms benefit from slower cooking. Gels of equally high WH ability (low CL or EW) were made by rapid heating when the holding time did not exceed 5 min prior to cooling, which was sufficient for completion of gelation. Reduced CL and EW correlated with larger and smaller amplitudes of T21 and T22 water pools, respectively, measured by time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR).

Scattering Cross Section of Sound Waves by the Modal Element Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baumeister, Kenneth J.; Kreider, Kevin L.

1994-01-01

#he modal element method has been employed to determine the scattered field from a plane acoustic wave impinging on a two dimensional body. In the modal element method, the scattering body is represented by finite elements, which are coupled to an eigenfunction expansion representing the acoustic pressure in the infinite computational domain surrounding the body. The present paper extends the previous work by developing the algorithm necessary to calculate the acoustics scattering cross section by the modal element method. The scattering cross section is the acoustical equivalent to the Radar Cross Section (RCS) in electromagnetic theory. Since the scattering cross section is evaluated at infinite distance from the body, an asymptotic approximation is used in conjunction with the standard modal element method. For validation, the scattering cross section of the rigid circular cylinder is computed for the frequency range 0.1 is less than or equal to ka is less than or equal to 100. Results show excellent agreement with the analytic solution.

Domain specificity versus expertise: factors influencing distinct processing of faces.

PubMed

Carmel, David; Bentin, Shlomo

2002-02-01

To explore face specificity in visual processing, we compared the role of task-associated strategies and expertise on the N170 event-related potential (ERP) component elicited by human faces with the ERPs elicited by cars, birds, items of furniture, and ape faces. In Experiment 1, participants performed a car monitoring task and an animacy decision task. In Experiment 2, participants monitored human faces while faces of apes were the distracters. Faces elicited an equally conspicuous N170, significantly larger than the ERPs elicited by non-face categories regardless of whether they were ignored or had an equal status with other categories (Experiment 1), or were the targets (in Experiment 2). In contrast, the negative component elicited by cars during the same time range was larger if they were targets than if they were not. Furthermore, unlike the posterior-temporal distribution of the N170, the negative component elicited by cars and its modulation by task were more conspicuous at occipital sites. Faces of apes elicited an N170 that was similar in amplitude to that elicited by the human face targets, albeit peaking 10 ms later. As our participants were not ape experts, this pattern indicates that the N170 is face-specific, but not specie-specific, i.e. it is elicited by particular face features regardless of expertise. Overall, these results demonstrate the domain specificity of the visual mechanism implicated in processing faces, a mechanism which is not influenced by either task or expertise. The processing of other objects is probably accomplished by a more general visual processor, which is sensitive to strategic manipulations and attention.

Detection of Atmospheric Water Deposits in Porous Media Using the TDR Technique

PubMed Central

Nakonieczna, Anna; Kafarski, Marcin; Wilczek, Andrzej; Szypłowska, Agnieszka; Janik, Grzegorz; Albert, Małgorzata; Skierucha, Wojciech

2015-01-01

Investigating the intensity of atmospheric water deposition and its diurnal distribution is essential from the ecological perspective, especially regarding dry geographic regions. It is also important in the context of monitoring the amount of moisture present within building materials in order to protect them from excessive humidity. The objective of this study was to test a constructed sensor and determine whether it could detect and track changes in the intensity of atmospheric water deposition. An operating principle of the device is based on the time-domain reflectometry technique. Two sensors of different plate volumes were manufactured. They were calibrated at several temperatures and tested during field measurements. The calibration turned out to be temperature independent. The outdoor measurements indicated that the upper limits of the measurement ranges of the sensors depended on the volumes of the plates and were equal to 1.2 and 2.8 mm H2O. The respective sensitivities were equal to 3.2 × 10−3 and 7.5 × 10−3 g·ps−1. The conducted experiments showed that the construction of the designed device and the time-domain reflectometry technique were appropriate for detecting and tracing the dynamics of atmospheric water deposition. The obtained outcomes were also collated with the readings taken in an actual soil sample. For this purpose, an open container sensor, which allows investigating atmospheric water deposition in soil, was manufactured. It turned out that the readings taken by the porous ceramic plate sensor reflected the outcomes of the measurements performed in a soil sample. PMID:25871717

The word processing deficit in semantic dementia: all categories are equal, but some categories are more equal than others.

PubMed

Pulvermüller, Friedemann; Cooper-Pye, Elisa; Dine, Clare; Hauk, Olaf; Nestor, Peter J; Patterson, Karalyn

2010-09-01

It has been claimed that semantic dementia (SD), the temporal variant of fronto-temporal dementia, is characterized by an across-the-board deficit affecting all types of conceptual knowledge. We here confirm this generalized deficit but also report differential degrees of impairment in processing specific semantic word categories in a case series of SD patients (N = 11). Within the domain of words with strong visually grounded meaning, the patients' lexical decision accuracy was more impaired for color-related than for form-related words. Likewise, within the domain of action verbs, the patients' performance was worse for words referring to face movements and speech acts than for words semantically linked to actions performed with the hand and arm. Psycholinguistic properties were matched between the stimulus groups entering these contrasts; an explanation for the differential degrees of impairment must therefore involve semantic features of the words in the different conditions. Furthermore, this specific pattern of deficits cannot be captured by classic category distinctions such as nouns versus verbs or living versus nonliving things. Evidence from previous neuroimaging research indicates that color- and face/speech-related words, respectively, draw most heavily on anterior-temporal and inferior-frontal areas, the structures most affected in SD. Our account combines (a) the notion of an anterior-temporal amodal semantic "hub" to explain the profound across-the-board deficit in SD word processing, with (b) a semantic topography model of category-specific circuits whose cortical distributions reflect semantic features of the words and concepts represented.

Generalized index for spatial data sets as a measure of complete spatial randomness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hackett-Jones, Emily J.; Davies, Kale J.; Binder, Benjamin J.; Landman, Kerry A.

2012-06-01

Spatial data sets, generated from a wide range of physical systems can be analyzed by counting the number of objects in a set of bins. Previous work has been limited to equal-sized bins, which are inappropriate for some domains (e.g., circular). We consider a nonequal size bin configuration whereby overlapping or nonoverlapping bins cover the domain. A generalized index, defined in terms of a variance between bin counts, is developed to indicate whether or not a spatial data set, generated from exclusion or nonexclusion processes, is at the complete spatial randomness (CSR) state. Limiting values of the index are determined. Using examples, we investigate trends in the generalized index as a function of density and compare the results with those using equal size bins. The smallest bin size must be much larger than the mean size of the objects. We can determine whether a spatial data set is at the CSR state or not by comparing the values of a generalized index for different bin configurations—the values will be approximately the same if the data is at the CSR state, while the values will differ if the data set is not at the CSR state. In general, the generalized index is lower than the limiting value of the index, since objects do not have access to the entire region due to blocking by other objects. These methods are applied to two applications: (i) spatial data sets generated from a cellular automata model of cell aggregation in the enteric nervous system and (ii) a known plant data distribution.

Pre-processing ambient noise cross-correlations with equalizing the covariance matrix eigenspectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seydoux, Léonard; de Rosny, Julien; Shapiro, Nikolai M.

2017-09-01

Passive imaging techniques from ambient seismic noise requires a nearly isotropic distribution of the noise sources in order to ensure reliable traveltime measurements between seismic stations. However, real ambient seismic noise often partially fulfils this condition. It is generated in preferential areas (in deep ocean or near continental shores), and some highly coherent pulse-like signals may be present in the data such as those generated by earthquakes. Several pre-processing techniques have been developed in order to attenuate the directional and deterministic behaviour of this real ambient noise. Most of them are applied to individual seismograms before cross-correlation computation. The most widely used techniques are the spectral whitening and temporal smoothing of the individual seismic traces. We here propose an additional pre-processing to be used together with the classical ones, which is based on the spatial analysis of the seismic wavefield. We compute the cross-spectra between all available stations pairs in spectral domain, leading to the data covariance matrix. We apply a one-bit normalization to the covariance matrix eigenspectrum before extracting the cross-correlations in the time domain. The efficiency of the method is shown with several numerical tests. We apply the method to the data collected by the USArray, when the M8.8 Maule earthquake occurred on 2010 February 27. The method shows a clear improvement compared with the classical equalization to attenuate the highly energetic and coherent waves incoming from the earthquake, and allows to perform reliable traveltime measurement even in the presence of the earthquake.

NLOS Correction/Exclusion for GNSS Measurement Using RAIM and City Building Models

PubMed Central

Hsu, Li-Ta; Gu, Yanlei; Kamijo, Shunsuke

2015-01-01

Currently, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers can provide accurate and reliable positioning service in open-field areas. However, their performance in the downtown areas of cities is still affected by the multipath and none-line-of-sight (NLOS) receptions. This paper proposes a new positioning method using 3D building models and the receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) satellite selection method to achieve satisfactory positioning performance in urban area. The 3D building model uses a ray-tracing technique to simulate the line-of-sight (LOS) and NLOS signal travel distance, which is well-known as pseudorange, between the satellite and receiver. The proposed RAIM fault detection and exclusion (FDE) is able to compare the similarity between the raw pseudorange measurement and the simulated pseudorange. The measurement of the satellite will be excluded if the simulated and raw pseudoranges are inconsistent. Because of the assumption of the single reflection in the ray-tracing technique, an inconsistent case indicates it is a double or multiple reflected NLOS signal. According to the experimental results, the RAIM satellite selection technique can reduce by about 8.4% and 36.2% the positioning solutions with large errors (solutions estimated on the wrong side of the road) for the 3D building model method in the middle and deep urban canyon environment, respectively. PMID:26193278

Fractional dynamics of globally slow transcription and its impact on deterministic genetic oscillation.

PubMed

Wei, Kun; Gao, Shilong; Zhong, Suchuan; Ma, Hong

2012-01-01

In dynamical systems theory, a system which can be described by differential equations is called a continuous dynamical system. In studies on genetic oscillation, most deterministic models at early stage are usually built on ordinary differential equations (ODE). Therefore, gene transcription which is a vital part in genetic oscillation is presupposed to be a continuous dynamical system by default. However, recent studies argued that discontinuous transcription might be more common than continuous transcription. In this paper, by appending the inserted silent interval lying between two neighboring transcriptional events to the end of the preceding event, we established that the running time for an intact transcriptional event increases and gene transcription thus shows slow dynamics. By globally replacing the original time increment for each state increment by a larger one, we introduced fractional differential equations (FDE) to describe such globally slow transcription. The impact of fractionization on genetic oscillation was then studied in two early stage models--the Goodwin oscillator and the Rössler oscillator. By constructing a "dual memory" oscillator--the fractional delay Goodwin oscillator, we suggested that four general requirements for generating genetic oscillation should be revised to be negative feedback, sufficient nonlinearity, sufficient memory and proper balancing of timescale. The numerical study of the fractional Rössler oscillator implied that the globally slow transcription tends to lower the chance of a coupled or more complex nonlinear genetic oscillatory system behaving chaotically.

Spectral analysis and multigrid preconditioners for two-dimensional space-fractional diffusion equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moghaderi, Hamid; Dehghan, Mehdi; Donatelli, Marco; Mazza, Mariarosa

2017-12-01

Fractional diffusion equations (FDEs) are a mathematical tool used for describing some special diffusion phenomena arising in many different applications like porous media and computational finance. In this paper, we focus on a two-dimensional space-FDE problem discretized by means of a second order finite difference scheme obtained as combination of the Crank-Nicolson scheme and the so-called weighted and shifted Grünwald formula. By fully exploiting the Toeplitz-like structure of the resulting linear system, we provide a detailed spectral analysis of the coefficient matrix at each time step, both in the case of constant and variable diffusion coefficients. Such a spectral analysis has a very crucial role, since it can be used for designing fast and robust iterative solvers. In particular, we employ the obtained spectral information to define a Galerkin multigrid method based on the classical linear interpolation as grid transfer operator and damped-Jacobi as smoother, and to prove the linear convergence rate of the corresponding two-grid method. The theoretical analysis suggests that the proposed grid transfer operator is strong enough for working also with the V-cycle method and the geometric multigrid. On this basis, we introduce two computationally favourable variants of the proposed multigrid method and we use them as preconditioners for Krylov methods. Several numerical results confirm that the resulting preconditioning strategies still keep a linear convergence rate.

Relational similarity-based model of data part 1: foundations and query systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belohlavek, Radim; Vychodil, Vilem

2017-10-01

We present a general rank-aware model of data which supports handling of similarity in relational databases. The model is based on the assumption that in many cases it is desirable to replace equalities on values in data tables by similarity relations expressing degrees to which the values are similar. In this context, we study various phenomena which emerge in the model, including similarity-based queries and similarity-based data dependencies. Central notion in our model is that of a ranked data table over domains with similarities which is our counterpart to the notion of relation on relation scheme from the classical relational model. Compared to other approaches which cover related problems, we do not propose a similarity-based or ranking module on top of the classical relational model. Instead, we generalize the very core of the model by replacing the classical, two-valued logic upon which the classical model is built by a more general logic involving a scale of truth degrees that, in addition to the classical truth degrees 0 and 1, contains intermediate truth degrees. While the classical truth degrees 0 and 1 represent nonequality and equality of values, and subsequently mismatch and match of queries, the intermediate truth degrees in the new model represent similarity of values and partial match of queries. Moreover, the truth functions of many-valued logical connectives in the new model serve to aggregate degrees of similarity. The presented approach is conceptually clean, logically sound, and retains most properties of the classical model while enabling us to employ new types of queries and data dependencies. Most importantly, similarity is not handled in an ad hoc way or by putting a "similarity module" atop the classical model in our approach. Rather, it is consistently viewed as a notion that generalizes and replaces equality in the very core of the relational model. We present fundamentals of the formal model and two equivalent query systems which are analogues of the classical relational algebra and domain relational calculus with range declarations. In the sequel to this paper, we deal with similarity-based dependencies.

Electrically-Active Convection and Tropical Cyclogenesis in the Atlantic and East Pacific

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leppert, Kenneth D., II; Petersen, Walter A.

2011-01-01

It has been hypothesized that deep, intense convective-scale hot towers may aid the process of tropical cyclogenesis and intensification through dynamic and thermodynamic feedbacks on the larger meso-to-synoptic scale circulation. In this study, we make use of NCEP Reanalysis data and Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM) lightning imaging sensor (LIS), precipitation radar (PR), and microwave imager (TMI) data to investigate the role that widespread and/or intense lightning-producing convection (i.e., electrically-hot towers) present in African easterly waves (AEWs) may play in tropical cyclogenesis over the Atlantic, Caribbean, and East Pacific regions. NCEP Reanalysis 700 hPa meridional winds for the months of June to November for the years 2001-2009 were analyzed for the domain of 5 deg. N-20 deg. N and 130 deg. W-20 deg. E in order to partition individual AEWs into northerly, southerly, trough, and ridge phases. Subsequently, information from National Hurricane Center (NHC) storm reports was used to divide the waves into developing and non-developing waves. In addition, information from the NHC reports was used to further divide the developing waves into those waves that spawned storms that only developed to tropical storm strength and those that spawned storms that reached hurricane strength. The developing waves were also divided by the region in which they developed. To assess the evolution of convection associated with the AEWs as they propagated across our analysis domain, the full 130 deg. W-20 deg. E domain was divided into five longitude bands, and waves were analyzed for each band. To help determine the gross nature of the smaller convective scale, composites were created of all developing and non-developing waves as a function of AEW wave phase over the full analysis domain and each longitude band by compositing TRMM PR, TMI, LIS, and IR brightness temperature data extracted from the NASA global-merged infrared brightness temperature dataset. Finally, similar composites were created using various NCEP variables to assess the nature of the larger scale environment and circulation. Results suggest a clear distinction between developing and non-developing waves as developing waves near their region of development in terms of the intensity of convection (indicated by lightning flash rate), coverage of cold cloudiness (indicated by the percentage of a 2.5 deg. by 2.5 deg. box covered by IR brightness temperatures less than 240 deg. K and 210 deg. K), and large-scale variables, such as midlevel moisture and upper-level upward motion. For example, waves that developed in the East Pacific longitude band (i.e., 130 deg. W 95 deg. W) were observed in that band to have a flash rate of 56.4 flashes per day, a coverage by brightness temperatures less than 240 deg. K equal to 15.9%, a coverage by brightness temperatures less than 210 deg. K equal to 2.2%, a 700-hPa specific humidity anomaly of 0.4 g per kilogram, and a 300-hPa omega value of -0.04 Pascals per second in the trough phase compared to the non-developing wave trough values of 22.1 flashes per day, a coverage by brightness temperatures less than 240 deg. K equal to 8.1%, a coverage by brightness temperatures less than 210 deg. K equal to 0.9%, a 700-hPa specific humidity anomaly of -0.3 g per kilogram, and a 300-hPa omega value of -0.01 Pascals per second. Further analysis is being conducted to determine if the aforementioned behavior is observed for developing waves farther from their region of development and to determine any significant differences between waves that spawned storms that reached tropical storm strength and those that spawned storms that reached hurricane strength.

An energy-based equilibrium contact angle boundary condition on jagged surfaces for phase-field methods.

PubMed

Frank, Florian; Liu, Chen; Scanziani, Alessio; Alpak, Faruk O; Riviere, Beatrice

2018-08-01

We consider an energy-based boundary condition to impose an equilibrium wetting angle for the Cahn-Hilliard-Navier-Stokes phase-field model on voxel-set-type computational domains. These domains typically stem from μCT (micro computed tomography) imaging of porous rock and approximate a (on μm scale) smooth domain with a certain resolution. Planar surfaces that are perpendicular to the main axes are naturally approximated by a layer of voxels. However, planar surfaces in any other directions and curved surfaces yield a jagged/topologically rough surface approximation by voxels. For the standard Cahn-Hilliard formulation, where the contact angle between the diffuse interface and the domain boundary (fluid-solid interface/wall) is 90°, jagged surfaces have no impact on the contact angle. However, a prescribed contact angle smaller or larger than 90° on jagged voxel surfaces is amplified. As a remedy, we propose the introduction of surface energy correction factors for each fluid-solid voxel face that counterbalance the difference of the voxel-set surface area with the underlying smooth one. The discretization of the model equations is performed with the discontinuous Galerkin method. However, the presented semi-analytical approach of correcting the surface energy is equally applicable to other direct numerical methods such as finite elements, finite volumes, or finite differences, since the correction factors appear in the strong formulation of the model. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The First Order Correction to the Exit Distribution for Some Random Walks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennedy, Tom

2016-07-01

We study three different random walk models on several two-dimensional lattices by Monte Carlo simulations. One is the usual nearest neighbor random walk. Another is the nearest neighbor random walk which is not allowed to backtrack. The final model is the smart kinetic walk. For all three of these models the distribution of the point where the walk exits a simply connected domain D in the plane converges weakly to harmonic measure on partial D as the lattice spacing δ → 0. Let ω (0,\\cdot ;D) be harmonic measure for D, and let ω _δ (0,\\cdot ;D) be the discrete harmonic measure for one of the random walk models. Our definition of the random walk models is unusual in that we average over the orientation of the lattice with respect to the domain. We are interested in the limit of (ω _δ (0,\\cdot ;D)- ω (0,\\cdot ;D))/δ . Our Monte Carlo simulations of the three models lead to the conjecture that this limit equals c_{M,L} ρ _D(z) times Lebesgue measure with respect to arc length along the boundary, where the function ρ _D(z) depends on the domain, but not on the model or lattice, and the constant c_{M,L} depends on the model and on the lattice, but not on the domain. So there is a form of universality for this first order correction. We also give an explicit formula for the conjectured density ρ _D.

Are nonsymmetric balanced configurations of four equal masses virtual or real?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chenciner, Alain

2017-11-01

Balanced configurations of N point masses are the configurations which, in a Euclidean space of high enough dimension, i. e., up to 2( N - 1), admit a relative equilibrium motion under the Newtonian (or similar) attraction. Central configurations are balanced and it has been proved by Alain Albouy that central configurations of four equal masses necessarily possess a symmetry axis, from which followed a proof that the number of such configurations up to similarity is finite and explicitly describable. It is known that balanced configurations of three equal masses are exactly the isosceles triangles, but it is not known whether balanced configurations of four equal masses must have some symmetry. As balanced configurations come in families, it makes sense to look for possible branches of nonsymmetric balanced configurations bifurcating from the subset of symmetric ones. In the simpler case of a logarithmic potential, the subset of symmetric balanced configurations of four equal masses is easy to describe as well as the bifurcation locus, but there is a grain of salt: expressed in terms of the squared mutual distances, this locus lies almost completely outside the set of true configurations (i. e., generalizations of triangular inequalities are not satisfied) and hence could lead most of the time only to the bifurcation of a branch of virtual nonsymmetric balanced configurations. Nevertheless, a tiny piece of the bifurcation locus lies within the subset of real balanced configurations symmetric with respect to a line and hence has a chance to lead to the bifurcation of real nonsymmetric balanced configurations. This raises the question of the title, a question which, thanks to the explicit description given here, should be solvable by computer experts even in the Newtonian case. Another interesting question is about the possibility for a bifurcating branch of virtual nonsymmetric balanced configurations to come back to the domain of true configurations.

Working at the nexus between public health policy, practice and research. Dynamics of knowledge sharing in The Netherlands.

PubMed

Jansen, Maria W; De Leeuw, Evelyne; Hoeijmakers, Marjan; De Vries, Nanne K

2012-10-17

Joining the domains of practice, research and policy is an important aspect of boosting the quality performance required to tackle complex public health problems. "Joining domains" implies a departure from the linear and technocratic knowledge-translation approach. Integrating the practice, research and policy triangle means knowing its elements, appreciating the barriers, identifying possible cooperation strategies and studying strategy effectiveness under specified conditions.This article examines the dynamic process of developing an Academic Collaborative Centre for Public Health in the Netherlands, with the objective of achieving that the three domains of policy, practice and research become working partners on an equal footing. An interpretative hermeneutic approach was used to interpret the phenomenon of collaboration at the nexus between the three domains. The project was explicitly grounded in current organizational culture and routines, applied to nexus action. In the process of examination, we used both quantitative (e.g. records) and qualitative data (e.g., interviews and observations). The data were interpreted using the Actor-Network, Institutional Re-Design and Blurring the Boundaries theories. Results show commitment at strategic level. At the tactical level, however, managers were inclined to prioritize daily routine, while the policy domain remained absent. At the operational level, practitioners learned to do PhD research in real-life practice and researchers became acquainted with problems of practice and policy, resulting in new research initiatives. We conclude that working at the nexus is an ongoing process of formation and reformation. Strategies based on Institutional Re-Design theories in particular might help to more actively stimulate managers' involvement to establish mutually supportive networks.

Comparison of university students' understanding of graphs in different contexts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Planinic, Maja; Ivanjek, Lana; Susac, Ana; Milin-Sipus, Zeljka

2013-12-01

This study investigates university students’ understanding of graphs in three different domains: mathematics, physics (kinematics), and contexts other than physics. Eight sets of parallel mathematics, physics, and other context questions about graphs were developed. A test consisting of these eight sets of questions (24 questions in all) was administered to 385 first year students at University of Zagreb who were either prospective physics or mathematics teachers or prospective physicists or mathematicians. Rasch analysis of data was conducted and linear measures for item difficulties were obtained. Average difficulties of items in three domains (mathematics, physics, and other contexts) and over two concepts (graph slope, area under the graph) were computed and compared. Analysis suggests that the variation of average difficulty among the three domains is much smaller for the concept of graph slope than for the concept of area under the graph. Most of the slope items are very close in difficulty, suggesting that students who have developed sufficient understanding of graph slope in mathematics are generally able to transfer it almost equally successfully to other contexts. A large difference was found between the difficulty of the concept of area under the graph in physics and other contexts on one side and mathematics on the other side. Comparison of average difficulty of the three domains suggests that mathematics without context is the easiest domain for students. Adding either physics or other context to mathematical items generally seems to increase item difficulty. No significant difference was found between the average item difficulty in physics and contexts other than physics, suggesting that physics (kinematics) remains a difficult context for most students despite the received instruction on kinematics in high school.

Factors associated with changes in mobility and living arrangements in a comprehensive geriatric outpatient assessment after hip fracture.

PubMed

Nuotio, Maria; Luukkaala, Tiina

2016-01-01

To examine factors associated with changes in mobility and living arrangements in a comprehensive geriatric outpatient assessment after hip fracture. Population-based prospective data on 887 consecutive hip fracture patients aged 65 years and older. The domains of the geriatric assessment were the independent and changes in mobility level and living arrangements 4 months postoperatively the outcome variables. Of the survivors, 499 (73%) attended the assessment. The mobility level had declined in 39% of the attendees and 38% of them had moved to more supported living arrangements 4 months after the hip fracture. In the age-adjusted univariate logistic regression analyses, almost all the domains of the comprehensive geriatric assessment were significantly associated with both outcomes. In the forward stepwise multivariate analysis, disability in activities of daily living, poor performance in Timed Up and Go and comorbidity as measured by the American Society of Anesthesiologists scores remained significantly associated with the outcomes. While comorbidity and disability in activities of daily living and mobility are the major indicators of poor outcomes of mobility and living arrangements after hip fracture, all the domains in the comprehensive geriatric assessment deserve attention during hip fracture care and rehabilitation. In almost half of the patients the mobility level and living arrangements had deteriorated 4 months after the hip fracture, suggesting an urgent need for more effective postoperative rehabilitation. Almost all the domains of the comprehensive geriatric assessment were associated with poor outcomes and require equal attention during the acute and postacute phases of hip fracture care and in the course of rehabilitation. A geriatric outpatient assessment a few months after the hip fracture provides a check-point for the outcomes and an opportunity to target interventions at different domains of the comprehensive assessment.

Correlation and squeezing for optical transistor and intensity router applications in diamond NV center.

PubMed

Ahmed, Noor; Khan, Ghulam Abbas; Wang, Ruimin; Hou, Jingru; Gong, Rui; Yang, Lingmeng; Zhang, Yanpeng

2017-05-01

We study an optical transistor (switch and amplifier) and router by spontaneous parametric four-wave mixing and fluorescence in diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center. The routing results from three peaks of fluorescence signal in the time domain, while the switching and amplification are realized by correlation and squeezing. The intensity switching speed is about 17 ns. The optical transistor and router are controlled by the power of incident beams. Our experimental results provide that the advance technique of peak division and channel equalization ratio of about 90% are applicable to all optical switching and routing.

Slaved diffusion in phospholipid bilayers

PubMed Central

Zhang, Liangfang; Granick, Steve

2005-01-01

The translational diffusion of phospholipids in supported fluid bilayers splits into two populations when polyelectrolytes adsorb at incomplete surface coverage. Spatially resolved measurements using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy show that a slow mode, whose magnitude scales inversely with the degree of polymerization of the adsorbate, coexists with a fast mode characteristic of naked lipid diffusion. Inner and outer leaflets of the bilayer are affected nearly equally. Mobility may vary from spot to spot on the membrane surface, despite the lipid composition being the same. This work offers a mechanism to explain how nanosized domains with reduced mobility arise in lipid membranes. PMID:15967988

Efficient method for the calculation of mean extinction. II. Analyticity of the complex extinction efficiency of homogeneous spheroids and finite cylinders.

PubMed

Xing, Z F; Greenberg, J M

1994-08-20

The analyticity of the complex extinction efficiency is examined numerically in the size-parameter domain for homogeneous prolate and oblate spheroids and finite cylinders. The T-matrix code, which is the most efficient program available to date, is employed to calculate the individual particle-extinction efficiencies. Because of its computational limitations in the size-parameter range, a slightly modified Hilbert-transform algorithm is required to establish the analyticity numerically. The findings concerning analyticity that we reported for spheres (Astrophys. J. 399, 164-175, 1992) apply equally to these nonspherical particles.

Study of Organic Matter in Soils of the Amazon Region Employing Laser Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadini, Amanda Maria; Nicolodelli, Gustavo; Mounier, Stéphane; Montes, Célia Regina; Marcondes Bastos Pereira Milori, Débora

2014-05-01

In the face of climate change and increasing CO2 levels in the atmosphere, the global carbon cycle, soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, and the role of different world biomes as potential sources and sinks of carbon are receiving increasing attention. Carbon quantification is an important environmental indicator, but the structure of organic matter is also important because is related to carbon stability. The synthesis of soil organic matter (SOM), as presented in soils of forest vegetation, can be originated from condensation polymeric polyphenols and quinones that are responsible for controlling the main physical-chemical properties of soils. These systems are present in humic substances, representing the major fluorophore of SOM[1-3]. Abiotic factors, such as soil texture, use and occupation of soil, can influence on the process of SOM formation, molecular structure and in its humification index[4]. Laser Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy (LIFS) have become a promising technique for assessing humification index of SOM (HLIFS). In this context, the aim of this study was to analyze the humification index of the SOM in the region of Barcelos (Amazon) employing LIFS. The study area was the region of Barcelos, close the river Demeni. The whose vegetation distribution in this area, is two biomes the Dense Ombrophylous Forest (DPQD) and Campinarana (DPQT), with areas of edaphic contacts between these two phytophysiognomies, which ranged from Open field (FDE) to closed Depression (DPQ). Preliminary results showed that the area closed Depression (DPQ) there was a continuous gradient of humification with increasing soil depth. A similar behavior was verified for area Forest (DPQD), where the highest values of HLIFS were obtained between the four points analyzed, indicating the magnitude of the molecular recalcitrance this organic matter in this area. The results obtained for area Campinarana (DPQT) and Open field (FDE) showed an opposite behavior. These points there were a discontinuity in the accumulation of humified organic matter in the progress of depth. A hypothesis for occurrence of this behavior might be due to texture sandy and aggregate stability present in these soils, which can be difficulty the degradation of labile chains organic matter, thus promoting carbon sequestration in the long time in these soils. References [1]-Milori, D. M. B. P.; Galeti, H. V .A.; Martin-Neto, L.; Dieckow, J.; González-Pérez, M.; Bayer, C.; Salton, J. Organic matter study of whole soil samples using laser-induced fluorescense spectroscopy. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 70, 57-63, 2006. [2]-Martins, T.; Saab, S. C.; Milori, D. M. B. P.; Brinatti, A. M.; Rosa, J. A.; Cassaro, F. A. M.; Pires, L. F. Soil organic matter humification under diferente tillage managements evaluated by Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) and C/N ratio. Soil & Tillage Research, 111, 231-235, 2011. [3]-Milori, D. M. B. P.; Segnini, A.; Silva, W. T. L.; Posadas, A.; Mares, V.; Quiroz, R.; Martin-Neto, L. Emerging techniques for soil carbon measurements. Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security, nº 2, 2011. [4]-Senesi, N.; Plaza, C.; Brunetti, G.; Polo, A. A comparative survey of recente results on humic-like fractions in organic amendments and effects on native soil humic substances. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 39, 1244-1262, 2007.

Quantifying evenly distributed states in exclusion and nonexclusion processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Binder, Benjamin J.; Landman, Kerry A.

