Randomised controlled trial of improvisational music therapy's effectiveness for children with autism spectrum disorders (TIME-A): study protocol

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Previous research has suggested that music therapy may facilitate skills in areas typically affected by autism spectrum disorders such as social interaction and communication. However, generalisability of previous findings has been restricted, as studies were limited in either methodological accuracy or the clinical relevance of their approach. The aim of this study is to determine effects of improvisational music therapy on social communication skills of children with autism spectrum disorders. An additional aim of the study is to examine if variation in dose of treatment (i.e., number of music therapy sessions per week) affects outcome of therapy, and to determine cost-effectiveness. Methods/Design Children aged between 4;0 and 6;11 years who are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder will be randomly assigned to one of three conditions. Parents of all participants will receive three sessions of parent counselling (at 0, 2, and 5 months). In addition, children randomised to the two intervention groups will be offered individual, improvisational music therapy over a period of five months, either one session (low-intensity) or three sessions (high-intensity) per week. Generalised effects of music therapy will be measured using standardised scales completed by blinded assessors (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, ADOS) and parents (Social Responsiveness Scale, SRS) before and 2, 5, and 12 months after randomisation. Cost effectiveness will be calculated as man years. A group sequential design with first interim look at N = 235 will ensure both power and efficiency. Discussion Responding to the need for more rigorously designed trials examining the effectiveness of music therapy in autism spectrum disorders, this pragmatic trial sets out to generate findings that will be well generalisable to clinical practice. Addressing the issue of dose variation, this study's results will also provide information on the relevance of session frequency for therapy outcome. Trial Registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN78923965. PMID:22221670

The generalised Sylvester matrix equations over the generalised bisymmetric and skew-symmetric matrices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dehghan, Mehdi; Hajarian, Masoud

2012-08-01

A matrix P is called a symmetric orthogonal if P = P T = P -1. A matrix X is said to be a generalised bisymmetric with respect to P if X = X T = PXP. It is obvious that any symmetric matrix is also a generalised bisymmetric matrix with respect to I (identity matrix). By extending the idea of the Jacobi and the Gauss-Seidel iterations, this article proposes two new iterative methods, respectively, for computing the generalised bisymmetric (containing symmetric solution as a special case) and skew-symmetric solutions of the generalised Sylvester matrix equation ? (including Sylvester and Lyapunov matrix equations as special cases) which is encountered in many systems and control applications. When the generalised Sylvester matrix equation has a unique generalised bisymmetric (skew-symmetric) solution, the first (second) iterative method converges to the generalised bisymmetric (skew-symmetric) solution of this matrix equation for any initial generalised bisymmetric (skew-symmetric) matrix. Finally, some numerical results are given to illustrate the effect of the theoretical results.

Young Australian Indigenous Students' Growing Pattern Generalisations: The Role of Gesture When Generalising

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Jodie

2014-01-01

This paper explores how young Indigenous students' (Year 2 and 3) generalise growing patterns. Piagetian clinical interviews were conducted to determine how students articulated growing pattern generalisations. Two case studies are presented displaying how students used gesture to support and articulate their generalisations of growing patterns.…

Supporting Teachers to Attend to Generalisation in Science Classroom Argumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shemwell, Jonathan T.; Gwarjanski, Kalee R.; Capps, Daniel K.; Avargil, Shirly; Meyer, Joanna L.

2015-03-01

In scientific arguments, claims must have meaning that extends beyond the immediate circumstances of an investigation. That is, claims must be generalised in some way. Therefore, teachers facilitating classroom argumentation must be prepared to support students' efforts to construct or criticise generalised claims. However, widely used argumentation support tools, for instance, the claim-evidence-reasoning (CER) framework, tend not to address generalisation. Accordingly, teachers using these kinds of tools may not be prepared to help their students negotiate issues of generalisation in arguments. We investigated this possibility in a study of professional development activities of 18 middle school teachers using CER. We compared the teachers' approach to generalisation when using a published version of CER to their approach when using an alternate form of CER that increased support for generalisation. In several different sessions, the teachers: (1) responded to survey questions when using CER, (2) critiqued student arguments, (3) used both CER and alternate CER to construct arguments, and (4) discussed the experience of using CER and alternate CER. When using the standard CER, the teachers did not explicitly attend to generalisation in student arguments or in their own arguments. With alternate CER, the teachers generalised their own arguments, and they acknowledged the need for generalisation in student arguments. We concluded that teachers using frameworks for supporting scientific argumentation could benefit from more explicit support for generalisation than CER provides. More broadly, we concluded that generalisation deserves increased attention as a pedagogical challenge within classroom scientific argumentation.

A Sequential Method to Prepare Polymorphs and Solvatomorphs of [Fe(1,3-bpp)2 ](ClO4 )2 ⋅nH2 O (n=0, 1, 2) with Varying Spin-Crossover Behaviour.

PubMed

Bartual-Murgui, Carlos; Codina, Carlota; Roubeau, Olivier; Aromí, Guillem

2016-08-26

Two polymorphs of the spin crossover (SCO) compound [Fe(1,3-bpp)2 ](ClO4 )2 (1 and 2; 1,3-bpp=2-(pyrazol-1-yl)-6-(pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine) were prepared using a novel, stepwise procedure. Crystals of 1 deposit from dry solvents, while 2 is obtained from a solid-state procedure, by sequentially removing lattice H2 O molecules from the solvatomorph [Fe(1,3-bpp)2 ](ClO4 )2 ⋅2 H2 O (2⋅2 H2 O), using single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformations. Hydrate 2⋅2 H2 O is obtained through the same reaction as 1, now with 2.5 % of water added. Compounds 2 and 2⋅2 H2 O are unstable in the atmosphere and absorb or lose one equivalent of water, respectively, to both yield the stable solvatomorph [Fe(1,3-bpp)2 ](ClO4 )2 ⋅H2 O (2⋅H2 O), also following SCSC processes. The four derivatives have been characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD). Furthermore, the homogeneity of the various compounds as well as their SCSC interconversions have been confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). Polymorphs 1 and 2 exhibit abrupt SCO behaviour near room temperature with T1/2↑ =279/316 K and T1/2↓ =276/314 K (near 40 K of shift) and different cooperativity. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An eye movement based reading intervention in lexical and segmental readers with acquired dyslexia.

PubMed

Ablinger, Irene; von Heyden, Kerstin; Vorstius, Christian; Halm, Katja; Huber, Walter; Radach, Ralph

2014-01-01

Due to their brain damage, aphasic patients with acquired dyslexia often rely to a greater extent on lexical or segmental reading procedures. Thus, therapy intervention is mostly targeted on the more impaired reading strategy. In the present work we introduce a novel therapy approach based on real-time measurement of patients' eye movements as they attempt to read words. More specifically, an eye movement contingent technique of stepwise letter de-masking was used to support sequential reading, whereas fixation-dependent initial masking of non-central letters stimulated a lexical (parallel) reading strategy. Four lexical and four segmental readers with acquired central dyslexia received our intensive reading intervention. All participants showed remarkable improvements as evident in reduced total reading time, a reduced number of fixations per word and improved reading accuracy. Both types of intervention led to item-specific training effects in all subjects. A generalisation to untrained items was only found in segmental readers after the lexical training. Eye movement analyses were also used to compare word processing before and after therapy, indicating that all patients, with one exclusion, maintained their preferred reading strategy. However, in several cases the balance between sequential and lexical processing became less extreme, indicating a more effective individual interplay of both word processing routes.

Generalised monogamy relation of convex-roof extended negativity in multi-level systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Tian; Luo, Yu; Li, Yongming

2016-11-01

In this paper, we investigate the generalised monogamy inequalities of convex-roof extended negativity (CREN) in multi-level systems. The generalised monogamy inequalities provide the upper and lower bounds of bipartite entanglement, which are obtained by using CREN and the CREN of assistance (CRENOA). Furthermore, we show that the CREN of multi-qubit pure states satisfies some monogamy relations. Additionally, we test the generalised monogamy inequalities for qudits by considering the partially coherent superposition of a generalised W-class state in a vacuum and show that the generalised monogamy inequalities are satisfied in this case as well.

Generalised monogamy relation of convex-roof extended negativity in multi-level systems

PubMed Central

Tian, Tian; Luo, Yu; Li, Yongming

2016-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the generalised monogamy inequalities of convex-roof extended negativity (CREN) in multi-level systems. The generalised monogamy inequalities provide the upper and lower bounds of bipartite entanglement, which are obtained by using CREN and the CREN of assistance (CRENOA). Furthermore, we show that the CREN of multi-qubit pure states satisfies some monogamy relations. Additionally, we test the generalised monogamy inequalities for qudits by considering the partially coherent superposition of a generalised W-class state in a vacuum and show that the generalised monogamy inequalities are satisfied in this case as well. PMID:27857163

Generalised monogamy relation of convex-roof extended negativity in multi-level systems.

PubMed

Tian, Tian; Luo, Yu; Li, Yongming

2016-11-18

In this paper, we investigate the generalised monogamy inequalities of convex-roof extended negativity (CREN) in multi-level systems. The generalised monogamy inequalities provide the upper and lower bounds of bipartite entanglement, which are obtained by using CREN and the CREN of assistance (CRENOA). Furthermore, we show that the CREN of multi-qubit pure states satisfies some monogamy relations. Additionally, we test the generalised monogamy inequalities for qudits by considering the partially coherent superposition of a generalised W-class state in a vacuum and show that the generalised monogamy inequalities are satisfied in this case as well.

Propagation of nonlinear shock waves for the generalised Oskolkov equation and its dynamic motions in the presence of an external periodic perturbation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ak, Turgut; Aydemir, Tugba; Saha, Asit; Kara, Abdul Hamid

2018-06-01

Propagation of nonlinear shock waves for the generalised Oskolkov equation and dynamic motions of the perturbed Oskolkov equation are investigated. Employing the unified method, a collection of exact shock wave solutions for the generalised Oskolkov equations is presented. Collocation finite element method is applied to the generalised Oskolkov equation for checking the accuracy of the proposed method by two test problems including the motion of shock wave and evolution of waves with Gaussian and undular bore initial conditions. Considering an external periodic perturbation, the dynamic motions of the perturbed generalised Oskolkov equation are studied depending on the system parameters with the help of phase portrait and time series plot. The perturbed generalised Oskolkov equation exhibits period-3, quasiperiodic and chaotic motions for some special values of the system parameters, whereas the generalised Oskolkov equation presents shock waves in the absence of external periodic perturbation.

Multisensor surveillance data augmentation and prediction with optical multipath signal processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bush, G. T., III

1980-12-01

The spatial characteristics of an oil spill on the high seas are examined in the interest of determining whether linear-shift-invariant data processing implemented on an optical computer would be a useful tool in analyzing spill behavior. Simulations were performed on a digital computer using data obtained from a 25,000 gallon spill of soy bean oil in the open ocean. Marked changes occurred in the observed spatial frequencies when the oil spill was encountered. An optical detector may readily be developed to sound an alarm automatically when this happens. The average extent of oil spread between sequential observations was quantified by a simulation of non-holographic optical computation. Because a zero crossover was available in this computation, it may be possible to construct a system to measure automatically the amount of spread. Oil images were subjected to deconvolutional filtering to reveal the force field which acted upon the oil to cause spreading. Some features of spill-size prediction were observed. Calculations based on two sequential photos produced an image which exhibited characteristics of the third photo in that sequence.

An environmental generalised Luenberger-Hicks-Moorsteen productivity indicator and an environmental generalised Hicks-Moorsteen productivity index.

PubMed

Abad, A

2015-09-15

The purpose of this paper is to introduce an environmental generalised productivity indicator and its ratio-based counterpart. The innovative environmental generalised total factor productivity measures inherit the basic structure of both Hicks-Moorsteen productivity index and Luenberger-Hicks-Moorsteen productivity indicator. This methodological contribution shows that these new environmental generalised total factor productivity measures yield the earlier standard Hicks-Moorsteen index and Luenberger-Hicks-Moorsteen indicator, as well as environmental performance index, as special cases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fearing shades of grey: individual differences in fear responding towards generalisation stimuli.

PubMed

Arnaudova, Inna; Krypotos, Angelos-Miltiadis; Effting, Marieke; Kindt, Merel; Beckers, Tom

2017-09-01

Individual differences in fear generalisation have been proposed to play a role in the aetiology and/or maintenance of anxiety disorders, but few data are available to directly support that claim. The research that is available has focused mostly on generalisation of peripheral and central physiological fear responses. Far less is known about the generalisation of avoidance, the behavioural component of fear. In two experiments, we evaluated how neuroticism, a known vulnerability factor for anxiety, modulates an array of fear responses, including avoidance tendencies, towards generalisation stimuli (GS). Participants underwent differential fear conditioning, in which one conditioned stimulus (CS+) was repeatedly paired with an aversive outcome (shock; unconditioned stimulus, US), whereas another was not (CS-). Fear generalisation was observed across measures in Experiment 1 (US expectancy and evaluative ratings) and Experiment 2 (US expectancy, evaluative ratings, skin conductance, startle responses, safety behaviours), with overall highest responding to the CS+, lowest to the CS- and intermediate responding to the GSs. Neuroticism had very little impact on fear generalisation (but did affect GS recognition rates in Experiment 1), in line with the idea that fear generalisation is largely an adaptive process.

In silico modelling of directed evolution: Implications for experimental design and stepwise evolution.

PubMed

Wedge, David C; Rowe, William; Kell, Douglas B; Knowles, Joshua

2009-03-07

We model the process of directed evolution (DE) in silico using genetic algorithms. Making use of the NK fitness landscape model, we analyse the effects of mutation rate, crossover and selection pressure on the performance of DE. A range of values of K, the epistatic interaction of the landscape, are considered, and high- and low-throughput modes of evolution are compared. Our findings suggest that for runs of or around ten generations' duration-as is typical in DE-there is little difference between the way in which DE needs to be configured in the high- and low-throughput regimes, nor across different degrees of landscape epistasis. In all cases, a high selection pressure (but not an extreme one) combined with a moderately high mutation rate works best, while crossover provides some benefit but only on the less rugged landscapes. These genetic algorithms were also compared with a "model-based approach" from the literature, which uses sequential fixing of the problem parameters based on fitting a linear model. Overall, we find that purely evolutionary techniques fare better than do model-based approaches across all but the smoothest landscapes.

Generalised relativistic Ohm's laws, extended gauge transformations, and magnetic linking

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

Pegoraro, F.

2015-11-15

Generalisations of the relativistic ideal Ohm's law are presented that include specific dynamical features of the current carrying particles in a plasma. Cases of interest for space and laboratory plasmas are identified where these generalisations allow for the definition of generalised electromagnetic fields that transform under a Lorentz boost in the same way as the real electromagnetic fields and that obey the same set of homogeneous Maxwell's equations.

Quantum generalisation of feedforward neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Kwok Ho; Dahlsten, Oscar; Kristjánsson, Hlér; Gardner, Robert; Kim, M. S.

2017-09-01

We propose a quantum generalisation of a classical neural network. The classical neurons are firstly rendered reversible by adding ancillary bits. Then they are generalised to being quantum reversible, i.e., unitary (the classical networks we generalise are called feedforward, and have step-function activation functions). The quantum network can be trained efficiently using gradient descent on a cost function to perform quantum generalisations of classical tasks. We demonstrate numerically that it can: (i) compress quantum states onto a minimal number of qubits, creating a quantum autoencoder, and (ii) discover quantum communication protocols such as teleportation. Our general recipe is theoretical and implementation-independent. The quantum neuron module can naturally be implemented photonically.

Choosing appropriate analysis methods for cluster randomised cross-over trials with a binary outcome.

PubMed

Morgan, Katy E; Forbes, Andrew B; Keogh, Ruth H; Jairath, Vipul; Kahan, Brennan C

2017-01-30

In cluster randomised cross-over (CRXO) trials, clusters receive multiple treatments in a randomised sequence over time. In such trials, there is usual correlation between patients in the same cluster. In addition, within a cluster, patients in the same period may be more similar to each other than to patients in other periods. We demonstrate that it is necessary to account for these correlations in the analysis to obtain correct Type I error rates. We then use simulation to compare different methods of analysing a binary outcome from a two-period CRXO design. Our simulations demonstrated that hierarchical models without random effects for period-within-cluster, which do not account for any extra within-period correlation, performed poorly with greatly inflated Type I errors in many scenarios. In scenarios where extra within-period correlation was present, a hierarchical model with random effects for cluster and period-within-cluster only had correct Type I errors when there were large numbers of clusters; with small numbers of clusters, the error rate was inflated. We also found that generalised estimating equations did not give correct error rates in any scenarios considered. An unweighted cluster-level summary regression performed best overall, maintaining an error rate close to 5% for all scenarios, although it lost power when extra within-period correlation was present, especially for small numbers of clusters. Results from our simulation study show that it is important to model both levels of clustering in CRXO trials, and that any extra within-period correlation should be accounted for. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

On the Full-Discrete Extended Generalised q-Difference Toda System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chuanzhong; Meng, Anni

2017-08-01

In this paper, we construct a full-discrete integrable difference equation which is a full-discretisation of the generalised q-Toda equation. Meanwhile its soliton solutions are constructed to show its integrable property. Further the Lax pairs of an extended generalised full-discrete q-Toda hierarchy are also constructed. To show the integrability, the bi-Hamiltonian structure and tau symmetry of the extended full-discrete generalised q-Toda hierarchy are given.

Focal epilepsy recruiting a generalised network of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: a case report.

PubMed

Khaing, Myo; Lim, Kheng-Seang; Tan, Chong-Tin

2014-09-01

We report a patient with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy who subsequently developed temporal lobe epilepsy, which gradually became clinically dominant. Video telemetry revealed both myoclonic seizures and temporal lobe seizures. The temporal lobe seizures were accompanied by a focal recruiting rhythm with rapid generalisation on EEG, in which the ictal EEG pattern during the secondary generalised phase was morphologically similar to the ictal pattern during myoclonic seizures. The secondary generalised seizures of the focal epilepsy responded to sodium valproate, similar to the myoclonic epilepsy. In this rare case of coexistent Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy and Temporal lobe epilepsy, the possibility of focal epilepsy recruiting a generalised epileptic network was proposed and discussed.

Rational first integrals of geodesic equations and generalised hidden symmetries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoki, Arata; Houri, Tsuyoshi; Tomoda, Kentaro

2016-10-01

We discuss novel generalisations of Killing tensors, which are introduced by considering rational first integrals of geodesic equations. We introduce the notion of inconstructible generalised Killing tensors, which cannot be constructed from ordinary Killing tensors. Moreover, we introduce inconstructible rational first integrals, which are constructed from inconstructible generalised Killing tensors, and provide a method for checking the inconstructibility of a rational first integral. Using the method, we show that the rational first integral of the Collinson-O’Donnell solution is not inconstructible. We also provide several examples of metrics admitting an inconstructible rational first integral in two and four-dimensions, by using the Maciejewski-Przybylska system. Furthermore, we attempt to generalise other hidden symmetries such as Killing-Yano tensors.

The generalised anxiety stigma scale (GASS): psychometric properties in a community sample

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Although there is substantial concern about negative attitudes to mental illness, little is known about the stigma associated with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) or its measurement. The aim of this study was to develop a multi-item measure of Generalised Anxiety Disorder stigma (the GASS). Methods Stigma items were developed from a thematic analysis of web-based text about the stigma associated with GAD. Six hundred and seventeen members of the public completed a survey comprising the resulting 20 stigma items and measures designed to evaluate construct validity. Follow-up data were collected for a subset of the participants (n = 212). Results The factor structure comprised two components: Personal Stigma (views about Generalised Anxiety Disorder); and Perceived Stigma (views about the beliefs of most others in the community). There was evidence of good construct validity and reliability for each of the Generalised Anxiety Stigma Scale (GASS) subscales. Conclusions The GASS is a promising brief measure of the stigma associated with Generalised Anxiety Disorder. PMID:22108099

Deltoid Injections of Risperidone Long-acting Injectable in Patients with Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Quiroz, Jorge A.; Rusch, Sarah; Thyssen, An; Kushner, Stuart

2011-01-01

Background Risperidone long-acting injectable was previously approved for treatment of schizophrenia as biweekly injections in the gluteal muscle only. We present data on local injection-site tolerability and safety of risperidone long-acting injectable and comparability of systemic exposure of deltoid versus gluteal injections. Methods Risperidone long-acting injectable was administered in an open-label, single-dose, two-way crossover study, with patients randomized to receive either 25mg gluteal/37.5mg deltoid crossover in two treatment periods or 50mg gluteal/50mg deltoid injections crossover; each treatment period was separated by an 85-day observation period (Study 1) and an open-label, multiple-dose study (4 sequential 37.5mg or 50mg deltoid injections every 2 weeks) (Study 2). The pharmacokinetic results from both the studies have already been published. Results In Study 1 (n=170), the majority of patients had no local injection-site findings, based on investigator and patient-rated evaluations. In Study 2 (n=53), seven of the 51 patients who received at least two deltoid injections discontinued (primary endpoint). However, none of the discontinuations were due to injection-site related reasons. The 90-percent upper confidence limit of the true proportion of injection-site issue withdrawals was 5.7 percent. No moderate or severe injection-site reactions were reported. Conclusion Intramuscular injections via the deltoid and gluteal sites are equivalent routes of administration of risperidone long-acting injectable with respect to local injection-site tolerability. The overall safety and tolerability profile of risperidone long-acting injectable was comparable when administered as an intramuscular injection in the deltoid (37.5mg and 50mg) and gluteal (25mg and 50mg) sites. PMID:21779538

EFFECTS OF TRAMADOL ON THE MINIMUM ANESTHETIC CONCENTRATION OF ISOFLURANE IN WHITE-EYED PARAKEETS (PSITTACARA LEUCOPHTHALMUS).

PubMed

Escobar, André; da Rocha, Rozana Wendler; Midon, Monica; de Almeida, Ricardo Miyasaka; Filho, Darcio Zangirolami; Werther, Karin

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to determine the minimum anesthetic concentration (MAC) of isoflurane, and to investigate if tramadol changes the isoflurane MAC in white-eyed parakeets (Psittacara leucophthalmus). Ten adult birds weighing 157 ± 9 g were anesthetized with isoflurane in oxygen under mechanical ventilation. Isoflurane concentration for the first bird was adjusted to 2.2%, and after 15 min an electrical stimulus was applied in the thigh area to observe the response (movement or nonmovement). Isoflurane concentration for the subsequent bird was increased by 10% if the previous bird moved, or decreased by 10% if the previous bird did not move. This procedure was performed serially until at least four sequential crossover events were detected. A crossover event was defined as a sequence of two birds with different responses (positive or negative) to the electrical stimulus. Isoflurane MAC was calculated as the mean isoflurane concentration value at the crossover events. After 1 wk, the same birds were reanesthetized with isoflurane and MAC was determined at 15 and 30 min after intramuscular administration of 10 mg/kg of tramadol using the same method. A paired t-test (P < 0.05%) was used to detect significant differences for MAC between treatments. Isoflurane MAC in this population of white-eyed parakeets was 2.47 ± 0.09%. Isoflurane MAC values 15 and 30 min after tramadol administration were indistinguishable from each other (pooled value was 2.50 ± 0.18%); they were also indistinguishable from isoflurane MAC without tramadol. The isoflurane MAC value in white-eyed parakeets is higher than reported for other bird species. Tramadol (10 mg/kg, i.m.) does not change isoflurane MAC in these birds.

The Role of Memory Consolidation in Generalisation of New Linguistic Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tamminen, Jakke; Davis, Matthew H.; Merkx, Marjolein; Rastle, Kathleen

2012-01-01

Accounts of memory that postulate complementary learning systems (CLS) have become increasingly influential in the field of language learning. These accounts predict that generalisation of newly learnt linguistic information to untrained contexts requires offline memory consolidation. Such generalisation should not be observed immediately after…

Supporting Teachers to Attend to Generalisation in Science Classroom Argumentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shemwell, Jonathan T.; Gwarjanski, Kalee R.; Capps, Daniel K.; Avargil, Shirly; Meyer, Joanna L.

2015-01-01

In scientific arguments, claims must have meaning that extends beyond the immediate circumstances of an investigation. That is, claims must be generalised in some way. Therefore, teachers facilitating classroom argumentation must be prepared to support students' efforts to construct or criticise generalised claims. However, widely used…

Einstein-Cartan calculus for exceptional geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godazgar, Hadi; Godazgar, Mahdi; Nicolai, Hermann

2014-06-01

In this paper we establish and clarify the link between the recently found E7(7) generalised geometric structures, which are based on the SU(8) invariant reformulation of D = 11 supergravity proposed long ago, and newer results obtained in the framework of recent approaches to generalised geometry, where E7(7) duality is built in and manifest from the outset. In making this connection, the so-called generalised vielbein postulate plays a key role. We explicitly show how this postulate can be used to define an E7(7) valued affine connection and an associated covariant derivative, which yields a generalised curvature tensor for the E7(7) based exceptional geometry. The analysis of the generalised vielbein postulate also provides a natural explanation for the emergence of the embedding tensor from higher dimensions.

Improving information management in primary care: the proof is in the pudding.

PubMed

Reed, Virginia A; Schifferdecker, Karen E; Homa, Karen

2008-01-01

Generalists in both the USA and UK have been at the forefront of improving information management skills, defined here as the abilities required to locate and utilise synthesised information for patient care that is accessible, current, relevant and valid. Over the past decade, a variety of interventions designed to improve knowledge and skills relative to information management has been implemented. The goals of training are for learners to demonstrate long-term retention of knowledge and skills gained and to be able to transfer this learning from the context of training into different situations and contexts, such as those encountered in the workplace. Thus, to conclude that learning has taken place, it is essential to study performance after learners have acquired knowledge and skills to see how well those have been retained and generalised. The current study builds on previous work conducted by the authors that described and evaluated an intervention designed to improve information management knowledge, skills and use of Web-based resources by participants from generalist primary care practices. This cross-over study found that both groups of participants--those who received training initially and those who received training later--showed the same improvements when assessed 15 months and three months, respectively, after training. Given the definition of learning as 'relatively permanent', we wondered if these improvements would last. Participants in the original three phases of the study completed questionnaires during each phase; for the current study they were asked to complete a fourth questionnaire administered 27 and 15 months, respectively, after their original training. All variables showed non-significant differences between participants' scores at the end of the original study, where learning was assessed as having occurred, and the current administration of the questionnaire. Demonstrated long-term retention of knowledge and skills and generalisation to the workplace show that the goals of training have been met.

Multilevel Sequential2 Monte Carlo for Bayesian inverse problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latz, Jonas; Papaioannou, Iason; Ullmann, Elisabeth

2018-09-01

The identification of parameters in mathematical models using noisy observations is a common task in uncertainty quantification. We employ the framework of Bayesian inversion: we combine monitoring and observational data with prior information to estimate the posterior distribution of a parameter. Specifically, we are interested in the distribution of a diffusion coefficient of an elliptic PDE. In this setting, the sample space is high-dimensional, and each sample of the PDE solution is expensive. To address these issues we propose and analyse a novel Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) sampler for the approximation of the posterior distribution. Classical, single-level SMC constructs a sequence of measures, starting with the prior distribution, and finishing with the posterior distribution. The intermediate measures arise from a tempering of the likelihood, or, equivalently, a rescaling of the noise. The resolution of the PDE discretisation is fixed. In contrast, our estimator employs a hierarchy of PDE discretisations to decrease the computational cost. We construct a sequence of intermediate measures by decreasing the temperature or by increasing the discretisation level at the same time. This idea builds on and generalises the multi-resolution sampler proposed in P.S. Koutsourelakis (2009) [33] where a bridging scheme is used to transfer samples from coarse to fine discretisation levels. Importantly, our choice between tempering and bridging is fully adaptive. We present numerical experiments in 2D space, comparing our estimator to single-level SMC and the multi-resolution sampler.

The impact of case specificity and generalisable skills on clinical performance: a correlated traits-correlated methods approach.

PubMed

Wimmers, Paul F; Fung, Cha-Chi

2008-06-01

The finding of case or content specificity in medical problem solving moved the focus of research away from generalisable skills towards the importance of content knowledge. However, controversy about the content dependency of clinical performance and the generalisability of skills remains. This study aimed to explore the relative impact of both perspectives (case specificity and generalisable skills) on different components (history taking, physical examination, communication) of clinical performance within and across cases. Data from a clinical performance examination (CPX) taken by 350 Year 3 students were used in a correlated traits-correlated methods (CTCM) approach using confirmatory factor analysis, whereby 'traits' refers to generalisable skills and 'methods' to individual cases. The baseline CTCM model was analysed and compared with four nested models using structural equation modelling techniques. The CPX consisted of three skills components and five cases. Comparison of the four different models with the least-restricted baseline CTCM model revealed that a model with uncorrelated generalisable skills factors and correlated case-specific knowledge factors represented the data best. The generalisable processes found in history taking, physical examination and communication were responsible for half the explained variance, in comparison with the variance related to case specificity. Conclusions Pure knowledge-based and pure skill-based perspectives on clinical performance both seem too one-dimensional and new evidence supports the idea that a substantial amount of variance contributes to both aspects of performance. It could be concluded that generalisable skills and specialised knowledge go hand in hand: both are essential aspects of clinical performance.

A crossover study of rosuvastatin and pitavastatin in patients with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Yanagi, Kazunori; Monden, Tsuyoshi; Ikeda, Shiori; Matsumura, Mihoko; Kasai, Kikuo

2011-02-01

The effects of a low dose of rosuvastatin (ROS) and pitavastatin (PIT) on lipid profiles and inflammation markers were assessed in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A total of 90 Japanese type 2 diabetes patients with hyperlipidemia (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] ≥140 mg/dL) were enrolled in this study. They were randomly assigned to four groups with open-label treatment with ROS (2.5 mg daily) or PIT (2 mg daily); two groups were sequentially treated with both drugs, with crossover of medication after 12 weeks, and the other two groups underwent treatment with either ROS or PIT for 24 weeks. The primary endpoints were the percentage changes in LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglyceride, and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. Both ROS and PIT lowered LDL-C and triglyceride, and increased HDL-C. In particular, significantly greater reduction in LDL-C was seen with ROS (-44.1%) than with PIT (-36.9%, P<0.01) in the crossover group from ROS to PIT, and the same result was detected in the crossover group from PIT (-34.8%) to ROS (-44.7%). The ratio of LDL-C/HDL-C was significantly reduced with ROS treatment (from 3.45 to 1.85) compared with that with PIT (from 3.45 to 2.22, P<0.01). Both ROS and PIT lowered plasma levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). In addition, the hsCRP level with the administration of ROS was significantly improved compared with the administration of PIT. There was no significant correlation between changes in LDL-C and hsCRP, TNF-alpha, and PAI-1 levels. ROS and PIT did not have an adverse effect on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients. Therapy with both statins improved lipid profiles and reduced proinflammatory responses; however, 2.5 mg of ROS have a potent LDL-C-lowering and hsCRP-lowering effect compared with 2 mg of PIT in patients with diabetes.

Classical r-matrices for the generalised Chern–Simons formulation of 3d gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osei, Prince K.; Schroers, Bernd J.

2018-04-01

We study the conditions for classical r-matrices to be compatible with the generalised Chern–Simons action for 3d gravity. Compatibility means solving the classical Yang–Baxter equations with a prescribed symmetric part for each of the real Lie algebras and bilinear pairings arising in the generalised Chern–Simons action. We give a new construction of r-matrices via a generalised complexification and derive a non-linear set of matrix equations determining the most general compatible r-matrix. We exhibit new families of solutions and show that they contain some known r-matrices for special parameter values.

Effect of short-term sequential administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the stomach and proximal portion of the duodenum in healthy dogs.

PubMed

Dowers, Kristy L; Uhrig, Samantha R; Mama, Khursheed R; Gaynor, James S; Hellyer, Peter W

2006-10-01

To evaluate effects of injection with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) followed by oral administration of an NSAID on the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of healthy dogs. 6 healthy Walker Hounds. In a randomized, crossover design, dogs were administered 4 treatments consisting of an SC injection of an NSAID or control solution (day 0), followed by oral administration of an NSAID or inert substance for 4 days (days 1 through 4). Treatment regimens included carprofen (4 mg/kg) followed by inert substance; saline (0.9% NaCl) solution followed by deracoxib (4 mg/kg); carprofen (4 mg/kg) followed by carprofen (4 mg/kg); and carprofen (4 mg/kg) followed by deracoxib (4 mg/kg). Hematologic, serum biochemical, and fecal evaluations were conducted weekly, and clinical scores were obtained daily. Endoscopy of the GIT was performed before and on days 1, 2, and 5 for each treatment. Lesions were scored by use of a 6-point scale. No significant differences existed for clinical data, clinicopathologic data, or lesion scores in the esophagus, cardia, or duodenum. For the gastric fundus, antrum, and lesser curvature, an effect of time was observed for all treatments, with lesions worsening from before to day 2 of treatments but improving by day 5. Sequential administration of NSAIDs in this experiment did not result in clinically important gastroduodenal ulcers. A larger study to investigate the effect of sequential administration of NSAIDs for longer durations and in dogs with signs of acute and chronic pain is essential to substantiate these findings.

Information processing in dendrites I. Input pattern generalisation.

PubMed

Gurney, K N

2001-10-01

In this paper and its companion, we address the question as to whether there are any general principles underlying information processing in the dendritic trees of biological neurons. In order to address this question, we make two assumptions. First, the key architectural feature of dendrites responsible for many of their information processing abilities is the existence of independent sub-units performing local non-linear processing. Second, any general functional principles operate at a level of abstraction in which neurons are modelled by Boolean functions. To accommodate these assumptions, we therefore define a Boolean model neuron-the multi-cube unit (MCU)-which instantiates the notion of the discrete functional sub-unit. We then use this model unit to explore two aspects of neural functionality: generalisation (in this paper) and processing complexity (in its companion). Generalisation is dealt with from a geometric viewpoint and is quantified using a new metric-the set of order parameters. These parameters are computed for threshold logic units (TLUs), a class of random Boolean functions, and MCUs. Our interpretation of the order parameters is consistent with our knowledge of generalisation in TLUs and with the lack of generalisation in randomly chosen functions. Crucially, the order parameters for MCUs imply that these functions possess a range of generalisation behaviour. We argue that this supports the general thesis that dendrites facilitate input pattern generalisation despite any local non-linear processing within functionally isolated sub-units.

Emotion recognition training using composite faces generalises across identities but not all emotions.

PubMed

Dalili, Michael N; Schofield-Toloza, Lawrence; Munafò, Marcus R; Penton-Voak, Ian S

2017-08-01

Many cognitive bias modification (CBM) tasks use facial expressions of emotion as stimuli. Some tasks use unique facial stimuli, while others use composite stimuli, given evidence that emotion is encoded prototypically. However, CBM using composite stimuli may be identity- or emotion-specific, and may not generalise to other stimuli. We investigated the generalisability of effects using composite faces in two experiments. Healthy adults in each study were randomised to one of four training conditions: two stimulus-congruent conditions, where same faces were used during all phases of the task, and two stimulus-incongruent conditions, where faces of the opposite sex (Experiment 1) or faces depicting another emotion (Experiment 2) were used after the modification phase. Our results suggested that training effects generalised across identities. However, our results indicated only partial generalisation across emotions. These findings suggest effects obtained using composite stimuli may extend beyond the stimuli used in the task but remain emotion-specific.

Generalised Eisenhart lift of the Toda chain

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

Cariglia, Marco, E-mail: marco@iceb.ufop.br; Gibbons, Gary, E-mail: g.w.gibbons@damtp.cam.ac.uk

The Toda chain of nearest neighbour interacting particles on a line can be described both in terms of geodesic motion on a manifold with one extra dimension, the Eisenhart lift, or in terms of geodesic motion in a symmetric space with several extra dimensions. We examine the relationship between these two realisations and discover that the symmetric space is a generalised, multi-particle Eisenhart lift of the original problem that reduces to the standard Eisenhart lift. Such generalised Eisenhart lift acts as an inverse Kaluza-Klein reduction, promoting coupling constants to momenta in higher dimension. In particular, isometries of the generalised liftmore » metric correspond to energy preserving transformations that mix coordinates and coupling constants. A by-product of the analysis is that the lift of the Toda Lax pair can be used to construct higher rank Killing tensors for both the standard and generalised lift metrics.« less

Critical Review of the Generalised Frost-Dugdale Approach to Crack Growth in F/A-18 Hornet Structural Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

cracking in both 7050 series aluminium alloys and Mil Annealed Ti-6Al-4V conforms to the Generalised Frost-Dugdale model. The report recommends... ALUMINIUM ALLOYS ............................................. 14 5.1 Application of the equivalent block variant to represent crack growth in 7050 series... aluminium alloys ................................................................................ 20 6. DETERMINING THE CONSTANTS IN THE GENERALISED

Birthplace Diversity, Income Inequality and Education Gradients in Generalised Trust: The Relevance of Cognitive Skills in 29 Countries. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 164

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borgonovi, Francesca; Pokropek, Artur

2017-01-01

The paper examines between-country differences in the mechanisms through which education could promote generalised trust using data from 29 countries participating in the OECD's Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC). Results indicate that education is strongly associated with generalised trust and that a large part of this association is mediated by…

Next-day residual effects of gabapentin, diphenhydramine, and triazolam on simulated driving performance in healthy volunteers: a phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.

PubMed

Kay, Gary G; Schwartz, Howard I; Wingertzahn, Mark A; Jayawardena, Shyamalie; Rosenberg, Russell P

2016-05-01

Next-day residual effects of a nighttime dose of gabapentin 250 mg were evaluated on simulated driving performance in healthy participants in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter, four-period crossover study that included diphenhydramine citrate 76 mg and triazolam 0.5 mg. At treatment visits, participants (n = 59) were dosed at ~23:30, went to bed immediately, and awakened 6.5 h postdose for evaluation. The primary endpoint was the standard deviation of lateral position for the 100-km driving scenario. Additional measures of driving, sleepiness, and cognition were included. Study sensitivity was established with triazolam, which demonstrated significant next-day impairment on all driving endpoints, relative to placebo (p < 0.001). Gabapentin demonstrated noninferiority to placebo on standard deviation of lateral position and speed deviation but not for lane excursions. Diphenhydramine citrate demonstrated significant impairment relative to gabapentin and placebo on speed deviation (p < 0.05). Other comparisons were either nonsignificant or statistically ineligible per planned, sequential comparisons. Secondary endpoints for sleepiness and cognitive performance were supportive of these conclusions. Together, these data suggest that low-dose gabapentin had no appreciable next-day effects on simulated driving performance or cognitive functioning. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Combating a Cook-Centric Past through Co-Curricular Learning: Year 9 Dig out Maps and Rulers to Challenge Generalisations about the Age of Discovery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Worth, Paula

2014-01-01

Paula Worth presents in this article a means of challenging students' tendency to generalise even when they know that they should not. How can teachers encourage their students to say something meaningful about the past while avoiding making unwarranted generalisations? Worth takes teachers through the process of planning her own enquiry designed…

Extensive theoretical/numerical comparative studies on H2 and generalised H2 norms in sampled-data systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jung Hoon; Hagiwara, Tomomichi

2017-11-01

This paper is concerned with linear time-invariant (LTI) sampled-data systems (by which we mean sampled-data systems with LTI generalised plants and LTI controllers) and studies their H2 norms from the viewpoint of impulse responses and generalised H2 norms from the viewpoint of the induced norms from L2 to L∞. A new definition of the H2 norm of LTI sampled-data systems is first introduced through a sort of intermediate standpoint of those for the existing two definitions. We then establish unified treatment of the three definitions of the H2 norm through a matrix function G(τ) defined on the sampling interval [0, h). This paper next considers the generalised H2 norms, in which two types of the L∞ norm of the output are considered as the temporal supremum magnitude under the spatial 2-norm and ∞-norm of a vector-valued function. We further give unified treatment of the generalised H2 norms through another matrix function F(θ) which is also defined on [0, h). Through a close connection between G(τ) and F(θ), some theoretical relationships between the H2 and generalised H2 norms are provided. Furthermore, appropriate extensions associated with the treatment of G(τ) and F(θ) to the closed interval [0, h] are discussed to facilitate numerical computations and comparisons of the H2 and generalised H2 norms. Through theoretical and numerical studies, it is shown that the two generalised H2 norms coincide with neither of the three H2 norms of LTI sampled-data systems even though all the five definitions coincide with each other when single-output continuous-time LTI systems are considered as a special class of LTI sampled-data systems. To summarise, this paper clarifies that the five control performance measures are mutually related with each other but they are also intrinsically different from each other.

Propensity score matching and persistence correction to reduce bias in comparative effectiveness: the effect of cinacalcet use on all-cause mortality.

PubMed

Gillespie, Iain A; Floege, Jürgen; Gioni, Ioanna; Drüeke, Tilman B; de Francisco, Angel L; Anker, Stefan D; Kubo, Yumi; Wheeler, David C; Froissart, Marc

2015-07-01

The generalisability of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) may be limited by restrictive entry criteria or by their experimental nature. Observational research can provide complementary findings but is prone to bias. Employing propensity score matching, to reduce such bias, we compared the real-life effect of cinacalcet use on all-cause mortality (ACM) with findings from the Evaluation of Cinacalcet Therapy to Lower Cardiovascular Events (EVOLVE) RCT in chronic haemodialysis patients. Incident adult haemodialysis patients receiving cinacalcet, recruited in a prospective observational cohort from 2007-2009 (AROii; n = 10,488), were matched to non-exposed patients regardless of future exposure status. The effect of treatment crossover was investigated with inverse probability of censoring weighted and lag-censored analyses. EVOLVE ACM data were analysed largely as described for the primary composite endpoint. AROii patients receiving cinacalcet (n = 532) were matched to 1790 non-exposed patients. The treatment effect of cinacalcet on ACM in the main AROii analysis (hazard ratio 1.03 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78-1.35]) was closer to the null than for the Intention to Treat (ITT) analysis of EVOLVE (0.94 [95%CI 0.85-1.04]). Adjusting for non-persistence by 0- and 6-month lag-censoring and by inverse probability of censoring weight, the hazard ratios in AROii (0.76 [95%CI 0.51-1.15], 0.84 [95%CI 0.60-1.18] and 0.79 [95%CI 0.56-1.11], respectively) were comparable with those of EVOLVE (0.82 [95%CI 0.67-1.01], 0.83 [95%CI 0.73-0.96] and 0.87 [95%CI 0.71-1.06], respectively). Correcting for treatment crossover, we observed results in the 'real-life' setting of the AROii observational cohort that closely mirrored the results of the EVOLVE RCT. Persistence-corrected analyses revealed a trend towards reduced ACM in haemodialysis patients receiving cinacalcet therapy. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Generalised optical differentiation wavefront sensor: a sensitive high dynamic range wavefront sensor.

PubMed

Haffert, S Y

2016-08-22

Current wavefront sensors for high resolution imaging have either a large dynamic range or a high sensitivity. A new kind of wavefront sensor is developed which can have both: the Generalised Optical Differentiation wavefront sensor. This new wavefront sensor is based on the principles of optical differentiation by amplitude filters. We have extended the theory behind linear optical differentiation and generalised it to nonlinear filters. We used numerical simulations and laboratory experiments to investigate the properties of the generalised wavefront sensor. With this we created a new filter that can decouple the dynamic range from the sensitivity. These properties make it suitable for adaptive optic systems where a large range of phase aberrations have to be measured with high precision.

Moist air state above counterflow wet-cooling tower fill based on Merkel, generalised Merkel and Klimanek & Białecky models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyhlík, Tomáš

2017-09-01

The article deals with an evaluation of moist air state above counterflow wet-cooling tower fill. The results based on Klimanek & Białecky model are compared with results of Merkel model and generalised Merkel model. Based on the numerical simulation it is shown that temperature is predicted correctly by using generalised Merkel model in the case of saturated or super-saturated air above the fill, but the temperature is underpredicted in the case of unsaturated moist air above the fill. The classical Merkel model always under predicts temperature above the fill. The density of moist air above the fill, which is calculated using generalised Merkel model, is strongly over predicted in the case of unsaturated moist air above the fill.

Acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis.

PubMed

Criton, S; Sofia, B

2001-01-01

Acute generalised exanthernatous pustulosis (AGEP) is a condition characterised by sudden onset of non-follicular aseptic pustules all over the body. It is distinct from pustular psoriasis with characteristic morphology, histopathology and evolution.

Kolkata Restaurant Problem as a Generalised El Farol Bar Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakrabarti, Bikas K.

Generalisation of the El Farol bar problem to that of many bars here leads to the Kolkata restaurant problem, where the decision to go to any restaurant or not is much simpler (depending on the previous experience of course, as in the El Farol bar problem). This generalised problem can be exactly analysed in some limiting cases discussed here. The fluctuation in the restaurant service can be shown to have precisely an inverse cubic behavior, as widely seen in the stock market fluctuations.

Generalisation and specialisation in hoverfly (Syrphidae) grassland pollen transport networks revealed by DNA metabarcoding.

PubMed

Lucas, Andrew; Bodger, Owen; Brosi, Berry J; Ford, Col R; Forman, Dan W; Greig, Carolyn; Hegarty, Matthew; Neyland, Penelope J; de Vere, Natasha

2018-04-16

Pollination by insects is a key ecosystem service and important to wider ecosystem function. Most species-level pollination networks studied have a generalised structure, with plants having several potential pollinators, and pollinators in turn visiting a number of different plant species. This is in apparent contrast to a plant's need for efficient conspecific pollen transfer. The aim of this study was to investigate the structure of pollen transport networks at three levels of biological hierarchy: community, species and individual. We did this using hoverflies in the genus Eristalis, a key group of non-Hymenopteran pollinators. We constructed pollen transport networks using DNA metabarcoding to identify pollen. We captured hoverflies in conservation grasslands in west Wales, UK, removed external pollen loads, sequenced the pollen DNA on the Illumina MiSeq platform using the standard plant barcode rbcL, and matched sequences using a pre-existing plant DNA barcode reference library. We found that Eristalis hoverflies transport pollen from 65 plant taxa, more than previously appreciated. Networks were generalised at the site and species level, suggesting some degree of functional redundancy, and were more generalised in late summer compared to early summer. In contrast, pollen transport at the individual level showed some degree of specialisation. Hoverflies defined as "single-plant visitors" varied from 40% of those captured in early summer to 24% in late summer. Individual hoverflies became more generalised in late summer, possibly in response to an increase in floral resources. Rubus fruticosus agg. and Succisa pratensis were key plant species for hoverflies at our sites Our results contribute to resolving the apparent paradox of how generalised pollinator networks can provide efficient pollination to plant species. Generalised hoverfly pollen transport networks may result from a varied range of short-term specialised feeding bouts by individual insects. The generalisation and functional redundancy of Eristalis pollen transport networks may increase the stability of the pollination service they deliver. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.

Thermal, emulsifying and rheological properties of polysaccharides sequentially extracted from Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb leaves.

PubMed

Xu, Qi-Xin; Shi, Jun-Jun; Zhang, Jian-Guo; Li, Ling; Jiang, Li; Wei, Zhao-Jun

2016-12-01

Plant polysaccharides are widely used in food industry as thickening and gelling agents and these attributes largely depend on their thermal, emulsifying and rheological properties. As known, the extraction methods always bring about the diversification of property and functions of polysaccharides. Thus, the Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb leaves polysaccharides (VBTLP) were sequentially extracted using hot buffer (HBSS), chelating agent (CHSS), dilute alkaline (DASS) and concentrated alkaline (CASS). The thermal, emulsifying and rheological properties of VBTLP were investigated in the present study. Within the range of 20-225°C, CHSS showed the highest peak temperature, whereas HBSS displayed the highest endothermic enthalpy and highest emulsifying activity, while, CASS showed the longest emulsifying stability. The VBTLP solutions exhibited non-Newtonian shear-thinning behavior within the concentrations of 0.6-2.5%. The apparent viscosity of VBTLP solution decreased under following conditions: acidic pH (4.0), alkaline pH (10.0), in the presence of Ca 2+ and at high temperature, while it increased in the presence of Na + and at freezing conditions. The modulus G' and G″ of VBTLP solutions were increased with increasing oscillation frequency, and the crossover frequency shifted to lower values when the polysaccharide content increased. The above results of thermal, emulsifying and rheological properties of VBTLPs supplied the basis for V. bracteatum leaves in potential industrial applications of foods. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vigabatrin and lamotrigine in refractory epilepsy.

PubMed Central

Stolarek, I; Blacklaw, J; Forrest, G; Brodie, M J

1994-01-01

Epilepsy arises from an imbalance of inhibitory and excitatory influences in the brain. Vigabatrin (VIG) decreases the breakdown of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid, whereas lamotrigine (LTG) reduces presynaptic excitatory amino acid release. 22 patients with refractory epilepsy, treated with an anticonvulsant regimen containing VIG, entered a balanced, double blind, placebo controlled, crossover trial of additional LTG. Treatment periods of 12 weeks (25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg LTG twice daily for four weeks at each dose, and matched placebo) were followed by wash out intervals of four weeks. 14 of the 20 patients completing the study improved, resulting in a significant fall in seizure days and numbers. Analysis of seizure type confirmed a beneficial effect on partial and secondary generalised tonic-clonic seizures. At the highest LTG dose (200 mg daily) there was a median fall of 37% in seizure count with nine (45%) patients reporting > 50% reduction. Three of these patients were seizure free during this month of treatment. Side effects were minimal throughout the study. Concentrations of other antiepileptic drugs, including those of carbamazepine 10,11-epoxide, were not modified by LTG. This study suggests a substantial efficacy for a regimen containing VIG and LTG. Combinations of drugs with complementary modes of action may provide a rational pharmacological approach to the management of refractory epilepsy. PMID:8057114

Developing students' functional thinking in algebra through different visualisations of a growing pattern's structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkie, Karina J.; Clarke, Doug M.

2016-06-01

Spatial visualisation of geometric patterns and their generalisation have become a recognised pathway to developing students' functional thinking and understanding of variables in algebra. This design-based research project investigated upper primary students' development of explicit generalisation of functional relationships and their representation descriptively, graphically and symbolically. Ten teachers and their classes were involved in a sequence of tasks involving growing patterns and geometric structures over 1 year. This article focuses on two aspects of the study: visualising the structure of a geometric pattern in different ways and using this to generalise the functional relationship between two quantifiable aspects (variables). It was found that in an initial assessment task ( n = 222), students' initial visualisations could be categorised according to different types and some of these were more likely to lead either to recursive or explicit generalisation. In a later task, a small number of students demonstrated the ability to find more than one way to visualise the same geometric structure and thus represent their explicit generalisations as different but equivalent symbolic equations (using pronumerals). Implications for the teaching of functional thinking in middle-school algebra are discussed.

Anomaly free cosmological perturbations with generalised holonomy correction in loop quantum cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Yu; Liu, Molin

2018-05-01

In the spatially flat case of loop quantum cosmology, the connection is usually replaced by the holonomy in effective theory. In this paper, instead of the standard scheme, we use a generalised, undetermined function to represent the holonomy and by using the approach of anomaly free constraint algebra we fix all the counter terms in the constraints and find the restriction in the form of , then we derive the gauge-invariant equations of motion of the scalar, tensor and vector perturbations and study the inflationary power spectra with generalised holonomy correction.

Anaesthesia for caesarean section in a patient with acute generalised pustular psoriasis.

PubMed

Samieh-Tucker, A; Rupasinghe, M

2007-10-01

We describe a 30-year-old parturient with acute generalised pustular psoriasis who presented for urgent caesarean section. A multidisciplinary team was involved and general anaesthesia was used successfully. Management of this condition is discussed and the literature reviewed. While generalised pustular psoriasis or impetigo herpetiformis is well recognised in pregnancy, it has not hitherto been reported in obstetric anaesthesia literature. The purpose of this article is to delineate the clinical picture of this disease, its treatment, and the effect on the mother and the fetus.

High-Fidelity Simulation for Advanced Cardiac Life Support Training

PubMed Central

Davis, Lindsay E.; Storjohann, Tara D.; Spiegel, Jacqueline J.; Beiber, Kellie M.

2013-01-01

Objective. To determine whether a high-fidelity simulation technique compared with lecture would produce greater improvement in advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) knowledge, confidence, and overall satisfaction with the training method. Design. This sequential, parallel-group, crossover trial randomized students into 2 groups distinguished by the sequence of teaching technique delivered for ACLS instruction (ie, classroom lecture vs high-fidelity simulation exercise). Assessment. Test scores on a written examination administered at baseline and after each teaching technique improved significantly from baseline in all groups but were highest when lecture was followed by simulation. Simulation was associated with a greater degree of overall student satisfaction compared with lecture. Participation in a simulation exercise did not improve pharmacy students’ knowledge of ACLS more than attending a lecture, but it was associated with improved student confidence in skills and satisfaction with learning and application. Conclusions. College curricula should incorporate simulation to complement but not replace lecture for ACLS education. PMID:23610477

Assessment of tamsulosin as a potential male contraceptive in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Wang, Jin; Zhao, Yong; Jiang, Shao-bo; Xia, Qing-hua; Wei, Chun-xiao; Wang, Mu-wen; Sun, Peng; Jin, Xun-bo

2012-09-01

To investigate the efficacy and safety of tamsulosin, an α(1A)-adrenoceptor antagonist, as a potential male contraceptive. Forty healthy male volunteers were equally divided into 2 groups, each of which received placebo and tamsulosin sequentially in a crossover manner. Ejaculatory profile was examined 4 to 6 hours after administration and adverse effects were noted. Anejaculation occurred in all subjects after taking 0.8-mg of tamsulosin. Total functional sperm count was significantly reduced in subjects after taking 0.4-mg of tamsulosin. Six subjects receiving 0.8-mg of tamsulosin complained of tolerated discomfort, which disappeared 10 hours after administration. When administered at 0.8 mg, tamsulosin can cause anejaculation with some transient side effects. Our results imply that tamsulosin and related drugs might potentially be used as male contraceptive agents in the future, which needs more studies to verify. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Statistics of lattice animals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Hsiao-Ping; Nadler, Walder; Grassberger, Peter

2005-07-01

The scaling behavior of randomly branched polymers in a good solvent is studied in two to nine dimensions, modeled by lattice animals on simple hypercubic lattices. For the simulations, we use a biased sequential sampling algorithm with re-sampling, similar to the pruned-enriched Rosenbluth method (PERM) used extensively for linear polymers. We obtain high statistics of animals with up to several thousand sites in all dimension 2⩽d⩽9. The partition sum (number of different animals) and gyration radii are estimated. In all dimensions we verify the Parisi-Sourlas prediction, and we verify all exactly known critical exponents in dimensions 2, 3, 4, and ⩾8. In addition, we present the hitherto most precise estimates for growth constants in d⩾3. For clusters with one site attached to an attractive surface, we verify the superuniversality of the cross-over exponent at the adsorption transition predicted by Janssen and Lyssy.

Ultrafast Spin Crossover in [FeII (bpy)3 ]2+ : Revealing Two Competing Mechanisms by Extreme Ultraviolet Photoemission Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Moguilevski, Alexandre; Wilke, Martin; Grell, Gilbert; Bokarev, Sergey I; Aziz, Saadullah G; Engel, Nicholas; Raheem, Azhr A; Kühn, Oliver; Kiyan, Igor Yu; Aziz, Emad F

2017-03-03

Photoinduced spin-flip in Fe II complexes is an ultrafast phenomenon that has the potential to become an alternative to conventional processing and magnetic storage of information. Following the initial excitation by visible light into the singlet metal-to-ligand charge-transfer state, the electronic transition to the high-spin quintet state may undergo different pathways. Here we apply ultrafast XUV (extreme ultraviolet) photoemission spectroscopy to track the low-to-high spin dynamics in the aqueous iron tris-bipyridine complex, [Fe(bpy) 3 ] 2+ , by monitoring the transient electron density distribution among excited states with femtosecond time resolution. Aided by first-principles calculations, this approach enables us to reveal unambiguously both the sequential and direct de-excitation pathways from singlet to quintet state, with a branching ratio of 4.5:1. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High-fidelity simulation for advanced cardiac life support training.

PubMed

Davis, Lindsay E; Storjohann, Tara D; Spiegel, Jacqueline J; Beiber, Kellie M; Barletta, Jeffrey F

2013-04-12

OBJECTIVE. To determine whether a high-fidelity simulation technique compared with lecture would produce greater improvement in advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) knowledge, confidence, and overall satisfaction with the training method. DESIGN. This sequential, parallel-group, crossover trial randomized students into 2 groups distinguished by the sequence of teaching technique delivered for ACLS instruction (ie, classroom lecture vs high-fidelity simulation exercise). ASSESSMENT. Test scores on a written examination administered at baseline and after each teaching technique improved significantly from baseline in all groups but were highest when lecture was followed by simulation. Simulation was associated with a greater degree of overall student satisfaction compared with lecture. Participation in a simulation exercise did not improve pharmacy students' knowledge of ACLS more than attending a lecture, but it was associated with improved student confidence in skills and satisfaction with learning and application. CONCLUSIONS. College curricula should incorporate simulation to complement but not replace lecture for ACLS education.

The Ordered Clustered Travelling Salesman Problem: A Hybrid Genetic Algorithm

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Zakir Hussain

2014-01-01

The ordered clustered travelling salesman problem is a variation of the usual travelling salesman problem in which a set of vertices (except the starting vertex) of the network is divided into some prespecified clusters. The objective is to find the least cost Hamiltonian tour in which vertices of any cluster are visited contiguously and the clusters are visited in the prespecified order. The problem is NP-hard, and it arises in practical transportation and sequencing problems. This paper develops a hybrid genetic algorithm using sequential constructive crossover, 2-opt search, and a local search for obtaining heuristic solution to the problem. The efficiency of the algorithm has been examined against two existing algorithms for some asymmetric and symmetric TSPLIB instances of various sizes. The computational results show that the proposed algorithm is very effective in terms of solution quality and computational time. Finally, we present solution to some more symmetric TSPLIB instances. PMID:24701148

Generalised lymphangiectasia: pulmonary presentation in an adult.

PubMed Central

White, J. E.; Veale, D.; Fishwick, D.; Mitchell, L.; Corris, P. A.

1996-01-01

A 25 year old man presented with dyspnoea and was found to have generalised, but predominantly pulmonary, lymphangiectasis without gastrointestinal symptoms. This is an unusual presentation of a disorder previously diagnosed only in childhood. Images PMID:8882089

Use of somatostatin analogues to treat chylothorax in a child with Generalised Lymphatic Dysplasia

PubMed Central

Brodlie, Malcolm; Abdelgalil, Sara; Mansour, Sahar; Spencer, David A.

2011-01-01

Generalised Lymphatic Dysplasia is a rare condition that may be associated with significant chylothoraces. The management of such effusions is often challenging. We present the case of a 15-year-old girl with bilateral chylothoraces and lymphoedema of her limbs. A clinical diagnosis of Generalised Lymphatic Dysplasia was made and long-term treatment with somatostatin analogues (somatostatin initially followed by monthly octreotide) was initiated. Over 12 months there was symptomatic benefit with some objective improvement in lung function and no adverse effects. After a year of treatment there was some reaccumulation of fluid, however this did not require any intervention. This is the first paediatric report of the use of somatostatin analogues to manage chylothorax in Generalised Lymphatic Dysplasia and we conclude that they represent a potentially useful treatment modality. Experience is only anecdotal however and further studies are required to establish an evidence base with regard to efficacy and safety. PMID:26056769

Automatic map generalisation from research to production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyberg, Rose; Johansson, Mikael; Zhang, Yang

2018-05-01

The manual work of map generalisation is known to be a complex and time consuming task. With the development of technology and societies, the demands for more flexible map products with higher quality are growing. The Swedish mapping, cadastral and land registration authority Lantmäteriet has manual production lines for databases in five different scales, 1 : 10 000 (SE10), 1 : 50 000 (SE50), 1 : 100 000 (SE100), 1 : 250 000 (SE250) and 1 : 1 million (SE1M). To streamline this work, Lantmäteriet started a project to automatically generalise geographic information. Planned timespan for the project is 2015-2022. Below the project background together with the methods for the automatic generalisation are described. The paper is completed with a description of results and conclusions.

Generalising the logistic map through the q-product

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pessoa, R. W. S.; Borges, E. P.

2011-03-01

We investigate a generalisation of the logistic map as xn+1 = 1 - axn otimesqmap xn (-1 <= xn <= 1, 0 < a <= 2) where otimesq stands for a generalisation of the ordinary product, known as q-product [Borges, E.P. Physica A 340, 95 (2004)]. The usual product, and consequently the usual logistic map, is recovered in the limit q → 1, The tent map is also a particular case for qmap → ∞. The generalisation of this (and others) algebraic operator has been widely used within nonextensive statistical mechanics context (see C. Tsallis, Introduction to Nonextensive Statistical Mechanics, Springer, NY, 2009). We focus the analysis for qmap > 1 at the edge of chaos, particularly at the first critical point ac, that depends on the value of qmap. Bifurcation diagrams, sensitivity to initial conditions, fractal dimension and rate of entropy growth are evaluated at ac(qmap), and connections with nonextensive statistical mechanics are explored.

Modelling generalisation and power dissipation of flexible-wheel suspension concept for planetary surface vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Dongpu; Khajepour, Amir; Song, Xubin

2011-08-01

Flexible-wheel (FW) suspension concept has been regarded to be one of the novel technologies for future planetary surface vehicles (PSVs). This study develops generalised models for fundamental stiffness and damping properties and power consumption characteristics of the FW suspension with and without considering wheel-hub dimensions. Compliance rolling resistance (CRR) coefficient is also defined and derived for the FW suspension. Based on the generalised models and two dimensionless measures, suspension properties are analysed for two FW suspension configurations. The sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the effects of the design parameters and operating conditions on the CRR and power consumption characteristic of the FW suspension. The modelling generalisation permits analyses of fundamental properties and power consumption characteristics of different FW suspension designs in a uniform and very convenient manner, which would serve as a theoretical foundation for the design of FW suspensions for future PSVs.

Generalised nonminimally gravity-matter coupled theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahamonde, Sebastian

2018-04-01

In this paper, a new generalised gravity-matter coupled theory of gravity is presented. This theory is constructed by assuming an action with an arbitrary function f(T,B,L_m) which depends on the scalar torsion T, the boundary term B=\

Does the achievement of an intermediate glycemic target reduce organ failure and mortality? A post hoc analysis of the Glucontrol trial.

PubMed

Penning, Sophie; Chase, J Geoffrey; Preiser, Jean-Charles; Pretty, Christopher G; Signal, Matthew; Mélot, Christian; Desaive, Thomas

2014-06-01

This research evaluates the impact of the achievement of an intermediate target glycemic band on the severity of organ failure and mortality. Daily Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score and the cumulative time in a 4.0 to 7.0 mmol/L band (cTIB) were evaluated daily up to 14 days in 704 participants of the multicentre Glucontrol trial (16 centers) that randomized patients to intensive group A (blood glucose [BG] target: 4.4-6.1 mmol/L) or conventional group B (BG target: 7.8-10.0 mmol/L). Sequential Organ Failure Assessment evolution was measured by percentage of patients with SOFA less than or equal to 5 on each day, percentage of individual organ failures, and percentage of organ failure-free days. Conditional and joint probability analysis of SOFA and cTIB 0.5 or more assessed the impact of achieving 4.0 to 7.0 mmol/L target glycemic range on organ failure. Odds ratios (OR) compare the odds risk of death for cTIB 0.5 or more vs cTIB less than 0.5, where a ratio greater than 1.0 indicates an improvement for achieving cTIB 0.5 or more independent of SOFA or glycemic target. Groups A and B were matched for demographic and severity of illness data. Blood glucose differed between groups A and B (P<.05), as expected. There was no difference in the percentage of patients with SOFA less than or equal to 5, individual organ failures, and organ failure-free days between groups A and B over days 1 to 14. However, 20% to 30% of group A patients failed to achieve cTIB 0.5 or more for all days, and significant crossover confounds interpretation. Mortality OR was greater than 1.0 for patients with cTIB 0.5 or more in both groups but much higher for group A on all days. There was no difference in organ failure in the Glucontrol study based on intention to treat to different glycemic targets. Actual outcomes and significant crossover indicate that this result may not be due to the difference in target or treatment. Odds ratios-associated achieving an intermediate 4.0 to 7.0 mmol/L range improved outcome. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bradycardia and asystole during generalised interictal EEG discharges.

PubMed

Sforza, Emilia; Pichot, Vincent; Gschwind, Markus; Roche, Frédéric; Maeder-Ingvar, Malin

2014-12-01

Few studies have investigated the effects of interictal epileptic discharges on the cardiac autonomic system. This study reports the case of a 37-year-old man with refractory generalised epilepsy, who recently reported an increase in frequency of nocturnal tonic-clonic seizures, not responding to treatment. During the nocturnal video study, in non-rapid eye movements sleep, we recorded 106 generalised sharp- and polyspike-waves lasting for 3 to 7 seconds, associated with bradycardia and asystole, without behavioural changes and without increase in deltoid muscle activity. The asystole had a duration of between 3 and 8 seconds. In one case, a 7 second asystole was associated with a tonic-clonic generalised seizure. A 24-hour electrocardiographic study revealed a bradycardia and a Wenckebach atrioventricular block. Heart rate analysis at the time of the interictal epileptic discharges revealed an abrupt increase in the RR interval, occurring simultaneously with the onset of interictal epileptic discharges and followed by a return to values below baseline value. A cardiac pacemaker was installed with a reduction of asystole length during the interictal epileptic discharges. Our findings indicate, for the first time, the role of interictal generalised discharges in EEG-related asystole and bradycardia. These data support the hypothesis that some patients with epilepsy may be predisposed to disturbances of the autonomic cardiac system.

Learning to distinguish between predators and non-predators: understanding the critical role of diet cues and predator odours in generalisation.

PubMed

Mitchell, Matthew D; Chivers, Douglas P; McCormick, Mark I; Ferrari, Maud C O

2015-09-11

It is critical for prey to recognise predators and distinguish predators from non-threatening species. Yet, we have little understanding of how prey develop effective predator recognition templates. Recent studies suggest that prey may actually learn key predator features which can be used to recognise novel species with similar characteristics. However, non-predators are sometimes mislabelled as predators when generalising recognition. Here, we conduct the first comprehensive investigation of how prey integrate information on predator odours and predator diet cues in generalisation, allowing them to discriminate between predators and non-predators. We taught lemon damselfish to recognise a predator fed a fish diet, and tested them for their response to the known predator and a series of novel predators (fed fish diet) and non-predators (fed squid diet) distributed across a phylogenetic gradient. Our findings show that damselfish distinguish between predators and non-predators when generalising recognition. Additional experiments revealed that generalised recognition did not result from recognition of predator odours or diet cues, but that damselfish based recognition on what they learned during the initial conditioning. Incorporating multiple sources of information enables prey to develop highly plastic and accurate recognition templates that will increase survival in patchy environments where they have little prior knowledge.

Learning to distinguish between predators and non-predators: understanding the critical role of diet cues and predator odours in generalisation

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Matthew D.; Chivers, Douglas P.; McCormick, Mark I.; Ferrari, Maud C.O.

2015-01-01

It is critical for prey to recognise predators and distinguish predators from non-threatening species. Yet, we have little understanding of how prey develop effective predator recognition templates. Recent studies suggest that prey may actually learn key predator features which can be used to recognise novel species with similar characteristics. However, non-predators are sometimes mislabelled as predators when generalising recognition. Here, we conduct the first comprehensive investigation of how prey integrate information on predator odours and predator diet cues in generalisation, allowing them to discriminate between predators and non-predators. We taught lemon damselfish to recognise a predator fed a fish diet, and tested them for their response to the known predator and a series of novel predators (fed fish diet) and non-predators (fed squid diet) distributed across a phylogenetic gradient. Our findings show that damselfish distinguish between predators and non-predators when generalising recognition. Additional experiments revealed that generalised recognition did not result from recognition of predator odours or diet cues, but that damselfish based recognition on what they learned during the initial conditioning. Incorporating multiple sources of information enables prey to develop highly plastic and accurate recognition templates that will increase survival in patchy environments where they have little prior knowledge. PMID:26358861

Phenytoin versus valproate monotherapy for partial onset seizures and generalised onset tonic-clonic seizures: an individual participant data review.

PubMed

Nolan, Sarah J; Marson, Anthony G; Weston, Jennifer; Tudur Smith, Catrin

2016-04-28

Worldwide, phenytoin and valproate are commonly used antiepileptic drugs. It is generally believed that phenytoin is more effective for partial onset seizures, and that valproate is more effective for generalised onset tonic-clonic seizures (with or without other generalised seizure types). This review is one in a series of Cochrane reviews investigating pair-wise monotherapy comparisons. This is the latest updated version of the review first published in 2001 and updated in 2013. To review the time to withdrawal, remission and first seizure of phenytoin compared to valproate when used as monotherapy in people with partial onset seizures or generalised tonic-clonic seizures (with or without other generalised seizure types). We searched the Cochrane Epilepsy Group's Specialised Register (19 May 2015), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; the Cochrane Library; 2015, Issue 4), MEDLINE (1946 to 19 May 2015), SCOPUS (19 February 2013), ClinicalTrials.gov (19 May 2015), and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform ICTRP (19 May 2015). We handsearched relevant journals, contacted pharmaceutical companies, original trial investigators and experts in the field. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in children or adults with partial onset seizures or generalised onset tonic-clonic seizures with a comparison of valproate monotherapy versus phenytoin monotherapy. This was an individual participant data (IPD) review. Outcomes were time to: (a) withdrawal of allocated treatment (retention time); (b) achieve 12-month remission (seizure-free period); (c) achieve six-month remission (seizure-free period); and (d) first seizure (post-randomisation). We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to obtain study-specific estimates of hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and the generic inverse variance method to obtain the overall pooled HR and 95% CI. IPD were available for 669 individuals out of 1119 eligible individuals from five out of 11 trials, 60% of the potential data. Results apply to partial onset seizures (simple, complex and secondary generalised tonic-clonic seizures), and generalised tonic-clonic seizures, but not other generalised seizure types (absence or myoclonus seizure types). For remission outcomes: HR > 1 indicates an advantage for phenytoin; and for first seizure and withdrawal outcomes: HR > 1 indicates an advantage for valproate.The main overall results (pooled HR adjusted for seizure type) were time to: (a) withdrawal of allocated treatment 1.09 (95% CI 0.76 to 1.55); (b) achieve 12-month remission 0.98 (95% CI 0.78 to 1.23); (c) achieve six-month remission 0.95 (95% CI 0.78 to 1.15); and (d) first seizure 0.93 (95% CI 0.75 to 1.14). The results suggest no overall difference between the drugs for these outcomes. We did not find any statistical interaction between treatment and seizure type (partial versus generalised). We have not found evidence that a significant difference exists between phenytoin and valproate for the outcomes examined in this review. However misclassification of seizure type may have confounded the results of this review. Results do not apply to absence or myoclonus seizure types. No outright evidence was found to support or refute current treatment policies.

Generalisability of an online randomised controlled trial: an empirical analysis.

PubMed

Wang, Cheng; Mollan, Katie R; Hudgens, Michael G; Tucker, Joseph D; Zheng, Heping; Tang, Weiming; Ling, Li

2018-02-01

Investigators increasingly use online methods to recruit participants for randomised controlled trials (RCTs). However, the extent to which participants recruited online represent populations of interest is unknown. We evaluated how generalisable an online RCT sample is to men who have sex with men in China. Inverse probability of sampling weights (IPSW) and the G-formula were used to examine the generalisability of an online RCT using model-based approaches. Online RCT data and national cross-sectional study data from China were analysed to illustrate the process of quantitatively assessing generalisability. The RCT (identifier NCT02248558) randomly assigned participants to a crowdsourced or health marketing video for promotion of HIV testing. The primary outcome was self-reported HIV testing within 4 weeks, with a non-inferiority margin of -3%. In the original online RCT analysis, the estimated difference in proportions of HIV tested between the two arms (crowdsourcing and health marketing) was 2.1% (95% CI, -5.4% to 9.7%). The hypothesis that the crowdsourced video was not inferior to the health marketing video to promote HIV testing was not demonstrated. The IPSW and G-formula estimated differences were -2.6% (95% CI, -14.2 to 8.9) and 2.7% (95% CI, -10.7 to 16.2), with both approaches also not establishing non-inferiority. Conducting generalisability analysis of an online RCT is feasible. Examining the generalisability of online RCTs is an important step before an intervention is scaled up. NCT02248558. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Influence of colour on acquisition and generalisation of graphic symbols.

PubMed

Hetzroni, O E; Ne'eman, A

2013-07-01

Children with autism may benefit from using graphic symbols for their communication, language and literacy development. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of colour versus grey-scale displays on the identification of graphic symbols using a computer-based intervention. An alternating treatment design was employed to examine the learning and generalisation of 58 colour and grey-scale symbols by four preschool children with autism. The graphic symbols were taught via a meaning-based intervention using stories and educational games. Results demonstrate that all of the children were able to learn and maintain symbol identification over time for both symbol displays with no apparent differences. Differences were apparent for two of the children who exhibited better generalisation when learning grey-scale symbols first. The other two showed no noticeable difference, between displays when generalising from one display to the other. Implications and further research are discussed. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, MENCAP & IASSID.

Generalised summation-by-parts operators and variable coefficients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ranocha, Hendrik

2018-06-01

High-order methods for conservation laws can be highly efficient if their stability is ensured. A suitable means mimicking estimates of the continuous level is provided by summation-by-parts (SBP) operators and the weak enforcement of boundary conditions. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in generalised SBP operators both in the finite difference and the discontinuous Galerkin spectral element framework. However, if generalised SBP operators are used, the treatment of the boundaries becomes more difficult since some properties of the continuous level are no longer mimicked discretely - interpolating the product of two functions will in general result in a value different from the product of the interpolations. Thus, desired properties such as conservation and stability are more difficult to obtain. Here, new formulations are proposed, allowing the creation of discretisations using general SBP operators that are both conservative and stable. Thus, several shortcomings that might be attributed to generalised SBP operators are overcome (cf. Nordström and Ruggiu (2017) [38] and Manzanero et al. (2017) [39]).

Effectiveness of complementary and self-help treatments for anxiety disorders.

PubMed

Jorm, Anthony F; Christensen, Helen; Griffiths, Kathleen M; Parslow, Ruth A; Rodgers, Bryan; Blewitt, Kelly A

2004-10-04

To review the evidence for the effectiveness of complementary and self-help treatments for anxiety disorders. Systematic literature search using PubMed, PsycLit, and the Cochrane Library. 108 treatments were identified and grouped under the categories of medicines and homoeopathic remedies, physical treatments, lifestyle, and dietary changes. We give a description of the 34 treatments (for which evidence was found in the literature searched), the rationale behind the treatments, a review of studies on effectiveness, and the level of evidence for the effectiveness studies. The treatments with the best evidence of effectiveness are kava (for generalised anxiety), exercise (for generalised anxiety), relaxation training (for generalised anxiety, panic disorder, dental phobia and test anxiety) and bibliotherapy (for specific phobias). There is more limited evidence to support the effectiveness of acupuncture, music, autogenic training and meditation for generalised anxiety; for inositol in the treatment of panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder; and for alcohol avoidance by people with alcohol-use disorders to reduce a range of anxiety disorders.

Anomaly cancellation for super- W -gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansfield, P.; Spence, B.

1991-08-01

We generalise the description of minimal superconformal models coupled to supergravity, due to Distler, Hlousek and Kawaii, to super- W -gravity. When the chiral algebra is the generalisation of the W-algebra associated to any contragredient Lie superalgebra the total central charge vanishes as a result of Lie superalgebra identities. When the algebra has only fermionic simple roots there is N = 1 superconformal invariance and for this case we describe the Lax operators and construct gravitationally dressed primary superfields of weight zero. We also prove the anomaly cancellation associated with the generalised non-abelian Toda theories. Address from 1 October 1991: Physics Department, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, UK.

Peer pressure and Generalised Lotka Volterra models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richmond, Peter; Sabatelli, Lorenzo

2004-12-01

We develop a novel approach to peer pressure and Generalised Lotka-Volterra (GLV) models that builds on the development of a simple Langevin equation that characterises stochastic processes. We generalise the approach to stochastic equations that model interacting agents. The agent models recently advocated by Marsilli and Solomon are motivated. Using a simple change of variable, we show that the peer pressure model (similar to the one introduced by Marsilli) and the wealth dynamics model of Solomon may be (almost) mapped one into the other. This may help shed light in the (apparently) different wealth dynamics described by GLV and the Marsili-like peer pressure models.

Science teacher orientations and PCK across science topics in grade 9 earth science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, Todd; Melville, Wayne; Goodwin, Dawne

2017-07-01

While the literature is replete with studies examining teacher knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), few studies have investigated how science teacher orientations (STOs) shape classroom instruction. Therefore, this research explores the interplay between a STOs and the topic specificity of PCK across two science topics within a grade 9 earth science course. Through interviews and observations of one teacher's classroom across two sequentially taught, this research contests the notion that teachers hold a single way of conceptualising science teaching and learning. In this, we consider if multiple ontologies can provide potential explanatory power for characterising instructional enactments. In earlier work with the teacher in this study, using generic interview prompts and general discussions about science teaching and learning, we accepted the existence of a unitary STO and its promise of consistent reformed instruction in the classroom. However, upon close examination of instruction focused on different science topics, evidence was found to demonstrate the explanatory power of multiple ontologies for shaping characteristically different epistemological constructions across science topics. This research points to the need for care in generalising about teacher practice, as it reveals that a teacher's practice, and orientation, can vary, dependent on the context and science topics taught.

Relative survival: a useful tool to assess generalisability in longitudinal studies of health in older persons

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Generalisability of longitudinal studies is threatened by issues such as choice of sampling frame, representativeness of the initial sample, and attrition. To determine representativeness, cohorts are often compared with the population of interest at baseline on demographic and health characteristics. This study illustrates the use of relative survival as a tool for assessing generalisability of results from a cohort of older people among whom death is a potential threat to generalisability. Methods The authors used data from the 1921-26 cohort (n = 12,416, aged 70-75 in 1996) of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Vital status was determined by linkage to the National Death Index, and expected deaths were derived using Australian life tables. Relative survival was estimated using observed survival in the cohort divided by expected survival among women of the same age and State or Territory. Results Overall, the ALSWH women showed relative survival 9.5% above the general population. Within States and Territories, the relative survival advantage varied from 6% to 23%. The interval-specific relative survival remained relatively constant over the 12 years (1996-2008) under review, indicating that the survival advantage of the cohort has not diminished over time. Conclusion This study demonstrates that relative survival can be a useful measure of generalisability in a longitudinal study of the health of the general population, particularly when participants are older. PMID:21294918

Can Caring Create Prejudice? An Investigation of Positive and Negative Intergenerational Contact in Care Settings and the Generalisation of Blatant and Subtle Age Prejudice to Other Older People.

PubMed

Drury, Lisbeth; Abrams, Dominic; Swift, Hannah J; Lamont, Ruth A; Gerocova, Katarina

2017-01-01

Caring is a positive social act, but can it result in negative attitudes towards those cared for, and towards others from their wider social group? Based on intergroup contact theory, we tested whether care workers' (CWs) positive and negative contact with old-age care home residents (CHRs) predicts prejudiced attitudes towards that group, and whether this generalises to other older people. Fifty-six CWs were surveyed about their positive and negative contact with CHRs and their blatant and subtle attitudes (humanness attributions) towards CHRs and older adults. We tested indirect paths from contact with CHRs to attitudes towards older adults via attitudes towards CHRs. Results showed that neither positive nor negative contact generalised blatant ageism. However, the effect of negative, but not positive, contact on the denial of humanness to CHRs generalised to subtle ageism towards older adults. This evidence has practical implications for management of CWs' work experiences and theoretical implications, suggesting that negative contact with a subgroup generalises the attribution of humanness to superordinate groups. Because it is difficult to identify and challenge subtle prejudices such as dehumanisation, it may be especially important to reduce negative contact. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Study on the utility of a statewide counselling programme for improving mortality outcomes of patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in Thuringia (SUPPORT): a study protocol of a cluster-randomised crossover trial.

PubMed

Weis, S; Hagel, S; Schmitz, R P H; Scherag, A; Brunkhorst, F M; Forstner, C; Löffler, B; Pletz, M W

2017-04-08

Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) is a frequent infection with high mortality rates. It requires specific diagnostic and therapeutic management such as prolonged intravenous administration of antibiotics and aggressive search for and control of infectious sources. Underestimation of disease severity frequently results in delayed or inappropriate management of patients with SAB leading to increased mortality rates. According to observational studies, patient counselling by infectious disease consultants (IDC) improves survival and reduces the length of hospital stay as well as complication rates. In many countries, IDC are available only in some tertiary hospitals. In this trial, we aim to demonstrate that the outcome of patients with SAB in small and medium size hospitals that do not employ IDC can be improved by unsolicited ID phone counselling. The SUPPORT trial will be the first cluster-randomised controlled multicentre trial addressing this question. SUPPORT is a single-blinded, multicentre interventional, cluster-randomised, controlled crossover trial with a minimum of 15 centres that will include 250 patients with SAB who will receive unsolicited IDC counselling and 250 who will receive standard of care. Reporting of SAB will be conducted by an electronic real-time blood culture registry established for the German Federal state of Thuringia (ALERTSNet) or directly by participating centres in order to minimise time delay before counselling. Mortality, disease course and complications will be monitored for 90 days with 30-day all-cause mortality rates as the primary outcome. Generalised linear mixed modelling will be used to detect the difference between the intervention sequences. We expect improved outcome of patients with SAB after IDC. We obtained ethics approval from the Ethics committee of the Jena University Hospital and from the Ethics committee of the State Chamber of Physicians of Thuringia. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and additionally disseminated through public media. DRKS00010135. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Developing Students' Functional Thinking in Algebra through Different Visualisations of a Growing Pattern's Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkie, Karina J.; Clarke, Doug M.

2016-01-01

Spatial visualisation of geometric patterns and their generalisation have become a recognised pathway to developing students' functional thinking and understanding of variables in algebra. This design-based research project investigated upper primary students' development of explicit generalisation of functional relationships and their…

Effect of Crossover in Oncology Clinical Trials on Evidence Levels in Early Benefit Assessment in Germany.

PubMed

Isbary, Georg; Staab, Thomas R; Amelung, Volker E; Dintsios, Charalabos-Markos; Iking-Konert, Christof; Nesurini, Sonja Mariotti; Walter, Miriam; Ruof, Jörg

2018-06-01

In oncology clinical trials, crossover is used frequently but may lead to uncertainties regarding treatment effects. To investigate the handling of evidence from crossover trials by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the German Federal Joint Committee (G-BA). For oncology medicines with early benefit assessments before January 2015, presence of crossover, clinical data, EMA requests for additional data, and G-BA benefit ratings/evidence levels were analyzed from manufacturers' dossiers, G-BA appraisals, European Public Assessment Reports, and original publications. Eleven of 21 benefit assessments included crossover trials. Significant intergroup differences (P < 0.05) in overall survival (OS) were noted in 7 of 11 trials with and 7 of 10 without crossover. For 6 of 11 medicines with crossover, these were demonstrated before crossover. Treatment effects generally worsened with increasing proportions of crossover. The EMA requested additional data more frequently if crossover was performed, particularly if no OS data were available before crossover. The G-BA granted a considerable benefit to 73% of medicines with crossover and 40% of those without. Evidence levels were intermediate for 50% and 75%, respectively. None of the medicines received the highest evidence level. In G-BA appraisals, oncology medicines with crossover received better additional benefit ratings, but were assigned lower evidence levels, than those without. The five medicines with crossover after progression were assigned lower evidence levels than the six medicines with crossover after demonstration of superior OS, indicating that the way in which crossover is implemented may be one factor influencing the assignment of evidence levels by the G-BA. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Open quantum generalisation of Hopfield neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rotondo, P.; Marcuzzi, M.; Garrahan, J. P.; Lesanovsky, I.; Müller, M.

2018-03-01

We propose a new framework to understand how quantum effects may impact on the dynamics of neural networks. We implement the dynamics of neural networks in terms of Markovian open quantum systems, which allows us to treat thermal and quantum coherent effects on the same footing. In particular, we propose an open quantum generalisation of the Hopfield neural network, the simplest toy model of associative memory. We determine its phase diagram and show that quantum fluctuations give rise to a qualitatively new non-equilibrium phase. This novel phase is characterised by limit cycles corresponding to high-dimensional stationary manifolds that may be regarded as a generalisation of storage patterns to the quantum domain.

Transforming Functions by Rescaling Axes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Robert

2017-01-01

Students are often asked to plot a generalised parent function from their knowledge of a parent function. One approach is to sketch the parent function, choose a few points on the parent function curve, transform and plot these points, and use the transformed points as a guide to sketching the generalised parent function. Another approach is to…

Modelling Problem-Solving Situations into Number Theory Tasks: The Route towards Generalisation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papadopoulos, Ioannis; Iatridou, Maria

2010-01-01

This paper examines the way two 10th graders cope with a non-standard generalisation problem that involves elementary concepts of number theory (more specifically linear Diophantine equations) in the geometrical context of a rectangle's area. Emphasis is given on how the students' past experience of problem solving (expressed through interplay…

Commitment of mathematicians in medicine: a personal experience, and generalisations.

PubMed

Clairambault, Jean

2011-12-01

I will present here a personal point of view on the commitment of mathematicians in medicine. Starting from my personal experience, I will suggest generalisations including favourable signs and caveats to show how mathematicians can be welcome and helpful in medicine, both in a theoretical and in a practical way.

Fostering Teacher Learning of Conjecturing, Generalising and Justifying through Mathematics Studio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lesseig, Kristin

2016-01-01

Calls to advance students' ability to engage in mathematical reasoning practices including conjecturing, generalising and justifying (CGJ) place significant new demands on teachers. This case study examines how Mathematics Studio provided opportunities for a team of U.S. middle school teachers to learn about these practices and ways to promote…

Young Indigenous Students en Route to Generalising Growing Patterns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Jodie

2016-01-01

This paper presents a hypothesised learning trajectory for a Year 3 Indigenous student en route to generalising growing patterns. The trajectory emerged from data collected across a teaching experiment (students n = 18; including a pre-test and three 45-minute mathematics lessons) and clinical interviews (n = 3). A case study of one student is…

Episodic, generalized, and semantic memory tests: switching and strength effects.

PubMed

Humphreys, Michael S; Murray, Krista L

2011-09-01

We continue the process of investigating the probabilistic paired associate paradigm in an effort to understand the memory access control processes involved and to determine whether the memory structure produced is in transition between episodic and semantic memory. In this paradigm two targets are probabilistically paired with a cue across a large number of short lists. Participants can recall the target paired with the cue in the most recent list (list specific test), produce the first of the two targets that have been paired with that cue to come to mind (generalised test), and produce a free association response (semantic test). Switching between a generalised test and a list specific test did not produce a switching cost indicating a general similarity in the control processes involved. In addition, there was evidence for a dissociation between two different strength manipulations (amount of study time and number of cue-target pairings) such that number of pairings influenced the list specific, generalised and the semantic test but amount of study time only influenced the list specific and generalised test. © 2011 Canadian Psychological Association

Survival in 76 cats with epilepsy of unknown cause: a retrospective study.

PubMed

Szelecsenyi, Arlette Cornelia; Giger, Urs; Golini, Lorenzo; Mothersill, Ian; Torgerson, Paul R; Steffen, Frank

2017-11-01

Survival of cats with epilepsy of unknown cause (EUC) has not been reported. Seizure semiology and its relationship to treatment outcome and survival was studied in a population of 76 cats. A questionnaire for seizure semiology was developed based on experimental data. Seizure semiology was characterised by owner interviews at least one year after discharge. Seizures were classified as (1) primary generalised and (2) focal without and (3) with secondary generalisation. Median age at seizure onset was four (range 0.3-18) years. One-third of cats with EUC presented with primary generalised seizures and 78 per cent of those with initially focal seizures progressed to secondary generalised seizures. Clinical signs of generalised seizures included sudden onset of loss of consciousness and tonic-clonic seizures, while cats with focal seizures had unilateral signs. Antiepileptic drug (AED) therapy was initiated in 62 cats. Complete remission rate was 42 per cent and the median survival time was 3.2 (range 1-11) years with or without AED, and 91 per cent were still alive at the time of interview. Neither semiology nor seizure type predicted survival, response to treatment and outcome in cats with EUC. A seizure-free status of more than 12 months was observed in 79 per cent of cats without AED. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

From specific examples to general knowledge in language learning.

PubMed

Tamminen, Jakke; Davis, Matthew H; Rastle, Kathleen

2015-06-01

The extraction of general knowledge from individual episodes is critical if we are to learn new knowledge or abilities. Here we uncover some of the key cognitive mechanisms that characterise this process in the domain of language learning. In five experiments adult participants learned new morphological units embedded in fictitious words created by attaching new affixes (e.g., -afe) to familiar word stems (e.g., "sleepafe is a participant in a study about the effects of sleep"). Participants' ability to generalise semantic knowledge about the affixes was tested using tasks requiring the comprehension and production of novel words containing a trained affix (e.g., sailafe). We manipulated the delay between training and test (Experiment 1), the number of unique exemplars provided for each affix during training (Experiment 2), and the consistency of the form-to-meaning mapping of the affixes (Experiments 3-5). In a task where speeded online language processing is required (semantic priming), generalisation was achieved only after a memory consolidation opportunity following training, and only if the training included a sufficient number of unique exemplars. Semantic inconsistency disrupted speeded generalisation unless consolidation was allowed to operate on one of the two affix-meanings before introducing inconsistencies. In contrast, in tasks that required slow, deliberate reasoning, generalisation could be achieved largely irrespective of the above constraints. These findings point to two different mechanisms of generalisation that have different cognitive demands and rely on different types of memory representations. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of sex, age and genetics on crossover interference in cattle

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhiying; Shen, Botong; Jiang, Jicai; Li, Jinquan; Ma, Li

2016-01-01

Crossovers generated by homologous recombination ensure proper chromosome segregation during meiosis. Crossover interference results in chiasmata being more evenly distributed along chromosomes, but the mechanism underlying crossover interference remains elusive. Based on large pedigrees of Holstein and Jersey cattle with genotype data, we extracted three-generation families, including 147,327 male and 71,687 female meioses in Holstein, and 108,163 male and 37,008 female meioses in Jersey, respectively. We identified crossovers in these meioses and fitted the Housworth-Stahl “interference-escape” model to study crossover interference patterns in the cattle genome. Our result reveals that the degree of crossover interference is stronger in females than in males. We found evidence for inter-chromosomal variation in the level of crossover interference, with smaller chromosomes exhibiting stronger interference. In addition, crossover interference levels decreased with maternal age. Finally, sex-specific GWAS analyses identified one locus near the NEK9 gene on chromosome 10 to have a significant effect on crossover interference levels. This locus has been previously associated with recombination rate in cattle. Collectively, this large-scale analysis provided a comprehensive description of crossover interference across chromosome, sex and age groups, identified associated candidate genes, and produced useful insights into the mechanism of crossover interference. PMID:27892966

Variation and Evolution of the Meiotic Requirement for Crossing Over in Mammals.

PubMed

Dumont, Beth L

2017-01-01

The segregation of homologous chromosomes at the first meiotic division is dependent on the presence of at least one well-positioned crossover per chromosome. In some mammalian species, however, the genomic distribution of crossovers is consistent with a more stringent baseline requirement of one crossover per chromosome arm. Given that the meiotic requirement for crossing over defines the minimum frequency of recombination necessary for the production of viable gametes, determining the chromosomal scale of this constraint is essential for defining crossover profiles predisposed to aneuploidy and understanding the parameters that shape patterns of recombination rate evolution across species. Here, I use cytogenetic methods for in situ imaging of crossovers in karyotypically diverse house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) and voles (genus Microtus) to test how chromosome number and configuration constrain the distribution of crossovers in a genome. I show that the global distribution of crossovers in house mice is thresholded by a minimum of one crossover per chromosome arm, whereas the crossover landscape in voles is defined by a more relaxed requirement of one crossover per chromosome. I extend these findings in an evolutionary metaanalysis of published recombination and karyotype data for 112 mammalian species and demonstrate that the physical scale of the genomic crossover distribution has undergone multiple independent shifts from one crossover per chromosome arm to one per chromosome during mammalian evolution. Together, these results indicate that the chromosomal scale constraint on crossover rates is itself a trait that evolves among species, a finding that casts light on an important source of crossover rate variation in mammals. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

CRISPR/Cas9-coupled recombineering for metabolic engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum.

PubMed

Cho, Jae Sung; Choi, Kyeong Rok; Prabowo, Cindy Pricilia Surya; Shin, Jae Ho; Yang, Dongsoo; Jang, Jaedong; Lee, Sang Yup

2017-07-01

Genome engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum, an important industrial microorganism for amino acids production, currently relies on random mutagenesis and inefficient double crossover events. Here we report a rapid genome engineering strategy to scarlessly knock out one or more genes in C. glutamicum in sequential and iterative manner. Recombinase RecT is used to incorporate synthetic single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides into the genome and CRISPR/Cas9 to counter-select negative mutants. We completed the system by engineering the respective plasmids harboring CRISPR/Cas9 and RecT for efficient curing such that multiple gene targets can be done iteratively and final strains will be free of plasmids. To demonstrate the system, seven different mutants were constructed within two weeks to study the combinatorial deletion effects of three different genes on the production of γ-aminobutyric acid, an industrially relevant chemical of much interest. This genome engineering strategy will expedite metabolic engineering of C. glutamicum. Copyright © 2017 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of the inferior frontal gyri in cognitive processing of patients with Parkinson's disease: a pilot rTMS study.

PubMed

Srovnalova, Hana; Marecek, Radek; Rektorova, Irena

2011-07-01

We studied whether 1 session of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied sequentially over both the left and right inferior frontal gyri (IFG) would enhance performance in tests evaluating the ability to inhibit habitual responses (Stroop test, ST; Frontal Assessment Battery, FAB) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Ten nondemented PD patients (6 men, 4 women; age, 66 ± 6 years; disease duration, 5.4 ± 2.45 years) entered the randomized, sham stimulation-controlled study with a crossover design. The ST and the FAB were performed prior to and immediately after an appropriate rTMS session. The active but not sham rTMS induced significant improvement in all ST subtests (word, color, color-word). Conversely, the calculated Stroop interference and the FAB scores remained unchanged. In PD patients, rTMS of the IFG increased the speed of cognitive processing in both the congruent and incongruent conditions of the ST. Copyright © 2011 Movement Disorder Society.

Thermal injury decreases hepatic blood flow and the intrinsic clearance of indocyanine green in the rat.

PubMed

Pollack, G M; Brouwer, K L

1991-01-01

The influence of severe thermal injury (full-thickness burns involving 50% of the body surface area) on hepatic blood flow in the rat was assessed using the tricarbocyanine dye indocyanine green (ICG). In a randomized crossover fashion, rats received sequential infusions of ICG through both the femoral vein and the portal vein, allowing the estimation of total hepatic plasma clearance and transhepatic extraction of the dye. These two parameters, along with the hematocrit, were used to calculate intrinsic hepatic clearance of ICG and hepatic blood flow. Animals were examined at 0 (control), 0.5, 12, or 24 hr following infliction of scald burns. Hepatic blood flow was decreased significantly by 0.5 hr postburn and remained approximately 20% below normal throughout the remainder of the study. The intrinsic efficiency of the liver in removing ICG from the systemic circulation was also decreased by thermal injury. The potential mechanisms involved in these two physiologic perturbations are discussed.

Learning from a provisioning site: code of conduct compliance and behaviour of whale sharks in Oslob, Cebu, Philippines

PubMed Central

Araujo, Gonzalo; Penketh, Luke; Heath, Anna; McCoy, Emer; Labaja, Jessica; Lucey, Anna; Ponzo, Alessandro

2015-01-01

While shark-based tourism is a rapidly growing global industry, there is ongoing controversy about the effects of provisioning on the target species. This study investigated the effect of feeding on whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) at a provisioning site in Oslob, Cebu, in terms of arrival time, avoidance and feeding behaviour using photo-identification and focal follows. Additionally, compliance to the code of conduct in place was monitored to assess tourism pressure on the whale sharks. Newly identified sharks gradually arrived earlier to the provisioning site after their initial sighting, indicating that the animals learn to associate the site with food rewards. Whale sharks with a long resighting history showed anticipatory behaviour and were recorded at the site on average 5 min after the arrival of feeder boats. Results from a generalised linear mixed model indicated that animals with a longer resighting history were less likely to show avoidance behaviour to touches or boat contact. Similarly, sequential data on feeding behaviour was modelled using a generalised estimating equations approach, which suggested that experienced whale sharks were more likely to display vertical feeding behaviour. It was proposed that the continuous source of food provides a strong incentive for the modification of behaviours, i.e., learning, through conditioning. Whale sharks are large opportunistic filter feeders in a mainly oligotrophic environment, where the ability to use novel food sources by modifying their behaviour could be of great advantage. Non-compliance to the code of conduct in terms of minimum distance to the shark (2 m) increased from 79% in 2012 to 97% in 2014, suggesting a high tourism pressure on the whale sharks in Oslob. The long-term effects of the observed behavioural modifications along with the high tourism pressure remain unknown. However, management plans are traditionally based on the precautionary principle, which aims to take preventive actions even if data on cause and effect are still inconclusive. Hence, an improved enforcement of the code of conduct coupled with a reduction in the conditioning of the whale sharks through provisioning were proposed to minimise the impacts on whale sharks in Oslob. PMID:26644984

Learning from a provisioning site: code of conduct compliance and behaviour of whale sharks in Oslob, Cebu, Philippines.

PubMed

Schleimer, Anna; Araujo, Gonzalo; Penketh, Luke; Heath, Anna; McCoy, Emer; Labaja, Jessica; Lucey, Anna; Ponzo, Alessandro

2015-01-01

While shark-based tourism is a rapidly growing global industry, there is ongoing controversy about the effects of provisioning on the target species. This study investigated the effect of feeding on whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) at a provisioning site in Oslob, Cebu, in terms of arrival time, avoidance and feeding behaviour using photo-identification and focal follows. Additionally, compliance to the code of conduct in place was monitored to assess tourism pressure on the whale sharks. Newly identified sharks gradually arrived earlier to the provisioning site after their initial sighting, indicating that the animals learn to associate the site with food rewards. Whale sharks with a long resighting history showed anticipatory behaviour and were recorded at the site on average 5 min after the arrival of feeder boats. Results from a generalised linear mixed model indicated that animals with a longer resighting history were less likely to show avoidance behaviour to touches or boat contact. Similarly, sequential data on feeding behaviour was modelled using a generalised estimating equations approach, which suggested that experienced whale sharks were more likely to display vertical feeding behaviour. It was proposed that the continuous source of food provides a strong incentive for the modification of behaviours, i.e., learning, through conditioning. Whale sharks are large opportunistic filter feeders in a mainly oligotrophic environment, where the ability to use novel food sources by modifying their behaviour could be of great advantage. Non-compliance to the code of conduct in terms of minimum distance to the shark (2 m) increased from 79% in 2012 to 97% in 2014, suggesting a high tourism pressure on the whale sharks in Oslob. The long-term effects of the observed behavioural modifications along with the high tourism pressure remain unknown. However, management plans are traditionally based on the precautionary principle, which aims to take preventive actions even if data on cause and effect are still inconclusive. Hence, an improved enforcement of the code of conduct coupled with a reduction in the conditioning of the whale sharks through provisioning were proposed to minimise the impacts on whale sharks in Oslob.

Brief Report: Generalisation of Word-Picture Relations in Children with Autism and Typically Developing Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartley, Calum; Allen, Melissa L.

2014-01-01

We investigated whether low-functioning children with autism generalise labels from colour photographs based on sameness of shape, colour, or both. Children with autism and language-matched controls were taught novel words paired with photographs of unfamiliar objects, and then sorted pictures and objects into two buckets according to whether or…

An Early Algebra Approach to Pattern Generalisation: Actualising the Virtual through Words, Gestures and Toilet Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferrara, Francesca; Sinclair, Nathalie

2016-01-01

This paper focuses on pattern generalisation as a way to introduce young students to early algebra. We build on research on patterning activities that feature, in their work with algebraic thinking, both looking for sameness recursively in a pattern (especially figural patterns, but also numerical ones) and conjecturing about function-based…

Abilities of 4-7 Years Old Children to Provide Independent Explanations and Generalisations of Causality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daugirdiene, Ausra; Petrulyte, Aiste; Brandisauskiene, Agne

2018-01-01

The understanding and generalisation of causality are important thinking abilities, as they form the basis for a person's activity. Researchers exploring these abilities do not have a unified opinion regarding the age of children when they develop causative understanding and its determinant factors (e.g. age, prior knowledge, the content of a…

Situational and Generalised Conduct Problems and Later Life Outcomes: Evidence from a New Zealand Birth Cohort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fergusson, David M.; Boden, Joseph M.; Horwood, L. John

2009-01-01

Background: There is considerable evidence suggesting that many children show conduct problems that are specific to a given context (home; school). What is less well understood is the extent to which children with situation-specific conduct problems show similar outcomes to those with generalised conduct problems. Methods: Data were gathered as…

Cross-validation of generalised body composition equations with diverse young men and women: the Training Intervention and Genetics of Exercise Response (TIGER) Study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Generalised skinfold equations developed in the 1970s are commonly used to estimate laboratory-measured percentage fat (BF%). The equations were developed on predominately white individuals using Siri's two-component percentage fat equation (BF%-GEN). We cross-validated the Jackson-Pollock (JP) gene...

Children and Youth: The Evolution of At Risk to "High Promise" Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Child & Youth Services, 2007

2007-01-01

It is impossible to make global generalisations about children and youth from a phenomenological inquiry into the experiences of such a limited number of participants in just one city, Limerick, Ireland, and one case, St. Augustine's. The goal of phenomenological research is, however, not to seek generalisations but to expose the individual case,…

Nonlinear Stage of Modulation Instability for a Fifth-Order Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Hui-Xian; Shan, Dong-Ming

2017-10-01

In this article, a fifth-order nonlinear Schrödinger equation, which can be used to characterise the solitons in the optical fibre and inhomogeneous Heisenberg ferromagnetic spin system, has been investigated. Akhmediev breather, Kuzentsov soliton, and generalised soliton have all been attained via the Darbox transformation. Propagation and interaction for three-type breathers have been studied: the types of breather are determined by the module and complex angle of parameter ξ; interaction between Akhmediev breather and generalised soliton displays a phase shift, whereas the others do not. Modulation instability of the generalised solitons have been analysed: a small perturbation can develop into a rogue wave, which is consistent with the results of rogue wave solutions.

Concurrent analysis: towards generalisable qualitative research.

PubMed

Snowden, Austyn; Martin, Colin R

2011-10-01

This study develops an original method of qualitative analysis coherent with its interpretivist principles. The objective is to increase the likelihood of achieving generalisability and so improve the chance of the findings being translated into practice. Good qualitative research depends on coherent analysis of different types of data. The limitations of existing methodologies are first discussed to justify the need for a novel approach. To illustrate this approach, primary evidence is presented using the new methodology. The primary evidence consists of a constructivist grounded theory of how mental health nurses with prescribing authority integrate prescribing into practice. This theory is built concurrently from interviews, reflective accounts and case study data from the literature. Concurrent analysis. Ten research articles and 13 semi-structured interviews were sampled purposively and then theoretically and analysed concurrently using constructivist grounded theory. A theory of the process of becoming competent in mental health nurse prescribing was generated through this process. This theory was validated by 32 practising mental health nurse prescribers as an accurate representation of their experience. The methodology generated a coherent and generalisable theory. It is therefore claimed that concurrent analysis engenders consistent and iterative treatment of different sources of qualitative data in a manageable manner. This process supports facilitation of the highest standard of qualitative research. Concurrent analysis removes the artificial delineation of relevant literature from other forms of constructed data. This gives researchers clear direction to treat qualitative data consistently raising the chances of generalisability of the findings. Raising the generalisability of qualitative research will increase its chances of informing clinical practice. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Repeating Patterns: Strategies to Assist Young Students to Generalise the Mathematical Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren, Elizabeth; Miller, Jodie; Cooper, Thomas

2012-01-01

This paper focuses on very young students' ability to engage in repeating pattern tasks and identifying strategies that assist them to ascertain the structure of the pattern. It describes results of a study which is part of the Early Years Generalising Project (EYGP) and involves Australian students in Years 1 to 4 (ages 5-10). This paper reports…

Generalisation of the Clark and Wells Cognitive Model of Social Anxiety to Children's Athletic and Sporting Situations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vassilopoulos, Stephanos P.; Brouzos, Andreas; Moberly, Nicholas J.; Tsorbatzoudis, Haralambos; Tziouma, Olga

2017-01-01

Research has shown that social anxiety generalises to sporting and athletic situations. The present study explored the applicability of the Clark and Wells model of social anxiety--and its metacognitive extension--to sport anxiety. Participants were 290 students aged 11-13 years, who completed measures of sport anxiety, social anxiety, depression…

How One Period Casts Shadows on Another: Exploring Year 8 Encounters with Multiple Interpretations of the First World War

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Dan

2016-01-01

Dan Smith was concerned that his pupils were drawing on oversimplified generalisations about different periods of the past when they were considering why interpretations change over time. This led him to consider how pupils' contextual knowledge and chronological fluency might be used more explicitly in order to avoid weak generalisations about…

The Troublesome Triplets: Issues in Teaching Reliability, Validity and Generalisation to Business Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quinton, Sarah; Smallbone, Teresa

2005-01-01

This discussion paper focuses on the problem of how to approach teaching abstract concepts to business and management students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Students are faced with the problem of how to identify and assess the rigour of what they read, how to generalise from the results of their research and how to judge the extent…

Working dogs cooperate among one another by generalised reciprocity.

PubMed

Gfrerer, Nastassja; Taborsky, Michael

2017-03-06

Cooperation by generalised reciprocity implies that individuals apply the decision rule "help anyone if helped by someone". This mechanism has been shown to generate evolutionarily stable levels of cooperation, but as yet it is unclear how widely this cooperation mechanism is applied among animals. Dogs (Canis familiaris) are highly social animals with considerable cognitive potential and the ability to differentiate between individual social partners. But although dogs can solve complex problems, they may use simple rules for behavioural decisions. Here we show that dogs trained in an instrumental cooperative task to provide food to a social partner help conspecifics more often after receiving help from a dog before. Remarkably, in so doing they show no distinction between partners that had helped them before and completely unfamiliar conspecifics. Apparently, dogs use the simple decision rule characterizing generalised reciprocity, although they are probably capable of using the more complex decision rule of direct reciprocity: "help someone who has helped you". However, generalized reciprocity involves lower information processing costs and is therefore a cheaper cooperation strategy. Our results imply that generalised reciprocity might be applied more commonly than direct reciprocity also in other mutually cooperating animals.

Working dogs cooperate among one another by generalised reciprocity

PubMed Central

Gfrerer, Nastassja; Taborsky, Michael

2017-01-01

Cooperation by generalised reciprocity implies that individuals apply the decision rule “help anyone if helped by someone”. This mechanism has been shown to generate evolutionarily stable levels of cooperation, but as yet it is unclear how widely this cooperation mechanism is applied among animals. Dogs (Canis familiaris) are highly social animals with considerable cognitive potential and the ability to differentiate between individual social partners. But although dogs can solve complex problems, they may use simple rules for behavioural decisions. Here we show that dogs trained in an instrumental cooperative task to provide food to a social partner help conspecifics more often after receiving help from a dog before. Remarkably, in so doing they show no distinction between partners that had helped them before and completely unfamiliar conspecifics. Apparently, dogs use the simple decision rule characterizing generalised reciprocity, although they are probably capable of using the more complex decision rule of direct reciprocity: “help someone who has helped you”. However, generalized reciprocity involves lower information processing costs and is therefore a cheaper cooperation strategy. Our results imply that generalised reciprocity might be applied more commonly than direct reciprocity also in other mutually cooperating animals. PMID:28262722

Mixed methods student evaluation of an online systemic human anatomy course with laboratory.

PubMed

Attardi, Stefanie M; Choi, Suwhan; Barnett, John; Rogers, Kem A

2016-05-06

A fully online section of an existing face-to-face (F2F) systemic human anatomy course with a prosection laboratory was offered for the first time in 2012-2013. Lectures for F2F students (N = 365) were broadcast in both live and archived format to online students (N = 40) using virtual classroom software. Laboratories were delivered online by a teaching assistant who manipulated 3D computer models in the virtual classroom environment. An exploratory sequential mixed methods approach was undertaken to determine the most important deciding factors that drive students' preferences for a given format and then to generate theory on the strengths and weaknesses of the online format. Students (20 online; 310 F2F) volunteered to participate in a crossover period of one week to expose them to the course section in which they were not originally registered. Open ended interviews (20 online; 20 F2F) and quantitative surveys (270 F2F) were conducted following a crossover. Students valued pace control, schedule, and location flexibility of learning from archived materials and being assessed online. In the online laboratory they had difficulty using the 3D models and preferred the unique and hands-on experiences of cadaveric specimens. The F2F environment was conducive to learning in both lecture and laboratory because students felt more engaged by instructors in person and were less distracted by their surroundings. These results suggest the need to improve the online experience by increasing the quality of student-instructor communication and in turn student-content interaction with the 3D models. Anat Sci Educ 9: 272-285. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

Patient-centered outcomes comparing digital and conventional implant impression procedures: a randomized crossover trial.

PubMed

Joda, Tim; Brägger, Urs

2016-12-01

The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to compare patient-centered outcomes during digital and conventional implant impressions. In a crossover study design, intraoral scanning (IOS) [test] as well as classical polyether impressions [control] were both performed on 20 patients for single-tooth replacement with implant-supported crowns. The sequential distribution of either starting with the test or the control procedure was randomly selected. Patients' perception and satisfaction on the level of convenience-related factors were assessed with visual analogue scale (VAS) questionnaires. In addition, clinical work time was separately recorded for test and control procedures. Statistical analyses were performed with Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and corrected for multiple testing by the method of Holm. On VAS ranging from 0 to 100, patients scored a mean convenience level of 78.6 (SD ± 14.0) in favor of IOS compared to conventional impressions with 53.6 (SD ± 15.4) [P = 0.0001]. All included patients would prefer the digital workflow if in the future they could choose between the two techniques. Secondary, IOS was significantly faster with 14.8 min (SD ± 2.2) compared to the conventional approach with 17.9 min (SD ± 1.1) [P = 0.0001]. Based on the findings of this investigation, both impression protocols worked successfully for all study participants capturing the 3D implant positions. However, the digital technique emerges as the most preferred one according to patient-centered outcomes and was more time-effective compared to conventional impressions. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of oral ibrutinib in healthy participants and patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

PubMed

de Jong, Jan; Sukbuntherng, Juthamas; Skee, Donna; Murphy, Joe; O'Brien, Susan; Byrd, John C; James, Danelle; Hellemans, Peter; Loury, David J; Jiao, Juhui; Chauhan, Vijay; Mannaert, Erik

2015-05-01

To assess ibrutinib pharmacokinetics under fasted and fed conditions, impact of food-intake timing, and the safety and tolerability. Three studies were analyzed. Study 1 was a randomized, open-label, single-dose, four-way crossover study in 44 healthy participants. Study 2 was a randomized, repeat-dose crossover study in 16 patients with previously treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Ibrutinib dose was 420 mg in both studies. Study 3 was an open-label, sequential study to assess the effect of a standard breakfast on ibrutinib 560 mg in eight healthy participants. Administration of single-dose ibrutinib under fasting conditions (study 1) resulted in approximately 60 % of exposure compared with drug intake either 30 min before, 30 min after (fed), or 2 h after a high-fat meal. Similar food effect was observed (study 3) when ibrutinib was given 30 min before meal. In CLL patients (study 2), the C max and AUC under fasting conditions were 43 and 61 %, respectively, relative to fed conditions. When administered once-daily in uncontrolled food-intake conditions (≥30 min before or 2 h after), exposures were slightly (≈30 %) lower than in fed condition. When corrected for repeated dosing, pharmacokinetic parameters in healthy participants and patients were comparable. Ibrutinib was generally well tolerated in all settings studied. Ibrutinib administered in fasted condition reduces exposure to approximately 60 % as compared with dosing in proximity to food-intake, regardless of timing/type of meal. Because repeated drug intake in fasted condition is unlikely, no food restrictions may be needed to administer ibrutinib.

Characteristic phasic evolution of convulsive seizure in PCDH19-related epilepsy.

PubMed

Ikeda, Hiroko; Imai, Katsumi; Ikeda, Hitoshi; Shigematsu, Hideo; Takahashi, Yukitoshi; Inoue, Yushi; Higurashi, Norimichi; Hirose, Shinichi

2016-03-01

PCDH19-related epilepsy is a genetic disorder that was first described in 1971, then referred to as "epilepsy and mental retardation limited to females". PCDH19 has recently been identified as the responsible gene, but a detailed characterization of the seizure manifestation based on video-EEG recording is still limited. The purpose of this study was to elucidate features of the seizure semiology in children with PCDH19-related epilepsy. To do this, ictal video-EEG recordings of 26 convulsive seizures in three girls with PCDH19-related epilepsy were analysed. All seizures occurred in clusters, mainly during sleep accompanied by fever. The motor manifestations consisted of six sequential phases: "jerk", "reactive", "mild tonic", "fluttering", "mild clonic", and "postictal". Some phases were brief or lacking in some seizures, whereas others were long or pronounced. In the reactive phase, the patients looked fearful or startled with sudden jerks and turned over reactively. The tonic and clonic components were less intense compared with those of typical tonic-clonic seizures in other types of epilepsy. The fluttering phase was characterised initially by asymmetric, less rhythmic, and less synchronous tremulous movement and was then followed by the subtle clonic phase. Subtle oral automatism was observed in the postictal phase. The reactive, mild tonic, fluttering and mild clonic phases were most characteristic of seizures of PCDH19-related epilepsy. Ictal EEG started bilaterally and was symmetric in some patients but asymmetric in others. It showed asymmetric rhythmic discharges in some seizures at later phases. The electroclinical pattern of the phasic evolution of convulsive seizure suggests a focal onset seizure with secondary generalisation. Based on our findings, we propose that the six unique sequential phases in convulsive seizures suggest the diagnosis of PCDH19-related epilepsy when occurring in clusters with or without high fever in girls. [Published with video sequences online].

Threshold Levels of Infant and Under-Five Mortality for Crossover between Life Expectancies at Ages Zero, One and Five in India: A Decomposition Analysis.

PubMed

Dubey, Manisha; Ram, Usha; Ram, Faujdar

2015-01-01

Under the prevailing conditions of imbalanced life table and historic gender discrimination in India, our study examines crossover between life expectancies at ages zero, one and five years for India and quantifies the relative share of infant and under-five mortality towards this crossover. We estimate threshold levels of infant and under-five mortality required for crossover using age specific death rates during 1981-2009 for 16 Indian states by sex (comprising of India's 90% population in 2011). Kitagawa decomposition equations were used to analyse relative share of infant and under-five mortality towards crossover. India experienced crossover between life expectancies at ages zero and five in 2004 for menand in 2009 for women; eleven and nine Indian states have experienced this crossover for men and women, respectively. Men usually experienced crossover four years earlier than the women. Improvements in mortality below ages five have mostly contributed towards this crossover. Life expectancy at age one exceeds that at age zero for both men and women in India except for Kerala (the only state to experience this crossover in 2000 for men and 1999 for women). For India, using life expectancy at age zero and under-five mortality rate together may be more meaningful to measure overall health of its people until the crossover. Delayed crossover for women, despite higher life expectancy at birth than for men reiterates that Indian women are still disadvantaged and hence use of life expectancies at ages zero, one and five become important for India. Greater programmatic efforts to control leading causes of death during the first month and 1-59 months in high child mortality areas can help India to attain this crossover early.

Flow-Induced New Channels of Energy Exchange in Multi-Scale Plasma Dynamics - Revisiting Perturbative Hybrid Kinetic-MHD Theory.

PubMed

Shiraishi, Junya; Miyato, Naoaki; Matsunaga, Go

2016-05-10

It is found that new channels of energy exchange between macro- and microscopic dynamics exist in plasmas. They are induced by macroscopic plasma flow. This finding is based on the kinetic-magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theory, which analyses interaction between macroscopic (MHD-scale) motion and microscopic (particle-scale) dynamics. The kinetic-MHD theory is extended to include effects of macroscopic plasma flow self-consistently. The extension is realised by generalising an energy exchange term due to wave-particle resonance, denoted by δ WK. The first extension is generalisation of the particle's Lagrangian, and the second one stems from modification to the particle distribution function due to flow. These extensions lead to a generalised expression of δ WK, which affects the MHD stability of plasmas.

Control of Meiotic Crossovers: From Double-Strand Break Formation to Designation

PubMed Central

Gray, Stephen

2017-01-01

Meiosis, the mechanism of creating haploid gametes, is a complex cellular process observed across sexually reproducing organisms. Fundamental to meiosis is the process of homologous recombination, whereby DNA double-strand breaks are introduced into the genome and are subsequently repaired to generate either noncrossovers or crossovers. Although homologous recombination is essential for chromosome pairing during prophase I, the resulting crossovers are critical for maintaining homolog interactions and enabling accurate segregation at the first meiotic division. Thus, the placement, timing, and frequency of crossover formation must be exquisitely controlled. In this review, we discuss the proteins involved in crossover formation, the process of their formation and designation, and the rules governing crossovers, all within the context of the important landmarks of prophase I. We draw together crossover designation data across organisms, analyze their evolutionary divergence, and propose a universal model for crossover regulation. PMID:27648641

Investigation of iron spin crossover pressure in Fe-bearing MgO using hybrid functional

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Ya; Wang, Xianlong; Zhang, Jie; Yang, Kaishuai; Zhang, Chuanguo; Zeng, Zhi; Lin, Haiqin

2018-04-01

Pressure-induced spin crossover behaviors of Fe-bearing MgO were widely investigated by using an LDA  +  U functional for describing the strongly correlated Fe–O bonding. Moreover, the simulated spin crossover pressures depend on the applied U values, which are sensitive to environments and parameters. In this work, the spin crossover pressures of (Mg1‑x ,Fe x )O are investigated by using the hybrid functional with a uniform parameter. Our results indicate that the spin crossover pressures increase with increasing iron concentration. For example, the spin crossover pressure of (Mg0.03125,Fe0.96875)O and FeO was 56 GPa and 127 GPa, respectively. The calculated crossover pressures agreed well with the experimental observations. Therefore, the hybrid functional should be an effective method for describing the pressure-induced spin crossover behaviors in transition metal oxides.

Generalised and abdominal adiposity are important risk factors for chronic disease in older people: results from a nationally representative survey.

PubMed

Hirani, V

2011-06-01

To look at the trends in prevalence of generalised (body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2) and abdominal obesity (waist circumference (WC) >102 cm, men; > 88 cm, women) among older people from 1993 to 2008, prevalence of chronic disease by overweight/obesity and WC categories in England 2005 and evaluate the association of these measures with chronic diseases. Analyses of nationally representative cross-sectional population surveys, the Health Survey for England (HSE). Non-institutionalised men and women aged ≥ 65 years (in HSE 2005, 1512 men and 1747 women). Height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure measurements were taken according to standardised HSE protocols. Information collected on socio-demographic, health behaviour and doctor diagnosed health conditions. Generalised obesity and abdominal obesity increased among men and women from 1993 to 2008. In 2005, the HSE 2005 focussed on older people. 72% of men and 68% of women aged over 65 were either overweight or obese. Prevalence of raised WC was higher in women (58%) than in men (46%). The prevalence of diabetes and arthritis was higher in people with generalised obesity in both sexes. Men were more likely to have had a joint replacement and had a higher prevalence of stroke if they were overweight only but women were more likely to have had a joint replacement only if they were obese (13%) and had a higher risk of falls with generalised obesity. The pattern was similar for the prevalence of chronic diseases by raised WC. Multivariate analysis showed that generalised and abdominal obesity was independently associated with risk of hypertension, diabetes and arthritis in both men and women. In women only, there was an association between generalised obesity and having a fall in the last year (OR: 1.5), and between abdominal obesity and having a joint replacement (OR: 1.9, p=0.01). Complications of obesity such as diabetes, hypertension and arthritis, are more common in men and women aged over 65 who are overweight or obese, as well as in those with a raised WC. These conditions impact on morbidity, mortality and have cost implications for the health service and are known to improve with weight loss even in old age. Treatment strategies to address these conditions such as weight management and prevention of overweight and obesity are important even in older people. There is a need to ensure that older people are given appropriate advice about keeping physically active and eating sensibly.

Generalised Multiplicative Indices of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Benzenoid Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulli, V. R.; Stone, Branden; Wang, Shaohui; Wei, Bing

2017-05-01

Many types of topological indices such as degree-based topological indices, distance-based topological indices, and counting-related topological indices are explored during past recent years. Among degree-based topological indices, Zagreb indices are the oldest one and studied well. In the paper, we define a generalised multiplicative version of these indices and compute exact formulas for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and jagged-rectangle Benzenoid systems.

Issues in the Analysis of Focus Groups: Generalisability, Quantifiability, Treatment of Context and Quotations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vicsek, Lilla

2010-01-01

In this paper I discuss some concerns related to the analysis of focus groups: (a) the issue of generalisation; (b) the problems of using numbers and quantifying in the analysis; (c) how the concrete situation of the focus groups could be included in the analysis, and (d) what formats can be used when quoting from focus groups. Problems with…

Miniaturized dielectric waveguide filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandhu, Muhammad Y.; Hunter, Ian C.

2016-10-01

Design techniques for a new class of integrated monolithic high-permittivity ceramic waveguide filters are presented. These filters enable a size reduction of 50% compared to air-filled transverse electromagnetic filters with the same unloaded Q-factor. Designs for Chebyshev and asymmetric generalised Chebyshev filter and a diplexer are presented with experimental results for an 1800 MHz Chebyshev filter and a 1700 MHz generalised Chebyshev filter showing excellent agreement with theory.

2D-COS of in situ μ-Raman and in situ IR spectra for structure evolution characterisation of NEP-deposited cobalt oxide catalyst during n-nonane combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chlebda, Damian K.; Jodłowski, Przemysław J.; Jędrzejczyk, Roman J.; Łojewska, Joanna

2017-11-01

New catalytic systems are still in development to meet the challenge of regulations concerning the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This is because such compounds have a significant impact on air quality and some of them are toxic to the environment and human beings. The catalytic combustion process of VOCs over non-noble metal catalysts is of great interest to researchers. The high conversion parameters and cost effective preparation makes them a valuable alternative to monoliths and noble metal catalysts. In this study, the cobalt catalyst was prepared by non-equilibrium plasma deposition of organic precursor on calcined kanthal steel. Thus prepared, cobalt oxide based microstructural short-channel reactors were tested for n-nonane combustion and the catalyst surfaces were examined by in situ μ-Raman spectroscopy and in situ infrared spectroscopy. The spectra collected at various temperatures were used in generalised two-dimensional correlation analysis to establish the sequential order of spectral intensity changes and correlate the simultaneous changes in bands selectively coupled by different interaction mechanisms. The 2D synchronous and asynchronous contour maps were proved to be a valuable extension to the standard analysis of the temperature dependent 1D spectra.

Necessary and sufficient liveness condition of GS3PR Petri nets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, GaiYun; Barkaoui, Kamel

2015-05-01

Structural analysis is one of the most important and efficient methods to investigate the behaviour of Petri nets. Liveness is a significant behavioural property of Petri nets. Siphons, as structural objects of a Petri net, are closely related to its liveness. Many deadlock control policies for flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) modelled by Petri nets are implemented via siphon control. Most of the existing methods design liveness-enforcing supervisors by adding control places for siphons based on their controllability conditions. To compute a liveness-enforcing supervisor with as much as permissive behaviour, it is both theoretically and practically significant to find an exact controllability condition for siphons. However, the existing conditions, max, max‧, and max″-controllability of siphons are all overly restrictive and generally sufficient only. This paper develops a new condition called max*-controllability of the siphons in generalised systems of simple sequential processes with resources (GS3PR), which are a net subclass that can model many real-world automated manufacturing systems. We show that a GS3PR is live if all its strict minimal siphons (SMS) are max*-controlled. Compared with the existing conditions, i.e., max-, max‧-, and max″-controllability of siphons, max*-controllability of the SMS is not only sufficient but also necessary. An example is used to illustrate the proposed method.