2011-04-01

Spatial-point data sets, generated from a wide range of physical systems and mathematical models, can be analyzed by counting the number of objects in equally sized bins. We find that the bin counts are related to the Pólya distribution. New measures are developed which indicate whether or not a spatial data set, generated from an exclusion process, is at its most evenly distributed state, the complete spatial randomness (CSR) state. To this end, we define an index in terms of the variance between the bin counts. Limiting values of the index are determined when objects have access to the entire domain and when there are subregions of the domain that are inaccessible to objects. Using three case studies (Lagrangian fluid particles in chaotic laminar flows, cellular automata agents in discrete models, and biological cells within colonies), we calculate the indexes and verify that our theoretical CSR limit accurately predicts the state of the system. These measures should prove useful in many biological applications.

Stepped frequency ground penetrating radar

DOEpatents

Vadnais, Kenneth G.; Bashforth, Michael B.; Lewallen, Tricia S.; Nammath, Sharyn R.

1994-01-01

A stepped frequency ground penetrating radar system is described comprising an RF signal generating section capable of producing stepped frequency signals in spaced and equal increments of time and frequency over a preselected bandwidth which serves as a common RF signal source for both a transmit portion and a receive portion of the system. In the transmit portion of the system the signal is processed into in-phase and quadrature signals which are then amplified and then transmitted toward a target. The reflected signals from the target are then received by a receive antenna and mixed with a reference signal from the common RF signal source in a mixer whose output is then fed through a low pass filter. The DC output, after amplification and demodulation, is digitized and converted into a frequency domain signal by a Fast Fourier Transform. A plot of the frequency domain signals from all of the stepped frequencies broadcast toward and received from the target yields information concerning the range (distance) and cross section (size) of the target.

The consensus in the two-feature two-state one-dimensional Axelrod model revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biral, Elias J. P.; Tilles, Paulo F. C.; Fontanari, José F.

2015-04-01

The Axelrod model for the dissemination of culture exhibits a rich spatial distribution of cultural domains, which depends on the values of the two model parameters: F, the number of cultural features and q, the common number of states each feature can assume. In the one-dimensional model with F = q = 2, which is closely related to the constrained voter model, Monte Carlo simulations indicate the existence of multicultural absorbing configurations in which at least one macroscopic domain coexist with a multitude of microscopic ones in the thermodynamic limit. However, rigorous analytical results for the infinite system starting from the configuration where all cultures are equally likely show convergence to only monocultural or consensus configurations. Here we show that this disagreement is due simply to the order that the time-asymptotic limit and the thermodynamic limit are taken in the simulations. In addition, we show how the consensus-only result can be derived using Monte Carlo simulations of finite chains.

Split-mode ultrasonic transducer.

PubMed

Ostrovskii, Igor; Cremaldi, Lucien

2013-08-01

A split-mode ultrasonic transducer is investigated in both theory and experiment. This transducer is a two-dimensional structure of periodically poled domains in a ferroelectric wafer with free surfaces. The acoustic vibrations are excited by a radio frequency electric current applied along the length of the wafer, which allows the basal-plane surfaces to be free of metal coatings and thus ready for further biomedical applications. A specific physical property of this transducer consists of the multiple acousto-electric resonances, which occur due to an acoustic mode split when the acoustic half-wavelength is equal to the domain length. Possible applications include ultrasonic generation and detection at the micro-scale, intravascular sonification and visualization, ultrasound therapy of localized small areas such as the eye, biomedical applications for cell cultures, and traditional nondestructive testing including bones and tissues. A potential use of a non-metallized wafer is a therapeutic application with double action that is both ultrasound itself and an electric field over the wafer. The experimental measurements and theoretical calculations are in good agreement.

Using maximum entropy modeling for optimal selection of sampling sites for monitoring networks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stohlgren, Thomas J.; Kumar, Sunil; Barnett, David T.; Evangelista, Paul H.

2011-01-01

Environmental monitoring programs must efficiently describe state shifts. We propose using maximum entropy modeling to select dissimilar sampling sites to capture environmental variability at low cost, and demonstrate a specific application: sample site selection for the Central Plains domain (453,490 km2) of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). We relied on four environmental factors: mean annual temperature and precipitation, elevation, and vegetation type. A “sample site” was defined as a 20 km × 20 km area (equal to NEON’s airborne observation platform [AOP] footprint), within which each 1 km2 cell was evaluated for each environmental factor. After each model run, the most environmentally dissimilar site was selected from all potential sample sites. The iterative selection of eight sites captured approximately 80% of the environmental envelope of the domain, an improvement over stratified random sampling and simple random designs for sample site selection. This approach can be widely used for cost-efficient selection of survey and monitoring sites.

Peroxisomal multifunctional enzyme type 2 from the fruitfly: dehydrogenase and hydratase act as separate entities, as revealed by structure and kinetics.

PubMed

Haataja, Tatu J K; Koski, M Kristian; Hiltunen, J Kalervo; Glumoff, Tuomo

2011-05-01

All of the peroxisomal β-oxidation pathways characterized thus far house at least one MFE (multifunctional enzyme) catalysing two out of four reactions of the spiral. MFE type 2 proteins from various species display great variation in domain composition and predicted substrate preference. The gene CG3415 encodes for Drosophila melanogaster MFE-2 (DmMFE-2), complements the Saccharomyces cerevisiae MFE-2 deletion strain, and the recombinant protein displays both MFE-2 enzymatic activities in vitro. The resolved crystal structure is the first one for a full-length MFE-2 revealing the assembly of domains, and the data can also be transferred to structure-function studies for other MFE-2 proteins. The structure explains the necessity of dimerization. The lack of substrate channelling is proposed based on both the structural features, as well as by the fact that hydration and dehydrogenation activities of MFE-2, if produced as separate enzymes, are equally efficient in catalysis as the full-length MFE-2.

Approximate controllability of a system of parabolic equations with delay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrasco, Alexander; Leiva, Hugo

2008-09-01

In this paper we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the approximate controllability of the following system of parabolic equations with delay: where [Omega] is a bounded domain in , D is an n×n nondiagonal matrix whose eigenvalues are semi-simple with nonnegative real part, the control and B[set membership, variant]L(U,Z) with , . The standard notation zt(x) defines a function from [-[tau],0] to (with x fixed) by zt(x)(s)=z(t+s,x), -[tau][less-than-or-equals, slant]s[less-than-or-equals, slant]0. Here [tau][greater-or-equal, slanted]0 is the maximum delay, which is supposed to be finite. We assume that the operator is linear and bounded, and [phi]0[set membership, variant]Z, [phi][set membership, variant]L2([-[tau],0];Z). To this end: First, we reformulate this system into a standard first-order delay equation. Secondly, the semigroup associated with the first-order delay equation on an appropriate product space is expressed as a series of strongly continuous semigroups and orthogonal projections related with the eigenvalues of the Laplacian operator (); this representation allows us to reduce the controllability of this partial differential equation with delay to a family of ordinary delay equations. Finally, we use the well-known result on the rank condition for the approximate controllability of delay system to derive our main result.

Implicit solution of three-dimensional internal turbulent flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Michelassi, V.; Liou, M.-S.; Povinelli, Louis A.; Martelli, F.

1991-01-01

The scalar form of the approximate factorization method was used to develop a new code for the solution of three dimensional internal laminar and turbulent compressible flows. The Navier-Stokes equations in their Reynolds-averaged form were iterated in time until a steady solution was reached. Evidence was given to the implicit and explicit artificial damping schemes that proved to be particularly efficient in speeding up convergence and enhancing the algorithm robustness. A conservative treatment of these terms at the domain boundaries was proposed in order to avoid undesired mass and/or momentum artificial fluxes. Turbulence effects were accounted for by the zero-equation Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model and the q-omega two-equation model. The flow in a developing S-duct was then solved in the laminar regime in a Reynolds number (Re) of 790 and in the turbulent regime at Re equals 40,000 by using the Baldwin-Lomax model. The Stanitz elbow was then solved by using an invicid version of the same code at M sub inlet equals 0.4. Grid dependence and convergence rate were investigated, showing that for this solver the implicit damping scheme may play a critical role for convergence characteristics. The same flow at Re equals 2.5 times 10(exp 6) was solved with the Baldwin-Lomax and the q-omega models. Both approaches show satisfactory agreement with experiments, although the q-omega model was slightly more accurate.

Linked magnolol dimer as a selective PPARγ agonist - Structure-based rational design, synthesis, and bioactivity evaluation.

PubMed

Dreier, Dominik; Latkolik, Simone; Rycek, Lukas; Schnürch, Michael; Dymáková, Andrea; Atanasov, Atanas G; Ladurner, Angela; Heiss, Elke H; Stuppner, Hermann; Schuster, Daniela; Mihovilovic, Marko D; Dirsch, Verena M

2017-10-20

The nuclear receptors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and its hetero-dimerization partner retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) are considered as drug targets in the treatment of diseases like the metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus type 2. Effort has been made to develop new agonists for PPARγ to obtain ligands with more favorable properties than currently used drugs. Magnolol was previously described as dual agonist of PPARγ and RXRα. Here we show the structure-based rational design of a linked magnolol dimer within the ligand binding domain of PPARγ and its synthesis. Furthermore, we evaluated its binding properties and functionality as a PPARγ agonist in vitro with the purified PPARγ ligand binding domain (LBD) and in a cell-based nuclear receptor transactivation model in HEK293 cells. We determined the synthesized magnolol dimer to bind with much higher affinity to the purified PPARγ ligand binding domain than magnolol (K i values of 5.03 and 64.42 nM, respectively). Regarding their potency to transactivate a PPARγ-dependent luciferase gene both compounds were equally effective. This is likely due to the PPARγ specificity of the newly designed magnolol dimer and lack of RXRα-driven transactivation activity by this dimeric compound.

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

Svensson, Emelie; Eriksson, Helena; Gekas, Christos

The Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1) encodes a zinc-finger-containing transcription factor highly expressed in immature hematopoietic progenitor cells. Overexpression and presence of somatic mutations in acute leukemia indicate a role for WT1 in the pathogenesis of leukemia. CD34{sup +} progenitor cells were transduced with one splice variant of human WT1 without the KTS insert in the zinc-finger domain, WT1(+/-), and with a deleted mutant of WT1 lacking the entire zinc-finger region, WT1(delZ), thus incapable of binding DNA. We show that inhibition of erythroid colony formation and differentiation is absolutely dependent on the DNA-binding zinc-finger domain of WT1. Unexpectedly, however, WT1(delZ)more » was equally effective as wild type protein in the reduction of myeloid clonogenic growth as well as in stimulation of myeloid differentiation, as judged by the expression of cell surface CD11b. Expression of neither WT1(+/-) nor WT1(delZ) upregulated mRNA for the cdk inhibitor p21{sup Waf1/Cip1} or p27{sup Kip1}. Our results demonstrate that WT1 affects proliferation and differentiation in erythroid and myeloid cells by different molecular mechanisms, and suggest that mutations affecting the zinc-finger domain of WT1 could interfere with normal differentiation in the pathogenesis of leukemia.« less

Free energy calculations of glycosaminoglycan-protein interactions.

PubMed

Gandhi, Neha S; Mancera, Ricardo L

2009-10-01

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are complex highly charged linear polysaccharides that have a variety of roles in biological processes. We report the first use of molecular dynamics (MD) free energy calculations using the MM/PBSA method to investigate the binding of GAGs to protein molecules, namely the platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1) and annexin A2. Calculations of the free energy of the binding of heparin fragments of different sizes reveal the existence of a region of low GAG-binding affinity in domains 5-6 of PECAM-1 and a region of high affinity in domains 2-3, consistent with experimental data and ligand-protein docking studies. A conformational hinge movement between domains 2 and 3 was observed, which allows the binding of heparin fragments of increasing size (pentasaccharides to octasaccharides) with an increasingly higher binding affinity. Similar simulations of the binding of a heparin fragment to annexin A2 reveal the optimization of electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions with the protein and protein-bound calcium ions. In general, these free energy calculations reveal that the binding of heparin to protein surfaces is dominated by strong electrostatic interactions for longer fragments, with equally important contributions from van der Waals interactions and vibrational entropy changes, against a large unfavorable desolvation penalty due to the high charge density of these molecules.

Assessment of the responsiveness of a public health service from the perspective of older adults

PubMed Central

Melo, Denise da Silva; Martins, René Duarte; de Jesus, Renata Patrícia Freitas Soares; Samico, Isabella Chagas; Santo, Antônio Carlos Gomes do Espírito

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To assess the quality of health care of older adults using as a parameter the assessment of the responsiveness of the service. METHODS This is a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in a reference unit of the Brazilian Unified Health System at the outpatient level. The sample was probabilistic and had 385 older adults; data collection occurred in 2014. The domains assessed were: choice, autonomy, confidentiality, dignity, communication, physical facilities, and fast service. To this end, we used Pearson correlation test and Fisher’s exact test. RESULTS The domains of dignity, confidentiality, and communication reached the highest level of adequate responsiveness. On the other hand, freedom of choice and fast service received the worst assessments. Participation in decision-making regarding treatment was significantly lower among the older adults who had no education. In addition, the older adults that self-reported as black receive a lower quality of care regarding clear explanation and respected privacy in the appointment, when compared to users of any other race. CONCLUSIONS Although most domains studied have receive a positive assessment, we have found a need for an equal care by the health professionals, regardless of race, education level, or any other adjective characteristic of older adults, users of public health services. PMID:28678911

Not all risks are equal: the risk taking inventory for high-risk sports.

PubMed

Woodman, Tim; Barlow, Matt; Bandura, Comille; Hill, Miles; Kupciw, Dominika; Macgregor, Alexandra

2013-10-01

Although high-risk sport participants are typically considered a homogenous risk-taking population, attitudes to risk within the high-risk domain can vary considerably. As no validated measure allows researchers to assess risk taking within this domain, we validated the Risk Taking Inventory (RTI) for high-risk sport across four studies. The RTI comprises seven items across two factors: deliberate risk taking and precautionary behaviors. In Study 1 (n = 341), the inventory was refined and tested via a confirmatory factor analysis used in an exploratory fashion. The subsequent three studies confirmed the RTI's good model-data fit via three further separate confirmatory factor analyses. In Study 2 (n = 518) and in Study 3 (n = 290), concurrent validity was also confirmed via associations with other related traits (sensation seeking, behavioral activation, behavioral inhibition, impulsivity, self-esteem, extraversion, and conscientiousness). In Study 4 (n = 365), predictive validity was confirmed via associations with mean accidents and mean close calls in the high-risk domain. Finally, in Study 4, the self-report version of the inventory was significantly associated with an informant version of the inventory. The measure will allow researchers and practitioners to investigate risk taking as a variable that is conceptually distinct from participation in a high-risk sport.

Confined diffusion of transmembrane proteins and lipids induced by the same actin meshwork lining the plasma membrane

PubMed Central

Fujiwara, Takahiro K.; Iwasawa, Kokoro; Kalay, Ziya; Tsunoyama, Taka A.; Watanabe, Yusuke; Umemura, Yasuhiro M.; Murakoshi, Hideji; Suzuki, Kenichi G. N.; Nemoto, Yuri L.; Morone, Nobuhiro; Kusumi, Akihiro

2016-01-01

The mechanisms by which the diffusion rate in the plasma membrane (PM) is regulated remain unresolved, despite their importance in spatially regulating the reaction rates in the PM. Proposed models include entrapment in nanoscale noncontiguous domains found in PtK2 cells, slow diffusion due to crowding, and actin-induced compartmentalization. Here, by applying single-particle tracking at high time resolutions, mainly to the PtK2-cell PM, we found confined diffusion plus hop movements (termed “hop diffusion”) for both a nonraft phospholipid and a transmembrane protein, transferrin receptor, and equal compartment sizes for these two molecules in all five of the cell lines used here (actual sizes were cell dependent), even after treatment with actin-modulating drugs. The cross-section size and the cytoplasmic domain size both affected the hop frequency. Electron tomography identified the actin-based membrane skeleton (MSK) located within 8.8 nm from the PM cytoplasmic surface of PtK2 cells and demonstrated that the MSK mesh size was the same as the compartment size for PM molecular diffusion. The extracellular matrix and extracellular domains of membrane proteins were not involved in hop diffusion. These results support a model of anchored TM-protein pickets lining actin-based MSK as a major mechanism for regulating diffusion. PMID:26864625

Investigation into process-induced de-aggregation of cohesive micronised API particles.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Magnus; Wray, Patrick S; Gamble, John F; Tobyn, Mike

2015-09-30

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of unit processes on the de-aggregation of a cohesive micronised API within a pharmaceutical formulation using near-infrared chemical imaging. The impact on the primary API particles was also investigated using an image-based particle characterization system with integrated Raman analysis. The blended material was shown to contain large, API rich domains which were distributed in-homogeneously across the sample, suggesting that the blending process was not aggressive enough to disperse aggregates of micronised drug particles. Cone milling, routinely used to improve the homogeneity of such cohesive formulations, was observed to substantially reduce the number and size of API rich domains; however, several smaller API domains survived the milling process. Conveyance of the cone milled formulation through the Alexanderwerk WP120 powder feed system completely dispersed all remaining aggregates. Importantly, powder feed transmission of the un-milled formulation was observed to produce an equally homogeneous API distribution. The size of the micronised primary drug particles remained unchanged during powder feed transmission. These findings provide further evidence that this powder feed system does induce shear, and is in fact better able to disperse aggregates of a cohesive micronised API within a blend than the blend-mill-blend step. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical defocus: differential effects on size and contrast letter recognition thresholds.

PubMed

Rabin, J

1994-02-01

To determine if optical defocus produces a greater reduction in visual acuity or small-letter contrast sensitivity. Letter charts were used to measure visual acuity and small-letter contrast sensitivity (20/25 Snellen equivalent) as a function of optical defocus. Letter size (acuity) and contrast (contrast sensitivity) were varied in equal logarithmic steps to make the task the same for the two types of measurement. Both visual acuity and contrast sensitivity declined with optical defocus, but the effect was far greater in the contrast domain. However, measurement variability also was greater for contrast sensitivity. After correction for this variability, measurement in the contrast domain still proved to be a more sensitive (1.75x) index of optical defocus. Small-letter contrast sensitivity is a powerful technique for detecting subtle amounts of optical defocus. This adjunctive approach may be useful when there are small changes in resolution that are not detected by standard measures of visual acuity. Potential applications include evaluating the course of vision in refractive surgery, classification of cataracts, detection of corneal or macular edema, and detection of visual loss in the aging eye. Evaluation of candidates for occupations requiring unique visual abilities also may be enhanced by measuring resolution in the contrast domain.

Framing Effects: Dynamics and Task Domains

PubMed

Wang

1996-11-01

The author examines the mechanisms and dynamics of framing effects in risky choices across three distinct task domains (i.e., life-death, public property, and personal money). The choice outcomes of the problems presented in each of the three task domains had a binary structure of a sure thing vs a gamble of equal expected value; the outcomes differed in their framing conditions and the expected values, raging from 6000, 600, 60, to 6, numerically. It was hypothesized that subjects would become more risk seeking, if the sure outcome was below their aspiration level (the minimum requirement). As predicted, more subjects preferred the gamble when facing the life-death choice problems than facing the counterpart problems presented in the other two task domains. Subjects' risk preference varied categorically along the group size dimension in the life-death domain but changed more linearly over the expected value dimension in the monetary domain. Framing effects were observed in 7 of 13 pairs of problems, showing a positive frame-risk aversion and negative frame-risk seeking relationship. In addition, two types of framing effects were theoretically defined and empirically identified. A bidirectional framing effect involves a reversal in risk preference, and occurs when a decision maker's risk preference is ambiguous or weak. Four bidirectional effects were observed; in each case a majority of subjects preferred the sure outcome under a positive frame but the gamble under a negative frame. In contrast, a unidirectional framing effect refers to a preference shift due to the framing of choice outcomes: A majority of subjects preferred one choice outcome (either the sure thing or the gamble) under both framing conditions, with positive frame augmented the preference for the sure thing and negative frame augmented the preference for the gamble. These findings revealed some dynamic regularities of framing effects and posed implications for developing predictive and testable models of human decision making.

Current analgesic use predicts low emotional quality of life in youth: a cross-sectional survey among university students in Sikkim, North East India.

PubMed

Ahongshangbam, Shurmala; Chakrabarti, Amit

2013-06-01

Occurrence of chronic physical pain is increasingly identified among youth, and medically unsupervised analgesic use is a possible risk factor for opioid dependence and other mental diseases in later life. Therefore, the present study was carried out in young student population in Sikkim, India, to explore predictors (including current chronic pain and current analgesic use) of low QoL in youth to identify a subset of population vulnerable to substance use and mental diseases in later life. The study was conducted in a health university setting in Sikkim, North East India. In this cross-sectional study, 156 participants were enrolled with almost equal number of males and females. Generic instruments for demographics and current analgesic use and SF - 36, for assessment of quality of life (QoL), were used. QoL was measured in general, physical and emotional domains. Presence of chronic physical pain during past four weeks was captured using SF - 36. Almost two-third participants reported presence of current physical pain (69%, n=108); and (14%, n=22) reported current analgesic use for pain. In logistic regression model controlled for age, ethnicity, gender and residence, higher body mass index (BMI) (β=-0.16, P=0.02) and current analgesic use (β=1.6, P=0.006) predicted low QoL in emotional domain (less accomplishment due to emotional problem). Current analgesic use also predicted low QoL in another measure of emotional domain (depressed β=2.0, P=0.001). This study identified a subset of participants in their youth with low QoL in emotional domain predicted by current analgesic use and possible overweight problem. Low QoL in more than one emotional domain also identifies possibility of later psychiatric impairment. However, chronic pain did not emerge as a significant predictor of low QoL in emotional domain.

The SANT2 domain of the murine tumor cell DnaJ-like protein 1 human homologue interacts with alpha1-antichymotrypsin and kinetically interferes with its serpin inhibitory activity.

PubMed

Kroczynska, Barbara; Evangelista, Christina M; Samant, Shalaka S; Elguindi, Ebrahim C; Blond, Sylvie Y

2004-03-19

The murine tumor cell DnaJ-like protein 1 or MTJ1/ERdj1 is a membrane J-domain protein enriched in microsomal and nuclear fractions. We previously showed that its lumenal J-domain stimulates the ATPase activity of the molecular chaperone BiP/GRP78 (Chevalier, M., Rhee, H., Elguindi, E. C., and Blond, S. Y. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 19620-19627). MTJ1/ERdj1 also contains a large carboxyl-terminal cytosolic extension composed of two tryptophan-mediated repeats or SANT domains for which the function(s) is unknown. Here we describe the cloning of the human homologue HTJ1 and its interaction with alpha(1)-antichymotrypsin (ACT), a member of the serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) family. The interaction was initially identified in a two-hybrid screening and further confirmed in vitro by dot blots, native electrophoresis, and fluorescence studies. The second SANT domain of HTJ1 (SANT2) was found to be sufficient for binding to ACT, both in yeast and in vitro. Single tryptophan-alanine substitutions at two strictly conserved residues significantly (Trp-497) or totally (Trp-520) abolished the interaction with ACT. SANT2 binds to human ACT with an intrinsic affinity equal to 0.5 nm. Preincubation of ACT with nearly stoichiometric concentrations of SANT2 wild-type but not SANT2: W520A results in an apparent loss of ACT inhibitory activity toward chymotrypsin. Kinetic analysis indicates that the formation of the covalent inhibitory complex ACT-chymotrypsin is significantly delayed in the presence of SANT2 with no change on the catalytic efficiency of the enzyme. This work demonstrates for the first time that the SANT2 domain of MTJ1/HTJ1/ERdj1 mediates stable and high affinity protein-protein interactions.

Secukinumab provides rapid and sustained pain relief in psoriatic arthritis over 2 years: results from the FUTURE 2 study.

PubMed

McInnes, Iain B; Mease, Philip J; Schett, Georg; Kirkham, Bruce; Strand, Vibeke; Williams, Nicole; Fox, Todd; Pricop, Luminita; Jugl, Steffen M; Gandhi, Kunal K

2018-06-07

Pain is one of the most important domains affecting health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Secukinumab has demonstrated rapid and sustained improvements in signs and symptoms, including HRQoL, among patients with active PsA. This analysis evaluates the effect of secukinumab on patient-reported pain in PsA through 104 weeks of treatment. Pain was assessed through week 104 using clinically relevant measures, including change from baseline in a pain visual analog scale (VAS) and Short Form-36 (SF-36) bodily domain scores; proportion of patients reporting improvements equal to or better than minimum clinically meaningful differences in the pain VAS and SF-36 bodily pain domain scores; and proportion of patients with no, moderate, or extreme pain/discomfort measured by the EuroQoL 5-Dimension 3-Level Questionnaire (EQ-5D-3 L) pain item scores. Correlations of pain measures were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Pre-specified analyses of TNF-naïve patients and patients who stopped TNF-inhibitors (TNFis) due to inadequate responses or safety/tolerability (TNF-IR patients) were performed using "as-observed data." Mean improvements from baseline in pain VAS scores were greater with secukinumab versus placebo by week 3 (- 16.9; P < 0.0001 with secukinumab 300 mg and - 12.6; P < 0.05 with secukinumab 150 mg) and sustained through week 104. SF-36 bodily pain domain scores were significantly greater with 300 mg secukinumab and secukinumab 150 mg versus placebo by week 4 (16.2 and 16.3, respectively; P < 0.0001 for both), and these changes were maintained through week 104. With both secukinumab 300 mg and secukinumab 150 mg, improvements equal to or better than the minimum clinically meaningful differences in pain VAS and SF-36 bodily pain were significant versus placebo at week 3 and week 4, respectively. At week 4, 15%, 9%, and 5% of patients receiving secukinumab 300 mg, secukinumab 150 mg, and placebo, respectively, reported "no pain/discomfort" measured by EQ-5D-3 L; these proportions increased to week 104 with both secukinumab doses. Similarly, improvements in pain measures were significant in both TNF-naïve and TNF-IR patients. Secukinumab provided rapid and sustained pain relief in PsA over 2 years of treatment. Improvements in pain were reported regardless of prior exposure to TNFis. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01752634 . Registered on 19 December 2012.

Characterization of Retinal Disease Progression in a 1-Year Longitudinal Study of Eyes With Mild Nonproliferative Retinopathy in Diabetes Type 2.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Luisa; Bandello, Francesco; Tejerina, Amparo Navea; Vujosevic, Stela; Varano, Monica; Egan, Catherine; Sivaprasad, Sobha; Menon, Geeta; Massin, Pascale; Verbraak, Frank D; Lund-Andersen, Henrik; Martinez, Jose P; Jürgens, Ignasi; Smets, Erica; Coriat, Caroline; Wiedemann, Peter; Ágoas, Victor; Querques, Giuseppe; Holz, Frank G; Nunes, Sandrina; Neves, Catarina; Cunha-Vaz, José

2015-08-01

To identify eyes of patients with diabetes type 2 that show progression of retinal disease within a 1-year period using noninvasive techniques. Three hundred seventy-four type 2 diabetic patients with mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study [ETDRS] level 20 or 35) were included in a 12-month prospective observational study to identify retinopathy progression. Four visits were scheduled at 0, 3, 6, and 12 months. Microaneurysm (MA) activity using the RetmarkerDR and retinal thickness using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) were assessed by a central reading center at all visits and ETDRS severity level in the first and last visits. Three hundred thirty-one eyes/patients completed the study. Microaneurysm formation rate greater than or equal to 2 was present in 68.1% of the eyes and MA turnover greater than or equal to 6 in 54.0% at month 6. Higher MA turnover values were registered in eyes that showed progression in ETDRS severity level (P < 0.03). There were also significant correlations between increased microaneurysm activity and increases in retinal thickness. Spectral-domain OCT identified clinical macular edema in 24 eyes/patients (6.7%) and subclinical macular edema in 104 eyes/patients (28.9%) at baseline. Progression of retinal thickening was registered in eyes that had either subclinical or clinical macular edema at baseline. Changes in MA activity measured with RetmarkerDR and in central retinal thickness in eyes with mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy and diabetes type 2 are able to identify eyes at risk of progression. These eyes/patients should be selected for inclusion in future clinical trials of drugs targeted to prevent diabetic retinopathy progression to vision-threatening complications. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01145599.)

Education predicts quality of life among men with prostate cancer cared for in the Department of Veterans Affairs: a longitudinal quality of life analysis from CaPSURE.

PubMed

Knight, Sara J; Latini, David M; Hart, Stacey L; Sadetsky, Natalia; Kane, Christopher J; DuChane, Janeen; Carroll, Peter R

2007-05-01

Previous findings have suggested that patient educational attainment is related to cancer stage at presentation and treatment for localized prostate cancer, but there is little information on education and quality of life outcomes. Patient education level and quality of life were examined among men diagnosed with prostate cancer and cared for within an equal-access health care system, the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration (VA). Participants were 248 men with prostate cancer cared for in the VA and enrolled in CaPSURE. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine quality of life over time according to education level, controlling for age, ethnicity, income, site of clinical care, and year of diagnosis. Patients with lower levels of education tended to be younger, nonwhite, and have lower incomes. Controlling for age, ethnicity, income, year of diagnosis, and site, men with less formal education, compared with those with more, had worse functioning in the physical (P=.0248), role physical (P=.0048), role emotional (P=.0089), vitality (P=.0034), mental health (P=.0054), social function (P=.0056), and general health (P=.0002) domains and worse urinary (P=.003) and sexual (P=.0467) side effects. Men with less education experienced worse health-related quality of life across a wide range of domains and greater urinary and sexual symptoms than their peers who had more education. Clinicians should be aware that, even within an equal access to health care system, men with less education are vulnerable, having greater difficulty functioning in their daily lives after their prostate cancer treatment. Copyright (c) 2007 American Cancer Society

A method on error analysis for large-aperture optical telescope control system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Yanrui; Wang, Qiang; Yan, Fabao; Liu, Xiang; Huang, Yongmei

2016-10-01

For large-aperture optical telescope, compared with the performance of azimuth in the control system, arc second-level jitters exist in elevation under different speeds' working mode, especially low-speed working mode in the process of its acquisition, tracking and pointing. The jitters are closely related to the working speed of the elevation, resulting in the reduction of accuracy and low-speed stability of the telescope. By collecting a large number of measured data to the elevation, we do analysis on jitters in the time domain, frequency domain and space domain respectively. And the relation between jitter points and the leading speed of elevation and the corresponding space angle is concluded that the jitters perform as periodic disturbance in space domain and the period of the corresponding space angle of the jitter points is 79.1″ approximately. Then we did simulation, analysis and comparison to the influence of the disturbance sources, like PWM power level output disturbance, torque (acceleration) disturbance, speed feedback disturbance and position feedback disturbance on the elevation to find that the space periodic disturbance still exist in the elevation performance. It leads us to infer that the problems maybe exist in angle measurement unit. The telescope employs a 24-bit photoelectric encoder and we can calculate the encoder grating angular resolution as 79.1016'', which is as the corresponding angle value in the whole encoder system of one period of the subdivision signal. The value is approximately equal to the space frequency of the jitters. Therefore, the working elevation of the telescope is affected by subdivision errors and the period of the subdivision error is identical to the period of encoder grating angular. Through comprehensive consideration and mathematical analysis, that DC subdivision error of subdivision error sources causes the jitters is determined, which is verified in the practical engineering. The method that analyze error sources from time domain, frequency domain and space domain respectively has a very good role in guiding to find disturbance sources for large-aperture optical telescope.

Physician morality and perinatal decisions.