Higher dimensional Taub-NUT spaces and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stelea, Cristian Ionut

In the first part of this thesis we discuss classes of new exact NUT-charged solutions in four dimensions and higher, while in the remainder of the thesis we make a study of their properties and their possible applications. Specifically, in four dimensions we construct new families of axisymmetric vacuum solutions using a solution-generating technique based on the hidden SL(2,R) symmetry of the effective action. In particular, using the Schwarzschild solution as a seed we obtain the Zipoy-Voorhees generalisation of the Taub-NUT solution and of the Eguchi-Hanson soliton. Using the C-metric as a seed, we obtain and study the accelerating versions of all the above solutions. In higher dimensions we present new classes of NUT-charged spaces, generalising the previously known even-dimensional solutions to odd and even dimensions, as well as to spaces with multiple NUT-parameters. We also find the most general form of the odd-dimensional Eguchi-Hanson solitons. We use such solutions to investigate the thermodynamic properties of NUT-charged spaces in (A)dS backgrounds. These have been shown to yield counter-examples to some of the conjectures advanced in the still elusive dS/CFT paradigm (such as the maximal mass conjecture and Bousso's entropic N-bound). One important application of NUT-charged spaces is to construct higher dimensional generalisations of Kaluza-Klein magnetic monopoles, generalising the known 5-dimensional Kaluza-Klein soliton. Another interesting application involves a study of time-dependent higher-dimensional bubbles-of-nothing generated from NUT-charged solutions. We use them to test the AdS/CFT conjecture as well as to generate, by using stringy Hopf-dualities, new interesting time-dependent solutions in string theory. Finally, we construct and study new NUT-charged solutions in higher-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell theories, generalising the known Reissner-Nordstrom solutions.

Genotyping Brahman cattle for generalised glycogenosis.

PubMed

Dennis, J A; Healy, P J; Reichmann, K G

2002-05-01

To develop procedures for genotyping Brahman cattle for loss-of-function alleles within the acidic alpha-glucosidase gene and to assess the risk of generalised glycogenosis in Australian Brahman cattle. PCR assays for three loss-of-function alleles were designed to exploit internal restriction sites within acidic alpha-glucosidase amplicons that are independent of allelic variants at the mutant sites. Genotyping 8529 clinically normal Brahmans between August 1996 and August 2001 revealed 16.4% were heterozygous for the more common of the two mutations (1057deltaTA, often referred to as the 'E7' mutation) that cause generalised glycogenosis in this breed. The less common 1783T mutation (often referred to as the 'E13' mutation) was restricted to descendants of one imported bull, and was not detected in 600 randomly selected Brahmans. Prior to definition of these two disease-causing mutations, 640 (18%), and 14 (0.4%), of 3559 clinically normal Brahmans analysed between January 1994 and December 1996, were heterozygous, and homozygous, respectively, for a silent polymorphism (2223G-->A) that is associated with generalised glycogenosis. In addition to the 1057deltaTA and 1783T mutations, approximately 15% of Brahmans were found to be heterozygous for a single base substitution in exon 9 (1351T, commonly referred to as the 'E9' mutation) that significantly reduces acidic alpha-glucosidase activity, but has not been associated with clinical disease. These three loss-of-function alleles were found in Brahmans imported, or selected for import, from the USA. The PCR procedures reported here represent a significant improvement in reliability and accuracy over previous published methods. Utilisation of these PCR/restriction enzyme based assays will facilitate precise selection against the 1057deltaTA and 1783T alleles, and consequently reduce the incidence of generalised glycogenosis in registered and commercial Brahman herds.

Anxiety, depression and risk of cannabis use: Examining the internalising pathway to use among Chilean adolescents.

PubMed

Stapinski, Lexine A; Montgomery, Alan A; Araya, Ricardo

2016-09-01

Adolescents who experience internalising symptoms may be susceptible to the use of alcohol and other substances in an attempt to alleviate or cope with these symptoms. We examined the hypothesised internalising pathway from symptoms of depression, generalised anxiety, social anxiety and panic, to incidence and frequency of cannabis use 18 months later. Longitudinal cohort study of participants (n=2508; 45% female; mean age 14.5 years) recruited from the 9th grade at 22 low-income secondary schools in Santiago, Chile. Baseline internalising symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory and the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale. Frequency of cannabis was assessed at baseline, 6 month and 18 month follow-up. High rates of use were observed in this sample, with 40.3% reporting cannabis use at least once over the study period. Adjusted for baseline cannabis use, symptoms of depression, panic and generalised anxiety were associated with greater cannabis use frequency 18 months later. When all predictors were considered simultaneously, only generalised anxiety symptoms showed an independent association with subsequent cannabis use frequency (OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.08-1.41). Generalised anxiety symptoms were also associated with a 25% increased risk of transitioning from non-user to use of cannabis during the study (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.09-1.44). Internalising symptoms, and in particular symptoms of generalised anxiety, increase risk of cannabis use during adolescence. Targeted interventions that promote adaptive anxiety management among high-risk adolescents may represent a promising strategy to prevent uptake of cannabis use during adolescence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Flow-Induced New Channels of Energy Exchange in Multi-Scale Plasma Dynamics – Revisiting Perturbative Hybrid Kinetic-MHD Theory

PubMed Central

Shiraishi, Junya; Miyato, Naoaki; Matsunaga, Go

2016-01-01

It is found that new channels of energy exchange between macro- and microscopic dynamics exist in plasmas. They are induced by macroscopic plasma flow. This finding is based on the kinetic-magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theory, which analyses interaction between macroscopic (MHD-scale) motion and microscopic (particle-scale) dynamics. The kinetic-MHD theory is extended to include effects of macroscopic plasma flow self-consistently. The extension is realised by generalising an energy exchange term due to wave-particle resonance, denoted by δ WK. The first extension is generalisation of the particle’s Lagrangian, and the second one stems from modification to the particle distribution function due to flow. These extensions lead to a generalised expression of δ WK, which affects the MHD stability of plasmas. PMID:27160346

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

Shanahan, Phiala A.

I discuss recent lattice QCD studies of the gluon structure of hadrons and light nuclei. After very briefly highlighting new determinations of the gluon contributions to the nucleon's momentum and spin, presented by several collaborations over the last year, I describe first calculations of gluon generalised form factors. The generalised transversity gluon distributions are of particular interest since they are purely gluonic; they do not mix with quark distributions at leading twist. In light nuclei they moreover provide a clean signature of non-nucleonic gluon degrees of freedom, and I present the first evidence for such effects, based on lattice QCDmore » calculations. The planned Electron-Ion Collider, designed to access gluon structure quantities, will have the capability to test this prediction, and measure a range of gluon observables including generalised gluon distributions and transverse momentum dependent gluon distributions, within the next decade.« less

A generalised optimal linear quadratic tracker with universal applications. Part 2: discrete-time systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebrahimzadeh, Faezeh; Tsai, Jason Sheng-Hong; Chung, Min-Ching; Liao, Ying Ting; Guo, Shu-Mei; Shieh, Leang-San; Wang, Li

2017-01-01

Contrastive to Part 1, Part 2 presents a generalised optimal linear quadratic digital tracker (LQDT) with universal applications for the discrete-time (DT) systems. This includes (1) a generalised optimal LQDT design for the system with the pre-specified trajectories of the output and the control input and additionally with both the input-to-output direct-feedthrough term and known/estimated system disturbances or extra input/output signals; (2) a new optimal filter-shaped proportional plus integral state-feedback LQDT design for non-square non-minimum phase DT systems to achieve a minimum-phase-like tracking performance; (3) a new approach for computing the control zeros of the given non-square DT systems; and (4) a one-learning-epoch input-constrained iterative learning LQDT design for the repetitive DT systems.

Threshold Levels of Infant and Under-Five Mortality for Crossover between Life Expectancies at Ages Zero, One and Five in India: A Decomposition Analysis

PubMed Central

Dubey, Manisha

2015-01-01

Objectives Under the prevailing conditions of imbalanced life table and historic gender discrimination in India, our study examines crossover between life expectancies at ages zero, one and five years for India and quantifies the relative share of infant and under-five mortality towards this crossover. Methods We estimate threshold levels of infant and under-five mortality required for crossover using age specific death rates during 1981–2009 for 16 Indian states by sex (comprising of India’s 90% population in 2011). Kitagawa decomposition equations were used to analyse relative share of infant and under-five mortality towards crossover. Findings India experienced crossover between life expectancies at ages zero and five in 2004 for menand in 2009 for women; eleven and nine Indian states have experienced this crossover for men and women, respectively. Men usually experienced crossover four years earlier than the women. Improvements in mortality below ages five have mostly contributed towards this crossover. Life expectancy at age one exceeds that at age zero for both men and women in India except for Kerala (the only state to experience this crossover in 2000 for men and 1999 for women). Conclusions For India, using life expectancy at age zero and under-five mortality rate together may be more meaningful to measure overall health of its people until the crossover. Delayed crossover for women, despite higher life expectancy at birth than for men reiterates that Indian women are still disadvantaged and hence use of life expectancies at ages zero, one and five become important for India. Greater programmatic efforts to control leading causes of death during the first month and 1–59 months in high child mortality areas can help India to attain this crossover early. PMID:26683617

A compartmentalized signaling network mediates crossover control in meiosis

PubMed Central

Zhang, Liangyu; Köhler, Simone; Rillo-Bohn, Regina

2018-01-01

During meiosis, each pair of homologous chromosomes typically undergoes at least one crossover (crossover assurance), but these exchanges are strictly limited in number and widely spaced along chromosomes (crossover interference). The molecular basis for this chromosome-wide regulation remains mysterious. A family of meiotic RING finger proteins has been implicated in crossover regulation across eukaryotes. Caenorhabditis elegans expresses four such proteins, of which one (ZHP-3) is known to be required for crossovers. Here we investigate the functions of ZHP-1, ZHP-2, and ZHP-4. We find that all four ZHP proteins, like their homologs in other species, localize to the synaptonemal complex, an unusual, liquid crystalline compartment that assembles between paired homologs. Together they promote accumulation of pro-crossover factors, including ZHP-3 and ZHP-4, at a single recombination intermediate, thereby patterning exchanges along paired chromosomes. These proteins also act at the top of a hierarchical, symmetry-breaking process that enables crossovers to direct accurate chromosome segregation. PMID:29521627

The spatial regulation of meiotic recombination hotspots: are all DSB hotspots crossover hotspots?

PubMed

Serrentino, Maria-Elisabetta; Borde, Valérie

2012-07-15

A key step for the success of meiosis is programmed homologous recombination, during which crossovers, or exchange of chromosome arms, take place. Crossovers increase genetic diversity but their main function is to ensure accurate chromosome segregation. Defects in crossover number and position produce aneuploidies that represent the main cause of miscarriages and chromosomal abnormalities such as Down's syndrome. Recombination is initiated by the formation of programmed double strand breaks (DSBs), which occur preferentially at places called DSB hotspots. Among all DSBs generated, only a small fraction is repaired by crossover, the other being repaired by other homologous recombination pathways. Crossover maps have been generated in a number of organisms, defining crossover hotspots. With the availability of genome-wide maps of DSBs as well as the ability to measure genetically the repair outcome at several hotspots, it is becoming more and more clear that not all DSB hotspots behave the same for crossover formation, suggesting that chromosomal features distinguish different types of hotspots. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Update of the BIG 1-98 Trial: where do we stand?

PubMed

Joerger, Markus; Thürlimann, Beat

2009-10-01

There is accumulating data on the clinical benefit of aromatase inhibitors in the adjuvant treatment of early-stage breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98 study is a randomized, phase 3, double-blind trial comparing four adjuvant endocrine treatments of 5 years duration in postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer: letrozole or tamoxifen monotherapy, sequential treatment with tamoxifen followed by letrozole, or vice versa. This article summarizes data presented at the 2009 St. Gallen early breast cancer conference: an update on the monotherapy arms of the BIG 1-98 study, and results from the sequential treatment arms. Implications for daily practice from BIG 1-98 and from other adjuvant trials will be discussed. Despite cross-over from tamoxifen to letrozole by 25% of the patients after unblinding of the tamoxifen monotherapy arm, the improvement of disease-free survival (HR 0.88, 0.78-0.99, p = 0.03) and time to distant recurrence (HR 0.85, 0.72-1.00, p = 0.05) for letrozole monotherapy as compared to tamoxifen monotherapy remained significant in the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. A trend for an overall survival advantage for letrozole was seen in the ITT analysis (HR 0.87, 0.75-1.02, p = 0.08). No statistically significant differences were found for the sequential treatment arms versus letrozole monotherapy, with respect to disease-free survival, time to distant recurrence or overall survival. Cumulative incidence analysis of breast cancer recurrence favors the initiation of adjuvant endocrine treatment with letrozole instead of tamoxifen, especially in patients at higher risk for early recurrence. Similarly, data suggest that patients commenced on letrozole can be switched to tamoxifen after 2 years, if required. The BIG 1-98 study update with median follow up of 76 months confirms a significant reduction in the risk of breast cancer recurrence and a trend towards improved overall survival with letrozole as compared to tamoxifen, and no unexpected safety concerns with letrozole. Adjuvant endocrine treatment should preferentially be initiated with letrozole. For patients unable to continue letrozole, switching to tamoxifen appears to be an acceptable alternative.

Design, conduct, and analyses of Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98: a randomized, double-blind, phase-III study comparing letrozole and tamoxifen as adjuvant endocrine therapy for postmenopausal women with receptor-positive, early breast cancer.

PubMed

Giobbie-Hurder, Anita; Price, Karen N; Gelber, Richard D

2009-06-01

Aromatase inhibitors provide superior disease control when compared with tamoxifen as adjuvant therapy for postmenopausal women with endocrine-responsive early breast cancer. To present the design, history, and analytic challenges of the Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98 trial: an international, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, phase-III study comparing the aromatase inhibitor letrozole with tamoxifen in this clinical setting. From 1998-2003, BIG 1-98 enrolled 8028 women to receive monotherapy with either tamoxifen or letrozole for 5 years, or sequential therapy of 2 years of one agent followed by 3 years of the other. Randomization to one of four treatment groups permitted two complementary analyses to be conducted several years apart. The first, reported in 2005, provided a head-to-head comparison of letrozole versus tamoxifen. Statistical power was increased by an enriched design, which included patients who were assigned sequential treatments until the time of the treatment switch. The second, reported in late 2008, used a conditional landmark approach to test the hypothesis that switching endocrine agents at approximately 2 years from randomization for patients who are disease-free is superior to continuing with the original agent. The 2005 analysis showed the superiority of letrozole compared with tamoxifen. The patients who were assigned tamoxifen alone were unblinded and offered the opportunity to switch to letrozole. Results from other trials increased the clinical relevance about whether or not to start treatment with letrozole or tamoxifen, and analysis plans were expanded to evaluate sequential versus single-agent strategies from randomization. Due to the unblinding of patients assigned tamoxifen alone, analysis of updated data will require ascertainment of the influence of selective crossover from tamoxifen to letrozole. BIG 1-98 is an example of an enriched design, involving complementary analyses addressing different questions several years apart, and subject to evolving analytic plans influenced by new data that emerge over time.

Piracetam relieves symptoms in progressive myoclonus epilepsy: a multicentre, randomised, double blind, crossover study comparing the efficacy and safety of three dosages of oral piracetam with placebo

PubMed Central

Koskiniemi, M.; Van Vleymen, B.; Hakamies, L.; Lamusuo, S.; Taalas, J.

1998-01-01

OBJECTIVE—To compare the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of three daily dosage regimens of oral piracetam in patients with progressive myoclonus epilepsy.
METHODS—Twenty patients (12 men, eight women), aged 17-43 years, with classical Unverricht-Lundborg disease were enrolled in a multicentre, randomised, double blind trial of crossover design in which the effects of daily doses of 9.6 g, 16.8 g, and 24 g piracetam, given in two divided doses, were compared with placebo. The crossover design was such that patients received placebo and two of the three dosage regimens of piracetam, each for two weeks, for a total treatment period of six weeks and thus without wash out between each treatment phase. The primary outcome measure was a sum score representing the adjusted total of the ratings of six components of a myoclonus rating scale in which stimulus sensitivity, motor impairment, functional disability, handwriting, and global assessments by investigators and patients were scored. Sequential clinical assessments were made by the same neurologist in the same environment at the same time of day.
RESULTS—Treatment with 24 g/day piracetam produced significant and clinically relevant improvement in the primary outcome measure of mean sum score (p=0.005) and in the means of its subtests of motor impairment (p=0.02), functional disability (p=0.003), and in global assessments by both investigator (p=0.002) and patient (p=0.01). Significant improvement in functional disability was also found with daily doses of 9.6 g and 16.8 g. The dose-effect relation was linear and significant. More patients showed clinically relevant improvement with the highest dosage and, in individual patients, increasing the dose improved response. Piracetam was well tolerated and adverse effects were few, mild, and transient.
CONCLUSIONS—This study provides further evidence that piracetam is an effective and safe medication in patients with Unverricht-Lundborg disease. In addition, it shows that a dose of 24 g is highly beneficial, more effective than lower doses and that a dose-effect relation exists. There is considerable variation in optimal individual dosage.

 PMID:9527146

A general relativistic rotating evolutionary universe—Part II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berman, Marcelo Samuel

2008-06-01

As a sequel to Berman (Astrophys. Space Sci., 2008b), we show that the rotation of the Universe can be dealt by generalised Gaussian metrics, defined in this paper. Robertson-Walker’s metric has been employed with proper-time, in its standard applications; the generalised Gaussian metric implies in the use of a non-constant temporal metric coefficient modifying Robertson-Walker’s standard form. Experimental predictions are made.

Individual and crossover effects of stress on adjustment in medical student marriages.

PubMed

Katz, J; Monnier, J; Libet, J; Shaw, D; Beach, S R

2000-07-01

High-stress individuals may benefit from social support, although their support providers may be adversely affected via stress crossover effects. Individual and crossover effects of perceived stress within medical student marriages (n = 30) were investigated. Perceived spousal support was positively associated with individuals' own marital and emotional adjustment, attenuating stress effects. With regard to crossover effects, medical students' perceived stress was significantly associated with their spouses' emotional adjustment. Further, medical students' own emotional adjustment fully mediated this crossover effect. Results suggest that the contagion of negative affect may serve as a key mechanism through which stress crossover effects operate in marriage.

Dynamic Emotional Faces Generalise Better to a New Expression but not to a New View.

PubMed

Liu, Chang Hong; Chen, Wenfeng; Ward, James; Takahashi, Nozomi

2016-08-08

Prior research based on static images has found limited improvement for recognising previously learnt faces in a new expression after several different facial expressions of these faces had been shown during the learning session. We investigated whether non-rigid motion of facial expression facilitates the learning process. In Experiment 1, participants remembered faces that were either presented in short video clips or still images. To assess the effect of exposure to expression variation, each face was either learnt through a single expression or three different expressions. Experiment 2 examined whether learning faces in video clips could generalise more effectively to a new view. The results show that faces learnt from video clips generalised effectively to a new expression with exposure to a single expression, whereas faces learnt from stills showed poorer generalisation with exposure to either single or three expressions. However, although superior recognition performance was demonstrated for faces learnt through video clips, dynamic facial expression did not create better transfer of learning to faces tested in a new view. The data thus fail to support the hypothesis that non-rigid motion enhances viewpoint invariance. These findings reveal both benefits and limitations of exposures to moving expressions for expression-invariant face recognition.

Dynamic Emotional Faces Generalise Better to a New Expression but not to a New View

PubMed Central

Liu, Chang Hong; Chen, Wenfeng; Ward, James; Takahashi, Nozomi

2016-01-01

Prior research based on static images has found limited improvement for recognising previously learnt faces in a new expression after several different facial expressions of these faces had been shown during the learning session. We investigated whether non-rigid motion of facial expression facilitates the learning process. In Experiment 1, participants remembered faces that were either presented in short video clips or still images. To assess the effect of exposure to expression variation, each face was either learnt through a single expression or three different expressions. Experiment 2 examined whether learning faces in video clips could generalise more effectively to a new view. The results show that faces learnt from video clips generalised effectively to a new expression with exposure to a single expression, whereas faces learnt from stills showed poorer generalisation with exposure to either single or three expressions. However, although superior recognition performance was demonstrated for faces learnt through video clips, dynamic facial expression did not create better transfer of learning to faces tested in a new view. The data thus fail to support the hypothesis that non-rigid motion enhances viewpoint invariance. These findings reveal both benefits and limitations of exposures to moving expressions for expression-invariant face recognition. PMID:27499252

Non-commutative methods in quantum mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millard, Andrew Clive

1997-09-01

Non-commutativity appears in physics almost hand in hand with quantum mechanics. Non-commuting operators corresponding to observables lead to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, which is often used as a prime example of how quantum mechanics transcends 'common sense', while the operators that generate a symmetry group are usually given in terms of their commutation relations. This thesis discusses a number of new developments which go beyond the usual stopping point of non-commuting quantities as matrices with complex elements. Chapter 2 shows how certain generalisations of quantum mechanics, from using complex numbers to using other (often non-commutative) algebras, can still be written as linear systems with symplectic phase flows. Chapter 3 deals with Adler's trace dynamics, a non-linear graded generalisation of Hamiltonian dynamics with supersymmetry applications, where the phase space coordinates are (generally non-commuting) operators, and reports on aspects of a demonstration that the statistical averages of the dynamical variables obey the rules of complex quantum field theory. The last two chapters discuss specific aspects of quaternionic quantum mechanics. Chapter 4 reports a generalised projective representation theory and presents a structure theorem that categorises quaternionic projective representations. Chapter 5 deals with a generalisation of the coherent states formalism and examines how it may be applied to two commonly used groups.

DNA methylation epigenetically silences crossover hot spots and controls chromosomal domains of meiotic recombination in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Yelina, Nataliya E; Lambing, Christophe; Hardcastle, Thomas J; Zhao, Xiaohui; Santos, Bruno; Henderson, Ian R

2015-10-15

During meiosis, homologous chromosomes undergo crossover recombination, which is typically concentrated in narrow hot spots that are controlled by genetic and epigenetic information. Arabidopsis chromosomes are highly DNA methylated in the repetitive centromeres, which are also crossover-suppressed. Here we demonstrate that RNA-directed DNA methylation is sufficient to locally silence Arabidopsis euchromatic crossover hot spots and is associated with increased nucleosome density and H3K9me2. However, loss of CG DNA methylation maintenance in met1 triggers epigenetic crossover remodeling at the chromosome scale, with pericentromeric decreases and euchromatic increases in recombination. We used recombination mutants that alter interfering and noninterfering crossover repair pathways (fancm and zip4) to demonstrate that remodeling primarily involves redistribution of interfering crossovers. Using whole-genome bisulfite sequencing, we show that crossover remodeling is driven by loss of CG methylation within the centromeric regions. Using cytogenetics, we profiled meiotic DNA double-strand break (DSB) foci in met1 and found them unchanged relative to wild type. We propose that met1 chromosome structure is altered, causing centromere-proximal DSBs to be inhibited from maturation into interfering crossovers. These data demonstrate that DNA methylation is sufficient to silence crossover hot spots and plays a key role in establishing domains of meiotic recombination along chromosomes. © 2015 Yelina et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

An alternative approach for neural network evolution with a genetic algorithm: crossover by combinatorial optimization.

PubMed

García-Pedrajas, Nicolás; Ortiz-Boyer, Domingo; Hervás-Martínez, César

2006-05-01

In this work we present a new approach to crossover operator in the genetic evolution of neural networks. The most widely used evolutionary computation paradigm for neural network evolution is evolutionary programming. This paradigm is usually preferred due to the problems caused by the application of crossover to neural network evolution. However, crossover is the most innovative operator within the field of evolutionary computation. One of the most notorious problems with the application of crossover to neural networks is known as the permutation problem. This problem occurs due to the fact that the same network can be represented in a genetic coding by many different codifications. Our approach modifies the standard crossover operator taking into account the special features of the individuals to be mated. We present a new model for mating individuals that considers the structure of the hidden layer and redefines the crossover operator. As each hidden node represents a non-linear projection of the input variables, we approach the crossover as a problem on combinatorial optimization. We can formulate the problem as the extraction of a subset of near-optimal projections to create the hidden layer of the new network. This new approach is compared to a classical crossover in 25 real-world problems with an excellent performance. Moreover, the networks obtained are much smaller than those obtained with classical crossover operator.

50 CFR 660.320 - Open access fishery-crossover provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Open access fishery-crossover provisions... West Coast Groundfish-Open Access Fisheries § 660.320 Open access fishery—crossover provisions. The crossover provisions listed at § 660.60(h)(7), apply to vessels fishing in the open access fishery. [76 FR...

50 CFR 660.320 - Open access fishery-crossover provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Open access fishery-crossover provisions... West Coast Groundfish-Open Access Fisheries § 660.320 Open access fishery—crossover provisions. The crossover provisions listed at § 660.60(h)(7), apply to vessels fishing in the open access fishery. [76 FR...

50 CFR 660.320 - Open access fishery-crossover provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 13 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Open access fishery-crossover provisions... West Coast Groundfish-Open Access Fisheries § 660.320 Open access fishery—crossover provisions. The crossover provisions listed at § 660.60(h)(7), apply to vessels fishing in the open access fishery. [76 FR...

Quantum field theory in generalised Snyder spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meljanac, S.; Meljanac, D.; Mignemi, S.; Štrajn, R.

2017-05-01

We discuss the generalisation of the Snyder model that includes all possible deformations of the Heisenberg algebra compatible with Lorentz invariance and investigate its properties. We calculate perturbatively the law of addition of momenta and the star product in the general case. We also undertake the construction of a scalar field theory on these noncommutative spaces showing that the free theory is equivalent to the commutative one, like in other models of noncommutative QFT.

Support vector machines and generalisation in HEP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bevan, Adrian; Gamboa Goñi, Rodrigo; Hays, Jon; Stevenson, Tom

2017-10-01

We review the concept of Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and discuss examples of their use in a number of scenarios. Several SVM implementations have been used in HEP and we exemplify this algorithm using the Toolkit for Multivariate Analysis (TMVA) implementation. We discuss examples relevant to HEP including background suppression for H → τ + τ - at the LHC with several different kernel functions. Performance benchmarking leads to the issue of generalisation of hyper-parameter selection. The avoidance of fine tuning (over training or over fitting) in MVA hyper-parameter optimisation, i.e. the ability to ensure generalised performance of an MVA that is independent of the training, validation and test samples, is of utmost importance. We discuss this issue and compare and contrast performance of hold-out and k-fold cross-validation. We have extended the SVM functionality and introduced tools to facilitate cross validation in TMVA and present results based on these improvements.

The gluon structure of hadrons and nuclei from lattice QCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanahan, Phiala

2018-03-01

I discuss recent lattice QCD studies of the gluon structure of hadrons and light nuclei. After very briefly highlighting new determinations of the gluon contributions to the nucleon's momentum and spin, presented by several collaborations over the last year, I describe first calculations of gluon generalised form factors. The generalised transversity gluon distributions are of particular interest since they are purely gluonic; they do not mix with quark distributions at leading twist. In light nuclei they moreover provide a clean signature of non-nucleonic gluon degrees of freedom, and I present the first evidence for such effects, based on lattice QCD calculations. The planned Electron-Ion Collider, designed to access gluon structure quantities, will have the capability to test this prediction, and measure a range of gluon observables including generalised gluon distributions and transverse momentum dependent gluon distributions, within the next decade.

Learnability and generalisation of Arabic broken plural nouns

PubMed Central

Dawdy-Hesterberg, Lisa Garnand; Pierrehumbert, Janet Breckenridge

2014-01-01

The noun plural system in Modern Standard Arabic lies at a nexus of critical issues in morphological learnability. The suffixing “sound” plural competes with as many as 31 non-concatenative “broken” plural patterns. Our computational analysis of singular–plural pairs in the Corpus of Contemporary Arabic explores what types of linguistic information are statistically relevant to morphological generalisation for this highly complex system. We show that an analogical approach with the generalised context model is highly successful in predicting the plural form for any given singular form. This model proves to be robust to variation, as evidenced by its stability across 10 rounds of cross-validation. The predictive power is carried almost entirely by the CV template, a representation which specifies a segment's status as a consonant or vowel only, providing further support for the abstraction of prosodic templates in the Arabic morphological system as proposed by McCarthy and Prince. PMID:25346932

On the emergence of a generalised Gamma distribution. Application to traded volume in financial markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duarte Queirós, S. M.

2005-08-01

This letter reports on a stochastic dynamical scenario whose associated stationary probability density function is exactly a generalised form, with a power law instead of exponencial decay, of the ubiquitous Gamma distribution. This generalisation, also known as F-distribution, was empirically proposed for the first time to adjust for high-frequency stock traded volume distributions in financial markets and verified in experiments with granular material. The dynamical assumption presented herein is based on local temporal fluctuations of the average value of the observable under study. This proposal is related to superstatistics and thus to the current nonextensive statistical mechanics framework. For the specific case of stock traded volume, we connect the local fluctuations in the mean stock traded volume with the typical herding behaviour presented by financial traders. Last of all, NASDAQ 1 and 2 minute stock traded volume sequences and probability density functions are numerically reproduced.

Does our research tool kit equip us to make generalisable claims about dental education?

PubMed

Chambers, D W

2012-11-01

In this essay on the state of scholarship in dental education, I argue that we are best served by looking at the validity, generalisability and usefulness of claims rather than at the rigour of various research methods. All papers published in 2009 in the European Journal of Dental Education (a quarterly) and the Journal of Dental Education (published monthly), a quarterly journal of the Academy of Management, Learning & Education and the monthly American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics were classified by the type of claim made, method by which evidence was collected and techniques of analysis. The dental education literature, compared with the two other journals, was largely focussed on surveys of opinion or particular practices and lacked scope in generalisability. The dental education literature was thin in use of randomisation, covariable analysis and theory-building. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Construction of road network vulnerability evaluation index based on general travel cost

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leng, Jun-qiang; Zhai, Jing; Li, Qian-wen; Zhao, Lin

2018-03-01

With the development of China's economy and the continuous improvement of her urban road network, the vulnerability of the urban road network has attracted increasing attention. Based on general travel cost, this work constructs the vulnerability evaluation index for the urban road network, and evaluates the vulnerability of the urban road network from the perspective of user generalised travel cost. Firstly, the generalised travel cost model is constructed based on vehicle cost, travel time, and traveller comfort. Then, the network efficiency index is selected as an evaluation index of vulnerability: the network efficiency index is composed of the traffic volume and the generalised travel cost, which are obtained from the equilibrium state of the network. In addition, the research analyses the influence of traffic capacity decrease, road section attribute value, and location of road section, on vulnerability. Finally, the vulnerability index is used to analyse the local area network of Harbin and verify its applicability.

Generalisation benefits of output gating in a model of prefrontal cortex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kriete, Trent; Noelle, David C.

2011-06-01

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a central role in flexible cognitive control, including the suppression of habitual responding in favour of situation-appropriate behaviours that can be quite novel. PFC provides a kind of working memory, maintaining the rules, goals, and/or actions that are to control behaviour in the current context. For flexible control, these PFC representations must be sufficiently componential to support systematic generalisation to novel situations. The anatomical structure of PFC can be seen as implementing a componential 'slot-filler' structure, with different components encoded over isolated pools of neurons. Previous PFC models have highlighted the importance of a dynamic gating mechanism to selectively update individual 'slot' contents. In this article, we present simulation results that suggest that systematic generalisation also requires an 'output gating' mechanism that limits the influence of PFC on more posterior brain areas to reflect a small number of representational components at any one time.

An approach to checking case-crossover analyses based on equivalence with time-series methods.

PubMed

Lu, Yun; Symons, James Morel; Geyh, Alison S; Zeger, Scott L

2008-03-01

The case-crossover design has been increasingly applied to epidemiologic investigations of acute adverse health effects associated with ambient air pollution. The correspondence of the design to that of matched case-control studies makes it inferentially appealing for epidemiologic studies. Case-crossover analyses generally use conditional logistic regression modeling. This technique is equivalent to time-series log-linear regression models when there is a common exposure across individuals, as in air pollution studies. Previous methods for obtaining unbiased estimates for case-crossover analyses have assumed that time-varying risk factors are constant within reference windows. In this paper, we rely on the connection between case-crossover and time-series methods to illustrate model-checking procedures from log-linear model diagnostics for time-stratified case-crossover analyses. Additionally, we compare the relative performance of the time-stratified case-crossover approach to time-series methods under 3 simulated scenarios representing different temporal patterns of daily mortality associated with air pollution in Chicago, Illinois, during 1995 and 1996. Whenever a model-be it time-series or case-crossover-fails to account appropriately for fluctuations in time that confound the exposure, the effect estimate will be biased. It is therefore important to perform model-checking in time-stratified case-crossover analyses rather than assume the estimator is unbiased.

Meiotic recombination protein Rec12: functional conservation, crossover homeostasis and early crossover/non-crossover decision

PubMed Central

Kan, Fengling; Davidson, Mari K.; Wahls, Wayne P.

2011-01-01

In fission yeast and other eukaryotes, Rec12 (Spo11) is thought to catalyze the formation of dsDNA breaks (DSBs) that initiate homologous recombination in meiosis. Rec12 is orthologous to the catalytic subunit of topoisomerase VI (Top6A). Guided by the crystal structure of Top6A, we engineered the rec12 locus to encode Rec12 proteins each with a single amino acid substitution in a conserved residue. Of 21 substitutions, 10 significantly reduced or abolished meiotic DSBs, gene conversion, crossover recombination and the faithful segregation of chromosomes. Critical residues map within the metal ion-binding pocket toprim (E179A, D229A, D231A), catalytic region 5Y-CAP (R94A, D95A, Y98F) and the DNA-binding interface (K201A, G202E, R209A, K242A). A subset of substitutions reduced DSBs but maintained crossovers, demonstrating crossover homeostasis. Furthermore, a strong separation of function mutation (R304A) suggests that the crossover/non-crossover decision is established early by a protein–protein interaction surface of Rec12. Fission yeast has multiple crossovers per bivalent, and chromosome segregation was robust above a threshold of about one crossover per bivalent, below which non-disjunction occurred. These results support structural and functional conservation among Rec12/Spo11/Top6A family members for the catalysis of DSBs, and they reveal how Rec12 regulates other features of meiotic chromosome dynamics. PMID:21030440

What's Mine Is Yours: The Crossover of Day-Specific Self-Esteem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neff, Angela; Sonnentag, Sabine; Niessen, Cornelia; Unger, Dana

2012-01-01

This diary study examines the daily crossover of self-esteem within working couples. By integrating self-esteem research into the crossover framework, we hypothesized that the day-specific self-esteem experienced by one partner after work crosses over to the other partner. Furthermore, we proposed that this daily crossover process is moderated by…

The Crossover Time as an Evaluation of Ocean Models Against Persistence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillipson, L. M.; Toumi, R.

2018-01-01

A new ocean evaluation metric, the crossover time, is defined as the time it takes for a numerical model to equal the performance of persistence. As an example, the average crossover time calculated using the Lagrangian separation distance (the distance between simulated trajectories and observed drifters) for the global MERCATOR ocean model analysis is found to be about 6 days. Conversely, the model forecast has an average crossover time longer than 6 days, suggesting limited skill in Lagrangian predictability by the current generation of global ocean models. The crossover time of the velocity error is less than 3 days, which is similar to the average decorrelation time of the observed drifters. The crossover time is a useful measure to quantify future ocean model improvements.

Mechanism and scope of the cyanide-catalyzed cross silyl benzoin reaction.

PubMed

Linghu, Xin; Bausch, Cory C; Johnson, Jeffrey S

2005-02-16

In this work, cross silyl benzoin addition reactions between acylsilanes (1) and aldehydes (2) catalyzed by metal cyanides are described. Unsymmetrical aryl-, heteroaryl-, and alkyl-substituted benzoin adducts can be generated in moderate to excellent yields with complete regiocontrol using potassium cyanide and a phase transfer catalyst. From a screen of transition metal cyanide complexes, lanthanum tricyanide was identified as an improved second-generation catalyst for the cross silyl benzoin reaction. A study of the influence of water on the KCN-catalyzed cross silyl benzoin addition revealed more practical reaction conditions using unpurified solvent under ambient conditions. A sequential silyl benzoin addition/cyanation/O-acylation reaction that resulted in two new C-C bonds was achieved in excellent yield. The mechanism of cross silyl benzoin addition is proposed in detail and is supported by crossover studies and a number of unambiguous experiments designed to ascertain the reversibility of key steps. No productive chemistry arises from cyanation of the more electrophilic aldehyde component. Formation of the carbon-carbon bond is shown to be the last irreversible step in the reaction.

Characteristics of the sequence effect in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Kang, Suk Yun; Wasaka, Toshiaki; Shamim, Ejaz A; Auh, Sungyoung; Ueki, Yoshino; Lopez, Grisel J; Kida, Tetsuo; Jin, Seung-Hyun; Dang, Nguyet; Hallett, Mark

2010-10-15

The sequence effect (SE) in Parkinson's disease (PD) is progressive slowing of sequential movements. It is a feature of bradykinesia, but is separate from a general slowness without deterioration over time. It is commonly seen in PD, but its physiology is unclear. We measured general slowness and the SE separately with a computer-based, modified Purdue pegboard in 11 patients with advanced PD. We conducted a placebo-controlled, four-way crossover study to learn whether levodopa and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) could improve general slowness or the SE. We also examined the correlation between the SE and clinical fatigue. Levodopa alone and rTMS alone improved general slowness, but rTMS showed no additive effect on levodopa. Levodopa alone, rTMS alone, and their combination did not alleviate the SE. There was no correlation between the SE and fatigue. This study suggests that dopaminergic dysfunction and abnormal motor cortex excitability are not the relevant mechanisms for the SE. Additionally, the SE is not a component of clinical fatigue. Further work is needed to establish the physiology and clinical relevance of the SE. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society.

General solutions of the supersymmetric ℂP{sup 2} sigma model and its generalisation to ℂP{sup N−1}

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

Delisle, L., E-mail: laurent.delisle@imj-prg.fr; Hussin, V., E-mail: hussin@dms.umontreal.ca; Centre de Recherches Mathématiques, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7

A new approach for the construction of finite action solutions of the supersymmetric ℂP{sup N−1} sigma model is presented. We show that this approach produces more non-holomorphic solutions than those obtained in previous approaches. We study the ℂP{sup 2} model in detail and present its solutions in an explicit form. We also show how to generalise this construction to N > 3.

Emergence of Super Cooperation of Prisoner’s Dilemma Games on Scale-Free Networks

PubMed Central

Li, Angsheng; Yong, Xi

2015-01-01

Recently, the authors proposed a quantum prisoner’s dilemma game based on the spatial game of Nowak and May, and showed that the game can be played classically. By using this idea, we proposed three generalized prisoner’s dilemma (GPD, for short) games based on the weak Prisoner’s dilemma game, the full prisoner’s dilemma game and the normalized Prisoner’s dilemma game, written by GPDW, GPDF and GPDN respectively. Our games consist of two players, each of which has three strategies: cooperator (C), defector (D) and super cooperator (denoted by Q), and have a parameter γ to measure the entangled relationship between the two players. We found that our generalised prisoner’s dilemma games have new Nash equilibrium principles, that entanglement is the principle of emergence and convergence (i.e., guaranteed emergence) of super cooperation in evolutions of our generalised prisoner’s dilemma games on scale-free networks, that entanglement provides a threshold for a phase transition of super cooperation in evolutions of our generalised prisoner’s dilemma games on scale-free networks, that the role of heterogeneity of the scale-free networks in cooperations and super cooperations is very limited, and that well-defined structures of scale-free networks allow coexistence of cooperators and super cooperators in the evolutions of the weak version of our generalised prisoner’s dilemma games. PMID:25643279

Perceptual and Neural Olfactory Similarity in Honeybees

PubMed Central

Sandoz, Jean-Christophe

2005-01-01

The question of whether or not neural activity patterns recorded in the olfactory centres of the brain correspond to olfactory perceptual measures remains unanswered. To address this question, we studied olfaction in honeybees Apis mellifera using the olfactory conditioning of the proboscis extension response. We conditioned bees to odours and tested generalisation responses to different odours. Sixteen odours were used, which varied both in their functional group (primary and secondary alcohols, aldehydes and ketones) and in their carbon-chain length (from six to nine carbons).The results obtained by presentation of a total of 16 × 16 odour pairs show that (i) all odorants presented could be learned, although acquisition was lower for short-chain ketones; (ii) generalisation varied depending both on the functional group and the carbon-chain length of odours trained; higher generalisation was found between long-chain than between short-chain molecules and between groups such as primary and secondary alcohols; (iii) for some odour pairs, cross-generalisation between odorants was asymmetric; (iv) a putative olfactory space could be defined for the honeybee with functional group and carbon-chain length as inner dimensions; (v) perceptual distances in such a space correlate well with physiological distances determined from optophysiological recordings of antennal lobe activity. We conclude that functional group and carbon-chain length are inner dimensions of the honeybee olfactory space and that neural activity in the antennal lobe reflects the perceptual quality of odours. PMID:15736975

Quantifying, displaying and accounting for heterogeneity in the meta-analysis of RCTs using standard and generalised Q statistics

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Clinical researchers have often preferred to use a fixed effects model for the primary interpretation of a meta-analysis. Heterogeneity is usually assessed via the well known Q and I2 statistics, along with the random effects estimate they imply. In recent years, alternative methods for quantifying heterogeneity have been proposed, that are based on a 'generalised' Q statistic. Methods We review 18 IPD meta-analyses of RCTs into treatments for cancer, in order to quantify the amount of heterogeneity present and also to discuss practical methods for explaining heterogeneity. Results Differing results were obtained when the standard Q and I2 statistics were used to test for the presence of heterogeneity. The two meta-analyses with the largest amount of heterogeneity were investigated further, and on inspection the straightforward application of a random effects model was not deemed appropriate. Compared to the standard Q statistic, the generalised Q statistic provided a more accurate platform for estimating the amount of heterogeneity in the 18 meta-analyses. Conclusions Explaining heterogeneity via the pre-specification of trial subgroups, graphical diagnostic tools and sensitivity analyses produced a more desirable outcome than an automatic application of the random effects model. Generalised Q statistic methods for quantifying and adjusting for heterogeneity should be incorporated as standard into statistical software. Software is provided to help achieve this aim. PMID:21473747

Cross-language treatment generalisation

PubMed Central

Goral, Mira; Levy, Erika S.; Kastl, Rebecca

2009-01-01

Background Recent investigations of language gains following treatment in bilingual individuals with chronic aphasia appear to confirm early reports that not only the treated language but also the non-treated language(s) benefit from treatment. The evidence, however, is still suggestive, and the variables that may mitigate generalisation across languages warrant further investigation. Aims We set out to examine cross-language generalisation of language treatment in a trilingual speaker with mild chronic aphasia. Methods & Procedures Language treatment was administered in English, the participant’s second language (L2). The first treatment block focused on morphosyntactic skills and the second on language production rate. Measurements were collected in the treated language (English, L2) as well as the two non-treated languages: Hebrew (the participant’s first language, L1) and French (the participant’s third language, L3). Outcomes & Results The participant showed improvement in his production of selected morphosyntactic elements, such as pronoun gender agreement, in the treated language (L2) as well as in the non-treated French (L3) following the treatment block that focused on morphosyntactic skills. Speech rate also improved in English (L2) and French (L3) following that treatment block. No changes were observed in Hebrew, the participant’s L1. Conclusions Selective cross-language generalisation of treatment benefit was found for morphosyntactic abilities from the participant’s second language to his third language. PMID:20221311

Rhombic-Shaped Nanostructures and Mechanical Properties of 2D DNA Origami Constructed with Different Crossover/Nick Designs.

PubMed

Ma, Zhipeng; Huang, Yunfei; Park, Seongsu; Kawai, Kentaro; Kim, Do-Nyun; Hirai, Yoshikazu; Tsuchiya, Toshiyuki; Yamada, Hirofumi; Tabata, Osamu

2018-01-01

DNA origami methods enable the fabrication of various nanostructures and nanodevices, but their effective use depends on an understanding of their structural and mechanical properties and the effects of basic structural features. Frequency-modulation atomic force microscopy is introduced to directly characterize, in aqueous solution, the crossover regions of sets of 2D DNA origami based on different crossover/nick designs. Rhombic-shaped nanostructures formed under the influence of flexible crossovers placed between DNA helices are observed in DNA origami incorporating crossovers every 3, 4, or 6 DNA turns. The bending rigidity of crossovers is determined to be only one-third of that of the DNA helix, based on interhelical electrostatic forces reported elsewhere, and the measured pitches of the 3-turn crossover design rhombic-shaped nanostructures undergoing negligible bending. To evaluate the robustness of their structural integrity, they are intentionally and simultaneously stressed using force-controlled atomic force microscopy. DNA crossovers are verified to have a stabilizing effect on the structural robustness, while the nicks have an opposite effect. The structural and mechanical properties of DNA origami and the effects of crossovers and nicks revealed in this paper can provide information essential for the design of versatile DNA origami structures that exhibit specified and desirable properties. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

49 CFR 213.353 - Turnouts, crossovers, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on moveable bridges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Turnouts, crossovers, and lift rail assemblies or... SAFETY STANDARDS Train Operations at Track Classes 6 and Higher § 213.353 Turnouts, crossovers, and lift... shall be at least 11/2 inches wide. (d) For all turnouts and crossovers, and lift rail assemblies or...

49 CFR 213.353 - Turnouts, crossovers, and lift rail assemblies or other transition devices on moveable bridges.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Turnouts, crossovers, and lift rail assemblies or... SAFETY STANDARDS Train Operations at Track Classes 6 and Higher § 213.353 Turnouts, crossovers, and lift... shall be at least 11/2 inches wide. (d) For all turnouts and crossovers, and lift rail assemblies or...

How Crossover Speeds up Building Block Assembly in Genetic Algorithms.

PubMed

Sudholt, Dirk

2017-01-01

We reinvestigate a fundamental question: How effective is crossover in genetic algorithms in combining building blocks of good solutions? Although this has been discussed controversially for decades, we are still lacking a rigorous and intuitive answer. We provide such answers for royal road functions and OneMax, where every bit is a building block. For the latter, we show that using crossover makes every ([Formula: see text]+[Formula: see text]) genetic algorithm at least twice as fast as the fastest evolutionary algorithm using only standard bit mutation, up to small-order terms and for moderate [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Crossover is beneficial because it can capitalize on mutations that have both beneficial and disruptive effects on building blocks: crossover is able to repair the disruptive effects of mutation in later generations. Compared to mutation-based evolutionary algorithms, this makes multibit mutations more useful. Introducing crossover changes the optimal mutation rate on OneMax from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]. This holds both for uniform crossover and k-point crossover. Experiments and statistical tests confirm that our findings apply to a broad class of building block functions.

The kinetochore prevents centromere-proximal crossover recombination during meiosis

PubMed Central

Vincenten, Nadine; Kuhl, Lisa-Marie; Lam, Isabel; Oke, Ashwini; Kerr, Alastair RW; Hochwagen, Andreas; Fung, Jennifer; Keeney, Scott; Vader, Gerben; Marston, Adèle L

2015-01-01

During meiosis, crossover recombination is essential to link homologous chromosomes and drive faithful chromosome segregation. Crossover recombination is non-random across the genome, and centromere-proximal crossovers are associated with an increased risk of aneuploidy, including Trisomy 21 in humans. Here, we identify the conserved Ctf19/CCAN kinetochore sub-complex as a major factor that minimizes potentially deleterious centromere-proximal crossovers in budding yeast. We uncover multi-layered suppression of pericentromeric recombination by the Ctf19 complex, operating across distinct chromosomal distances. The Ctf19 complex prevents meiotic DNA break formation, the initiating event of recombination, proximal to the centromere. The Ctf19 complex independently drives the enrichment of cohesin throughout the broader pericentromere to suppress crossovers, but not DNA breaks. This non-canonical role of the kinetochore in defining a chromosome domain that is refractory to crossovers adds a new layer of functionality by which the kinetochore prevents the incidence of chromosome segregation errors that generate aneuploid gametes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.10850.001 PMID:26653857

Magnetization reversal dynamics in Co nanowires with competing magnetic anisotropies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pal, Semanti; Saha, Susmita; Polley, Debanjan; Barman, Anjan

2011-12-01

We present the magnetization reversal dynamics of Co nanowires with competing magnetic anisotropies. The aspect ratio ( R) of the nanowires is varied between 2.5 and 60, and we observe a cross-over of the directions of the magnetic easy and hard axes at R=6.8. Micromagnetic simulations qualitatively reproduce the observed cross-over and give detailed insight into the reversal mechanisms associated with the cross-over. The reversal mechanism for a field applied along the long axis of the nanowire exhibits a quasi-coherent rotation mode and a corkscrew-like mode, respectively, above and below the cross-over, with the formation of a Bloch domain near the cross-over region. For a field applied along the short axis, the reversal occurs by nucleation and propagation of reversed domains from the two ends of the nanowires for very high values of the aspect ratio down to the cross-over region, but it transforms into quasi-coherent rotation mode for smaller aspect ratios (below the cross-over region).

Computer Analysis of 400 HZ Aircraft Electrical Generator Test Data.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

Data Acquisition System. ............ 6 3 Voltage Waveform with Data Points. ....... 19 14 Zero Crossover Interpolation. ........ 20 5 Numerical...difference between successive positive-sloped zero crossovers of the waveform. However, the exact time of zero crossover is not known. This is because...data sampling and the generator output are not synchronized. This unsynchronization means that data points which correspond with an exact zero crossover

Analytic convergence of harmonic metrics for parabolic Higgs bundles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Semin; Wilkin, Graeme

2018-04-01

In this paper we investigate the moduli space of parabolic Higgs bundles over a punctured Riemann surface with varying weights at the punctures. We show that the harmonic metric depends analytically on the weights and the stable Higgs bundle. This gives a Higgs bundle generalisation of a theorem of McOwen on the existence of hyperbolic cone metrics on a punctured surface within a given conformal class, and a generalisation of a theorem of Judge on the analytic parametrisation of these metrics.

On uncertainty in information and ignorance in knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayyub, Bilal M.

2010-05-01

This paper provides an overview of working definitions of knowledge, ignorance, information and uncertainty and summarises formalised philosophical and mathematical framework for their analyses. It provides a comparative examination of the generalised information theory and the generalised theory of uncertainty. It summarises foundational bases for assessing the reliability of knowledge constructed as a collective set of justified true beliefs. It discusses system complexity for ancestor simulation potentials. It offers value-driven communication means of knowledge and contrarian knowledge using memes and memetics.

Generalised Category Attack—Improving Histogram-Based Attack on JPEG LSB Embedding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Kwangsoo; Westfeld, Andreas; Lee, Sangjin

We present a generalised and improved version of the category attack on LSB steganography in JPEG images with straddled embedding path. It detects more reliably low embedding rates and is also less disturbed by double compressed images. The proposed methods are evaluated on several thousand images. The results are compared to both recent blind and specific attacks for JPEG embedding. The proposed attack permits a more reliable detection, although it is based on first order statistics only. Its simple structure makes it very fast.

Reticular reflex myoclonus: a physiological type of human post-hypoxic myoclonus.

PubMed Central

Hallett, M; Chadwick, D; Adam, J; Marsden, C D

1977-01-01

A patient with post-hypoxic myoclonus, sensitive to therapy with 5-hydroxytryptophan and clonazepam, was subjected to detailed electrophysiological investigation. Brief generalised jerks followed the critical stimulus of muscle stretch. The electroencephalogram showed generalised spikes that were associated with, but not time locked to, the myoclonus. The cranial nerve nuclei were activated upward. Analysis of the findings suggests that the mechanism of the myoclonus is hyperactivity of a reflex mediated in the reticular formation of the medulla oblongata. PMID:301926

Calorimetric indications of a cooperativity onset in the crossover region of dynamic glass transition for benzoin isobutylether

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahle, S.; Schröter, K.; Hempel, E.; Donth, E.

1999-10-01

Heat capacity spectroscopy (HCS), dielectric spectroscopy, and shear viscosity data are reported for liquid benzoin isobutylether (BIBE). Dielectric and viscosity peculiarities indicate the crossover region of dynamic glass transition at T=(-8±8) °C where the extrapolated Johari Goldstein β relaxation intersects the main transition trace in an Arrhenius plot. Although HCS does not reach the crossover frequency of order ω=2×106 rad/s, the linear decrease of the square root of cooperativity as calculated from HCS data at lower frequencies indicates a cooperativity onset in the crossover temperature-frequency range. As BIBE belongs to another dielectric crossover scenario as the substances where such an onset could previously be observed, it seems that the cooperativity onset is a general property of the crossover region.

Crossover ensembles of random matrices and skew-orthogonal polynomials

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

Kumar, Santosh, E-mail: skumar.physics@gmail.com; Pandey, Akhilesh, E-mail: ap0700@mail.jnu.ac.in

2011-08-15

Highlights: > We study crossover ensembles of Jacobi family of random matrices. > We consider correlations for orthogonal-unitary and symplectic-unitary crossovers. > We use the method of skew-orthogonal polynomials and quaternion determinants. > We prove universality of spectral correlations in crossover ensembles. > We discuss applications to quantum conductance and communication theory problems. - Abstract: In a recent paper (S. Kumar, A. Pandey, Phys. Rev. E, 79, 2009, p. 026211) we considered Jacobi family (including Laguerre and Gaussian cases) of random matrix ensembles and reported exact solutions of crossover problems involving time-reversal symmetry breaking. In the present paper we givemore » details of the work. We start with Dyson's Brownian motion description of random matrix ensembles and obtain universal hierarchic relations among the unfolded correlation functions. For arbitrary dimensions we derive the joint probability density (jpd) of eigenvalues for all transitions leading to unitary ensembles as equilibrium ensembles. We focus on the orthogonal-unitary and symplectic-unitary crossovers and give generic expressions for jpd of eigenvalues, two-point kernels and n-level correlation functions. This involves generalization of the theory of skew-orthogonal polynomials to crossover ensembles. We also consider crossovers in the circular ensembles to show the generality of our method. In the large dimensionality limit, correlations in spectra with arbitrary initial density are shown to be universal when expressed in terms of a rescaled symmetry breaking parameter. Applications of our crossover results to communication theory and quantum conductance problems are also briefly discussed.« less

Design, Analysis, and Reporting of Crossover Trials for Inclusion in a Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Li, Tianjing; Yu, Tsung; Hawkins, Barbara S; Dickersin, Kay

2015-01-01

To evaluate the characteristics of the design, analysis, and reporting of crossover trials for inclusion in a meta-analysis of treatment for primary open-angle glaucoma and to provide empirical evidence to inform the development of tools to assess the validity of the results from crossover trials and reporting guidelines. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane's CENTRAL register for randomized crossover trials for a systematic review and network meta-analysis we are conducting. Two individuals independently screened the search results for eligibility and abstracted data from each included report. We identified 83 crossover trials eligible for inclusion. Issues affecting the risk of bias in crossover trials, such as carryover, period effects and missing data, were often ignored. Some trials failed to accommodate the within-individual differences in the analysis. For a large proportion of the trials, the authors tabulated the results as if they arose from a parallel design. Precision estimates properly accounting for the paired nature of the design were often unavailable from the study reports; consequently, to include trial findings in a meta-analysis would require further manipulation and assumptions. The high proportion of poorly reported analyses and results has the potential to affect whether crossover data should or can be included in a meta-analysis. There is pressing need for reporting guidelines for crossover trials.

Circuit Design Optimization Using Genetic Algorithm with Parameterized Uniform Crossover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Zhiguo; Watanabe, Takahiro

Evolvable hardware (EHW) is a new research field about the use of Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) to construct electronic systems. EHW refers in a narrow sense to use evolutionary mechanisms as the algorithmic drivers for system design, while in a general sense to the capability of the hardware system to develop and to improve itself. Genetic Algorithm (GA) is one of typical EAs. We propose optimal circuit design by using GA with parameterized uniform crossover (GApuc) and with fitness function composed of circuit complexity, power, and signal delay. Parameterized uniform crossover is much more likely to distribute its disruptive trials in an unbiased manner over larger portions of the space, then it has more exploratory power than one and two-point crossover, so we have more chances of finding better solutions. Its effectiveness is shown by experiments. From the results, we can see that the best elite fitness, the average value of fitness of the correct circuits and the number of the correct circuits of GApuc are better than that of GA with one-point crossover or two-point crossover. The best case of optimal circuits generated by GApuc is 10.18% and 6.08% better in evaluating value than that by GA with one-point crossover and two-point crossover, respectively.

Local chromosome context is a major determinant of crossover pathway biochemistry during budding yeast meiosis.

PubMed

Medhi, Darpan; Goldman, Alastair Sh; Lichten, Michael

2016-11-18

The budding yeast genome contains regions where meiotic recombination initiates more frequently than in others. This pattern parallels enrichment for the meiotic chromosome axis proteins Hop1 and Red1. These proteins are important for Spo11-catalyzed double strand break formation; their contribution to crossover recombination remains undefined. Using the sequence-specific VMA1 -derived endonuclease (VDE) to initiate recombination in meiosis, we show that chromosome structure influences the choice of proteins that resolve recombination intermediates to form crossovers. At a Hop1-enriched locus, most VDE-initiated crossovers, like most Spo11-initiated crossovers, required the meiosis-specific MutLγ resolvase. In contrast, at a locus with lower Hop1 occupancy, most VDE-initiated crossovers were MutLγ-independent. In pch2 mutants, the two loci displayed similar Hop1 occupancy levels, and VDE-induced crossovers were similarly MutLγ-dependent. We suggest that meiotic and mitotic recombination pathways coexist within meiotic cells, and that features of meiotic chromosome structure determine whether one or the other predominates in different regions.

Consciousness Indexing and Outcome Prediction with Resting-State EEG in Severe Disorders of Consciousness.

PubMed

Stefan, Sabina; Schorr, Barbara; Lopez-Rolon, Alex; Kolassa, Iris-Tatjana; Shock, Jonathan P; Rosenfelder, Martin; Heck, Suzette; Bender, Andreas

2018-04-17

We applied the following methods to resting-state EEG data from patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) for consciousness indexing and outcome prediction: microstates, entropy (i.e. approximate, permutation), power in alpha and delta frequency bands, and connectivity (i.e. weighted symbolic mutual information, symbolic transfer entropy, complex network analysis). Patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) and patients in a minimally conscious state (MCS) were classified into these two categories by fitting and testing a generalised linear model. We aimed subsequently to develop an automated system for outcome prediction in severe DOC by selecting an optimal subset of features using sequential floating forward selection (SFFS). The two outcome categories were defined as UWS or dead, and MCS or emerged from MCS. Percentage of time spent in microstate D in the alpha frequency band performed best at distinguishing MCS from UWS patients. The average clustering coefficient obtained from thresholding beta coherence performed best at predicting outcome. The optimal subset of features selected with SFFS consisted of the frequency of microstate A in the 2-20 Hz frequency band, path length obtained from thresholding alpha coherence, and average path length obtained from thresholding alpha coherence. Combining these features seemed to afford high prediction power. Python and MATLAB toolboxes for the above calculations are freely available under the GNU public license for non-commercial use ( https://qeeg.wordpress.com ).

[A magnetoencephalographic study of generalised developmental disorders. A new proposal for their classification].

PubMed

Muñoz Yunta, J A; Palau Baduell, M; Salvado Salvado, B; Amo, C; Fernandez Lucas, A; Maestu, F; Ortiz, T

2004-02-01

Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) is a term that is not included in DSM IV or in ICD 10, which are the diagnostic tools most commonly used by clinical professionals but can offer problems in research when it comes to finding homogenous groups. From a neuropaediatric point of view, there is a need for a classification of the generalised disorders affecting development and for this purpose we used Wing's triad, which defines the continuum of the autistic spectrum, and the information provided by magnetoencephalography (MEG) as grouping elements. Specific generalised developmental disorders were taken as being those syndromes that partially expressed some autistic trait, but with their own personality so that they could be considered to be a specific disorder. ASD were classified as being primary, cryptogenic or secondary. The primary disorders, in turn, express a continuum that ranges from Savant syndrome to Asperger's syndrome and the different degrees of early infantile autism. MEG is a functional neuroimaging technique that has enabled us to back up this classification.

Isotropic LQC and LQC-inspired models with a massless scalar field as generalised Brans-Dicke theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rama, S. Kalyana

2018-06-01

We explore whether generalised Brans-Dicke theories, which have a scalar field Φ and a function ω (Φ ), can be the effective actions leading to the effective equations of motion of the LQC and the LQC-inspired models, which have a massless scalar field σ and a function f( m). We find that this is possible for isotropic cosmology. We relate the pairs (σ , f) and (Φ , ω ) and, using examples, illustrate these relations. We find that near the bounce of the LQC evolutions for which f(m) = sin m, the corresponding field Φ → 0 and the function ω (Φ ) ∝ Φ ^2. We also find that the class of generalised Brans-Dicke theories, which we had found earlier to lead to non singular isotropic evolutions, may be written as an LQC-inspired model. The relations found here in the isotropic cases do not apply to the anisotropic cases, which perhaps require more general effective actions.

Generalising Ward's Method for Use with Manhattan Distances.

PubMed

Strauss, Trudie; von Maltitz, Michael Johan

2017-01-01

The claim that Ward's linkage algorithm in hierarchical clustering is limited to use with Euclidean distances is investigated. In this paper, Ward's clustering algorithm is generalised to use with l1 norm or Manhattan distances. We argue that the generalisation of Ward's linkage method to incorporate Manhattan distances is theoretically sound and provide an example of where this method outperforms the method using Euclidean distances. As an application, we perform statistical analyses on languages using methods normally applied to biology and genetic classification. We aim to quantify differences in character traits between languages and use a statistical language signature based on relative bi-gram (sequence of two letters) frequencies to calculate a distance matrix between 32 Indo-European languages. We then use Ward's method of hierarchical clustering to classify the languages, using the Euclidean distance and the Manhattan distance. Results obtained from using the different distance metrics are compared to show that the Ward's algorithm characteristic of minimising intra-cluster variation and maximising inter-cluster variation is not violated when using the Manhattan metric.

The joy of six: how to control your crossovers.

PubMed

Globus, Samuel T; Keeney, Scott

2012-03-30

Meiotic cells tightly regulate the number and distribution of crossovers to promote accurate chromosome segregation. Yokoo and colleagues uncover a metazoan-specific, cyclin-like protein that is crucial for crossover formation. They utilize this protein's unique properties to explore a remarkable example of biological numerology, whereby nearly every meiotic cell in C. elegans makes precisely six crossovers, one for each of its six chromosome pairs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An improved genetic algorithm and its application in the TSP problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zheng; Qin, Jinlei

2011-12-01

Concept and research actuality of genetic algorithm are introduced in detail in the paper. Under this condition, the simple genetic algorithm and an improved algorithm are described and applied in an example of TSP problem, where the advantage of genetic algorithm is adequately shown in solving the NP-hard problem. In addition, based on partial matching crossover operator, the crossover operator method is improved into extended crossover operator in order to advance the efficiency when solving the TSP. In the extended crossover method, crossover operator can be performed between random positions of two random individuals, which will not be restricted by the position of chromosome. Finally, the nine-city TSP is solved using the improved genetic algorithm with extended crossover method, the efficiency of whose solution process is much higher, besides, the solving speed of the optimal solution is much faster.

An ontological system for interoperable spatial generalisation in biodiversity monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieland, Simon; Moran, Niklas; Kleinschmit, Birgit; Förster, Michael

2015-11-01

Semantic heterogeneity remains a barrier to data comparability and standardisation of results in different fields of spatial research. Because of its thematic complexity, differing acquisition methods and national nomenclatures, interoperability of biodiversity monitoring information is especially difficult. Since data collection methods and interpretation manuals broadly vary there is a need for automatised, objective methodologies for the generation of comparable data-sets. Ontology-based applications offer vast opportunities in data management and standardisation. This study examines two data-sets of protected heathlands in Germany and Belgium which are based on remote sensing image classification and semantically formalised in an OWL2 ontology. The proposed methodology uses semantic relations of the two data-sets, which are (semi-)automatically derived from remote sensing imagery, to generate objective and comparable information about the status of protected areas by utilising kernel-based spatial reclassification. This automatised method suggests a generalisation approach, which is able to generate delineation of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) of the European biodiversity Natura 2000 network. Furthermore, it is able to transfer generalisation rules between areas surveyed with varying acquisition methods in different countries by taking into account automated inference of the underlying semantics. The generalisation results were compared with the manual delineation of terrestrial monitoring. For the different habitats in the two sites an accuracy of above 70% was detected. However, it has to be highlighted that the delineation of the ground-truth data inherits a high degree of uncertainty, which is discussed in this study.

Strengthen forensic entomology in court--the need for data exploration and the validation of a generalised additive mixed model.

PubMed

Baqué, Michèle; Amendt, Jens

2013-01-01

Developmental data of juvenile blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are typically used to calculate the age of immature stages found on or around a corpse and thus to estimate a minimum post-mortem interval (PMI(min)). However, many of those data sets don't take into account that immature blow flies grow in a non-linear fashion. Linear models do not supply a sufficient reliability on age estimates and may even lead to an erroneous determination of the PMI(min). According to the Daubert standard and the need for improvements in forensic science, new statistic tools like smoothing methods and mixed models allow the modelling of non-linear relationships and expand the field of statistical analyses. The present study introduces into the background and application of these statistical techniques by analysing a model which describes the development of the forensically important blow fly Calliphora vicina at different temperatures. The comparison of three statistical methods (linear regression, generalised additive modelling and generalised additive mixed modelling) clearly demonstrates that only the latter provided regression parameters that reflect the data adequately. We focus explicitly on both the exploration of the data--to assure their quality and to show the importance of checking it carefully prior to conducting the statistical tests--and the validation of the resulting models. Hence, we present a common method for evaluating and testing forensic entomological data sets by using for the first time generalised additive mixed models.

Generalised pollination systems for three invasive milkweeds in Australia.

PubMed

Ward, M; Johnson, S D

2013-05-01

Because most plants require pollinator visits for seed production, the ability of an introduced plant species to establish pollinator relationships in a new ecosystem may have a central role in determining its success or failure as an invader. We investigated the pollination ecology of three milkweed species - Asclepias curassavica, Gomphocarpus fruticosus and G. physocarpus - in their invaded range in southeast Queensland, Australia. The complex floral morphology of milkweeds has often been interpreted as a general trend towards specialised pollination requirements. Based on this interpretation, invasion by milkweeds contradicts the expectation than plant species with specialised pollination systems are less likely to become invasive that those with more generalised pollination requirements. However, observations of flower visitors in natural populations of the three study species revealed that their pollination systems are essentially specialised at the taxonomic level of the order, but generalised at the species level. Specifically, pollinators of the two Gomphocarpus species included various species of Hymenoptera (particularly vespid wasps), while pollinators of A. curassavica were primarily Lepidoptera (particularly nymphalid butterflies). Pollinators of all three species are rewarded with copious amounts of highly concentrated nectar. It is likely that successful invasion by these three milkweed species is attributable, at least in part, to their generalised pollinator requirements. The results of this study are discussed in terms of how data from the native range may be useful in predicting pollination success of species in a new environment. © 2012 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Cross-over endocytosis of claudins is mediated by interactions via their extracellular loops.

PubMed

Gehne, Nora; Lamik, Agathe; Lehmann, Martin; Haseloff, Reiner F; Andjelkovic, Anuska V; Blasig, Ingolf E

2017-01-01

Claudins (Cldns) are transmembrane tight junction (TJ) proteins that paracellularly seal endo- and epithelial barriers by their interactions within the TJs. However, the mechanisms allowing TJ remodeling while maintaining barrier integrity are largely unknown. Cldns and occludin are heterophilically and homophilically cross-over endocytosed into neighboring cells in large, double membrane vesicles. Super-resolution microscopy confirmed the presence of Cldns in these vesicles and revealed a distinct separation of Cldns derived from opposing cells within cross-over endocytosed vesicles. Colocalization of cross-over endocytosed Cldn with the autophagosome markers as well as inhibition of autophagosome biogenesis verified involvement of the autophagosomal pathway. Accordingly, cross-over endocytosed Cldns underwent lysosomal degradation as indicated by lysosome markers. Cross-over endocytosis of Cldn5 depended on clathrin and caveolin pathways but not on dynamin. Cross-over endocytosis also depended on Cldn-Cldn-interactions. Amino acid substitutions in the second extracellular loop of Cldn5 (F147A, Q156E) caused impaired cis- and trans-interaction, as well as diminished cross-over endocytosis. Moreover, F147A exhibited an increased mobility in the membrane, while Q156E was not as mobile but enhanced the paracellular permeability. In conclusion, the endocytosis of TJ proteins depends on their ability to interact strongly with each other in cis and trans, and the mobility of Cldns in the membrane is not necessarily an indicator of barrier permeability. TJ-remodeling via cross-over endocytosis represents a general mechanism for the degradation of transmembrane proteins in cell-cell contacts and directly links junctional membrane turnover to autophagy.

X-Chromosome Control of Genome-Scale Recombination Rates in House Mice.

PubMed

Dumont, Beth L

2017-04-01

Sex differences in recombination are widespread in mammals, but the causes of this pattern are poorly understood. Previously, males from two interfertile subspecies of house mice, Mus musculus musculus and M. m. castaneus , were shown to exhibit a ∼30% difference in their global crossover frequencies. Much of this crossover rate divergence is explained by six autosomal loci and a large-effect locus on the X chromosome. Intriguingly, the allelic effects at this X-linked locus are transgressive, with the allele conferring increased crossover rate being transmitted by the low crossover rate M. m. castaneus parent. Despite the pronounced divergence between males, females from these subspecies exhibit similar crossover rates, raising the question of how recombination is genetically controlled in this sex. Here, I analyze publicly available genotype data from early generations of the Collaborative Cross, an eight-way panel of recombinant inbred strains, to estimate crossover frequencies in female mice with sex-chromosome genotypes of diverse subspecific origins. Consistent with the transgressive influence of the X chromosome in males, I show that females inheriting an M. m. castaneus X possess higher average crossover rates than females lacking the M. m. castaneus X chromosome. The differential inheritance of the X chromosome in males and females provides a simple genetic explanation for sex-limited evolution of this trait. Further, the presence of X-linked and autosomal crossover rate modifiers with antagonistic effects hints at an underlying genetic conflict fueled by selection for distinct crossover rate optima in males and females. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

Therapy for naming difficulties in bilingual aphasia: which language benefits?

PubMed

Croft, Stephen; Marshall, Jane; Pring, Tim; Hardwick, Matthew

2011-01-01

The majority of the world's population is bilingual. Yet, therapy studies involving bilingual people with aphasia are rare and have produced conflicting results. One recent study suggested that therapy can assist word retrieval in bilingual aphasia, with effects generalizing to related words in the untreated language. However, this cross-linguistic generalisation only occurred into the person's stronger language (L1). While indicative, these findings were derived from just three participants, and only one received therapy in both languages. This study addressed the following questions. Do bilingual people with aphasia respond to naming therapy techniques developed for the monolingual population? Do languages respond differently to therapy and, if so, are gains influenced by language dominance? Does cross-linguistic generalisation occur and does this depend on the therapy approach? Is cross-linguistic generalisation more likely following treatment in L2 or L1? The study involved five aphasic participants who were bilingual in English and Bengali. Testing showed that their severity and dominance patterns varied, so the study adopted a case series rather than a group design. Each person received two phases of naming therapy, one in Bengali and one in English. Each phase treated two groups of words with semantic and phonological tasks, respectively. The effects of therapy were measured with a picture-naming task involving both treated and untreated (control) items. This was administered in both languages on four occasions: two pre-therapy, one immediately post-therapy and one 4 weeks after therapy had ceased. Testing and therapy in Bengali was administered by bilingual co-workers. Four of the five participants made significant gains from at least one episode of therapy. Benefits arose in both languages and from both semantic and phonological tasks. There were three instances of cross-linguistic generalisation, which occurred when items had been treated in the person's dominant language using semantic tasks. This study suggests that 'typical' naming treatments can be effective for some bilingual people with aphasia, with both L1 and L2 benefiting. It offers evidence of cross-linguistic generalisation, and suggests that this is most likely to arise from semantic therapy approaches. In contrast to some results in the academic literature, the direction of generalisation was from LI to L2. The theoretical implications of these findings are considered. Finally, the results support the use of bilingual co-workers in therapy delivery. © 2010 Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists.

Topoisomerase II Mediates Meiotic Crossover Interference

PubMed Central

Zhang, Liangran; Wang, Shunxin; Yin, Shen; Hong, Soogil; Kim, Keun P.; Kleckner, Nancy

2014-01-01

Summary Spatial patterning is a ubiquitous feature of biological systems. Meiotic crossovers provide an interesting example, defined by the classical phenomenon of crossover interference. Here, analysis of crossover patterns in budding yeast identifies a molecular pathway for interference. Topoisomerase II (Topo II) plays a central role, thus identifying a new function for this critical molecule. SUMOylation [of TopoII and axis component Red1] and ubiquitin-mediated removal of SUMOylated proteins are also required. These and other findings support the hypothesis that crossover interference involves accumulation, relief and redistribution of mechanical stress along the protein/DNA meshwork of meiotic chromosome axes, with TopoII required to adjust spatial relationships among DNA segments. PMID:25043020

Geosat crossover analysis in the tropical Pacific. Part 1: Constrained sinusoidal crossover adjustment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tai, Chang-Kou

1988-01-01

A new method (constrained sinusoidal crossover adjustment) for removing the orbit error in satellite altimetry is tested (using crossovers accumulated in the first 91 days of the Geosat non-repeat era in the tropical Pacific) and found to have excellent qualities. Two features distinguish the new method from the conventional bias-and-tilt crossover adjustment. First, a sine wave (with wavelength equaling the circumference of the Earth) is used to represent the orbit error for each satellite revolution, instead of the bias-and-tilt (and curvature, if necessary) approach for each segment of the satellite ground track. Secondly, the indeterminacy of the adjustment process is removed by a simple constraint minimizing the amplitudes of the sine waves, rather than by fixing selected tracks. Overall the new method is more accurate, more efficient, and much less cumbersome than the old. The idea of restricting the crossover adjustment to crossovers between tracks that are less than certain days apart in order to preserve the large-scale long-term oceanic variability is also tested with inconclusive results because the orbit error was unusually nonstationary in the initial 91 days of the GEOSAT mission.

Local chromosome context is a major determinant of crossover pathway biochemistry during budding yeast meiosis

PubMed Central

Medhi, Darpan; Goldman, Alastair SH; Lichten, Michael

2016-01-01

The budding yeast genome contains regions where meiotic recombination initiates more frequently than in others. This pattern parallels enrichment for the meiotic chromosome axis proteins Hop1 and Red1. These proteins are important for Spo11-catalyzed double strand break formation; their contribution to crossover recombination remains undefined. Using the sequence-specific VMA1-derived endonuclease (VDE) to initiate recombination in meiosis, we show that chromosome structure influences the choice of proteins that resolve recombination intermediates to form crossovers. At a Hop1-enriched locus, most VDE-initiated crossovers, like most Spo11-initiated crossovers, required the meiosis-specific MutLγ resolvase. In contrast, at a locus with lower Hop1 occupancy, most VDE-initiated crossovers were MutLγ-independent. In pch2 mutants, the two loci displayed similar Hop1 occupancy levels, and VDE-induced crossovers were similarly MutLγ-dependent. We suggest that meiotic and mitotic recombination pathways coexist within meiotic cells, and that features of meiotic chromosome structure determine whether one or the other predominates in different regions. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.19669.001 PMID:27855779

Residual gastric volume evaluation with ultrasonography after ingestion of carbohydrate- or carbohydrate plus glutamine-enriched beverages: a randomized, crossover clinical trial with healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Gomes, Paulo Cesar; Caporossi, Cervantes; Aguilar-Nascimento, Jose Eduardo; Silva, Ageo Mario Candido da; Araujo, Viviane Maeve Tavares de

2017-01-01

- Abbreviation of preoperative fasting to 2 hours with maltodextrin (CHO)-enriched beverage is a safe procedure and may enhance postoperative recovery. Addition of glutamine (GLN) to CHO beverages may include potential benefits to the metabolism. However, by adding a nitrogenous source to CHO beverages, gastric emptying may be delayed and increase the risk of bronchoaspiration during anesthesia. - In this study of safety, we aimed at investigating the residual gastric volume (RGV) 2 hours after the intake of either CHO beverage alone or CHO beverage combined with GLN. - We performed a randomized, crossover clinical trial. We assessed RGV by means of abdominal ultrasonography (US) in 20 healthy volunteers (10 males and 10 females) after an overnight fast of 8 hours. Then, they were randomized to receive 600 mL (400 mL immediately after US followed by another 200 mL 2 hours afterwards) of either CHO (12.5% maltodextrin) or CHO-GLN (12.5% maltodextrin plus 15 g GLN). Two sequential US evaluations were done at 120 and 180 minutes after ingestion of the second dose. The interval of time between ingestion of the two types of beverages was 2 weeks. - The mean (SD) RGV observed after 8 hours fasting (13.56±13.25 mL) did not statistically differ (P>0.05) from the RGV observed after ingesting CHO beverage at both 120 (16.32±11.78 mL) and 180 minutes (14.60±10.39 mL). The RGV obtained at 120 (15.63±18.83 mL) and 180 (13.65±10.27 mL) minutes after CHO-GLN beverage also was not significantly different from the fasting condition. - The RGV at 120 and 180 minutes after ingestion of CHO beverage combined with GLN is similar to that observed after an overnight fast.

An open-label, multicenter, randomized, crossover study comparing sildenafil citrate and tadalafil for treating erectile dysfunction in Chinese men naïve to phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor therapy

PubMed Central

Bai, Wen-Jun; Li, Hong-Jun; Dai, Yu-Tian; He, Xue-You; Huang, Yi-Ran; Liu, Ji-Hong; Sorsaburu, Sebastian; Ji, Chen; Jin, Jian-Jun; Wang, Xiao-Feng

2015-01-01

The study was to compare treatment preference, efficacy, and tolerability of sildenafil citrate (sildenafil) and tadalafil for treating erectile dysfunction (ED) in Chinese men naïve to phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor therapies. This multicenter, randomized, open-label, crossover study evaluated whether Chinese men with ED preferred 20-mg tadalafil or 100-mg sildenafil. After a 4 weeks baseline assessment, 383 eligible patients were randomized to sequential 20-mg tadalafil per 100-mg sildenafil or vice versa for 8 weeks respectively and then chose which treatment they preferred to take during the 8 weeks extension. Primary efficacy was measured by Question 1 of the PDE5 Inhibitor Treatment Preference Questionnaire (PITPQ). Secondary efficacy was analyzed by PITPQ Question 2, the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) erectile function (EF) domain, sexual encounter profile (SEP) Questions 2 and 3, and the Drug Attributes Questionnaire. Three hundred and fifty men (91%) completed the randomized treatment phase. Two hundred and forty-two per 350 (69.1%) patients preferred 20-mg tadalafil, and 108/350 (30.9%) preferred 100-mg sildenafil (P < 0.001) as their treatment in the 8 weeks extension. Ninety-two per 242 (38%) patients strongly preferred tadalafil and 37/108 (34.3%) strongly the preferred sildenafil. The SEP2 (penetration), SEP3 (successful intercourse), and IIEF-EF domain scores were improved in both tadalafil and sildenafil treatment groups. For patients who preferred tadalafil, getting an erection long after taking the medication was the most reported reason for tadalafil preference. The only treatment-emergent adverse event reported by > 2% of men was headache. After tadalafil and sildenafil treatments, more Chinese men with ED naïve to PDE5 inhibitor preferred tadalafil. Both sildenafil and tadalafil treatments were effective and safe. PMID:25370206

An open-label, multicenter, randomized, crossover study comparing sildenafil citrate and tadalafil for treating erectile dysfunction in Chinese men naïve to phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor therapy.

PubMed

Bai, Wen-Jun; Li, Hong-Jun; Dai, Yu-Tian; He, Xue-You; Huang, Yi-Ran; Liu, Ji-Hong; Sorsaburu, Sebastian; Ji, Chen; Jin, Jian-Jun; Wang, Xiao-Feng

2015-01-01

The study was to compare treatment preference, efficacy, and tolerability of sildenafil citrate (sildenafil) and tadalafil for treating erectile dysfunction (ED) in Chinese men naοve to phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor therapies. This multicenter, randomized, open-label, crossover study evaluated whether Chinese men with ED preferred 20-mg tadalafil or 100-mg sildenafil. After a 4 weeks baseline assessment, 383 eligible patients were randomized to sequential 20-mg tadalafil per 100-mg sildenafil or vice versa for 8 weeks respectively and then chose which treatment they preferred to take during the 8 weeks extension. Primary efficacy was measured by Question 1 of the PDE5 Inhibitor Treatment Preference Questionnaire (PITPQ). Secondary efficacy was analyzed by PITPQ Question 2, the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) erectile function (EF) domain, sexual encounter profile (SEP) Questions 2 and 3, and the Drug Attributes Questionnaire. Three hundred and fifty men (91%) completed the randomized treatment phase. Two hundred and forty-two per 350 (69.1%) patients preferred 20-mg tadalafil, and 108/350 (30.9%) preferred 100-mg sildenafil (P < 0.001) as their treatment in the 8 weeks extension. Ninety-two per 242 (38%) patients strongly preferred tadalafil and 37/108 (34.3%) strongly the preferred sildenafil. The SEP2 (penetration), SEP3 (successful intercourse), and IIEF-EF domain scores were improved in both tadalafil and sildenafil treatment groups. For patients who preferred tadalafil, getting an erection long after taking the medication was the most reported reason for tadalafil preference. The only treatment-emergent adverse event reported by > 2% of men was headache. After tadalafil and sildenafil treatments, more Chinese men with ED naοve to PDE5 inhibitor preferred tadalafil. Both sildenafil and tadalafil treatments were effective and safe.

Daytime encopresis associated with gland mal epileptic seizures: case report.

PubMed

Oyatsi, D P

2005-08-01

Sphincteric incontinence of stool and urine are not unusual features of generalised epileptic seizures. Isolated secondary encopresis as a manifestation of an epileptic seizure is unusual. This report is of, a four year old boy, with daytime secondary non-retentive encopresis. The onset of encopresis was preceded by several episodes of nocturnal generalised tonic clonic epileptic seizures. An electroencephalogram showed features consistent with complex partial seizures. He was commenced on anti-epileptic treatment with phenytoin sodium, and by the third day of treatment, the patient had achieved stool control.

Multiple periodic-soliton solutions of the (3+1)-dimensional generalised shallow water equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Ye-Zhou; Liu, Jian-Guo

2018-06-01

Based on the extended variable-coefficient homogeneous balance method and two new ansätz functions, we construct auto-Bäcklund transformation and multiple periodic-soliton solutions of (3 {+} 1)-dimensional generalised shallow water equations. Completely new periodic-soliton solutions including periodic cross-kink wave, periodic two-solitary wave and breather type of two-solitary wave are obtained. In addition, cross-kink three-soliton and cross-kink four-soliton solutions are derived. Furthermore, propagation characteristics and interactions of the obtained solutions are discussed and illustrated in figures.

49 CFR 236.203 - Hand operated crossover between main tracks; protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) Electric locking of the switches of the crossover. Signals governing movements over either switch shall... crossover is occupied by a train, locomotive or car in such a manner as to foul the main track. It shall not... electric locking releases. ...

49 CFR 236.203 - Hand operated crossover between main tracks; protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...) Electric locking of the switches of the crossover. Signals governing movements over either switch shall... crossover is occupied by a train, locomotive or car in such a manner as to foul the main track. It shall not... electric locking releases. ...

49 CFR 236.203 - Hand operated crossover between main tracks; protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) Electric locking of the switches of the crossover. Signals governing movements over either switch shall... crossover is occupied by a train, locomotive or car in such a manner as to foul the main track. It shall not... electric locking releases. ...

24 CFR 3285.701 - Electrical crossovers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Electrical crossovers. 3285.701... URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS Electrical Systems and Equipment § 3285.701 Electrical crossovers. Multi-section homes with electrical wiring in more than one section require...

24 CFR 3285.701 - Electrical crossovers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Electrical crossovers. 3285.701... URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS Electrical Systems and Equipment § 3285.701 Electrical crossovers. Multi-section homes with electrical wiring in more than one section require...

24 CFR 3285.701 - Electrical crossovers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Electrical crossovers. 3285.701... URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS Electrical Systems and Equipment § 3285.701 Electrical crossovers. Multi-section homes with electrical wiring in more than one section require...

24 CFR 3285.701 - Electrical crossovers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Electrical crossovers. 3285.701... URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS Electrical Systems and Equipment § 3285.701 Electrical crossovers. Multi-section homes with electrical wiring in more than one section require...

49 CFR 236.203 - Hand operated crossover between main tracks; protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) Electric locking of the switches of the crossover. Signals governing movements over either switch shall... crossover is occupied by a train, locomotive or car in such a manner as to foul the main track. It shall not... electric locking releases. ...

49 CFR 236.203 - Hand operated crossover between main tracks; protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) Electric locking of the switches of the crossover. Signals governing movements over either switch shall... crossover is occupied by a train, locomotive or car in such a manner as to foul the main track. It shall not... electric locking releases. ...

Predictive Factors for Patients Undergoing ASD Device Occlusion Who "Crossover" to Surgery.

PubMed

Mulukutla, Venkatachalam; Qureshi, Athar M; Pignatelli, Ricardo; Ing, Frank F

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to define characteristics of those patients who are referred for device closure of an Atrial septal defect (ASD), but identified to "crossover" surgery. All patients who underwent surgical and device (Amplatzer or Helex occluder) closures of secundum ASDs from 2001 to 2010 were reviewed and organized into three groups: surgical closure, device closure, and "crossover" group. 369 patients underwent ASD closure (265 device, 104 surgical). 42 of the 265 patients referred for device closure "crossed over" to the surgical group at various stages of the catheterization procedure. The device group had defect size measuring 14.2 mm (mean) and an ASD index (Defect Size (mm)/BSA) of 14.0 compared to the corresponding values in the surgical group (20.1 mm, ASD index 25.9) (P < 0.001) and in the "crossover" group (20.7 mm, 22.6 ASD index) (P < 0.001). 79 patients in the device group had a deficient rim, and 86% were located in the retroaortic region. 33 patients in the "crossover" group had deficient rims with 70% deficiency in the posterior/inferior rim. The device group with deficient rims had an ASD index of 14.7 compared with the crossover group ASD index of 23.8 (P < 0.001). Comparing the device and "crossover" groups, an ASD index greater than 23.7 had a 90% specificity in "crossing over" to surgery. The crossover and surgical groups had statistically larger ASD defect size indexes compared with the device group. Deficient rim in the posterior/inferior rim is associated with a large ASD size index which is a predictive factor for crossing over to surgery. Catheterization did not negatively impact surgical results in the "crossover" group.

Bio-Inspired Genetic Algorithms with Formalized Crossover Operators for Robotic Applications.

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Kang, Man; Li, Xiaojuan; Liu, Geng-Yang

2017-01-01

Genetic algorithms are widely adopted to solve optimization problems in robotic applications. In such safety-critical systems, it is vitally important to formally prove the correctness when genetic algorithms are applied. This paper focuses on formal modeling of crossover operations that are one of most important operations in genetic algorithms. Specially, we for the first time formalize crossover operations with higher-order logic based on HOL4 that is easy to be deployed with its user-friendly programing environment. With correctness-guaranteed formalized crossover operations, we can safely apply them in robotic applications. We implement our technique to solve a path planning problem using a genetic algorithm with our formalized crossover operations, and the results show the effectiveness of our technique.

Studies on Methanol Crossover in Liquid-Feed Direct Methanol Pem Fuel Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Narayanan, S. R.

1995-01-01

The performance of liquid feed direct methanol fuel cells using various types of Nafion membranes as the solid polymer electrolyte have been studied. The rate of fuel crossover and electrical performance has been measured for cells with Nafion membranes of various thicknesses and equivalent weights. The crossover rate is found to decrease with increasing thickness and applied current. The dependence of crossover rate on current density can be understood in terms of a simple linear diffusion model which suggests that the crossover rate can be influenced by the electrode structure in addition to the membrane. The studies suggest that Nafion EW 1500 is a very promising alternate to Nafion EW 1100 for direct methanol fuel cells.

Extended precedence preservative crossover for job shop scheduling problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ong, Chung Sin; Moin, Noor Hasnah; Omar, Mohd

2013-04-01

Job shop scheduling problems (JSSP) is one of difficult combinatorial scheduling problems. A wide range of genetic algorithms based on the two parents crossover have been applied to solve the problem but multi parents (more than two parents) crossover in solving the JSSP is still lacking. This paper proposes the extended precedence preservative crossover (EPPX) which uses multi parents for recombination in the genetic algorithms. EPPX is a variation of the precedence preservative crossover (PPX) which is one of the crossovers that perform well to find the solutions for the JSSP. EPPX is based on a vector to determine the gene selected in recombination for the next generation. Legalization of children (offspring) can be eliminated due to the JSSP representation encoded by using permutation with repetition that guarantees the feasibility of chromosomes. The simulations are performed on a set of benchmarks from the literatures and the results are compared to ensure the sustainability of multi parents recombination in solving the JSSP.

Genetic Recombination at the Buff Spore Color Locus in SORDARIA BREVICOLLIS. II. Analysis of Flanking Marker Behavior in Crosses between Buff Mutants.

PubMed

Sang, H; Whitehouse, H L

1983-02-01

Aberrant asci containing one or more wild-type spores were selected from crosses between pairs of alleles of the buff locus in the presence of closely linked flanking markers. Data were obtained relating to the site of aberrant segregation and the position of any associated crossover giving recombination of flanking markers. Aberrant segregation at a proximal site within the buff gene may be associated with a crossover proximal to the site of aberrant segregation or, with equal frequency, with a crossover distal to the site of the second mutant present in the cross. Similarly, segregation at a distal site may be associated with a crossover distal to the site or, with lower frequency, with a crossover proximal to the site of the proximal mutant present in the cross. Crossovers between the alleles were rare. This evidence for the relationship between hybrid DNA and crossing over is discussed in terms of current models for the mechanism of recombination.

A Case Study of Controlling Crossover in a Selection Hyper-heuristic Framework Using the Multidimensional Knapsack Problem.

PubMed

Drake, John H; Özcan, Ender; Burke, Edmund K

2016-01-01

Hyper-heuristics are high-level methodologies for solving complex problems that operate on a search space of heuristics. In a selection hyper-heuristic framework, a heuristic is chosen from an existing set of low-level heuristics and applied to the current solution to produce a new solution at each point in the search. The use of crossover low-level heuristics is possible in an increasing number of general-purpose hyper-heuristic tools such as HyFlex and Hyperion. However, little work has been undertaken to assess how best to utilise it. Since a single-point search hyper-heuristic operates on a single candidate solution, and two candidate solutions are required for crossover, a mechanism is required to control the choice of the other solution. The frameworks we propose maintain a list of potential solutions for use in crossover. We investigate the use of such lists at two conceptual levels. First, crossover is controlled at the hyper-heuristic level where no problem-specific information is required. Second, it is controlled at the problem domain level where problem-specific information is used to produce good-quality solutions to use in crossover. A number of selection hyper-heuristics are compared using these frameworks over three benchmark libraries with varying properties for an NP-hard optimisation problem: the multidimensional 0-1 knapsack problem. It is shown that allowing crossover to be managed at the domain level outperforms managing crossover at the hyper-heuristic level in this problem domain.

49 CFR 218.107 - Additional operational requirements for hand-operated crossover switches.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...-operated crossover switches. 218.107 Section 218.107 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to... PRACTICES Handling Equipment, Switches, and Fixed Derails § 218.107 Additional operational requirements for hand-operated crossover switches. (a) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with an operating rule which...

49 CFR 218.103 - Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches. 218.103 Section 218.103 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued... Equipment, Switches, and Fixed Derails § 218.103 Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches. (a)(1...

49 CFR 218.107 - Additional operational requirements for hand-operated crossover switches.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...-operated crossover switches. 218.107 Section 218.107 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to... PRACTICES Handling Equipment, Switches, and Fixed Derails § 218.107 Additional operational requirements for hand-operated crossover switches. (a) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with an operating rule which...

49 CFR 218.107 - Additional operational requirements for hand-operated crossover switches.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...-operated crossover switches. 218.107 Section 218.107 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to... PRACTICES Handling Equipment, Switches, and Fixed Derails § 218.107 Additional operational requirements for hand-operated crossover switches. (a) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with an operating rule which...

49 CFR 218.103 - Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches. 218.103 Section 218.103 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued... Equipment, Switches, and Fixed Derails § 218.103 Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches. (a)(1...

49 CFR 218.107 - Additional operational requirements for hand-operated crossover switches.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...-operated crossover switches. 218.107 Section 218.107 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to... PRACTICES Handling Equipment, Switches, and Fixed Derails § 218.107 Additional operational requirements for hand-operated crossover switches. (a) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with an operating rule which...

49 CFR 218.103 - Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches. 218.103 Section 218.103 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued... Equipment, Switches, and Fixed Derails § 218.103 Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches. (a)(1...

49 CFR 218.103 - Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches. 218.103 Section 218.103 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued... Equipment, Switches, and Fixed Derails § 218.103 Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches. (a)(1...

49 CFR 218.107 - Additional operational requirements for hand-operated crossover switches.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...-operated crossover switches. 218.107 Section 218.107 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to... PRACTICES Handling Equipment, Switches, and Fixed Derails § 218.107 Additional operational requirements for hand-operated crossover switches. (a) Each railroad shall adopt and comply with an operating rule which...

49 CFR 218.103 - Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches. 218.103 Section 218.103 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued... Equipment, Switches, and Fixed Derails § 218.103 Hand-operated switches, including crossover switches. (a)(1...

Assessing the effect of a partly unobserved, exogenous, binary time-dependent covariate on survival probabilities using generalised pseudo-values.

PubMed

Pötschger, Ulrike; Heinzl, Harald; Valsecchi, Maria Grazia; Mittlböck, Martina

2018-01-19

Investigating the impact of a time-dependent intervention on the probability of long-term survival is statistically challenging. A typical example is stem-cell transplantation performed after successful donor identification from registered donors. Here, a suggested simple analysis based on the exogenous donor availability status according to registered donors would allow the estimation and comparison of survival probabilities. As donor search is usually ceased after a patient's event, donor availability status is incompletely observed, so that this simple comparison is not possible and the waiting time to donor identification needs to be addressed in the analysis to avoid bias. It is methodologically unclear, how to directly address cumulative long-term treatment effects without relying on proportional hazards while avoiding waiting time bias. The pseudo-value regression technique is able to handle the first two issues; a novel generalisation of this technique also avoids waiting time bias. Inverse-probability-of-censoring weighting is used to account for the partly unobserved exogenous covariate donor availability. Simulation studies demonstrate unbiasedness and satisfying coverage probabilities of the new method. A real data example demonstrates that study results based on generalised pseudo-values have a clear medical interpretation which supports the clinical decision making process. The proposed generalisation of the pseudo-value regression technique enables to compare survival probabilities between two independent groups where group membership becomes known over time and remains partly unknown. Hence, cumulative long-term treatment effects are directly addressed without relying on proportional hazards while avoiding waiting time bias.

Stress Crossover in Newlywed Marriage: A Longitudinal and Dyadic Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neff, Lisa A.; Karney, Benjamin R.

2007-01-01

Studies of stress and marital quality often assess stress as an intrapersonal phenomenon, examining how spouses' stress may influence their own relationship well-being. Yet spouses' stress also may influence partners' relationship evaluations, a phenomenon referred to as stress crossover. This study examined stress crossover, and conditions that…

Electromagnetic pump stator frame having power crossover struts

DOEpatents

Fanning, Alan W.; Olich, Eugene E.

1995-01-01

A stator frame for an electromagnetic pump includes a casing joined to a hub by a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart struts. At least one electrically insulated power crossover lead extends through the hub, through a crossover one of the struts, and through the casing for carrying electrical current therethrough.

50 CFR 660.320 - Open access fishery-crossover provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Open access fishery-crossover provisions... West Coast Groundfish-Open Access Fisheries § 660.320 Open access fishery—crossover provisions. (a) Operating in both limited entry and open access fisheries. See provisions at § 660.60, subpart C. (b...

50 CFR 660.320 - Open access fishery-crossover provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 11 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Open access fishery-crossover provisions... West Coast Groundfish-Open Access Fisheries § 660.320 Open access fishery—crossover provisions. (a) Operating in both limited entry and open access fisheries. See provisions at § 660.60, subpart C. (b...

Determination of Effective Crossover Location and Dimensions for Branched Detonation in a Pulsed Detonation Engine

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-22

location is varied from the aft end of the detonation tube to the middle of the detonation tube while the crossover width is varied from 2.5 in to 0.5...the other end where the tube is connected to a source of fuel, oxidizer, and ignition .7 The engine cycle is divided into three equal phases: fill...location and width of the crossover duct for hydrogen, ethylene and an n-alkane. The crossover location is varied from the aft end of the

On the equivalence of case-crossover and time series methods in environmental epidemiology.

PubMed

Lu, Yun; Zeger, Scott L

2007-04-01

The case-crossover design was introduced in epidemiology 15 years ago as a method for studying the effects of a risk factor on a health event using only cases. The idea is to compare a case's exposure immediately prior to or during the case-defining event with that same person's exposure at otherwise similar "reference" times. An alternative approach to the analysis of daily exposure and case-only data is time series analysis. Here, log-linear regression models express the expected total number of events on each day as a function of the exposure level and potential confounding variables. In time series analyses of air pollution, smooth functions of time and weather are the main confounders. Time series and case-crossover methods are often viewed as competing methods. In this paper, we show that case-crossover using conditional logistic regression is a special case of time series analysis when there is a common exposure such as in air pollution studies. This equivalence provides computational convenience for case-crossover analyses and a better understanding of time series models. Time series log-linear regression accounts for overdispersion of the Poisson variance, while case-crossover analyses typically do not. This equivalence also permits model checking for case-crossover data using standard log-linear model diagnostics.

Effects of Subsensory Noise and Fatigue on Knee Landing and Cross-over Cutting Biomechanics in Male Athletes.

PubMed

Qu, Xingda; Jiang, Jianxin; Hu, Xinyao

2018-06-01

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of subsensory noise and fatigue on knee biomechanics during the athletic task of landing followed by cross-over cutting. A total of 32 healthy male athletes participated in the study. They were evenly divided into 2 groups: no fatigue group and fatigue group. Fatigue was induced to the lower extremity by a repetitive squatting exercise in the fatigue group. Subsensory noise was generated by linear miniature vibrators bilaterally placed around the knee joints. During data collection, the participants were instructed to perform landing followed by cross-over cutting in both the subsensory on and off conditions. Dependent variables were selected to assess knee biomechanics in the phases of landing and cross-over cutting, separately. Results showed that fatigue resulted in larger knee flexion during landing and larger knee internal rotation during cross-over cutting. Subsensory noise was found to reduce knee rotation impulse during cross-over cutting. These findings suggest that cross-over cutting is more dangerous than landing in the fatigue condition, and subsensory noise may lead to changes in knee biomechanics consistent with reduced risk of anterior cruciate ligament injuries, but the changes may be task-specific.

Local and sex-specific biases in crossover vs. noncrossover outcomes at meiotic recombination hot spots in mice

PubMed Central

de Boer, Esther; Jasin, Maria; Keeney, Scott

2015-01-01

Meiotic recombination initiated by programmed double-strand breaks (DSBs) yields two types of interhomolog recombination products, crossovers and noncrossovers, but what determines whether a DSB will yield a crossover or noncrossover is not understood. In this study, we analyzed the influence of sex and chromosomal location on mammalian recombination outcomes by constructing fine-scale recombination maps in both males and females at two mouse hot spots located in different regions of the same chromosome. These include the most comprehensive maps of recombination hot spots in oocytes to date. One hot spot, located centrally on chromosome 1, behaved similarly in male and female meiosis: Crossovers and noncrossovers formed at comparable levels and ratios in both sexes. In contrast, at a distal hot spot, crossovers were recovered only in males even though noncrossovers were obtained at similar frequencies in both sexes. These findings reveal an example of extreme sex-specific bias in recombination outcome. We further found that estimates of relative DSB levels are surprisingly poor predictors of relative crossover frequencies between hot spots in males. Our results demonstrate that the outcome of mammalian meiotic recombination can be biased, that this bias can vary depending on location and cellular context, and that DSB frequency is not the only determinant of crossover frequency. PMID:26251527

Confidence intervals for distinguishing ordinal and disordinal interactions in multiple regression.

PubMed

Lee, Sunbok; Lei, Man-Kit; Brody, Gene H

2015-06-01

Distinguishing between ordinal and disordinal interaction in multiple regression is useful in testing many interesting theoretical hypotheses. Because the distinction is made based on the location of a crossover point of 2 simple regression lines, confidence intervals of the crossover point can be used to distinguish ordinal and disordinal interactions. This study examined 2 factors that need to be considered in constructing confidence intervals of the crossover point: (a) the assumption about the sampling distribution of the crossover point, and (b) the possibility of abnormally wide confidence intervals for the crossover point. A Monte Carlo simulation study was conducted to compare 6 different methods for constructing confidence intervals of the crossover point in terms of the coverage rate, the proportion of true values that fall to the left or right of the confidence intervals, and the average width of the confidence intervals. The methods include the reparameterization, delta, Fieller, basic bootstrap, percentile bootstrap, and bias-corrected accelerated bootstrap methods. The results of our Monte Carlo simulation study suggest that statistical inference using confidence intervals to distinguish ordinal and disordinal interaction requires sample sizes more than 500 to be able to provide sufficiently narrow confidence intervals to identify the location of the crossover point. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Spin crossover in (Mg,Fe3+)(Si,Fe3+)O3 bridgmanite: effects of disorder, iron concentration, and temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukla, Gaurav; Wentzcovitch, Renata

The spin crossover of iron in Fe3+-bearing bridgmanite, the most abundant mineral of the Earth's lower mantle, is by now a well-established phenomenon, though several aspects of this crossover remain unclear. Here we investigate effects of disorder, iron concentration, and temperature on this crossover using ab initio LDA + USC calculations. Disorder and concentration effects are addressed using complete statistical samplings of coupled substituted configurations up to 80 atoms supercells, while the vibrational effects using the quasiharmonic approximation. Our calculated compression curves for iron-free and iron-bearing bridgmanite compare well with the latest experimental measurements. The comparison also suggests that in a closed system, Fe2+ present in the sample may transform into Fe3+ by introduction of Mg and O vacancies with increasing pressure. As in the spin crossover in ferropericlase, this crossover in bridgmanite is accompanied by a clear volume reduction and an anomalous softening of the bulk modulus throughout the crossover pressure range. Though the concentration of [Fe3+]Si in bridgmanite may be small, related elastic anomalies may impact the interpretation of radial and lateral velocity structures of the Earth's lower mantle. This research was supported primarily by NSF Grant EAR 1348066. Computations are performed at the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute (MSI).

Stability of Poisson Equilibria and Hamiltonian Relative Equilibria by Energy Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patrick, George W.; Roberts, Mark; Wulff, Claudia

2004-12-01

We develop a general stability theory for equilibrium points of Poisson dynamical systems and relative equilibria of Hamiltonian systems with symmetries, including several generalisations of the Energy-Casimir and Energy-Momentum Methods. Using a topological generalisation of Lyapunov’s result that an extremal critical point of a conserved quantity is stable, we show that a Poisson equilibrium is stable if it is an isolated point in the intersection of a level set of a conserved function with a subset of the phase space that is related to the topology of the symplectic leaf space at that point. This criterion is applied to generalise the energy-momentum method to Hamiltonian systems which are invariant under non-compact symmetry groups for which the coadjoint orbit space is not Hausdorff. We also show that a G-stable relative equilibrium satisfies the stronger condition of being A-stable, where A is a specific group-theoretically defined subset of G which contains the momentum isotropy subgroup of the relative equilibrium. The results are illustrated by an application to the stability of a rigid body in an ideal irrotational fluid.

Social interactions, trust and risky alcohol consumption.

PubMed

Seid, Abdu Kedir

2016-12-01

The association of social capital and alcohol consumption is one of the most robust empirical findings in health economics of the past decade. However, the direction of the relationship between the two is heavily dependent on which dimension of social capital is studied and which alcohol measure is used. In this paper, we examine the effect of social interactions and generalised trust on drinking in the general Danish population survey. Participants (n = 2569) were recruited as part of a larger study. The double-hurdle model for the volume of alcohol consumption and the multivariate logistic model for heavy episodic drinking were estimated. We found evidence that social networking with male friends, membership in voluntary organisations, and generalised trust were significantly associated with the mean volume of alcohol consumption and heavy drinking. We also observed that social support at the community level had a buffering effect against heavy episodic drinking. The findings support previous findings in which social interactions and generalised trust were found to predict individuals' volume of drinking and heavy episodic drinking. However, the results varied across the indicators.

(Dis)placing trust: the long-term effects of job displacement on generalised trust over the adult lifecourse.

PubMed

Laurence, James

2015-03-01

Increasing rates of job displacement (i.e. involuntary job loss from redundancy, downsizing, restructuring) have been suggested to be a key driver of declining macro-levels of generalised trust. This article undertakes the first test of how job displacement affects individuals' tendencies to (dis)trust over the adult lifecourse, using two-waves of the Great Britain National Child Development Study cohort data, on a sample of n=6840 individuals. Applying both lagged dependent variable logistic regression and two-wave change-score models, experiencing job displacement between the ages of 33 and 50 appears to significantly scar individuals' generalised trust, with depressed trust observable at least nine years after the event occurred. However, this effect is dependent on the value an individual places on work: the greater the attachment to employment the stronger the negative effect of displacement. A range of mediators, such as physical health, mental well-being, and personal efficacy, do not appear to account for the effect. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fully probabilistic control for stochastic nonlinear control systems with input dependent noise.

PubMed

Herzallah, Randa

2015-03-01

Robust controllers for nonlinear stochastic systems with functional uncertainties can be consistently designed using probabilistic control methods. In this paper a generalised probabilistic controller design for the minimisation of the Kullback-Leibler divergence between the actual joint probability density function (pdf) of the closed loop control system, and an ideal joint pdf is presented emphasising how the uncertainty can be systematically incorporated in the absence of reliable systems models. To achieve this objective all probabilistic models of the system are estimated from process data using mixture density networks (MDNs) where all the parameters of the estimated pdfs are taken to be state and control input dependent. Based on this dependency of the density parameters on the input values, explicit formulations to the construction of optimal generalised probabilistic controllers are obtained through the techniques of dynamic programming and adaptive critic methods. Using the proposed generalised probabilistic controller, the conditional joint pdfs can be made to follow the ideal ones. A simulation example is used to demonstrate the implementation of the algorithm and encouraging results are obtained. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improved walking ability and reduced therapeutic stress with an electromechanical gait device.

PubMed

Freivogel, Susanna; Schmalohr, Dieter; Mehrholz, Jan

2009-09-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of repetitive locomotor training using a newly developed electromechanical gait device compared with treadmill training/gait training with respect to patient's ambulatory motor outcome, necessary personnel resources, and discomfort experienced by therapists and patients. Randomized, controlled, cross-over trial. Sixteen non-ambulatory patients after stroke, severe brain or spinal cord injury sequentially received 2 kinds of gait training. Study intervention A: 20 treatments of locomotor training with an electromechanical gait device; control intervention B: 20 treatments of locomotor training with treadmill or task-oriented gait training. The primary variable was walking ability (Functional Ambulation Category). Secondary variables included gait velocity, Motricity-Index, Rivermead-Mobility-Index, number of therapists needed, and discomfort and effort of patients and therapists during training. Gait ability and the other motor outcome related parameters improved for all patients, but without significant difference between intervention types. However, during intervention A, significantly fewer therapists were needed, and they reported less discomfort and a lower level of effort during training sessions. Locomotor training with or without an electromechanical gait trainer leads to improved gait ability; however, using the electromechanical gait trainer requires less therapeutic assistance, and therapist discomfort is reduced.

Highly anisotropic magneto-transport and field orientation dependent oscillations in aligned carbon nanotube/epoxy composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wells, Brian; Kumar, Raj; Reynolds, C. Lewis; Peters, Kara; Bradford, Philip D.

2017-12-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely investigated as additive materials for composites with potential applications in electronic devices due to their extremely large electrical conductivity and current density. Here, highly aligned CNT composite films were created using a sequential layering fabrication technique. The degree of CNT alignment leads to anisotropic resistance values which varies >400× in orthogonal directions. Similarly, the magnetoresistance (MR) of the CNT composite differs depending upon the relative direction of current and the applied magnetic field. A suppression of negative to positive MR crossover was also observed. More importantly, an overall positive magnetoresistance behavior with localized +/- oscillations was discovered at low fields which persists up to room temperature when the current (I) and in-plane magnetic field (B) were parallel to the axis of CNT (B∥I∥CNT), which is consistent with Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in our CNT/epoxy composites. When the current, applied magnetic field, and nanotube axis are aligned, the in-plane MR is positive instead of negative as observed for all other field, current, and tube orientations. Here, we provide in-depth analysis of the conduction mechanism and anisotropy in the magneto-transport properties of these aligned CNT-epoxy composites.

Multiplexed Cassegrain Reflector Antenna for Simultaneous Generation of Three Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) Modes.

PubMed

Byun, Woo Jin; Kim, Kwang Seon; Kim, Bong Su; Lee, Young Seung; Song, Myung Sun; Choi, Hyung Do; Cho, Yong Heui

2016-06-02

A multiplexed Cassegrain reflector antenna with a 2 × 2 open-ended rectangular waveguide (OERW) matrix feed and an orbital angular momentum (OAM) mode mux is proposed for the simultaneous generation of three OAM modes (l = 0, ±1). The OAM mode mux (OMM) was designed using sequential combinations of quadrature hybrids, crossovers, and phase shifters to multiplex and demultiplex three OAM modes at the same time. The 2 × 2 OERW matrix feed and the OMM were separately measured and their performances were verified according to proposed theories. A near-field antenna measurement for a multiplexed Cassegrain reflector antenna was conducted to obtain the far-field magnitude and phase patterns around polar elevation angle θ and azimuthal angle ϕ, thus confirming that our antenna can produce three OAM modes simultaneously. We also measured the communication link characteristics of two identical multiplexed antennas. The measurement results show that the channel isolation of three OAM modes is more than 12.7 [dB] and 17 [dB] for fixed and compensated receiver positions, respectively, indicating that the proposed antenna system can be used for independent communication links with the same frequency and polarisation.

An improved genetic algorithm for increasing the addressing accuracy of encoding fiber Bragg grating sensor network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Huanlin; Wang, Chujun; Chen, Yong

2018-01-01

Large-capacity encoding fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor network is widely used in modern long-term health monitoring system. Encoding FBG sensors have greatly improved the capacity of distributed FBG sensor network. However, the error of addressing increases correspondingly with the enlarging of capacity. To address the issue, an improved algorithm called genetic tracking algorithm (GTA) is proposed in the paper. In the GTA, for improving the success rate of matching and reducing the large number of redundant matching operations generated by sequential matching, the individuals are designed based on the feasible matching. Then, two kinds of self-crossover ways and a dynamic variation during mutation process are designed to increase the diversity of individuals and to avoid falling into local optimum. Meanwhile, an assistant decision is proposed to handle the issue that the GTA cannot solve when the variation of sensor information is highly overlapped. The simulation results indicate that the proposed GTA has higher accuracy compared with the traditional tracking algorithm and the enhanced tracking algorithm. In order to address the problems of spectrum fragmentation and low sharing degree of spectrum resources in survivable.

Co@Co3 O4 @PPD Core@bishell Nanoparticle-Based Composite as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

PubMed

Wang, Zhijuan; Li, Bing; Ge, Xiaoming; Goh, F W Thomas; Zhang, Xiao; Du, Guojun; Wuu, Delvin; Liu, Zhaolin; Andy Hor, T S; Zhang, Hua; Zong, Yun

2016-05-01

Durable electrocatalysts with high catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are crucial to high-performance primary zinc-air batteries (ZnABs) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). An efficient composite electrocatalyst, Co@Co3 O4 core@shell nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in pyrolyzed polydopamine (PPD) is reported, i.e., in Co@Co3 O4 @PPD core@bishell structure, obtained via a three-step sequential process involving hydrothermal synthesis, high temperature calcination under nitrogen atmosphere, and gentle heating in air. With Co@Co3 O4 NPs encapsulated by ultrathin highly graphitized N-doped carbon, the catalyst exhibits excellent stability in aqueous alkaline solution over extended period and good tolerance to methanol crossover effect. The integration of N-doped graphitic carbon outer shell and ultrathin nanocrystalline Co3 O4 inner shell enable high ORR activity of the core@bishell NPs, as evidenced by ZnABs using catalyst of Co@Co3 O4 @PPD in air-cathode which delivers a stable voltage profile over 40 h at a discharge current density of as high as 20 mA cm(-2) . © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High performance genetic algorithm for VLSI circuit partitioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinu, Simona

2016-12-01

Partitioning is one of the biggest challenges in computer-aided design for VLSI circuits (very large-scale integrated circuits). This work address the min-cut balanced circuit partitioning problem- dividing the graph that models the circuit into almost equal sized k sub-graphs while minimizing the number of edges cut i.e. minimizing the number of edges connecting the sub-graphs. The problem may be formulated as a combinatorial optimization problem. Experimental studies in the literature have shown the problem to be NP-hard and thus it is important to design an efficient heuristic algorithm to solve it. The approach proposed in this study is a parallel implementation of a genetic algorithm, namely an island model. The information exchange between the evolving subpopulations is modeled using a fuzzy controller, which determines an optimal balance between exploration and exploitation of the solution space. The results of simulations show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the standard sequential genetic algorithm both in terms of solution quality and convergence speed. As a direction for future study, this research can be further extended to incorporate local search operators which should include problem-specific knowledge. In addition, the adaptive configuration of mutation and crossover rates is another guidance for future research.

New cochlear implant research coding strategy based on the MP3(000™) strategy to reintroduce the virtual channel effect.

PubMed

Neben, Nicole; Lenarz, Thomas; Schuessler, Mark; Harpel, Theo; Buechner, Andreas

2013-05-01

Results for speech recognition in noise tests when using a new research coding strategy designed to introduce the virtual channel effect provided no advantage over MP3(000™). Although statistically significant smaller just noticeable differences (JNDs) were obtained, the findings for pitch ranking proved to have little clinical impact. The aim of this study was to explore whether modifications to MP3000 by including sequential virtual channel stimulation would lead to further improvements in hearing, particularly for speech recognition in background noise and in competing-talker conditions, and to compare results for pitch perception and melody recognition, as well as informally collect subjective impressions on strategy preference. Nine experienced cochlear implant subjects were recruited for the prospective study. Two variants of the experimental strategy were compared to MP3000. The study design was a single-blinded ABCCBA cross-over trial paradigm with 3 weeks of take-home experience for each user condition. Comparing results of pitch-ranking, a significantly reduced JND was identified. No significant effect of coding strategy on speech understanding in noise or competing-talker materials was found. Melody recognition skills were the same under all user conditions.

Spin state switching in iron coordination compounds

PubMed Central

Gaspar, Ana B; Garcia, Yann

2013-01-01

Summary The article deals with coordination compounds of iron(II) that may exhibit thermally induced spin transition, known as spin crossover, depending on the nature of the coordinating ligand sphere. Spin transition in such compounds also occurs under pressure and irradiation with light. The spin states involved have different magnetic and optical properties suitable for their detection and characterization. Spin crossover compounds, though known for more than eight decades, have become most attractive in recent years and are extensively studied by chemists and physicists. The switching properties make such materials potential candidates for practical applications in thermal and pressure sensors as well as optical devices. The article begins with a brief description of the principle of molecular spin state switching using simple concepts of ligand field theory. Conditions to be fulfilled in order to observe spin crossover will be explained and general remarks regarding the chemical nature that is important for the occurrence of spin crossover will be made. A subsequent section describes the molecular consequences of spin crossover and the variety of physical techniques usually applied for their characterization. The effects of light irradiation (LIESST) and application of pressure are subjects of two separate sections. The major part of this account concentrates on selected spin crossover compounds of iron(II), with particular emphasis on the chemical and physical influences on the spin crossover behavior. The vast variety of compounds exhibiting this fascinating switching phenomenon encompasses mono-, oligo- and polynuclear iron(II) complexes and cages, polymeric 1D, 2D and 3D systems, nanomaterials, and polyfunctional materials that combine spin crossover with another physical or chemical property. PMID:23504535

Generalised pustular psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and nephrotic syndrome associated with systemic amyloidosis.

PubMed

David, M; Abraham, D; Weinberger, A; Feuerman, E J

1982-09-01

The case report is presented of a psoriatic patient with arthropathy, generalised pustular psoriasis and nephrotic syndrome, in whom systemic amyloidosis developed. The literature reports 13 cases of psoriasis associated with amyloidosis, 3 of whom suffered from pustular psoriasis as does our case. With the addition of our case, 12 of these 14 had concomitant arthropathy. This seems to suggest that arthritis is an important factor in the appearance of amyloidosis. Rectal biopsy and/or renal biopsy may be helpful in establishing the diagnosis of amyloidosis relatively early in patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Two measures of bilingualism in the memories of immigrants and indigenous minorities: crossover memories and codeswitching.

PubMed

Altman, Carmit

2015-04-01

Two indices of bilingualism, crossover memories and codeswitching (CS), were explored in five groups of immigrant (English-Hebrew, Georgian-Hebrew Russian-Hebrew) and indigenous bilinguals (Arabic-Hebrew, Hebrew-English). Participants recalled memories in response to cue words and then were asked to report the language of retrieval and provide a more elaborate narrative. More memories were 'same language' memories, recalled in the language of the experimental session/cue word, but as many as 48 % of the memories were crossovers, i.e. memories reported in a language other than the language of the session/cue word. In an effort to examine the ecological validity of the self-reported language of the memories, the frequency of CS in the elaborated narratives was investigated. For the entire sample, more CS was found for self-reported crossover memories in L2 sessions. In a further analysis of CS in crossover memories, collapsed across L1 and L2 sessions, significant differences emerged between immigrants and indigenous bilinguals. Differences between immigrant and non-immigrant bilinguals are discussed in terms of the role of activation in crossover memories.

Interference-mediated synaptonemal complex formation with embedded crossover designation

PubMed Central

Zhang, Liangran; Espagne, Eric; de Muyt, Arnaud; Zickler, Denise; Kleckner, Nancy E.

2014-01-01

Biological systems exhibit complex patterns at length scales ranging from the molecular to the organismic. Along chromosomes, events often occur stochastically at different positions in different nuclei but nonetheless tend to be relatively evenly spaced. Examples include replication origin firings, formation of chromatin loops along chromosome axes and, during meiosis, localization of crossover recombination sites (“crossover interference”). We present evidence in the fungus Sordaria macrospora that crossover interference is part of a broader pattern that includes synaptonemal complex (SC) nucleation. This pattern comprises relatively evenly spaced SC nucleation sites, among which a subset are crossover sites that show a classical interference distribution. This pattern ensures that SC forms regularly along the entire length of the chromosome as required for the maintenance of homolog pairing while concomitantly having crossover interactions locally embedded within the SC structure as required for both DNA recombination and structural events of chiasma formation. This pattern can be explained by a threshold-based designation and spreading interference process. This model can be generalized to give diverse types of related and/or partially overlapping patterns, in two or more dimensions, for any type of object. PMID:25380597

Energy expenditure in people with transtibial amputation walking with crossover and energy storing prosthetic feet: A randomized within-subject study.

PubMed

McDonald, Cody L; Kramer, Patricia A; Morgan, Sara J; Halsne, Elizabeth G; Cheever, Sarah M; Hafner, Brian J

2018-05-01

Energy storing feet are unable to reduce the energy required for normal locomotion among people with transtibial amputation. Crossover feet, which incorporate aspects of energy storing and running specific feet, are designed to maximize energy return while providing stability for everyday activities. Do crossover prosthetic feet reduce the energy expenditure of walking across a range of speeds, when compared with energy storing feet among people with transtibial amputation due to non-dysvascular causes? A randomized within-subject study was conducted with a volunteer sample of twenty-seven adults with unilateral transtibial amputation due to non-dysvascular causes. Participants were fit with two prostheses. One had an energy storing foot (Össur Variflex) and the other a crossover foot (Össur Cheetah Xplore). Other components, including sockets, suspension, and interface were standardized. Energy expenditure was measured with a portable respirometer (Cosmed K4b2) while participants walked on a treadmill at self-selected slow, comfortable, and fast speeds with each prosthesis. Gross oxygen consumption rates (VO 2  ml/min) were compared between foot conditions. Energy storing feet were used as the baseline condition because they are used by most people with a lower limb prosthesis. Analyses were performed to identify people who may benefit from transition to crossover feet. On average, participants had lower oxygen consumption in the crossover foot condition compared to the energy storing foot condition at each self-selected walking speed, but this difference was not statistically significant. Participants with farther six-minute walk test distances, higher daily step counts, and higher Medicare Functional Classification Levels at baseline were more likely to use less energy in the crossover foot. Crossover feet may be most beneficial for people with higher activity levels and physical fitness. Further research is needed to examine the effect of crossover feet on energy expenditure during high-level activities. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pressure and Temperature Sensors Using Two Spin Crossover Materials.

PubMed

Jureschi, Catalin-Maricel; Linares, Jorge; Boulmaali, Ayoub; Dahoo, Pierre Richard; Rotaru, Aurelian; Garcia, Yann

2016-02-02

The possibility of a new design concept for dual spin crossover based sensors for concomitant detection of both temperature and pressure is presented. It is conjectured from numerical results obtained by mean field approximation applied to a Ising-like model that using two different spin crossover compounds containing switching molecules with weak elastic interactions it is possible to simultaneously measure P and T. When the interaction parameters are optimized, the spin transition is gradual and for each spin crossover compounds, both temperature and pressure values being identified from their optical densities. This concept offers great perspectives for smart sensing devices.

Local and sex-specific biases in crossover vs. noncrossover outcomes at meiotic recombination hot spots in mice.

PubMed

de Boer, Esther; Jasin, Maria; Keeney, Scott

2015-08-15

Meiotic recombination initiated by programmed double-strand breaks (DSBs) yields two types of interhomolog recombination products, crossovers and noncrossovers, but what determines whether a DSB will yield a crossover or noncrossover is not understood. In this study, we analyzed the influence of sex and chromosomal location on mammalian recombination outcomes by constructing fine-scale recombination maps in both males and females at two mouse hot spots located in different regions of the same chromosome. These include the most comprehensive maps of recombination hot spots in oocytes to date. One hot spot, located centrally on chromosome 1, behaved similarly in male and female meiosis: Crossovers and noncrossovers formed at comparable levels and ratios in both sexes. In contrast, at a distal hot spot, crossovers were recovered only in males even though noncrossovers were obtained at similar frequencies in both sexes. These findings reveal an example of extreme sex-specific bias in recombination outcome. We further found that estimates of relative DSB levels are surprisingly poor predictors of relative crossover frequencies between hot spots in males. Our results demonstrate that the outcome of mammalian meiotic recombination can be biased, that this bias can vary depending on location and cellular context, and that DSB frequency is not the only determinant of crossover frequency. © 2015 de Boer et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

Spillover and Crossover of Exhaustion and Life Satisfaction among Dual-Earner Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demerouti, Evangelia; Bakker, Arnold B.; Schaufeli, Wilmar B.

2005-01-01

This study integrates spillover research of stress transferring from work to home and crossover research of strains transferring from one spouse to another. A spillover and crossover model was tested among 191 (couples of) dual-earner parents. For both males and females, it was hypothesized that (self-reported and partners' rating of)…

Detection of crossover time scales in multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Erjia; Leung, Yee

2013-04-01

Fractal is employed in this paper as a scale-based method for the identification of the scaling behavior of time series. Many spatial and temporal processes exhibiting complex multi(mono)-scaling behaviors are fractals. One of the important concepts in fractals is crossover time scale(s) that separates distinct regimes having different fractal scaling behaviors. A common method is multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA). The detection of crossover time scale(s) is, however, relatively subjective since it has been made without rigorous statistical procedures and has generally been determined by eye balling or subjective observation. Crossover time scales such determined may be spurious and problematic. It may not reflect the genuine underlying scaling behavior of a time series. The purpose of this paper is to propose a statistical procedure to model complex fractal scaling behaviors and reliably identify the crossover time scales under MF-DFA. The scaling-identification regression model, grounded on a solid statistical foundation, is first proposed to describe multi-scaling behaviors of fractals. Through the regression analysis and statistical inference, we can (1) identify the crossover time scales that cannot be detected by eye-balling observation, (2) determine the number and locations of the genuine crossover time scales, (3) give confidence intervals for the crossover time scales, and (4) establish the statistically significant regression model depicting the underlying scaling behavior of a time series. To substantive our argument, the regression model is applied to analyze the multi-scaling behaviors of avian-influenza outbreaks, water consumption, daily mean temperature, and rainfall of Hong Kong. Through the proposed model, we can have a deeper understanding of fractals in general and a statistical approach to identify multi-scaling behavior under MF-DFA in particular.

Exploring threats to generalisability in a large international rehabilitation trial (AVERT).