PubMed

Minkoff, Howard; Zafra, Katherine; Amrita, Sabharwal; Wilson, Tracey E; Homel, Peter

2016-11-01

Given the same set of "facts" (e.g. fetal prognosis) different physicians may not give the same advice to patients. Studies have shown that people differ in how they prioritize moral domains, but how those domains influence counseling and management has not been assessed among obstetricians. Our objective was to see if, given the same set of facts, obstetricians' counseling would vary depending on their prioritization of moral domains. Obstetricians completed questionnaires that included validated scales of moral domains (e.g. autonomy, community, divinity), demographic data, and hypothetical scenarios (e.g. how aggressively they would pursue the interests of a potentially compromised child, the degree of deference they gave to parents' choices, and their relative valuation of fetal rights and women's rights). Multivariate logistic regression using backwards conditional selection was used to explore how participants responded to the moral dilemma scenarios. Among the 249 participating obstetricians there was wide variation in counseling, much of which reflected differences in prioritization of moral domains. For example, requiring a higher likelihood of neonatal survival before recommending a cesarean section with cord prolapse was associated with Fairness/Reciprocity, an autonomy domain which emphasizes treating individuals equally (OR=1.42, 90% CI=1.06-1.89, p=0.05). Honoring parents' request to wait longer to suspend attempts to resuscitate an infant with no heart rate or pulse was associated with the community domains (involving concepts of loyalty and hierarchy) of In-Group/Loyalty; OR 1.30, 90% CI=1.04-1.62, p=0.05 and Authority/Respect (OR=1.34, 90% CI=1.06-1.34, p=0.045). Carrying out an unconsented cesarean section was associated with In-Group Loyalty (OR=1.26, 90% CI=1.01-1.56, p=0.08) and religiosity (OR=1.08, 90% CI=1.00-1.16, p=0.08). The advice that patients receive may vary widely depending on the underlying moral values of obstetricians. Physicians should be aware of their "biases" in order to provide the most objective counseling possible. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The First Immunoglobulin-Like Domain of HveC Is Sufficient To Bind Herpes Simplex Virus gD with Full Affinity, While the Third Domain Is Involved in Oligomerization of HveC

PubMed Central

Krummenacher, Claude; Rux, Ann H.; Whitbeck, J. Charles; Ponce-de-Leon, Manuel; Lou, Huan; Baribaud, Isabelle; Hou, Wangfang; Zou, Changhua; Geraghty, Robert J.; Spear, Patricia G.; Eisenberg, Roselyn J.; Cohen, Gary H.

1999-01-01

The human herpesvirus entry mediator C (HveC/PRR1) is a member of the immunoglobulin family used as a cellular receptor by the alphaherpesviruses herpes simplex virus (HSV), pseudorabies virus, and bovine herpesvirus type 1. We previously demonstrated direct binding of the purified HveC ectodomain to purified HSV type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 glycoprotein D (gD). Here, using a baculovirus expression system, we constructed and purified truncated forms of the receptor containing one [HveC(143t)], two [HveC(245t)], or all three immunoglobulin-like domains [HveC(346t)] of the extracellular region. All three constructs were equally able to compete with HveC(346t) for gD binding. The variable domain bound to virions and blocked HSV infection as well as HveC(346t). Thus, all of the binding to the receptor occurs within the first immunoglobulin-like domain, or V-domain, of HveC. These data confirm and extend those of Cocchi et al. (F. Cocchi, M. Lopez, L. Menotti, M. Aoubala, P. Dubreuil, and G. Campadelli-Fiume, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95:15700, 1998). Using biosensor analysis, we measured the affinity of binding of gD from HSV strains KOS and rid1 to two forms of HveC. Soluble gDs from the KOS strain of HSV-1 had the same affinity for HveC(346t) and HveC(143t). The mutant gD(rid1t) had an increased affinity for HveC(346t) and HveC(143t) due to a faster rate of complex formation. Interestingly, we found that HveC(346t) was a tetramer in solution, whereas HveC(143t) and HveC(245t) formed dimers, suggesting a role for the third immunoglobulin-like domain of HveC in oligomerization. In addition, the stoichiometry between gD and HveC appeared to be influenced by the level of HveC oligomerization. PMID:10482562

What can management theories offer evidence-based practice? A comparative analysis of measurement tools for organisational context.

PubMed

French, Beverley; Thomas, Lois H; Baker, Paula; Burton, Christopher R; Pennington, Lindsay; Roddam, Hazel

2009-05-19

Given the current emphasis on networks as vehicles for innovation and change in health service delivery, the ability to conceptualize and measure organisational enablers for the social construction of knowledge merits attention. This study aimed to develop a composite tool to measure the organisational context for evidence-based practice (EBP) in healthcare. A structured search of the major healthcare and management databases for measurement tools from four domains: research utilisation (RU), research activity (RA), knowledge management (KM), and organisational learning (OL). Included studies were reports of the development or use of measurement tools that included organisational factors. Tools were appraised for face and content validity, plus development and testing methods. Measurement tool items were extracted, merged across the four domains, and categorised within a constructed framework describing the absorptive and receptive capacities of organisations. Thirty measurement tools were identified and appraised. Eighteen tools from the four domains were selected for item extraction and analysis. The constructed framework consists of seven categories relating to three core organisational attributes of vision, leadership, and a learning culture, and four stages of knowledge need, acquisition of new knowledge, knowledge sharing, and knowledge use. Measurement tools from RA or RU domains had more items relating to the categories of leadership, and acquisition of new knowledge; while tools from KM or learning organisation domains had more items relating to vision, learning culture, knowledge need, and knowledge sharing. There was equal emphasis on knowledge use in the different domains. If the translation of evidence into knowledge is viewed as socially mediated, tools to measure the organisational context of EBP in healthcare could be enhanced by consideration of related concepts from the organisational and management sciences. Comparison of measurement tools across domains suggests that there is scope within EBP for supplementing the current emphasis on human and technical resources to support information uptake and use by individuals. Consideration of measurement tools from the fields of KM and OL shows more content related to social mechanisms to facilitate knowledge recognition, translation, and transfer between individuals and groups.

What can management theories offer evidence-based practice? A comparative analysis of measurement tools for organisational context

PubMed Central

French, Beverley; Thomas, Lois H; Baker, Paula; Burton, Christopher R; Pennington, Lindsay; Roddam, Hazel

2009-01-01

Background Given the current emphasis on networks as vehicles for innovation and change in health service delivery, the ability to conceptualise and measure organisational enablers for the social construction of knowledge merits attention. This study aimed to develop a composite tool to measure the organisational context for evidence-based practice (EBP) in healthcare. Methods A structured search of the major healthcare and management databases for measurement tools from four domains: research utilisation (RU), research activity (RA), knowledge management (KM), and organisational learning (OL). Included studies were reports of the development or use of measurement tools that included organisational factors. Tools were appraised for face and content validity, plus development and testing methods. Measurement tool items were extracted, merged across the four domains, and categorised within a constructed framework describing the absorptive and receptive capacities of organisations. Results Thirty measurement tools were identified and appraised. Eighteen tools from the four domains were selected for item extraction and analysis. The constructed framework consists of seven categories relating to three core organisational attributes of vision, leadership, and a learning culture, and four stages of knowledge need, acquisition of new knowledge, knowledge sharing, and knowledge use. Measurement tools from RA or RU domains had more items relating to the categories of leadership, and acquisition of new knowledge; while tools from KM or learning organisation domains had more items relating to vision, learning culture, knowledge need, and knowledge sharing. There was equal emphasis on knowledge use in the different domains. Conclusion If the translation of evidence into knowledge is viewed as socially mediated, tools to measure the organisational context of EBP in healthcare could be enhanced by consideration of related concepts from the organisational and management sciences. Comparison of measurement tools across domains suggests that there is scope within EBP for supplementing the current emphasis on human and technical resources to support information uptake and use by individuals. Consideration of measurement tools from the fields of KM and OL shows more content related to social mechanisms to facilitate knowledge recognition, translation, and transfer between individuals and groups. PMID:19454008

Symmetry breaking in (gravitating) scalar field models describing interacting boson stars and Q-balls

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

Brihaye, Yves; Caebergs, Thierry; Hartmann, Betti

2009-09-15

We investigate the properties of interacting Q-balls and boson stars that sit on top of each other in great detail. The model that describes these solutions is essentially a (gravitating) two-scalar field model where both scalar fields are complex. We construct interacting Q-balls or boson stars with arbitrarily small charges but finite mass. We observe that in the interacting case--where the interaction can be either due to the potential or due to gravity--two types of solutions exist for equal frequencies: one for which the two-scalar fields are equal, but also one for which the two-scalar fields differ. This constitutes amore » symmetry breaking in the model. While for Q-balls asymmetric solutions have always corresponding symmetric solutions and are thus likely unstable to decay to symmetric solutions with lower energy, there exists a parameter regime for interacting boson stars, where only asymmetric solutions exist. We present the domain of existence for two interacting nonrotating solutions as well as for solutions describing the interaction between rotating and nonrotating Q-balls and boson stars, respectively.« less

Balancing Conflicting Requirements for Grid and Particle Decomposition in Continuum-Lagrangian Solvers

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

Sitaraman, Hariswaran; Grout, Ray

2015-10-30

The load balancing strategies for hybrid solvers that involve grid based partial differential equation solution coupled with particle tracking are presented in this paper. A typical Message Passing Interface (MPI) based parallelization of grid based solves are done using a spatial domain decomposition while particle tracking is primarily done using either of the two techniques. One of the techniques is to distribute the particles to MPI ranks to whose grid they belong to while the other is to share the particles equally among all ranks, irrespective of their spatial location. The former technique provides spatial locality for field interpolation butmore » cannot assure load balance in terms of number of particles, which is achieved by the latter. The two techniques are compared for a case of particle tracking in a homogeneous isotropic turbulence box as well as a turbulent jet case. We performed a strong scaling study for more than 32,000 cores, which results in particle densities representative of anticipated exascale machines. The use of alternative implementations of MPI collectives and efficient load equalization strategies are studied to reduce data communication overheads.« less

Differentiability breaking and Schwarz theorem violation in an aging material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doussineau, P.; Levelut, A. L.

2002-07-01

Dielectric constant measurements are performed in the frequency range from 1 kHz to 1 MHz on a disordered material with ferroelectric properties (KTa1-xNbxO3 crystals) after isothermal aging at the plateau temperature Tpl≅10 K. They show that the derivatives of the complex capacitance with respect to temperature and time present two very peculiar behaviors. The first point is that the first and second derivatives against temperature are not equal on the two sides of Tpl; this is differentiability breaking. The second point is that the two crossed second derivatives against temperature and time are not equal (indeed they have opposite signs); this is a violation of Schwarz theorem. These results are obtained on both the real part and the imaginary part of the capacitance. A model, initially imagined for aging and memory of aging, attributes the time-dependent properties to the evolution (growth and reconformations) of the polarization domain walls. It is shown that it can also explain the observed differentiability breaking (and in particular its logarithmic increase with the plateau duration tpl) and the violation of Schwarz theorem.

The special status of verbal knowledge in semantic memory: evidence from performance of semantically impaired subjects on verbalizable and non-verbalizable versions of the object decision task.

PubMed

Zannino, Gian Daniele; Perri, Roberta; Monaco, Marco; Caltagirone, Carlo; Luzzi, Simona; Carlesimo, Giovanni A

2014-01-01

According to the semantic hub hypothesis, a supramodal semantic hub is equally needed to deal with verbal and extraverbal "surface" representations. Damage to the supramodal hub is thought to underlie the crossmodal impairment observed in selective semantic deficits. In the present paper, we provide evidence supporting an alternative view: we hold that semantic impairment is not equal across domains but affects verbal behavior disproportionately. We investigated our hypothesis by manipulating the verbal load in an object decision task. Two pathological groups showing different levels of semantic impairment were enrolled together with their normal controls. The severe group included 10 subjects with semantic dementia and the mild group 10 subjects with Alzheimer's disease. In keeping with our hypothesis, when shifting from the low verbal load to the high verbal load condition, brain-damaged individuals, as compared to controls, showed a disproportionate impairment as a function of the severity of their semantic deficit. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Item usage in a multidimensional computerized adaptive test (MCAT) measuring health-related quality of life.

PubMed

Paap, Muirne C S; Kroeze, Karel A; Terwee, Caroline B; van der Palen, Job; Veldkamp, Bernard P

2017-11-01

Examining item usage is an important step in evaluating the performance of a computerized adaptive test (CAT). We study item usage for a newly developed multidimensional CAT which draws items from three PROMIS domains, as well as a disease-specific one. The multidimensional item bank used in the current study contained 194 items from four domains: the PROMIS domains fatigue, physical function, and ability to participate in social roles and activities, and a disease-specific domain (the COPD-SIB). The item bank was calibrated using the multidimensional graded response model and data of 795 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. To evaluate the item usage rates of all individual items in our item bank, CAT simulations were performed on responses generated based on a multivariate uniform distribution. The outcome variables included active bank size and item overuse (usage rate larger than the expected item usage rate). For average θ-values, the overall active bank size was 9-10%; this number quickly increased as θ-values became more extreme. For values of -2 and +2, the overall active bank size equaled 39-40%. There was 78% overlap between overused items and active bank size for average θ-values. For more extreme θ-values, the overused items made up a much smaller part of the active bank size: here the overlap was only 35%. Our results strengthen the claim that relatively short item banks may suffice when using polytomous items (and no content constraints/exposure control mechanisms), especially when using MCAT.

Towards the Rational Design of a Candidate Vaccine against Pregnancy Associated Malaria: Conserved Sequences of the DBL6ε Domain of VAR2CSA

PubMed Central

Badaut, Cyril; Bertin, Gwladys; Rustico, Tatiana; Fievet, Nadine; Massougbodji, Achille; Gaye, Alioune; Deloron, Philippe

2010-01-01

Background Placental malaria is a disease linked to the sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum infected red blood cells (IRBC) in the placenta, leading to reduced materno-fetal exchanges and to local inflammation. One of the virulence factors of P. falciparum involved in cytoadherence to chondroitin sulfate A, its placental receptor, is the adhesive protein VAR2CSA. Its localisation on the surface of IRBC makes it accessible to the immune system. VAR2CSA contains six DBL domains. The DBL6ε domain is the most variable. High variability constitutes a means for the parasite to evade the host immune response. The DBL6ε domain could constitute a very attractive basis for a vaccine candidate but its reported variability necessitates, for antigenic characterisations, identifying and classifying commonalities across isolates. Methodology/Principal Findings Local alignment analysis of the DBL6ε domain had revealed that it is not as variable as previously described. Variability is concentrated in seven regions present on the surface of the DBL6ε domain. The main goal of our work is to classify and group variable sequences that will simplify further research to determine dominant epitopes. Firstly, variable sequences were grouped following their average percent pairwise identity (APPI). Groups comprising many variable sequences sharing low variability were found. Secondly, ELISA experiments following the IgG recognition of a recombinant DBL6ε domain, and of peptides mimicking its seven variable blocks, allowed to determine an APPI cut-off and to isolate groups represented by a single consensus sequence. Conclusions/Significance A new sequence approach is used to compare variable regions in sequences that have extensive segmental gene relationship. Using this approach, the VAR2CSA DBL6 domain is composed of 7 variable blocks with limited polymorphism. Each variable block is composed of a limited number of consensus types. Based on peptide based ELISA, variable blocks with 85% or greater sequence identity are expected to be recognized equally well by antibody and can be considered the same consensus type. Therefore, the analysis of the antibody response against the classified small number of sequences should be helpful to determine epitopes. PMID:20585655

Reporting Heterogeneity and Health Disparities Across Gender and Education Levels: Evidence From Four Countries.

PubMed

Molina, Teresa

2016-04-01

I use anchoring vignettes from Indonesia, the United States, England, and China to study the extent to which differences in self-reported health across gender and education levels can be explained by the use of different response thresholds. To determine whether statistically significant differences between groups remain after adjusting thresholds, I calculate standard errors for the simulated probabilities, largely ignored in previous literature. Accounting for reporting heterogeneity reduces the gender gap in many health domains across the four countries, but to varying degrees. Health disparities across education levels persist and even widen after equalizing thresholds across the two groups.

Improvement in Quality of Life Questionnaire Measures (PCOSQ) in Obese Adolescent Females with PCOS treated with Lifestyle Changes and Oral Contraceptives, with or without Metformin

PubMed Central

Harris-Glocker, Miranda; Davidson, Kristin; Kochman, Lynda; Guzick, David; Hoeger, Kathleen

2013-01-01

We studied the effect of metformin or placebo in a lifestyle modification program (LSM) combined with oral contraceptives (OC) on quality of life parameters measured by the PCOS questionnaire (PCOSQ) in obese adolescent women with validated PCOS. The quality of life indicators were measured at baseline and conclusion for 5 domains on the PCOSQ, with equal improvement in scores in both placebo and Metformin groups, suggesting metformin addition does not add improvement to quality of life measures above those observed with lifestyle modification and oral contraceptive treatment. PMID:19781696

Client's view of a successful helping relationship.

PubMed

Ribner, David S; Knei-Paz, Cigal

2002-10-01

This study asked clients from multiproblem families to describe a successful helping relationship. The replies were analyzed using narrative research techniques and results are presented in conceptual categories with illustrative quotations from the interviews. The article offers conclusions about client preferences in the areas of working relationship, work styles, and worker characteristics. The results revealed two general domains of the client-worker relationship: factors that provided a sense of equality in the relationship, for example, love, friendship, and a nonjudgmental stance; and the notion that the helping relationship should parallel more normative contacts and include components such as flexibility, chemistry, luck, and going the extra distance.

Expression of multiple proteins in transgenic plants

DOEpatents

Vierstra, Richard D.; Walker, Joseph M.

2002-01-01

A method is disclosed for the production of multiple proteins in transgenic plants. A DNA construct for introduction into plants includes a provision to express a fusion protein of two proteins of interest joined by a linking domain including plant ubiquitin. When the fusion protein is produced in the cells of a transgenic plant transformed with the DNA construction, native enzymes present in plant cells cleave the fusion protein to release both proteins of interest into the cells of the transgenic plant. Since the proteins are produced from the same fusion protein, the initial quantities of the proteins in the cells of the plant are approximately equal.

Carrier-envelope phase-stabilized attosecond pulses from asymmetric molecules

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

Lan Pengfei; Lu Peixiang; Cao Wei

2007-08-15

High-order harmonic generation from asymmetric molecules is investigated, and the concept of phase-stabilized infrared ultrashort laser pulses is extended to the extreme ultraviolet regime. It is shown that the ionization symmetry in consecutive half optical cycles is broken for asymmetric molecules, and both even and odd harmonics with comparable intensity are produced. In the time domain, only one attosecond pulse is generated in each cycle of the driving field, and the carrier-envelope phases of the attosecond pulses are equal. Consequently, a clean attosecond pulse train with the same carrier-envelope phase from pulse to pulse is obtained in the extreme ultravioletmore » regime.« less

Dependently Typed Programming with Domain-Specific Logics

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-28

van den Berg and Garner, 2010; Voevodsky, 2010). This work promises a new class of proof assistants that intrinsically support proof irrelevance, equal...InΣ (neuA⇐ neu ⊗ sem) neut : InΣ (semA⇐ neu) slam : InΣ (semA⇐ (∀6 neuC (sem ⊃ sem))) reifyenv : Vars Vars Type reifyenv Ψe Ψs = ([Ψs ] * (neuC...ϕ) = lam · reify (Ψe, , expC) (Ψs, , neuC) σ’ (ϕ [neuC ] ( neut · (. i0))) where σ’ : (reifyenv (Ψe, , expC) (Ψs, , neuC)) σ’ i0 = i0 σ’ (iS x) = iS

Building a minimal and generalizable model of transcription factor-based biosensors: Showcasing flavonoids.

PubMed

Trabelsi, Heykel; Koch, Mathilde; Faulon, Jean-Loup

2018-05-07

Progress in synthetic biology tools has transformed the way we engineer living cells. Applications of circuit design have reached a new level, offering solutions for metabolic engineering challenges that include developing screening approaches for libraries of pathway variants. The use of transcription-factor-based biosensors for screening has shown promising results, but the quantitative relationship between the sensors and the sensed molecules still needs more rational understanding. Herein, we have successfully developed a novel biosensor to detect pinocembrin based on a transcriptional regulator. The FdeR transcription factor (TF), known to respond to naringenin, was combined with a fluorescent reporter protein. By varying the copy number of its plasmid and the concentration of the biosensor TF through a combinatorial library, different responses have been recorded and modeled. The fitted model provides a tool to understand the impact of these parameters on the biosensor behavior in terms of dose-response and time curves and offers guidelines to build constructs oriented to increased sensitivity and or ability of linear detection at higher titers. Our model, the first to explicitly take into account the impact of plasmid copy number on biosensor sensitivity using Hill-based formalism, is able to explain uncharacterized systems without extensive knowledge of the properties of the TF. Moreover, it can be used to model the response of the biosensor to different compounds (here naringenin and pinocembrin) with minimal parameter refitting. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

SYMBIOmatics: synergies in Medical Informatics and Bioinformatics--exploring current scientific literature for emerging topics.

PubMed

Rebholz-Schuhman, Dietrich; Cameron, Graham; Clark, Dominic; van Mulligen, Erik; Coatrieux, Jean-Louis; Del Hoyo Barbolla, Eva; Martin-Sanchez, Fernando; Milanesi, Luciano; Porro, Ivan; Beltrame, Francesco; Tollis, Ioannis; Van der Lei, Johan

2007-03-08

The SYMBIOmatics Specific Support Action (SSA) is "an information gathering and dissemination activity" that seeks "to identify synergies between the bioinformatics and the medical informatics" domain to improve collaborative progress between both domains (ref. to http://www.symbiomatics.org). As part of the project experts in both research fields will be identified and approached through a survey. To provide input to the survey, the scientific literature was analysed to extract topics relevant to both medical informatics and bioinformatics. This paper presents results of a systematic analysis of the scientific literature from medical informatics research and bioinformatics research. In the analysis pairs of words (bigrams) from the leading bioinformatics and medical informatics journals have been used as indication of existing and emerging technologies and topics over the period 2000-2005 ("recent") and 1990-1990 ("past"). We identified emerging topics that were equally important to bioinformatics and medical informatics in recent years such as microarray experiments, ontologies, open source, text mining and support vector machines. Emerging topics that evolved only in bioinformatics were system biology, protein interaction networks and statistical methods for microarray analyses, whereas emerging topics in medical informatics were grid technology and tissue microarrays. We conclude that although both fields have their own specific domains of interest, they share common technological developments that tend to be initiated by new developments in biotechnology and computer science.

SYMBIOmatics: Synergies in Medical Informatics and Bioinformatics – exploring current scientific literature for emerging topics

PubMed Central

Rebholz-Schuhman, Dietrich; Cameron, Graham; Clark, Dominic; van Mulligen, Erik; Coatrieux, Jean-Louis; Del Hoyo Barbolla, Eva; Martin-Sanchez, Fernando; Milanesi, Luciano; Porro, Ivan; Beltrame, Francesco; Tollis, Ioannis; Van der Lei, Johan

2007-01-01

Background The SYMBIOmatics Specific Support Action (SSA) is "an information gathering and dissemination activity" that seeks "to identify synergies between the bioinformatics and the medical informatics" domain to improve collaborative progress between both domains (ref. to ). As part of the project experts in both research fields will be identified and approached through a survey. To provide input to the survey, the scientific literature was analysed to extract topics relevant to both medical informatics and bioinformatics. Results This paper presents results of a systematic analysis of the scientific literature from medical informatics research and bioinformatics research. In the analysis pairs of words (bigrams) from the leading bioinformatics and medical informatics journals have been used as indication of existing and emerging technologies and topics over the period 2000–2005 ("recent") and 1990–1990 ("past"). We identified emerging topics that were equally important to bioinformatics and medical informatics in recent years such as microarray experiments, ontologies, open source, text mining and support vector machines. Emerging topics that evolved only in bioinformatics were system biology, protein interaction networks and statistical methods for microarray analyses, whereas emerging topics in medical informatics were grid technology and tissue microarrays. Conclusion We conclude that although both fields have their own specific domains of interest, they share common technological developments that tend to be initiated by new developments in biotechnology and computer science. PMID:17430562

Disruption of the A-Kinase Anchoring Domain in Flagellar Radial Spoke Protein 3 Results in Unregulated Axonemal cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Activity and Abnormal Flagellar Motility

PubMed Central

Gaillard, Anne R.; Fox, Laura A.; Rhea, Jeanne M.; Craige, Branch

2006-01-01

Biochemical studies of Chlamydomonas flagellar axonemes revealed that radial spoke protein (RSP) 3 is an A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP). To determine the physiological role of PKA anchoring in the axoneme, an RSP3 mutant, pf14, was transformed with an RSP3 gene containing a mutation in the PKA-binding domain. Analysis of several independent transformants revealed that the transformed cells exhibit an unusual phenotype: a fraction of the cells swim normally; the remainder of the cells twitch feebly or are paralyzed. The abnormal/paralyzed motility is not due to an obvious deficiency of radial spoke assembly, and the phenotype cosegregates with the mutant RSP3. We postulated that paralysis was due to failure in targeting and regulation of axonemal cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). To test this, reactivation experiments of demembranated cells were performed in the absence or presence of PKA inhibitors. Importantly, motility in reactivated cell models mimicked the live cell phenotype with nearly equal fractions of motile and paralyzed cells. PKA inhibitors resulted in a twofold increase in the number of motile cells, rescuing paralysis. These results confirm that flagellar RSP3 is an AKAP and reveal that a mutation in the PKA binding domain results in unregulated axonemal PKA activity and inhibition of normal motility. PMID:16571668

Social Status Attainment during the Transition to Adulthood

PubMed Central

Lui, Camillia K.; Chung, Paul J.; Wallace, Steven P.; Aneshensel, Carol S.

2013-01-01

The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a critical time for status attainment, with income, education, work experience, and independence from parents accruing at varying speeds and intensities. This study takes an intergenerational life-course perspective that incorporates parents’ and one’s own social status to examine the status attainment process from adolescence into adulthood in the domains of economic capital (e.g., income) and human capital (e.g., education, occupation). Survey data from three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (analytic n=8,977) are analyzed using latent class analysis to capture the ebb and flow of social status advantages and disadvantages from adolescence (Wave 1) through young adulthood (Wave 3) into adulthood (Wave 4). The analytic sample is composed of 50.3% females and 70.2% Whites, 15.3% Blacks, 11.0% Hispanics, and 3.5% Asians ages 12 to 18 at Wave 1 and 25 to 31 at Wave 4. Four latent classes are found for economic capital and five for human capital. The importance of parents’ social status is demonstrated by the presence of large groups with persistently low and persistently high social status over time in both domains. The capacity of individuals to determine their own status, however, is shown by equally large groups with upward and downward mobility in both domains. These findings demonstrate the dynamic nature of social status during this critical developmental period. PMID:24129883

Prediction of crime occurrence from multi-modal data using deep learning

PubMed Central

Kang, Hyeon-Woo

2017-01-01

In recent years, various studies have been conducted on the prediction of crime occurrences. This predictive capability is intended to assist in crime prevention by facilitating effective implementation of police patrols. Previous studies have used data from multiple domains such as demographics, economics, and education. Their prediction models treat data from different domains equally. These methods have problems in crime occurrence prediction, such as difficulty in discovering highly nonlinear relationships, redundancies, and dependencies between multiple datasets. In order to enhance crime prediction models, we consider environmental context information, such as broken windows theory and crime prevention through environmental design. In this paper, we propose a feature-level data fusion method with environmental context based on a deep neural network (DNN). Our dataset consists of data collected from various online databases of crime statistics, demographic and meteorological data, and images in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to generating training data, we select crime-related data by conducting statistical analyses. Finally, we train our DNN, which consists of the following four kinds of layers: spatial, temporal, environmental context, and joint feature representation layers. Coupled with crucial data extracted from various domains, our fusion DNN is a product of an efficient decision-making process that statistically analyzes data redundancy. Experimental performance results show that our DNN model is more accurate in predicting crime occurrence than other prediction models. PMID:28437486

Prediction of crime occurrence from multi-modal data using deep learning.

PubMed

Kang, Hyeon-Woo; Kang, Hang-Bong

2017-01-01

In recent years, various studies have been conducted on the prediction of crime occurrences. This predictive capability is intended to assist in crime prevention by facilitating effective implementation of police patrols. Previous studies have used data from multiple domains such as demographics, economics, and education. Their prediction models treat data from different domains equally. These methods have problems in crime occurrence prediction, such as difficulty in discovering highly nonlinear relationships, redundancies, and dependencies between multiple datasets. In order to enhance crime prediction models, we consider environmental context information, such as broken windows theory and crime prevention through environmental design. In this paper, we propose a feature-level data fusion method with environmental context based on a deep neural network (DNN). Our dataset consists of data collected from various online databases of crime statistics, demographic and meteorological data, and images in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to generating training data, we select crime-related data by conducting statistical analyses. Finally, we train our DNN, which consists of the following four kinds of layers: spatial, temporal, environmental context, and joint feature representation layers. Coupled with crucial data extracted from various domains, our fusion DNN is a product of an efficient decision-making process that statistically analyzes data redundancy. Experimental performance results show that our DNN model is more accurate in predicting crime occurrence than other prediction models.

Social status attainment during the transition to adulthood.

PubMed

Lui, Camillia K; Chung, Paul J; Wallace, Steven P; Aneshensel, Carol S

2014-07-01

The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a critical time for status attainment, with income, education, work experience, and independence from parents accruing at varying speeds and intensities. This study takes an intergenerational life-course perspective that incorporates parents' and one's own social status to examine the status attainment process from adolescence into adulthood in the domains of economic capital (e.g., income) and human capital (e.g., education, occupation). Survey data from three waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (analytic n = 8,977) are analyzed using latent class analysis to capture the ebb and flow of social status advantages and disadvantages from adolescence (Wave 1) through young adulthood (Wave 3) into adulthood (Wave 4). The analytic sample is composed of 50.3 % females and 70.2 % Whites, 15.3 % Blacks, 11.0 % Hispanics, and 3.5 % Asians ages 12-18 at Wave 1 and 25-31 at Wave 4. Four latent classes are found for economic capital and five for human capital. The importance of parents' social status is demonstrated by the presence of large groups with persistently low and persistently high social status over time in both domains. The capacity of individuals to determine their own status, however, is shown by equally large groups with upward and downward mobility in both domains. These findings demonstrate the dynamic nature of social status during this critical developmental period.

Effect of computer-aided instruction versus traditional modes on student PT's learning musculoskeletal special tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Gregory Scott

2007-12-01

Title. Effect of computer-aided instruction versus traditional modes on student PT's learning musculoskeletal special tests. Problem. Lack of quantitative evidence to support the use of computer-aided instruction (CAI) in PT education for both the cognitive and psychomotor domains and lack of qualitative support as to an understanding why CAI may or may not be effective. Design. 3 group single-blind pre-test, immediate post-test, final post-test repeated measures with qualitative survey for the CAI group. Methods. Subjects were randomly assigned to CAI, live demonstration or textbook learning groups. Three novel special tests were instructed. Analysis of performance on written and practical examinations was conducted across the 3 repeated measures. A qualitative survey was completed by the CAI group post intervention. Results. CAI is equally as effective as live demonstration and textbook learning of musculoskeletal special tests in the cognitive domain, however, CAI was superior to live demonstration and textbook instruction at final post-testing. Significance. The significance of this research is that a gap in the literature of PT education needs to be bridged as it pertains to the effect of CAI on learning in both the cognitive and psychomotor domains as well as attempt to understand why CAI results in certain student performance. The methods of this study allowed for a wide range of generalizability to any and all PT programs across the country.

The quadruple bottom line: the advantages of incorporating Green Chemistry into the undergraduate chemistry major

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bodner, George M.

2017-08-01

When the author first became involved with the Green Chemistry movement, he noted that his colleagues in industry who were involved in one of the ACS Green Chemistry Institute® industrial roundtables emphasized the take-home message they described as the "triple bottom line." They noted that introducing Green Chemistry in industrial settings had economic, social, and environmental benefits. As someone who first went to school at age 5, and has been "going to school" most days for 65 years, it was easy for the author to see why introducing Green Chemistry into academics had similar beneficial effects within the context of economic, social and environmental domains at the college/university level. He was prepared to understand why faculty who had taught traditional courses often saw the advantage of incorporating Green Chemistry into the courses they teach. What was not as obvious is why students who were encountering chemistry for the first time were often equally passionate about the Green Chemistry movement. Recent attention has been paid, however, to a model that brings clarity to the hitherto vague term of "relevance" that might explain why integrating Green Chemistry into the undergraduate chemistry classroom can achieve a "quadruple bottom-line" for students because of potentially positive effects of adding a domain of "relevance" to the existing economic, social, and environmental domains.

Quanty for core level spectroscopy - excitons, resonances and band excitations in time and frequency domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haverkort, Maurits W.

2016-05-01

Depending on the material and edge under consideration, core level spectra manifest themselves as local excitons with multiplets, edge singularities, resonances, or the local projected density of states. Both extremes, i.e., local excitons and non-interacting delocalized excitations are theoretically well under control. Describing the intermediate regime, where local many body interactions and band-formation are equally important is a challenge. Here we discuss how Quanty, a versatile quantum many body script language, can be used to calculate a variety of different core level spectroscopy types on solids and molecules, both in the frequency as well as the time domain. The flexible nature of Quanty allows one to choose different approximations for different edges and materials. For example, using a newly developed method merging ideas from density renormalization group and quantum chemistry [1-3], Quanty can calculate excitons, resonances and band-excitations in x-ray absorption, photoemission, x-ray emission, fluorescence yield, non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering, resonant inelastic x-ray scattering and many more spectroscopy types. Quanty can be obtained from: http://www.quanty.org.

Extended Cost-Effectiveness Analysis for Health Policy Assessment: A Tutorial.

PubMed

Verguet, Stéphane; Kim, Jane J; Jamison, Dean T

2016-09-01

Health policy instruments such as the public financing of health technologies (e.g., new drugs, vaccines) entail consequences in multiple domains. Fundamentally, public health policies aim at increasing the uptake of effective and efficient interventions and at subsequently leading to better health benefits (e.g., premature mortality and morbidity averted). In addition, public health policies can provide non-health benefits in addition to the sole well-being of populations and beyond the health sector. For instance, public policies such as social and health insurance programs can prevent illness-related impoverishment and procure financial risk protection. Furthermore, public policies can improve the distribution of health in the population and promote the equalization of health among individuals. Extended cost-effectiveness analysis was developed to address health policy assessment, specifically to evaluate the health and financial consequences of public policies in four domains: (1) the health gains; (2) the financial risk protection benefits; (3) the total costs to the policy makers; and (4) the distributional benefits. Here, we present a tutorial that describes both the intent of extended cost-effectiveness analysis and its keys to allow easy implementation for health policy assessment.

Age of acquisition in sport: starting early matters.

PubMed

Hernandez, Arturo E; Mattarella-Micke, Andrew; Redding, Richard W T; Woods, Elizabeth A; Beilock, Sian

2011-01-01

Although the age at which a skill is learned (age of acquisition [AoA]) is one of the most studied predictors of success in domains ranging from language to music, very little work has focused on this factor in sports. In order to uncover how the age at which a skill is learned relates to how athletes cognitively represent that skill, we asked a group of skilled golfers who learned to play golf before (early learners) or after (late learners) the age of 10 to take a series of putts on an indoor putting green. Golfers putted in isolation (single-task condition), while monitoring a stream of words presented over a loudspeaker (dual-task condition), or while being instructed to attend to specific aspects of their golf swing (skill-focused condition). Early and late learners putted equally well in the single-task and dual-task conditions. However, in the skill-focused condition, golfers who learned earlier performed worse than those who learned later. The results are consistent with the notion that AoA influences the manner in which sports, like other domains such as language and music, are represented in memory.

User's Guide for MSAP2D: A Program for Unsteady Aerodynamic and Aeroelastic (Flutter and Forced Response) Analysis of Multistage Compressors and Turbines. 1.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reddy, T. S. R.; Srivastava, R.

1996-01-01

This guide describes the input data required for using MSAP2D (Multi Stage Aeroelastic analysis Program - Two Dimensional) computer code. MSAP2D can be used for steady, unsteady aerodynamic, and aeroelastic (flutter and forced response) analysis of bladed disks arranged in multiple blade rows such as those found in compressors, turbines, counter rotating propellers or propfans. The code can also be run for single blade row. MSAP2D code is an extension of the original NPHASE code for multiblade row aerodynamic and aeroelastic analysis. Euler equations are used to obtain aerodynamic forces. The structural dynamic equations are written for a rigid typical section undergoing pitching (torsion) and plunging (bending) motion. The aeroelastic equations are solved in time domain. For single blade row analysis, frequency domain analysis is also provided to obtain unsteady aerodynamic coefficients required in an eigen analysis for flutter. In this manual, sample input and output are provided for a single blade row example, two blade row example with equal and unequal number of blades in the blade rows.

Positional effects of fusion partners on the yield and solubility of MBP fusion proteins.

PubMed

Raran-Kurussi, Sreejith; Keefe, Karina; Waugh, David S

2015-06-01

Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein (MBP) is exceptionally effective at promoting the solubility of its fusion partners. However, there are conflicting reports in the literature claiming that (1) MBP is an effective solubility enhancer only when it is joined to the N-terminus of an aggregation-prone passenger protein, and (2) MBP is equally effective when fused to either end of the passenger. Here, we endeavor to resolve this controversy by comparing the solubility of a diverse set of MBP fusion proteins that, unlike those analyzed in previous studies, are identical in every way except for the order of the two domains. The results indicate that fusion proteins with an N-terminal MBP provide an excellent solubility advantage along with more robust expression when compared to analogous fusions in which MBP is the C-terminal fusion partner. We find that only intrinsically soluble passenger proteins (i.e., those not requiring a solubility enhancer) are produced as soluble fusions when they precede MBP. We also report that even subtle differences in inter-domain linker sequences can influence the solubility of fusion proteins. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Positional effects of fusion partners on the yield and solubility of MBP fusion proteins

PubMed Central

Raran-Kurussi, Sreejith; Keefe, Karina; Waugh, David S.

2015-01-01

Escherichia coli maltose-binding protein (MBP) is exceptionally effective at promoting the solubility of its fusion partners. However, there are conflicting reports in the literature claiming that 1) MBP is an effective solubility enhancer only when it is joined to the N-terminus of an aggregation-prone passenger protein, and 2) MBP is equally effective when fused to either end of the passenger. Here, we endeavor to resolve this controversy by comparing the solubility of a diverse set of MBP fusion proteins that, unlike those analyzed in previous studies, are identical in every way except for the order of the two domains. The results indicate that fusion proteins with an N-terminal MBP provide an excellent solubility advantage along with more robust expression when compared to analogous fusions in which MBP is the C-terminal fusion partner. We find that only intrinsically soluble passenger proteins (i.e., those not requiring a solubility enhancer) are produced as soluble fusions when they precede MBP. We also report that even subtle differences in inter-domain linker sequences can influence the solubility of fusion proteins. PMID:25782741

Refinement of atomic and magnetic structures using neutron diffraction for synthesized bulk and nano-nickel zinc gallate ferrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ata-Allah, S. S.; Balagurov, A. M.; Hashhash, A.; Bobrikov, I. A.; Hamdy, Sh.

2016-01-01

The parent NiFe2O4 and Zn/Ga substituted spinel ferrite powders have been prepared by solid state reaction technique. As a typical example, the Ni0.7Zn0.3Fe1.5Ga0.5O4 sample has been prepared by sol-gel auto combustion method with the nano-scale crystallites size. X-ray and Mössbauer studies were carried out for the prepared samples. Structure and microstructure properties were investigated using the time-of-flight HRFD instrument at the IBR-2 pulsed reactor, at a temperatures range 15-473 K. The Rietveld refinement of the neutron diffraction data revealed that all samples possess cubic symmetry corresponding to the space group Fd3m. Cations distribution show that Ni2+ is a complete inverse spinel ion, while Ga3+ equally distributed between the two A and B-sublattices. The level of microstrains in bulk samples was estimated as very small while the size of coherently scattered domains is quite large. For nano-structured sample the domain size is around 120 Å.

Do we represent intentional action as recursively embedded? The answer must be empirical. A comment on Vicari and Adenzato (2014).

PubMed

Martins, Mauricio D; Fitch, W Tecumseh

2015-12-15

The relationship between linguistic syntax and action planning is of considerable interest in cognitive science because many researchers suggest that "motor syntax" shares certain key traits with language. In a recent manuscript in this journal, Vicari and Adenzato (henceforth VA) critiqued Hauser, Chomsky and Fitch's 2002 (henceforth HCF's) hypothesis that recursion is language-specific, and that its usage in other domains is parasitic on language resources. VA's main argument is that HCF's hypothesis is falsified by the fact that recursion typifies the structure of intentional action, and recursion in the domain of action is independent of language. Here, we argue that VA's argument is incomplete, and that their formalism can be contrasted with alternative frameworks that are equally consistent with existing data. Therefore their conclusions are premature without further empirical testing and support. In particular, to accept VA's argument it would be necessary to demonstrate both that humans in fact represent self-embedding in the structure of intentional action, and that language is not used to construct these representations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the culture of safety in public hospitals in Brazil 1

PubMed Central

de Carvalho, Rhanna Emanuela Fontenele Lima; Arruda, Lidyane Parente; do Nascimento, Nayanne Karen Pinheiro; Sampaio, Renata Lopes; Cavalcante, Maria Lígia Silva Nunes; Costa, Ana Carolina Pinto

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: to assess the culture of safety in three public hospitals. Method: transversal study undertaken in three Brazilian public hospitals, with health professionals through applying the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ). Scores greater than or equal to 75 were considered positive. Results: a total of 573 professionals participated in the study, including nurse technicians and auxiliary nurses 292 (51%), nurses 105 (18.3%), physicians 59 (10.3%), and other professionals 117 (20.4%). The mean of the SAQ varied between 65 and 69 in the three hospitals. Among the domains, however, 'Job satisfaction' presented a higher score, and the opposite was observed for the domain 'Perceptions of management'. The outsourced professionals presented a better perception of the culture of safety than did the statutory professionals. The professionals with higher education presented a better perception of the stressing factors than did the professionals educated to senior high school level. Conclusion: the level of the culture of safety found is below the ideal. The managerial actions are considered the main contributing factor to the culture's weakness; however, the professionals demonstrated themselves to be satisfied with the work. PMID:28301029

Insulin Action is Blocked by a Monoclonal Antibody That Inhibits the Insulin Receptor Kinase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, David O.; Ho, Lisa; Korn, Laurence J.; Roth, Richard A.

1986-01-01

Thirty-six monoclonal antibodies to the human insulin receptor were produced. Thirty-four bound the intracellular domain of the receptor β subunit, the domain containing the tyrosine-specific kinase activity. Of these 34 antibodies, 33 recognized the rat receptor and 1 was shown to precipitate the receptors from mice, chickens, and frogs with high affinity. Another of the antibodies inhibited the kinase activities of the human and frog receptors with equal potencies. This antibody inhibited the kinase activities of these receptors by more than 90%, whereas others had no effect on either kinase activity. Microinjection of the inhibiting antibody into Xenopus oocytes blocked the ability of insulin to stimulate oocyte maturation. In contrast, this inhibiting antibody did not block the ability of progesterone to stimulate the same response. Furthermore, control immunoglobulin and a noninhibiting antibody to the receptor β subunit did not block this response to insulin. These results strongly support a role for the tyrosine-specific kinase activity of the insulin receptor in mediating this biological effect of insulin.

Brain Modules, Personality Layers, Planes of Being, Spiral Structures, and the Equally Implausible Distinction between TCI-R "Temperament" and "Character" Scales: A Reply to Cloninger.

PubMed

Farmer, Richard F; Goldberg, Lewis R

2008-09-01

In this reply we address comments by Cloninger (this issue) related to our report (Farmer & Goldberg, this issue) on the psychometric properties of the revised Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-R) and a short inventory derivative, the TCI-140. Even though Cloninger's psychobiological model has undergone substantial theoretical modifications, the relevance of these changes for the evaluation and use of the TCI-R remains unclear. Aspects of TCI-R assessment also appear to be theoretically and empirically incongruent with Cloninger's assertion that TCI-R personality domains are non-linear and dynamic in nature. Several other core assumptions from the psychobiological model, including this most recent iteration, are non-falsifiable, inconsistently supported, or have no apparent empirical basis. Although researchers using the TCI and TCI-R have frequently accepted the temperament/character distinction and associated theoretical ramifications, for example, we find little overall support for the differentiation of TCI-R domains into these two basic categories. The implications of these observations for TCI-R assessment are briefly discussed.

Image alignment

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

Dowell, Larry Jonathan

Disclosed is a method and device for aligning at least two digital images. An embodiment may use frequency-domain transforms of small tiles created from each image to identify substantially similar, "distinguishing" features within each of the images, and then align the images together based on the location of the distinguishing features. To accomplish this, an embodiment may create equal sized tile sub-images for each image. A "key" for each tile may be created by performing a frequency-domain transform calculation on each tile. A information-distance difference between each possible pair of tiles on each image may be calculated to identify distinguishingmore » features. From analysis of the information-distance differences of the pairs of tiles, a subset of tiles with high discrimination metrics in relation to other tiles may be located for each image. The subset of distinguishing tiles for each image may then be compared to locate tiles with substantially similar keys and/or information-distance metrics to other tiles of other images. Once similar tiles are located for each image, the images may be aligned in relation to the identified similar tiles.« less

Neural Correlates of Encoding Within- and Across-Domain Inter-Item Associations

PubMed Central

Park, Heekyeong; Rugg, Michael D.

2012-01-01

The neural correlates of the encoding of associations between pairs of words, pairs of pictures, and word-picture pairs were compared. The aims were to determine first, whether the neural correlates of associative encoding vary according to study material and second, whether encoding of across- versus within-material item pairs is associated with dissociable patterns of hippocampal and perirhinal activity, as predicted by the ‘domain dichotomy’ hypothesis of medial temporal lobe (MTL) function. While undergoing fMRI scanning, subjects (n = 24) were presented with the three classes of study pairs, judging which of the denoted objects fit into the other. Outside of the scanner, subjects then undertook an associative recognition task, discriminating between intact study pairs, rearranged pairs comprising items that had been presented on different study trials, and unstudied item pairs. The neural correlates of successful associative encoding – subsequent associative memory effects – were operationalized as the difference in activity between study pairs correctly judged intact versus pairs incorrectly judged rearranged on the subsequent memory test. Pair type-independent subsequent memory effects were evident in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the hippocampus. Picture-picture pairs elicited material-selective effects in regions of fusiform cortex that were also activated to a greater extent on picture trials than word trials, while word-word pairs elicited material-selective subsequent memory effects in left lateral temporal cortex. Contrary to the domain-dichotomy hypothesis, neither hippocampal nor perirhinal subsequent memory effects differed depending on whether they were elicited by within- versus across-material study pairs. It is proposed that the left IFG plays a domain-general role in associative encoding, that associative encoding can also be facilitated by enhanced processing in material-selective cortical regions, and that the hippocampus and perirhinal cortex contribute equally to the formation of inter-item associations regardless of whether the items belong to the same or to different processing domains. PMID:21254802

Electromagnetic surveys to detect clay-rich sediment in the Rio Grande inner valley, Albuquerque area, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bartolino, James R.; Sterling, Joseph M.

2000-01-01

Information on the presence of clay-rich layers in the inner-valley alluvium is essential for quantifying the amount of water transmitted between the Rio Grande and the Santa Fe Group aquifer system. This report describes a study that used electromagnetic surveys to provide this information. In the first phase of the study, electromagnetic soundings were made using time-domain and frequency-domain electro- magnetic methods. On the basis of these initial results, the time- domain method was judged ineffective because of cultural noise in the study area, so subsequent surveys were made using the frequency-domain method. For the second phase of the study, 31 frequency-domain electromagnetic surveys were conducted along the inner valley and parallel to the Rio Grande in the Albuquerque area in the spring and summer of 1997 to determine the presence of hydrologically significant clay-rich layers buried in the inner-valley alluvium. For this report, the 31 survey sections were combined into 10 composite sections for ease of interpretation. Terrain-conductivity data from the surveys were modeled using interpretation software to produce geoelectric cross sections along the survey lines. This modeling used lithologic logs from two wells installed near the survey lines: the Bosque South and Rio Bravo 5 wells. Because of cultural interference, location of the wells and soundings, complex stratigraphy, and difficulty interpreting lithology, such interpretation was inconclusive. Instead, a decision process based on modeling results was developed using vertical and horizontal dipole 40-meter intercoil spacing terrain-conductivity values. Values larger than or equal to 20 millisiemens per meter were interpreted to contain a hydrologically significant thickness of clay-rich sediment. Thus, clay-rich sediment was interpreted to underlie seven segments of the 10 composited survey lines, totaling at least 2,660 meters of the Rio Grande inner valley. The longest of these clay-rich segments is a 940-meter reach between Bridge and Rio Bravo Boulevards.

New Insights on the Mechanism of the K+-Independent Activity of Crenarchaeota Pyruvate Kinases

PubMed Central

De la Vega-Ruíz, Gustavo; Domínguez-Ramírez, Lenin; Riveros-Rosas, Héctor; Guerrero-Mendiola, Carlos; Torres-Larios, Alfredo; Hernández-Alcántara, Gloria; García-Trejo, José J.; Ramírez-Silva, Leticia

2015-01-01

Eukarya pyruvate kinases have glutamate at position 117 (numbered according to the rabbit muscle enzyme), whereas in Bacteria have either glutamate or lysine and in Archaea have other residues. Glutamate at this position makes pyruvate kinases K+-dependent, whereas lysine confers K+-independence because the positively charged residue substitutes for the monovalent cation charge. Interestingly, pyruvate kinases from two characterized Crenarchaeota exhibit K+-independent activity, despite having serine at the equivalent position. To better understand pyruvate kinase catalytic activity in the absence of K+ or an internal positive charge, the Thermofilum pendens pyruvate kinase (valine at the equivalent position) was characterized. The enzyme activity was K+-independent. The kinetic mechanism was random order with a rapid equilibrium, which is equal to the mechanism of the rabbit muscle enzyme in the presence of K+ or the mutant E117K in the absence of K+. Thus, the substrate binding order of the T. pendens enzyme was independent despite lacking an internal positive charge. Thermal stability studies of this enzyme showed two calorimetric transitions, one attributable to the A and C domains (Tm of 99.2°C), and the other (Tm of 105.2°C) associated with the B domain. In contrast, the rabbit muscle enzyme exhibits a single calorimetric transition (Tm of 65.2°C). The calorimetric and kinetic data indicate that the B domain of this hyperthermophilic enzyme is more stable than the rest of the protein with a conformation that induces the catalytic readiness of the enzyme. B domain interactions of pyruvate kinases that have been determined in Pyrobaculum aerophilum and modeled in T. pendens were compared with those of the rabbit muscle enzyme. The results show that intra- and interdomain interactions of the Crenarchaeota enzymes may account for their higher B domain stability. Thus the structural arrangement of the T. pendens pyruvate kinase could allow charge-independent catalysis. PMID:25811853

Score distribution of the scoliosis research society-22 questionnaire in subgroups of patients of all ages with idiopathic scoliosis.

PubMed

Parent, Eric C; Dang, Rohan; Hill, Doug; Mahood, Jim; Moreau, Marc; Raso, Jim; Lou, Edmond

2010-03-01

Cross-sectional measurement study. To analyze the score distribution of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-22 questionnaire domains and items for patients with idiopathic scoliosis (IS) of all ages. Scoliosis-related quality-of-life questionnaires have demonstrated high ceiling effects in younger patients. However, the score distribution has not been examined thoroughly in other clinically relevant IS subgroups. The SRS-22 was completed by 173 females with IS. The proportions of ceiling effects, floor effects, of patients scoring greater than or equal to 4 out of 5 and the box plots of the score distribution for each domain and item were compared between subgroups. Subgroups were formed based on age (k = 4), management (k = 6), curve severity (k = 3), and curve type (k = 4). Domain ceiling effects varied between 0% and 23.1%. Domain floor effects were observed only for Self-image (<7%) and Satisfaction (<12%). Only Pain and Satisfaction showed moderate (>20%) ceiling effects. Ceiling effects for Pain and Mental Health decreased with increasing age (P < 0.05). Pain ceiling effects decreased and Satisfaction ceiling effects increased from least to most invasive management (P < 0.05), but no differences were found among Cobb severity or curve types subgroups. Of the 22 items, 9 had major (>or=50%) ceiling effects and 11 had moderate ceiling effects. Most subgroups (14/16) had 4 to 6 items with major ceiling effects. The following items had major ceiling effects in the majority of subgroups: Function, 9 and 15; Pain, 11 and 17; and Self-image, 14. Most SRS-22 domains had acceptable levels of ceiling effects (<20%) in the majority of the subgroups examined. However, more sensitive measurements may be needed to supplement the SRS-22 in assessing Pain in patients below 18 years or Satisfaction after surgery.

Framing effects in choices between multioutcome life-expectancy lotteries.

PubMed

Bernstein, L M; Chapman, G B; Elstein, A S

1999-01-01

To explore framing or editing effects and a method to debias framing in a clinical context. Clinical scenarios using multioutcome life-expectancy lotteries of equal value required choices between two supplementary drugs that either prolonged or shortened life from the 20-year beneficial effect of a baseline drug. The effects of these supplementary drugs were presented in two conditions, using a between-subjects design. In segregated editing (n = 116) the effects were presented separately from the effects of the baseline drug. In integrated editing (n = 100), effects of supplementary and baseline drugs were combined in the lottery presentation. Each subject responded to 30 problems. To explore one method of debiasing, another 100 subjects made choices after viewing both segregated and integrated editings of 20 problems (dual framing). Statistically significant preference reversals between segregated and integrated editing of pure lotteries occurred only when one framing placed outcomes in the gain domain, and the other framing placed them in the loss domain. When both editings resulted in gain-domain outcomes only, there was no framing effect. There was a related relationship of framing-effect shifts from losses to gains in mixed-lottery-choice problems. Responses to the dual framing condition did not consistently coincide with responses to either single framing. In some situations, dual framing eliminated or lessened framing effects. The results support two components of prospect theory, coding outcomes as gains or losses from a reference point, and an s-shaped utility function (concave in gain, convex in loss domains). Presenting both alternative editings of a complex situation prior to choice more fully informs the decision maker and may help to reduce framing effects. Given the extent to which preferences shift in response to alternative presentations, it is unclear which choice represents the subject's "true preferences."

Design optimization of space structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Felippa, Carlos

1991-01-01

The topology-shape-size optimization of space structures is investigated through Kikuchi's homogenization method. The method starts from a 'design domain block,' which is a region of space into which the structure is to materialize. This domain is initially filled with a finite element mesh, typically regular. Force and displacement boundary conditions corresponding to applied loads and supports are applied at specific points in the domain. An optimal structure is to be 'carved out' of the design under two conditions: (1) a cost function is to be minimized, and (2) equality or inequality constraints are to be satisfied. The 'carving' process is accomplished by letting microstructure holes develop and grow in elements during the optimization process. These holes have a rectangular shape in two dimensions and a cubical shape in three dimensions, and may also rotate with respect to the reference axes. The properties of the perforated element are obtained through an homogenization procedure. Once a hole reaches the volume of the element, that element effectively disappears. The project has two phases. In the first phase the method was implemented as the combination of two computer programs: a finite element module, and an optimization driver. In the second part, focus is on the application of this technique to planetary structures. The finite element part of the method was programmed for the two-dimensional case using four-node quadrilateral elements to cover the design domain. An element homogenization technique different from that of Kikuchi and coworkers was implemented. The optimization driver is based on an augmented Lagrangian optimizer, with the volume constraint treated as a Courant penalty function. The optimizer has to be especially tuned to this type of optimization because the number of design variables can reach into the thousands. The driver is presently under development.

Working at the nexus between public health policy, practice and research. Dynamics of knowledge sharing in the Netherlands

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Joining the domains of practice, research and policy is an important aspect of boosting the quality performance required to tackle complex public health problems. “Joining domains” implies a departure from the linear and technocratic knowledge-translation approach. Integrating the practice, research and policy triangle means knowing its elements, appreciating the barriers, identifying possible cooperation strategies and studying strategy effectiveness under specified conditions. This article examines the dynamic process of developing an Academic Collaborative Centre for Public Health in the Netherlands, with the objective of achieving that the three domains of policy, practice and research become working partners on an equal footing. Method An interpretative hermeneutic approach was used to interpret the phenomenon of collaboration at the nexus between the three domains. The project was explicitly grounded in current organizational culture and routines, applied to nexus action. In the process of examination, we used both quantitative (e.g. records) and qualitative data (e.g., interviews and observations). The data were interpreted using the Actor-Network, Institutional Re-Design and Blurring the Boundaries theories. Results Results show commitment at strategic level. At the tactical level, however, managers were inclined to prioritize daily routine, while the policy domain remained absent. At the operational level, practitioners learned to do PhD research in real-life practice and researchers became acquainted with problems of practice and policy, resulting in new research initiatives. Conclusion We conclude that working at the nexus is an ongoing process of formation and reformation. Strategies based on Institutional Re-Design theories in particular might help to more actively stimulate managers’ involvement to establish mutually supportive networks. PMID:23075375

Steady RANS methodology for calculating pressure drop in an in-line molten salt compact crossflow heat exchanger

DOE PAGES

Carasik, Lane B.; Shaver, Dillon R.; Haefner, Jonah B.; ...

2017-08-21

We report the development of molten salt cooled reactors (MSR) and fluoride-salt cooled high temperature reactors (FHR) requires the use of advanced design tools for the primary heat exchanger design. Due to geometric and flow characteristics, compact (pitch to diameter ratios equal to or less than 1.25) heat exchangers with a crossflow flow arrangement can become desirable for these reactors. Unfortunately, the available experimental data is limited for compact tube bundles or banks in crossflow. Computational Fluid Dynamics can be used to alleviate the lack of experimental data in these tube banks. Previous computational efforts have been primarily focused onmore » large S/D ratios (larger than 1.4) using unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes and Large Eddy Simulation frameworks. These approaches are useful, but have large computational requirements that make comprehensive design studies impractical. A CFD study was conducted with steady RANS in an effort to provide a starting point for future design work. The study was performed for an in-line tube bank geometry with FLiBe (LiF-BeF2), a frequently selected molten salt, as the working fluid. Based on the estimated pressure drops, the pressure and velocity distributions in the domain, an appropriate meshing strategy was determined and presented. Periodic boundaries in the spanwise direction transverse flow were determined to be an appropriate boundary condition for reduced computational domains. The domain size was investigated and a minimum of 2-flow channels for a domain is recommended to ensure the behavior is accounted for. Finally, the standard low Re κ-ε (Lien) turbulence model was determined to be the most appropriate for steady RANS of this case at the time of writing.« less

Steady RANS methodology for calculating pressure drop in an in-line molten salt compact crossflow heat exchanger

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

Carasik, Lane B.; Shaver, Dillon R.; Haefner, Jonah B.

We report the development of molten salt cooled reactors (MSR) and fluoride-salt cooled high temperature reactors (FHR) requires the use of advanced design tools for the primary heat exchanger design. Due to geometric and flow characteristics, compact (pitch to diameter ratios equal to or less than 1.25) heat exchangers with a crossflow flow arrangement can become desirable for these reactors. Unfortunately, the available experimental data is limited for compact tube bundles or banks in crossflow. Computational Fluid Dynamics can be used to alleviate the lack of experimental data in these tube banks. Previous computational efforts have been primarily focused onmore » large S/D ratios (larger than 1.4) using unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes and Large Eddy Simulation frameworks. These approaches are useful, but have large computational requirements that make comprehensive design studies impractical. A CFD study was conducted with steady RANS in an effort to provide a starting point for future design work. The study was performed for an in-line tube bank geometry with FLiBe (LiF-BeF2), a frequently selected molten salt, as the working fluid. Based on the estimated pressure drops, the pressure and velocity distributions in the domain, an appropriate meshing strategy was determined and presented. Periodic boundaries in the spanwise direction transverse flow were determined to be an appropriate boundary condition for reduced computational domains. The domain size was investigated and a minimum of 2-flow channels for a domain is recommended to ensure the behavior is accounted for. Finally, the standard low Re κ-ε (Lien) turbulence model was determined to be the most appropriate for steady RANS of this case at the time of writing.« less

Sex-based differences in neurocognitive functioning in HIV-infected young adults.

PubMed

Burlacu, Ruxandra; Umlauf, Anya; Luca, Anca; Gianella, Sara; Radoi, Roxana; Ruta, Simona M; Marcotte, Thomas D; Ene, Luminita; Achim, Cristian L

2018-01-14

Sex differences in cognition of HIV positive (HIV) patients are controversial. We aimed to investigate the relationship between cognition, HIV status, and sex, in a highly homogenous cohort of young Romanians parenterally infected during early childhood. In total, 250 HIV participants were compared with age-matched HIV negative (HIV) controls (n = 72) in a cross-sectional study. After standardized neurocognitive, psychological testing and medical evaluation, linear regression was used to assess the effect of sex and HIV on neurocognitive outcomes. Study participants were on average 23 years old with balanced sex distribution (% women = 52% vs. 43%). HIV were more educated (12.7 vs. 11.6 years, P = 0.002).HIV status was associated with a lower global performance (β = -0.22, P < 0.001), after controlling for age and education. HIV women had better previous and current HIV-associated markers. The effect of HIV on global cognition did not differ between sexes in most cognitive domains (β = 0.07, P = 0.14). An interaction between sex, HIV status, and cognitive functioning was found in the psychomotor domain. HIV women had worse motor skills than HIV women (β = -0.32, P < 0.001) suggesting a specific effect of HIV on motor functioning in women only. Moreover, current CD4 less than 200 cells/μl (P = 0.013) and longer time lived with CD4 less than 200 cells/μl (P = 0.023) were negatively correlated with the motor scaled score in women (β = -0.22, P = 0.034). Despite less advanced disease in women, long-term HIV infection has an equally detrimental effect on cognitive performances of both sexes, in all cognitive domains, except the psychomotor domain where women are preferentially affected.

Evaluation of time domain and spectral domain optical coherence tomography in the measurement of diabetic macular edema.