PubMed

Bernhardt, Julie; Raffelt, Audrey; Churilov, Leonid; Lindley, Richard I; Speare, Sally; Ancliffe, Jacqueline; Katijjahbe, Md Ali; Hameed, Shahul; Lennon, Sheila; McRae, Anna; Tan, Dawn; Quiney, Jan; Williamson, Hannah C; Collier, Janice; Dewey, Helen M; Donnan, Geoffrey A; Langhorne, Peter; Thrift, Amanda G

2015-08-17

The purpose of this paper is to examine potential threats to generalisability of the results of a multicentre randomised controlled trial using data from A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial (AVERT). AVERT is a prospective, parallel group, assessor-blinded randomised clinical trial. This paper presents data assessing the generalisability of AVERT. Acute stroke units at 44 hospitals in 8 countries. The first 20,000 patients screened for AVERT, of whom 1158 were recruited and randomised. We use the Proximal Similarity Model, which considers the person, place, and setting and practice, as a framework for considering generalisability. As well as comparing the recruited patients with the target population, we also performed an exploratory analysis of the demographic, clinical, site and process factors associated with recruitment. The demographics and stroke characteristics of the included patients in the trial were broadly similar to population-based norms, with the exception that AVERT had a greater proportion of men. The most common reason for non-recruitment was late arrival to hospital (ie, >24 h). Overall, being older and female reduced the odds of recruitment to the trial. More women than men were excluded for most of the reasons, including refusal. The odds of exclusion due to early deterioration were particularly high for those with severe stroke (OR=10.4, p<0.001, 95% CI 9.27 to 11.65). A model which explores person, place, and setting and practice factors can provide important information about the external validity of a trial, and could be applied to other clinical trials. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12606000185561) and Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01846247). Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Confidence intervals for the between-study variance in random-effects meta-analysis using generalised heterogeneity statistics: should we use unequal tails?

PubMed

Jackson, Dan; Bowden, Jack

2016-09-07

Confidence intervals for the between study variance are useful in random-effects meta-analyses because they quantify the uncertainty in the corresponding point estimates. Methods for calculating these confidence intervals have been developed that are based on inverting hypothesis tests using generalised heterogeneity statistics. Whilst, under the random effects model, these new methods furnish confidence intervals with the correct coverage, the resulting intervals are usually very wide, making them uninformative. We discuss a simple strategy for obtaining 95 % confidence intervals for the between-study variance with a markedly reduced width, whilst retaining the nominal coverage probability. Specifically, we consider the possibility of using methods based on generalised heterogeneity statistics with unequal tail probabilities, where the tail probability used to compute the upper bound is greater than 2.5 %. This idea is assessed using four real examples and a variety of simulation studies. Supporting analytical results are also obtained. Our results provide evidence that using unequal tail probabilities can result in shorter 95 % confidence intervals for the between-study variance. We also show some further results for a real example that illustrates how shorter confidence intervals for the between-study variance can be useful when performing sensitivity analyses for the average effect, which is usually the parameter of primary interest. We conclude that using unequal tail probabilities when computing 95 % confidence intervals for the between-study variance, when using methods based on generalised heterogeneity statistics, can result in shorter confidence intervals. We suggest that those who find the case for using unequal tail probabilities convincing should use the '1-4 % split', where greater tail probability is allocated to the upper confidence bound. The 'width-optimal' interval that we present deserves further investigation.

Comparing methods of analysing datasets with small clusters: case studies using four paediatric datasets.

PubMed

Marston, Louise; Peacock, Janet L; Yu, Keming; Brocklehurst, Peter; Calvert, Sandra A; Greenough, Anne; Marlow, Neil

2009-07-01

Studies of prematurely born infants contain a relatively large percentage of multiple births, so the resulting data have a hierarchical structure with small clusters of size 1, 2 or 3. Ignoring the clustering may lead to incorrect inferences. The aim of this study was to compare statistical methods which can be used to analyse such data: generalised estimating equations, multilevel models, multiple linear regression and logistic regression. Four datasets which differed in total size and in percentage of multiple births (n = 254, multiple 18%; n = 176, multiple 9%; n = 10 098, multiple 3%; n = 1585, multiple 8%) were analysed. With the continuous outcome, two-level models produced similar results in the larger dataset, while generalised least squares multilevel modelling (ML GLS 'xtreg' in Stata) and maximum likelihood multilevel modelling (ML MLE 'xtmixed' in Stata) produced divergent estimates using the smaller dataset. For the dichotomous outcome, most methods, except generalised least squares multilevel modelling (ML GH 'xtlogit' in Stata) gave similar odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals within datasets. For the continuous outcome, our results suggest using multilevel modelling. We conclude that generalised least squares multilevel modelling (ML GLS 'xtreg' in Stata) and maximum likelihood multilevel modelling (ML MLE 'xtmixed' in Stata) should be used with caution when the dataset is small. Where the outcome is dichotomous and there is a relatively large percentage of non-independent data, it is recommended that these are accounted for in analyses using logistic regression with adjusted standard errors or multilevel modelling. If, however, the dataset has a small percentage of clusters greater than size 1 (e.g. a population dataset of children where there are few multiples) there appears to be less need to adjust for clustering.

Exploring threats to generalisability in a large international rehabilitation trial (AVERT)

PubMed Central

Bernhardt, Julie; Raffelt, Audrey; Churilov, Leonid; Lindley, Richard I; Speare, Sally; Ancliffe, Jacqueline; Katijjahbe, Md Ali; Hameed, Shahul; Lennon, Sheila; McRae, Anna; Tan, Dawn; Quiney, Jan; Williamson, Hannah C; Collier, Janice; Dewey, Helen M; Donnan, Geoffrey A; Langhorne, Peter; Thrift, Amanda G

2015-01-01

Objective The purpose of this paper is to examine potential threats to generalisability of the results of a multicentre randomised controlled trial using data from A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial (AVERT). Design AVERT is a prospective, parallel group, assessor-blinded randomised clinical trial. This paper presents data assessing the generalisability of AVERT. Setting Acute stroke units at 44 hospitals in 8 countries. Participants The first 20 000 patients screened for AVERT, of whom 1158 were recruited and randomised. Model We use the Proximal Similarity Model, which considers the person, place, and setting and practice, as a framework for considering generalisability. As well as comparing the recruited patients with the target population, we also performed an exploratory analysis of the demographic, clinical, site and process factors associated with recruitment. Results The demographics and stroke characteristics of the included patients in the trial were broadly similar to population-based norms, with the exception that AVERT had a greater proportion of men. The most common reason for non-recruitment was late arrival to hospital (ie, >24 h). Overall, being older and female reduced the odds of recruitment to the trial. More women than men were excluded for most of the reasons, including refusal. The odds of exclusion due to early deterioration were particularly high for those with severe stroke (OR=10.4, p<0.001, 95% CI 9.27 to 11.65). Conclusions A model which explores person, place, and setting and practice factors can provide important information about the external validity of a trial, and could be applied to other clinical trials. Trial registration number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12606000185561) and Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01846247). PMID:26283667

Generalised equations for the prediction of percentage body fat by anthropometry in adult men and women aged 18-81 years.

PubMed

Leahy, Siobhan; O'Neill, Cian; Sohun, Rhoda; Toomey, Clodagh; Jakeman, Philip

2013-02-28

Anthropometric data indicate that the human phenotype is changing. Today's adult is greater in stature, body mass and fat mass. Accurate measurement of body composition is necessary to maintain surveillance of obesity within the population and to evaluate associated interventions. The aim of the present study was to construct and validate generalised equations for percentage body fat (%BF) prediction from anthropometry in 1136 adult men and women. Reference values for %BF were obtained using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Skinfold thickness (SF) at ten sites and girth (G) at seven sites were measured on 736 men and women aged 18-81 years (%BF 5·1-56·8%). Quantile regression was employed to construct prediction equations from age and log-transformed SF and G measures. These equations were then cross-validated on a cohort of 400 subjects of similar age and fatness. The following generalised equations were found to most accurately predict %BF: Men: (age x 0·1) + (logtricepsSF x 7·6) + (logmidaxillaSF x 8·8) + (logsuprspinaleSF x 11·9) - 11·3 (standard error of the estimate: 2·5%, 95% limits of agreement: - 4·8, + 4·9) Women: (age x 0·1) + (logabdominalG x 39·4) + (logmidaxillaSF x 4·9) + (logbicepsSF x 11·0) + (logmedialcalfSF x 9·1) - 73·5 (standard error of the estimate: 3·0%, 95% limits of agreement: - 5·7, + 5·9) These generalised anthropometric equations accurately predict %BF and are suitable for the measurement of %BF in adult men and women of varying levels of fatness across the lifespan.

Depression and anxiety symptoms in 17 teams of female football players including 10 German first league teams.

PubMed

Junge, Astrid; Prinz, Birgit

2018-02-02

Information on the prevalence of mental health problems of elite athletes is inconclusive, most probably due to methodological limitations, such as low response rates, heterogeneous samples. To evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of depression and anxiety symptoms in high-level female football players. Female football players of 10 German first league (Bundesliga) and 7 lower league teams were asked to answer a questionnaire on players' characteristics, the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale. A total of 290 players (184 first and 106 lower league players) took part in the study. The CES-D score indicated mild to moderate symptoms of depression in 48 (16.6%) and severe symptoms in 41 (14.1%) players. The GAD-7 score indicated an at least moderate generalised anxiety disorder in 24 (8.3%) players. The prevalence of depression symptoms and generalised anxiety disorders was similar to the female general population of similar age. However, significantly more second league players reported symptoms of depression than first league players, and thus the prevalence of depression symptoms in second league players was higher than in the general population. Only a third of the 45 (15.7%) players who stated that they currently wanted or needed psychotherapeutic support received it. The prevalence of depression and generalised anxiety symptoms in elite football players is influenced by personal and sport-specific variables. It is important to raise awareness of athletes' mental health problems in coaches and team physicians, to reduce stigma and to provide low-threshold treatment. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Detection of the elite structure in a virtual multiplex social system by means of a generalised K-core.

PubMed

Corominas-Murtra, Bernat; Fuchs, Benedikt; Thurner, Stefan

2014-01-01

Elites are subgroups of individuals within a society that have the ability and means to influence, lead, govern, and shape societies. Members of elites are often well connected individuals, which enables them to impose their influence to many and to quickly gather, process, and spread information. Here we argue that elites are not only composed of highly connected individuals, but also of intermediaries connecting hubs to form a cohesive and structured elite-subgroup at the core of a social network. For this purpose we present a generalization of the K-core algorithm that allows to identify a social core that is composed of well-connected hubs together with their 'connectors'. We show the validity of the idea in the framework of a virtual world defined by a massive multiplayer online game, on which we have complete information of various social networks. Exploiting this multiplex structure, we find that the hubs of the generalised K-core identify those individuals that are high social performers in terms of a series of indicators that are available in the game. In addition, using a combined strategy which involves the generalised Kcore and the recently introduced M-core, the elites of the different 'nations' present in the game are perfectly identified as modules of the generalised K-core. Interesting sudden shifts in the composition of the elite cores are observed at deep levels. We show that elite detection with the traditional K-core is not possible in a reliable way. The proposed method might be useful in a series of more general applications, such as community detection.

Genetic Algorithm for Traveling Salesman Problem with Modified Cycle Crossover Operator

PubMed Central

Mohamd Shoukry, Alaa; Gani, Showkat

2017-01-01

Genetic algorithms are evolutionary techniques used for optimization purposes according to survival of the fittest idea. These methods do not ensure optimal solutions; however, they give good approximation usually in time. The genetic algorithms are useful for NP-hard problems, especially the traveling salesman problem. The genetic algorithm depends on selection criteria, crossover, and mutation operators. To tackle the traveling salesman problem using genetic algorithms, there are various representations such as binary, path, adjacency, ordinal, and matrix representations. In this article, we propose a new crossover operator for traveling salesman problem to minimize the total distance. This approach has been linked with path representation, which is the most natural way to represent a legal tour. Computational results are also reported with some traditional path representation methods like partially mapped and order crossovers along with new cycle crossover operator for some benchmark TSPLIB instances and found improvements. PMID:29209364

Genetic Algorithm for Traveling Salesman Problem with Modified Cycle Crossover Operator.

PubMed

Hussain, Abid; Muhammad, Yousaf Shad; Nauman Sajid, M; Hussain, Ijaz; Mohamd Shoukry, Alaa; Gani, Showkat

2017-01-01

Genetic algorithms are evolutionary techniques used for optimization purposes according to survival of the fittest idea. These methods do not ensure optimal solutions; however, they give good approximation usually in time. The genetic algorithms are useful for NP-hard problems, especially the traveling salesman problem. The genetic algorithm depends on selection criteria, crossover, and mutation operators. To tackle the traveling salesman problem using genetic algorithms, there are various representations such as binary, path, adjacency, ordinal, and matrix representations. In this article, we propose a new crossover operator for traveling salesman problem to minimize the total distance. This approach has been linked with path representation, which is the most natural way to represent a legal tour. Computational results are also reported with some traditional path representation methods like partially mapped and order crossovers along with new cycle crossover operator for some benchmark TSPLIB instances and found improvements.

Does the use of a brief cryotherapy intervention with analgesic administration improve pain management after total knee arthroplasty?

PubMed

Wittig-Wells, Deborah; Johnson, Ifeya; Samms-McPherson, Jacqueline; Thankachan, Soosan; Titus, Bobina; Jacob, Ani; Higgins, Melinda

2015-01-01

Prior studies have evaluated only the prolonged use of cryotherapy as a nonpharmacologic pain intervention. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a 30-minute application of cryotherapy at the time pain medication was given after a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) provided better pain relief than analgesic drugs alone. A pretest, posttest, randomized controlled trial study design with crossover was used to evaluate the effects of cryotherapy on postoperative pain and satisfaction with pain management. A convenience sample of postoperative knee replacement patients constituted participants in the study. Two sequential episodes of pain requiring analgesic administration were studied in each patient, one with a 30-minute cryotherapy application and the other without cryotherapy. Dependent variables were changes in pain (posttest minus pretest) and level of satisfaction with pain management. Data were analyzed with repeated-measures analysis of variance, with p < .05 considered significant. During two sequential treatments for postoperative pain, a total of 29 TKA patients received analgesic medication administration alone for one pain episode and analgesic medication administration with a brief cryotherapy administration for the other pain episode. No significant difference between the two treatments was found for changes in pain scores after the treatments or patient satisfaction with pain management (p > .05). The order in which the treatments were provided was found to be significant (p = .02) for scores on patient satisfaction with pain management, with cryotherapy as the treatment for the second pain episode having higher scores than when delivered for the first pain episode. Sixty minutes after analgesic administration with or without cryotherapy, average pain scores remained greater than 7. In TKA patients, the short-term application of cryotherapy with analgesic medication administration did not significantly decrease pain or improve patient satisfaction with pain management compared with analgesic medication administration only. Further study is necessary to determine whether short-term cryotherapy shortly after TKA is of benefit to pain relief and patient satisfaction.

Next-day residual effects of hypnotics in DSM-IV primary insomnia: a driving simulator study with simultaneous electroencephalogram monitoring.

PubMed

Staner, Luc; Ertlé, Stéphane; Boeijinga, Peter; Rinaudo, Gilbert; Arnal, Marie Agnès; Muzet, Alain; Luthringer, Rémy

2005-10-01

Most studies that investigated the next-day residual effects of hypnotic drugs on daytime driving performances were performed on healthy subjects and after a single drug administration. In the present study, we further examine whether the results of these studies could be generalised to insomniac patients and after repeated drug administration. Single and repeated (7 day) doses of zolpidem (10 mg), zopiclone (7.5 mg), lormetazepam (1 mg) or placebo were administered at bedtime in a crossover design to 23 patients (9 men and 14 women aged 38.8+/-2.0 years) with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) primary insomnia. Driving tests were performed 9-11 h post-dose. Results showed that treatment effects were evidenced for subjective sleep, for driving abilities, and for electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded before (resting EEG) and during the driving simulation test (driving EEG). Compared to placebo, zopiclone increased the number of collisions and lormetazepam increased deviation from speed limit and deviation from absolute speed, whereas zolpidem did not differentiate from placebo on these analyses. EEG recordings showed that in contrast to zolpidem, lormetazepam and zopiclone induced typical benzodiazepine-like alterations, suggesting that next-day poor driving performance could relate to a prolonged central nervous system effect of these two hypnotics. The present results corroborate studies on healthy volunteers showing that residual effects of hypnotics increase with their half-lives. The results further suggest that drugs preserving physiological EEG rhythms before and during the driving simulation test 9-11 h post-dose, such as zolpidem, do not influence next-day driving abilities.

Social Justice for Crossover Youth: The Intersection of the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems.

PubMed

Kolivoski, Karen M; Goodkind, Sara; Shook, Jeffrey J

2017-10-01

Social workers are critical to promoting racial and social justice. "Crossover youth," a term used to describe youths who have contact with both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, are an especially vulnerable but often overlooked population with whom social workers engage. A disproportionate number of crossover youth are African American. Empirical research on crossover youth is growing, but such scholarship rarely engages with a human rights and social justice perspective. African American children and youths have a distinct place within the history and current context of the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. These systems have historically excluded them or treated them differently; now, African American youths are overrepresented in each of them, and evidence suggests they are more likely to cross over. The purpose of this article is to describe the historical and current context of crossover youth, with a particular focus on African American youths, to provide the foundation for a discussion of what social workers can do to promote racial and social justice for crossover youth, including specific implications for practice and policy, as well as broader implications for human and civil rights. © 2017 National Association of Social Workers.

Six different roles for crossover inhibition in the retina: correcting the nonlinearities of synaptic transmission.

PubMed

Werblin, Frank S

2010-03-01

Early retinal studies categorized ganglion cell behavior as either linear or nonlinear and rectifying as represented by the familiar X- and Y-type ganglion cells in cat. Nonlinear behavior is in large part a consequence of the rectifying nonlinearities inherent in synaptic transmission. These nonlinear signals underlie many special functions in retinal processing, including motion detection, motion in motion, and local edge detection. But linear behavior is also required for some visual processing tasks. For these tasks, the inherently nonlinear signals are "linearized" by "crossover inhibition." Linearization utilizes a circuitry whereby nonlinear ON inhibition adds with nonlinear OFF excitation or ON excitation adds with OFF inhibition to generate a more linear postsynaptic voltage response. Crossover inhibition has now been measured in most bipolar, amacrine, and ganglion cells. Functionally crossover inhibition enhances edge detection, allows ganglion cells to recognize luminance-neutral patterns with their receptive fields, permits ganglion cells to distinguish contrast from luminance, and maintains a more constant conductance during the light response. In some cases, crossover extends the operating range of cone-driven OFF ganglion cells into the scotopic levels. Crossover inhibition is also found in neurons of the lateral geniculate nucleus and V1.

Zimmermann's forest formula, infrared divergences and the QCD beta function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herzog, Franz

2018-01-01

We review Zimmermann's forest formula, which solves Bogoliubov's recursive R-operation for the subtraction of ultraviolet divergences in perturbative Quantum Field Theory. We further discuss a generalisation of the R-operation which subtracts besides ultraviolet also Euclidean infrared divergences. This generalisation, which goes under the name of the R*-operation, can be used efficiently to compute renormalisation constants. We will discuss several results obtained by this method with focus on the QCD beta function at five loops as well as the application to hadronic Higgs boson decay rates at N4LO. This article summarizes a talk given at the Wolfhart Zimmermann Memorial Symposium.

Dynamic analyses, FPGA implementation and engineering applications of multi-butterfly chaotic attractors generated from generalised Sprott C system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Qiang; Zhao, Xiao-Wen; Rajagopal, Karthikeyan; Xu, Guanghui; Akgul, Akif; Guleryuz, Emre

2018-01-01

This paper considers the generation of multi-butterfly chaotic attractors from a generalised Sprott C system with multiple non-hyperbolic equilibria. The system is constructed by introducing an additional variable whose derivative has a switching function to the Sprott C system. It is numerically found that the system creates two-, three-, four-, five-butterfly attractors and any other multi-butterfly attractors. First, the dynamic analyses of multi-butterfly chaotic attractors are presented. Secondly, the field programmable gate array implementation, electronic circuit realisation and random number generator are done with the multi-butterfly chaotic attractors.

Competing role of interactions in synchronisation of exciton-polariton condensates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Saeed A.; Türeci, Hakan E.

2017-10-01

We present a theoretical study of synchronisation dynamics of incoherently pumped exciton-polariton condensates in coupled polariton traps. Our analysis is based on a coupled-mode theory for the generalised Gross-Pitaevskii equation, which employs an expansion in non-Hermitian, pump-dependent modes appropriate for the pumped geometry. We find that polariton-polariton and reservoir-polariton interactions play competing roles and lead to qualitatively different synchronised phases of the coupled polariton modes as pumping power is increased. Crucially, these interactions can also act against each other to hinder synchronisation. We map out a phase diagram and discuss the general characteristics of these phases using a generalised Adler equation.

Integrable discretisations for a class of nonlinear Schrödinger equations on Grassmann algebras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grahovski, Georgi G.; Mikhailov, Alexander V.

2013-12-01

Integrable discretisations for a class of coupled (super) nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) type of equations are presented. The class corresponds to a Lax operator with entries in a Grassmann algebra. Elementary Darboux transformations are constructed. As a result, Grassmann generalisations of the Toda lattice and the NLS dressing chain are obtained. The compatibility (Bianchi commutativity) of these Darboux transformations leads to integrable Grassmann generalisations of the difference Toda and NLS equations. The resulting systems will have discrete Lax representations provided by the set of two consistent elementary Darboux transformations. For the two discrete systems obtained, initial value and initial-boundary problems are formulated.

Learning to teach upper primary school algebra: changes to teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching functional thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkie, Karina J.

2016-06-01

A key aspect of learning algebra in the middle years of schooling is exploring the functional relationship between two variables: noticing and generalising the relationship, and expressing it mathematically. This article describes research on the professional learning of upper primary school teachers for developing their students' functional thinking through pattern generalisation. This aspect of algebra learning has been explicitly brought to the attention of upper primary teachers in the recently introduced Australian curriculum. Ten practising teachers participated over 1 year in a design-based research project involving a sequence of geometric pattern generalisation lessons with their classes. Initial and final survey responses and teachers' interactions in regular meetings and lessons were analysed from cognitive and situated perspectives on professional learning, using a theoretical model for the different types of knowledge needed for teaching mathematics. The teachers demonstrated an increase in certain aspects of their mathematical knowledge for teaching algebra as well as some residual issues. Implications for the professional learning of practising and pre-service teachers to develop their mathematics knowledge for teaching functional thinking, and challenges with operationalising knowledge categories for field-based research are presented.

Suboptimal liveness-enforcing supervisor design for a class of generalised Petri nets using partial siphon enumeration and mathematical programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Mi; Li, ZhiWu; Hu, HeSuan

2010-09-01

This article develops a deadlock prevention policy for a class of generalised Petri nets, which can well model a large class of flexible manufacturing systems. The analysis of such a system leads us to characterise the deadlock situations in terms of the insufficiently marked siphons in its generalised Petri-net model. The proposed policy is carried out in an iterative way. At each step a minimal siphon is derived from a maximal deadly marked siphon that is found by solving a mixed integer programming (MIP) problem. An algorithm is formalised that can efficiently compute such a minimal siphon from a maximal one. A monitor is added for a derived minimal siphon such that it is max-controlled if it is elementary with respect to the siphons that have been derived. The liveness of the controlled system is decided by the fact that no siphon can be derived due to the MIP solution. After a liveness-enforcing net supervisor computed without complete siphon enumeration, the output-arcs of the additional monitors are rearranged such that the monitors act while restricting the system less. Examples are presented to demonstrate the proposed method.

Summarisation of weighted networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Fang; Qu, Qiang; Toivonen, Hannu

2017-09-01

Networks often contain implicit structure. We introduce novel problems and methods that look for structure in networks, by grouping nodes into supernodes and edges to superedges, and then make this structure visible to the user in a smaller generalised network. This task of finding generalisations of nodes and edges is formulated as 'network Summarisation'. We propose models and algorithms for networks that have weights on edges, on nodes or on both, and study three new variants of the network summarisation problem. In edge-based weighted network summarisation, the summarised network should preserve edge weights as well as possible. A wider class of settings is considered in path-based weighted network summarisation, where the resulting summarised network should preserve longer range connectivities between nodes. Node-based weighted network summarisation in turn allows weights also on nodes and summarisation aims to preserve more information related to high weight nodes. We study theoretical properties of these problems and show them to be NP-hard. We propose a range of heuristic generalisation algorithms with different trade-offs between complexity and quality of the result. Comprehensive experiments on real data show that weighted networks can be summarised efficiently with relatively little error.

Collaborative care for panic disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and social phobia in general practice: study protocol for three cluster-randomised, superiority trials.

PubMed

Curth, Nadja Kehler; Brinck-Claussen, Ursula Ødum; Davidsen, Annette Sofie; Lau, Marianne Engelbrecht; Lundsteen, Merete; Mikkelsen, John Hagel; Csillag, Claudio; Hjorthøj, Carsten; Nordentoft, Merete; Eplov, Lene Falgaard

2017-08-16

People with anxiety disorders represent a significant part of a general practitioner's patient population. However, there are organisational obstacles for optimal treatment, such as a lack of coordination of illness management and limited access to evidence-based treatment such as cognitive behavioral therapy. A limited number of studies suggest that collaborative care has a positive effect on symptoms for people with anxiety disorders. However, most studies are carried out in the USA and none have reported results for social phobia or generalised anxiety disorder separately. Thus, there is a need for studies carried out in different settings for specific anxiety populations. A Danish model for collaborative care (the Collabri model) has been developed for people diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorders. The model is evaluated through four trials, of which three will be outlined in this protocol and focus on panic disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and social phobia. The aim is to investigate whether treatment according to the Collabri model has a better effect than usual treatment on symptoms when provided to people with anxiety disorders. Three cluster-randomised, clinical superiority trials are set up to investigate treatment according to the Collabri model for collaborative care compared to treatment-as-usual for 364 patients diagnosed with panic disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and social phobia, respectively (total n = 1092). Patients are recruited from general practices located in the Capital Region of Denmark. For all trials, the primary outcome is anxiety symptoms (Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)) 6 months after baseline. Secondary outcomes include BAI after 15 months, depression symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory) after 6 months, level of psychosocial functioning (Global Assessment of Functioning) and general psychological symptoms (Symptom Checklist-90-R) after 6 and 15 months. Results will add to the limited pool of information about collaborative care for patients with anxiety disorders. To our knowledge, these will be the first carried out in a Danish context and the first to report results for generalised anxiety and social phobia separately. If the trials show positive results, they could contribute to the improvement of future treatment of anxiety disorders. ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02678624 . Retrospectively registered 7 February 2016; last updated 15 August 2016.

Antiepileptic drug monotherapy for epilepsy: a network meta-analysis of individual participant data.

PubMed

Nevitt, Sarah J; Sudell, Maria; Weston, Jennifer; Tudur Smith, Catrin; Marson, Anthony G

2017-06-29

Epilepsy is a common neurological condition with a worldwide prevalence of around 1%. Approximately 60% to 70% of people with epilepsy will achieve a longer-term remission from seizures, and most achieve that remission shortly after starting antiepileptic drug treatment. Most people with epilepsy are treated with a single antiepileptic drug (monotherapy) and current guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom for adults and children recommend carbamazepine or lamotrigine as first-line treatment for partial onset seizures and sodium valproate for generalised onset seizures; however a range of other antiepileptic drug (AED) treatments are available, and evidence is needed regarding their comparative effectiveness in order to inform treatment choices. To compare the time to withdrawal of allocated treatment, remission and first seizure of 10 AEDs (carbamazepine, phenytoin, sodium valproate, phenobarbitone, oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine, gabapentin, topiramate, levetiracetam, zonisamide) currently used as monotherapy in children and adults with partial onset seizures (simple partial, complex partial or secondary generalised) or generalised tonic-clonic seizures with or without other generalised seizure types (absence, myoclonus). We searched the following databases: Cochrane Epilepsy's Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE and SCOPUS, and two clinical trials registers. We handsearched relevant journals and contacted pharmaceutical companies, original trial investigators, and experts in the field. The date of the most recent search was 27 July 2016. We included randomised controlled trials of a monotherapy design in adults or children with partial onset seizures or generalised onset tonic-clonic seizures (with or without other generalised seizure types). This was an individual participant data (IPD) review and network meta-analysis. Our primary outcome was 'time to withdrawal of allocated treatment', and our secondary outcomes were 'time to achieve 12-month remission', 'time to achieve six-month remission', 'time to first seizure post-randomisation', and 'occurrence of adverse events'. We presented all time-to-event outcomes as Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We performed pairwise meta-analysis of head-to-head comparisons between drugs within trials to obtain 'direct' treatment effect estimates and we performed frequentist network meta-analysis to combine direct evidence with indirect evidence across the treatment network of 10 drugs. We investigated inconsistency between direct estimates and network meta-analysis via node splitting. Due to variability in methods and detail of reporting adverse events, we have not performed an analysis. We have provided a narrative summary of the most commonly reported adverse events. IPD was provided for at least one outcome of this review for 12,391 out of a total of 17,961 eligible participants (69% of total data) from 36 out of the 77 eligible trials (47% of total trials). We could not include IPD from the remaining 41 trials in analysis for a variety of reasons, such as being unable to contact an author or sponsor to request data, data being lost or no longer available, cost and resources required to prepare data being prohibitive, or local authority or country-specific restrictions.We were able to calculate direct treatment effect estimates for between half and two thirds of comparisons across the outcomes of the review, however for many of the comparisons, data were contributed by only a single trial or by a small number of participants, so confidence intervals of estimates were wide.Network meta-analysis showed that for the primary outcome 'Time to withdrawal of allocated treatment,' for individuals with partial seizures; levetiracetam performed (statistically) significantly better than both current first-line treatments carbamazepine and lamotrigine; lamotrigine performed better than all other treatments (aside from levetiracetam), and carbamazepine performed significantly better than gabapentin and phenobarbitone (high-quality evidence). For individuals with generalised onset seizures, first-line treatment sodium valproate performed significantly better than carbamazepine, topiramate and phenobarbitone (moderate- to high-quality evidence). Furthermore, for both partial and generalised onset seizures, the earliest licenced treatment, phenobarbitone seems to perform worse than all other treatments (moderate- to high-quality evidence).Network meta-analysis also showed that for secondary outcomes 'Time to 12-month remission of seizures' and 'Time to six-month remission of seizures,' few notable differences were shown for either partial or generalised seizure types (moderate- to high-quality evidence). For secondary outcome 'Time to first seizure,' for individuals with partial seizures; phenobarbitone performed significantly better than both current first-line treatments carbamazepine and lamotrigine; carbamazepine performed significantly better than sodium valproate, gabapentin and lamotrigine. Phenytoin also performed significantly better than lamotrigine (high-quality evidence). In general, the earliest licenced treatments (phenytoin and phenobarbitone) performed better than the other treatments for both seizure types (moderate- to high-quality evidence).Generally, direct evidence and network meta-analysis estimates (direct plus indirect evidence) were numerically similar and consistent with confidence intervals of effect sizes overlapping.The most commonly reported adverse events across all drugs were drowsiness/fatigue, headache or migraine, gastrointestinal disturbances, dizziness/faintness and rash or skin disorders. Overall, the high-quality evidence provided by this review supports current guidance (e.g. NICE) that carbamazepine and lamotrigine are suitable first-line treatments for individuals with partial onset seizures and also demonstrates that levetiracetam may be a suitable alternative. High-quality evidence from this review also supports the use of sodium valproate as the first-line treatment for individuals with generalised tonic-clonic seizures (with or without other generalised seizure types) and also demonstrates that lamotrigine and levetiracetam would be suitable alternatives to either of these first-line treatments, particularly for those of childbearing potential, for whom sodium valproate may not be an appropriate treatment option due to teratogenicity.

Antiepileptic drug monotherapy for epilepsy: a network meta-analysis of individual participant data.

PubMed

Nevitt, Sarah J; Sudell, Maria; Weston, Jennifer; Tudur Smith, Catrin; Marson, Anthony G

2017-12-15

Epilepsy is a common neurological condition with a worldwide prevalence of around 1%. Approximately 60% to 70% of people with epilepsy will achieve a longer-term remission from seizures, and most achieve that remission shortly after starting antiepileptic drug treatment. Most people with epilepsy are treated with a single antiepileptic drug (monotherapy) and current guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom for adults and children recommend carbamazepine or lamotrigine as first-line treatment for partial onset seizures and sodium valproate for generalised onset seizures; however a range of other antiepileptic drug (AED) treatments are available, and evidence is needed regarding their comparative effectiveness in order to inform treatment choices. To compare the time to withdrawal of allocated treatment, remission and first seizure of 10 AEDs (carbamazepine, phenytoin, sodium valproate, phenobarbitone, oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine, gabapentin, topiramate, levetiracetam, zonisamide) currently used as monotherapy in children and adults with partial onset seizures (simple partial, complex partial or secondary generalised) or generalised tonic-clonic seizures with or without other generalised seizure types (absence, myoclonus). We searched the following databases: Cochrane Epilepsy's Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE and SCOPUS, and two clinical trials registers. We handsearched relevant journals and contacted pharmaceutical companies, original trial investigators, and experts in the field. The date of the most recent search was 27 July 2016. We included randomised controlled trials of a monotherapy design in adults or children with partial onset seizures or generalised onset tonic-clonic seizures (with or without other generalised seizure types). This was an individual participant data (IPD) review and network meta-analysis. Our primary outcome was 'time to withdrawal of allocated treatment', and our secondary outcomes were 'time to achieve 12-month remission', 'time to achieve six-month remission', 'time to first seizure post-randomisation', and 'occurrence of adverse events'. We presented all time-to-event outcomes as Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We performed pairwise meta-analysis of head-to-head comparisons between drugs within trials to obtain 'direct' treatment effect estimates and we performed frequentist network meta-analysis to combine direct evidence with indirect evidence across the treatment network of 10 drugs. We investigated inconsistency between direct estimates and network meta-analysis via node splitting. Due to variability in methods and detail of reporting adverse events, we have not performed an analysis. We have provided a narrative summary of the most commonly reported adverse events. IPD was provided for at least one outcome of this review for 12,391 out of a total of 17,961 eligible participants (69% of total data) from 36 out of the 77 eligible trials (47% of total trials). We could not include IPD from the remaining 41 trials in analysis for a variety of reasons, such as being unable to contact an author or sponsor to request data, data being lost or no longer available, cost and resources required to prepare data being prohibitive, or local authority or country-specific restrictions.We were able to calculate direct treatment effect estimates for between half and two thirds of comparisons across the outcomes of the review, however for many of the comparisons, data were contributed by only a single trial or by a small number of participants, so confidence intervals of estimates were wide.Network meta-analysis showed that for the primary outcome 'Time to withdrawal of allocated treatment,' for individuals with partial seizures; levetiracetam performed (statistically) significantly better than current first-line treatment carbamazepine and other current first-line treatment lamotrigine performed better than all other treatments (aside from levetiracetam); carbamazepine performed significantly better than gabapentin and phenobarbitone (high-quality evidence). For individuals with generalised onset seizures, first-line treatment sodium valproate performed significantly better than carbamazepine, topiramate and phenobarbitone (moderate- to high-quality evidence). Furthermore, for both partial and generalised onset seizures, the earliest licenced treatment, phenobarbitone seems to perform worse than all other treatments (moderate- to high-quality evidence).Network meta-analysis also showed that for secondary outcomes 'Time to 12-month remission of seizures' and 'Time to six-month remission of seizures,' few notable differences were shown for either partial or generalised seizure types (moderate- to high-quality evidence). For secondary outcome 'Time to first seizure,' for individuals with partial seizures; phenobarbitone performed significantly better than both current first-line treatments carbamazepine and lamotrigine; carbamazepine performed significantly better than sodium valproate, gabapentin and lamotrigine. Phenytoin also performed significantly better than lamotrigine (high-quality evidence). In general, the earliest licenced treatments (phenytoin and phenobarbitone) performed better than the other treatments for both seizure types (moderate- to high-quality evidence).Generally, direct evidence and network meta-analysis estimates (direct plus indirect evidence) were numerically similar and consistent with confidence intervals of effect sizes overlapping.The most commonly reported adverse events across all drugs were drowsiness/fatigue, headache or migraine, gastrointestinal disturbances, dizziness/faintness and rash or skin disorders. Overall, the high-quality evidence provided by this review supports current guidance (e.g. NICE) that carbamazepine and lamotrigine are suitable first-line treatments for individuals with partial onset seizures and also demonstrates that levetiracetam may be a suitable alternative. High-quality evidence from this review also supports the use of sodium valproate as the first-line treatment for individuals with generalised tonic-clonic seizures (with or without other generalised seizure types) and also demonstrates that lamotrigine and levetiracetam would be suitable alternatives to either of these first-line treatments, particularly for those of childbearing potential, for whom sodium valproate may not be an appropriate treatment option due to teratogenicity.

Evaluating Letrozole and Tamoxifen Alone and in Sequence for Postmenopausal Women with Steroid Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer: the BIG 1-98 Randomized Clinical Trial at 8.1 years Median Follow-Up

PubMed Central

Regan, Meredith M.; Neven, Patrick; Giobbie-Hurder, Anita; Goldhirsch, Aron; Ejlertsen, Bent; Mauriac, Louis; Forbes, John F.; Smith, Ian; Láng, István; Wardley, Andrew; Rabaglio, Manuela; Price, Karen N.; Gelber, Richard D.; Coates, Alan S.; Thürlimann, Beat

2011-01-01

Background Postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer have persistent, long-term risk of breast cancer recurrence and death. Therefore, trials evaluating endocrine therapies for this patient population require extended follow-up. We present an update of efficacy outcomes in the Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98 study at 8.1 years median follow-up. Methods BIG 1-98 is a randomized, phase III, double-blind trial of 8010 postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer that compares five years of tamoxifen or letrozole monotherapy or sequential treatment with two years of one of these agents followed by three years of the other. The primary efficacy endpoint is disease-free survival (DFS: events comprise invasive breast cancer relapse, second primaries [contralateral breast and non-breast], or death without prior cancer event), and secondary endpoints are overall survival (OS), distant recurrence-free interval (DRFI) and breast cancer-free interval (BCFI). The monotherapy comparison includes patients randomized to tamoxifen × 5 years (n=2459) or letrozole × 5 years (n=2463). In 2005, after significant DFS benefit was reported for letrozole as compared with tamoxifen, a protocol amendment facilitated the crossover to letrozole of patients who were still receiving tamoxifen alone; Cox models and Kaplan-Meier estimates with inverse probability of censoring weighting (IPCW) are used to account for selective crossover to letrozole of 619 patients in the tamoxifen arm. The comparison of sequential treatments to letrozole monotherapy includes patients enrolled in the four-arm option of the trial and randomized to letrozole × 5 years (n=1546), letrozole × 2 years followed by tamoxifen × 3 years (n=1540), or tamoxifen × 2 years followed by letrozole × 3 years (n=1548). All patients have completed study treatment; follow up is continuing for those enrolled in the four-arm option. BIG 1-98 is registered at clinicaltrials.gov NCT00004205. Findings At a median follow-up of 8.7 years from randomization (range 0–12.4), letrozole monotherapy is significantly better than tamoxifen, whether using IPCW or intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis [IPCW: DFS HR 0.82 (95% CI 0.74–0.92), OS HR 0.79 (0.69–0.900, DRFI HR 0.79 (0.68–0.92), BCFI HR 0.80 (0.70–0.92); ITT: DFS HR 0.86 (0.78–0.96), OS HR 0.87 (0.77–0.999), DRFI HR 0.86 (0.74–0.998), BCFI HR 0.86 (0.76–0.98)]. At a median follow-up of 8.0 years from randomization (range 0–11.2), there were no statistically significant differences in any of the four endpoints for either sequence compared with letrozole monotherapy. Eight-year ITT estimates [each with SE ≤ 1.1%] for letrozole monotherapy, letrozole followed by tamoxifen, and tamoxifen followed by letrozole were 78.6%, 77.8%, 77.3% for DFS; 87.5%, 87.7%, 85.9% for OS; 89.9%, 88.7%, 88.1% for DRFI; and 86.1%, 85.3%, 84.3% for BCFI. Interpretation For postmenopausal women with endocrine-responsive early breast cancer, a reduction in breast cancer recurrence and mortality is obtained by letrozole monotherapy when compared to tamoxifen. Sequential treatments involving tamoxifen and letrozole do not improve outcome compared with letrozole monotherapy, but may represent useful strategies considering individual patient’s risk of recurrence and treatment tolerability: more thromboembolic events, vaginal bleeding, hot flushes and night sweats with tamoxifen, while more vaginal dryness, bone fractures, osteoporosis, arthralgia/myalgia, and higher grade cardiac events with letrozole. Funding Novartis, United States National Cancer Institute, International Breast Cancer Study Group. PMID:22018631

Progress in Developing a New Field-theoretical Crossover Equation-of-State

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rudnick, Joseph; Barmatz, M.; Zhong, Fang

2003-01-01

A new field-theoretical crossover equation-of-state model is being developed. This model of a liquid-gas critical point provides a bridge between the asymptotic equation-of-state behavior close to the transition, obtained by the Guida and Zinn-Justin parametric model [J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 31, 8103 (1998)], and the expected mean field behavior farther away. The crossover is based on the beta function for the renormalized fourth-order coupling constant and incorporates the correct crossover exponents and critical amplitude ratios in both regimes. A crossover model is now being developed that is consistent with predictions along the critical isochore and along the coexistence curve of the minimal subtraction renormalization approach developed by Dohm and co-workers and recently applied to the O(1) universality class [Phys. Rev. E, 67, 021106 (2003)]. Experimental measurements of the heat capacity at constant volume, isothermal susceptibility, and coexistence curve near the He-3 critical point are being compared to the predictions of this model. The results of these comparisons will be presented.

No correlation between germline mutation at repeat DNA and meiotic crossover in male mice exposed to X-rays or cisplatin.

PubMed

Barber, R; Plumb, M; Smith, A G; Cesar, C E; Boulton, E; Jeffreys, A J; Dubrova, Y E

2000-12-20

To test the hypothesis that mouse germline expanded simple tandem repeat (ESTR) mutations are associated with recombination events during spermatogenesis, crossover frequencies were compared with germline mutation rates at ESTR loci in male mice acutely exposed to 1Gy of X-rays or to 10mg/kg of the anticancer drug cisplatin. Ionising radiation resulted in a highly significant 2.7-3.6-fold increase in ESTR mutation rate in males mated 4, 5 and 6 weeks after exposure, but not 3 weeks after exposure. In contrast, irradiation had no effect on meiotic crossover frequencies assayed on six chromosomes using 25 polymorphic microsatellite loci spaced at approximately 20cM intervals and covering 421cM of the mouse genome. Paternal exposure to cisplatin did not affect either ESTR mutation rates or crossover frequencies, despite a report that cisplatin can increase crossover frequency in mice. Correlation analysis did not reveal any associations between the paternal ESTR mutation rate and crossover frequency in unexposed males and in those exposed to X-rays or cisplatin. This study does not, therefore, support the hypothesis that mutation induction at mouse ESTR loci results from a general genome-wide increase in meiotic recombination rate.

Experimental evolution of recombination and crossover interference in Drosophila caused by directional selection for stress-related traits.

PubMed

Aggarwal, Dau Dayal; Rashkovetsky, Eugenia; Michalak, Pawel; Cohen, Irit; Ronin, Yefim; Zhou, Dan; Haddad, Gabriel G; Korol, Abraham B

2015-11-27

Population genetics predicts that tight linkage between new and/or pre-existing beneficial and deleterious alleles should decrease the efficiency of natural selection in finite populations. By decoupling beneficial and deleterious alleles and facilitating the combination of beneficial alleles, recombination accelerates the formation of high-fitness genotypes. This may impose indirect selection for increased recombination. Despite the progress in theoretical understanding, interplay between recombination and selection remains a controversial issue in evolutionary biology. Even less satisfactory is the situation with crossover interference, which is a deviation of double-crossover frequency in a pair of adjacent intervals from the product of recombination rates in the two intervals expected on the assumption of crossover independence. Here, we report substantial changes in recombination and interference in three long-term directional selection experiments with Drosophila melanogaster: for desiccation (~50 generations), hypoxia, and hyperoxia tolerance (>200 generations each). For all three experiments, we found a high interval-specific increase of recombination frequencies in selection lines (up to 40-50% per interval) compared to the control lines. We also discovered a profound effect of selection on interference as expressed by an increased frequency of double crossovers in selection lines. Our results show that changes in interference are not necessarily coupled with increased recombination. Our results support the theoretical predictions that adaptation to a new environment can promote evolution toward higher recombination. Moreover, this is the first evidence of selection for different recombination-unrelated traits potentially leading, not only to evolution toward increased crossover rates, but also to changes in crossover interference, one of the fundamental features of recombination.

Identification of DSB-1, a Protein Required for Initiation of Meiotic Recombination in Caenorhabditis elegans, Illuminates a Crossover Assurance Checkpoint

PubMed Central

Stamper, Ericca L.; Rodenbusch, Stacia E.; Rosu, Simona; Ahringer, Julie; Villeneuve, Anne M.; Dernburg, Abby F.

2013-01-01

Meiotic recombination, an essential aspect of sexual reproduction, is initiated by programmed DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). DSBs are catalyzed by the widely-conserved Spo11 enzyme; however, the activity of Spo11 is regulated by additional factors that are poorly conserved through evolution. To expand our understanding of meiotic regulation, we have characterized a novel gene, dsb-1, that is specifically required for meiotic DSB formation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. DSB-1 localizes to chromosomes during early meiotic prophase, coincident with the timing of DSB formation. DSB-1 also promotes normal protein levels and chromosome localization of DSB-2, a paralogous protein that plays a related role in initiating recombination. Mutations that disrupt crossover formation result in prolonged DSB-1 association with chromosomes, suggesting that nuclei may remain in a DSB-permissive state. Extended DSB-1 localization is seen even in mutants with defects in early recombination steps, including spo-11, suggesting that the absence of crossover precursors triggers the extension. Strikingly, failure to form a crossover precursor on a single chromosome pair is sufficient to extend the localization of DSB-1 on all chromosomes in the same nucleus. Based on these observations we propose a model for crossover assurance that acts through DSB-1 to maintain a DSB-permissive state until all chromosome pairs acquire crossover precursors. This work identifies a novel component of the DSB machinery in C. elegans, and sheds light on an important pathway that regulates DSB formation for crossover assurance. PMID:23990794

Crossover from capillary fingering to viscous fingering in a rough fracture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, R.; Chen, Y.; Wu, D. S.

2017-12-01

Controlled by the competition between capillary and viscous forces, the displacement patterns of one fluid displacing another more viscous one exhibit capillary fingering, viscous fingering, and the crossover between the two. Although extensive studies have investigated viscous and capillary fingerings in porous and fractured media, a few studies focused on the crossover in rough fractures, and how viscous and capillary forces affect the crossover remains unclear. Using a transparent fracture visualization system, we studied how the competition impacts the crossover in a horizontal rough fracture. Drainage experiments of water displacing oil were conducted at seven flow rates (capillary number log10Ca ranging from -7.07 to -3.07) and four viscosity ratios (M = 1/1000, 1/500, 1/100 and 1/50). We consistently observed lower invading fluid saturations in the crossover zone. In addition, we proposed a phase diagram for the displacement patterns in a rough fracture that is consistent with similar studies in porous media. Based on real-time imaging and statistical analysis of the invasion morphology, we showed that the competition between the capillary and viscous forces is responsible for the saturation reduction in the crossover zone. In this zone, finger propagation toward the outlet (characteristic of viscous fingering) as well as void-filling in the transverse and backward directions (characteristic of capillary fingering), are both suppressed. Therefore, the invading fluid tends to occupy larger apertures with higher characteristic front velocity, promoting void-filling toward the outlet with thinner finger growth and resulting in a larger volume of defending fluid left behind.

Impact of treatment crossovers on clinical outcomes in the rate and rhythm control strategies for atrial fibrillation: Insights from the AFFIRM (Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management) trial.

PubMed

Maan, Abhishek; Zhang, Zheng; Qin, Ziling; Wang, Yanbing; Dudley, Samuel; Dabhadakar, Kaustubh; Refaat, Marwan; Mansour, Moussa; Ruskin, Jeremy N; Heist, E Kevin

2017-07-01

We investigated the rates and reasons for crossover to alternative treatment strategies and its impact on mortality in patients who were enrolled in the Atrial Fibrillation Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM) trial. Over a mean follow-up period of 3.5 years, 842 patients underwent crossover to the alternative treatment arms in AFFIRM. The rate of crossover from rhythm to rate control (594/2,033, 29.2%) was more frequent than the rate of crossover from rate to rhythm control (248/2,027, 12.2%, P < 0.0001). The leading reasons for crossover from rhythm to rate control were failure to achieve or maintain sinus rhythm (272/594, 45.8%) and intolerable adverse effects (122/594, 20.5%). In comparison, the major reasons for crossover from rate to rhythm control were failure to control atrial fibrillation symptoms (159/248, 64.1%) and intolerable adverse effects (9/248, 3.6%). This difference in crossover pattern was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). There was a significantly decreased risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.48-0.78, P < 0.0001) and cardiac mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43-0.88, P = 0.008) in the subgroup of patients who crossed over from rhythm to rate control as compared to those who continued in rhythm control. There was a nonsignificant trend toward decreased all-cause (adjusted HR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.53-1.10, P = 0.14) and cardiac mortality (adjusted HR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.42-1.18, P = 0.18) in patients who crossed over from rate to rhythm control as compared to those who continued rate control. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

On the Crossover from Classical to Fermi Liquid Behavior in Dense Plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daligault, Jerome

2017-10-01

We explore the crossover from classical plasma to quantum Fermi liquid behavior of electrons in dense plasmas. To this end, we analyze the evolution with density and temperature of the momentum lifetime of a test electron introduced in a dense electron gas. This allows us 1) to determine the boundaries of the crossover region in the temperature-density plane and to shed light on the evolution of scattering properties across it, 2) to quantify the role of the fermionic nature of electrons on electronic collisions across the crossover region, and 3) to explain how the concept of Coulomb logarithm emerges at high enough temperature but disappears at low enough temperature. Work supported by LDRD Grant No. 20170490ER.

Centronuclear myopathy in a Border collie dog.

PubMed

Eminaga, S; Cherubini, G B; Shelton, G D

2012-10-01

A two-year old, male entire Border collie was presented with a one-year history of exercise-induced collapsing on the pelvic limbs. Physical examination revealed generalised muscle atrophy. Neurological examination supported a generalised neuromuscular disorder. Electromyography revealed spontaneous electrical activity in almost all muscles. Unfixed and formaldehyde-fixed biopsy samples were collected from the triceps brachii, longissimus and vastus lateralis muscles. Histopathological, histochemical and ultrastructural examinations of biopsy specimens were consistent with either centronuclear or myotubular myopathy. The dog clinically improved with supportive treatment with L-carnitine, co-enzyme Q10 and vitamin B compound. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of centronuclear/myotubular myopathy in a Border collie. © 2012 British Small Animal Veterinary Association.

From Bethe–Salpeter Wave functions to Generalised Parton Distributions

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

Mezrag, C.; Moutarde, H.; Rodríguez-Quintero, J.

2016-06-06

We review recent works on the modelling of Generalised Parton Distributions within the Dyson-Schwinger formalism. We highlight how covariant computations, using the impulse approximation, allows one to fulfil most of the theoretical constraints of the GPDs. A specific attention is brought to chiral properties and especially the so-called soft pion theorem, and its link with the Axial-Vector Ward-Takahashi identity. The limitation of the impulse approximation are also explained. Beyond impulse approximation computations are reviewed in the forward case. Finally, we stress the advantages of the overlap of lightcone wave functions, and possible ways to construct covariant GPD models within thismore » framework, in a two-body approximation« less

Generalisation of the identity method for determination of high-order moments of multiplicity distributions with a software implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maćkowiak-Pawłowska, Maja; Przybyła, Piotr

2018-05-01

The incomplete particle identification limits the experimentally-available phase space region for identified particle analysis. This problem affects ongoing fluctuation and correlation studies including the search for the critical point of strongly interacting matter performed on SPS and RHIC accelerators. In this paper we provide a procedure to obtain nth order moments of the multiplicity distribution using the identity method, generalising previously published solutions for n=2 and n=3. Moreover, we present an open source software implementation of this computation, called Idhim, that allows one to obtain the true moments of identified particle multiplicity distributions from the measured ones provided the response function of the detector is known.

Investigation of Sustained Detonation Devices: the Pulse Detonation Engine-Crossover System and the Rotating Detonation Engine System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Driscoll, Robert B.

An experimental study is conducted on a Pulse Detonation Engine-Crossover System to investigate the feasibility of repeated, shock-initiated combustion and characterize the initiation performance. A PDE-crossover system can decrease deflagration-to-detonation transition length while employing a single spark source to initiate a multi-PDE system. Visualization of a transferred shock wave propagating through a clear channel reveals a complex shock train behind the leading shock. Shock wave Mach number and decay rate remains constant for varying crossover tube geometries and operational frequencies. A temperature gradient forms within the crossover tube due to forward flow of high temperature ionized gas into the crossover tube from the driver PDE and backward flow of ionized gas into the crossover tube from the driven PDE, which can cause intermittent auto-ignition of the driver PDE. Initiation performance in the driven PDE is strongly dependent on initial driven PDE skin temperature in the shock wave reflection region. An array of detonation tubes connected with crossover tubes is developed using optimized parameters and successful operation utilizing shock-initiated combustion through shock wave reflection is achieved and sustained. Finally, an air-breathing, PDE-Crossover System is developed to characterize the feasibility of shock-initiated combustion within an air-breathing pulse detonation engine. The initiation effectiveness of shock-initiated combustion is compared to spark discharge and detonation injection through a pre-detonator. In all cases, shock-initiated combustion produces improved initiation performance over spark discharge and comparable detonation transition run-up lengths relative to pre-detonator initiation. A computational study characterizes the mixing processes and injection flow field within a rotating detonation engine. Injection parameters including reactant flow rate, reactant injection area, placement of the fuel injection, and fuel injection distribution are varied to assess the impact on mixing. Decreasing reactant injection areas improves fuel penetration into the cross-flowing air stream, enhances turbulent diffusion of the fuel within the annulus, and increases local equivalence ratio and fluid mixedness. Staggering fuel injection holes produces a decrease in mixing when compared to collinear fuel injection. Finally, emulating nozzle integration by increasing annulus back-pressure increases local equivalence ratio in the injection region due to increased convection residence time.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) affects the initial response to intravenous glucose: a randomised placebo-controlled cross-over study in healthy men.

PubMed

Heinisch, B B; Vila, G; Resl, M; Riedl, M; Dieplinger, B; Mueller, T; Luger, A; Pacini, G; Clodi, M

2012-05-01

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a hormone released from cardiomyocytes in response to cell stretching and elevated in heart failure. Recent observations indicate a distinct connection between chronic heart failure and diabetes mellitus. This study investigated the role of BNP on glucose metabolism. Ten healthy volunteers (25 ± 1 years; BMI 23 ± 1 kg/m(2); fasting glucose 4.6 ± 0.1 mmol/l) were recruited to a participant-blinded investigator-open placebo-controlled cross-over study, performed at a university medical centre. They were randomly assigned (sequentially numbered opaque sealed envelopes) to receive either placebo or 3 pmol kg(-1) min(-1) BNP-32 intravenously during 4 h on study day 1 or 2. One hour after beginning the BNP/placebo infusion, a 3 h intravenous glucose tolerance test (0.33 g/kg glucose + 0.03 U/kg insulin at 20 min) was performed. Plasma glucose, insulin and C-peptide were frequently measured. Ten volunteers per group were analysed. BNP increased the initial glucose distribution volume (13 ± 1% body weight vs 11 ± 1%, p < 0.002), leading to an overall reduction in glucose concentration (p < 0.001), particularly during the initial 20 min of the test (p = 0.001), accompanied by a reduction in the initial C-peptide levels (1.42 ± 0.13 vs 1.62 ± 0.10 nmol/l, p = 0.015). BNP had no impact on beta cell function, insulin clearance or insulin sensitivity and induced no adverse effects. Intravenous administration of BNP increases glucose initial distribution volume and lowers plasma glucose concentrations following a glucose load, without affecting beta cell function or insulin sensitivity. These data support the theory that BNP has no diabetogenic properties, but improves metabolic status in men, and suggest new questions regarding BNP-induced differences in glucose availability and signalling in various organs/tissues. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01324739 The study was funded by Jubilée Fonds of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB-Fonds).

Impact of equol-producing capacity and soy-isoflavone profiles of supplements on bone calcium retention in postmenopausal women: a randomized crossover trial12

PubMed Central

Pawlowski, Jessica W; Martin, Berdine R; McCabe, George P; McCabe, Linda; Jackson, George S; Peacock, Munro; Barnes, Stephen; Weaver, Connie M

2015-01-01

Background: Postmenopausal estrogen depletion is a major contributing factor to bone loss. Soy isoflavones have variable effects on the prevention of postmenopausal bone loss, which is possibly related to the specific isoflavone content or the variable equol-producing capacity of individuals. Objective: We aimed to determine the effects of the content of isoflavones in a soy supplement and the equol-producing ability of the individual on postmenopausal bone calcium retention. Design: The study was a blinded, randomized, crossover intervention trial in 24 postmenopausal women who were prescreened for their ability to convert daidzein to equol. Women were equilibrated with 41Ca before the intervention. Interventions were 5 soy isoflavone oral supplements (2 doses of a genistein-rich soy supplement and 3 doses of mixed isoflavones in various proportions) and a bisphosphonate (risedronate). Each intervention was given sequentially for 50 d followed by a 50-d washout period. The percentage of bone calcium retention was determined from the change in urinary 41Ca:calcium. Results: Interventions that ranged from 52 to 220 mg total isoflavones/d increased bone calcium retention between 3.4% and 7.6% (P < 0.05), which was a moderate effect compared with that of risedronate at 15.3% (95% CI: 7.1%, 22.7%; P = 0.0014). The most-effective soy intervention delivered 105.23 mg total isoflavones/d as genistein, daidzein, and glycitein in their natural ratios and increased bone calcium retention by 7.6% (95% CI: 4.9%, 10.2%; P < 0.0001). Genistein, at 52.85 mg/d, increased bone calcium retention by 3.4% (95% CI: 0.5%, 6.2%; P = 0.029); but there was no benefit at higher amounts (113.52 mg/d). There was no difference (P = 0.5) in bone calcium retention between equol producers and nonproducers. Conclusion: Soy isoflavones, although not as potent as risedronate, are effective bone-preserving agents in postmenopausal women regardless of their equol-producing status, and mixed isoflavones in their natural ratios are more effective than enriched genistein. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00244907. PMID:26245807

A practical Bayesian stepped wedge design for community-based cluster-randomized clinical trials: The British Columbia Telehealth Trial.

PubMed

Cunanan, Kristen M; Carlin, Bradley P; Peterson, Kevin A

2016-12-01

Many clinical trial designs are impractical for community-based clinical intervention trials. Stepped wedge trial designs provide practical advantages, but few descriptions exist of their clinical implementational features, statistical design efficiencies, and limitations. Enhance efficiency of stepped wedge trial designs by evaluating the impact of design characteristics on statistical power for the British Columbia Telehealth Trial. The British Columbia Telehealth Trial is a community-based, cluster-randomized, controlled clinical trial in rural and urban British Columbia. To determine the effect of an Internet-based telehealth intervention on healthcare utilization, 1000 subjects with an existing diagnosis of congestive heart failure or type 2 diabetes will be enrolled from 50 clinical practices. Hospital utilization is measured using a composite of disease-specific hospital admissions and emergency visits. The intervention comprises online telehealth data collection and counseling provided to support a disease-specific action plan developed by the primary care provider. The planned intervention is sequentially introduced across all participating practices. We adopt a fully Bayesian, Markov chain Monte Carlo-driven statistical approach, wherein we use simulation to determine the effect of cluster size, sample size, and crossover interval choice on type I error and power to evaluate differences in hospital utilization. For our Bayesian stepped wedge trial design, simulations suggest moderate decreases in power when crossover intervals from control to intervention are reduced from every 3 to 2 weeks, and dramatic decreases in power as the numbers of clusters decrease. Power and type I error performance were not notably affected by the addition of nonzero cluster effects or a temporal trend in hospitalization intensity. Stepped wedge trial designs that intervene in small clusters across longer periods can provide enhanced power to evaluate comparative effectiveness, while offering practical implementation advantages in geographic stratification, temporal change, use of existing data, and resource distribution. Current population estimates were used; however, models may not reflect actual event rates during the trial. In addition, temporal or spatial heterogeneity can bias treatment effect estimates. © The Author(s) 2016.

Visualizing and quantifying the crossover from capillary fingering to viscous fingering in a rough fracture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yi-Feng; Fang, Shu; Wu, Dong-Sheng; Hu, Ran

2017-09-01

Immiscible fluid-fluid displacement in permeable media is important in many subsurface processes, including enhanced oil recovery and geological CO2 sequestration. Controlled by capillary and viscous forces, displacement patterns of one fluid displacing another more viscous one exhibit capillary and viscous fingering, and crossover between the two. Although extensive studies investigated viscous and capillary fingering in porous media, a few studies focused on the crossover in rough fractures, and how viscous and capillary forces affect the crossover remains unclear. Using a transparent fracture-visualization system, we studied how the two forces impact the crossover in a horizontal rough fracture. Drainage experiments of water displacing oil were conducted at seven flow rates (capillary number log10Ca ranging from -7.07 to -3.07) and four viscosity ratios (M=1/1000,1/500,1/100 and 1/50). We consistently observed lower invading fluid saturations in the crossover zone. We also proposed a phase diagram for the displacement patterns in a rough fracture that is consistent with similar studies in porous media. Based on real-time imaging and statistical analysis of the invasion morphology, we showed that the competition between capillary and viscous forces is responsible for the saturation reduction in the crossover zone. In this zone, finger propagation toward the outlet (characteristic of viscous fingering) as well as void-filling in the transverse/backward directions (characteristic of capillary fingering), are both suppressed. Therefore, the invading fluid tends to occupy larger apertures with higher characteristic front velocity, promoting void-filling toward the outlet with thinner finger growth and resulting in a larger volume of defending fluid left behind.

Spin crossover in ferropericlase and velocity heterogeneities in the lower mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Z.; Wentzcovitch, R. M.

2014-12-01

Ferropericlase (Fp) is believed to be the second most abundant phase in the lower mantle. Since the discovery of the high spin (HS) to low spin (LS) crossover in iron in Fp [1], this phenomenon has been investigated extensively experimentally and theoretically. This is a broad and smooth crossover that takes place throughout most of the lower mantle and does not produce an obvious signature in radial velocity or density profiles [2]. Therefore, the spin transition has been generally considered to be invisible to seismic waves. This study, however, shows that it can produce a peculiar effect on lateral velocity heterogeneities at certain depths[3]. Deciphering the origin of seismic velocity heterogeneities in the mantle is crucial to understanding internal structures and processes at work in the Earth. The spin crossover in iron introduces unfamiliar effects on seismic velocities. First principles calculations indicate that anti-correlation between shear velocity (VS) and bulk sound velocity (Vφ) in the mantle, usually interpreted as compositional heterogeneity, can also be produced in homogeneous aggregates containing Fp. The spin crossover also suppresses thermally induced heterogeneity in VP but not in VS. This effect is observed in tomographic models at conditions where the spin crossover in Fp is expected in the lower mantle. In addition, the one-of-a-kind signature of this spin crossover in the RS/P () heterogeneity ratio might be a useful "fingerprint" to detect the presence of Fp in the lower mantle. [1] Badro J, et al. (2003) Science 300(5620):789-791. [2] Wu Z, Justo J. F., and Wentzcovitch R. M., (2013). Phys. Rev. Lett. 110. 228501-5 [3]Wu Z., and Wentzcovitch R. M., (2014) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1322427111

Multiplexed Cassegrain Reflector Antenna for Simultaneous Generation of Three Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) Modes

PubMed Central

Byun, Woo Jin; Kim, Kwang Seon; Kim, Bong Su; Lee, Young Seung; Song, Myung Sun; Choi, Hyung Do; Cho, Yong Heui

2016-01-01

A multiplexed Cassegrain reflector antenna with a 2 × 2 open-ended rectangular waveguide (OERW) matrix feed and an orbital angular momentum (OAM) mode mux is proposed for the simultaneous generation of three OAM modes (l = 0, ±1). The OAM mode mux (OMM) was designed using sequential combinations of quadrature hybrids, crossovers, and phase shifters to multiplex and demultiplex three OAM modes at the same time. The 2 × 2 OERW matrix feed and the OMM were separately measured and their performances were verified according to proposed theories. A near-field antenna measurement for a multiplexed Cassegrain reflector antenna was conducted to obtain the far-field magnitude and phase patterns around polar elevation angle θ and azimuthal angle ϕ, thus confirming that our antenna can produce three OAM modes simultaneously. We also measured the communication link characteristics of two identical multiplexed antennas. The measurement results show that the channel isolation of three OAM modes is more than 12.7 [dB] and 17 [dB] for fixed and compensated receiver positions, respectively, indicating that the proposed antenna system can be used for independent communication links with the same frequency and polarisation. PMID:27252079

Electrode Reaction Mechanism of Ag 2VO 2PO 4 Cathode

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Ruibo; Abtew, Tesfaye A.; Quackenbush, Nicholas F.; ...

2016-05-09

In this study, the high capacity of primary lithium-ion cathode Ag 2VO 2PO 4 is facilitated by both displacement and insertion reaction mechanisms. Whether the Ag extrusion (specifically, Ag reduction with Ag metal displaced from the host crystal) and V reduction are sequential or concurrent remains unclear. A microscopic description of the reaction mechanism is required for developing design rules for new multimechanism cathodes, combining both displacement and insertion reactions. However, the amorphization of Ag 2VO 2PO 4 during lithiation makes the investigation of the electrode reaction mechanism difficult with conventional characterization tools. For addressing this issue, a combination ofmore » local probes of pair-distribution function and X-ray spectroscopy were used to obtain a description of the discharge reaction. We determine that the initial reaction is dominated by silver extrusion with vanadium playing a supporting role. In addition, once sufficient Ag has been displaced, the residual Ag + in the host can no longer stabilize the host structure and V–O environment (i.e., onset of amorphization). After amorphization, silver extrusion continues but the vanadium reduction dominates the reaction. As a result, the crossover from primarily silver reduction displacement to vanadium reduction is facilitated by the amorphization that makes vanadium reduction increasingly more favorable.« less

Coadministration of pioglitazone or glyburide and alogliptin: pharmacokinetic drug interaction assessment in healthy participants.

PubMed

Karim, Aziz; Laurent, Aziz; Munsaka, Melvin; Wann, Elisabeth; Fleck, Penny; Mekki, Qais

2009-10-01

Alogliptin is a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor under investigation for treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Potential pharmacokinetic (PK) drug-drug interactions of alogliptin with pioglitazone or glyburide were evaluated in healthy adults. In a randomized, 6-sequence, 3-period crossover study (study I), participants (n = 30 enrolled; n = 27 completed) received monotherapy with pioglitazone 45 mg once daily (qd), alogliptin 25 mg qd, or coadministration of the 2 agents. The 12-day treatment periods were separated by a > or =10-day washout interval. In a nonrandomized, single-sequence study (study II), participants (n = 24 completed) received a single 5-mg dose of the sulfonylurea glyburide, alone and after 8 days of dosing with alogliptin 25 mg qd. Sequential samples of blood (both studies) and urine (first study) were obtained for determination of PK parameters for alogliptin, pioglitazone, their metabolites, and glyburide. Minor changes in PK parameters between combination therapy and monotherapy were obtained but not judged to be clinically relevant. The combination treatments were well tolerated, although glyburide frequently caused hypoglycemia. Most adverse events were of mild intensity and occurred with a frequency similar to that with monotherapy. It is concluded that pioglitazone or glyburide can be administered with alogliptin without dose adjustment to any component of the combination therapy.

Electrode Reaction Mechanism of Ag 2VO 2PO 4 Cathode

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

Zhang, Ruibo; Abtew, Tesfaye A.; Quackenbush, Nicholas F.

In this study, the high capacity of primary lithium-ion cathode Ag 2VO 2PO 4 is facilitated by both displacement and insertion reaction mechanisms. Whether the Ag extrusion (specifically, Ag reduction with Ag metal displaced from the host crystal) and V reduction are sequential or concurrent remains unclear. A microscopic description of the reaction mechanism is required for developing design rules for new multimechanism cathodes, combining both displacement and insertion reactions. However, the amorphization of Ag 2VO 2PO 4 during lithiation makes the investigation of the electrode reaction mechanism difficult with conventional characterization tools. For addressing this issue, a combination ofmore » local probes of pair-distribution function and X-ray spectroscopy were used to obtain a description of the discharge reaction. We determine that the initial reaction is dominated by silver extrusion with vanadium playing a supporting role. In addition, once sufficient Ag has been displaced, the residual Ag + in the host can no longer stabilize the host structure and V–O environment (i.e., onset of amorphization). After amorphization, silver extrusion continues but the vanadium reduction dominates the reaction. As a result, the crossover from primarily silver reduction displacement to vanadium reduction is facilitated by the amorphization that makes vanadium reduction increasingly more favorable.« less

A Generalised Fault Protection Structure Proposed for Uni-grounded Low-Voltage AC Microgrids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bui, Duong Minh; Chen, Shi-Lin; Lien, Keng-Yu; Jiang, Jheng-Lun

2016-04-01

This paper presents three main configurations of uni-grounded low-voltage AC microgrids. Transient situations of a uni-grounded low-voltage (LV) AC microgrid (MG) are simulated through various fault tests and operation transition tests between grid-connected and islanded modes. Based on transient simulation results, available fault protection methods are proposed for main and back-up protection of a uni-grounded AC microgrid. In addition, concept of a generalised fault protection structure of uni-grounded LVAC MGs is mentioned in the paper. As a result, main contributions of the paper are: (i) definition of different uni-grounded LVAC MG configurations; (ii) analysing transient responses of a uni-grounded LVAC microgrid through line-to-line faults, line-to-ground faults, three-phase faults and a microgrid operation transition test, (iii) proposing available fault protection methods for uni-grounded microgrids, such as: non-directional or directional overcurrent protection, under/over voltage protection, differential current protection, voltage-restrained overcurrent protection, and other fault protection principles not based on phase currents and voltages (e.g. total harmonic distortion detection of currents and voltages, using sequence components of current and voltage, 3I0 or 3V0 components), and (iv) developing a generalised fault protection structure with six individual protection zones to be suitable for different uni-grounded AC MG configurations.

Task specific grip force control in writer's cramp.

PubMed

Schneider, A S; Fürholzer, W; Marquardt, C; Hermsdörfer, J

2014-04-01

Writer's cramp is defined as a task specific focal dystonia generating hypertonic muscle co-contractions during handwriting resulting in impaired writing performance and exaggerated finger force. However, little is known about the generalisation of grip force across tasks others than writing. The aim of the study was to directly compare regulation of grip forces during handwriting with force regulation in other fine-motor tasks in patients and control subjects. Handwriting, lifting and cyclic movements of a grasped object were investigated in 21 patients and 14 controls. The applied forces were registered in all three tasks and compared between groups and tasks. In addition, task-specific measures of fine-motor skill were assessed. As expected, patients generated exaggerated forces during handwriting compared to control subjects. However there were no statistically significant group differences during lifting and cyclic movements. The control group revealed a generalisation of grip forces across manual tasks whereas in patients there was no such correlation. We conclude that increased finger forces during handwriting are a task-specific phenomenon that does not necessarily generalise to other fine-motor tasks. Force control of patients with writer's cramp in handwriting and other fine-motor tasks is characterised by individualised control strategies. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantifying the impact of between-study heterogeneity in multivariate meta-analyses

PubMed Central

Jackson, Dan; White, Ian R; Riley, Richard D

2012-01-01

Measures that quantify the impact of heterogeneity in univariate meta-analysis, including the very popular I2 statistic, are now well established. Multivariate meta-analysis, where studies provide multiple outcomes that are pooled in a single analysis, is also becoming more commonly used. The question of how to quantify heterogeneity in the multivariate setting is therefore raised. It is the univariate R2 statistic, the ratio of the variance of the estimated treatment effect under the random and fixed effects models, that generalises most naturally, so this statistic provides our basis. This statistic is then used to derive a multivariate analogue of I2, which we call . We also provide a multivariate H2 statistic, the ratio of a generalisation of Cochran's heterogeneity statistic and its associated degrees of freedom, with an accompanying generalisation of the usual I2 statistic, . Our proposed heterogeneity statistics can be used alongside all the usual estimates and inferential procedures used in multivariate meta-analysis. We apply our methods to some real datasets and show how our statistics are equally appropriate in the context of multivariate meta-regression, where study level covariate effects are included in the model. Our heterogeneity statistics may be used when applying any procedure for fitting the multivariate random effects model. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:22763950

Transportability of imagery-enhanced CBT for social anxiety disorder.

PubMed

McEvoy, Peter M; Erceg-Hurn, David M; Barber, Kevin C; Dupasquier, Jessica R; Moscovitch, David A

2018-07-01

Pilot and open trials suggest that imagery-enhanced group cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is highly effective for social anxiety disorder (SAD). However, before being considered reliable and generalisable, the effects of the intervention need to be replicated by clinicians in a setting that is independent of the protocol developers. The current study compared outcomes from clients with a principal diagnosis of SAD at the Australian clinic where the protocol was developed (n = 123) to those from an independent Canadian clinic (n = 46) to investigate whether the large effects would generalise. Trainee clinicians from the independent clinic ran the groups using the treatment protocol without any input from its developers. The treatment involved 12 2-h group sessions plus a one-month follow-up. Treatment retention was comparable across both clinics (74% vs. 78%, ≥9/12 sessions) and the between-site effect size was very small and non-significant on the primary outcome (social interaction anxiety, d = 0.09, p = .752). Within-group effect sizes were very large in both settings (ds = 2.05 vs. 2.19), and a substantial minority (41%-44%) achieved clinically significant improvement at follow-up. Replication of treatment effects within an independent clinic and with trainee clinicians increases confidence that outcomes are generalisable. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Liveness-enforcing supervisors synthesis for a class of generalised Petri nets based on two-stage deadlock control and mathematical programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Mi; Hou, Yifan; Liu, Ding

2010-10-01

In this article we deal with deadlock prevention problems for S4PR, a class of generalised Petri nets, which can well model a large class of flexible manufacturing systems where deadlocks are caused by insufficiently marked siphons. We present a deadlock prevention methodology that is an iterative approach consisting of two stages. The first one is called siphon control, which is to add for each insufficiently marked minimal siphon a control place to the original net. Its objective is to prevent a minimal siphon from being insufficiently marked. The second one, called control-induced siphon control, is to add a control place to the augmented net with its output arcs connecting to the source transitions, which assures that there are no new insufficiently marked siphons generated. At each iteration, a mixed integer programming approach is adopted for generalised Petri nets to obtain an insufficiently marked minimal siphon from the maximal deadly siphon. This way complete siphon enumeration is avoided that is much more time-consuming for a sizeable plant model than the proposed method. The relation of the proposed method and the liveness and reversibility of the controlled net is obtained. Examples are presented to demonstrate the presented method.

The short-term effects of air pollutants on respiratory disease mortality in Wuhan, China: comparison of time-series and case-crossover analyses

PubMed Central

Ren, Meng; Li, Na; Wang, Zhan; Liu, Yisi; Chen, Xi; Chu, Yuanyuan; Li, Xiangyu; Zhu, Zhongmin; Tian, Liqiao; Xiang, Hao

2017-01-01

Few studies have compared different methods when exploring the short-term effects of air pollutants on respiratory disease mortality in Wuhan, China. This study assesses the association between air pollutants and respiratory disease mortality with both time-series and time-stratified–case-crossover designs. The generalized additive model (GAM) and the conditional logistic regression model were used to assess the short-term effects of air pollutants on respiratory disease mortality. Stratified analyses were performed by age, sex, and diseases. A 10 μg/m3 increment in SO2 level was associated with an increase in relative risk for all respiratory disease mortality of 2.4% and 1.9% in the case-crossover and time-series analyses in single pollutant models, respectively. Strong evidence of an association between NO2 and daily respiratory disease mortality among men or people older than 65 years was found in the case-crossover study. There was a positive association between air pollutants and respiratory disease mortality in Wuhan, China. Both time-series and case-crossover analyses consistently reveal the association between three air pollutants and respiratory disease mortality. The estimates of association between air pollution and respiratory disease mortality from the case–crossover analysis displayed greater variation than that from the time-series analysis. PMID:28084399

The short-term effects of air pollutants on respiratory disease mortality in Wuhan, China: comparison of time-series and case-crossover analyses.

PubMed

Ren, Meng; Li, Na; Wang, Zhan; Liu, Yisi; Chen, Xi; Chu, Yuanyuan; Li, Xiangyu; Zhu, Zhongmin; Tian, Liqiao; Xiang, Hao

2017-01-13

Few studies have compared different methods when exploring the short-term effects of air pollutants on respiratory disease mortality in Wuhan, China. This study assesses the association between air pollutants and respiratory disease mortality with both time-series and time-stratified-case-crossover designs. The generalized additive model (GAM) and the conditional logistic regression model were used to assess the short-term effects of air pollutants on respiratory disease mortality. Stratified analyses were performed by age, sex, and diseases. A 10 μg/m 3 increment in SO 2 level was associated with an increase in relative risk for all respiratory disease mortality of 2.4% and 1.9% in the case-crossover and time-series analyses in single pollutant models, respectively. Strong evidence of an association between NO 2 and daily respiratory disease mortality among men or people older than 65 years was found in the case-crossover study. There was a positive association between air pollutants and respiratory disease mortality in Wuhan, China. Both time-series and case-crossover analyses consistently reveal the association between three air pollutants and respiratory disease mortality. The estimates of association between air pollution and respiratory disease mortality from the case-crossover analysis displayed greater variation than that from the time-series analysis.

Orbital Transfer Vehicle Engine Technology High Velocity Ratio Diffusing Crossover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lariviere, Brian W.

1992-01-01

High speed, high efficiency head rise multistage pumps require continuous passage diffusing crossovers to effectively convey the pumped fluid from the exit of one impeller to the inlet of the next impeller. On Rocketdyne's Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), the MK49-F, a three stage high pressure liquid hydrogen turbopump, utilizes a 6.23 velocity ratio diffusing crossover. This velocity ratio approaches the diffusion limits for stable and efficient flow over the operating conditions required by the OTV system. The design of the high velocity ratio diffusing crossover was based on advanced analytical techniques anchored by previous tests of stationary two-dimensional diffusers with steady flow. To secure the design and the analytical techniques, tests were required with the unsteady whirling characteristics produced by an impeller. A tester was designed and fabricated using a 2.85 times scale model of the MK49-F turbopumps first stage, including the inducer, impeller, and the diffusing crossover. Water and air tests were completed to evaluate the large scale turbulence, non-uniform velocity, and non-steady velocity on the pump and crossover head and efficiency. Suction performance tests from 80 percent to 124 percent of design flow were completed in water to assess these pump characteristics. Pump and diffuser performance from the water and air tests were compared with the actual MK49-F test data in liquid hydrogen.

A Link between Meiotic Prophase Progression and CrossoverControl

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

Carlton, Peter M.; Farruggio, Alfonso P.; Dernburg, Abby F.

2005-07-06

During meiosis, most organisms ensure that homologous chromosomes undergo at least one exchange of DNA, or crossover, to link chromosomes together and accomplish proper segregation. How each chromosome receives a minimum of one crossover is unknown. During early meiosis in Caenorhabditis elegans and many other species, chromosomes adopt a polarized organization within the nucleus, which normally disappears upon completion of homolog synapsis. Mutations that impair synapsis even between a single pair of chromosomes in C. elegans delay this nuclear reorganization. We quantified this delay by developing a classification scheme for discrete stages of meiosis. Immunofluorescence localization of RAD-51 protein revealedmore » that delayed meiotic cells also contained persistent recombination intermediates. Through genetic analysis, we found that this cytological delay in meiotic progression requires double-strand breaks and the function of the crossover-promoting heteroduplex HIM-14 (Msh4) and MSH-5. Failure of X chromosome synapsis also resulted in impaired crossover control on autosomes, which may result from greater numbers and persistence of recombination intermediates in the delayed nuclei. We conclude that maturation of recombination events on chromosomes promotes meiotic progression, and is coupled to the regulation of crossover number and placement. Our results have broad implications for the interpretation of meiotic mutants, as we have shown that asynapsis of a single chromosome pair can exert global effects on meiotic progression and recombination frequency.« less

Comparison of application of various crossovers in solving inhomogeneous minimax problem modified by Goldberg model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobak, B. V.; Zhukovskiy, A. G.; Kuzin, A. P.

2018-05-01

This paper considers one of the classical NP complete problems - an inhomogeneous minimax problem. When solving such large-scale problem, there appear difficulties in obtaining an exact solution. Therefore, let us propose getting an optimum solution in an acceptable time. Among a wide range of genetic algorithm models, let us choose the modified Goldberg model, which earlier was successfully used by authors in solving NP complete problems. The classical Goldberg model uses a single-point crossover and a singlepoint mutation, which somewhat decreases the accuracy of the obtained results. In the article, let us propose using a full two-point crossover with various mutations previously researched. In addition, the work studied the necessary probability to apply it to the crossover in order to obtain results that are more accurate. Results of the computation experiment showed that the higher the probability of a crossover, the higher the quality of both the average results and the best solutions. In addition, it was found out that the higher the values of the number of individuals and the number of repetitions, the closer both the average results and the best solutions to the optimum. The paper shows how the use of a full two-point crossover increases the accuracy of solving an inhomogeneous minimax problem, while the time for getting the solution increases, but remains polynomial.

The short-term effects of air pollutants on respiratory disease mortality in Wuhan, China: comparison of time-series and case-crossover analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Meng; Li, Na; Wang, Zhan; Liu, Yisi; Chen, Xi; Chu, Yuanyuan; Li, Xiangyu; Zhu, Zhongmin; Tian, Liqiao; Xiang, Hao

2017-01-01

Few studies have compared different methods when exploring the short-term effects of air pollutants on respiratory disease mortality in Wuhan, China. This study assesses the association between air pollutants and respiratory disease mortality with both time-series and time-stratified-case-crossover designs. The generalized additive model (GAM) and the conditional logistic regression model were used to assess the short-term effects of air pollutants on respiratory disease mortality. Stratified analyses were performed by age, sex, and diseases. A 10 μg/m3 increment in SO2 level was associated with an increase in relative risk for all respiratory disease mortality of 2.4% and 1.9% in the case-crossover and time-series analyses in single pollutant models, respectively. Strong evidence of an association between NO2 and daily respiratory disease mortality among men or people older than 65 years was found in the case-crossover study. There was a positive association between air pollutants and respiratory disease mortality in Wuhan, China. Both time-series and case-crossover analyses consistently reveal the association between three air pollutants and respiratory disease mortality. The estimates of association between air pollution and respiratory disease mortality from the case-crossover analysis displayed greater variation than that from the time-series analysis.

Looking forwards and backwards: The real-time processing of Strong and Weak Crossover

PubMed Central

Lidz, Jeffrey; Phillips, Colin

2017-01-01

We investigated the processing of pronouns in Strong and Weak Crossover constructions as a means of probing the extent to which the incremental parser can use syntactic information to guide antecedent retrieval. In Experiment 1 we show that the parser accesses a displaced wh-phrase as an antecedent for a pronoun when no grammatical constraints prohibit binding, but the parser ignores the same wh-phrase when it stands in a Strong Crossover relation to the pronoun. These results are consistent with two possibilities. First, the parser could apply Principle C at antecedent retrieval to exclude the wh-phrase on the basis of the c-command relation between its gap and the pronoun. Alternatively, retrieval might ignore any phrases that do not occupy an Argument position. Experiment 2 distinguished between these two possibilities by testing antecedent retrieval under Weak Crossover. In Weak Crossover binding of the pronoun is ruled out by the argument condition, but not Principle C. The results of Experiment 2 indicate that antecedent retrieval accesses matching wh-phrases in Weak Crossover configurations. On the basis of these findings we conclude that the parser can make rapid use of Principle C and c-command information to constrain retrieval. We discuss how our results support a view of antecedent retrieval that integrates inferences made over unseen syntactic structure into constraints on backward-looking processes like memory retrieval. PMID:28936483

Crossover between the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble, the Gaussian unitary ensemble, and Poissonian statistics.

PubMed

Schweiner, Frank; Laturner, Jeanine; Main, Jörg; Wunner, Günter

2017-11-01

Until now only for specific crossovers between Poissonian statistics (P), the statistics of a Gaussian orthogonal ensemble (GOE), or the statistics of a Gaussian unitary ensemble (GUE) have analytical formulas for the level spacing distribution function been derived within random matrix theory. We investigate arbitrary crossovers in the triangle between all three statistics. To this aim we propose an according formula for the level spacing distribution function depending on two parameters. Comparing the behavior of our formula for the special cases of P→GUE, P→GOE, and GOE→GUE with the results from random matrix theory, we prove that these crossovers are described reasonably. Recent investigations by F. Schweiner et al. [Phys. Rev. E 95, 062205 (2017)2470-004510.1103/PhysRevE.95.062205] have shown that the Hamiltonian of magnetoexcitons in cubic semiconductors can exhibit all three statistics in dependence on the system parameters. Evaluating the numerical results for magnetoexcitons in dependence on the excitation energy and on a parameter connected with the cubic valence band structure and comparing the results with the formula proposed allows us to distinguish between regular and chaotic behavior as well as between existent or broken antiunitary symmetries. Increasing one of the two parameters, transitions between different crossovers, e.g., from the P→GOE to the P→GUE crossover, are observed and discussed.

Spin crossover in liquid (Mg,Fe)O at extreme conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmström, E.; Stixrude, L.

2016-05-01

We use first-principles free-energy calculations to predict a pressure-induced spin crossover in the liquid planetary material (Mg,Fe)O, whereby the magnetic moments of Fe ions vanish gradually over a range of hundreds of GPa. Because electronic entropy strongly favors the nonmagnetic low-spin state of Fe, the crossover has a negative effective Clapeyron slope, in stark contrast to the crystalline counterpart of this transition-metal oxide. Diffusivity of liquid (Mg,Fe)O is similar to that of MgO, displaying a weak dependence on element and spin state. Fe-O and Mg-O coordination increases from approximately 4 to 7 as pressure goes from 0 to 200 GPa. We find partitioning of Fe to induce a density inversion between the crystal and melt, implying separation of a basal magma ocean from a surficial one in the early Earth. The spin crossover induces an anomaly into the density contrast, and the oppositely signed Clapeyron slopes for the crossover in the liquid and crystalline phases imply that the solid-liquid transition induces a spin transition in (Mg,Fe)O.

Correlation between Fragility and the Arrhenius Crossover Phenomenon in Metallic, Molecular, and Network Liquids.

PubMed

Jaiswal, Abhishek; Egami, Takeshi; Kelton, K F; Schweizer, Kenneth S; Zhang, Yang

2016-11-11

We report the observation of a distinct correlation between the kinetic fragility index m and the reduced Arrhenius crossover temperature θ_{A}=T_{A}/T_{g} in various glass-forming liquids, identifying three distinguishable groups. In particular, for 11 glass-forming metallic liquids, we universally observe a crossover in the mean diffusion coefficient from high-temperature Arrhenius to low-temperature super-Arrhenius behavior at approximately θ_{A}≈2 which is in the stable liquid phases. In contrast, for fragile molecular liquids, this crossover occurs at much lower θ_{A}≈1.4 and usually in their supercooled states. The θ_{A} values for strong network liquids spans a wide range higher than 2. Intriguingly, the high-temperature activation barrier E_{∞} is universally found to be ∼11k_{B}T_{g} and uncorrelated with the fragility or the reduced crossover temperature θ_{A} for metallic and molecular liquids. These observations provide a way to estimate the low-temperature glassy characteristics (T_{g} and m) from the high-temperature liquid quantities (E_{∞} and θ_{A}).

Correlation between Fragility and the Arrhenius Crossover Phenomenon in Metallic, Molecular, and Network Liquids

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

Jaiswal, Abhishek; Egami, Takeshi; Kelton, K. F.

2016-11-10

In this paper, we report the observation of a distinct correlation between the kinetic fragility index m and the reduced Arrhenius crossover temperature θ A = T A/T g in various glass-forming liquids, identifying three distinguishable groups. In particular, for 11 glass-forming metallic liquids, we universally observe a crossover in the mean diffusion coefficient from high-temperature Arrhenius to low-temperature super-Arrhenius behavior at approximately θ A ≈ 2 which is in the stable liquid phases. In contrast, for fragile molecular liquids, this crossover occurs at much lower θ A ≈ 1.4 and usually in their supercooled states. The θ A valuesmore » for strong network liquids spans a wide range higher than 2. Intriguingly, the high-temperature activation barrier E ∞ is universally found to be ~11k BT g and uncorrelated with the fragility or the reduced crossover temperature θ A for metallic and molecular liquids. Finally, these observations provide a way to estimate the low-temperature glassy characteristics (T g and m) from the high-temperature liquid quantities (E ∞ and θ A).« less

Minimum number of clusters and comparison of analysis methods for cross sectional stepped wedge cluster randomised trials with binary outcomes: A simulation study.

PubMed

Barker, Daniel; D'Este, Catherine; Campbell, Michael J; McElduff, Patrick

2017-03-09

Stepped wedge cluster randomised trials frequently involve a relatively small number of clusters. The most common frameworks used to analyse data from these types of trials are generalised estimating equations and generalised linear mixed models. A topic of much research into these methods has been their application to cluster randomised trial data and, in particular, the number of clusters required to make reasonable inferences about the intervention effect. However, for stepped wedge trials, which have been claimed by many researchers to have a statistical power advantage over the parallel cluster randomised trial, the minimum number of clusters required has not been investigated. We conducted a simulation study where we considered the most commonly used methods suggested in the literature to analyse cross-sectional stepped wedge cluster randomised trial data. We compared the per cent bias, the type I error rate and power of these methods in a stepped wedge trial setting with a binary outcome, where there are few clusters available and when the appropriate adjustment for a time trend is made, which by design may be confounding the intervention effect. We found that the generalised linear mixed modelling approach is the most consistent when few clusters are available. We also found that none of the common analysis methods for stepped wedge trials were both unbiased and maintained a 5% type I error rate when there were only three clusters. Of the commonly used analysis approaches, we recommend the generalised linear mixed model for small stepped wedge trials with binary outcomes. We also suggest that in a stepped wedge design with three steps, at least two clusters be randomised at each step, to ensure that the intervention effect estimator maintains the nominal 5% significance level and is also reasonably unbiased.

The influence of environmental factors on the generalisability of public health research evidence: physical activity as a worked example

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background It is rare that decisions about investing in public health interventions in a city, town or other location can be informed by research generated in that specific place. It is therefore necessary to base decisions on evidence generated elsewhere and to make inferences about the extent to which this evidence is generalisable to the place of interest. In this paper we discuss the issues involved in making such inferences, using physical activity as an example. We discuss the ways in which elements of the structural, physical, social and/or cultural environment (environmental factors [EFs]) can shape physical activity (PA) and also how EFs may influence the effectiveness of interventions that aim to promote PA. We then highlight the ways in which EFs may impact on the generalisability of different types of evidence. Discussion We present a framework for thinking about the influence of EFs when assessing the generalisability of evidence from the location in which the evidence was generated (place A) to the location to which the evidence is to be applied (place B). The framework relates to similarities and differences between place A and place B with respect to: a) the distributions of EFs; b) the causal pathways through which EFs or interventions are thought to exert their effect on PA and c) the ways in which EFs interact with each other. We suggest, using examples, how this scheme can be used by public health professionals who are designing, executing, reporting and synthesising research on PA; or designing/implementing interventions. Summary Our analysis and scheme, although developed for physical activity, may potentially be adapted and applied to other evidence and interventions which are likely to be sensitive to influence by elements of the structural, physical, social and/or cultural environment such as the epidemiology of obesity and healthy weight promotion. PMID:22087556

Minimal intervention delivered by 2-1-1 information and referral specialists promotes smoke-free homes among 2-1-1 callers: a Texas generalisation trial.

PubMed

Mullen, Patricia Dolan; Savas, Lara S; Bundy, Łucja T; Haardörfer, Regine; Hovell, Mel; Fernández, Maria E; Monroy, Jo Ann A; Williams, Rebecca S; Kreuter, Matthew W; Jobe, David; Kegler, Michelle C

2016-10-01

Replication of intervention research is reported infrequently, limiting what we know about external validity and generalisability. The Smoke Free Homes Program, a minimal intervention, increased home smoking bans by United Way 2-1-1 callers in randomised controlled trials in Atlanta, Georgia and North Carolina. Test the programme's generalisability-external validity in a different context. A randomised controlled trial (n=508) of English-speaking callers from smoking-discordant households (≥1 smoker and ≥1 non-smoker). 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE call specialists serving the Texas Gulf Coast recruited callers and delivered three mailings and one coaching call, supported by an online tracking system. Data collectors, blind to study assignment, conducted telephone interviews 3 and 6 months postbaseline. At 3 months, more intervention households reported a smoke-free home (46.6% vs 25.4%, p<0.0001; growth model intent-to-treat OR=1.48, 95% CI 1.241 to 1.772, p<0.0001). At 6 months, self-reported full bans were 62.9% for intervention participants and 38.4% for controls (OR=2.19). Texas trial participants were predominantly women (83%), single-smoker households (76%) and African-American (65%); half had incomes ≤US$10 000/year (50%). Texas recruitment was <50% of the other sites. Fewer callers reported having a smoker in the household. Almost twice the callers with a household smoker declined interest in the programme/study. Our findings in a region with lower smoking rates and more diverse callers, including English-speaking Latinos, support programme generalisability and convey evidence of external validity. Our recruitment experience indicates that site-specific adjustments might improve recruitment efficiency and reach. NCT02097914, Results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Development and validation of self-reported line drawings of the modified Beighton score for the assessment of generalised joint hypermobility.

PubMed

Cooper, Dale J; Scammell, Brigitte E; Batt, Mark E; Palmer, Debbie

2018-01-17

The impracticalities and comparative expense of carrying out a clinical assessment is an obstacle in many large epidemiological studies. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a series of electronic self-reported line drawing instruments based on the modified Beighton scoring system for the assessment of self-reported generalised joint hypermobility. Five sets of line drawings were created to depict the 9-point Beighton score criteria. Each instrument consisted of an explanatory question whereby participants were asked to select the line drawing which best represented their joints. Fifty participants completed the self-report online instrument on two occasions, before attending a clinical assessment. A blinded expert clinical observer then assessed participants' on two occasions, using a standardised goniometry measurement protocol. Validity of the instrument was assessed by participant-observer agreement and reliability by participant repeatability and observer repeatability using unweighted Cohen's kappa (k). Validity and reliability were assessed for each item in the self-reported instrument separately, and for the sum of the total scores. An aggregate score for generalised joint hypermobility was determined based on a Beighton score of 4 or more out of 9. Observer-repeatability between the two clinical assessments demonstrated perfect agreement (k 1.00; 95% CI 1.00, 1.00). Self-reported participant-repeatability was lower but it was still excellent (k 0.91; 95% CI 0.74, 1.00). The participant-observer agreement was excellent (k 0.96; 95% CI 0.87, 1.00). Validity was excellent for the self-report instrument, with a good sensitivity of 0.87 (95% CI 0.81, 0.91) and excellent specificity of 0.99 (95% CI 0.98, 1.00). The self-reported instrument provides a valid and reliable assessment of the presence of generalised joint hypermobility and may have practical use in epidemiological studies.

Generalisability of vaccine effectiveness estimates: an analysis of cases included in a postlicensure evaluation of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the USA

PubMed Central

Link-Gelles, Ruth; Westreich, Daniel; Aiello, Allison E; Shang, Nong; Weber, David J; Rosen, Jennifer B; Motala, Tasneem; Mascola, Laurene; Eason, Jeffery; Scherzinger, Karen; Holtzman, Corinne; Reingold, Arthur L; Barnes, Meghan; Petit, Susan; Farley, Monica M; Harrison, Lee H; Zansky, Shelley; Thomas, Ann; Schaffner, William; McGee, Lesley; Whitney, Cynthia G; Moore, Matthew R

2017-01-01

Objectives External validity, or generalisability, is the measure of how well results from a study pertain to individuals in the target population. We assessed generalisability, with respect to socioeconomic status, of estimates from a matched case–control study of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine effectiveness for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease in children in the USA. Design Matched case–control study. Setting Thirteen active surveillance sites for invasive pneumococcal disease in the USA. Participants Cases were identified from active surveillance and controls were age and zip code matched. Outcome measures Socioeconomic status was assessed at the individual level via parent interview (for enrolled individuals only) and birth certificate data (for both enrolled and unenrolled individuals) and at the neighbourhood level by geocoding to the census tract (for both enrolled and unenrolled individuals). Prediction models were used to determine if socioeconomic status was associated with enrolment. Results We enrolled 54.6% of 1211 eligible cases and found a trend toward enrolled cases being more affluent than unenrolled cases. Enrolled cases were slightly more likely to have private insurance at birth (p=0.08) and have mothers with at least some college education (p<0.01). Enrolled cases also tended to come from more affluent census tracts. Despite these differences, our best predictive model for enrolment yielded a concordance statistic of only 0.703, indicating mediocre predictive value. Variables retained in the final model were assessed for effect measure modification, and none were found to be significant modifiers of vaccine effectiveness. Conclusions We conclude that although enrolled cases are somewhat more affluent than unenrolled cases, our estimates are externally valid with respect to socioeconomic status. Our analysis provides evidence that this study design can yield valid estimates and the assessing generalisability of observational data is feasible, even when unenrolled individuals cannot be contacted. PMID:28851801

The 2005 London terror attacks: An investigation of changes in psychological wellbeing and social capital pre- and post-attacks (2003-07)-A UK panel study.

PubMed

Giordano, Giuseppe N; Lindström, Martin

2016-12-01

The London public transport suicide bombings, which occurred on 7th July 2005, were described as the worst single terrorist atrocity on British soil to date. Past acts of terrorism have been associated with deterioration in population mental health. They may also negatively impact levels of social capital, which is considered a buffer against poor mental health outcomes. By employing panel data from the British Household Panel Survey and following the same individuals (N T =9287) three times over a five-year period (2003, 2005 and 2007), the aim of this longitudinal multilevel study was to investigate: (i) the impact of terrorism on individual-level social capital (generalised trust and social participation) across the UK; and (ii) the buffering effects of social capital on psychological wellbeing (GHQ-12). By comparing 2005 and 2007 covariate values (including the two social capital proxies) against their pre-terror baseline (2003) measurements in two separate multilevel logistic regression models, we examined the immediate and longer-term effects of the 2005 attacks on our GHQ-12 outcome. Compared to baseline, generalised trust dropped from 44% to 36% immediately post-terror attacks in 2005, while local participation increased from 45.8% to 47.5%. Social capital levels started to return to baseline levels by 2007, yet both proxies maintained independent buffering effects against poor GHQ-12 scores in years 2005 and 2007. From this empirical evidence, it seems that though generalised trust levels are negatively affected by acts of terrorism, the accompanying increase in local active participation may aid in the re-establishment of societal norms and beliefs in later years. Decision makers should be aware that such atrocities may negatively impact on populations' generalised trust in the shorter-term. To safeguard against losing this buffer against poor mental health outcomes, local active participation should be encouraged.

Minimal intervention delivered by 2-1-1 information and referral specialists promotes smoke-free homes among 2-1-1 callers: a Texas generalisation trial

PubMed Central

Mullen, Patricia Dolan; Savas, Lara S; Bundy, Łucja T; Haardörfer, Regine; Hovell, Mel; Fernández, Maria E; Monroy, Jo Ann A; Williams, Rebecca S; Kreuter, Matthew W; Jobe, David; Kegler, Michelle C

2016-01-01

Background Replication of intervention research is reported infrequently, limiting what we know about external validity and generalisability. The Smoke Free Homes Program, a minimal intervention, increased home smoking bans by United Way 2-1-1 callers in randomised controlled trials in Atlanta, Georgia and North Carolina. Objective Test the programme's generalisability-external validity in a different context. Methods A randomised controlled trial (n=508) of English-speaking callers from smoking-discordant households (≥1 smoker and ≥1 non-smoker). 2-1-1 Texas/United Way HELPLINE call specialists serving the Texas Gulf Coast recruited callers and delivered three mailings and one coaching call, supported by an online tracking system. Data collectors, blind to study assignment, conducted telephone interviews 3 and 6 months postbaseline. Results At 3 months, more intervention households reported a smoke-free home (46.6% vs 25.4%, p<0.0001; growth model intent-to-treat OR=1.48, 95% CI 1.241 to 1.772, p<0.0001). At 6 months, self-reported full bans were 62.9% for intervention participants and 38.4% for controls (OR=2.19). Texas trial participants were predominantly women (83%), single-smoker households (76%) and African-American (65%); half had incomes ≤US$10 000/year (50%). Texas recruitment was <50% of the other sites. Fewer callers reported having a smoker in the household. Almost twice the callers with a household smoker declined interest in the programme/study. Conclusions Our findings in a region with lower smoking rates and more diverse callers, including English-speaking Latinos, support programme generalisability and convey evidence of external validity. Our recruitment experience indicates that site-specific adjustments might improve recruitment efficiency and reach. Trial registration number NCT02097914, Results. PMID:27697943

24 CFR 3285.701 - Electrical crossovers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... URBAN DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS Electrical Systems and Equipment § 3285.701 Electrical crossovers. Multi-section homes with electrical wiring in more than one section require... installation instructions. ...

Dr TIM: Ray-tracer TIM, with additional specialist scientific capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oxburgh, Stephen; Tyc, Tomáš; Courtial, Johannes

2014-03-01

We describe several extensions to TIM, a raytracing program for ray-optics research. These include relativistic raytracing; simulation of the external appearance of Eaton lenses, Luneburg lenses and generalised focusing gradient-index lens (GGRIN) lenses, which are types of perfect imaging devices; raytracing through interfaces between spaces with different optical metrics; and refraction with generalised confocal lenslet arrays, which are particularly versatile METATOYs. Catalogue identifier: AEKY_v2_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEKY_v2_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen’s University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licencing provisions: GNU General Public License No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 106905 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 6327715 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Java. Computer: Any computer capable of running the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) 1.6. Operating system: Any, developed under Mac OS X Version 10.6 and 10.8.3. RAM: Typically 130 MB (interactive version running under Mac OS X Version 10.8.3) Classification: 14, 18. Catalogue identifier of previous version: AEKY_v1_0 Journal reference of previous version: Comput. Phys. Comm. 183(2012)711 External routines: JAMA [1] (source code included) Does the new version supersede the previous version?: Yes Nature of problem: Visualisation of scenes that include scene objects that create wave-optically forbidden light-ray fields. Solution method: Ray tracing. Reasons for new version: Significant extension of the capabilities (see Summary of revisions), as demanded by our research. Summary of revisions: Added capabilities include the simulation of different types of camera moving at relativistic speeds relative to the scene; visualisation of the external appearance of generalised focusing gradient-index (GGRIN) lenses, including Maxwell fisheye, Eaton and Luneburg lenses; calculation of refraction at the interface between spaces with different optical metrics; and handling of generalised confocal lenslet arrays (gCLAs), a new type of METATOY. Unusual features: Specifically designed to visualise wave-optically forbidden light-ray fields; can visualise ray trajectories and geometric optic transformations; can simulate photos taken with different types of camera moving at relativistic speeds, interfaces between spaces with different optical metrics, the view through METATOYs and generalised focusing gradient-index lenses; can create anaglyphs (for viewing with coloured “3D glasses”), HDMI-1.4a standard 3D images, and random-dot autostereograms of the scene; integrable into web pages. Running time: Problem-dependent; typically seconds for a simple scene. References: [1] JAMA: A Java Matrix Package, http://math.nist.gov/javanumerics/jama/

Microelectronic superconducting crossover and coil

DOEpatents

Wellstood, F.C.; Kingston, J.J.; Clarke, J.

1994-03-01

A microelectronic component comprising a crossover is provided comprising a substrate, a first high T[sub c] superconductor thin film, a second insulating thin film comprising SrTiO[sub 3]; and a third high T[sub c] superconducting film which has strips which crossover one or more areas of the first superconductor film. An in situ method for depositing all three films on a substrate is provided which does not require annealing steps and which can be opened to the atmosphere between depositions. 13 figures.

Time-series analysis of the barriers for admission into a spinal rehabilitation unit.

PubMed

New, P W; Akram, M

2016-02-01

This is a prospective open-cohort case series. The objective of this study was to assess changes over time in the duration of key acute hospital process barriers for patients with spinal cord damage (SCD) from admission until transfer into spinal rehabilitation unit (SRU) or other destinations. The study was conducted in Acute hospitals, Victoria, Australia (2006-2013). Duration of the following discrete sequential processes was measured: acute hospital admission until referral to SRU, referral until SRU assessment, SRU assessment until ready for SRU transfer and ready for transfer until SRU admission. Time-series analysis was performed using a generalised additive model (GAM). Seasonality of non-traumatic spinal cord dysfunction (SCDys) was examined. GAM analysis shows that the waiting time for admission into SRU was significantly (P<0.001) longer for patients who were female, who had tetraplegia, who were motor complete, had a pelvic pressure ulcer and who were referred from another health network. Age had a non-linear effect on the duration of waiting for transfer from acute hospital to SRU and both the acute hospital and SRU length of stay (LOS). The duration patients spent waiting for SRU admission increased over the study period. There was an increase in the number of referrals over the study period and an increase in the number of patients accepted but not admitted into the SRU. There was no notable seasonal influence on the referral of patients with SCDys. Time-series analysis provides additional insights into changes in the waiting times for SRU admission and the LOS in hospital for patients with SCD.

Assessment of letrozole and tamoxifen alone and in sequence for postmenopausal women with steroid hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: the BIG 1-98 randomised clinical trial at 8·1 years median follow-up.

PubMed

Regan, Meredith M; Neven, Patrick; Giobbie-Hurder, Anita; Goldhirsch, Aron; Ejlertsen, Bent; Mauriac, Louis; Forbes, John F; Smith, Ian; Láng, István; Wardley, Andrew; Rabaglio, Manuela; Price, Karen N; Gelber, Richard D; Coates, Alan S; Thürlimann, Beat

2011-11-01

Postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer have persistent, long-term risk of breast-cancer recurrence and death. Therefore, trials assessing endocrine therapies for this patient population need extended follow-up. We present an update of efficacy outcomes in the Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98 study at 8·1 years median follow-up. BIG 1-98 is a randomised, phase 3, double-blind trial of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer that compares 5 years of tamoxifen or letrozole monotherapy, or sequential treatment with 2 years of one of these drugs followed by 3 years of the other. Randomisation was done with permuted blocks, and stratified according to the two-arm or four-arm randomisation option, participating institution, and chemotherapy use. Patients, investigators, data managers, and medical reviewers were masked. The primary efficacy endpoint was disease-free survival (events were invasive breast cancer relapse, second primaries [contralateral breast and non-breast], or death without previous cancer event). Secondary endpoints were overall survival, distant recurrence-free interval (DRFI), and breast cancer-free interval (BCFI). The monotherapy comparison included patients randomly assigned to tamoxifen or letrozole for 5 years. In 2005, after a significant disease-free survival benefit was reported for letrozole as compared with tamoxifen, a protocol amendment facilitated the crossover to letrozole of patients who were still receiving tamoxifen alone; Cox models and Kaplan-Meier estimates with inverse probability of censoring weighting (IPCW) are used to account for selective crossover to letrozole of patients (n=619) in the tamoxifen arm. Comparison of sequential treatments to letrozole monotherapy included patients enrolled and randomly assigned to letrozole for 5 years, letrozole for 2 years followed by tamoxifen for 3 years, or tamoxifen for 2 years followed by letrozole for 3 years. Treatment has ended for all patients and detailed safety results for adverse events that occurred during the 5 years of treatment have been reported elsewhere. Follow-up is continuing for those enrolled in the four-arm option. BIG 1-98 is registered at clinicaltrials.govNCT00004205. 8010 patients were included in the trial, with a median follow-up of 8·1 years (range 0-12·4). 2459 were randomly assigned to monotherapy with tamoxifen for 5 years and 2463 to monotherapy with letrozole for 5 years. In the four-arm option of the trial, 1546 were randomly assigned to letrozole for 5 years, 1548 to tamoxifen for 5 years, 1540 to letrozole for 2 years followed by tamoxifen for 3 years, and 1548 to tamoxifen for 2 years followed by letrozole for 3 years. At a median follow-up of 8·7 years from randomisation (range 0-12·4), letrozole monotherapy was significantly better than tamoxifen, whether by IPCW or intention-to-treat analysis (IPCW disease-free survival HR 0·82 [95% CI 0·74-0·92], overall survival HR 0·79 [0·69-0·90], DRFI HR 0·79 [0·68-0·92], BCFI HR 0·80 [0·70-0·92]; intention-to-treat disease-free survival HR 0·86 [0·78-0·96], overall survival HR 0·87 [0·77-0·999], DRFI HR 0·86 [0·74-0·998], BCFI HR 0·86 [0·76-0·98]). At a median follow-up of 8·0 years from randomisation (range 0-11·2) for the comparison of the sequential groups with letrozole monotherapy, there were no statistically significant differences in any of the four endpoints for either sequence. 8-year intention-to-treat estimates (each with SE ≤1·1%) for letrozole monotherapy, letrozole followed by tamoxifen, and tamoxifen followed by letrozole were 78·6%, 77·8%, 77·3% for disease-free survival; 87·5%, 87·7%, 85·9% for overall survival; 89·9%, 88·7%, 88·1% for DRFI; and 86·1%, 85·3%, 84·3% for BCFI. For postmenopausal women with endocrine-responsive early breast cancer, a reduction in breast cancer recurrence and mortality is obtained by letrozole monotherapy when compared with tamoxifen montherapy. Sequential treatments involving tamoxifen and letrozole do not improve outcome compared with letrozole monotherapy, but might be useful strategies when considering an individual patient's risk of recurrence and treatment tolerability. Novartis, United States National Cancer Institute, International Breast Cancer Study Group. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Generalised pruritus as a presentation of Grave's disease.

PubMed

Tan, Ce; Loh, Ky

2013-01-01

Pruritus is a lesser known symptom of hyperthyroidism, particularly in autoimmune thyroid disorders. This is a case report of a 27-year-old woman who presented with generalised pruritus at a primary care clinic. Incidental findings of tachycardia and a goiter led to the investigations of her thyroid status. The thyroid function test revealed elevated serum free T4 and suppressed thyroid stimulating hormone levels. The anti-thyroid antibodies were positive. She was diagnosed with Graves' disease and treated with carbimazole until her symptoms subsided. Graves' disease should be considered as an underlying cause for patients presenting with pruritus. A thorough history and complete physical examination are crucial in making an accurate diagnosis. Underlying causes must be determined before treating the symptoms.

Visceral obesity and psychosocial stress: a generalised control theory model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, Rodrick

2016-07-01

The linking of control theory and information theory via the Data Rate Theorem and its generalisations allows for construction of necessary conditions statistical models of body mass regulation in the context of interaction with a complex dynamic environment. By focusing on the stress-related induction of central obesity via failure of HPA axis regulation, we explore implications for strategies of prevention and treatment. It rapidly becomes evident that individual-centred biomedical reductionism is an inadequate paradigm. Without mitigation of HPA axis or related dysfunctions arising from social pathologies of power imbalance, economic insecurity, and so on, it is unlikely that permanent changes in visceral obesity for individuals can be maintained without constant therapeutic effort, an expensive - and likely unsustainable - public policy.

Lie Symmetry Analysis, Analytical Solutions, and Conservation Laws of the Generalised Whitham-Broer-Kaup-Like Equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiu-Bin; Tian, Shou-Fu; Qin, Chun-Yan; Zhang, Tian-Tian

2017-03-01

In this article, a generalised Whitham-Broer-Kaup-Like (WBKL) equations is investigated, which can describe the bidirectional propagation of long waves in shallow water. The equations can be reduced to the dispersive long wave equations, variant Boussinesq equations, Whitham-Broer-Kaup-Like equations, etc. The Lie symmetry analysis method is used to consider the vector fields and optimal system of the equations. The similarity reductions are given on the basic of the optimal system. Furthermore, the power series solutions are derived by using the power series theory. Finally, based on a new theorem of conservation laws, the conservation laws associated with symmetries of this equations are constructed with a detailed derivation.

‘Tumour-induced osteomalacia’

PubMed Central

Munoz, Javier; Michel Ortega, Rosa; Celzo, Florence; Donthireddy, Vijayalakshmi

2012-01-01

A 60-year-old man presented 2 years before his diagnosis with long-standing muscle cramping, progressive generalised weakness and chronic hip pain. The patient was found to have bilateral femoral neck pathologic fractures therefore, underwent reamed intramedullary nailing of both femurs. Laboratory studies showed hypophosphataemia. Bone marrow biopsy was negative for malignancy. Positron emission tomography demonstrated fludeoxyglucose uptake only in the posterior neck. Bone scan showed innumerable foci of increased activity throughout the skeleton consistent with pseudofractures seen in osteomalacia. Fine needle aspiration from the mass in the neck revealed a phosphaturic mesenchymal tumour of mixed connective tissue type. Resection of the mass in the neck resulted in resolution of generalised complaints with no evidence of recurrence with a follow-up of 12 months. PMID:22736784

Acute Generalised Exanthematous Pustulosis: An Update.

PubMed

De, Abhishek; Das, Sudip; Sarda, Aarti; Pal, Dayamay; Biswas, Projna

2018-01-01

Acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is a severe cutaneous adverse reaction and is attributed to drugs in more than 90% of cases. It is a rare disease, with an estimated incidence of 1-5 patients per million per year. The clinical manifestations characterised by the rapid development of sterile pustular lesions, fever and leucocytosis. Number of drugs has been reported to be associated with AGEP, most common being the antibiotics. Histopathologically there is intraepidermal pustules and papillary dermal oedema with neutrophilic and eosinophilic infiltrations. Systemic involvement can be present in more severe cases. Early diagnosis with withdrawal of the causative drug is the most important step in the management. Treatment includes supportive care, prevention of antibiotics and use of a potent topical steroid.

Acute Generalised Exanthematous Pustulosis: An Update

PubMed Central

De, Abhishek; Das, Sudip; Sarda, Aarti; Pal, Dayamay; Biswas, Projna

2018-01-01

Acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is a severe cutaneous adverse reaction and is attributed to drugs in more than 90% of cases. It is a rare disease, with an estimated incidence of 1–5 patients per million per year. The clinical manifestations characterised by the rapid development of sterile pustular lesions, fever and leucocytosis. Number of drugs has been reported to be associated with AGEP, most common being the antibiotics. Histopathologically there is intraepidermal pustules and papillary dermal oedema with neutrophilic and eosinophilic infiltrations. Systemic involvement can be present in more severe cases. Early diagnosis with withdrawal of the causative drug is the most important step in the management. Treatment includes supportive care, prevention of antibiotics and use of a potent topical steroid. PMID:29527022

Integrability of generalised type II defects in affine Toda field theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bristow, Rebecca

2017-11-01

The Liouville integrability of the generalised type II defects is investigated. Full integrability is not considered, only the existence of an infinite number of conserved quantities associated with a system containing a defect. For defects in affine Toda field theories (ATFTs) it is shown that momentum conservation is very likely to be a necessary condition for integrability. The defect Lax matrices which guarantee zero curvature, and so an infinite number of conserved quantities, are calculated for the momentum conserving Tzitzéica defect and the momentum conserving D 4 ATFT defect. Some additional calculations pertaining to the D 4 defect are also carried out to find a more complete set of defect potentials than has appeared previously.

Skyshine analysis using energy and angular dependent dose-contribution fluxes obtained from air-over-ground adjoint calculation.

PubMed

Uematsu, Mikio; Kurosawa, Masahiko

2005-01-01

A generalised and convenient skyshine dose analysis method has been developed based on forward-adjoint folding technique. In the method, the air penetration data were prepared by performing an adjoint DOT3.5 calculation with cylindrical air-over-ground geometry having an adjoint point source (importance of unit flux to dose rate at detection point) in the centre. The accuracy of the present method was certified by comparing with DOT3.5 forward calculation. The adjoint flux data can be used as generalised radiation skyshine data for all sorts of nuclear facilities. Moreover, the present method supplies plenty of energy-angular dependent contribution flux data, which will be useful for detailed shielding design of facilities.

Three-cable median barrier final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-07-01

Oregon public interest peaked regarding crossover highway safety following three fatalities from a crossover accident in August of 1996. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) conducted a review of possible barrier solutions for the interstat...

Flexible chain molecules in the marginal and concentrated regimes: universal static scaling laws and cross-over predictions.

PubMed

Laso, Manuel; Karayiannis, Nikos Ch

2008-05-07

We present predictions for the static scaling exponents and for the cross-over polymer volumetric fractions in the marginal and concentrated solution regimes. Corrections for finite chain length are made. Predictions are based on an analysis of correlated fluctuations in density and chain length, in a semigrand ensemble in which mers and solvent sites exchange identities. Cross-over volumetric fractions are found to be chain length independent to first order, although reciprocal-N corrections are also estimated. Predicted scaling exponents and cross-over regimes are compared with available data from extensive off-lattice Monte Carlo simulations [Karayiannis and Laso, Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 050602 (2008)] on freely jointed, hard-sphere chains of average lengths from N=12-500 and at packing densities from dilute ones up to the maximally random jammed state.

REC-1 and HIM-5 distribute meiotic crossovers and function redundantly in meiotic double-strand break formation in Caenorhabditis elegans

PubMed Central

Chung, George; Rose, Ann M.; Petalcorin, Mark I.R.; Martin, Julie S.; Kessler, Zebulin; Sanchez-Pulido, Luis; Ponting, Chris P.; Yanowitz, Judith L.; Boulton, Simon J.

2015-01-01

The Caenorhabditis elegans gene rec-1 was the first genetic locus identified in metazoa to affect the distribution of meiotic crossovers along the chromosome. We report that rec-1 encodes a distant paralog of HIM-5, which was discovered by whole-genome sequencing and confirmed by multiple genome-edited alleles. REC-1 is phosphorylated by cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) in vitro, and mutation of the CDK consensus sites in REC-1 compromises meiotic crossover distribution in vivo. Unexpectedly, rec-1; him-5 double mutants are synthetic-lethal due to a defect in meiotic double-strand break formation. Thus, we uncovered an unexpected robustness to meiotic DSB formation and crossover positioning that is executed by HIM-5 and REC-1 and regulated by phosphorylation. PMID:26385965

Randomized crossover clinical trial of real and sham peripheral prism glasses for hemianopia

PubMed Central

Bowers, Alex R.; Keeney, Karen; Peli, Eli

2013-01-01

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of real relative to sham peripheral prism glasses for patients with complete homonymous hemianopia and without visual neglect. Methods Patients recruited at 13 clinics were allocated by minimization into a double-masked, crossover trial with two groups. One group received real (57Δ) oblique and sham (≤ 5Δ) horizontal prisms; the other received real horizontal and sham oblique, in counterbalanced order. A masked data collector at each clinic administered questionnaires after each 4-week crossover period. Main outcome measure The primary outcome was the overall difference, across the two periods of the crossover, between the proportion of participants who wanted to continue with (said “yes” to) real prisms and the proportion who said yes to sham prisms. The secondary outcome was the difference in perceived mobility improvement between real and sham prisms. Results Of 73 patients randomized, 61 completed the crossover. A significantly higher proportion said yes to real than sham prisms (64% vs. 36%; odds ratio 5.3, 95% CI 1.8 to 21.0). Participants who continued wear after 6 months reported greater improvement in mobility with real than sham prisms at crossover end (p=0.002); participants who discontinued wear reported no difference. Conclusion Real peripheral prism glasses were more helpful for obstacle avoidance when walking than sham glasses, with no differences between the horizontal and oblique designs. Applications to clinical practice Peripheral prism glasses provide a simple and inexpensive mobility rehabilitation intervention for hemianopia. PMID:24201760

Bayesian analysis of time-series data under case-crossover designs: posterior equivalence and inference.

PubMed

Li, Shi; Mukherjee, Bhramar; Batterman, Stuart; Ghosh, Malay

2013-12-01

Case-crossover designs are widely used to study short-term exposure effects on the risk of acute adverse health events. While the frequentist literature on this topic is vast, there is no Bayesian work in this general area. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, the paper establishes Bayesian equivalence results that require characterization of the set of priors under which the posterior distributions of the risk ratio parameters based on a case-crossover and time-series analysis are identical. Second, the paper studies inferential issues under case-crossover designs in a Bayesian framework. Traditionally, a conditional logistic regression is used for inference on risk-ratio parameters in case-crossover studies. We consider instead a more general full likelihood-based approach which makes less restrictive assumptions on the risk functions. Formulation of a full likelihood leads to growth in the number of parameters proportional to the sample size. We propose a semi-parametric Bayesian approach using a Dirichlet process prior to handle the random nuisance parameters that appear in a full likelihood formulation. We carry out a simulation study to compare the Bayesian methods based on full and conditional likelihood with the standard frequentist approaches for case-crossover and time-series analysis. The proposed methods are illustrated through the Detroit Asthma Morbidity, Air Quality and Traffic study, which examines the association between acute asthma risk and ambient air pollutant concentrations. © 2013, The International Biometric Society.

Experimental observation and simulation of unusual microwave response for the superconducting microstrip resonator at small dc magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ong, C. K.; Rao, X. S.; Jin, B. B.

1999-11-01

An unusual microwave response of the surface impedance Zs of high-Tc thin films at an applied small dc magnetic field (Bdc) at 77 K, namely a decrease of Zs, is observed with the microstrip resonator technique. The resonant frequency is 1.107 GHz. The direction of Bdc is parallel or perpendicular to the a-b plane. Bdc ranges from 0 to 200 G. It is found that the surface resistance (Rs) at Bdc parallel to the a-b plane first decreases with Bdc and then increases above a crossover field. The Rs behaviour for Bdc perpendicular to the a-b plane is the same but with a different crossover field. The two behaviours can be collapsed to one curve by scaling the crossover fields. The changes of surface reactance Xs correlated linearly with the changes of Rs in the ranges of Bdc. The ratios rH of changes of Rs and Xs (rH = icons/Journals/Common/Delta" ALT="Delta" ALIGN="TOP"/> Rs/icons/Journals/Common/Delta" ALT="Delta" ALIGN="TOP"/> Xs) are 0.5 at Bdc less than the crossover field and 0.1 at Bdc greater than the crossover field. The measurements also show that the crossover field is independent of rf input power. A phenomenological model is also proposed to explain this unusual behaviour. By adjusting fitting parameters the computed results agree with the experimental results qualitatively.

Tuning porosity and radial mechanical properties of DNA origami nanotubes via crossover design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Zhipeng; Kawai, Kentaro; Hirai, Yoshikazu; Tsuchiya, Toshiyuki; Tabata, Osamu

2017-06-01

DNA origami nanotubes are utilized as structural platforms for the fabrication of various micro/nanosystems for drug delivery, optical or biological sensing, and even nanoscale robots. Their radial structural and mechanical properties, which play a crucial role in the effective use of micro/nanosystems, have not been fully studied. In particular, the effects of crossovers, which are basic structures for rationally assembling double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) helices into a nanotube configuration, have not yet been characterized experimentally. To investigate the effects of crossovers on the porosity and the radial mechanical properties of DNA origami nanotubes, we fabricated a DNA origami nanotube with varied crossover designs along the nanotube axis. The radial geometry of the DNA origami nanotube is experimentally characterized by both atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM). Moreover, the radial mechanical properties of the DNA origami nanotube including the radial modulus are directly measured by force-distance-based AFM. These measurements reveal that the porosity and the radial modulus of DNA origami nanotubes can be tuned by adjusting the crossover design, which enables the optimal design and construction of DNA origami nanostructures for various applications.

Increasing spin crossover cooperativity in 2D Hofmann-type materials with guest molecule removal

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

Zenere, Katrina A.; Duyker, Samuel G.; Trzop, Elzbieta

Ambient temperature spin crossover with wide hysteresis has been achieved in 2D Hofmann-type materials, where removal of guest molecules optimises ligand–ligand interactions, resulting in increased cooperativity.

Increasing spin crossover cooperativity in 2D Hofmann-type materials with guest molecule removal

DOE PAGES

Zenere, Katrina A.; Duyker, Samuel G.; Trzop, Elzbieta; ...

2018-01-01

Ambient temperature spin crossover with wide hysteresis has been achieved in 2D Hofmann-type materials, where removal of guest molecules optimises ligand–ligand interactions, resulting in increased cooperativity.

30 CFR 56.19023 - Examinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... drum, at drum crossovers, and at change-of-layer regions. When any visible condition that results in a... leaves the drum at regular stopping points; and (4) At drum crossover and change-of-layer regions. (d) At...

30 CFR 75.827 - Guarding of trailing cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... grounded metal. (b) Suspended cables and cable crossovers. When equipment must cross any portion of the cable, the cable must be either: (1) Suspended from the mine roof; or (2) Protected by a cable crossover...

30 CFR 75.827 - Guarding of trailing cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... grounded metal. (b) Suspended cables and cable crossovers. When equipment must cross any portion of the cable, the cable must be either: (1) Suspended from the mine roof; or (2) Protected by a cable crossover...

30 CFR 75.827 - Guarding of trailing cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... grounded metal. (b) Suspended cables and cable crossovers. When equipment must cross any portion of the cable, the cable must be either: (1) Suspended from the mine roof; or (2) Protected by a cable crossover...