PubMed

Forooghian, Farzin; Cukras, Catherine; Meyerle, Catherine B; Chew, Emily Y; Wong, Wai T

2008-10-01

To evaluate macular thickness and volume measurements and their intrasession repeatability in two optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems: the Stratus OCT, a time domain system, and the Cirrus HD-OCT, a spectral domain system (both by Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin, CA), in the context of diabetic macular edema (DME). Thirty-three eyes of 33 diabetic patients with clinically significant macular edema (CSME) were scanned in a single session by a single operator on both OCT systems. Macular thickness measurements of nine standard macular subfields and total macular volume were obtained and analyzed. Bland-Altman plots were constructed to assess agreement in macular measurements. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), coefficients of repeatability (CR(W)), and coefficients of variation (CV(W)) were used to assess intrasession repeatability. Macular thickness in nine retinal subfields and macular volume were significantly higher in the Cirrus HD-OCT system compared with the Stratus OCT system. Subfield thickness and total volume measurements, respectively, were 30 to 55 microm and 3.2 mm(3) greater for the Cirrus HD-OCT system compared with the Stratus OCT system. Both Stratus OCT and Cirrus HD-OCT systems demonstrated high intrasession repeatability, with overlapping ranges for CR(W), CV(W), and ICC. Repeatability measures (CR(W) and CV(W)) differed significantly between systems in only one of nine subfields (outer temporal subfield). Absolute measures of macular thickness and volume in patients with DME differed significantly in magnitude between the Stratus OCT and Cirrus HD-OCT systems. However, both OCT systems demonstrated high intrasessional repeatability. Although the two systems may not be used interchangeably, they appear equally reliable in generating macular measurements for clinical practice and research.

Principle of minimal work fluctuations.

PubMed

Xiao, Gaoyang; Gong, Jiangbin

2015-08-01

Understanding and manipulating work fluctuations in microscale and nanoscale systems are of both fundamental and practical interest. For example, in considering the Jarzynski equality 〈e-βW〉=e-βΔF, a change in the fluctuations of e-βW may impact how rapidly the statistical average of e-βW converges towards the theoretical value e-βΔF, where W is the work, β is the inverse temperature, and ΔF is the free energy difference between two equilibrium states. Motivated by our previous study aiming at the suppression of work fluctuations, here we obtain a principle of minimal work fluctuations. In brief, adiabatic processes as treated in quantum and classical adiabatic theorems yield the minimal fluctuations in e-βW. In the quantum domain, if a system initially prepared at thermal equilibrium is subjected to a work protocol but isolated from a bath during the time evolution, then a quantum adiabatic process without energy level crossing (or an assisted adiabatic process reaching the same final states as in a conventional adiabatic process) yields the minimal fluctuations in e-βW, where W is the quantum work defined by two energy measurements at the beginning and at the end of the process. In the classical domain where the classical work protocol is realizable by an adiabatic process, then the classical adiabatic process also yields the minimal fluctuations in e-βW. Numerical experiments based on a Landau-Zener process confirm our theory in the quantum domain, and our theory in the classical domain explains our previous numerical findings regarding the suppression of classical work fluctuations [G. Y. Xiao and J. B. Gong, Phys. Rev. E 90, 052132 (2014)].

The knowledge translation status in selected Eastern-Mediterranean universities and research institutes.

PubMed

Maleki, Katayoun; Hamadeh, Randah R; Gholami, Jaleh; Mandil, Ahmed; Hamid, Saima; Butt, Zahid Ahmad; Bin Saeed, Abdulaziz; El Kheir, Dalia Y M; Saleem, Mohammed; Maqsoud, Sahar; Safi, Najibullah; Abdul-Majeed, Ban A; Majdzadeh, Reza

2014-01-01

A serious worldwide effort to strengthen research based knowledge translation (KT) has begun in recent years and some countries, particularly developed ones, are trying to incorporate KT in their health and health research systems. Keeping in mind the recent economic depression and the need to perform more efficient research, we aimed to assess and compare the KT status of selected health research institutes in the Eastern Mediterranean Regions' countries, and to identify their strengths and weaknesses in the field. After finding the focal points that would steer the focus group discussions (FGDs) and help complete the 'Self Assessment Tool for Research Institutes' (SATORI) tool, each focal point held two FGDs in which researchers, research authorities and other individuals specified in detail further in the study were held. The scores obtained by each institute were evaluated quantitatively, and the transcriptions were analyzed qualitatively with OpenCode software. For ease of analysis the 50 items of the SATORI were classified into 7 main domains: 'priority setting', 'research quality and timeliness', 'researchers' KT capacities', 'facilities and pre-requisites of KT', 'processes and regulations supporting KT', 'interaction with research users', and 'promoting and evaluating the use of knowledge'. Based on the scoring system, the strongest domain was 'research quality and timeliness'. 'Priority setting' was the weakest domain of all. The remaining domains were more or less equal in strength and were not in a favorable state. The qualitative findings confirmed the quantitative findings. The main problem, it seems, is that a KT climate does not exist in the region. And despite the difference in the contexts, there are many similarities in the region's institutes included in this study. Collaborative efforts can play a role in creating this climate by steering countries towards KT and suggesting regional strategic directions according to their needs.

Clients' experiences of treatment and recovery in borderline personality disorder: A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.

PubMed

Katsakou, Christina; Pistrang, Nancy

2017-01-31

This review synthesized findings from qualitative studies exploring clients' experiences of their treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD) and their perceptions of recovery. Fourteen studies were identified through searches in three electronic databases. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme was used to appraise the methodological quality of the studies. Thematic analysis was used to synthesize the findings. The meta-synthesis identified 10 themes, grouped into 3 domains. The first domain, "Areas of change," suggests that clients make changes in four main areas: developing self-acceptance and self-confidence; controlling difficult thoughts and emotions; practising new ways of relating to others; and implementing practical changes and developing hope. The second domain, "Helpful and unhelpful treatment characteristics," highlights treatment elements that either supported or hindered recovery: safety and containment; being cared for and respected; not being an equal partner in treatment; and focusing on change. The third domain, "The nature of change," refers to clients' experience of change as an open-ended journey and a series of achievements and setbacks. The meta-synthesis highlights areas of change experienced by individuals receiving treatment for BPD, and treatment characteristics that they value. However, further research is needed to better understand how these changes are achieved. Clinical or methodological significance summary: The present qualitative meta-synthesis brings together findings from 14 qualitative studies. The emerging themes point to areas of improvement in psychological functioning that people struggling with BPD issues have identified as both important and achievable. They also highlight treatment characteristics that might facilitate change in these areas. Treatments emphasizing these characteristics, namely striking a balance between creating a safe, caring space, and actively promoting change, may increase clients' motivation and engagement with services and facilitate recovery.

AlphaII-spectrin interacts with Tes and EVL, two actin-binding proteins located at cell contacts.

PubMed

Rotter, Björn; Bournier, Odile; Nicolas, Gael; Dhermy, Didier; Lecomte, Marie-Christine

2005-06-01

The spectrin-based membrane skeleton, a multi-protein scaffold attached to diverse cellular membranes, is presumed to be involved in the stabilization of membranes, the establishment of membrane domains as well as in vesicle trafficking and nuclear functions. Spectrin tetramers made of alpha- and beta-subunits are linked to actin microfilaments, forming a network that binds a multitude of proteins. The most prevalent alpha-spectrin subunit in non-erythroid cells, alphaII-spectrin, contains two particular spectrin repeats in its central region, alpha9 and alpha10, which host an Src homology 3 domain, a tissue-specific spliced sequence of 20 residues, a calmodulin-binding site and major cleavage sites for caspases and calpains. Using yeast two-hybrid screening of kidney libraries, we identified two partners of the alpha9-alpha10 repeats: the potential tumour suppressor Tes, an actin-binding protein mainly located at focal adhesions; and EVL (Ena/vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein-like protein), another actin-binding protein, equally recruited at focal adhesions. Interactions between spectrin and overexpressed Tes and EVL were confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. In vitro studies showed that the interaction between Tes and spectrin is mediated by a LIM (Lin-11, Isl-1 and Mec3) domain of Tes and by the alpha10 repeat of alphaII-spectrin whereas EVL interacts with the Src homology 3 domain located within the alpha9 repeat. Moreover, we describe an in vitro interaction between Tes and EVL, and a co-localization of these two proteins at focal adhesions. These interactions between alphaII-spectrin, Tes and EVL indicate new functions for spectrin in actin dynamics and focal adhesions.

Performance evaluation of MPEG internet video coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Jiajia; Wang, Ronggang; Fan, Kui; Wang, Zhenyu; Li, Ge; Wang, Wenmin

2016-09-01

Internet Video Coding (IVC) has been developed in MPEG by combining well-known existing technology elements and new coding tools with royalty-free declarations. In June 2015, IVC project was approved as ISO/IEC 14496-33 (MPEG- 4 Internet Video Coding). It is believed that this standard can be highly beneficial for video services in the Internet domain. This paper evaluates the objective and subjective performances of IVC by comparing it against Web Video Coding (WVC), Video Coding for Browsers (VCB) and AVC High Profile. Experimental results show that IVC's compression performance is approximately equal to that of the AVC High Profile for typical operational settings, both for streaming and low-delay applications, and is better than WVC and VCB.

Pervasive and largely lineage-specific adaptive protein evolution in the dosage compensation complex of Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Levine, Mia T; Holloway, Alisha K; Arshad, Umbreen; Begun, David J

2007-11-01

Dosage compensation refers to the equalization of X-linked gene transcription among heterogametic and homogametic sexes. In Drosophila, the dosage compensation complex (DCC) mediates the twofold hypertranscription of the single male X chromosome. Loss-of-function mutations at any DCC protein-coding gene are male lethal. Here we report a population genetic analysis suggesting that four of the five core DCC proteins--MSL1, MSL2, MSL3, and MOF--are evolving under positive selection in D. melanogaster. Within these four proteins, several domains that range in function from X chromosome localization to protein-protein interactions have elevated, D. melanogaster-specific, amino acid divergence.

Beam-splitter switches based on zenithal bistable liquid-crystal gratings.

PubMed

Zografopoulos, Dimitrios C; Beccherelli, Romeo; Kriezis, Emmanouil E

2014-10-01

The tunable optical diffractive properties of zenithal bistable nematic liquid-crystal gratings are theoretically investigated. The liquid-crystal orientation is rigorously solved via a tensorial formulation of the Landau-de Gennes theory and the optical transmission properties of the gratings are investigated via full-wave finite-element frequency-domain simulations. It is demonstrated that by proper design the two stable states of the grating can provide nondiffracting and diffracting operation, the latter with equal power splitting among different diffraction orders. An electro-optic switching mechanism, based on dual-frequency nematic materials, and its temporal dynamics are further discussed. Such gratings provide a solution towards tunable beam-steering and beam-splitting components with extremely low power consumption.

On the coplanar eccentric non-restricted co-orbital dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leleu, A.; Robutel, P.; Correia, A. C. M.

2018-03-01

We study the phase space of eccentric coplanar co-orbitals in the non-restricted case. Departing from the quasi-circular case, we describe the evolution of the phase space as the eccentricities increase. We find that over a given value of the eccentricity, around 0.5 for equal mass co-orbitals, important topological changes occur in the phase space. These changes lead to the emergence of new co-orbital configurations and open a continuous path between the previously distinct trojan domains near the L_4 and L_5 eccentric Lagrangian equilibria. These topological changes are shown to be linked with the reconnection of families of quasi-periodic orbits of non-maximal dimension.

[Care and anthropology: a thinking process].

PubMed

Rohrbach Viadas, Cécilia

2007-09-01

Caring for human beings, calls for relating unity and diversity in order to respect the equality of cultures and to recognize their cultural differences. Cultural difference is, however, privileged by recent publications within the culture caring domain, based on cultural relativism and disregarding the unity of humanity, transcultu-ral nursing theory is the case. For this reason, some historical elements related to the two original anthropological theories are included in this text to understand the philosophical and ethical implications of transcultural nursing theory. The objective of this article is to analyse six recent publications within the caring and anthropology field, through a reflexive method identifying two different caring traditions and demonstrating their philosophical and ethical reach for caring practice.

Cascading failures in interdependent networks with finite functional components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Muro, M. A.; Buldyrev, S. V.; Stanley, H. E.; Braunstein, L. A.

2016-10-01

We present a cascading failure model of two interdependent networks in which functional nodes belong to components of size greater than or equal to s . We find theoretically and via simulation that in complex networks with random dependency links the transition is first order for s ≥3 and continuous for s =2 . We also study interdependent lattices with a distance constraint r in the dependency links and find that increasing r moves the system from a regime without a phase transition to one with a second-order transition. As r continues to increase, the system collapses in a first-order transition. Each regime is associated with a different structure of domain formation of functional nodes.

A Novel Range Compression Algorithm for Resolution Enhancement in GNSS-SARs.

PubMed

Zheng, Yu; Yang, Yang; Chen, Wu

2017-06-25

In this paper, a novel range compression algorithm for enhancing range resolutions of a passive Global Navigation Satellite System-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (GNSS-SAR) is proposed. In the proposed algorithm, within each azimuth bin, firstly range compression is carried out by correlating a reflected GNSS intermediate frequency (IF) signal with a synchronized direct GNSS base-band signal in the range domain. Thereafter, spectrum equalization is applied to the compressed results for suppressing side lobes to obtain a final range-compressed signal. Both theoretical analysis and simulation results have demonstrated that significant range resolution improvement in GNSS-SAR images can be achieved by the proposed range compression algorithm, compared to the conventional range compression algorithm.

Itinerant ferromagnetism in ultracold Fermi gases

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

Heiselberg, H.

2011-05-15

Itinerant ferromagnetism in cold Fermi gases with repulsive interactions is studied applying the Jastrow-Slater approximation generalized to finite polarization and temperature. For two components at zero temperature, a second-order transition is found at ak{sub F}{approx_equal}0.90 compatible with results of quantum-Monte-Carlo (QMC) calculations. Thermodynamic functions and observables, such as the compressibility and spin susceptibility and the resulting fluctuations in number and spin, are calculated. For trapped gases, the resulting cloud radii and kinetic energies are calculated and compared to recent experiments. Spin-polarized systems are recommended for effective separation of large ferromagnetic domains. Collective modes are predicted and tricritical points are calculatedmore » for multicomponent systems.« less

Assessing aspects of creativity in deaf and hearing high school students.

PubMed

Stanzione, Christopher M; Perez, Susan M; Lederberg, Amy R

2013-04-01

To address the paucity of current research on the development of creativity in deaf students, and to extend existing research to adolescents, the present study investigated divergent thinking, a method of assessing creativity, in both deaf and hearing adolescents. We assessed divergent thinking in two domains, figural and verbal, while also adjusting the instructional method in written format, sign language, or spoken English. Deaf students' performance was equal to, or more creative than, hearing students on the figural assessment of divergent thinking, but less creative on the verbal assessment. Additional studies should be conducted to determine whether this was an anomalous finding or one that might contribute to hypotheses yielding effective interventions.

Light intensification effect of trailing indent crack in fused silica subsurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, ChunLai; Xu, Ming; Wang, ChunDong

2015-03-01

A finite-difference time-domain algorithm was applied to solve Maxwell's equations to obtain the redistribution of an electromagnetic plane wave in the vicinity of a trailing indent crack (TIC). The roles of five geometrical parameters playing in light intensification were calculated numerically under the irradiation of a 355-nm normal incidence laser. The results show that the light intensity enhancements between the nearest neighbor pits were remarkable, which may lead to damage. The calculated results reveal that the light intensity enhancement factor ( LIEF) can be up to 11.2 when TIC is on the rear-surface. With the increase of the length as well as the depth of pits, LIEF increased. Conversely, with the increase of the axis of pits, LIEF gradually declined to a stable status. It was observed that there exists an optima width or gap, which enables LIEF to be increased dramatically and then decreased gently. By comparison, results suggest that the worst cases occur when the depth and the length are both very large, especially if the width equals to 2 l and the gap equals the width. This work provides a recommended theoretical criterion for defect inspection and classification.

Organizational climate with gender equity and burnout among university academics in Japan.

PubMed

Taka, Fumiaki; Nomura, Kyoko; Horie, Saki; Takemoto, Keisuke; Takeuchi, Masumi; Takenoshita, Shinichi; Murakami, Aya; Hiraike, Haruko; Okinaga, Hiroko; Smith, Derek R

2016-12-07

We investigated relationships between the perception of organizational climate with gender equity and psychological health among 94 women and 211 men in a Japanese private university in 2015 using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (i.e., personal, work-related and student-related burnout). Perceptions of organizational climate with respect to gender equity were measured with two scales including organizational engagement with a gender equal society in the workplace (consisting of three domains of 'Women utilization', 'Organizational promotion of gender equal society' and 'Consultation service'); and a gender inequality in academia scale that had been previously developed. Multivariable linear models demonstrated significant statistical interactions between gender and perceptions of organizational climate; 'Women utilization' or lack of 'Inequality in academia' alleviated burnout only in women. In consequence of this gender difference, when 'Women utilization' was at a lower level, both personal (p=.038) and work-related (p=.010) burnout scores were higher in women, and the student-related burnout score was lower in women when they perceived less inequality in academia than in men (p=.030). As such, it is suggested organizational fairness for gender equity may be a useful tool to help mitigate psychological burnout among women in academia.

Thermal Stress Analysis of a Continuous and Pulsed End-Pumped Nd:YAG Rod Crystal Using Non-Classic Conduction Heat Transfer Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mojahedi, Mahdi; Shekoohinejad, Hamidreza

2018-02-01

In this paper, temperature distribution in the continuous and pulsed end-pumped Nd:YAG rod crystal is determined using nonclassical and classical heat conduction theories. In order to find the temperature distribution in crystal, heat transfer differential equations of crystal with consideration of boundary conditions are derived based on non-Fourier's model and temperature distribution of the crystal is achieved by an analytical method. Then, by transferring non-Fourier differential equations to matrix equations, using finite element method, temperature and stress of every point of crystal are calculated in the time domain. According to the results, a comparison between classical and nonclassical theories is represented to investigate rupture power values. In continuous end pumping with equal input powers, non-Fourier theory predicts greater temperature and stress compared to Fourier theory. It also shows that with an increase in relaxation time, crystal rupture power decreases. Despite of these results, in single rectangular pulsed end-pumping condition, with an equal input power, Fourier theory indicates higher temperature and stress rather than non-Fourier theory. It is also observed that, when the relaxation time increases, maximum amounts of temperature and stress decrease.

Extinction and survival in two-species annihilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amar, J. G.; Ben-Naim, E.; Davis, S. M.; Krapivsky, P. L.

2018-02-01

We study diffusion-controlled two-species annihilation with a finite number of particles. In this stochastic process, particles move diffusively, and when two particles of opposite type come into contact, the two annihilate. We focus on the behavior in three spatial dimensions and for initial conditions where particles are confined to a compact domain. Generally, one species outnumbers the other, and we find that the difference between the number of majority and minority species, which is a conserved quantity, controls the behavior. When the number difference exceeds a critical value, the minority becomes extinct and a finite number of majority particles survive, while below this critical difference, a finite number of particles of both species survive. The critical difference Δc grows algebraically with the total initial number of particles N , and when N ≫1 , the critical difference scales as Δc˜N1 /3 . Furthermore, when the initial concentrations of the two species are equal, the average number of surviving majority and minority particles, M+ and M-, exhibit two distinct scaling behaviors, M+˜N1 /2 and M-˜N1 /6 . In contrast, when the initial populations are equal, these two quantities are comparable M+˜M-˜N1 /3 .

Linear scaling computation of the Fock matrix. VI. Data parallel computation of the exchange-correlation matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gan, Chee Kwan; Challacombe, Matt

2003-05-01

Recently, early onset linear scaling computation of the exchange-correlation matrix has been achieved using hierarchical cubature [J. Chem. Phys. 113, 10037 (2000)]. Hierarchical cubature differs from other methods in that the integration grid is adaptive and purely Cartesian, which allows for a straightforward domain decomposition in parallel computations; the volume enclosing the entire grid may be simply divided into a number of nonoverlapping boxes. In our data parallel approach, each box requires only a fraction of the total density to perform the necessary numerical integrations due to the finite extent of Gaussian-orbital basis sets. This inherent data locality may be exploited to reduce communications between processors as well as to avoid memory and copy overheads associated with data replication. Although the hierarchical cubature grid is Cartesian, naive boxing leads to irregular work loads due to strong spatial variations of the grid and the electron density. In this paper we describe equal time partitioning, which employs time measurement of the smallest sub-volumes (corresponding to the primitive cubature rule) to load balance grid-work for the next self-consistent-field iteration. After start-up from a heuristic center of mass partitioning, equal time partitioning exploits smooth variation of the density and grid between iterations to achieve load balance. With the 3-21G basis set and a medium quality grid, equal time partitioning applied to taxol (62 heavy atoms) attained a speedup of 61 out of 64 processors, while for a 110 molecule water cluster at standard density it achieved a speedup of 113 out of 128. The efficiency of equal time partitioning applied to hierarchical cubature improves as the grid work per processor increases. With a fine grid and the 6-311G(df,p) basis set, calculations on the 26 atom molecule α-pinene achieved a parallel efficiency better than 99% with 64 processors. For more coarse grained calculations, superlinear speedups are found to result from reduced computational complexity associated with data parallelism.

Countries with Higher Levels of Gender Equality Show Larger National Sex Differences in Mathematics Anxiety and Relatively Lower Parental Mathematics Valuation for Girls

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Despite international advancements in gender equality across a variety of societal domains, the underrepresentation of girls and women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related fields persists. In this study, we explored the possibility that the sex difference in mathematics anxiety contributes to this disparity. More specifically, we tested a number of predictions from the prominent gender stratification model, which is the leading psychological theory of cross-national patterns of sex differences in mathematics anxiety and performance. To this end, we analyzed data from 761,655 15-year old students across 68 nations who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Most importantly and contra predictions, we showed that economically developed and more gender equal countries have a lower overall level of mathematics anxiety, and yet a larger national sex difference in mathematics anxiety relative to less developed countries. Further, although relatively more mothers work in STEM fields in more developed countries, these parents valued, on average, mathematical competence more in their sons than their daughters. The proportion of mothers working in STEM was unrelated to sex differences in mathematics anxiety or performance. We propose that the gender stratification model fails to account for these national patterns and that an alternative model is needed. In the discussion, we suggest how an interaction between socio-cultural values and sex-specific psychological traits can better explain these patterns. We also discuss implications for policies aiming to increase girls’ STEM participation. PMID:27100631

Countries with Higher Levels of Gender Equality Show Larger National Sex Differences in Mathematics Anxiety and Relatively Lower Parental Mathematics Valuation for Girls.

PubMed

Stoet, Gijsbert; Bailey, Drew H; Moore, Alex M; Geary, David C

2016-01-01

Despite international advancements in gender equality across a variety of societal domains, the underrepresentation of girls and women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related fields persists. In this study, we explored the possibility that the sex difference in mathematics anxiety contributes to this disparity. More specifically, we tested a number of predictions from the prominent gender stratification model, which is the leading psychological theory of cross-national patterns of sex differences in mathematics anxiety and performance. To this end, we analyzed data from 761,655 15-year old students across 68 nations who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Most importantly and contra predictions, we showed that economically developed and more gender equal countries have a lower overall level of mathematics anxiety, and yet a larger national sex difference in mathematics anxiety relative to less developed countries. Further, although relatively more mothers work in STEM fields in more developed countries, these parents valued, on average, mathematical competence more in their sons than their daughters. The proportion of mothers working in STEM was unrelated to sex differences in mathematics anxiety or performance. We propose that the gender stratification model fails to account for these national patterns and that an alternative model is needed. In the discussion, we suggest how an interaction between socio-cultural values and sex-specific psychological traits can better explain these patterns. We also discuss implications for policies aiming to increase girls' STEM participation.

Ultrasonic Resonance Spectroscopy of Composite Rings for Flywheel Rotors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harmon, Laura M.; Baaklini, George Y.

2001-01-01

Flywheel energy storage devices comprising multilayered composite rotor systems are being studied extensively for utilization in the International Space Station. These composite material systems were investigated with a recently developed ultrasonic resonance spectroscopy technique. The system employs a swept frequency approach and performs a fast Fourier transform on the frequency spectrum of the response signal. In addition. the system allows for equalization of the frequency spectrum, providing all frequencies with equal amounts of energy to excite higher order resonant harmonics. Interpretation of the second fast Fourier transform, along with equalization of the frequency spectrum, offers greater assurance in acquiring and analyzing the fundamental frequency, or spectrum resonance spacing. The range of frequencies swept in a pitch-catch mode was varied up to 8 MHz, depending on the material and geometry of the component. Single and multilayered material samples, with and without known defects, were evaluated to determine how the constituents of a composite material system affect the resonant frequency. Amplitude and frequency changes in the spectrum and spectrum resonance spacing domains were examined from ultrasonic responses of a flat composite coupon, thin composite rings, and thick composite rings. Also, the ultrasonic spectroscopy responses from areas with an intentional delamination and a foreign material insert, similar to defects that may occur during manufacturing malfunctions, were compared with those from defect-free areas in thin composite rings. A thick composite ring with varying thickness was tested to investigate the full-thickness resonant frequency and any possible bulk interfacial bond issues. Finally, the effect on the frequency response of naturally occurring single and clustered voids in a composite ring was established.

Pitch expertise is not created equal: Cross-domain effects of musicianship and tone language experience on neural and behavioural discrimination of speech and music.

PubMed

Hutka, Stefanie; Bidelman, Gavin M; Moreno, Sylvain

2015-05-01

Psychophysiological evidence supports a music-language association, such that experience in one domain can impact processing required in the other domain. We investigated the bidirectionality of this association by measuring event-related potentials (ERPs) in native English-speaking musicians, native tone language (Cantonese) nonmusicians, and native English-speaking nonmusician controls. We tested the degree to which pitch expertise stemming from musicianship or tone language experience similarly enhances the neural encoding of auditory information necessary for speech and music processing. Early cortical discriminatory processing for music and speech sounds was characterized using the mismatch negativity (MMN). Stimuli included 'large deviant' and 'small deviant' pairs of sounds that differed minimally in pitch (fundamental frequency, F0; contrastive musical tones) or timbre (first formant, F1; contrastive speech vowels). Behavioural F0 and F1 difference limen tasks probed listeners' perceptual acuity for these same acoustic features. Musicians and Cantonese speakers performed comparably in pitch discrimination; only musicians showed an additional advantage on timbre discrimination performance and an enhanced MMN responses to both music and speech. Cantonese language experience was not associated with enhancements on neural measures, despite enhanced behavioural pitch acuity. These data suggest that while both musicianship and tone language experience enhance some aspects of auditory acuity (behavioural pitch discrimination), musicianship confers farther-reaching enhancements to auditory function, tuning both pitch and timbre-related brain processes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Single-Molecule Unbinding Forces between the Polysaccharide Hyaluronan and Its Binding Proteins.

PubMed

Bano, Fouzia; Tammi, Markku I; Kang, David W; Harris, Edward N; Richter, Ralf P

2018-06-19

The extracellular polysaccharide hyaluronan (HA) is ubiquitous in all vertebrate tissues, where its various functions are encoded in the supramolecular complexes and matrices that it forms with HA-binding proteins (hyaladherins). In tissues, these supramolecular architectures are frequently subjected to mechanical stress, yet how this affects the intermolecular bonding is largely unknown. Here, we used a recently developed single-molecule force spectroscopy platform to analyze and compare the mechanical strength of bonds between HA and a panel of hyaladherins from the Link module superfamily, namely the complex of the proteoglycan aggrecan and cartilage link protein, the proteoglycan versican, the inflammation-associated protein TSG-6, the HA receptor for endocytosis (stabilin-2/HARE), and the HA receptor CD44. We find that the resistance to tensile stress for these hyaladherins correlates with the size of the HA-binding domain. The lowest mean rupture forces are observed for members of the type A subgroup (i.e., with the shortest HA-binding domains; TSG-6 and HARE). In contrast, the mechanical stability of the bond formed by aggrecan in complex with cartilage link protein (two members of the type C subgroup, i.e., with the longest HA-binding domains) and HA is equal or even superior to the high affinity streptavidin⋅biotin bond. Implications for the molecular mechanism of unbinding of HA⋅hyaladherin bonds under force are discussed, which underpin the mechanical properties of HA⋅hyaladherin complexes and HA-rich extracellular matrices. Copyright © 2018 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of complaints and singing style in singers voice handicap.

PubMed

Moreti, Felipe; Ávila, Maria Emília Barros de; Rocha, Clara; Borrego, Maria Cristina de Menezes; Oliveira, Gisele; Behlau, Mara

2012-01-01

The aim of this research was to verify whether the difference of singing styles and the presence of vocal complaints influence the perception of voice handicap of singers. One hundred eighteen singing voice handicap self-assessment protocols were selected: 17 popular singers with vocal complaints, 42 popular singers without complaints, 17 classic singers with complaints, and 42 classic singers without complaints. The groups were similar regarding age, gender and voice types. Both protocols used--Modern Singing Handicap Index (MSHI) and Classical Singing Handicap Index (CSHI)--have specific questions to their respective singing styles, and consist of 30 items equally divided into three subscales: disability (functional domain), handicap (emotional domain) and impairment (organic domain), answered according to the frequency of occurrence. Each subscale has a maximum of 40 points, and the total score is 120 points. The higher the score, the higher the singing voice handicap perceived. For statistical analysis, we used the ANOVA test, with 5% of significance. Classical and popular singers referred higher impairment, followed by disability and handicap. However, the degree of this perception varied according to the singing style and the presence of vocal complaints. The classical singers with vocal complaints showed higher voice handicap than popular singers with vocal complaints, while the classic singers without complaints reported lower handicap than popular singers without complaints. This evidences that classical singers have higher perception of their own voice, and that vocal disturbances in this group may cause greater voice handicap when compared to popular singers.

[Visualizing Research Lines in Public Health: An analysis Based on Bibliometric Maps Applied to the Revista Española de Salud Pública (2006-2015)].

PubMed

Gálvez, Carmen

2016-12-01

Identifying research lines is essential to understand the knowledge structure of a scientific domain. The aim of this study was to identify the main research topics of within the domain of public health, in the Revista Española de Saslud Pública during 2006-2015. Original articles included in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) database, available online through the Web of Science (WoS), were selected. The analysis units used were the keywords, KeyWords Plus (KW+), extracted automatically by SSCI. With KW+ obtained bibliometric, maps were created using a methodology based on the combination of co-word analysis, co-word analysis, clustering techniques and visualization techniques. We analyzed 512 documents, of which 176 KW+ were obtained with a frequency greater than or equal to 3. The results were bidimensional bibliometric maps with thematic groupings of KW+, representing the main research fronts: i) epidemiology, risk control programs disease and, in general, service organization and health policies; ii) infectious diseases, principally HIV; iii) a progressive increase in several lines interrelated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD); iv) a line multidimensional dedicated to different aspects associated to the quality of life related to health (HRQoL); and v) an emerging line linked to binge drinking. For the multidisciplinary and multidimensional nature of public health, the construction of bibliometric maps is an appropriate methodology to understand the knowledge structure of this scientific domain.

Child abuse and the balance of power in parental relationships: an evolved domain-independent mental mechanism that accounts for behavioral variation.

PubMed

Handwerker, W P

2001-01-01

Previous studies use zero-order analyses to show a link between child abuse and exposure to "stepfathers." These studies rest on a proposed evolved, domain-specific cognitive mechanism that induces adult males to abuse or kill offspring not their own and, so, contribute directly to reproductive success. However, child abuse may reflect an evolved neurological mechanism that creates behavioral plasticity and adaptability by assigning emotional weights (which in consciousness appear rationalized as costs and benefits) to choice alternatives in all behavioral domains. This mechanism should act as a selective mechanism to create enhanced ability to avoid predation (social exploitation) and to obtain access to resources, given the properties of specific ecosystems, and should control behavioral responses to variation in the balance of power in social relationships. Power equalities should elicit good treatment for both parties; power inequalities, by contrast, should elicit exploitative and coercive behavior on the part of those who hold the balance of power. This paper reports a test of both hypotheses simultaneously, controlling for a standard social science risk factor (growing up in poverty). Once we control for the balance of power in parental relationships, exposure to a stepfather and growing up in poverty show no effect on the intensity of child abuse. Powerful women negotiated affectionate behavior from their partners for both themselves and their children; powerless women's negotiations with partners usually left both themselves and their children open to violence.

Oligomeric structure and chaperone-like activity of Drosophila melanogaster mitochondrial small heat shock protein Hsp22 and arginine mutants in the alpha-crystallin domain.

PubMed

Dabbaghizadeh, Afrooz; Finet, Stéphanie; Morrow, Genevieve; Moutaoufik, Mohamed Taha; Tanguay, Robert M

2017-07-01

The structure and chaperone function of DmHsp22WT, a small Hsp of Drosophila melanogaster localized within mitochondria were examined. Mutations of conserved arginine mutants within the alpha-crystallin domain (ACD) domain (R105G, R109G, and R110G) were introduced, and their effects on oligomerization and chaperone function were assessed. Arginine to glycine mutations do not induce significant changes in tryptophan fluorescence, and the mutated proteins form oligomers that are of equal or smaller size than the wild-type protein. They all form oligomer with one single peak as determined by size exclusion chromatography. While all mutants demonstrate the same efficiency as the DmHsp22WT in a DTT-induced insulin aggregation assay, all are more efficient chaperones to prevent aggregation of malate dehydrogenase. Arginine mutants of DmHsp22 are efficient chaperones to retard aggregation of CS and Luc. In summary, this study shows that mutations of arginine to glycine in DmHsp22 ACD induce a number of structural changes, some of which differ from those described in mammalian sHsps. Interestingly, only the R110G-DmHsp22 mutant, and not the expected R109G equivalent to human R140-HspB1, R116-HspB4, and R120-HspB5, showed different structural properties compared with the DmHsp22WT.

Expression and characterization of truncated human heme oxygenase (hHO-1) and a fusion protein of hHO-1 with human cytochrome P450 reductase.

PubMed

Wilks, A; Black, S M; Miller, W L; Ortiz de Montellano, P R

1995-04-04

A human heme oxygenase (hHO-1) gene without the sequence coding for the last 23 amino acids has been expressed in Escherichia coli behind the pho A promoter. The truncated enzyme is obtained in high yields as a soluble, catalytically-active protein, making it available for the first time for detailed mechanistic studies. The purified, truncated hHO-1/heme complex is spectroscopically indistinguishable from that of the rat enzyme and converts heme to biliverdin when reconstituted with rat liver cytochrome P450 reductase. A self-sufficient heme oxygenase system has been obtained by fusing the truncated hHO-1 gene to the gene for human cytochrome P450 reductase without the sequence coding for the 20 amino acid membrane binding domain. Expression of the fusion protein in pCWori+ yields a protein that only requires NADPH for catalytic turnover. The failure of exogenous cytochrome P450 reductase to stimulate turnover and the insensitivity of the catalytic rate toward changes in ionic strength establish that electrons are transferred intramolecularly between the reductase and heme oxygenase domains of the fusion protein. The Vmax for the fusion protein is 2.5 times higher than that for the reconstituted system. Therefore, either the covalent tether does not interfere with normal docking and electron transfer between the flavin and heme domains or alternative but equally efficient electron transfer pathways are available that do not require specific docking.

Experimental Demonstration of In-Place Calibration for Time Domain Microwave Imaging System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, S.; Son, S.; Lee, K.

2018-04-01

In this study, the experimental demonstration of in-place calibration was conducted using the developed time domain measurement system. Experiments were conducted using three calibration methods—in-place calibration and two existing calibrations, that is, array rotation and differential calibration. The in-place calibration uses dual receivers located at an equal distance from the transmitter. The received signals at the dual receivers contain similar unwanted signals, that is, the directly received signal and antenna coupling. In contrast to the simulations, the antennas are not perfectly matched and there might be unexpected environmental errors. Thus, we experimented with the developed experimental system to demonstrate the proposed method. The possible problems with low signal-to-noise ratio and clock jitter, which may exist in time domain systems, were rectified by averaging repeatedly measured signals. The tumor was successfully detected using the three calibration methods according to the experimental results. The cross correlation was calculated using the reconstructed image of the ideal differential calibration for a quantitative comparison between the existing rotation calibration and the proposed in-place calibration. The mean value of cross correlation between the in-place calibration and ideal differential calibration was 0.80, and the mean value of cross correlation of the rotation calibration was 0.55. Furthermore, the results of simulation were compared with the experimental results to verify the in-place calibration method. A quantitative analysis was also performed, and the experimental results show a tendency similar to the simulation.

Low-order auditory Zernike moment: a novel approach for robust music identification in the compressed domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wei; Xiao, Chuan; Liu, Yaduo

2013-12-01

Audio identification via fingerprint has been an active research field for years. However, most previously reported methods work on the raw audio format in spite of the fact that nowadays compressed format audio, especially MP3 music, has grown into the dominant way to store music on personal computers and/or transmit it over the Internet. It will be interesting if a compressed unknown audio fragment could be directly recognized from the database without decompressing it into the wave format at first. So far, very few algorithms run directly on the compressed domain for music information retrieval, and most of them take advantage of the modified discrete cosine transform coefficients or derived cepstrum and energy type of features. As a first attempt, we propose in this paper utilizing compressed domain auditory Zernike moment adapted from image processing techniques as the key feature to devise a novel robust audio identification algorithm. Such fingerprint exhibits strong robustness, due to its statistically stable nature, against various audio signal distortions such as recompression, noise contamination, echo adding, equalization, band-pass filtering, pitch shifting, and slight time scale modification. Experimental results show that in a music database which is composed of 21,185 MP3 songs, a 10-s long music segment is able to identify its original near-duplicate recording, with average top-5 hit rate up to 90% or above even under severe audio signal distortions.

Effects of four kinds of electromagnetic fields (EMF) with different frequency spectrum bands on ovariectomized osteoporosis in mice.

PubMed

Lei, Tao; Li, Feijiang; Liang, Zhuowen; Tang, Chi; Xie, Kangning; Wang, Pan; Dong, Xu; Shan, Shuai; Liu, Juan; Xu, Qiaoling; Luo, Erping; Shen, Guanghao

2017-04-03

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) was considered as a non-invasive modality for treatment of osteoporosis while the effects were diverse with EMF parameters in time domain. In present study, we extended analysis of EMF characteristics from time domain to frequency domain, aiming to investigate effects of four kinds of EMF (LP (1-100 Hz), BP (100-3,000 Hz), HP (3,000-50,000 Hz) and AP (1-50,000 Hz)) on ovariectomized (OVX) osteoporosis (OP) in mice. Forty-eight 3-month-old female BALB/c mice were equally assigned to Sham, OVX, OVX + LP, OVX + BP, OVX + HP and OVX + AP groups (n = 8). After 8-week exposure (3 h/day), LP and BP significantly increased serum bone formation markers and osteogenesis-related gene expressions compared with OVX. Bedsides, LP and BP also slightly increased bone resorption activity compared with OVX, evidenced by increased RANKL/OPG ratio. HP sharply decreased serum bone formation and resporption markers and osteogenesis and osteoclastogenesis related gene expressions compared with OVX. AP had accumulative effects of LP, BP and HP, which significantly increased bone formation and decreased bone resporption activity compared with OVX. As a result, LP, BP and HP exposure did not later deterioration of bone mass, microarchitecture and mechanical strength in OVX mice with OP. However, AP stimulation attenuated OVX-induced bone loss.

Optimising predictor domains for spatially coherent precipitation downscaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radanovics, S.; Vidal, J.-P.; Sauquet, E.; Ben Daoud, A.; Bontron, G.

2012-04-01

Relationships between local precipitation (predictands) and large-scale circulation (predictors) are used for statistical downscaling purposes in various contexts, from medium-term forecasting to climate change impact studies. For hydrological purposes like flood forecasting, the downscaled precipitation spatial fields have furthermore to be coherent over possibly large basins. This thus first requires to know what predictor domain can be associated to the precipitation over each part of the studied basin. This study addresses this issue by identifying the optimum predictor domains over the whole of France, for a specific downscaling method based on a analogue approach and developed by Ben Daoud et al. (2011). The downscaling method used here is based on analogies on different variables: temperature, relative humidity, vertical velocity and geopotentials. The optimum predictor domain has been found to consist of the nearest grid cell for all variables except geopotentials (Ben Daoud et al., 2011). Moreover, geopotential domains have been found to be sensitive to the target location by Obled et al. (2002), and the present study thus focuses on optimizing the domains of this specific predictor over France. The predictor domains for geopotential at 500 hPa and 1000 hPa are optimised for 608 climatologically homogeneous zones in France using the ERA-40 reanalysis data for the large-scale predictors and local precipitation from the Safran near-surface atmospheric reanalysis (Vidal et al., 2010). The similarity of geopotential fields is measured by the Teweles and Wobus shape criterion. The predictive skill of different predictor domains for the different regions is tested with the Continuous Ranked Probability Score (CRPS) for the 25 best analogue days found with the statistical downscaling method. Rectangular predictor domains of different sizes, shapes and locations are tested, and the one that leads to the smallest CRPS for the zone in question is retained. The resulting optimised domains are analysed for defining regions where neighbouring zones have equal or similar predictor domains and identifying which French river basins contain zones associated with different predictor domains, i.e. are exposed to different meteorological influences. The above analysis will be used (1) to extend the statistical downscaling method of Ben Daoud et al. (2011) to the whole of France and (2) to develop it further in order to achieve spatially coherent forecasts while preserving the predictive skill on the local scale. Ben Daoud, A., Sauquet, E., Lang, M., Bontron, G., and Obled, C. (2011). Precipitation forecasting through an analog sorting technique: a comparative study. Advances in Geosciences, 29:103-107. doi: 10.5194/adgeo-29-103-2011 Obled, C., Bontron, G., and Garçon, R. (2002). Quantitative precipitation forecasts: a statistical adaptation of model outputs through an analogues sorting approach. Atmospheric Research, 63(3-4):303-324. doi: 10.1016/S0169-8095(02)00038-8 Vidal, J.-P., Martin, E., Franchistéguy, L., Baillon, M., and Soubeyroux, J.-M. (2010) A 50-year high-resolution atmospheric reanalysis over France with the Safran system. International Journal of Climatology, 30:1627-1644. doi: 10.1002/joc.2003

Photoelectrical properties of sprayed In2-2xAl2xS3- 3yO3y alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhira, L.; Belgacem, S.; Bernede, J. C.

2002-11-01

In2-2xAl2xS3-3yO3y alloys have been prepared on Pyrextrademark glass substrates by the spray pyrolysis technique. The shape of the photoconductivity spectrums Iph (hnu) and the variations Iph (f ) and Iph (V) allow us to understand the conduction mechanism and the photocarriers' recombination. For low compositions (xless-than-or-equal0.2), Iph)(V parabolic variation shows that this conduction is limited by the space charge zone in accordance with Child's law (Iph[is proportional to]V2) [N. F. Mott and R. W. Gurney, Electronics Processes in Ionic Crystals (Oxford, New York, 1940), p. 463]. The exploitation of such variation shows that the density of the trap centers increases with the composition. For x[greater-than-or-equal, slanted]0.4, the electrical conduction instead follows Ohm's law. In the same way, the analysis of an extension of Devore's model [Phys. Rev. 102, 86 (1956)] as (Iph)hnu2 versus photon energy hnu shows an increase of the band gap energy Eg according to a parabolic profile. On the other hand, for low compositions (x=0,0.05,0.1,0.2), the conductivity study as a function of the temperature presents a deviation to Arrhenius's law in the intermediate temperature domain ranging from 80 to 330 K. Moreover, in this domain, the study of the activation energy Ea)(T according to Werner's model [Solid State Phenom. 37, 214 (1994)] supposing potential fluctuations at the grain boundaries yields the values of the barrier high phib and the standard deviation sigma][phi. From these results, we see that Eg increased versus x and that the electrical properties are essentially preserved for low aluminum concentration films. This may be due to a minor presence of an Al2O3 phase for such deposits.

The Twist Tensor Nuclear Norm for Video Completion.

PubMed

Hu, Wenrui; Tao, Dacheng; Zhang, Wensheng; Xie, Yuan; Yang, Yehui

2017-12-01

In this paper, we propose a new low-rank tensor model based on the circulant algebra, namely, twist tensor nuclear norm (t-TNN). The twist tensor denotes a three-way tensor representation to laterally store 2-D data slices in order. On one hand, t-TNN convexly relaxes the tensor multirank of the twist tensor in the Fourier domain, which allows an efficient computation using fast Fourier transform. On the other, t-TNN is equal to the nuclear norm of block circulant matricization of the twist tensor in the original domain, which extends the traditional matrix nuclear norm in a block circulant way. We test the t-TNN model on a video completion application that aims to fill missing values and the experiment results validate its effectiveness, especially when dealing with video recorded by a nonstationary panning camera. The block circulant matricization of the twist tensor can be transformed into a circulant block representation with nuclear norm invariance. This representation, after transformation, exploits the horizontal translation relationship between the frames in a video, and endows the t-TNN model with a more powerful ability to reconstruct panning videos than the existing state-of-the-art low-rank models.

Unconventional Dentistry in India – An Insight into the Traditional Methods

PubMed Central

Boloor, Vinita Ashutosh; Hosadurga, Rajesh; Rao, Anupama; Jenifer, Haziel; Pratap, Sruthy

2014-01-01

Unconventional medicine (UM) has been known and practised since the recorded history of civilization. Some unconventional practices may be viewed as “the continuity of traditions, religious beliefs, and even quackery that non-specialists practice.” These practices have been associated with religious beliefs and the spiritual domain as well as with the physical domain. In ancient Old World civilizations, UM was performed by skilled experts or wise men; in today's Western civilization, practitioners may or may not be licensed, and some are charlatans. Dentistry, like medicine, is a traditional, science-based, highly regulated healthcare profession that serves increasingly sophisticated and demanding clients. Today, traditional dental practice is dealing with an array of challenges to the established professional system; these challenges are generally termed “alternative” (or complementary, unconventional, or integrative). Genuine alternatives are comparable methods of equal value that have met scientific and regulatory criteria for safety and effectiveness. Because “alternative care” has become politicized and is often a misnomer – referring to practices that are not alternative to, complementary to, or integrating with conventional health care – the more accurate term “unconventional” is used. PMID:25161919

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography with extended depth-of-focus by aperture synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bo, En; Liu, Linbo

2016-10-01

We developed a spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) with an extended depth-of-focus (DOF) by synthetizing aperture. For a designated Gaussian-shape light source, the lateral resolution was determined by the numerical aperture (NA) of the objective lens and can be approximately maintained over the confocal parameter, which was defined as twice the Rayleigh range. However, the DOF was proportional to the square of the lateral resolution. Consequently, a trade-off existed between the DOF and lateral resolution, and researchers had to weigh and judge which was more important for their research reasonably. In this study, three distinct optical apertures were obtained by imbedding a circular phase spacer in the sample arm. Due to the optical path difference between three distinct apertures caused by the phase spacer, three images were aligned with equal spacing along z-axis vertically. By correcting the optical path difference (OPD) and defocus-induced wavefront curvature, three images with distinct depths were coherently summed together. This system digitally refocused the sample tissue and obtained a brand new image with higher lateral resolution over the confocal parameter when imaging the polystyrene calibration beads.

Numerical Investigations of Two Typical Unsteady Flows in Turbomachinery Using the Multi-Passage Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Di; Lu, Zhiliang; Guo, Tongqing; Shen, Ennan

2016-06-01

In this paper, the research on two types of unsteady flow problems in turbomachinery including blade flutter and rotor-stator interaction is made by means of numerical simulation. For the former, the energy method is often used to predict the aeroelastic stability by calculating the aerodynamic work per vibration cycle. The inter-blade phase angle (IBPA) is an important parameter in computation and may have significant effects on aeroelastic behavior. For the latter, the numbers of blades in each row are usually not equal and the unsteady rotor-stator interactions could be strong. An effective way to perform multi-row calculations is the domain scaling method (DSM). These two cases share a common point that the computational domain has to be extended to multi passages (MP) considering their respective features. The present work is aimed at modeling these two issues with the developed MP model. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique is applied to resolve the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations and simulate the flow fields. With the parallel technique, the additional time cost due to modeling more passages can be largely decreased. Results are presented on two test cases including a vibrating rotor blade and a turbine stage.

Real-time design with peer tasks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goforth, Andre; Howes, Norman R.; Wood, Jonathan D.; Barnes, Michael J.

1995-01-01

We introduce a real-time design methodology for large scale, distributed, parallel architecture, real-time systems (LDPARTS), as an alternative to those methods using rate or dead-line monotonic analysis. In our method the fundamental units of prioritization, work items, are domain specific objects with timing requirements (deadlines) found in user's specification. A work item consists of a collection of tasks of equal priority. Current scheduling theories are applied with artifact deadlines introduced by the designer whereas our method schedules work items to meet user's specification deadlines (sometimes called end-to-end deadlines). Our method supports these scheduling properties. Work item scheduling is based on domain specific importance instead of task level urgency and still meets as many user specification deadlines as can be met by scheduling tasks with respect to urgency. Second, the minimum (closest) on-line deadline that can be guaranteed for a work item of highest importance, scheduled at run time, is approximately the inverse of the throughput, measured in work items per second. Third, throughput is not degraded during overload and instead of resorting to task shedding during overload, the designer can specify which work items to shed. We prove these properties in a mathematical model.

Sub-10-nm patterning via directed self-assembly of block copolymer films with a vapour-phase deposited topcoat

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

Suh, Hyo Seon; Kim, Do Han; Moni, Priya

2017-03-27

Directed self-assembly (DSA) of the domain structure in block copolymer (BCP) thin films is a promising approach for sub-10-nm surface patterning. DSA requires the control of interfacial properties on both interfaces of a BCP film to induce the formation of domains that traverse the entire film with a perpendicular orientation. Here we show a methodology to control the interfacial properties of BCP films that uses a polymer topcoat deposited by initiated chemical vapour deposition (iCVD). The iCVD topcoat forms a crosslinked network that grafts to and immobilizes BCP chains to create an interface that is equally attractive to both blocksmore » of the underlying copolymer. The topcoat, in conjunction with a chemically patterned substrate, directs the assembly of the grating structures in BCP films with a half-pitch dimension of 9.3 nm. As the iCVD topcoat can be as thin as 7 nm, it is amenable to pattern transfer without removal. As a result, the ease of vapour-phase deposition, applicability to high-resolution BCP systems and integration with pattern-transfer schemes are attractive properties of iCVD topcoats for industrial applications.« less

The importance of quadrupole sources in prediction of transonic tip speed propeller noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, D. B.; Fink, M. R.

1978-01-01

A theoretical analysis is presented for the harmonic noise of high speed, open rotors. Far field acoustic radiation equations based on the Ffowcs-Williams/Hawkings theory are derived for a static rotor with thin blades and zero lift. Near the plane of rotation, the dominant sources are the volume displacement and the rho U(2) quadrupole, where u is the disturbance velocity component in the direction blade motion. These sources are compared in both the time domain and the frequency domain using two dimensional airfoil theories valid in the subsonic, transonic, and supersonic speed ranges. For nonlifting parabolic arc blades, the two sources are equally important at speeds between the section critical Mach number and a Mach number of one. However, for moderately subsonic or fully supersonic flow over thin blade sections, the quadrupole term is negligible. It is concluded for thin blades that significant quadrupole noise radiation is strictly a transonic phenomenon and that it can be suppressed with blade sweep. Noise calculations are presented for two rotors, one simulating a helicopter main rotor and the other a model propeller. For the latter, agreement with test data was substantially improved by including the quadrupole source term.

Linear and nonlinear frequency- and time-domain spectroscopy with multiple frequency combs.

PubMed

Bennett, Kochise; Rouxel, Jeremy R; Mukamel, Shaul

2017-09-07

Two techniques that employ equally spaced trains of optical pulses to map an optical high frequency into a low frequency modulation of the signal that can be detected in real time are compared. The development of phase-stable optical frequency combs has opened up new avenues to metrology and spectroscopy. The ability to generate a series of frequency spikes with precisely controlled separation permits a fast, highly accurate sampling of the material response. Recently, pairs of frequency combs with slightly different repetition rates have been utilized to down-convert material susceptibilities from the optical to microwave regime where they can be recorded in real time. We show how this one-dimensional dual comb technique can be extended to multiple dimensions by using several combs. We demonstrate how nonlinear susceptibilities can be quickly acquired using this technique. In a second class of techniques, sequences of ultrafast mode locked laser pulses are used to recover pathways of interactions contributing to nonlinear susceptibilities by using a photo-acoustic modulation varying along the sequences. We show that these techniques can be viewed as a time-domain analog of the multiple frequency comb scheme.

Fast Time-Varying Volume Rendering Using Time-Space Partition (TSP) Tree

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shen, Han-Wei; Chiang, Ling-Jen; Ma, Kwan-Liu

1999-01-01

We present a new, algorithm for rapid rendering of time-varying volumes. A new hierarchical data structure that is capable of capturing both the temporal and the spatial coherence is proposed. Conventional hierarchical data structures such as octrees are effective in characterizing the homogeneity of the field values existing in the spatial domain. However, when treating time merely as another dimension for a time-varying field, difficulties frequently arise due to the discrepancy between the field's spatial and temporal resolutions. In addition, treating spatial and temporal dimensions equally often prevents the possibility of detecting the coherence that is unique in the temporal domain. Using the proposed data structure, our algorithm can meet the following goals. First, both spatial and temporal coherence are identified and exploited for accelerating the rendering process. Second, our algorithm allows the user to supply the desired error tolerances at run time for the purpose of image-quality/rendering-speed trade-off. Third, the amount of data that are required to be loaded into main memory is reduced, and thus the I/O overhead is minimized. This low I/O overhead makes our algorithm suitable for out-of-core applications.

High-resolution electron microscopy observation of a new crystalline approximant W' of Mg-Zn-Y icosahedral quasicrystal

PubMed

Luo; Hashimoto

2000-10-01

A new ordered structure W' with a lattice parameter (a = 2.05 nm) about three times as large as that of the fundamental face-centered cubic W phase (a = 0.6848 nm) has been found in the Mg-Zn-Y system by means of transmission electron microscopy. The W' and W phases have the cube-to-cube orientation relationship. Moreover, the strong electron diffraction spots of the W' phase showed pseudoicosahedral symmetry, implying that it is a crystalline approximant of the Mg-Zn-Y icosahedral quasicrystal. In the high-resolution electron microscopic images of the W' phase, Penrose tiles of pentagons and boats with an edge length of a(p) = 0.481 nm can be identified. A binary tile of crown subunit has also been deduced from such a tiling. Translation domains of the W' phase have also been observed and the translation vectors at the domain boundary are: a(p), tau x a(p) and (1 + tau) x a(p), respectively, where (1 + tau) x a(p) equals to the edge length a(r) of the big obtuse rhombus of the W' phase and tau = (1 + square root of 5)/2, is the golden ratio.

FBMC receiver for multi-user asynchronous transmission on fragmented spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doré, Jean-Baptiste; Berg, Vincent; Cassiau, Nicolas; Kténas, Dimitri

2014-12-01

Relaxed synchronization and access to fragmented spectrum are considered for future generations of wireless networks. Frequency division multiple access for filter bank multicarrier (FBMC) modulation provides promising performance without strict synchronization requirements contrary to conventional orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). The architecture of a FBMC receiver suitable for this scenario is considered. Carrier frequency offset (CFO) compensation is combined with intercarrier interference (ICI) cancellation and performs well under very large frequency offsets. Channel estimation and interpolation had to be adapted and proved effective even for heavily fragmented spectrum usage. Channel equalization can sustain large delay spread. Because all the receiver baseband signal processing functionalities are proposed in the frequency domain, the overall architecture is suitable for multiuser asynchronous transmission on fragmented spectrum.

Comparison of techniques that use the single scattering model to compute the quality factor Q from coda waves

USGS Publications Warehouse

Novelo-Casanova, D. A.; Lee, W.H.K.

1991-01-01

Using simulated coda waves, the resolution of the single-scattering model to extract coda Q (Qc) and its power law frequency dependence was tested. The back-scattering model of Aki and Chouet (1975) and the single isotropic-scattering model of Sato (1977) were examined. The results indicate that: (1) The input Qc models are reasonably well approximated by the two methods; (2) almost equal Qc values are recovered when the techniques sample the same coda windows; (3) low Qc models are well estimated in the frequency domain from the early and late part of the coda; and (4) models with high Qc values are more accurately extracted from late code measurements. ?? 1991 Birkha??user Verlag.

Improvement in quality-of-life questionnaire measures in obese adolescent females with polycystic ovary syndrome treated with lifestyle changes and oral contraceptives, with or without metformin.

PubMed

Harris-Glocker, Miranda; Davidson, Kristin; Kochman, Lynda; Guzick, David; Hoeger, Kathleen

2010-02-01

We studied the effect of metformin or placebo in a lifestyle modification program combined with oral contraceptives (OC) on quality-of-life parameters measured by the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) questionnaire in obese adolescent women with validated PCOS. The quality-of-life indicators were measured at baseline and conclusion for five domains on the PCOS questionnaire, with equal improvement in scores in both placebo and metformin groups, suggesting that the addition of metformin does not add improvement to quality-of-life measures above those observed with lifestyle modification and OC treatment. Copyright 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

''Tilting'' the universe with the landscape multiverse: the dark flow

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

Mersini-Houghton, L.; Holman, R., E-mail: mersini@physics.unc.edu, E-mail: rh4a@andrew.cmu.edu

2009-02-15

We argue that the recent observations of large scale bulk flows by Kashlinsky et al. has a natural explanation in terms of superhorizon inhomogeneities induced by nonlocal entanglement of our Hubble volume with modes and domains beyond the horizon. This entanglement gives rise to corrections to the Newtonian potential on a characteristic scale L{sub 1} {approx_equal} 10{sup 3}H{sup -1}, and it induces a dipole and quadrupole contribution in the CMB. We also show that these induced multipoles are aligned with each other, with the alignment axis normal to their plane being oriented along the preferred frame determined by the dipole.more » We also give other potential tests of our hypothesis.« less

Leveraging cultural differences to promote educational equality.

PubMed

Brady, Laura M; Germano, Adriana L; Fryberg, Stephanie A

2017-12-01

This paper theorizes that academic interventions will be maximally effective when they are culturally grounded. Culturally grounded interventions acknowledge cultural differences and validate multiple cultural models in a given context. This review highlights the importance of considering culture in academic interventions and draws upon the culture cycle framework to provide a blueprint for those interested in building more efficacious interventions. Specifically, the paper reviews literature in education and psychology to argue: first, when working-class and racial minority students' cultural models are not valued in mainstream academic domains, these students underperform; and second, many current academic interventions intended to improve working-class and racial minority students' academic outcomes could be further enhanced by cultural grounding. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Novel Range Compression Algorithm for Resolution Enhancement in GNSS-SARs

PubMed Central

Zheng, Yu; Yang, Yang; Chen, Wu

2017-01-01

In this paper, a novel range compression algorithm for enhancing range resolutions of a passive Global Navigation Satellite System-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (GNSS-SAR) is proposed. In the proposed algorithm, within each azimuth bin, firstly range compression is carried out by correlating a reflected GNSS intermediate frequency (IF) signal with a synchronized direct GNSS base-band signal in the range domain. Thereafter, spectrum equalization is applied to the compressed results for suppressing side lobes to obtain a final range-compressed signal. Both theoretical analysis and simulation results have demonstrated that significant range resolution improvement in GNSS-SAR images can be achieved by the proposed range compression algorithm, compared to the conventional range compression algorithm. PMID:28672830

The decay of triple systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martynova, A. I.; Orlov, V. V.

2014-10-01

Numerical simulations have been carried out in the general three-body problem with equal masses with zero initial velocities, to investigate the distribution of the decay times T based on a representative sample of initial conditions. The distribution has a power-law character on long time scales, f( T) ∝ T - α , with α = 1.74. Over small times T < 30 T cr ( T cr is the mean crossing time for a component of the triple system), a series of local maxima separated by about 1.0 T cr is observed in the decay-time distribution. These local peaks correspond to zones of decay after one or a few triple encounters. Figures showing the arrangement of these zones in the domain of the initial conditions are presented.

Jitter model and signal processing techniques for pulse width modulation optical recording

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Max M.-K.

1991-01-01

A jitter model and signal processing techniques are discussed for data recovery in Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) optical recording. In PWM, information is stored through modulating sizes of sequential marks alternating in magnetic polarization or in material structure. Jitter, defined as the deviation from the original mark size in the time domain, will result in error detection if it is excessively large. A new approach is taken in data recovery by first using a high speed counter clock to convert time marks to amplitude marks, and signal processing techniques are used to minimize jitter according to the jitter model. The signal processing techniques include motor speed and intersymbol interference equalization, differential and additive detection, and differential and additive modulation.

Brief report: decoding representations: how children with autism understand drawings.

PubMed

Allen, Melissa L

2009-03-01

Young typically developing children can reason about abstract depictions if they know the intention of the artist. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who are notably impaired in social, 'intention monitoring' domains, may have great difficulty in decoding vague representations. In Experiment 1, children with ASD are unable to use another person's eye gaze as a cue for figuring out what an abstract picture represents. In contrast, when the participants themselves are the artists (Experiment 2), children with ASD are equally proficient as controls at identifying their own perceptually identical pictures (e.g. lollipop and balloon) after a delay, based upon what they intended them to be. Results are discussed in terms of intention and understanding of visual representation in autism.

A linearly frequency-swept high-speed-rate multi-wavelength laser for optical coherence tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qiyu; Wang, Zhaoying; Yuan, Quan; Ma, Rui; Du, Tao; Yang, Tianxin

2017-02-01

We proposed and demonstrated a linearly frequency-swept multi-wavelength laser source for optical coherence tomography (OCT) eliminating the need of wavenumber space resampling in the postprocessing progress. The source consists of a multi-wavelength fiber laser source (MFS) and an optical sweeping loop. In this novel laser source, an equally spaced multi-wavelength laser is swept simultaneously by a certain step each time in the frequency domain in the optical sweeping loop. The sweeping step is determined by radio frequency (RF) signal which can be precisely controlled. Thus the sweeping behavior strictly maintains a linear relationship between time and frequency. We experimentally achieved linear time-frequency sweeping at a sweeping rate of 400 kHz with our laser source.