30 CFR 75.827 - Guarding of trailing cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... grounded metal. (b) Suspended cables and cable crossovers. When equipment must cross any portion of the cable, the cable must be either: (1) Suspended from the mine roof; or (2) Protected by a cable crossover...

Parton Densities: A Personal Retrospective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petronzio, R.

The beginning of perturbative QCD and the generalisation of parton evolution probabilities beyond leading order are briefly recalled, together with my personal experience of collaboration and friendships with Gabriele.

Unidirectional ring lasers

DOEpatents

Hohimer, John P.; Craft, David C.

1994-01-01

Unidirectional ring lasers formed by integrating nonreciprocal optical elements into the resonant ring cavity. These optical elements either attenuate light traveling in a nonpreferred direction or amplify light traveling in a preferred direction. In one preferred embodiment the resonant cavity takes the form of a circle with an S-shaped crossover waveguide connected to two points on the interior of the cavity such that light traveling in a nonpreferred direction is diverted from the cavity into the crossover waveguide and reinjected out of the other end of the crossover waveguide into the cavity as light traveling in the preferred direction.

The BCS-BEC Crossover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parish, Meera M.

2015-09-01

This chapter presents the crossover from the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) state of weakly correlated pairs of fermions to the Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of diatomic molecules in the atomic Fermi gas. Our aim is to provide a pedagogical review of the BCS-BEC crossover, with an emphasis on the basic concepts, particularly those that are not generally known or are difficult to find in the literature. We shall not attempt to give an exhaustive survey of current research in the limited space here; where possible, we will direct the reader to more extensive reviews.

Turbulent drag reduction by flexible and rodlike polymers: Crossover effects at small concentrations.

PubMed

Ching, Emily S C; Lo, T S; Procaccia, Itamar

2006-08-01

Drag reduction by polymers is bounded between two universal asymptotes, the von Kármán log law of the law and the maximum drag reduction (MDR) asymptote. It is theoretically understood why the MDR asymptote is universal, independent of whether the polymers are flexible or rodlike. The crossover behavior from the Newtonian von Kármán log law to the MDR is, however, not universal, showing different characteristics for flexible and rodlike polymers. In this paper we provide a theory for this crossover phenomenology.

Defect-driven localization crossovers in MBE-grown La-doped SrSn O3 films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tianqi; Thoutam, Laxman Raju; Prakash, Abhinav; Nunn, William; Haugstad, Greg; Jalan, Bharat

2017-11-01

Through systematic control of cation stoichiometry using a hybrid molecular beam epitaxy method, we show a crossover from weak to strong localization of electronic carriers in La-doped SrSn O3 films on LaAl O3 (001). We demonstrate that substrate-induced dislocations in these films can have a strong influence on the electron phase coherence length resulting in two-dimensional to three-dimensional weak localization crossover. We discuss the correlation between electronic transport, and defects associated with nonstoichiometry and dislocations.

Crossover of two power laws in the anomalous diffusion of a two lipid membrane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bakalis, Evangelos; Höfinger, Siegfried; Venturini, Alessandro; Zerbetto, Francesco

2015-06-01

Molecular dynamics simulations of a bi-layer membrane made by the same number of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phospho-ethanolamine and palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylserine lipids reveal sub-diffusional motion, which presents a crossover between two different power laws. Fractional Brownian motion is the stochastic mechanism that governs the motion in both regimes. The location of the crossover point is justified with simple geometrical arguments and is due to the activation of the mechanism of circumrotation of lipids about each other.

Crossover of two power laws in the anomalous diffusion of a two lipid membrane

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

Bakalis, Evangelos, E-mail: ebakalis@gmail.com, E-mail: francesco.zerbetto@unibo.it; Höfinger, Siegfried; Zerbetto, Francesco, E-mail: ebakalis@gmail.com, E-mail: francesco.zerbetto@unibo.it

2015-06-07

Molecular dynamics simulations of a bi-layer membrane made by the same number of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phospho-ethanolamine and palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylserine lipids reveal sub-diffusional motion, which presents a crossover between two different power laws. Fractional Brownian motion is the stochastic mechanism that governs the motion in both regimes. The location of the crossover point is justified with simple geometrical arguments and is due to the activation of the mechanism of circumrotation of lipids about each other.

Crossover of two power laws in the anomalous diffusion of a two lipid membrane.

PubMed

Bakalis, Evangelos; Höfinger, Siegfried; Venturini, Alessandro; Zerbetto, Francesco

2015-06-07

Molecular dynamics simulations of a bi-layer membrane made by the same number of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phospho-ethanolamine and palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylserine lipids reveal sub-diffusional motion, which presents a crossover between two different power laws. Fractional Brownian motion is the stochastic mechanism that governs the motion in both regimes. The location of the crossover point is justified with simple geometrical arguments and is due to the activation of the mechanism of circumrotation of lipids about each other.

A Quality Control Mechanism Coordinates Meiotic Prophase Events to Promote Crossover Assurance

PubMed Central

Deshong, Alison J.; Ye, Alice L.; Lamelza, Piero; Bhalla, Needhi

2014-01-01

Meiotic chromosome segregation relies on homologous chromosomes being linked by at least one crossover, the obligate crossover. Homolog pairing, synapsis and meiosis specific DNA repair mechanisms are required for crossovers but how they are coordinated to promote the obligate crossover is not well understood. PCH-2 is a highly conserved meiotic AAA+-ATPase that has been assigned a variety of functions; whether these functions reflect its conserved role has been difficult to determine. We show that PCH-2 restrains pairing, synapsis and recombination in C. elegans. Loss of pch-2 results in the acceleration of synapsis and homolog-dependent meiotic DNA repair, producing a subtle increase in meiotic defects, and suppresses pairing, synapsis and recombination defects in some mutant backgrounds. Some defects in pch-2 mutants can be suppressed by incubation at lower temperature and these defects increase in frequency in wildtype worms grown at higher temperature, suggesting that PCH-2 introduces a kinetic barrier to the formation of intermediates that support pairing, synapsis or crossover recombination. We hypothesize that this kinetic barrier contributes to quality control during meiotic prophase. Consistent with this possibility, defects in pch-2 mutants become more severe when another quality control mechanism, germline apoptosis, is abrogated or meiotic DNA repair is mildly disrupted. PCH-2 is expressed in germline nuclei immediately preceding the onset of stable homolog pairing and synapsis. Once chromosomes are synapsed, PCH-2 localizes to the SC and is removed in late pachytene, prior to SC disassembly, correlating with when homolog-dependent DNA repair mechanisms predominate in the germline. Indeed, loss of pch-2 results in premature loss of homolog access. Altogether, our data indicate that PCH-2 coordinates pairing, synapsis and recombination to promote crossover assurance. Specifically, we propose that the conserved function of PCH-2 is to destabilize pairing and/or recombination intermediates to slow their progression and ensure their fidelity during meiotic prophase. PMID:24762417

Deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder: a comparison of two targets and long-term follow-up

PubMed Central

Raymaekers, S; Luyten, L; Bervoets, C; Gabriëls, L; Nuttin, B

2017-01-01

We previously found that electrical stimulation in the anterior limb of the internal capsule/bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (IC/BST) alleviates depressive symptoms in severe treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients. Here we tested the hypothesis that electrical stimulation in either IC/BST or in the inferior thalamic peduncle (ITP) effectively reduces depressive symptoms in treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TRD). In a double-blind crossover design, the effects of electrical stimulation at both targets were compared in TRD patients. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating scale (HAM-D) was the primary outcome measure. During the first crossover, patients received IC/BST stimulation versus no stimulation in random order (2 × 1 weeks). During the second crossover (3 × 2 months), patients received IC/BST versus ITP versus no stimulation. Patients and evaluators were blinded for stimulation conditions. All patients (n=7) were followed up for at least 3 years (3–8 years) after implantation. Six patients completed the first crossover and five patients completed the second. During the first crossover, mean (s.d.) HAM-D scores were 21.5 (2.7) for no stimulation and 11.5 (8.8) for IC/BST stimulation. During the second crossover, HAM-D scores were 15.4 (7.5) for no stimulation, 7.6 (3.8) for IC/BST stimulation and 11.2 (7.5) for ITP stimulation. The final sample size was too small to statistically analyze this second crossover. At last follow-up, only one patient preferred ITP over IC/BST stimulation. Two patients, with a history of suicide attempts before implantation, committed suicide during the follow-up phases of this study. Our data indicate that, in the long term, both ITP and IC/BST stimulation may alleviate depressive symptoms in patients suffering from TRD. PMID:29087373

Joint Molecule Resolution Requires the Redundant Activities of MUS-81 and XPF-1 during Caenorhabditis elegans Meiosis

PubMed Central

O'Neil, Nigel J.; Martin, Julie S.; Youds, Jillian L.; Ward, Jordan D.; Petalcorin, Mark I. R.; Rose, Anne M.; Boulton, Simon J.

2013-01-01

The generation and resolution of joint molecule recombination intermediates is required to ensure bipolar chromosome segregation during meiosis. During wild type meiosis in Caenorhabditis elegans, SPO-11-generated double stranded breaks are resolved to generate a single crossover per bivalent and the remaining recombination intermediates are resolved as noncrossovers. We discovered that early recombination intermediates are limited by the C. elegans BLM ortholog, HIM-6, and in the absence of HIM-6 by the structure specific endonuclease MUS-81. In the absence of both MUS-81 and HIM-6, recombination intermediates persist, leading to chromosome breakage at diakinesis and inviable embryos. MUS-81 has an additional role in resolving late recombination intermediates in C. elegans. mus-81 mutants exhibited reduced crossover recombination frequencies suggesting that MUS-81 is required to generate a subset of meiotic crossovers. Similarly, the Mus81-related endonuclease XPF-1 is also required for a subset of meiotic crossovers. Although C. elegans gen-1 mutants have no detectable meiotic defect either alone or in combination with him-6, mus-81 or xpf-1 mutations, mus-81;xpf-1 double mutants are synthetic lethal. While mus-81;xpf-1 double mutants are proficient for the processing of early recombination intermediates, they exhibit defects in the post-pachytene chromosome reorganization and the asymmetric disassembly of the synaptonemal complex, presumably triggered by crossovers or crossover precursors. Consistent with a defect in resolving late recombination intermediates, mus-81; xpf-1 diakinetic bivalents are aberrant with fine DNA bridges visible between two distinct DAPI staining bodies. We were able to suppress the aberrant bivalent phenotype by microinjection of activated human GEN1 protein, which can cleave Holliday junctions, suggesting that the DNA bridges in mus-81; xpf-1 diakinetic oocytes are unresolved Holliday junctions. We propose that the MUS-81 and XPF-1 endonucleases act redundantly to process late recombination intermediates to form crossovers during C. elegans meiosis. PMID:23874209

Deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder: a comparison of two targets and long-term follow-up.

PubMed

Raymaekers, S; Luyten, L; Bervoets, C; Gabriëls, L; Nuttin, B

2017-10-31

We previously found that electrical stimulation in the anterior limb of the internal capsule/bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (IC/BST) alleviates depressive symptoms in severe treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients. Here we tested the hypothesis that electrical stimulation in either IC/BST or in the inferior thalamic peduncle (ITP) effectively reduces depressive symptoms in treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (TRD). In a double-blind crossover design, the effects of electrical stimulation at both targets were compared in TRD patients. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating scale (HAM-D) was the primary outcome measure. During the first crossover, patients received IC/BST stimulation versus no stimulation in random order (2 × 1 weeks). During the second crossover (3 × 2 months), patients received IC/BST versus ITP versus no stimulation. Patients and evaluators were blinded for stimulation conditions. All patients (n=7) were followed up for at least 3 years (3-8 years) after implantation. Six patients completed the first crossover and five patients completed the second. During the first crossover, mean (s.d.) HAM-D scores were 21.5 (2.7) for no stimulation and 11.5 (8.8) for IC/BST stimulation. During the second crossover, HAM-D scores were 15.4 (7.5) for no stimulation, 7.6 (3.8) for IC/BST stimulation and 11.2 (7.5) for ITP stimulation. The final sample size was too small to statistically analyze this second crossover. At last follow-up, only one patient preferred ITP over IC/BST stimulation. Two patients, with a history of suicide attempts before implantation, committed suicide during the follow-up phases of this study. Our data indicate that, in the long term, both ITP and IC/BST stimulation may alleviate depressive symptoms in patients suffering from TRD.

Temperature effect on the small-to-large crossover lengthscale of hydrophobic hydration

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

Djikaev, Y. S., E-mail: idjikaev@buffalo.edu; Ruckenstein, E.

2013-11-14

The thermodynamics of hydration is expected to change gradually from entropic for small solutes to enthalpic for large ones. The small-to-large crossover lengthscale of hydrophobic hydration depends on the thermodynamic conditions of the solvent such as temperature, pressure, presence of additives, etc. We attempt to shed some light on the temperature dependence of the crossover lengthscale by using a probabilistic approach to water hydrogen bonding that allows one to obtain an analytic expression for the number of bonds per water molecule as a function of both its distance to a solute and solute radius. Incorporating that approach into the densitymore » functional theory, one can examine the solute size effects on its hydration over the entire small-to-large lengthscale range at a series of different temperatures. Knowing the dependence of the hydration free energy on the temperature and solute size, one can also obtain its enthalpic and entropic contributions as functions of both temperature and solute size. These functions can provide some interesting insight into the temperature dependence of the crossover lengthscale of hydrophobic hydration. The model was applied to the hydration of spherical particles of various radii in water in the temperature range from T = 293.15 K to T = 333.15 K. The model predictions for the temperature dependence of the hydration free energy of small hydrophobes are consistent with the experimental and simulational data on the hydration of simple molecular solutes. Three alternative definitions for the small-to-large crossover length-scale of hydrophobic hydration are proposed, and their temperature dependence is obtained. Depending on the definition and temperature, the small-to-large crossover in the hydration mechanism is predicted to occur for hydrophobes of radii from one to several nanometers. Independent of its definition, the crossover length-scale is predicted to decrease with increasing temperature.« less

Skating crossovers on a motorized flywheel: a preliminary experimental design to test effect on speed and on crossovers.

PubMed

Smith, Aynsley M; Krause, David A; Stuart, Michael J; Montelpare, William J; Sorenson, Matthew C; Link, Andrew A; Gaz, Daniel V; Twardowski, Casey P; Larson, Dirk R; Stuart, Michael B

2013-12-01

Ice hockey requires frequent skater crossovers to execute turns. Our investigation aimed to determine the effectiveness of training crossovers on a motorized, polyethylene high-resistance flywheel. We hypothesized that high school hockey players training on the flywheel would perform as well as their peers training on ice. Participants were 23 male high-school hockey players (age 15-19 years). The study used an experimental prospective design to compare players who trained for 9 sessions on the 22-foot flywheel with players who trained for 9 sessions on a similarly sized on-ice circle. Both groups were compared with control subjects who were randomly selected from the same participant pool as those training on ice. All players were tested before and after their 3-week training regimens, and control subjects were asked to not practice crossovers between testing. Group 1 trained in a hockey training facility housing the flywheel, and group 2 trained in the ice hockey arena where testing occurred. Primary outcome measures tested in both directions were: (a) speed (time in seconds) required to skate crossovers for 3 laps of a marked face-off circle, (b) cadence of skating crossovers on the similarly sized circles, and (c) a repeat interval speed test, which measures anaerobic power. No significant changes were found between groups in on-ice testing before and after training. Among the group 1 players, 7 of 8 believed they benefited from flywheel training. Group 2 players, who trained on ice, did not improve performance significantly over group 1 players. Despite the fact that no significant on-ice changes in performance were observed in objective measures, players who trained on the flywheel subjectively reported that the flywheel is an effective cost-effective alternative to training on ice. This is a relevant finding when placed in context with limited availability of on-ice training.

On the connection between financial processes with stochastic volatility and nonextensive statistical mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Queirós, S. M. D.; Tsallis, C.

2005-11-01

The GARCH algorithm is the most renowned generalisation of Engle's original proposal for modelising returns, the ARCH process. Both cases are characterised by presenting a time dependent and correlated variance or volatility. Besides a memory parameter, b, (present in ARCH) and an independent and identically distributed noise, ω, GARCH involves another parameter, c, such that, for c=0, the standard ARCH process is reproduced. In this manuscript we use a generalised noise following a distribution characterised by an index qn, such that qn=1 recovers the Gaussian distribution. Matching low statistical moments of GARCH distribution for returns with a q-Gaussian distribution obtained through maximising the entropy Sq=1-sumipiq/q-1, basis of nonextensive statistical mechanics, we obtain a sole analytical connection between q and left( b,c,qnright) which turns out to be remarkably good when compared with computational simulations. With this result we also derive an analytical approximation for the stationary distribution for the (squared) volatility. Using a generalised Kullback-Leibler relative entropy form based on Sq, we also analyse the degree of dependence between successive returns, zt and zt+1, of GARCH(1,1) processes. This degree of dependence is quantified by an entropic index, qop. Our analysis points the existence of a unique relation between the three entropic indexes qop, q and qn of the problem, independent of the value of (b,c).

The effect of opponent type on human performance in a three-alternative choice task.

PubMed

Lie, Celia; Baxter, Jennifer; Alsop, Brent

2013-10-01

Adult participants played computerised games of "Paper Scissors Rock". Participants in one group were told that they were playing against the computer, and those in the other group were told that they were playing against another participant in the adjacent room. The participant who won the most games would receive a $50 prize. For both groups however, the opponent's responses (paper, scissors, or rock) were generated by the computer, and the distribution of these responses was varied across four blocks of 126 trials. Results were analysed using the generalised matching law for the three possible pairs of alternatives (paper vs. scissors, paper vs. rock, and scissors vs. rock) across all participants in each group. Overall, significantly higher estimates of sensitivity to the distribution of opponent's responses were obtained from participants who were told their opponent was a computer compared to participants who were told their opponent was another participant. While adding to the existing literature showing that the generalised matching law is an adequate descriptor of human three-alternative choice behaviour, these findings show that external factors such as perceived opponent type can affect the efficacy of reinforcer contingencies on human behaviour. This suggests that generalising the results from tasks performed against a computer to real-life human-to-human interactions warrants some caution. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Striving for safety: communicating and deciding in sociotechnical systems

PubMed Central

Flach, John M.; Carroll, John S.; Dainoff, Marvin J.; Hamilton, W. Ian

2015-01-01

How do communications and decisions impact the safety of sociotechnical systems? This paper frames this question in the context of a dynamic system of nested sub-systems. Communications are related to the construct of observability (i.e. how components integrate information to assess the state with respect to local and global constraints). Decisions are related to the construct of controllability (i.e. how component sub-systems act to meet local and global safety goals). The safety dynamics of sociotechnical systems are evaluated as a function of the coupling between observability and controllability across multiple closed-loop components. Two very different domains (nuclear power and the limited service food industry) provide examples to illustrate how this framework might be applied. While the dynamical systems framework does not offer simple prescriptions for achieving safety, it does provide guides for exploring specific systems to consider the potential fit between organisational structures and work demands, and for generalising across different systems regarding how safety can be managed. Practitioner Summary: While offering no simple prescriptions about how to achieve safety in sociotechnical systems, this paper develops a theoretical framework based on dynamical systems theory as a practical guide for generalising from basic research to work domains and for generalising across alternative work domains to better understand how patterns of communication and decision-making impact system safety. PMID:25761155

Tides in a body librating about a spin-orbit resonance: generalisation of the Darwin-Kaula theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frouard, Julien; Efroimsky, Michael

2017-09-01

The Darwin-Kaula theory of bodily tides is intended for celestial bodies rotating without libration. We demonstrate that this theory, in its customary form, is inapplicable to a librating body. Specifically, in the presence of libration in longitude, the actual spectrum of Fourier tidal modes differs from the conventional spectrum rendered by the Darwin-Kaula theory for a nonlibrating celestial object. This necessitates derivation of formulae for the tidal torque and the tidal heating rate, that are applicable under libration. We derive the tidal spectrum for longitudinal forced libration with one and two main frequencies, generalisation to more main frequencies being straightforward. (By main frequencies we understand those emerging due to the triaxiality of the librating body.) Separately, we consider a case of free libration at one frequency (once again, generalisation to more frequencies being straightforward). We also calculate the tidal torque. This torque provides correction to the triaxiality-caused physical libration. Our theory is not self-consistent: we assume that the tidal torque is much smaller than the permanent-triaxiality-caused torque, so the additional libration due to tides is much weaker than the main libration due to the permanent triaxiality. Finally, we calculate the tidal dissipation rate in a body experiencing forced libration at the main mode, or free libration at one frequency, or superimposed forced and free librations.

[Generalized tendomyopathy (fibromyalgia): differential diagnosis, therapy and prognosis].

PubMed

Schmidt, K L

1991-08-01

The generalised tendomyopathy is one of the most variegated and fascinating disease of man. The unusual constellation and combination of symptoms constrain to the differential-diagnostic demarcation of a great number of rheumatic and non-rheumatic diseases. While the rheumatic polymyalgia and myositis are easily to be demarcated, the decision between a primary and secondary generalised tendomyopathy can be difficult. In individual cases a classical tendomyopathy can be accompanied by antinuclear factors and then it is at the earliest a "collagenosis the state of waiting". The therapy of tendomyopathy is altogether unsatisfactory. All forms of therapy (medicamentous, physical, psychotherapy) help at the utmost in 50%. Surprisingly, on the part of the medicaments the non-steroidal antiphlogistic drugs and the glucocorticoids in most cases completely fail, and also the physical therapy is frequently not tolerated and/or has only a short duration of effect. The more important are the influence on possible evoking factors, the optimization of the social background and the utilization of the possibilities of the "secondary prevention" (balneotherapy in a health resort, sauna bath, Kneipp's applications, change of the living and working conditions, easy sports activities). Since the disease is frequent, but not yet known in general, it should be made better acquainted among the physicians. The generalised tendomyopathy is and remains a cardinal problem not only of rheumatology, but of the physician's working-day in general.

Biodynamic modelling of the accumulation of Ag, Cd and Zn by the deposit-feeding polychaete Nereis diversicolor: inter-population variability and a generalised predictive model.

PubMed

Kalman, J; Smith, B D; Riba, I; Blasco, J; Rainbow, P S

2010-06-01

Biodynamic parameters of the ragworm Nereis diversicolor from southern Spain and south England were experimentally derived to assess the inter-population variability of physiological parameters of the bioaccumulation of Ag, Cd and Zn from water and sediment. Although there were some limited variations, these were not consistent with the local metal bioavailability nor with temperature changes. Incorporating the biodynamic parameters into a defined biodynamic model, confirmed that sediment is the predominant source of Cd and Zn accumulated by the worms, accounting in each case for 99% of the overall accumulated metals, whereas the contribution of dissolved Ag to the total accumulated by the worm increased from about 27 to about 53% with increasing dissolved Ag concentration. Standardised values of metal-specific parameters were chosen to generate a generalised model to be extended to N. diversicolor populations across a wide geographical range from western Europe to North Africa. According to the assumptions of this model, predicted steady state concentrations of Cd and Zn in N. diversicolor were overestimated, those of Ag underestimated, but still comparable to independent field measurements. We conclude that species-specific physiological metal bioaccumulation parameters are relatively constant over large geographical distances, and a single generalised biodynamic model does have potential to predict accumulated Ag, Cd and Zn concentrations in this polychaete from a single sediment metal concentration.

Cortical feedback signals generalise across different spatial frequencies of feedforward inputs.

PubMed

Revina, Yulia; Petro, Lucy S; Muckli, Lars

2017-09-22

Visual processing in cortex relies on feedback projections contextualising feedforward information flow. Primary visual cortex (V1) has small receptive fields and processes feedforward information at a fine-grained spatial scale, whereas higher visual areas have larger, spatially invariant receptive fields. Therefore, feedback could provide coarse information about the global scene structure or alternatively recover fine-grained structure by targeting small receptive fields in V1. We tested if feedback signals generalise across different spatial frequencies of feedforward inputs, or if they are tuned to the spatial scale of the visual scene. Using a partial occlusion paradigm, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) we investigated whether feedback to V1 contains coarse or fine-grained information by manipulating the spatial frequency of the scene surround outside an occluded image portion. We show that feedback transmits both coarse and fine-grained information as it carries information about both low (LSF) and high spatial frequencies (HSF). Further, feedback signals containing LSF information are similar to feedback signals containing HSF information, even without a large overlap in spatial frequency bands of the HSF and LSF scenes. Lastly, we found that feedback carries similar information about the spatial frequency band across different scenes. We conclude that cortical feedback signals contain information which generalises across different spatial frequencies of feedforward inputs. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High intra-specific variation in avian body condition responses to climate limits generalisation across species

PubMed Central

van der Jeugd, Henk P.; van de Pol, Martijn

2018-01-01

It is generally assumed that populations of a species will have similar responses to climate change, and thereby that a single value of sensitivity will reflect species-specific responses. However, this assumption is rarely systematically tested. High intraspecific variation will have consequences for identifying species- or population-level traits that can predict differences in sensitivity, which in turn can affect the reliability of projections of future climate change impacts. We investigate avian body condition responses to changes in six climatic variables and how consistent and generalisable these responses are both across and within species, using 21 years of data from 46 common passerines across 80 Dutch sites. We show that body condition decreases with warmer spring/early summer temperatures and increases with higher humidity, but other climate variables do not show consistent trends across species. In the future, body condition is projected to decrease by 2050, mainly driven by temperature effects. Strikingly, populations of the same species generally responded just as differently as populations of different species implying that a single species signal is not meaningful. Consequently, species-level traits did not explain interspecific differences in sensitivities, rather population-level traits were more important. The absence of a clear species signal in body condition responses implies that generalisation and identifying species for conservation prioritisation is problematic, which sharply contrasts conclusions of previous studies on the climate sensitivity of phenology. PMID:29466460

Three-cable barrier makes I-5 safer.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-08-01

The cable median barrier system has been effective in preventing crossover accidents at the selected location, from December 1996 through March 1998. Of the 53 barrier impacts, 21 potential crossovers were restrained from entering the opposing traffi...

Electronic bidirectional valve circuit prevents crossover distortion and threshold effect

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kernick, A.

1966-01-01

Four-terminal network forms a bidirectional valve which will switch or alternate an ac signal without crossover distortion or threshold effect. In this network, an isolated control signal is sufficient for circuit turn-on.

Hadron-quark crossover and hot neutron stars at birth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masuda, Kota; Hatsuda, Tetsuo; Takatsuka, Tatsuyuki

2016-02-01

We construct a new isentropic equation of state (EOS) at finite temperature, "CRover," on the basis of the hadron-quark crossover at high density. By using the new EOS, we study the structure of hot neutron stars at birth with typical lepton fraction (Y_l=0.3-0.4) and typical entropy per baryon (hat {S}=1{-}2). Due to the gradual appearance of quark degrees of freedom at high density, the temperature T and the baryon density ρ at the center of hot neutron stars with hadron-quark crossover are found to be smaller than those without the crossover by a factor of two or more. Typical energy release due to the contraction of a hot neutron star to a cold neutron star with mass M=1.4 M_{⊙} is shown to be about 0.04 M_{⊙}, with a spin-up rate of about 14%.

Tuning across the BCS-BEC crossover in superconducting Fe1+ySexTe1-x : An angle-resolved photoemission study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rinott, Shahar; Ribak, Amit; Chashka, Khanan; Randeria, Mohit; Kanigel, Amit

The crossover from Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superconductivity to Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) was never realized in quantum materials. It is difficult to realize because, unlike in ultra cold atoms, one cannot tune the pairing interaction. We realize the BCS-BEC crossover in a nearly compensated semimetal Fe1+ySexTe1-x by tuning the Fermi energy ɛF via chemical doping, which permits us to systematically change Δ /ɛF from 0 . 16 to 0 . 50 , where Δ is the superconducting (SC) gap. We use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to measure the Fermi energy, the SC gap and characteristic changes in the SC state electronic dispersion as the system evolves from a BCS to a BEC regime. Our results raise important questions about the crossover in multi-band superconductors which go beyond those addressed in the context of cold atoms.

Magnetic properties of the Fe{sup II} spin crossover complex in emulsion polymerization of trifluoroethylmethacrylate using poly(vinyl alcohol)

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

Suzuki, Atsushi, E-mail: suzuki@mat.usp.ac.j; Iguchi, Motoi; Oku, Takeo

2010-04-15

Influence of chemical substitution in the Fe{sup II} spin crossover complex on magnetic properties in emulsion polymerization of trifluoroethylmethacrylate using poly(vinyl alcohol) as a protective colloid was investigated near its high spin/low spin (HS/LS) phase transition. The obvious bi-stability of the HS/LS phase transition was considered by the identification of multiple spin states between the quintet (S=2) states to single state (S=0) across the excited triplet state (S=1). Magnetic parameters of gradual shifts of anisotropy g-tensor supported by the molecular distortion of the spin crossover complex would arise from a Jahn-Teller effect regarding ligand field theory on the basis ofmore » a B3LYP density functional theory using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrum and X-ray powder diffraction. - Graphical abstract: AFM surface image of the emulsion particles with the spin crossover complex.« less

Superconducting Vacuum-Gap Crossovers for High Performance Microwave Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Denis, Kevin L.; Brown, Ari D.; Chang, Meng-Ping; Hu, Ron; U-Yen, Kongpop; Wollack, Edward J.

2016-01-01

The design and fabrication of low-loss wide-bandwidth superconducting vacuum-gap crossovers for high performance millimeter wave applications are described. In order to reduce ohmic and parasitic losses at millimeter wavelengths a vacuum gap is preferred relative to dielectric spacer. Here, vacuum-gap crossovers were realized by using a sacrificial polymer layer followed by niobium sputter deposition optimized for coating coverage over an underlying niobium signal layer. Both coplanar waveguide and microstrip crossover topologies have been explored in detail. The resulting fabrication process is compatible with a bulk micro-machining process for realizing waveguide coupled detectors, which includes sacrificial wax bonding, and wafer backside deep reactive ion etching for creation of leg isolated silicon membrane structures. Release of the vacuum gap structures along with the wax bonded wafer after DRIE is implemented in the same process step used to complete the detector fabrication. ?

Compression of a multiphase mantle assemblage: Effects of undesirable stress and stress annealing on the iron spin state crossover in ferropericlase: Stresses and HS-LS Crossover in (Mg,Fe)O

DOE PAGES

Glazyrin, Konstantin; Miyajima, Nobuyoshi; Smith, Jesse S.; ...

2016-05-30

Using synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction, we explore characteristic signatures for nonhydrostaticstresses and their effect on the spin state crossover of ferrous iron in (Mg, Fe)O ferropericlase (Fp) uponcompression in a two-phase mixture which includes an Al- and Fe-bearing bridgmanite (Bm). Here, we observe aninfluence of nonhydrostatic stresses on the spin state crossover starting pressure and width. The undesirablestresses discussed here include uniaxial deviatoric stress evolving in the diamond anvil cell and effects ofintergrain interaction. And while the former leads to a pressure overestimation, the latter one lowers the pressure ofthe onset for the high-spin to low-spin electronic transition in Fe 2+more » in ferropericlase (Mg, Fe)O with respect tohydrostatic conditions.« less

The occurrence of double strand DNA breaks is not the sole condition for meiotic crossing over in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Portin, P; Rantanen, M

2000-01-01

Analysis of the interchromosomal effects of In(2L + 2R)Cy, In(3L + 3R)LVM and their joint effect on the frequencies of single and double crossovers in the cv-v-f region of the X chromosome as well as interference showed that both inversions, occurring separately, increased the frequency of single as well as double crossovers and the coefficient of coincidence. However, when the inversions occurred together the frequencies of single crossovers no longer increased, but the frequency of double crossovers, as well as the coefficient of coincidence did increase. These results indicate firstly that the interchromosomal effects influence some precondition of exchange, but that this precondition is not an occurrence of double strand DNA breaks. Thus, the occurrence of double strand DNA breaks is not the sole condition for crossing over in Drosophila melanogaster.

Repression of harmful meiotic recombination in centromeric regions

PubMed Central

Nambiar, Mridula; Smith, Gerald R.

2016-01-01

During the first division of meiosis, segregation of homologous chromosomes reduces the chromosome number by half. In most species, sister chromatid cohesion and reciprocal recombination (crossing-over) between homologous chromosomes are essential to provide tension to signal proper chromosome segregation during the first meiotic division. Crossovers are not distributed uniformly throughout the genome and are repressed at and near the centromeres. Rare crossovers that occur too near or in the centromere interfere with proper segregation and can give rise to aneuploid progeny, which can be severely defective or inviable. We review here how crossing-over occurs and how it is prevented in and around the centromeres. Molecular mechanisms of centromeric repression are only now being elucidated. However, rapid advances in understanding crossing-over, chromosome structure, and centromere functions promise to explain how potentially deleterious crossovers are avoided in certain chromosomal regions while allowing beneficial crossovers in others. PMID:26849908

Low temperature thermoelectric properties of Bi2-xSbxTeSe2 crystals near the n-p crossover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuccillo, M. K.; Charles, M. E.; Hor, Y. S.; Jia, Shuang; Cava, R. J.

2012-07-01

Seebeck coefficients, electrical resistivities, thermal conductivities and figure of merit ZT of Bi2-xSbxTeSe2 crystals (x=0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2) measured along the hexagonal basal plane are presented. The crystals gradually change from n- to p-type with increasing Sb content, with the crossover lying in the region between x=1.0 and 1.1. The crossover is accounted for by a simple (p-n) electron-hole compensation model, as supported by carrier concentrations determined from Hall measurements. ZT was found to be maximized near the crossover on the p-type side, with the high electrical resistance of the Se-rich crystals apparently the limiting factor in the performance. These materials may serve as a basis for future nanostructuring or doping studies.

REC-1 and HIM-5 distribute meiotic crossovers and function redundantly in meiotic double-strand break formation in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Chung, George; Rose, Ann M; Petalcorin, Mark I R; Martin, Julie S; Kessler, Zebulin; Sanchez-Pulido, Luis; Ponting, Chris P; Yanowitz, Judith L; Boulton, Simon J

2015-09-15

The Caenorhabditis elegans gene rec-1 was the first genetic locus identified in metazoa to affect the distribution of meiotic crossovers along the chromosome. We report that rec-1 encodes a distant paralog of HIM-5, which was discovered by whole-genome sequencing and confirmed by multiple genome-edited alleles. REC-1 is phosphorylated by cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) in vitro, and mutation of the CDK consensus sites in REC-1 compromises meiotic crossover distribution in vivo. Unexpectedly, rec-1; him-5 double mutants are synthetic-lethal due to a defect in meiotic double-strand break formation. Thus, we uncovered an unexpected robustness to meiotic DSB formation and crossover positioning that is executed by HIM-5 and REC-1 and regulated by phosphorylation. © 2015 Chung et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

New and old ways to control meiotic recombination.

PubMed

Phadnis, Naina; Hyppa, Randy W; Smith, Gerald R

2011-10-01

The unique segregation of homologs, rather than sister chromatids, at the first meiotic division requires the formation of crossovers (COs) between homologs by meiotic recombination in most species. Crossovers do not form at random along chromosomes. Rather, their formation is carefully controlled, both at the stage of formation of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that can initiate COs and during the repair of these DSBs. Here, we review control of DSB formation and two recently recognized controls of DSB repair: CO homeostasis and CO invariance. Crossover homeostasis maintains a constant number of COs per cell when the total number of DSBs in a cell is experimentally or stochastically reduced. Crossover invariance maintains a constant CO density (COs per kb of DNA) across much of the genome despite strong DSB hotspots in some intervals. These recently uncovered phenomena show that CO control is even more complex than previously suspected. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Are Emotions Transmitted From Work to Family? A Crossover Model of Psychological Contract Breach.

PubMed

Liang, Huai-Liang

2018-01-01

Based on affective events theory and the crossover model, this study examines the effect of psychological contract breach on employee dysfunctional behavior and partner family undermining and explores the crossover effect of employee dysfunctional behavior on partner family undermining in work-family issues. This study collected 370 employee-partner dyads (277 male employees, 93 female employees, M age = 43.59 years) from a large manufacturing organization. The results of this study support the conception that employees' psychological contract breach results in frustration in the workplace. In addition, mediation analysis results reveal that psychological contract breach relates to employee dysfunctional behavior in the workplace. The findings show that partners' psychological strain mediates the relationship between employee dysfunctional behavior and partner family undermining. Furthermore, these findings provide investigations for the crossover model to display the value of psychological contract breach in family issues.

Influence of the iron spin crossover in ferropericlase on the lower mantle geotherm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valencia-Cardona, Juan J.; Shukla, Gaurav; Wu, Zhongqing; Houser, Christine; Yuen, David A.; Wentzcovitch, Renata M.

2017-05-01

The iron spin crossover in ferropericlase introduces anomalies in its thermodynamics and thermoelastic properties. Here we investigate how these anomalies can affect the lower mantle geotherm using thermodynamics properties from ab initio calculations. The anomalous effect is examined in mantle aggregates consisting of mixtures of bridgmanite, ferropericlase, and CaSiO3 perovskite, with different Mg/Si ratios varying from harzburgitic to perovskitic (Mg/Si ˜ 1.5 to 0.8). We find that the anomalies introduced by the spin crossover increase the isentropic gradient and thus the geotherm proportionally to the amount of ferropericlase. The geotherms can be as much as ˜200 K hotter than the conventional adiabatic geotherm at deep lower mantle conditions. Aggregate elastic moduli and seismic velocities are also sensitive to the spin crossover and the geotherm, which impacts analyses of lower mantle velocities and composition.

Specific heat and effects of strong pairing fluctuations in a superfluid Fermi atom gas in the BCS-BEC crossover region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Wyk, Pieter; Inotani, Daisuke; Ohashi, Yoji

2018-03-01

We theoretically investigate the specific heat at constant volume C V in the BCS(Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer)-BEC(Bose-Einstein-condensation)-crossover regime of an ultracold Fermi gas, below the superfluid phase transition temperature T c. Within the strong-coupling framework developed by Nozières and Schmitt-Rink, we show that the temperature dependence of C V drastically changes as one passes through the crossover region, and is sensitive to strong fluctuations in the Cooper channel near the unitarity limit. We also compare our results to a recent experiment on a 6Li unitary Fermi gas. Since fluctuation effects are a crucial key in the BCS-BEC-crossover phenomenon, our results would be helpful in considering how the fermionic BCS superfluid changes into BEC with increasing the interaction strength, from the viewpoint of specific heat.

Strangeness at high temperatures: from hadrons to quarks.

PubMed

Bazavov, A; Ding, H-T; Hegde, P; Kaczmarek, O; Karsch, F; Laermann, E; Maezawa, Y; Mukherjee, Swagato; Ohno, H; Petreczky, P; Schmidt, C; Sharma, S; Soeldner, W; Wagner, M

2013-08-23

Appropriate combinations of up to fourth order cumulants of net strangeness fluctuations and their correlations with net baryon number and electric charge fluctuations, obtained from lattice QCD calculations, have been used to probe the strangeness carrying degrees of freedom at high temperatures. For temperatures up to the chiral crossover, separate contributions of strange mesons and baryons can be well described by an uncorrelated gas of hadrons. Such a description breaks down in the chiral crossover region, suggesting that the deconfinement of strangeness takes place at the chiral crossover. On the other hand, the strangeness carrying degrees of freedom inside the quark gluon plasma can be described by a weakly interacting gas of quarks only for temperatures larger than twice the chiral crossover temperature. In the intermediate temperature window, these observables show considerably richer structures, indicative of the strongly interacting nature of the quark gluon plasma.

Patient profiling can identify patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) at risk for conversion from nonoperative to surgical treatment: initial steps to reduce ineffective ASD management.

PubMed

Passias, Peter G; Jalai, Cyrus M; Line, Breton G; Poorman, Gregory W; Scheer, Justin K; Smith, Justin S; Shaffrey, Christopher I; Burton, Douglas C; Fu, Kai-Ming G; Klineberg, Eric O; Hart, Robert A; Schwab, Frank; Lafage, Virginie; Bess, Shay

2018-02-01

Non-operative management is a common initial treatment for patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) despite reported superiority of surgery with regard to outcomes. Ineffective medical care is a large source of resource drain on the health system. Characterization of patients with ASD likely to elect for operative treatment from non-operative management may allow for more efficient patient counseling and cost savings. This study aimed to identify deformity and disability characteristics of patients with ASD who ultimately convert to operative treatment compared with those who remain non-operative and those who initially choose surgery. A retrospective review was carried out. A total of 510 patients with ASD (189 non-operative, 321 operative) with minimum 2-year follow-up comprised the patient sample. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Short-Form 36 Health Assessment (SF-36), Scoliosis Research Society questionnaire (SRS-22r), and spinopelvic radiographic alignment were the outcome measures. Demographic, radiographic, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) from a cohort of patients with ASD prospectively enrolled into a multicenter database were evaluated. Patients were divided into three treatment cohorts: Non-operative (NON=initial non-operative treatment and remained non-operative), Operative (OP=initial operative treatment), and Crossover (CROSS=initial non-operative treatment with subsequent conversion to operative treatment). NON and OP groups were propensity score-matched (PSM) to CROSS for baseline demographics (age, body mass index, Charlson Comorbidity Index). Time to crossover was divided into early (<1 year) and late (>1 year). Outcome measures were compared across and within treatment groups at four time points (baseline, 6 weeks, 1 year, and 2 years). Following PSM, 118 patients were included (NON=39, OP=38, CROSS=41). Crossover rate was 21.7% (41/189). Mean time to crossover was 394 days. All groups had similar baseline sagittal alignment, but CROSS had larger pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis (PI-LL) mismatch than NON (11.9° vs. 3.1°, p=.032). CROSS and OP had similar baseline PROM scores; however, CROSS had worse baseline ODI, PCS, SRS-22r (p<.05). At time of crossover, CROSS had worse ODI (35.7 vs. 27.8) and SRS Satisfaction (2.6 vs. 3.3) compared with NON (p<.05). Alignment remained similar for CROSS from baseline to conversion; however, PROMs (ODI, PCS, SRS Activity/Pain/Total) worsened (p<.05). Early and late crossover evaluation demonstrated CROSS-early (n=25) had worsening ODI, SRS Activity/Pain at time of crossover (p<.05). From time of crossover to 2-year follow-up, CROSS-early had less SRS Appearance/Mental improvement compared with OP. Both CROSS-early/late had worse baseline, but greater improvements, in ODI, PCS, SRS Pain/Total compared with NON (p<.05). Baseline alignment and disability parameters increased crossover odds-Non with Schwab T/L/D curves and ODI≥40 (odds ratio [OR]: 3.05, p=.031), and Non with high PI-LL modifier grades ("+"/'++') and ODI≥40 (OR: 5.57, p=.007) were at increased crossover risk. High baseline and increasing disability over time drives conversion from non-operative to operative ASD care. CROSS patients had similar spinal deformity but worse PROMs than NON. CROSS achieved similar 2-year outcome scores as OP. Profiling at first visit for patients at risk of crossover may optimize physician counseling and cost savings. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The relationships between perfectionism, pathological worry and generalised anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Handley, Alicia K; Egan, Sarah J; Kane, Robert T; Rees, Clare S

2014-04-02

The relationships between perfectionism, pathological worry and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) were investigated in a clinical sample presenting for treatment of perfectionism. This study explored the utility of perfectionism in predicting pathological worry in a sample of individuals with elevated perfectionism and GAD (n = 36). Following this, the study examined whether perfectionism could predict a principal GAD diagnosis in the full sample (n = 42). Scores on the perfectionism dimensions Concern over Mistakes, Personal Standards, and Clinical Perfectionism significantly predicted pathological worry among participants with GAD after controlling for gender and depression. The perfectionism dimension Doubts about Actions significantly predicted whether individuals from the full sample received a principal diagnosis of GAD. These findings support certain dimensions of perfectionism having significant associations with pathological worry and GAD.

Contextual cuing: the effects of stimulus variation, intentionality, and aging.

PubMed

Lyon, John; Scialfa, Charles; Cordazzo, Scheila; Bubric, Katherine

2014-06-01

Three experiments investigated the generalisation of contextual cuing and whether the effect is incidental or intentional in nature. Experiment 1 assessed contextual cuing across variations in display contrast, homogeneity, and spatial separation. Cuing effects were found with all display types and reaction-time disruption was manifested for repeated displays when consistent configurations had their target locations altered. Recognition memory for repeated displays was at chance levels. Experiment 2 showed that contextual cuing was insensitive to instructions to search for and remember repeated displays. Experiment 2A found that there were no age differences in contextual cuing or effects of intentional instructions, and no memory for repeated displays. Future research questions concern the generalisation of contextual cuing to a wider variety of display conditions and naturalistic tasks.

The two ∇6 R 4 type invariants and their higher order generalisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bossard, Guillaume; Verschinin, Valentin

2015-07-01

We show that there are two distinct classes of ∇6 R 4 type supersymmetry invariants in maximal supergravity. The second class includes a coupling in F 2∇4 R 4 that generalises to 1/8 BPS protected F 2 k ∇4 R 4 couplings. We work out the supersymmetry constraints on the corresponding threshold functions, and argue that the functions in the second class satisfy to homogeneous differential equations for arbitrary k ≥ 1, such that the corresponding exact threshold functions in type II string theory should be proportional to Eisenstein series, which we identify. This analysis explains in particular that the exact ∇6 R 4 threshold function is the sum of an Eisenstein function and a solution to an inhomogeneous Poisson equation in string theory.

Nonlocal Symmetries, Conservation Laws and Interaction Solutions of the Generalised Dispersive Modified Benjamin-Bona-Mahony Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Xue-Wei; Tian, Shou-Fu; Dong, Min-Jie; Wang, Xiu-Bin; Zhang, Tian-Tian

2018-05-01

We consider the generalised dispersive modified Benjamin-Bona-Mahony equation, which describes an approximation status for long surface wave existed in the non-linear dispersive media. By employing the truncated Painlevé expansion method, we derive its non-local symmetry and Bäcklund transformation. The non-local symmetry is localised by a new variable, which provides the corresponding non-local symmetry group and similarity reductions. Moreover, a direct method can be provided to construct a kind of finite symmetry transformation via the classic Lie point symmetry of the normal prolonged system. Finally, we find that the equation is a consistent Riccati expansion solvable system. With the help of the Jacobi elliptic function, we get its interaction solutions between solitary waves and cnoidal periodic waves.

Topologically massive higher spin gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagchi, Arjun; Lal, Shailesh; Saha, Arunabha; Sahoo, Bindusar

2011-10-01

We look at the generalisation of topologically massive gravity (TMG) to higher spins, specifically spin-3. We find a special "chiral" point for the spin-three, analogous to the spin-two example, which actually coincides with the usual spin-two chiral point. But in contrast to usual TMG, there is the presence of a non-trivial trace and its logarithmic partner at the chiral point. The trace modes carry energy opposite in sign to the traceless modes. The logarithmic partner of the traceless mode carries negative energy indicating an instability at the chiral point. We make several comments on the asymptotic symmetry and its possible deformations at this chiral point and speculate on the higher spin generalisation of LCFT2 dual to the spin-3 massive gravity at the chiral point.

Anxiety management groups in clinical practice.

PubMed

Childs-Clarke, A; Whitfield, W; Cadbury, S; Sandu, S

Anxiety symptoms are commonly reported both in patients and in the general population. There is also increasing concern being expressed over the widespread use of prescribed anxiolytics. This has encouraged the development of psychological interventions for both specific and generalised anxiety. In this paper, 29 patients, most of whom suffered from generalised or free-floating anxiety, were treated in small groups as part of a staff training programme. Their treatment was standardised, and consisted of progressive muscular relaxation, cognitive therapy and an educational input as to the nature of anxiety. Two measures, the Spielberger Trait Scale and an individualised problem rating scale were completed before and after the group and at three months follow-up. All but one of the results was statistically significant. The implications of these results are discussed.

A Shock-Adaptive Godunov Scheme Based on the Generalised Lagrangian Formulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lepage, C. Y.; Hui, W. H.

1995-12-01

Application of the Godunov scheme to the Euler equations of gas dynamics based on the Eulerian formulation of flow smears discontinuities, sliplines especially, over several computational cells, while the accuracy in the smooth flow region is of the order O( h), where h is the cell width. Based on the generalised Lagrangian formulation (GLF) of Hui et al., the Godunov scheme yields superior accuracy. By the use of coordinate streamlines in the GLF, the slipline—itself a streamline—is resolved crisply. Infinite shock resolution is achieved through the splitting of shock-cells. An improved entropy-conservation formulation of the governing equations is also proposed for computations in smooth flow regions. Finally, the use of the GLF substantially simplifies the programming logic resulting in a very robust, accurate, and efficient scheme.

Generalised solutions for fully nonlinear PDE systems and existence-uniqueness theorems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katzourakis, Nikos

2017-07-01

We introduce a new theory of generalised solutions which applies to fully nonlinear PDE systems of any order and allows for merely measurable maps as solutions. This approach bypasses the standard problems arising by the application of Distributions to PDEs and is not based on either integration by parts or on the maximum principle. Instead, our starting point builds on the probabilistic representation of derivatives via limits of difference quotients in the Young measures over a toric compactification of the space of jets. After developing some basic theory, as a first application we consider the Dirichlet problem and we prove existence-uniqueness-partial regularity of solutions to fully nonlinear degenerate elliptic 2nd order systems and also existence of solutions to the ∞-Laplace system of vectorial Calculus of Variations in L∞.

The effect of a sequential structure of practice for the training of perceptual-cognitive skills in tennis

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Objective Anticipation of opponent actions, through the use of advanced (i.e., pre-event) kinematic information, can be trained using video-based temporal occlusion. Typically, this involves isolated opponent skills/shots presented as trials in a random order. However, two different areas of research concerning representative task design and contextual (non-kinematic) information, suggest this structure of practice restricts expert performance. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a sequential structure of practice during video-based training of anticipatory behavior in tennis, as well as the transfer of these skills to the performance environment. Methods In a pre-practice-retention-transfer design, participants viewed life-sized video of tennis rallies across practice in either a sequential order (sequential group), in which participants were exposed to opponent skills/shots in the order they occur in the sport, or a non-sequential (non-sequential group) random order. Results In the video-based retention test, the sequential group was significantly more accurate in their anticipatory judgments when the retention condition replicated the sequential structure compared to the non-sequential group. In the non-sequential retention condition, the non-sequential group was more accurate than the sequential group. In the field-based transfer test, overall decision time was significantly faster in the sequential group compared to the non-sequential group. Conclusion Findings highlight the benefits of a sequential structure of practice for the transfer of anticipatory behavior in tennis. We discuss the role of contextual information, and the importance of representative task design, for the testing and training of perceptual-cognitive skills in sport. PMID:28355263

Inter-rater agreement in evaluation of disability: systematic review of reproducibility studies

PubMed Central

Barth, Jürgen; de Boer, Wout E L; Busse, Jason W; Hoving, Jan L; Kedzia, Sarah; Couban, Rachel; Fischer, Katrin; von Allmen, David Y; Spanjer, Jerry

2017-01-01

Objectives To explore agreement among healthcare professionals assessing eligibility for work disability benefits. Design Systematic review and narrative synthesis of reproducibility studies. Data sources Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO searched up to 16 March 2016, without language restrictions, and review of bibliographies of included studies. Eligibility criteria Observational studies investigating reproducibility among healthcare professionals performing disability evaluations using a global rating of working capacity and reporting inter-rater reliability by a statistical measure or descriptively. Studies could be conducted in insurance settings, where decisions on ability to work include normative judgments based on legal considerations, or in research settings, where decisions on ability to work disregard normative considerations.Teams of paired reviewers identified eligible studies, appraised their methodological quality and generalisability, and abstracted results with pretested forms. As heterogeneity of research designs and findings impeded a quantitative analysis, a descriptive synthesis stratified by setting (insurance or research) was performed. Results From 4562 references, 101 full text articles were reviewed. Of these, 16 studies conducted in an insurance setting and seven in a research setting, performed in 12 countries, met the inclusion criteria. Studies in the insurance setting were conducted with medical experts assessing claimants who were actual disability claimants or played by actors, hypothetical cases, or short written scenarios. Conditions were mental (n=6, 38%), musculoskeletal (n=4, 25%), or mixed (n=6, 38%). Applicability of findings from studies conducted in an insurance setting to real life evaluations ranged from generalisable (n=7, 44%) and probably generalisable (n=3, 19%) to probably not generalisable (n=6, 37%). Median inter-rater reliability among experts was 0.45 (range intraclass correlation coefficient 0.86 to κ−0.10). Inter-rater reliability was poor in six studies (37%) and excellent in only two (13%). This contrasts with studies conducted in the research setting, where the median inter-rater reliability was 0.76 (range 0.91-0.53), and 71% (5/7) studies achieved excellent inter-rater reliability. Reliability between assessing professionals was higher when the evaluation was guided by a standardised instrument (23 studies, P=0.006). No such association was detected for subjective or chronic health conditions or the studies’ generalisability to real world evaluation of disability (P=0.46, 0.45, and 0.65, respectively). Conclusions Despite their common use and far reaching consequences for workers claiming disabling injury or illness, research on the reliability of medical evaluations of disability for work is limited and indicates high variation in judgments among assessing professionals. Standardising the evaluation process could improve reliability. Development and testing of instruments and structured approaches to improve reliability in evaluation of disability are urgently needed. PMID:28122727

Optimal design of work zone median crossovers.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-09-01

The use of temporary median crossovers in work zones allows for the closure of one side of a multi-lane roadway while : maintaining two-way traffic on the opposite side. This process provides the ability for construction and maintenance crews : to co...

Crossover And MTF Characteristics Of A Tabular-Grain X-Ray Film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huff, K. E.; Wagner, P. W.

1984-08-01

An orthochromatic x-ray film made with tabular silver halide grains has a significantly higher MTF when exposed with green-emitting intensifying screens than do conventional films with similar sensitometric properties. The primary reason for the improved MTF is a decrease in the amount of crossover exposure, i.e., exposure by light that has crossed the support one or more times. Two well-established sensitometric procedures for measuring crossover have been compared. One produces results accurate enough for calculations of MTF relationships. Calculated MTF relationships for tabulargrain and conventional films are compared with measured values.

Unidirectional ring lasers

DOEpatents

Hohimer, J.P.; Craft, D.C.

1994-09-20

Unidirectional ring lasers formed by integrating nonreciprocal optical elements into the resonant ring cavity is disclosed. These optical elements either attenuate light traveling in a nonpreferred direction or amplify light traveling in a preferred direction. In one preferred embodiment the resonant cavity takes the form of a circle with an S-shaped crossover waveguide connected to two points on the interior of the cavity such that light traveling in a nonpreferred direction is diverted from the cavity into the crossover waveguide and reinjected out of the other end of the crossover waveguide into the cavity as light traveling in the preferred direction. 21 figs.

Core structure of two-dimensional Fermi gas vortices in the BEC-BCS crossover region

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

Madeira, Lucas; Gandolfi, Stefano; Schmidt, Kevin E.

2017-05-02

We report T = 0 diffusion Monte Carlo results for the ground-state and vortex excitation of unpolarized spin-1/2 fermions in a two-dimensional disk. We investigate how vortex core structure properties behave over the BEC-BCS crossover. We calculate the vortex excitation energy, density pro les, and vortex core properties related to the current. We nd a density suppression at the vortex core on the BCS side of the crossover and a depleted core on the BEC limit. Size-effect dependencies in the disk geometry were carefully studied.

Dimensional crossover in fragmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sotolongo-Costa, Oscar; Rodriguez, Arezky H.; Rodgers, G. J.

2000-11-01

Experiments in which thick clay plates and glass rods are fractured have revealed different behavior of fragment mass distribution function in the small and large fragment regions. In this paper we explain this behavior using non-extensive Tsallis statistics and show how the crossover between the two regions is caused by the change in the fragments’ dimensionality during the fracture process. We obtain a physical criterion for the position of this crossover and an expression for the change in the power-law exponent between the small and large fragment regions. These predictions are in good agreement with the experiments on thick clay plates.

Investigation of crossover processes in a unitized bidirectional vanadium/air redox flow battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

grosse Austing, Jan; Nunes Kirchner, Carolina; Komsiyska, Lidiya; Wittstock, Gunther

2016-02-01

In this paper the losses in coulombic efficiency are investigated for a vanadium/air redox flow battery (VARFB) comprising a two-layered positive electrode. Ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy is used to monitor the concentrations cV2+ and cV3+ during operation. The most likely cause for the largest part of the coulombic losses is the permeation of oxygen from the positive to the negative electrode followed by an oxidation of V2+ to V3+. The total vanadium crossover is followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) analysis of the positive electrolyte after one VARFB cycle. During one cycle 6% of the vanadium species initially present in the negative electrolyte are transferred to the positive electrolyte, which can account at most for 20% of the coulombic losses. The diffusion coefficients of V2+ and V3+ through Nafion® 117 are determined as DV2+ ,N 117 = 9.05 ·10-6 cm2 min-1 and DV3+ ,N 117 = 4.35 ·10-6 cm2 min-1 and are used to calculate vanadium crossover due to diffusion which allows differentiation between vanadium crossover due to diffusion and migration/electroosmotic convection. In order to optimize coulombic efficiency of VARFB, membranes need to be designed with reduced oxygen permeation and vanadium crossover.

Work-family enrichment, work-family conflict, and marital satisfaction: a dyadic analysis.

PubMed

van Steenbergen, Elianne F; Kluwer, Esther S; Karney, Benjamin R

2014-04-01

This study was designed to examine whether spouses' work-to-family (WF) enrichment experiences account for their own and their partner's marital satisfaction, beyond the effects of WF conflict. Data were collected from both partners of 215 dual-earner couples with children. As hypothesized, structural equation modeling revealed that WF enrichment experiences accounted for variance in individuals' marital satisfaction, over and above WF conflict. In line with our predictions, this positive link between individuals' WF enrichment and their marital satisfaction was mediated by more positive marital behavior, and more positive perceptions of the partner's behavior. Furthermore, evidence for crossover was found. Husbands who experienced more WF enrichment were found to show more marital positivity (according to their wives), which related to increased marital satisfaction in their wives. No evidence of such a crossover effect from wives to husbands was found. The current findings not only highlight the added value of studying positive spillover and crossover effects of work into the marriage, but also suggest that positive spillover and crossover effects on marital satisfaction might be stronger than negative spillover and crossover are. These results imply that organizational initiatives of increasing job enrichment may make employees' marital life happier and can contribute to a happy, healthy, and high-performing workforce.

The effect of high intensity exercise and anticipation on trunk and lower limb biomechanics during a crossover cutting manoeuvre.

PubMed

Whyte, Enda F; Richter, Chris; O'connor, Siobhan; Moran, Kieran A

2018-04-01

We investigated the effects of high intensity, intermittent exercise (HIIP) and anticipation on trunk, pelvic and lower limb biomechanics during a crossover cutting manoeuvre. Twenty-eight male, varsity athletes performed crossover cutting manoeuvres in anticipated and unanticipated conditions pre- and post-HIIP. Kinematic and kinetic variables were captured using a motion analysis system. Statistical parametric mapping (repeated-measures ANOVA) was used to identify differences in biomechanical patterns. Results demonstrated that both unanticipation and fatigue (HIIP) altered the biomechanics of the crossover cutting manoeuvre, whereas no interactions effects were observed. Unanticipation resulted in less trunk and pelvic side flexion in the direction of cut (d = 0.70 - 0.79). This led to increased hip abductor and external rotator moments and increased knee extensor and valgus moments with small effects (d = 0.24-0.42), potentially increasing ACL strain. The HIIP resulted in trivial to small effects only with a decrease in internal knee rotator and extensor moment and decreased knee power absorption (d = 0.35), reducing potential ACL strain. The effect of trunk and hip control exercises in unanticipated conditions on the crossover cutting manoeuvre should be investigated with a view to refining ACL injury prevention programmes.

Dynamic crossover in deeply cooled water confined in MCM-41 at 4 kbar and its relation to the liquid-liquid transition hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhe; Le, Peisi; Ito, Kanae; Leão, Juscelino B.; Tyagi, Madhusudan; Chen, Sow-Hsin

2015-09-01

With quasi-elastic neutron scattering, we study the single-particle dynamics of the water confined in a hydrophilic silica material, MCM-41, at 4 kbar. A dynamic crossover phenomenon is observed at 219 K. We compare this dynamic crossover with the one observed at ambient pressure and find that (a) above the crossover temperature, the temperature dependence of the characteristic relaxation time at ambient pressure exhibits a more evident super-Arrhenius behavior than that at 4 kbar. Especially, at temperatures below about 230 K, the relaxation time at 4 kbar is even smaller than that at ambient pressure. This feature is different from many other liquids. (b) Below the crossover temperature, the Arrhenius behavior found at ambient pressure has a larger activation energy compared to the one found at 4 kbar. We ascribe the former to the difference between the local structure of the low-density liquid (LDL) phase and that of the high-density liquid (HDL) phase, and the latter to the difference between the strength of the hydrogen bond of the LDL and that of the HDL. Therefore, we conclude that the phenomena observed in this paper are consistent with the LDL-to-HDL liquid-liquid transition hypothesis.