Broader, flatter optical spectra of passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers for a wavelength-division multiplexing source

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

Eliyahu, Danny; Yariv, Amnon

1997-05-01

Using the time domain master equation for a complex electric-field pulse envelope, we find analytical results for the optical spectra of passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers. The analysis includes the effect of optical nonlinearity of semiconductor lasers, which is characterized by a slow saturable amplifier and absorber. Group velocity dispersion, bandwidth limiting, and self-phase modulation were considered as well. The FWHM of the spectrum profile was found to have a strong dependence on group velocity dispersion and self-phase modulation. For large absolute values of the chirp parameter, the optical spectra result in equispaced continuous wave frequencies, a large fraction of whichmore » have equal power. {copyright} 1997 Optical Society of America« less

Inhomogeneous field induced magnetoelectric effect in Mott insulators

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

Boulaevskii, Lev N; Batista, Cristian D

2008-01-01

We consider a Mott insulator like HoMnO{sub 3} whose magnetic lattice is geometrically frustrated and comprises a 3D array of triangular layers with magnetic moments ordered in a 120{sup o} structure. We show that the effect of a uniform magnetic field gradient, {gradient}H, is to redistribute the electronic charge of the magnetically ordered phase leading to a unfirom electric field gradient. The resulting voltage difference between the crystal edges is proportional to the square of the crystal thickness, or inter-edge distance, L. It can reach values of several volts for |{gradient}H| {approx} 0.01 T/cm and L {approx_equal} 1mm, as longmore » as the crystal is free of antiferromagnetic domain walls.« less

Overexpression and Purification of C-terminal Fragment of the Passenger Domain of Hap Protein from Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae in a Highly Optimized Escherichia coli Expression System

PubMed Central

Tabatabaee, Akram; Siadat, Seyed Davar; Moosavi, Seyed Fazllolah; Aghasadeghi, Mohammad Reza; Memarnejadian, Arash; Pouriayevali, Mohammad Hassan; Yavari, Neda

2013-01-01

Background Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a common cause of respiratory tract disease and initiates infection by colonization in nasopharynx. The Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae) Hap adhesin is an auto transporter protein that promotes initial interaction with human epithelial cells. Hap protein contains a 110 kDa internal passenger domain called “HapS” and a 45 kDa C-terminal translocator domain called “Hapβ”. Hap adhesive activity has been recently reported to be connected to its Cell Binding Domain (CBD) which resides within the 311 C-terminal residues of the internal passenger domain of the protein. Furthermore, immunization with this CBD protein has been shown to prevent bacterial nasopharynx colonization in animal models. Methods To provide enough amounts of pure HapS protein for vaccine studies, we sought to develop a highly optimized system to overexpress and purify the protein in large quantities. To this end, pET24a-cbd plasmid harboring cbd sequence from NTHi ATCC49766 was constructed and its expression was optimized by testing various expression parameters such as growth media, induction temperature, IPTG inducer concentration, induction stage and duration. SDS-PAGE and Western-blotting were used for protein analysis and confirmation and eventually the expressed protein was easily purified via immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) using Ni-NTA columns. Results The highest expression level of target protein was achieved when CBD expressing E. coli BL21 (DE3) cells were grown at 37°C in 2xTY medium with 1.0 mM IPTG at mid-log phase (OD600 nm equal to 0.6) for 5 hrs. Amino acid sequence alignment of expressed CBD protein with 3 previously published CBD amino acid sequences were more than %97 identical and antigenicity plot analysis further revealed 9 antigenic domains which appeared to be well conserved among different analyzed CBD sequences. Conclusion Due to the presence of high similarity among CBD from NTHi ATCC49766 and other NTHi strains, CBD protein expressed here sounds to be theoretically ideal as a universal candidate for being used in vaccine studies against NTHi strains of various geographical areas. Further investigations to corroborate the potency of this protein as a vaccine candidate are under process. PMID:23919121

Self-assessment of competencies in dental education in Germany - a multicentred survey.

PubMed

Bitter, K; Rüttermann, S; Lippmann, M; Hahn, P; Giesler, M

2016-11-01

The aim was to assess the competencies of undergraduate dental students in Germany in the domains team competence, communicative competence, learning competence and scholarship. The survey was conducted at 11 dental schools that are equally distributed all over Germany. Competencies were assessed with the Freiburg Questionnaire to Assess Competencies in Medicine (FCM). A short version of the FCM was used in this study. This short form included the four domains: team competence (three items), communicative competence (eight items), learning competence (five items) and scholarship (four items). Students had to rate each item twice: first with regard to the respondent's current level of competence and second with regard to the level of competence that respondents think is required by their job. All items were rated on a five-point Likert scale (1 'very much' and 5 'not at all'). Responsible lecturers from all selected dental schools received another questionnaire to answer the questions whether the FCM domain corresponding learning objectives were taught at the respective dental school. A total of 317 undergraduate students from 11 dental schools in their last clinical year participated. The response rate varied between 48% and 92%. Cronbach's α for the FCM scales addressing the current level of competencies ranged from 0.70 to 0.89 and for the scales measuring the presumed level of competencies demanded by their job ranged from 0.72 to 0.82. The mean values of the scales for the assessment of the presumed level of competencies demanded by the job were significantly lower compared to the mean values of the scales for the current level of competencies (P < 0.001 in all analyses). We found large differences between the two levels - in terms of 'standardised response means' (SRM) - in the domains team competence (SRM 1.34), learning competence (SRM 1.27) and communicative competence (SRM 1.18). Overall, the learning objectives that correspond to the assessed domains of competencies were taught to 19.6% completely, to 55.4% partially and to 25% not at all at the participating dental schools. The results of the present survey revealed that the participating students perceived deficiencies in all domains of competencies. These results indicate that the assessed domains are still barely integrated into dental medicine curricula in Germany and that further research in this field is needed. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How good is good? Students and assessors' perceptions of qualitative markers of performance.

PubMed

Ma, Heung Kan; Min, Cynthia; Neville, Alan; Eva, Kevin

2013-01-01

Qualitative markers of performance are routinely used for medical student assessment, though the extent to which such markers can be readily translated to actionable pieces of information remains uncertain. To explore (a) the perceived value to be indicated by descriptor phrases commonly used for describing student performance, (b) the perceived weight of the different performance domains (e.g. communication skills, work ethic, knowledge base, etc), and (c) whether or not the perceived value of the descriptors changes as a function of the performance domains. Five domains of performance were identified from the thematic coding of past medical student transcripts (N = 156). From the transcripts, 91 distinct descriptors indicating the language commonly used by assessors were also identified. From the list of 91 descriptors, Thurstone's method of equal-appearing intervals was used to extract 10 descriptors that were representative of the continuum of student performance. A modified paired comparisons method was then used to enable the relative ranking of each of 10 descriptors combined with each of 5 different domains of performance. A web-based survey was used to collect responses from participants (N = 209), which consisted of medical students and faculty members who were previously involved in student assessment. Results demonstrated that respondents did not simply sum positive and negative descriptors in a uniform manner. Rather, comments on some domains (e.g., "ability to apply patient centred medicine") were seen as particularly positive when associated with positive descriptors but not particularly negative when associated with negative descriptors. For others (e.g., "receptivity and responsiveness to feedback") the reverse was true. Comments on "knowledge-base" elicited a relatively muted perception at both ends of the scale. Finally, the results also revealed moderate misalignment in the perceptions of assessors and students. The findings from this study suggest that the use of any given descriptor conveys slightly different meaning dependent on the context in which it is used. This helps to address some key issues surrounding the application of qualitative markers to performance assessment in medical education.

Experience-dependent escalation of glucose drinking and the development of glucose preference over fructose - association with glucose entry into the brain.

PubMed

Wakabayashi, Ken T; Spekterman, Laurence; Kiyatkin, Eugene A

2016-06-01

Glucose, a primary metabolic substrate for cellular activity, must be delivered to the brain for normal neural functions. Glucose is also a unique reinforcer; in addition to its rewarding sensory properties and metabolic effects, which all natural sugars have, glucose crosses the blood-brain barrier and acts on glucoreceptors expressed on multiple brain cells. To clarify the role of this direct glucose action in the brain, we compared the neural and behavioural effects of glucose with those induced by fructose, a sweeter yet metabolically equivalent sugar. First, by using enzyme-based biosensors in freely moving rats, we confirmed that glucose rapidly increased in the nucleus accumbens in a dose-dependent manner after its intravenous delivery. In contrast, fructose induced a minimal response only after a large-dose injection. Second, we showed that naive rats during unrestricted access consumed larger volumes of glucose than fructose solution; the difference appeared with a definite latency during the initial exposure and strongly increased during subsequent tests. When rats with equal sugar experience were presented with either glucose or fructose in alternating order, the consumption of both substances was initially equal, but only the consumption of glucose increased during subsequent sessions. Finally, rats with equal glucose-fructose experience developed a strong preference for glucose over fructose during a two-bottle choice procedure; the effect appeared with a definite latency during the initial test and greatly amplified during subsequent tests. Our results suggest that direct entry of glucose in the brain and its subsequent effects on brain cells could be critical for the experience-dependent escalation of glucose consumption and the development of glucose preference over fructose. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Analysis of biochemical phase shift oscillators by a harmonic balancing technique.

PubMed

Rapp, P

1976-11-25

The use of harmonic balancing techniques for theoretically investigating a large class of biochemical phase shift oscillators is outlined and the accuracy of this approximate technique for large dimension nonlinear chemical systems is considered. It is concluded that for the equations under study these techniques can be successfully employed to both find periodic solutions and to indicate those cases which can not oscillate. The technique is a general one and it is possible to state a step by step procedure for its application. It has a substantial advantage in producing results which are immediately valid for arbitrary dimension. As the accuracy of the method increases with dimension, it complements classical small dimension methods. The results obtained by harmonic balancing analysis are compared with those obtained by studying the local stability properties of the singular points of the differential equation. A general theorem is derived which identifies those special cases where the results of first order harmonic balancing are identical to those of local stability analysis, and a necessary condition for this equivalence is derived. As a concrete example, the n-dimensional Goodwin oscillator is considered where p, the Hill coefficient of the feedback metabolite, is equal to three and four. It is shown that for p = 3 or 4 and n less than or equal to 4 the approximation indicates that it is impossible to construct a set of physically permissible reaction constants such that the system possesses a periodic solution. However for n greater than or equal to 5 it is always possible to find a large domain in the reaction constant space giving stable oscillations. A means of constructing such a parameter set is given. The results obtained here are compared with previously derived results for p = 1 and p = 2.

Social inequalities in health from Ottawa to Vancouver: action for fair equality of opportunity.

PubMed

Ridde, Valéry; Guichard, Anne; Houéto, David

2007-01-01

The authors set out to show that the Ottawa Charter of 1986 has not been sufficiently accepted over the past twenty years, even by those who use it as a strategic tool to guide interventions for reducing social inequalities in health. Although some public health policies do emphasize the reduction of social inequalities in health, only the Ottawa Charter appears to possess the status of an international declaration on the matter. Social inequalities in health are the systematic, avoidable, and unjust differences in health that persist between individuals and sub-groups of a population. Four examples from the field of health promotion serve to show that forgetting to combat social inequalities in health is not exclusive to the domain of public health. However, taking action against social inequalities in health does not equal tackling poverty. Moreover, intervening on the principle of equality of opportunity, on the basis of an ideology of meritocracy, or for the benefit of the population as a whole, without regard to sub-groups, only tends, at best, to reproduce inequalities. Although evidence is insufficient, there are studies that show that reducing social inequalities in health is not an aporia. Three explanations are advanced as to why social inequalities in health have been ignored by health promotion professionals. The Ottawa Charter had the merit of highlighting the struggle against social inequalities in health. Now, moving beyond the declarations, from the strategic framework provided by the Ottawa Charter and in accordance with the Bangkok Charter, it is time to show proof of voluntarism. Several priorities for the future are suggested and the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) should be responsible for advocating for them.

Low power generation of equalized broadband CW supercontinua using a novel technique incorporating modulation instability of line broadened pump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prakash, Roopa; Choudhury, Vishal; Arun, S.; Supradeepa, V. R.

2018-02-01

Continuous-wave(CW) supercontinuum sources find applications in various domains such as imaging, spectroscopy, test and measurement. They are generated by pumping an optical fiber with a CW laser in the anomalous-dispersion region close to its zero-dispersion wavelength. Modulation instability(MI) sidebands are created, and further broadened and equalized by additional nonlinear processes generating the supercontinuum. This necessitates high optical powers and at lower powers, only MI sidebands can be seen without the formation of the supercontinuum. Obtaining a supercontinuum at low, easily manageable optical powers is attractive for many applications, but current techniques cannot achieve this. In this work, we propose a new mechanism for low power supercontinuum generation utilizing the modified MI gain spectrum for a line-broadened, decorrelated pump. A novel two-stage generation mechanism is demonstrated, where the first stage constituting standard telecom fiber slightly broadens the input pump linewidth. However, this process in the presence of dispersion, acts to de-correlate the different spectral components of the pump signal. When this is sent through highly nonlinear fiber near its zero-dispersion wavelength, the shape of the MI gain spectrum is modified, and this process naturally results in the generation of a broadband, equalized supercontinuum source at much lower powers than possible using conventional single stage spectral broadening. Here, we demonstrate a 0.5W supercontinuum source pumped using a 4W Erbium-Ytterbium co-doped fiber laser with a bandwidth spanning from 1300nm to 2000nm. We also demonstrate an interesting behaviour of this technique of relative insensitivity to the pump wavelength vis-a-vis zero-dispersion wavelength of the fiber.

Measurement of Nanomolar Dissociation Constants by Titration Calorimetry and Thermal Shift Assay – Radicicol Binding to Hsp90 and Ethoxzolamide Binding to CAII

PubMed Central

Zubrienė, Asta; Matulienė, Jurgita; Baranauskienė, Lina; Jachno, Jelena; Torresan, Jolanta; Michailovienė, Vilma; Cimmperman, Piotras; Matulis, Daumantas

2009-01-01

The analysis of tight protein-ligand binding reactions by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and thermal shift assay (TSA) is presented. The binding of radicicol to the N-terminal domain of human heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90αN) and the binding of ethoxzolamide to human carbonic anhydrase (hCAII) were too strong to be measured accurately by direct ITC titration and therefore were measured by displacement ITC and by observing the temperature-denaturation transitions of ligand-free and ligand-bound protein. Stabilization of both proteins by their ligands was profound, increasing the melting temperature by more than 10 ºC, depending on ligand concentration. Analysis of the melting temperature dependence on the protein and ligand concentrations yielded dissociation constants equal to 1 nM and 2 nM for Hsp90αN-radicicol and hCAII-ethoxzolamide, respectively. The ligand-free and ligand-bound protein fractions melt separately, and two melting transitions are observed. This phenomenon is especially pronounced when the ligand concentration is equal to about half the protein concentration. The analysis compares ITC and TSA data, accounts for two transitions and yields the ligand binding constant and the parameters of protein stability, including the Gibbs free energy and the enthalpy of unfolding. PMID:19582223

Can the democratic ideal of participatory research be achieved? An inside look at an academic-indigenous community partnership.

PubMed

Cargo, Margaret; Delormier, Treena; Lévesque, Lucie; Horn-Miller, Kahente; McComber, Alex; Macaulay, Ann C

2008-10-01

Democratic or equal participation in decision making is an ideal that community and academic stakeholders engaged in participatory research strive to achieve. This ideal, however, may compete with indigenous peoples' right to self-determination. Study objectives were to assess the perceived influence of multiple community (indigenous) and academic stakeholders engaged in the Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project (KSDPP) across six domains of project decision making and to test the hypothesis that KSDPP would be directed by community stakeholders. Self-report surveys were completed by 51 stakeholders comprising the KSDPP Community Advisory Board (CAB), KSDPP staff, academic researchers and supervisory board members. KSDPP staff were perceived to share similar levels of influence with (i) CAB on maintaining partnership ethics and CAB activities and (ii) academic researchers on research and dissemination activities. KSDPP staff were perceived to carry significantly more influence than other stakeholders on decisions related to annual activities, program operations and intervention activities. CAB and staff were the perceived owners of KSDPP. The strong community leadership aligns KSDPP with a model of community-directed research and suggests that equitable participation-distinct from democratic or equal participation-is reflected by indigenous community partners exerting greater influence than academic partners in decision making.

Ordered alternating binary polymer nanodroplet array by sequential spin dewetting.

PubMed

Bhandaru, Nandini; Das, Anuja; Salunke, Namrata; Mukherjee, Rabibrata

2014-12-10

We report a facile technique for fabricating an ordered array of nearly equal-sized mesoscale polymer droplets of two constituent polymers (polystyrene, PS and poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA) arranged in an alternating manner on a topographically patterned substrate. The self-organized array of binary polymers is realized by sequential spin dewetting. First, a dilute solution of PMMA is spin-dewetted on a patterned substrate, resulting in an array of isolated PMMA droplets arranged along the substrate grooves due to self-organization during spin coating itself. The sample is then silanized with octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), and subsequently, a dilute solution of PS is spin-coated on to it, which also undergoes spin dewetting. The spin-dewetted PS drops having a size nearly equal to the pre-existing PMMA droplets position themselves between two adjacent PMMA drops under appropriate conditions, forming an alternating binary polymer droplet array. The alternating array formation takes place for a narrow range of solution concentration for both the polymers and depends on the geometry of the substrate. The size of the droplets depends on the extent of confinement, and droplets as small as 100 nm can be obtained by this method, on a suitable template. The findings open up the possibility of creating novel surfaces having ordered multimaterial domains with a potential multifunctional capability.

Extinction and survival in two-species annihilation

DOE PAGES

Amar, J. G.; Ben-Naim, E.; Davis, S. M.; ...

2018-02-09

In this paper, we study diffusion-controlled two-species annihilation with a finite number of particles. In this stochastic process, particles move diffusively, and when two particles of opposite type come into contact, the two annihilate. We focus on the behavior in three spatial dimensions and for initial conditions where particles are confined to a compact domain. Generally, one species outnumbers the other, and we find that the difference between the number of majority and minority species, which is a conserved quantity, controls the behavior. When the number difference exceeds a critical value, the minority becomes extinct and a finite number of majority particles survive, while below this critical difference, a finite number of particles of both species survive. The critical differencemore » $${\\mathrm{{\\Delta}}}_{c}$$ grows algebraically with the total initial number of particles N, and when $$N{\\gg}1$$, the critical difference scales as $${\\mathrm{{\\Delta}}}_{c}{\\sim}{N}^{1/3}$$. Furthermore, when the initial concentrations of the two species are equal, the average number of surviving majority and minority particles $${M}_{+}$$ and $${M}_{{-}}$$, exhibit two distinct scaling behaviors, $${M}_{+}{\\sim}{N}^{1/2}$$ and $${M}_{{-}}{\\sim}{N}^{1/6}$$. Finally, in contrast, when the initial populations are equal, these two quantities are comparable $${M}_{+}{\\sim}{M}_{{-}}{\\sim}{N}^{1/3}$$.« less

Comparison of two adaptive temperature-based replica exchange methods applied to a sharp phase transition of protein unfolding-folding.

PubMed

Lee, Michael S; Olson, Mark A

2011-06-28

Temperature-based replica exchange (T-ReX) enhances sampling of molecular dynamics simulations by autonomously heating and cooling simulation clients via a Metropolis exchange criterion. A pathological case for T-ReX can occur when a change in state (e.g., folding to unfolding of a protein) has a large energetic difference over a short temperature interval leading to insufficient exchanges amongst replica clients near the transition temperature. One solution is to allow the temperature set to dynamically adapt in the temperature space, thereby enriching the population of clients near the transition temperature. In this work, we evaluated two approaches for adapting the temperature set: a method that equalizes exchange rates over all neighbor temperature pairs and a method that attempts to induce clients to visit all temperatures (dubbed "current maximization") by positioning many clients at or near the transition temperature. As a test case, we simulated the 57-residue SH3 domain of alpha-spectrin. Exchange rate equalization yielded the same unfolding-folding transition temperature as fixed-temperature ReX with much smoother convergence of this value. Surprisingly, the current maximization method yielded a significantly lower transition temperature, in close agreement with experimental observation, likely due to more extensive sampling of the transition state.

Extinction and survival in two-species annihilation

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

Amar, J. G.; Ben-Naim, E.; Davis, S. M.

In this paper, we study diffusion-controlled two-species annihilation with a finite number of particles. In this stochastic process, particles move diffusively, and when two particles of opposite type come into contact, the two annihilate. We focus on the behavior in three spatial dimensions and for initial conditions where particles are confined to a compact domain. Generally, one species outnumbers the other, and we find that the difference between the number of majority and minority species, which is a conserved quantity, controls the behavior. When the number difference exceeds a critical value, the minority becomes extinct and a finite number of majority particles survive, while below this critical difference, a finite number of particles of both species survive. The critical differencemore » $${\\mathrm{{\\Delta}}}_{c}$$ grows algebraically with the total initial number of particles N, and when $$N{\\gg}1$$, the critical difference scales as $${\\mathrm{{\\Delta}}}_{c}{\\sim}{N}^{1/3}$$. Furthermore, when the initial concentrations of the two species are equal, the average number of surviving majority and minority particles $${M}_{+}$$ and $${M}_{{-}}$$, exhibit two distinct scaling behaviors, $${M}_{+}{\\sim}{N}^{1/2}$$ and $${M}_{{-}}{\\sim}{N}^{1/6}$$. Finally, in contrast, when the initial populations are equal, these two quantities are comparable $${M}_{+}{\\sim}{M}_{{-}}{\\sim}{N}^{1/3}$$.« less

Organizational climate with gender equity and burnout among university academics in Japan

PubMed Central

TAKA, Fumiaki; NOMURA, Kyoko; HORIE, Saki; TAKEMOTO, Keisuke; TAKEUCHI, Masumi; TAKENOSHITA, Shinichi; MURAKAMI, Aya; HIRAIKE, Haruko; OKINAGA, Hiroko; SMITH, Derek R.

2016-01-01

We investigated relationships between the perception of organizational climate with gender equity and psychological health among 94 women and 211 men in a Japanese private university in 2015 using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (i.e., personal, work-related and student-related burnout). Perceptions of organizational climate with respect to gender equity were measured with two scales including organizational engagement with a gender equal society in the workplace (consisting of three domains of ‘Women utilization’, ‘Organizational promotion of gender equal society’ and ‘Consultation service’); and a gender inequality in academia scale that had been previously developed. Multivariable linear models demonstrated significant statistical interactions between gender and perceptions of organizational climate; ‘Women utilization’ or lack of ‘Inequality in academia’ alleviated burnout only in women. In consequence of this gender difference, when ‘Women utilization’ was at a lower level, both personal (p=.038) and work-related (p=.010) burnout scores were higher in women, and the student-related burnout score was lower in women when they perceived less inequality in academia than in men (p=.030). As such, it is suggested organizational fairness for gender equity may be a useful tool to help mitigate psychological burnout among women in academia. PMID:27725562

Prevalence and correlates of young people's sexual aggression perpetration and victimisation in 10 European countries: a multi-level analysis.

PubMed

Krahé, Barbara; Berger, Anja; Vanwesenbeeck, Ine; Bianchi, Gabriel; Chliaoutakis, Joannes; Fernández-Fuertes, Andrés A; Fuertes, Antonio; de Matos, Margarida Gaspar; Hadjigeorgiou, Eleni; Haller, Birgitt; Hellemans, Sabine; Izdebski, Zbigniew; Kouta, Christiana; Meijnckens, Dwayne; Murauskiene, Liubove; Papadakaki, Maria; Ramiro, Lucia; Reis, Marta; Symons, Katrien; Tomaszewska, Paulina; Vicario-Molina, Isabel; Zygadło, Andrzej

2015-01-01

Data are presented on young people's sexual victimisation and perpetration from 10 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain) using a shared measurement tool (N = 3480 participants, aged between 18 and 27 years). Between 19.7 and 52.2% of female and between 10.1 and 55.8% of male respondents reported having experienced at least one incident of sexual victimisation since the age of consent. In two countries, victimisation rates were significantly higher for men than for women. Between 5.5 and 48.7% of male and 2.6 and 14.8% of female participants reported having engaged in a least one act of sexual aggression perpetration, with higher rates for men than for women in all countries. Victimisation rates correlated negatively with sexual assertiveness and positively with alcohol use in sexual encounters. Perpetration rates correlated positively with attitudes condoning physical dating violence and with alcohol use in men, and negatively with sexual assertiveness in women. At the country level, lower gender equality in economic power and in the work domain was related to higher male perpetration rates. Lower gender equality in political power and higher sexual assertiveness in women relative to men were linked to higher male victimisation rates.

Pharmacist provision of primary health care: a modified Delphi validation of pharmacists' competencies.

PubMed

Kennie-Kaulbach, Natalie; Farrell, Barbara; Ward, Natalie; Johnston, Sharon; Gubbels, Ashley; Eguale, Tewodros; Dolovich, Lisa; Jorgenson, Derek; Waite, Nancy; Winslade, Nancy

2012-03-28

Pharmacists have expanded their roles and responsibilities as a result of primary health care reform. There is currently no consensus on the core competencies for pharmacists working in these evolving practices. The aim of this study was to develop and validate competencies for pharmacists' effective performance in these roles, and in so doing, document the perceived contribution of pharmacists providing collaborative primary health care services. Using a modified Delphi process including assessing perception of the frequency and criticality of performing tasks, we validated competencies important to primary health care pharmacists practising across Canada. Ten key informants contributed to competency drafting; thirty-three expert pharmacists replied to a second round survey. The final primary health care pharmacist competencies consisted of 34 elements and 153 sub-elements organized in seven CanMeds-based domains. Highest importance rankings were allocated to the domains of care provider and professional, followed by communicator and collaborator, with the lower importance rankings relatively equally distributed across the manager, advocate and scholar domains. Expert pharmacists working in primary health care estimated their most important responsibilities to be related to direct patient care. Competencies that underlie and are required for successful fulfillment of these patient care responsibilities, such as those related to communication, collaboration and professionalism were also highly ranked. These ranked competencies can be used to help pharmacists understand their potential roles in these evolving practices, to help other health care professionals learn about pharmacists' contributions to primary health care, to establish standards and performance indicators, and to prioritize supports and education to maximize effectiveness in this role.

Analytical solutions of one-dimensional multispecies reactive transport in a permeable reactive barrier-aquifer system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mieles, John; Zhan, Hongbin

2012-06-01

The permeable reactive barrier (PRB) remediation technology has proven to be more cost-effective than conventional pump-and-treat systems, and has demonstrated the ability to rapidly reduce the concentrations of specific chemicals of concern (COCs) by up to several orders of magnitude in some scenarios. This study derives new steady-state analytical solutions to multispecies reactive transport in a PRB-aquifer (dual domain) system. The advantage of the dual domain model is that it can account for the potential existence of natural degradation in the aquifer, when designing the required PRB thickness. The study focuses primarily on the steady-state analytical solutions of the tetrachloroethene (PCE) serial degradation pathway and secondly on the analytical solutions of the parallel degradation pathway. The solutions in this study can also be applied to other types of dual domain systems with distinct flow and transport properties. The steady-state analytical solutions are shown to be accurate and the numerical program RT3D is selected for comparison. The results of this study are novel in that the solutions provide improved modeling flexibility including: 1) every species can have unique first-order reaction rates and unique retardation factors, and 2) daughter species can be modeled with their individual input concentrations or solely as byproducts of the parent species. The steady-state analytical solutions exhibit a limitation that occurs when interspecies reaction rate factors equal each other, which result in undefined solutions. Excel spreadsheet programs were created to facilitate prompt application of the steady-state analytical solutions, for both the serial and parallel degradation pathways.

Hybrid simulation combining two space-time discretization of the discrete-velocity Boltzmann equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horstmann, Jan Tobias; Le Garrec, Thomas; Mincu, Daniel-Ciprian; Lévêque, Emmanuel

2017-11-01

Despite the efficiency and low dissipation of the stream-collide scheme of the discrete-velocity Boltzmann equation, which is nowadays implemented in many lattice Boltzmann solvers, a major drawback exists over alternative discretization schemes, i.e. finite-volume or finite-difference, that is the limitation to Cartesian uniform grids. In this paper, an algorithm is presented that combines the positive features of each scheme in a hybrid lattice Boltzmann method. In particular, the node-based streaming of the distribution functions is coupled with a second-order finite-volume discretization of the advection term of the Boltzmann equation under the Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook approximation. The algorithm is established on a multi-domain configuration, with the individual schemes being solved on separate sub-domains and connected by an overlapping interface of at least 2 grid cells. A critical parameter in the coupling is the CFL number equal to unity, which is imposed by the stream-collide algorithm. Nevertheless, a semi-implicit treatment of the collision term in the finite-volume formulation allows us to obtain a stable solution for this condition. The algorithm is validated in the scope of three different test cases on a 2D periodic mesh. It is shown that the accuracy of the combined discretization schemes agrees with the order of each separate scheme involved. The overall numerical error of the hybrid algorithm in the macroscopic quantities is contained between the error of the two individual algorithms. Finally, we demonstrate how such a coupling can be used to adapt to anisotropic flows with some gradual mesh refinement in the FV domain.

Self-esteem in hearing-impaired children: the influence of communication, education, and audiological characteristics.

PubMed

Theunissen, Stephanie C P M; Rieffe, Carolien; Netten, Anouk P; Briaire, Jeroen J; Soede, Wim; Kouwenberg, Maartje; Frijns, Johan H M

2014-01-01

Sufficient self-esteem is extremely important for psychosocial functioning. It is hypothesized that hearing-impaired (HI) children have lower levels of self-esteem, because, among other things, they frequently experience lower language and communication skills. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare HI children's self-esteem across different domains with those of normal hearing (NH) children and to investigate the influence of communication, type of education, and audiological characteristics. This large (N = 252) retrospective, multicenter study consisted of two age- and gender-matched groups: 123 HI children and 129 NH controls (mean age  = 11.8 years). Self-reports were used to measure self-esteem across four domains: perceived social acceptance by peers, perceived parental attention, perceived physical appearance, and global self-esteem. HI children experienced lower levels of self-esteem regarding peers and parents than NH controls. Particularly HI children who attended special education for the deaf were at risk, even after correcting for their language development and intelligence. Yet, levels of global self-esteem and self-esteem involving physical appearance in HI children equalled those of NH controls. Furthermore, younger age at implantation and longer duration of having cochlear implants (CIs) were related to higher levels of self-esteem. HI children experience lower levels of self-esteem in the social domains. Yet, due to the heterogeneity of the HI population, there is high variability in levels of self-esteem. Clinicians must always be aware of the risk and protective factors related to self-esteem in order to help individual patients reach their full potential.

A domain specific language for performance portable molecular dynamics algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saunders, William Robert; Grant, James; Müller, Eike Hermann

2018-03-01

Developers of Molecular Dynamics (MD) codes face significant challenges when adapting existing simulation packages to new hardware. In a continuously diversifying hardware landscape it becomes increasingly difficult for scientists to be experts both in their own domain (physics/chemistry/biology) and specialists in the low level parallelisation and optimisation of their codes. To address this challenge, we describe a "Separation of Concerns" approach for the development of parallel and optimised MD codes: the science specialist writes code at a high abstraction level in a domain specific language (DSL), which is then translated into efficient computer code by a scientific programmer. In a related context, an abstraction for the solution of partial differential equations with grid based methods has recently been implemented in the (Py)OP2 library. Inspired by this approach, we develop a Python code generation system for molecular dynamics simulations on different parallel architectures, including massively parallel distributed memory systems and GPUs. We demonstrate the efficiency of the auto-generated code by studying its performance and scalability on different hardware and compare it to other state-of-the-art simulation packages. With growing data volumes the extraction of physically meaningful information from the simulation becomes increasingly challenging and requires equally efficient implementations. A particular advantage of our approach is the easy expression of such analysis algorithms. We consider two popular methods for deducing the crystalline structure of a material from the local environment of each atom, show how they can be expressed in our abstraction and implement them in the code generation framework.

Silicon as a model ion trap: Time domain measurements of donor Rydberg states

PubMed Central

Vinh, N. Q.; Greenland, P. T.; Litvinenko, K.; Redlich, B.; van der Meer, A. F. G.; Lynch, S. A.; Warner, M.; Stoneham, A. M.; Aeppli, G.; Paul, D. J.; Pidgeon, C. R.; Murdin, B. N.

2008-01-01

One of the great successes of quantum physics is the description of the long-lived Rydberg states of atoms and ions. The Bohr model is equally applicable to donor impurity atoms in semiconductor physics, where the conduction band corresponds to the vacuum, and the loosely bound electron orbiting a singly charged core has a hydrogen-like spectrum according to the usual Bohr–Sommerfeld formula, shifted to the far-infrared because of the small effective mass and high dielectric constant. Manipulation of Rydberg states in free atoms and ions by single and multiphoton processes has been tremendously productive since the development of pulsed visible laser spectroscopy. The analogous manipulations have not been conducted for donor impurities in silicon. Here, we use the FELIX pulsed free electron laser to perform time-domain measurements of the Rydberg state dynamics in phosphorus- and arsenic-doped silicon and we have obtained lifetimes consistent with frequency domain linewidths for isotopically purified silicon. This implies that the dominant decoherence mechanism for excited Rydberg states is lifetime broadening, just as for atoms in ion traps. The experiments are important because they represent a step toward coherent control and manipulation of atomic-like quantum levels in the most common semiconductor and complement magnetic resonance experiments in the literature, which show extraordinarily long spin lattice relaxation times—key to many well known schemes for quantum computing qubits—for the same impurities. Our results, taken together with the magnetic resonance data and progress in precise placement of single impurities, suggest that doped silicon, the basis for modern microelectronics, is also a model ion trap.

Assessing Music Perception in Young Children: Evidence for and Psychometric Features of the M-Factor.

PubMed

Barros, Caio G; Swardfager, Walter; Moreno, Sylvain; Bortz, Graziela; Ilari, Beatriz; Jackowski, Andrea P; Ploubidis, George; Little, Todd D; Lamont, Alexandra; Cogo-Moreira, Hugo

2017-01-01

Given the relationship between language acquisition and music processing, musical perception (MP) skills have been proposed as a tool for early diagnosis of speech and language difficulties; therefore, a psychometric instrument is needed to assess music perception in children under 10 years of age, a crucial period in neurodevelopment. We created a set of 80 musical stimuli encompassing seven domains of music perception to inform perception of tonal, atonal, and modal stimuli, in a random sample of 1006 children, 6-13 years of age, equally distributed from first to fifth grades, from 14 schools (38% private schools) in So Paulo State. The underlying model was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. A model encompassing seven orthogonal specific domains (contour, loudness, scale, timbre, duration, pitch, and meter) and one general music perception factor, the "m-factor," showed excellent fit indices. The m-factor, previously hypothesized in the literature but never formally tested, explains 93% of the reliable variance in measurement, while only 3.9% of the reliable variance could be attributed to the multidimensionality caused by the specific domains. The 80 items showed no differential item functioning based on sex, age, or enrolment in public vs. private school, demonstrating the important psychometric feature of invariance. Like Charles Spearman's g-factor of intelligence, the m-factor is robust and reliable. It provides a convenient measure of auditory stimulus apprehension that does not rely on verbal information, offering a new opportunity to probe biological and psychological relationships with music perception phenomena and the etiologies of speech and language disorders.

Binding of polarity-sensitive hydrophobic ligands to erythroid and nonerythroid spectrin: fluorescence and molecular modeling studies.

PubMed

Patra, Malay; Mitra, Madhurima; Chakrabarti, Abhijit; Mukhopadhyay, Chaitali

2014-01-01

We have used three polarity-sensitive fluorescence probes, 6-propionyl 2-(N,N-dimethyl-amino) naphthalene (Prodan), pyrene and 8-anilino 1-naphthalene sulphonic acid, to study their binding with erythroid and nonerythroid spectrin, using fluorescence spectroscopy. We have found that both bind to prodan and pyrene with high affinities with apparent dissociation constants (Kd) of .50 and .17 μM, for prodan, and .04 and .02 μM, for pyrene, respectively. The most striking aspect of these bindings have been that the binding stoichiometry have been equal to 1 in erythroid spectrin, both in dimeric and tetrameric form, and in tetrameric nonerythroid spectrin. From an estimate of apparent dielectric constants, the polarity of the binding site in both erythroid and nonerythroid forms have been found to be extremely hydrophobic. Thermodynamic parameters associated with such binding revealed that the binding is favored by positive change in entropy. Molecular docking studies alone indicate that both prodan and pyrene bind to the four major structural domains, following the order in the strength of binding to the Ankyrin binding domain > SH3 domain > Self-association domain > N-terminal domain of α-spectrin of both forms of spectrin. The binding experiments, particularly with the tetrameric nonerythroid spectrin, however, indicate more toward the self association domain in offering the unique binding site, since the binding stoichiometry have been 1 in all forms of dimeric and tetrameric spectrin, so far studied by us. Further studies are needed to characterize the hydrophobic binding sites in both forms of spectrin.

Gender on the brain: a case study of science communication in the new media environment.

PubMed

O'Connor, Cliodhna; Joffe, Helene

2014-01-01

Neuroscience research on sex difference is currently a controversial field, frequently accused of purveying a 'neurosexism' that functions to naturalise gender inequalities. However, there has been little empirical investigation of how information about neurobiological sex difference is interpreted within wider society. This paper presents a case study that tracks the journey of one high-profile study of neurobiological sex differences from its scientific publication through various layers of the public domain. A content analysis was performed to ascertain how the study was represented in five domains of communication: the original scientific article, a press release, the traditional news media, online reader comments and blog entries. Analysis suggested that scientific research on sex difference offers an opportunity to rehearse abiding cultural understandings of gender. In both scientific and popular contexts, traditional gender stereotypes were projected onto the novel scientific information, which was harnessed to demonstrate the factual truth and normative legitimacy of these beliefs. Though strains of misogyny were evident within the readers' comments, most discussion of the study took pains to portray the sexes' unique abilities as equal and 'complementary'. However, this content often resembled a form of benevolent sexism, in which praise of women's social-emotional skills compensated for their relegation from more esteemed trait-domains, such as rationality and productivity. The paper suggests that embedding these stereotype patterns in neuroscience may intensify their rhetorical potency by lending them the epistemic authority of science. It argues that the neuroscience of sex difference does not merely reflect, but can actively shape the gender norms of contemporary society.

Gender on the Brain: A Case Study of Science Communication in the New Media Environment

PubMed Central

O’Connor, Cliodhna; Joffe, Helene

2014-01-01

Neuroscience research on sex difference is currently a controversial field, frequently accused of purveying a ‘neurosexism’ that functions to naturalise gender inequalities. However, there has been little empirical investigation of how information about neurobiological sex difference is interpreted within wider society. This paper presents a case study that tracks the journey of one high-profile study of neurobiological sex differences from its scientific publication through various layers of the public domain. A content analysis was performed to ascertain how the study was represented in five domains of communication: the original scientific article, a press release, the traditional news media, online reader comments and blog entries. Analysis suggested that scientific research on sex difference offers an opportunity to rehearse abiding cultural understandings of gender. In both scientific and popular contexts, traditional gender stereotypes were projected onto the novel scientific information, which was harnessed to demonstrate the factual truth and normative legitimacy of these beliefs. Though strains of misogyny were evident within the readers’ comments, most discussion of the study took pains to portray the sexes’ unique abilities as equal and ‘complementary’. However, this content often resembled a form of benevolent sexism, in which praise of women’s social-emotional skills compensated for their relegation from more esteemed trait-domains, such as rationality and productivity. The paper suggests that embedding these stereotype patterns in neuroscience may intensify their rhetorical potency by lending them the epistemic authority of science. It argues that the neuroscience of sex difference does not merely reflect, but can actively shape the gender norms of contemporary society. PMID:25354280

A spectral X-ray CT simulation study for quantitative determination of iron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Ting; Kaftandjian, Valérie; Duvauchelle, Philippe; Zhu, Yuemin

2018-06-01

Iron is an essential element in the human body and disorders in iron such as iron deficiency or overload can cause serious diseases. This paper aims to explore the ability of spectral X-ray CT to quantitatively separate iron from calcium and potassium and to investigate the influence of different acquisition parameters on material decomposition performance. We simulated spectral X-ray CT imaging of a PMMA phantom filled with iron, calcium, and potassium solutions at various concentrations (15-200 mg/cc). Different acquisition parameters were considered, such as the number of energy bins (6, 10, 15, 20, 30, 60) and exposure factor per projection (0.025, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 mA s). Based on the simulation data, we investigated the performance of two regularized material decomposition approaches: projection domain method and image domain method. It was found that the former method discriminated iron from calcium, potassium and water in all cases and tended to benefit from lower number of energy bins for lower exposure factor acquisition. The latter method succeeded in iron determination only when the number of energy bins equals 60, and in this case, the contrast-to-noise ratios of the decomposed iron images are higher than those obtained using the projection domain method. The results demonstrate that both methods are able to discriminate and quantify iron from calcium, potassium and water under certain conditions. Their performances vary with the acquisition parameters of spectral CT. One can use one method or the other to benefit better performance according to the data available.

Assessing Music Perception in Young Children: Evidence for and Psychometric Features of the M-Factor

PubMed Central

Barros, Caio G.; Swardfager, Walter; Moreno, Sylvain; Bortz, Graziela; Ilari, Beatriz; Jackowski, Andrea P.; Ploubidis, George; Little, Todd D.; Lamont, Alexandra; Cogo-Moreira, Hugo

2017-01-01

Given the relationship between language acquisition and music processing, musical perception (MP) skills have been proposed as a tool for early diagnosis of speech and language difficulties; therefore, a psychometric instrument is needed to assess music perception in children under 10 years of age, a crucial period in neurodevelopment. We created a set of 80 musical stimuli encompassing seven domains of music perception to inform perception of tonal, atonal, and modal stimuli, in a random sample of 1006 children, 6–13 years of age, equally distributed from first to fifth grades, from 14 schools (38% private schools) in So Paulo State. The underlying model was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. A model encompassing seven orthogonal specific domains (contour, loudness, scale, timbre, duration, pitch, and meter) and one general music perception factor, the “m-factor,” showed excellent fit indices. The m-factor, previously hypothesized in the literature but never formally tested, explains 93% of the reliable variance in measurement, while only 3.9% of the reliable variance could be attributed to the multidimensionality caused by the specific domains. The 80 items showed no differential item functioning based on sex, age, or enrolment in public vs. private school, demonstrating the important psychometric feature of invariance. Like Charles Spearman's g-factor of intelligence, the m-factor is robust and reliable. It provides a convenient measure of auditory stimulus apprehension that does not rely on verbal information, offering a new opportunity to probe biological and psychological relationships with music perception phenomena and the etiologies of speech and language disorders. PMID:28174518

On cyclic yield strength in definition of limits for characterisation of fatigue and creep behaviour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorash, Yevgen; MacKenzie, Donald

2017-06-01

This study proposes cyclic yield strength as a potential characteristic of safe design for structures operating under fatigue and creep conditions. Cyclic yield strength is defined on a cyclic stress-strain curve, while monotonic yield strength is defined on a monotonic curve. Both values of strengths are identified using a two-step procedure of the experimental stress-strain curves fitting with application of Ramberg-Osgood and Chaboche material models. A typical S-N curve in stress-life approach for fatigue analysis has a distinctive minimum stress lower bound, the fatigue endurance limit. Comparison of cyclic strength and fatigue limit reveals that they are approximately equal. Thus, safe fatigue design is guaranteed in the purely elastic domain defined by the cyclic yielding. A typical long-term strength curve in time-to-failure approach for creep analysis has two inflections corresponding to the cyclic and monotonic strengths. These inflections separate three domains on the long-term strength curve, which are characterised by different creep fracture modes and creep deformation mechanisms. Therefore, safe creep design is guaranteed in the linear creep domain with brittle failure mode defined by the cyclic yielding. These assumptions are confirmed using three structural steels for normal and high-temperature applications. The advantage of using cyclic yield strength for characterisation of fatigue and creep strength is a relatively quick experimental identification. The total duration of cyclic tests for a cyclic stress-strain curve identification is much less than the typical durations of fatigue and creep rupture tests at the stress levels around the cyclic yield strength.

Quality in the provision of headache care. 2: defining quality and its indicators.

PubMed

Peters, Michele; Jenkinson, Crispin; Perera, Suraj; Loder, Elizabeth; Jensen, Rigmor; Katsarava, Zaza; Gil Gouveia, Raquel; Broner, Susan; Steiner, Timothy

2012-08-01

The objective of this study was to define "quality" of headache care, and develop indicators that are applicable in different settings and cultures and to all types of headache. No definition of quality of headache care has been formulated. Two sets of quality indicators, proposed in the US and UK, are limited to their localities and/or specific to migraine and their development received no input from people with headache. We first undertook a literature review. Then we conducted a series of focus-group consultations with key stakeholders (doctors, nurses and patients) in headache care. From the findings we proposed a large number of putative quality indicators, and refined these and reduced their number in consultations with larger international groups of stakeholder representatives. We formulated a definition of quality from the quality indicators. Five main themes were identified: (1) headache services; (2) health professionals; (3) patients; (4) financial resources; (5) political agenda and legislation. An initial list of 160 putative quality indicators in 14 domains was reduced to 30 indicators in 9 domains. These gave rise to the following multidimensional definition of quality of headache care: "Good-quality headache care achieves accurate diagnosis and individualized management, has appropriate referral pathways, educates patients about their headaches and their management, is convenient and comfortable, satisfies patients, is efficient and equitable, assesses outcomes and is safe." Quality in headache care is multidimensional and resides in nine essential domains that are of equal importance. The indicators are currently being tested for feasibility of use in clinical settings.

Pharmacist provision of primary health care: a modified Delphi validation of pharmacists' competencies

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Pharmacists have expanded their roles and responsibilities as a result of primary health care reform. There is currently no consensus on the core competencies for pharmacists working in these evolving practices. The aim of this study was to develop and validate competencies for pharmacists' effective performance in these roles, and in so doing, document the perceived contribution of pharmacists providing collaborative primary health care services. Methods Using a modified Delphi process including assessing perception of the frequency and criticality of performing tasks, we validated competencies important to primary health care pharmacists practising across Canada. Results Ten key informants contributed to competency drafting; thirty-three expert pharmacists replied to a second round survey. The final primary health care pharmacist competencies consisted of 34 elements and 153 sub-elements organized in seven CanMeds-based domains. Highest importance rankings were allocated to the domains of care provider and professional, followed by communicator and collaborator, with the lower importance rankings relatively equally distributed across the manager, advocate and scholar domains. Conclusions Expert pharmacists working in primary health care estimated their most important responsibilities to be related to direct patient care. Competencies that underlie and are required for successful fulfillment of these patient care responsibilities, such as those related to communication, collaboration and professionalism were also highly ranked. These ranked competencies can be used to help pharmacists understand their potential roles in these evolving practices, to help other health care professionals learn about pharmacists' contributions to primary health care, to establish standards and performance indicators, and to prioritize supports and education to maximize effectiveness in this role. PMID:22455482

Tuning the antiferromagnetic helical pitch length and nanoscale domain size in Fe3PO4O3 by magnetic dilution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarne, M. J.; Bordelon, M. M.; Calder, S.; Neilson, J. R.; Ross, K. A.

2017-12-01

The insulating magnetic material Fe3PO4O3 features a noncentrosymmetric lattice composed of Fe3 + triangular units. Frustration, due to competing near-neighbor (J1) and next-nearest-neighbor (J2) antiferromagnetic interactions, was recently suggested to be the origin of an antiferromagnetic helical ground state with unusual needlelike nanoscale magnetic domains in Fe3PO4O3 . Magnetic dilution is shown here to tune the ratio of these magnetic interactions, thus providing deeper insight into this unconventional antiferromagnet. Dilution of the Fe3 + lattice in Fe3PO4O3 was accomplished by substituting nonmagnetic Ga3 + to form the solid solution series Fe3-xGaxPO4O3 with x =0.012 , 0.06, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5. Magnetic susceptibility and neutron powder diffraction data from this series are presented. A continuous decrease of both the helical pitch length and the domain size is observed with increasing dilution up to at least x =0.25 , while for x ≥0.5 , the compounds lack long-range magnetic order entirely. The decrease in the helical pitch length with increasing x can be qualitatively understood by reduction of the ratio of J2/J1 in the Heisenberg model, consistent with mean-field considerations. Intriguingly, the magnetic correlation length in the a b plane remains nearly equal to the pitch length for each value of x ≤0.25 , showing that the two quantities are intrinsically connected in this unusual antiferromagnet.

In silico simulations of STAT1 and STAT3 inhibitors predict SH2 domain cross-binding specificity.

PubMed

Szelag, Malgorzata; Sikorski, Krzysztof; Czerwoniec, Anna; Szatkowska, Katarzyna; Wesoly, Joanna; Bluyssen, Hans A R

2013-11-15

Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) comprise a family of transcription factors that are structurally related and which participate in signaling pathways activated by cytokines, growth factors and pathogens. Activation of STAT proteins is mediated by the highly conserved Src homology 2 (SH2) domain, which interacts with phosphotyrosine motifs for specific contacts between STATs and receptors and for STAT dimerization. By generating new models for human (h)STAT1, hSTAT2 and hSTAT3 we applied comparative in silico docking to determine SH2-binding specificity of the STAT3 inhibitor stattic, and of fludarabine (STAT1 inhibitor). Thus, we provide evidence that by primarily targeting the highly conserved phosphotyrosine (pY+0) SH2 binding pocket stattic is not a specific hSTAT3 inhibitor, but is equally effective towards hSTAT1 and hSTAT2. This was confirmed in Human Micro-vascular Endothelial Cells (HMECs) in vitro, in which stattic inhibited interferon-α-induced phosphorylation of all three STATs. Likewise, fludarabine inhibits both hSTAT1 and hSTAT3 phosphorylation, but not hSTAT2, by competing with the highly conserved pY+0 and pY-X binding sites, which are less well-preserved in hSTAT2. Moreover we observed that in HMECs in vitro fludarabine inhibits cytokine and lipopolysaccharide-induced phosphorylation of hSTAT1 and hSTAT3 but does not affect hSTAT2. Finally, multiple sequence alignment of STAT-SH2 domain sequences confirmed high conservation between hSTAT1 and hSTAT3, but not hSTAT2, with respect to stattic and fludarabine binding sites. Together our data offer a molecular basis that explains STAT cross-binding specificity of stattic and fludarabine, thereby questioning the present selection strategies of SH2 domain-based competitive small inhibitors. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Molecular modeling study for interaction between Bacillus subtilis Obg and Nucleotides.

PubMed

Lee, Yuno; Bang, Woo Young; Kim, Songmi; Lazar, Prettina; Kim, Chul Wook; Bahk, Jeong Dong; Lee, Keun Woo

2010-09-07

The bacterial Obg proteins (Spo0B-associated GTP-binding protein) belong to the subfamily of P-loop GTPase proteins that contain two equally and highly conserved domains, a C-terminal GTP binding domain and an N-terminal glycine-rich domain which is referred as the "Obg fold" and now it is considered as one of the new targets for antibacterial drug. When the Obg protein is associated with GTP, it becomes activated, because conformation of Obg fold changes due to the structural changes of GTPase switch elements in GTP binding site. In order to investigate the effects and structural changes in GTP bound to Obg and GTPase switch elements for activation, four different molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed with/without the three different nucleotides (GTP, GDP, and GDP + Pi) using the Bacillus subtilis Obg (BsObg) structure. The protein structures generated from the four different systems were compared using their representative structures. The pattern of C(alpha)-C(alpha) distance plot and angle between the two Obg fold domains of simulated apo form and each system (GTP, GDP, and GDP+Pi) were significantly different in the GTP-bound system from the others. The switch 2 element was significantly changed in GTP-bound system. Also root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF) analysis revealed that the flexibility of the switch 2 element region was much higher than the others. This was caused by the characteristic binding mode of the nucleotides. When GTP was bound to Obg, its gamma-phosphate oxygen was found to interact with the key residue (D212) of the switch 2 element, on the contrary there was no such interaction found in other systems. Based on the results, we were able to predict the possible binding conformation of the activated form of Obg with L13, which is essential for the assembly with ribosome.

Multiscale Multiphysics and Multidomain Models I: Basic Theory

PubMed Central

Wei, Guo-Wei

2013-01-01

This work extends our earlier two-domain formulation of a differential geometry based multiscale paradigm into a multidomain theory, which endows us the ability to simultaneously accommodate multiphysical descriptions of aqueous chemical, physical and biological systems, such as fuel cells, solar cells, nanofluidics, ion channels, viruses, RNA polymerases, molecular motors and large macromolecular complexes. The essential idea is to make use of the differential geometry theory of surfaces as a natural means to geometrically separate the macroscopic domain of solvent from the microscopic domain of solute, and dynamically couple continuum and discrete descriptions. Our main strategy is to construct energy functionals to put on an equal footing of multiphysics, including polar (i.e., electrostatic) solvation, nonpolar solvation, chemical potential, quantum mechanics, fluid mechanics, molecular mechanics, coarse grained dynamics and elastic dynamics. The variational principle is applied to the energy functionals to derive desirable governing equations, such as multidomain Laplace-Beltrami (LB) equations for macromolecular morphologies, multidomain Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation or Poisson equation for electrostatic potential, generalized Nernst-Planck (NP) equations for the dynamics of charged solvent species, generalized Navier-Stokes (NS) equation for fluid dynamics, generalized Newton's equations for molecular dynamics (MD) or coarse-grained dynamics and equation of motion for elastic dynamics. Unlike the classical PB equation, our PB equation is an integral-differential equation due to solvent-solute interactions. To illustrate the proposed formalism, we have explicitly constructed three models, a multidomain solvation model, a multidomain charge transport model and a multidomain chemo-electro-fluid-MD-elastic model. Each solute domain is equipped with distinct surface tension, pressure, dielectric function, and charge density distribution. In addition to long-range Coulombic interactions, various non-electrostatic solvent-solute interactions are considered in the present modeling. We demonstrate the consistency between the non-equilibrium charge transport model and the equilibrium solvation model by showing the systematical reduction of the former to the latter at equilibrium. This paper also offers a brief review of the field. PMID:25382892

Multiscale Multiphysics and Multidomain Models I: Basic Theory.

PubMed

Wei, Guo-Wei

2013-12-01

This work extends our earlier two-domain formulation of a differential geometry based multiscale paradigm into a multidomain theory, which endows us the ability to simultaneously accommodate multiphysical descriptions of aqueous chemical, physical and biological systems, such as fuel cells, solar cells, nanofluidics, ion channels, viruses, RNA polymerases, molecular motors and large macromolecular complexes. The essential idea is to make use of the differential geometry theory of surfaces as a natural means to geometrically separate the macroscopic domain of solvent from the microscopic domain of solute, and dynamically couple continuum and discrete descriptions. Our main strategy is to construct energy functionals to put on an equal footing of multiphysics, including polar (i.e., electrostatic) solvation, nonpolar solvation, chemical potential, quantum mechanics, fluid mechanics, molecular mechanics, coarse grained dynamics and elastic dynamics. The variational principle is applied to the energy functionals to derive desirable governing equations, such as multidomain Laplace-Beltrami (LB) equations for macromolecular morphologies, multidomain Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) equation or Poisson equation for electrostatic potential, generalized Nernst-Planck (NP) equations for the dynamics of charged solvent species, generalized Navier-Stokes (NS) equation for fluid dynamics, generalized Newton's equations for molecular dynamics (MD) or coarse-grained dynamics and equation of motion for elastic dynamics. Unlike the classical PB equation, our PB equation is an integral-differential equation due to solvent-solute interactions. To illustrate the proposed formalism, we have explicitly constructed three models, a multidomain solvation model, a multidomain charge transport model and a multidomain chemo-electro-fluid-MD-elastic model. Each solute domain is equipped with distinct surface tension, pressure, dielectric function, and charge density distribution. In addition to long-range Coulombic interactions, various non-electrostatic solvent-solute interactions are considered in the present modeling. We demonstrate the consistency between the non-equilibrium charge transport model and the equilibrium solvation model by showing the systematical reduction of the former to the latter at equilibrium. This paper also offers a brief review of the field.

Modelling of Thyroid Peroxidase Reveals Insights into Its Enzyme Function and Autoantigenicity

PubMed Central

Fodor, James; Riley, Blake; Godlewska, Marlena; Góra, Monika; Czarnocka, Barbara; Banga, J Paul; Hoke, David E.; Kass, Itamar; Buckle, Ashley M.

2015-01-01

Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) catalyses the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones and is a major autoantigen in Hashimoto’s disease—the most common organ-specific autoimmune disease. Epitope mapping studies have shown that the autoimmune response to TPO is directed mainly at two surface regions on the molecule: immunodominant regions A and B (IDR-A, and IDR-B). TPO has been a major target for structural studies for over 20 years; however, to date, the structure of TPO remains to be determined. We have used a molecular modelling approach to investigate plausible modes of TPO structure and dimer organisation. Sequence features of the C-terminus are consistent with a coiled-coil dimerization motif that most likely anchors the TPO dimer in the apical membrane of thyroid follicular cells. Two contrasting models of TPO were produced, differing in the orientation and exposure of their active sites relative to the membrane. Both models are equally plausible based upon the known enzymatic function of TPO. The “trans” model places IDR-B on the membrane-facing side of the myeloperoxidase (MPO)-like domain, potentially hindering access of autoantibodies, necessitating considerable conformational change, and perhaps even dissociation of the dimer into monomers. IDR-A spans MPO- and CCP-like domains and is relatively fragmented compared to IDR-B, therefore most likely requiring domain rearrangements in order to coalesce into one compact epitope. Less epitope fragmentation and higher solvent accessibility of the “cis” model favours it slightly over the “trans” model. Here, IDR-B clusters towards the surface of the MPO-like domain facing the thyroid follicular lumen preventing steric hindrance of autoantibodies. However, conformational rearrangements may still be necessary to allow full engagement with autoantibodies, with IDR-B on both models being close to the dimer interface. Taken together, the modelling highlights the need to consider the oligomeric state of TPO, its conformational properties, and its proximity to the membrane, when interpreting epitope-mapping data. PMID:26623656

Modelling of Thyroid Peroxidase Reveals Insights into Its Enzyme Function and Autoantigenicity.

PubMed

Le, Sarah N; Porebski, Benjamin T; McCoey, Julia; Fodor, James; Riley, Blake; Godlewska, Marlena; Góra, Monika; Czarnocka, Barbara; Banga, J Paul; Hoke, David E; Kass, Itamar; Buckle, Ashley M

2015-01-01

Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) catalyses the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones and is a major autoantigen in Hashimoto's disease--the most common organ-specific autoimmune disease. Epitope mapping studies have shown that the autoimmune response to TPO is directed mainly at two surface regions on the molecule: immunodominant regions A and B (IDR-A, and IDR-B). TPO has been a major target for structural studies for over 20 years; however, to date, the structure of TPO remains to be determined. We have used a molecular modelling approach to investigate plausible modes of TPO structure and dimer organisation. Sequence features of the C-terminus are consistent with a coiled-coil dimerization motif that most likely anchors the TPO dimer in the apical membrane of thyroid follicular cells. Two contrasting models of TPO were produced, differing in the orientation and exposure of their active sites relative to the membrane. Both models are equally plausible based upon the known enzymatic function of TPO. The "trans" model places IDR-B on the membrane-facing side of the myeloperoxidase (MPO)-like domain, potentially hindering access of autoantibodies, necessitating considerable conformational change, and perhaps even dissociation of the dimer into monomers. IDR-A spans MPO- and CCP-like domains and is relatively fragmented compared to IDR-B, therefore most likely requiring domain rearrangements in order to coalesce into one compact epitope. Less epitope fragmentation and higher solvent accessibility of the "cis" model favours it slightly over the "trans" model. Here, IDR-B clusters towards the surface of the MPO-like domain facing the thyroid follicular lumen preventing steric hindrance of autoantibodies. However, conformational rearrangements may still be necessary to allow full engagement with autoantibodies, with IDR-B on both models being close to the dimer interface. Taken together, the modelling highlights the need to consider the oligomeric state of TPO, its conformational properties, and its proximity to the membrane, when interpreting epitope-mapping data.

The Knowledge Translation Status in Selected Eastern-Mediterranean Universities and Research Institutes

PubMed Central

Maleki, Katayoun; Hamadeh, Randah R.; Gholami, Jaleh; Mandil, Ahmed; Hamid, Saima; Butt, Zahid Ahmad; Saeed, Abdulaziz Bin; Kheir, Dalia Y. M. El; Saleem, Mohammed; Maqsoud, Sahar; Safi, Najibullah; Abdul-Majeed, Ban A.; Majdzadeh, Reza

2014-01-01

Background A serious worldwide effort to strengthen research based knowledge translation (KT) has begun in recent years and some countries, particularly developed ones, are trying to incorporate KT in their health and health research systems. Keeping in mind the recent economic depression and the need to perform more efficient research, we aimed to assess and compare the KT status of selected health research institutes in the Eastern Mediterranean Regions' countries, and to identify their strengths and weaknesses in the field. Methods After finding the focal points that would steer the focus group discussions (FGDs) and help complete the ‘Self Assessment Tool for Research Institutes’ (SATORI) tool, each focal point held two FGDs in which researchers, research authorities and other individuals specified in detail further in the study were held. The scores obtained by each institute were evaluated quantitatively, and the transcriptions were analyzed qualitatively with OpenCode software. Results For ease of analysis the 50 items of the SATORI were classified into 7 main domains: ‘priority setting’, ‘research quality and timeliness’, ‘researchers’ KT capacities', ‘facilities and pre-requisites of KT’, ‘processes and regulations supporting KT’, ‘interaction with research users’, and ‘promoting and evaluating the use of knowledge’. Based on the scoring system, the strongest domain was ‘research quality and timeliness’. ‘Priority setting’ was the weakest domain of all. The remaining domains were more or less equal in strength and were not in a favorable state. The qualitative findings confirmed the quantitative findings. Conclusions The main problem, it seems, is that a KT climate does not exist in the region. And despite the difference in the contexts, there are many similarities in the region's institutes included in this study. Collaborative efforts can play a role in creating this climate by steering countries towards KT and suggesting regional strategic directions according to their needs. PMID:25197834