Dynamic crossover in deeply cooled water confined in MCM-41 at 4 kbar and its relation to the liquid-liquid transition hypothesis

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

Wang, Zhe; Le, Peisi; Ito, Kanae

With quasi-elastic neutron scattering, we study the single-particle dynamics of the water confined in a hydrophilic silica material, MCM-41, at 4 kbar. A dynamic crossover phenomenon is observed at 219 K. We compare this dynamic crossover with the one observed at ambient pressure and find that (a) above the crossover temperature, the temperature dependence of the characteristic relaxation time at ambient pressure exhibits a more evident super-Arrhenius behavior than that at 4 kbar. Especially, at temperatures below about 230 K, the relaxation time at 4 kbar is even smaller than that at ambient pressure. This feature is different from manymore » other liquids. (b) Below the crossover temperature, the Arrhenius behavior found at ambient pressure has a larger activation energy compared to the one found at 4 kbar. We ascribe the former to the difference between the local structure of the low-density liquid (LDL) phase and that of the high-density liquid (HDL) phase, and the latter to the difference between the strength of the hydrogen bond of the LDL and that of the HDL. Therefore, we conclude that the phenomena observed in this paper are consistent with the LDL-to-HDL liquid-liquid transition hypothesis.« less

The BCS-BEC crossover: From ultra-cold Fermi gases to nuclear systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strinati, Giancarlo Calvanese; Pieri, Pierbiagio; Röpke, Gerd; Schuck, Peter; Urban, Michael

2018-04-01

This report addresses topics and questions of common interest in the fields of ultra-cold gases and nuclear physics in the context of the BCS-BEC crossover. By this crossover, the phenomena of Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) superfluidity and Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC), which share the same kind of spontaneous symmetry breaking, are smoothly connected through the progressive reduction of the size of the fermion pairs involved as the fundamental entities in both phenomena. This size ranges, from large values when Cooper pairs are strongly overlapping in the BCS limit of a weak inter-particle attraction, to small values when composite bosons are non-overlapping in the BEC limit of a strong inter-particle attraction, across the intermediate unitarity limit where the size of the pairs is comparable with the average inter-particle distance. The BCS-BEC crossover has recently been realized experimentally, and essentially in all of its aspects, with ultra-cold Fermi gases. This realization, in turn, has raised the interest of the nuclear physics community in the crossover problem, since it represents an unprecedented tool to test fundamental and unanswered questions of nuclear many-body theory. Here, we focus on the several aspects of the BCS-BEC crossover, which are of broad joint interest to both ultra-cold Fermi gases and nuclear matter, and which will likely help to solve in the future some open problems in nuclear physics (concerning, for instance, neutron stars). Similarities and differences occurring in ultra-cold Fermi gases and nuclear matter will then be emphasized, not only about the relative phenomenologies but also about the theoretical approaches to be used in the two contexts. Common to both contexts is the fact that at zero temperature the BCS-BEC crossover can be described at the mean-field level with reasonable accuracy. At finite temperature, on the other hand, inclusion of pairing fluctuations beyond mean field represents an essential ingredient of the theory, especially in the normal phase where they account for precursor pairing effects. After an introduction to present the key concepts of the BCS-BEC crossover, this report discusses the mean-field treatment of the superfluid phase, both for homogeneous and inhomogeneous systems, as well as for symmetric (spin- or isospin-balanced) and asymmetric (spin- or isospin-imbalanced) matter. Pairing fluctuations in the normal phase are then considered, with their manifestations in thermodynamic and dynamic quantities. The last two Sections provide a more specialized discussion of the BCS-BEC crossover in ultra-cold Fermi gases and nuclear matter, respectively. The separate discussion in the two contexts aims at cross communicating to both communities topics and aspects which, albeit arising in one of the two fields, share a strong common interest.

Tracing regulatory routes in metabolism using generalised supply-demand analysis.

PubMed

Christensen, Carl D; Hofmeyr, Jan-Hendrik S; Rohwer, Johann M

2015-12-03

Generalised supply-demand analysis is a conceptual framework that views metabolism as a molecular economy. Metabolic pathways are partitioned into so-called supply and demand blocks that produce and consume a particular intermediate metabolite. By studying the response of these reaction blocks to perturbations in the concentration of the linking metabolite, different regulatory routes of interaction between the metabolite and its supply and demand blocks can be identified and their contribution quantified. These responses are mediated not only through direct substrate/product interactions, but also through allosteric effects. Here we subject previously published kinetic models of pyruvate metabolism in Lactococcus lactis and aspartate-derived amino acid synthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana to generalised supply-demand analysis. Multiple routes of regulation are brought about by different mechanisms in each model, leading to behavioural and regulatory patterns that are generally difficult to predict from simple inspection of the reaction networks depicting the models. In the pyruvate model the moiety-conserved cycles of ATP/ADP and NADH/NAD(+) allow otherwise independent metabolic branches to communicate. This causes the flux of one ATP-producing reaction block to increase in response to an increasing ATP/ADP ratio, while an NADH-consuming block flux decreases in response to an increasing NADH/NAD(+) ratio for certain ratio value ranges. In the aspartate model, aspartate semialdehyde can inhibit its supply block directly or by increasing the concentration of two amino acids (Lys and Thr) that occur as intermediates in demand blocks and act as allosteric inhibitors of isoenzymes in the supply block. These different routes of interaction from aspartate semialdehyde are each seen to contribute differently to the regulation of the aspartate semialdehyde supply block. Indirect routes of regulation between a metabolic intermediate and a reaction block that either produces or consumes this intermediate can play a much larger regulatory role than routes mediated through direct interactions. These indirect routes of regulation can also result in counter-intuitive metabolic behaviour. Performing generalised supply-demand analysis on two previously published models demonstrated the utility of this method as an entry point in the analysis of metabolic behaviour and the potential for obtaining novel results from previously analysed models by using new approaches.

Statistical Extremes of Turbulence and a Cascade Generalisation of Euler's Gyroscope Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tchiguirinskaia, Ioulia; Scherzer, Daniel

2016-04-01

Turbulence refers to a rather well defined hydrodynamical phenomenon uncovered by Reynolds. Nowadays, the word turbulence is used to designate the loss of order in many different geophysical fields and the related fundamental extreme variability of environmental data over a wide range of scales. Classical statistical techniques for estimating the extremes, being largely limited to statistical distributions, do not take into account the mechanisms generating such extreme variability. An alternative approaches to nonlinear variability are based on a fundamental property of the non-linear equations: scale invariance, which means that these equations are formally invariant under given scale transforms. Its specific framework is that of multifractals. In this framework extreme variability builds up scale by scale leading to non-classical statistics. Although multifractals are increasingly understood as a basic framework for handling such variability, there is still a gap between their potential and their actual use. In this presentation we discuss how to dealt with highly theoretical problems of mathematical physics together with a wide range of geophysical applications. We use Euler's gyroscope equation as a basic element in constructing a complex deterministic system that preserves not only the scale symmetry of the Navier-Stokes equations, but some more of their symmetries. Euler's equation has been not only the object of many theoretical investigations of the gyroscope device, but also generalised enough to become the basic equation of fluid mechanics. Therefore, there is no surprise that a cascade generalisation of this equation can be used to characterise the intermittency of turbulence, to better understand the links between the multifractal exponents and the structure of a simplified, but not simplistic, version of the Navier-Stokes equations. In a given way, this approach is similar to that of Lorenz, who studied how the flap of a butterfly wing could generate a cyclone with the help of a 3D ordinary differential system. Being well supported by the extensive numerical results, the cascade generalisation of Euler's gyroscope equation opens new horizons for predictability and predictions of processes having long-range dependences.

Sequential Syndrome Decoding of Convolutional Codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, I. S.; Truong, T. K.

1984-01-01

The algebraic structure of convolutional codes are reviewed and sequential syndrome decoding is applied to those codes. These concepts are then used to realize by example actual sequential decoding, using the stack algorithm. The Fano metric for use in sequential decoding is modified so that it can be utilized to sequentially find the minimum weight error sequence.

Robustness of the sequential lineup advantage.

PubMed

Gronlund, Scott D; Carlson, Curt A; Dailey, Sarah B; Goodsell, Charles A

2009-06-01

A growing movement in the United States and around the world involves promoting the advantages of conducting an eyewitness lineup in a sequential manner. We conducted a large study (N = 2,529) that included 24 comparisons of sequential versus simultaneous lineups. A liberal statistical criterion revealed only 2 significant sequential lineup advantages and 3 significant simultaneous advantages. Both sequential advantages occurred when the good photograph of the guilty suspect or either innocent suspect was in the fifth position in the sequential lineup; all 3 simultaneous advantages occurred when the poorer quality photograph of the guilty suspect or either innocent suspect was in the second position. Adjusting the statistical criterion to control for the multiple tests (.05/24) revealed no significant sequential advantages. Moreover, despite finding more conservative overall choosing for the sequential lineup, no support was found for the proposal that a sequential advantage was due to that conservative criterion shift. Unless lineups with particular characteristics predominate in the real world, there appears to be no strong preference for conducting lineups in either a sequential or a simultaneous manner. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

Spin Crossover and the Magnetic P- T Phase Diagram of Hematite at High Hydrostatic Pressures and Cryogenic Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavriliuk, A. G.; Struzhkin, V. V.; Mironovich, A. A.; Lyubutin, I. S.; Troyan, I. A.; Chow, P.; Xiao, Y.

2018-02-01

The magnetic properties of the α-Fe2O3 hematite at a high hydrostatic pressure have been studied by synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy (nuclear forward scattering (NFS)) on iron nuclei. Time-domain NFS spectra of hematite have been measured in a diamond anvil cell in the pressure range of 0-72 GPa and the temperature range of 36-300 K in order to study the magnetic properties at a phase transition near a critical pressure of 50 GPa. In addition, Raman spectra at room temperature have been studied in the pressure range of 0-77 GPa. Neon has been used as a pressure-transmitting medium. The appearance of an intermediate electronic state has been revealed at a pressure of 48 GPa. This state is probably related to the spin crossover in Fe3+ ions at their transition from the high-spin state (HS, S = 5/2) to a low-spin one (LS, S = 1/2). It has been found that the transient pressure range of the HS-LS crossover is extended from 48 to 55 GPa and is almost independent of the temperature. This surprising result differs fundamentally from other cases of the spin crossover in Fe3+ ions observed in other crystals based on iron oxides. The transition region of spin crossover appears because of thermal fluctuations between HS and LS states in the critical pressure range and is significantly narrowed at cooling because of the suppression of thermal excitations. The magnetic P- T phase diagram of α-Fe2O3 at high pressures and low temperatures in the spin crossover region has been constructed according to the results of measurements.

Unleashing meiotic crossovers in hybrid plants.

PubMed

Fernandes, Joiselle Blanche; Séguéla-Arnaud, Mathilde; Larchevêque, Cécile; Lloyd, Andrew H; Mercier, Raphael

2018-03-06

Meiotic crossovers shuffle parental genetic information, providing novel combinations of alleles on which natural or artificial selection can act. However, crossover events are relatively rare, typically one to three exchange points per chromosome pair. Recent work has identified three pathways limiting meiotic crossovers in Arabidopsis thaliana that rely on the activity of FANCM [Crismani W, et al. (2012) Science 336:1588-1590], RECQ4 [Séguéla-Arnaud M, et al. (2015) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 112:4713-4718], and FIGL1 [Girard C, et al. (2015) PLoS Genet 11:e1005369]. Here we analyzed recombination in plants in which one, two, or all three of these pathways were disrupted in both pure line and hybrid contexts. The greatest effect was observed when combining recq4 and figl1 mutations, which increased the hybrid genetic map length from 389 to 3,037 cM. This corresponds to an unprecedented 7.8-fold increase in crossover frequency. Disrupting the three pathways did not further increase recombination, suggesting that some upper limit had been reached. The increase in crossovers is not uniform along chromosomes and rises from centromere to telomere. Finally, although in wild type recombination is much higher in male meiosis than in female meiosis (490 cM vs. 290 cM), female recombination is higher than male recombination in recq4 figl1 (3,200 cM vs. 2,720 cM), suggesting that the factors that make wild-type female meiosis less recombinogenic than male wild-type meiosis do not apply in the mutant context. The massive increase in recombination observed in recq4 figl1 hybrids opens the possibility of manipulating recombination to enhance plant breeding efficiency.

Crossover and maximal fat-oxidation points in sedentary healthy subjects: methodological issues.

PubMed

Gmada, N; Marzouki, H; Haboubi, M; Tabka, Z; Shephard, R J; Bouhlel, E

2012-02-01

Our study aimed to assess the influence of protocol on the crossover point and maximal fat-oxidation (LIPOX(max)) values in sedentary, but otherwise healthy, young men. Maximal oxygen intake was assessed in 23 subjects, using a progressive maximal cycle ergometer test. Twelve sedentary males (aged 20.5±1.0 years) whose directly measured maximal aerobic power (MAP) values were lower than their theoretical maximal values (tMAP) were selected from this group. These individuals performed, in random sequence, three submaximal graded exercise tests, separated by three-day intervals; work rates were based on the tMAP in one test and on MAP in the remaining two. The third test was used to assess the reliability of data. Heart rate, respiratory parameters, blood lactate, the crossover point and LIPOX(max) values were measured during each of these tests. The crossover point and LIPOX(max) values were significantly lower when the testing protocol was based on tMAP rather than on MAP (P<0.001). Respiratory exchange ratios were significantly lower with MAP than with tMAP at 30, 40, 50 and 60% of maximal aerobic power (P<0.01). At the crossover point, lactate and 5-min postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC(5 min)) values were significantly higher using tMAP rather than MAP (P<0.001). During the first 5 min of recovery, EPOC(5 min) and blood lactate were significantly correlated (r=0.89; P<0.001). Our data show that, to assess the crossover point and LIPOX(max) values for research purposes, the protocol must be based on the measured MAP rather than on a theoretical value. Such a determination should improve individualization of training for initially sedentary subjects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Balloon-Assisted Tracking Use Reduces Radial Artery Access Failure in an Experienced Radial Center and is Feasible During Primary PCI for STEMI.

PubMed

Obaid, Daniel; Hailan, Ahmed; Chase, Alexander; Dorman, Stephen; Jenkins, Geraint; Raybould, Adrian; Ramsey, Mark; Thomas, Phillip; Smith, David; Ionescu, Adrian

2017-07-01

This prospective study assesses balloon-assisted tracking (BAT) in reducing radial access failure during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Arterial spasm prevents PCI from the radial artery in a small percentage of cases. A total of 2223 consecutive patients undergoing PCI from the radial approach were analyzed. Radial access failure mode and requirement for crossover to femoral access during a 12-month run-in period were compared with the following 14-month period with routine BAT usage. During the 14-month study period, 1334 radial PCIs were attempted. Twenty-six patients switched to femoral at an early stage, while 76 encountered radial spasm and underwent successful BAT in 69 cases (91%), giving a total crossover rate to femoral of 33/1334 (2.5%). Utilizing BAT rather than a femoral puncture reduced our institution's radial-femoral crossover rate from 7.6% to 2.5% (P<.01), which is also significantly lower than the radial-femoral crossover rate in the 12 months before BAT implementation (6.1%; P<.01). Mean procedure times were similar for those requiring BAT compared with conventional radial access (51.3 ± 21.3 min vs 47.9 ± 23.7 min; P=.23), and those crossing straight to femoral (BAT not attempted) (60.7 ± 31.9 min; P=.10). Mean first device/balloon time for the BAT-assisted primary PCI cases (22.6 ± 9.4 min) was similar to cases that had radial difficulties and converted to femoral without attempting BAT (25.8 ± 13.4 min; P=.54). BAT allowed catheter passage despite radial spasm in 91% of cases, significantly reducing the institution's rate of femoral crossover. During radial spasm in primary PCI, using BAT did not delay reperfusion compared with femoral crossover.

Neuropsychiatric effects of anabolic steroids in male normal volunteers.

PubMed

Su, T P; Pagliaro, M; Schmidt, P J; Pickar, D; Wolkowitz, O; Rubinow, D R

1993-06-02

To evaluate the acute effects of anabolic steroids on mood and behavior in male normal volunteers. A 2-week, double-blind (subject and rater), fixed-order, placebo-controlled crossover trial of methyltestosterone. An inpatient research unit at the National Institutes of Health. A volunteer sample of 20 men who were medication free, free of medical and psychiatric illness, not involved in athletic training, and had no prior history of anabolic steroid use. A sequential trial for 3 days each of the following four drug conditions: placebo baseline, low-dose methyltestosterone (40 mg/d), high-dose methyltestosterone (240 mg/d), and placebo withdrawal. Mood and behavioral ratings were completed during each drug condition and included both subjective and objective measures. Significant (P < .05) albeit subtle increases in symptom scores were observed during high-dose methyltestosterone administration compared with baseline in positive mood (euphoria, energy, and sexual arousal), negative mood (irritability, mood swings, violent feelings, and hostility), and cognitive impairment (distractibility, forgetfulness, and confusion). An acute manic episode was observed in one of the 20 subjects, representing a 5% incidence, even under these conservative conditions. An additional subject became hypomanic. Baseline characteristics including family psychiatric history or previous drug abuse did not predict symptom changes. This is the first placebo-controlled prospective study demonstrating the adverse and activating mood and behavioral effects of anabolic steroids.

Web-based education in systems-based practice: a randomized trial.

PubMed

Kerfoot, B Price; Conlin, Paul R; Travison, Thomas; McMahon, Graham T

2007-02-26

All accredited US residency programs are expected to offer curricula and evaluate their residents in 6 general competencies. Medical schools are now adopting similar competency frameworks. We investigated whether a Web-based program could effectively teach and assess elements of systems-based practice. We enrolled 276 medical students and 417 residents in the fields of surgery, medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, and emergency medicine in a 9-week randomized, controlled, crossover educational trial. Participants were asked to sequentially complete validated Web-based modules on patient safety and the US health care system. The primary outcome measure was performance on a 26-item validated online test administered before, between, and after the participants completed the modules. Six hundred forty (92.4%) of the 693 enrollees participated in the study; 512 (80.0%) of the participants completed all 3 tests. Participants' test scores improved significantly after completion of the first module (P<.001). Overall learning from the 9-week Web-based program, as measured by the increase in scores (posttest scores minus pretest scores), was 16 percentage points (95% confidence interval, 14-17 percentage points; P<.001) in public safety topics and 22 percentage points (95% confidence interval, 20-23 percentage points; P<.001) in US health care system topics. A Web-based educational program on systems-based practice competencies generated significant and durable learning across a broad range of medical students and residents.

Effects of tryptophan depletion on the performance of an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma game in healthy adults.

PubMed

Wood, Richard M; Rilling, James K; Sanfey, Alan G; Bhagwagar, Zubin; Rogers, Robert D

2006-05-01

Adaptive social behavior often necessitates choosing to cooperate with others for long-term gains at the expense of noncooperative behaviors giving larger immediate gains. Although little is know about the neural substrates that support cooperative over noncooperative behaviors, recent research has shown that mutually cooperative behavior in the context of a mixed-motive game, the Prisoner's Dilemma (PD), is associated with increased neural activity within reinforcement circuitry. Other research attests to a role for serotonin in the modulation of social behavior and in reward processing. In this study, we used a within-subject, crossover, double-blind design to investigate performance of an iterated, sequential PD game for monetary reward by healthy human adult participants following ingestion of an amino-acid drink that either did (T+) or did not (T-) contain l-tryptophan. Tryptophan depletion produced significant reductions in the level of cooperation shown by participants when playing the game on the first, but not the second, study days. This effect was accompanied by a significantly diminished probability of cooperative responding given previous mutually cooperative behavior. These data suggest that serotonin plays a significant role in the acquisition of socially cooperative behavior in human adult participants, and suggest novel hypotheses concerning the serotonergic modulation of reward information in socially cooperative behavior in both health and psychiatric illness.

E3 ligase Hei10: a multifaceted structure-based signaling molecule with roles within and beyond meiosis

PubMed Central

De Muyt, Arnaud; Zhang, Liangran; Piolot, Tristan; Kleckner, Nancy; Espagne, Eric; Zickler, Denise

2014-01-01

Human enhancer of invasion-10 (Hei10) mediates meiotic recombination and also plays roles in cell proliferation. Here we explore Hei10’s roles throughout the sexual cycle of the fungus Sordaria with respect to localization and effects of null, RING-binding, and putative cyclin-binding (RXL) domain mutations. Hei10 makes three successive types of foci. Early foci form along synaptonemal complex (SC) central regions. At some of these positions, depending on its RING and RXL domains, Hei10 mediates development and turnover of two sequential types of recombination complexes, each demarked by characteristic amplified Hei10 foci. Integration with ultrastructural data for recombination nodules further reveals that recombination complexes differentiate into three types, one of which corresponds to crossover recombination events during or prior to SC formation. Finally, Hei10 positively and negatively modulates SUMO localization along SCs by its RING and RXL domains, respectively. The presented findings suggest that Hei10 integrates signals from the SC, associated recombination complexes, and the cell cycle to mediate both the development and programmed turnover/evolution of recombination complexes via SUMOylation/ubiquitination. Analogous cell cycle-linked assembly/disassembly switching could underlie localization and roles for Hei10 in centrosome/spindle pole body dynamics and associated nuclear trafficking. We suggest that Hei10 is a unique type of structure-based signal transduction protein. PMID:24831702

24 CFR 3285.604 - Drainage system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... require drainage system crossover connections to join all sections of the home. The crossover design... all sections of the home and designed to be located underneath the home, they must be installed and... DEVELOPMENT MODEL MANUFACTURED HOME INSTALLATION STANDARDS Ductwork and Plumbing and Fuel Supply Systems...

50 CFR 660.120 - Trawl fishery-crossover provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Trawl fishery-crossover provisions. 660.120 Section 660.120 Wildlife and Fisheries FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (CONTINUED) FISHERIES OFF WEST COAST STATES West Coast...

50 CFR 660.120 - Trawl fishery-crossover provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 11 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Trawl fishery-crossover provisions. 660.120 Section 660.120 Wildlife and Fisheries FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (CONTINUED) FISHERIES OFF WEST COAST STATES West Coast...

Delay test generation for synchronous sequential circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devadas, Srinivas

1989-05-01

We address the problem of generating tests for delay faults in non-scan synchronous sequential circuits. Delay test generation for sequential circuits is a considerably more difficult problem than delay testing of combinational circuits and has received much less attention. In this paper, we present a method for generating test sequences to detect delay faults in sequential circuits using the stuck-at fault sequential test generator STALLION. The method is complete in that it will generate a delay test sequence for a targeted fault given sufficient CPU time, if such a sequence exists. We term faults for which no delay test sequence exists, under out test methodology, sequentially delay redundant. We describe means of eliminating sequential delay redundancies in logic circuits. We present a partial-scan methodology for enhancing the testability of difficult-to-test of untestable sequential circuits, wherein a small number of flip-flops are selected and made controllable/observable. The selection process guarantees the elimination of all sequential delay redundancies. We show that an intimate relationship exists between state assignment and delay testability of a sequential machine. We describe a state assignment algorithm for the synthesis of sequential machines with maximal delay fault testability. Preliminary experimental results using the test generation, partial-scan and synthesis algorithm are presented.

The pulsationally modulated radial crossover signature of the slowly rotating magnetic B-type star ξ1 CMa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shultz, M.; Kochukhov, O.; Wade, G. A.; Rivinius, Th

2018-07-01

We report the latest set of spectropolarimetric observations of the magnetic β Cep star ξ1 CMa. The new observations confirm the long-period model of Shultz et al. (2017), who proposed a rotational period of about 30 years and predicted that in 2018 the star should pass through a magnetic null. In perfect agreement with this projection, all longitudinal magnetic field ⟨Bz⟩ measurements are close to 0 G. Remarkably, individual Stokes V profiles all display a crossover signature, which is consistent with ⟨Bz⟩ ˜ 0 but is not expected when v sin i ˜ 0. The crossover signatures furthermore exhibit pulsationally modulated amplitude and sign variations. We show that these unexpected phenomena can all be explained by a `radial crossover' effect related to the star's radial pulsations, together with an important deviation of the global field topology from a purely dipolar structure, that we explore via a dipole+quadrupole configuration as the simplest non-dipolar field.

Crossover from equilibration to aging: Nonequilibrium theory versus simulations.

PubMed

Mendoza-Méndez, P; Lázaro-Lázaro, E; Sánchez-Díaz, L E; Ramírez-González, P E; Pérez-Ángel, G; Medina-Noyola, M

2017-08-01

Understanding glasses and the glass transition requires comprehending the nature of the crossover from the ergodic (or equilibrium) regime, in which the stationary properties of the system have no history dependence, to the mysterious glass transition region, where the measured properties are nonstationary and depend on the protocol of preparation. In this work we use nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to test the main features of the crossover predicted by the molecular version of the recently developed multicomponent nonequilibrium self-consistent generalized Langevin equation theory. According to this theory, the glass transition involves the abrupt passage from the ordinary pattern of full equilibration to the aging scenario characteristic of glass-forming liquids. The same theory explains that this abrupt transition will always be observed as a blurred crossover due to the unavoidable finiteness of the time window of any experimental observation. We find that within their finite waiting-time window, the simulations confirm the general trends predicted by the theory.

The pulsationally modulated radial crossover signature of the slowly rotating magnetic B-type star ξ1 CMa★

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shultz, M.; Kochukhov, O.; Wade, G. A.; Rivinius, Th

2018-04-01

We report the latest set of spectropolarimetric observations of the magnetic β Cep star ξ1 CMa. The new observations confirm the long-period model of Shultz et al. (2017), who proposed a rotational period of about 30 years and predicted that in 2018 the star should pass through a magnetic null. In perfect agreement with this projection, all longitudinal magnetic field ⟨Bz⟩ measurements are close to 0 G. Remarkably, individual Stokes V profiles all display a crossover signature, which is consistent with ⟨Bz⟩ ˜ 0 but is not expected when vsin i ˜ 0. The crossover signatures furthermore exhibit pulsationally modulated amplitude and sign variations. We show that these unexpected phenomena can all be explained by a `radial crossover' effect related to the star's radial pulsations, together with an important deviation of the global field topology from a purely dipolar structure, which we explore via a dipole+quadrupole configuration as the simplest non-dipolar field.

Case-crossover design and its implementation in R

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Case-crossover design is a variation of case-control design that it employs persons’ history periods as controls. Case-crossover design can be viewed as the hybrid of case-control study and crossover design. Characteristic confounding that is constant within one person can be well controlled with this method. The relative risk and odds ratio, as well as their 95% confidence intervals (CIs), can be estimated using Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method. R codes for the calculation are provided in the main text. Readers may adapt these codes to their own task. Conditional logistic regression model is another way to estimate odds ratio of the exposure. Furthermore, it allows for incorporation of other time-varying covariates that are not constant within subjects. The model fitting per se is not technically difficult because there is well developed statistical package. However, it is challenging to convert original dataset obtained from case report form to that suitable to be passed to clogit() function. R code for this task is provided and explained in the text. PMID:27761445

Automatic identification of vessel crossovers in retinal images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez, L.; Barreira, N.; Penedo, M. G.; Cancela, B.

2015-02-01

Crossovers and bifurcations are interest points of the retinal vascular tree useful to diagnose diseases. Specifically, detecting these interest points and identifying which of them are crossings will give us the opportunity to search for arteriovenous nicking, this is, an alteration of the vessel tree where an artery is crossed by a vein and the former compresses the later. These formations are a clear indicative of hypertension, among other medical problems. There are several studies that have attempted to define an accurate and reliable method to detect and classify these relevant points. In this article, we propose a new method to identify crossovers. Our approach is based on segmenting the vascular tree and analyzing the surrounding area of each interest point. The minimal path between vessel points in this area is computed in order to identify the connected vessel segments and, as a result, to distinguish between bifurcations and crossovers. Our method was tested using retinographies from public databases DRIVE and VICAVR, obtaining an accuracy of 90%.

Crossover fungal pathogens: the biology and pathogenesis of fungi capable of crossing kingdoms to infect plants and humans.

PubMed

Gauthier, Gregory M; Keller, Nancy P

2013-12-01

The outbreak of fungal meningitis associated with contaminated methylprednisolone acetate has thrust the importance of fungal infections into the public consciousness. The predominant pathogen isolated from clinical specimens, Exserohilum rostratum (teleomorph: Setosphaeria rostrata), is a dematiaceous fungus that infects grasses and rarely humans. This outbreak highlights the potential for fungal pathogens to infect both plants and humans. Most crossover or trans-kingdom pathogens are soil saprophytes and include fungi in Ascomycota and Mucormycotina phyla. To establish infection, crossover fungi must overcome disparate, host-specific barriers, including protective surfaces (e.g. cuticle, skin), elevated temperature, and immune defenses. This review illuminates the underlying mechanisms used by crossover fungi to cause infection in plants and mammals, and highlights critical events that lead to human infection by these pathogens. Several genes including veA, laeA, and hapX are important in regulating biological processes in fungi important for both invasive plant and animal infections. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The commerce and crossover of resources: resource conservation in the service of resilience.

PubMed

Chen, Shoshi; Westman, Mina; Hobfoll, Stevan E

2015-04-01

Conservation of resources (COR) theory was originally introduced as a framework for understanding and predicting the consequences of major and traumatic stress, but following the work of Hobfoll and Shirom (1993), COR theory has been adopted to understanding and predicting work-related stress and both the stress and resilience that occur within work settings and work culture. COR theory underscores the critical role of resource possession, lack, loss and gain and depicts personal, social and material resources co-travelling in resource caravans, rather than piecemeal. We briefly review the principles of COR theory and integrate it in the crossover model, which provides a key mechanism for multi-person exchange of emotions, experiences and resources. Understanding the impact of resource reservoirs, resource passageways and crossover provides a framework for research and intervention promoting resilience to employees as well as to organizations. It emphasizes that the creation and maintenance of resource caravan passageways promote resource gain climates through resource crossover processes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The role of crossover operator in evolutionary-based approach to the problem of genetic code optimization.

PubMed

Błażej, Paweł; Wnȩtrzak, Małgorzata; Mackiewicz, Paweł

2016-12-01

One of theories explaining the present structure of canonical genetic code assumes that it was optimized to minimize harmful effects of amino acid replacements resulting from nucleotide substitutions and translational errors. A way to testify this concept is to find the optimal code under given criteria and compare it with the canonical genetic code. Unfortunately, the huge number of possible alternatives makes it impossible to find the optimal code using exhaustive methods in sensible time. Therefore, heuristic methods should be applied to search the space of possible solutions. Evolutionary algorithms (EA) seem to be ones of such promising approaches. This class of methods is founded both on mutation and crossover operators, which are responsible for creating and maintaining the diversity of candidate solutions. These operators possess dissimilar characteristics and consequently play different roles in the process of finding the best solutions under given criteria. Therefore, the effective searching for the potential solutions can be improved by applying both of them, especially when these operators are devised specifically for a given problem. To study this subject, we analyze the effectiveness of algorithms for various combinations of mutation and crossover probabilities under three models of the genetic code assuming different restrictions on its structure. To achieve that, we adapt the position based crossover operator for the most restricted model and develop a new type of crossover operator for the more general models. The applied fitness function describes costs of amino acid replacement regarding their polarity. Our results indicate that the usage of crossover operators can significantly improve the quality of the solutions. Moreover, the simulations with the crossover operator optimize the fitness function in the smaller number of generations than simulations without this operator. The optimal genetic codes without restrictions on their structure minimize the costs about 2.7 times better than the canonical genetic code. Interestingly, the optimal codes are dominated by amino acids characterized by polarity close to its average value for all amino acids. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A crossover-crossback prospective study of dibutyl-phthalate exposure from mesalamine medications and semen quality in men with inflammatory bowel disease.

PubMed

Nassan, Feiby L; Coull, Brent A; Skakkebaek, Niels E; Williams, Michelle A; Dadd, Ramace; Mínguez-Alarcón, Lidia; Krawetz, Stephen A; Hait, Elizabeth J; Korzenik, Joshua R; Moss, Alan C; Ford, Jennifer B; Hauser, Russ

2016-10-01

Phthalates are widely used chemicals with ubiquitous exposure. Dibutyl-phthalate (DBP), a male reproductive toxicant in animals, is understudied in humans. Some mesalamine medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have DBP in their coating, whereas other mesalamine formulations do not. Taking advantage of differences in mesalamine formulations, we investigated whether high-DBP exposure from mesalamine medications was associated with decreased semen parameters. 73 men with IBD taking mesalamine participated in a crossover-crossback prospective study. Men taking non-DBP containing mesalamine at baseline i.e., background exposure, crossed-over for four months to high-DBP mesalamine and then crossed-back for four months to their non-DBP mesalamine (B1HB2-arm;Background1-High-Background2) and vice versa for men taking high-DBP mesalamine at baseline (H1BH2-arm;High1-Background-High2). Men provided up to six semen samples (2: baseline, 2: crossover and 2: crossback). We estimated crossover, crossback and carryover effects using linear mixed models adjusted for abstinence time, age, season and duration on high-DBP mesalamine at baseline. Semen parameters in B1HB2-arm (26 men, 133 samples) decreased after high-DBP mesalamine exposure (crossover versus baseline), especially motility parameters, and continued to decrease further even after crossback to non-DBP mesalamine (crossback versus crossover). The cumulative carryover effect of high-DBP (crossback versus baseline) was a decrease of % total sperm motility by 7.61(CI:-13.1, -2.15), % progressive sperm motility by 4.23(CI:-8.05, -0.4) and motile sperm count by 26.0% (CI:-46.2%, 1.7%). However, H1BH2-arm (47 men, 199 samples) had no significant change during crossover or crossback. Men newly exposed to high-DBP mesalamine for four months had a cumulative reduction in several semen parameters, primarily sperm motility, that was more pronounced and statistically significant even after exposure ended for four months. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

12-month blood pressure results of catheter-based renal artery denervation for resistant hypertension: the SYMPLICITY HTN-3 trial.

PubMed

Bakris, George L; Townsend, Raymond R; Flack, John M; Brar, Sandeep; Cohen, Sidney A; D'Agostino, Ralph; Kandzari, David E; Katzen, Barry T; Leon, Martin B; Mauri, Laura; Negoita, Manuela; O'Neill, William W; Oparil, Suzanne; Rocha-Singh, Krishna; Bhatt, Deepak L

2015-04-07

Results of the SYMPLICITY HTN-3 (Renal Denervation in Patients With Uncontrolled Hypertension) trial confirmed the safety but not the efficacy of renal denervation for treatment-resistant hypertension at 6 months post procedure. This study sought to analyze the 12-month SYMPLICITY HTN-3 results for the original denervation group, the sham subjects who underwent denervation after the 6-month endpoint (crossover group), and the sham subjects who did not undergo denervation after 6 months (non-crossover group). Eligible subjects were randomized 2:1 to denervation or sham procedure. Subjects were unblinded to their treatment group after the 6-month primary endpoint was ascertained; subjects in the sham group meeting eligibility requirements could undergo denervation. Change in blood pressure (BP) at 12 months post randomization (6 months for crossover subjects) was analyzed. The 12-month follow-up was available for 319 of 361 denervation subjects and 48 of 101 non-crossover subjects; 6-month denervation follow-up was available for 93 of 101 crossover subjects. In denervation subjects, the 12-month office systolic BP (SBP) change was greater than that observed at 6 months (-15.5 ± 24.1 mm Hg vs. -18.9 ± 25.4 mm Hg, respectively; p = 0.025), but the 24-h SBP change was not significantly different at 12 months (p = 0.229). The non-crossover group office SBP decreased by -32.9 ± 28.1 mm Hg at 6 months, but this response regressed to -21.4 ± 19.9 mm Hg (p = 0.01) at 12 months, increasing to 11.5 ± 29.8 mm Hg. These data support no further reduction in office or ambulatory BP after 1-year follow-up. Loss of BP reduction in the non-crossover group may reflect decreased medication adherence or other related factors. (Renal Denervation in Patients With Uncontrolled Hypertension [SYMPLICITY HTN-3]; NCT01418261). Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The relationships between perfectionism, pathological worry and generalised anxiety disorder

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The relationships between perfectionism, pathological worry and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) were investigated in a clinical sample presenting for treatment of perfectionism. Method This study explored the utility of perfectionism in predicting pathological worry in a sample of individuals with elevated perfectionism and GAD (n = 36). Following this, the study examined whether perfectionism could predict a principal GAD diagnosis in the full sample (n = 42). Results Scores on the perfectionism dimensions Concern over Mistakes, Personal Standards, and Clinical Perfectionism significantly predicted pathological worry among participants with GAD after controlling for gender and depression. The perfectionism dimension Doubts about Actions significantly predicted whether individuals from the full sample received a principal diagnosis of GAD. Conclusions These findings support certain dimensions of perfectionism having significant associations with pathological worry and GAD. PMID:24693946

The generalised isodamping approach for robust fractional PID controllers design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beschi, M.; Padula, F.; Visioli, A.

2017-06-01

In this paper, we present a novel methodology to design fractional-order proportional-integral-derivative controllers. Based on the description of the controlled system by means of a family of linear models parameterised with respect to a free variable that describes the real process operating point, we design the controller by solving a constrained min-max optimisation problem where the maximum sensitivity has to be minimised. Among the imposed constraints, the most important one is the new generalised isodamping condition, that defines the invariancy of the phase margin with respect to the free parameter variations. It is also shown that the well-known classical isodamping condition is a special case of the new technique proposed in this paper. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the proposed technique and the superiority of the fractional-order controller compared to its integer counterpart.

Higher symmetries of the Schrödinger operator in Newton-Cartan geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gundry, James

2017-03-01

We establish several relationships between the non-relativistic conformal symmetries of Newton-Cartan geometry and the Schrödinger equation. In particular we discuss the algebra sch(d) of vector fields conformally-preserving a flat Newton-Cartan spacetime, and we prove that its curved generalisation generates the symmetry group of the covariant Schrödinger equation coupled to a Newtonian potential and generalised Coriolis force. We provide intrinsic Newton-Cartan definitions of Killing tensors and conformal Schrödinger-Killing tensors, and we discuss their respective links to conserved quantities and to the higher symmetries of the Schrödinger equation. Finally we consider the role of conformal symmetries in Newtonian twistor theory, where the infinite-dimensional algebra of holomorphic vector fields on twistor space corresponds to the symmetry algebra cnc(3) on the Newton-Cartan spacetime.

Cosmological Parameters and Hyper-Parameters: The Hubble Constant from Boomerang and Maxima

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahav, Ofer

Recently several studies have jointly analysed data from different cosmological probes with the motivation of estimating cosmological parameters. Here we generalise this procedure to allow freedom in the relative weights of various probes. This is done by including in the joint likelihood function a set of `Hyper-Parameters', which are dealt with using Bayesian considerations. The resulting algorithm, which assumes uniform priors on the log of the Hyper-Parameters, is very simple to implement. We illustrate the method by estimating the Hubble constant H0 from different sets of recent CMB experiments (including Saskatoon, Python V, MSAM1, TOCO, Boomerang and Maxima). The approach can be generalised for a combination of cosmic probes, and for other priors on the Hyper-Parameters. Reference: Lahav, Bridle, Hobson, Lasenby & Sodre, 2000, MNRAS, in press (astro-ph/9912105)

Revisiting an old concept: the coupled oscillator model for VCD. Part 1: the generalised coupled oscillator mechanism and its intrinsic connection to the strength of VCD signals.

PubMed

Nicu, Valentin Paul

2016-08-03

Motivated by the renewed interest in the coupled oscillator (CO) model for VCD, in this work a generalised coupled oscillator (GCO) expression is derived by introducing the concept of a coupled oscillator origin. Unlike the standard CO expression, the GCO expression is exact within the harmonic approximation. Using two illustrative example molecules, the theoretical concepts introduced here are demonstrated by performing a GCO decomposition of the rotational strengths computed using DFT. This analysis shows that: (1) the contributions to the rotational strengths that are normally neglected in the standard CO model can be comparable to or larger than the CO contribution, and (2) the GCO mechanism introduced here can affect the VCD intensities of all types of modes in symmetric and asymmetric molecules.

Explaining student success in engineering education at Delft University of Technology: a literature synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Bogaard, M.

2012-03-01

Student success is among the most widely researched areas in tertiary education. Generalisability of research in this field is problematic due to cultural and structural differences between countries, institutions and programmes where the research is done. Engineering education in the Netherlands has not been studied in depth. In this paper, outcomes of studies done outside and inside engineering and outside and inside the Netherlands are discussed to help understand the complexity of student retention issues. Although generalisation is an issue, there are a number of concepts and variables that surface in many of these studies, including students' background and disposition variables, education attributes, variables concerning educational climate and student behaviour. How these variables are related and how a university can apply the outcomes of research in this field of study are discussed in this paper.

Generalised chronic musculoskeletal pain as a rational reaction to a life situation?

PubMed

Steen, E; Haugli, L

2000-11-01

While the biomedical model is still the leading paradigm within modern medicine and health care, and people with generalised chronic musculoskeletal pain are frequent users of health care services, their diagnoses are rated as having the lowest prestige among health care personnel. An epistemological framework for understanding relations between body, emotions, mind and meaning is presented. An approach based on a phenomenological epistemology is discussed as a supplement to actions based on the biomedical model. Within the phenomenological frame of understanding, the body is viewed as a subject and carrier of meaning, and therefore chronic pain can be interpreted as a rational reaction to the totality of a person's life situation. Search for possible hidden individual meanings in painful muscles presupposes meeting health personnel who view the person within a holistic frame of reference.

Saliva, Serum Levels of Interleukin-21, -33 and Prostaglandin E2 in Patients with Generalised Aggressive or Chronic Periodontitis.

PubMed

Gümüş, Pınar; Nizam, Nejat; Nalbantsoy, Ayşe; Özçaka, Özgün; Buduneli, Nurcan

This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate saliva, serum levels of interleukin-21 (IL-21), IL-33, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in patients with generalised chronic periodontitis or aggressive periodontitis. Before initiation of any periodontal treatment, saliva and serum samples were collected and clinical periodontal measurements were recorded from 94 participants (25 aggressive periodontitis patients, 25 chronic periodontitis patients, 44 periodontally healthy individuals). IL-21, IL-33 and PGE2 levels in serum and saliva samples were determined by ELISA. Data were tested statistically using Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U-, and Spearman-rho rank tests. Saliva IL-33 levels were statistically significantly higher in the chronic than the aggressive group (p < 0.05). Serum IL-33, saliva and serum IL-21 and PGE2 levels were similar in the two periodontitis groups. Saliva IL-33 levels correlated with age in the chronic periodontitis group (p < 0.05). Statistically significant positive correlations were found between serum, saliva PGE2 levels and plaque index (p < 0.05). IL-33 and IL-21 levels in serum samples positively correlated in the periodontitis groups (p < 0.05). IL-21 and PGE2 analysis did not exhibit discriminating data between generalised chronic and aggressive periodontitis, but the present findings support the role of these cytokines in periodontitis. Statistically significantly higher saliva IL-33 levels in the chronic periodontitis group warrant further research.

The international generalisability of evidence for health policy: A cross country comparison of medication adherence following policy change.

PubMed

Sinnott, Sarah-Jo; Whelton, Helen; Franklin, Jessica Myers; Polinski, Jennifer Milan

2017-01-01

Copayments for prescriptions may increase morbidity and mortality via reductions in adherence to medications. Relevant data can inform policy to minimise such unintended effects. We explored the generalisability of evidence for copayments by comparing two international copayment polices, one in Massachusetts and one in Ireland, to assess whether effects on medication adherence were comparable. We used national prescription data for public health insurance programmes in Ireland and Medicaid data in the U.S. New users of oral anti-hypertensive, anti-hyperlipidaemic and diabetic drugs were included (total n=14,259 in U.S. and n=43,843 in Ireland). We examined changes in adherence in intervention and comparator groups in each setting using segmented linear regression with generalised estimating equations. In Massachusetts, a gradual decrease in adherence to anti-hypertensive medications of -1% per month following the policy occurred. In contrast, the response in Ireland was confined to a -2.9% decrease in adherence immediately following the policy, with no further decrease over the 8 month follow-up. Reductions in adherence to oral diabetes drugs were larger in the U.S. group in comparison to the Irish group. No difference in adherence changes between the two settings for anti-hyperlipidaemic drugs occurred. Evidence on cost-sharing for prescription medicines is not 'one size fits all'. Time since policy implementation and structural differences between health systems may influence the differential impact of copayment policies in international settings. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Predicting presence and absence of trout (Salmo trutta) in Iran

PubMed Central

Mostafavi, Hossein; Pletterbauer, Florian; Coad, Brian W.; Mahini, Abdolrassoul Salman; Schinegger, Rafaela; Unfer, Günther; Trautwein, Clemens; Schmutz, Stefan

2014-01-01

Species distribution modelling, as a central issue in freshwater ecology, is an important tool for conservation and management of aquatic ecosystems. The brown trout (Salmo trutta) is a sensitive species which reacts to habitat changes induced by human impacts. Therefore, the identification of suitable habitats is essential. This study explores the potential distribution of brown trout by a species distribution modelling approach for Iran. Furthermore, modelling results are compared to the distribution described in the literature. Areas outside the currently known distribution which may offer potential habitats for brown trout are identified. The species distribution modelling was based on five different modelling techniques: Generalised Linear Model, Generalised Additive Model, Generalised Boosting Model, Classification Tree Analysis and Random Forests, which are finally summarised in an ensemble forecasting approach. We considered four environmental descriptors at the local scale (slope, bankfull width, wetted width, and elevation) and three climatic parameters (mean air temperature, range of air temperature and annual precipitation) which were extracted on three different spatial extents (1/5/10 km). The performance of all models was excellent (≥0.8) according to the TSS (True Skill Statistic) criterion. Slope, mean and range of air temperature were the most important variables in predicting brown trout occurrence. Presented results deepen the knowledge about distribution patterns of brown trout in Iran. Moreover, this study gives a basic background for the future development of assessment methods for riverine ecosystems in Iran. PMID:24707064

Examining the Crossover from the Hadronic to Partonic Phase in QCD

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

Xu Mingmei; Yu Meiling; Liu Lianshou

2008-03-07

A mechanism, consistent with color confinement, for the transition between perturbative and physical vacua during the gradual crossover from the hadronic to partonic phase is proposed. The essence of this mechanism is the appearance and growing up of a kind of grape-shape perturbative vacuum inside the physical one. A percolation model based on simple dynamics for parton delocalization is constructed to exhibit this mechanism. The crossover from hadronic matter to sQGP (strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma) as well as the transition from sQGP to weakly coupled quark-gluon plasma with increasing temperature is successfully described by using this model.

Recent Studies on Methanol Crossover in Liquid-Feed Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valdez, T. I.; Narayanan, S. R.

2000-01-01

In this work, the effects of methanol crossover and airflow rates on the cathode potential of an operating direct methanol fuel cell are explored. Techniques for quantifying methanol crossover in a fuel cell and for separating the electrical performance of each electrode in a fuel cell are discussed. The effect of methanol concentration on cathode potential has been determined to be significant. The cathode is found to be mass transfer limited when operating on low flow rate air and high concentrations of methanol. Improvements in cathode structure and operation at low methanol concentration have been shown to result in improved cell performance.

New oxalate-bridged CrIII-MnII polymeric network incorporating a spin-crossover [Co(terpy)2]2+ cation.

PubMed

Kou, Hui-Zhong; Sato, Osamu

2007-11-12

The reaction of Mn2+ with [Cr(ox)3]3- in the presence of the spin-crossover [Co(terpy)2]2+ cation gives rise to a 1D [Co(terpy)2][Mn(H2O)ClCr(ox)3].H2O.0.5MeOH (1) or a 2D [Co(terpy)2][Mn(H2O)Cr(ox)3]2.5H2O.0.5MeOH (2). The trimetallic complexes display dominant ferromagnetic behavior, and spin-crossover of [Co(terpy)2]2+ is suppressed by the chemical pressure of the polymeric oxalate-bridged network.

Crossover transition in the fluctuation of Internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Jiang-Hai

2018-06-01

The inconsistent fluctuation behavior of Internet predicted by preferential attachment(PA) and Gibrat's law requires empirical investigations on the actual system. By using the interval-tunable Gibrat's law statistics, we find the actual fluctuation, characterized by the conditional standard deviation of the degree growth rate, changes with the interval length and displays a crossover transition from PA type to Gibrat's law type, which has not yet been captured by any previous models. We characterize the transition dynamics quantitatively and determine the applicative range of PA and Gibrat's law. The correlation analysis indicates the crossover transition may be attributed to the accumulative correlation between the internal links.

The critical crossover at the n-hexane-water interface

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

Tikhonov, A. M., E-mail: tikhonov@kapitza.ras.r

According to estimates of the parameters of the critical crossover in monolayers of long-chain alcohol molecules adsorbed at the n-hexane-water interface, all systems in which this phenomenon is observed are characterized by the same value of the critical exponent {nu} {approx} 1.8.

Negative symptoms, anxiety, and depression as mechanisms of change of a 12-month trial of assertive community treatment as part of integrated care in patients with first- and multi-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders (ACCESS I trial).

PubMed

Schmidt, Stefanie J; Lange, Matthias; Schöttle, Daniel; Karow, Anne; Schimmelmann, Benno G; Lambert, Martin

2017-05-24

Assertive community treatment (ACT) has shown to be effective in improving both functional deficits and quality of life (QoL) in patients with severe mental illness. However, the mechanisms of this beneficial effect remained unclear. We examined mechanisms of change by testing potential mediators including two subdomains of negative symptoms, i.e. social amotivation as well as expressive negative symptoms, anxiety, and depression within a therapeutic ACT model (ACCESS I trial) in a sample of 120 first- and multi-episode patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (DSM-IV). Path modelling served to test the postulated relationship between the respective treatment condition, i.e. 12-month ACT as part of integrated care versus standard care, and changes in functioning and QoL. The final path model resulted in 3 differential pathways that were all significant. Treatment-induced changes in social amotivation served as a starting point for all pathways, and had a direct beneficial effect on functioning and an additional indirect effect on it through changes in anxiety. Expressive negative symptoms were not related to functioning but served as a mediator between changes in social amotivation and depressive symptoms, which subsequently resulted in improvements in QoL. Our results suggest that social amotivation, expressive negative symptoms, depression, and anxiety functioned as mechanisms of change of ACCESS. An integrated and sequential treatment focusing on these mediators may optimise the generalisation effects on functioning as well as on QoL by targeting the most powerful mechanism of change that fits best to the individual patient.

Experimental investigation of cross-over jets in a rib-roughened trailing-edge cooling channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Fei

Increasing the rotor inlet temperature can dramatically increase the efficiency and power output of the gas turbine engine. However, the melting point of turbine blade material limits the realistic upper bound of the rotor inlet temperature. As a result, the development of high temperature turbine blade material and advanced turbine blade cooling technology determines the future of turbine blade engine. Adding impingement jet holes and rib turbulators in the inner cooling channel of the gas turbine blades are two effective ways to enhance the cooling effects. The purpose of this study is to figure out the influence of different combinations of jet holes and rib turbulators on the heat transfer efficiency. A tabletop scale test model is used in the study to simulate the cooling cavity of trailing edge and its feed channel in a real gas turbine blade. The Dimensional Analysis Theory is used in the study to eliminate the influence of scaling. Two different crossover slots are tested with 5 different rib arrangements, and each of the test geometries is tested for 6 jet Reynolds numbers ranging from 10,000 to 36,000. The two different crossover slots are the crossover slots with 0 and 5 degree tilt angles. The four different rib arrangements are ribs with 0 degree, 45 degree, 90 degree and 135 degree angles of attack with respect to the flow direction. Furthermore, a smooth test section (no ribs) was also tested. The steady state liquid crystal thermography is used to quantify the heat transfer performance of the target areas. The variation of Nusselt number versus Reynolds number is plotted for each of the 10 geometries. Also, the variation of Nusselt number versus Reynolds number are compared for different rib angles of attack with the same crossover slot tilt angle, and between different crossover slots tilt angles with the same rib angle. The results show that, the area-weighted average Nusselt number increases monotonically with the Reynolds number; the target areas near the open end have a larger Nusselt number comparing with the ones near the close end; the 90 degree rib angle has the highest Nusselt number among the 4 rib angles of attack and the smooth wall channel; the crossover slots with 0 degree tilt angle produce higher convective heat transfer coefficients than the crossover slots with 5 degree tilt angle. Possible physical explanations for the result are offered by the author.

Lineup composition, suspect position, and the sequential lineup advantage.

PubMed

Carlson, Curt A; Gronlund, Scott D; Clark, Steven E

2008-06-01

N. M. Steblay, J. Dysart, S. Fulero, and R. C. L. Lindsay (2001) argued that sequential lineups reduce the likelihood of mistaken eyewitness identification. Experiment 1 replicated the design of R. C. L. Lindsay and G. L. Wells (1985), the first study to show the sequential lineup advantage. However, the innocent suspect was chosen at a lower rate in the simultaneous lineup, and no sequential lineup advantage was found. This led the authors to hypothesize that protection from a sequential lineup might emerge only when an innocent suspect stands out from the other lineup members. In Experiment 2, participants viewed a simultaneous or sequential lineup with either the guilty suspect or 1 of 3 innocent suspects. Lineup fairness was varied to influence the degree to which a suspect stood out. A sequential lineup advantage was found only for the unfair lineups. Additional analyses of suspect position in the sequential lineups showed an increase in the diagnosticity of suspect identifications as the suspect was placed later in the sequential lineup. These results suggest that the sequential lineup advantage is dependent on lineup composition and suspect position. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved

A systematic review identifies shortcomings in the reporting of crossover trials in chronic painful conditions.

PubMed

Straube, Sebastian; Werny, Benedikt; Friede, Tim

2015-12-01

To investigate the reporting of study features of interest in abstracts and full texts of journal publications of crossover trials in chronic painful conditions. Systematic review based on a MEDLINE (PubMed) search (January 1990-August 2014). Ninety-eight publications on crossover studies with 3,513 study participants were eligible for inclusion. Double-blind status and randomized allocation to treatment groups are commonly reported in both abstracts and full texts (90 of 98 publications and 82 of 98 publications, respectively). Adverse events are reported in both abstract and full text in 49 of 98 publications and in the full text only in 44 of 98. A breakdown of results by treatment period is provided only in 23 of 98 publications, and if so, is reported only in the full text, never in the abstract. There is a time trend for the reporting of randomization in abstracts; it is more likely to be reported in recent studies (P = 0.0094). No time trends are detected in the reporting of double-blind status (P = 0.1087) and adverse events (P = 0.6084). The reporting of adverse events in the abstract and the reporting of results specified by crossover period in the full texts of journal publications on crossover pain trials should be improved. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ballistic heat conduction and mass disorder in one dimension.

PubMed

Ong, Zhun-Yong; Zhang, Gang

2014-08-20

It is well-known that in the disordered harmonic chain, heat conduction is subballistic and the thermal conductivity (κ) scales asymptotically as lim(L--> ∞) κ ∝ L(0.5) where L is the chain length. However, using the nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method and analytical modelling, we show that there exists a critical crossover length scale (LC) below which ballistic heat conduction (κ ∝ L) can coexist with mass disorder. This ballistic-to-subballistic heat conduction crossover is connected to the exponential attenuation of the phonon transmittance function Ξ i.e. Ξ(ω, L) = exp[-L/λ(ω)], where λ is the frequency-dependent attenuation length. The crossover length can be determined from the minimum attenuation length, which depends on the maximum transmitted frequency. We numerically determine the dependence of the transmittance on frequency and mass composition as well as derive a closed form estimate, which agrees closely with the numerical results. For the length-dependent thermal conductance, we also derive a closed form expression which agrees closely with numerical results and reproduces the ballistic to subballistic thermal conduction crossover. This allows us to characterize the crossover in terms of changes in the length, mass composition and temperature dependence, and also to determine the conditions under which heat conduction enters the ballistic regime. We describe how the mass composition can be modified to increase ballistic heat conduction.

What about the leader? Crossover of emotional exhaustion and work engagement from followers to leaders.

PubMed

Wirtz, Nina; Rigotti, Thomas; Otto, Kathleen; Loeb, Carina

2017-01-01

Although a growing body of research links leadership behavior to follower health, comparatively little is known about the health effects of being in the lead. This longitudinal study of 315 team members and 67 leaders examined the crossover of emotional exhaustion and work engagement from followers to leaders. Leader emotional self-efficacy was tested as a moderator in the crossover process. Multiple regression analyses revealed that followers' work engagement was positively related to leaders' work engagement eight months later, controlling for followers' tenure with the leader, leader gender, autonomy, workload, and work engagement at Time 1. Leaders' emotional self-efficacy did not moderate the crossover of work engagement. Followers' emotional exhaustion was not directly related to leaders' emotional exhaustion over time. We did find a significant interaction effect for follower emotional exhaustion and leader emotional self-efficacy. This study is the first to show that crossover of emotional exhaustion and work engagement can unfold over time from team members to leaders. Main theoretical implications lie in the finding that-in line with job demands-resources theory-followers' psychological states can pose a demand or resource for leaders, and influence their well-being. For practitioners, our results offer valuable insights regarding the design of organizational health interventions as well as leadership development measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Electronic evidence of an insulator-superconductor crossover in single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 films.

PubMed

He, Junfeng; Liu, Xu; Zhang, Wenhao; Zhao, Lin; Liu, Defa; He, Shaolong; Mou, Daixiang; Li, Fangsen; Tang, Chenjia; Li, Zhi; Wang, Lili; Peng, Yingying; Liu, Yan; Chen, Chaoyu; Yu, Li; Liu, Guodong; Dong, Xiaoli; Zhang, Jun; Chen, Chuangtian; Xu, Zuyan; Chen, Xi; Ma, Xucun; Xue, Qikun; Zhou, X J

2014-12-30

In high-temperature cuprate superconductors, it is now generally agreed that superconductivity is realized by doping an antiferromagnetic Mott (charge transfer) insulator. The doping-induced insulator-to-superconductor transition has been widely observed in cuprates, which provides important information for understanding the superconductivity mechanism. In the iron-based superconductors, however, the parent compound is mostly antiferromagnetic bad metal, raising a debate on whether an appropriate starting point should go with an itinerant picture or a localized picture. No evidence of doping-induced insulator-superconductor transition (or crossover) has been reported in the iron-based compounds so far. Here, we report an electronic evidence of an insulator-superconductor crossover observed in the single-layer FeSe film grown on a SrTiO3 substrate. By taking angle-resolved photoemission measurements on the electronic structure and energy gap, we have identified a clear evolution of an insulator to a superconductor with increasing carrier concentration. In particular, the insulator-superconductor crossover in FeSe/SrTiO3 film exhibits similar behaviors to that observed in the cuprate superconductors. Our results suggest that the observed insulator-superconductor crossover may be associated with the two-dimensionality that enhances electron localization or correlation. The reduced dimensionality and the interfacial effect provide a new pathway in searching for new phenomena and novel superconductors with a high transition temperature.

Electronic evidence of an insulator–superconductor crossover in single-layer FeSe/SrTiO3 films

PubMed Central

He, Junfeng; Liu, Xu; Zhang, Wenhao; Zhao, Lin; Liu, Defa; He, Shaolong; Mou, Daixiang; Li, Fangsen; Tang, Chenjia; Li, Zhi; Wang, Lili; Peng, Yingying; Liu, Yan; Chen, Chaoyu; Yu, Li; Liu, Guodong; Dong, Xiaoli; Zhang, Jun; Chen, Chuangtian; Xu, Zuyan; Chen, Xi; Ma, Xucun; Xue, Qikun; Zhou, X. J.

2014-01-01

In high-temperature cuprate superconductors, it is now generally agreed that superconductivity is realized by doping an antiferromagnetic Mott (charge transfer) insulator. The doping-induced insulator-to-superconductor transition has been widely observed in cuprates, which provides important information for understanding the superconductivity mechanism. In the iron-based superconductors, however, the parent compound is mostly antiferromagnetic bad metal, raising a debate on whether an appropriate starting point should go with an itinerant picture or a localized picture. No evidence of doping-induced insulator–superconductor transition (or crossover) has been reported in the iron-based compounds so far. Here, we report an electronic evidence of an insulator–superconductor crossover observed in the single-layer FeSe film grown on a SrTiO3 substrate. By taking angle-resolved photoemission measurements on the electronic structure and energy gap, we have identified a clear evolution of an insulator to a superconductor with increasing carrier concentration. In particular, the insulator–superconductor crossover in FeSe/SrTiO3 film exhibits similar behaviors to that observed in the cuprate superconductors. Our results suggest that the observed insulator–superconductor crossover may be associated with the two-dimensionality that enhances electron localization or correlation. The reduced dimensionality and the interfacial effect provide a new pathway in searching for new phenomena and novel superconductors with a high transition temperature. PMID:25502774

Role of confinements on the melting of Wigner molecules in quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Dyuti; Filinov, Alexei V.; Ghosal, Amit; Bonitz, Michael

2016-03-01

We explore the stability of a Wigner molecule (WM) formed in confinements with different geometries emulating the role of disorder and analyze the melting (or crossover) of such a system. Building on a recent calculation [D. Bhattacharya, A. Ghosal, Eur. Phys. J. B 86, 499 (2013)] that discussed the effects of irregularities on the thermal crossover in classical systems, we expand our studies in the untested territory by including both the effects of quantum fluctuations and of disorder. Our results, using classical and quantum (path integral) Monte Carlo techniques, unfold complementary mechanisms that drive the quantum and thermal crossovers in a WM and show that the symmetry of the confinement plays no significant role in determining the quantum crossover scale n X . This is because the zero-point motion screens the boundary effects within short distances. The phase diagram as a function of thermal and quantum fluctuations determined from independent criteria is unique, and shows "melting" from the WM to both the classical and quantum "liquids". An intriguing signature of weakening liquidity with increasing temperature, T, is found in the extreme quantum regime. The crossover is associated with production of defects. However, these defects appear to play distinct roles in driving the quantum and thermal "melting". Our analyses carry serious implications for a variety of experiments on many-particle systems - semiconductor heterostructure quantum dots, trapped ions, nanoclusters, colloids and complex plasma.

Automated global structure extraction for effective local building block processing in XCS.

PubMed

Butz, Martin V; Pelikan, Martin; Llorà, Xavier; Goldberg, David E

2006-01-01

Learning Classifier Systems (LCSs), such as the accuracy-based XCS, evolve distributed problem solutions represented by a population of rules. During evolution, features are specialized, propagated, and recombined to provide increasingly accurate subsolutions. Recently, it was shown that, as in conventional genetic algorithms (GAs), some problems require efficient processing of subsets of features to find problem solutions efficiently. In such problems, standard variation operators of genetic and evolutionary algorithms used in LCSs suffer from potential disruption of groups of interacting features, resulting in poor performance. This paper introduces efficient crossover operators to XCS by incorporating techniques derived from competent GAs: the extended compact GA (ECGA) and the Bayesian optimization algorithm (BOA). Instead of simple crossover operators such as uniform crossover or one-point crossover, ECGA or BOA-derived mechanisms are used to build a probabilistic model of the global population and to generate offspring classifiers locally using the model. Several offspring generation variations are introduced and evaluated. The results show that it is possible to achieve performance similar to runs with an informed crossover operator that is specifically designed to yield ideal problem-dependent exploration, exploiting provided problem structure information. Thus, we create the first competent LCSs, XCS/ECGA and XCS/BOA, that detect dependency structures online and propagate corresponding lower-level dependency structures effectively without any information about these structures given in advance.

Comparison of efficacy and safety of levofloxacin-containing versus standard sequential therapy in eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection in Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Hyuk; Hong, Sung Noh; Min, Byung-Hoon; Lee, Jun Haeng; Rhee, Poong-Lyul; Lee, Yong Chan; Kim, Jae J

2015-02-01

Declining of eradication rates for Helicobacter pylori in Korea may be partly from the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance, especially clarithromycin resistance. To compare the efficacy and the safety of using 10-day standard sequential therapy and levofloxacin-containing sequential therapy as a first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori eradication in Korea. A total of 200 patients with proven Helicobacter pylori infection randomly received 10-day standard sequential therapy (n = 100) or levofloxacin-containing sequential therapy (n = 100). The standard sequential therapy group received rabeprazole and amoxicillin for 5 days, followed by rabeprazole, clarithromycin, and metronidazole for 5 more days. The levofloxacin-containing sequential therapy group was treated with rabeprazole and amoxicillin for 5 days, followed by rabeprazole, levofloxacin, and metronidazole for 5 more days. Intention-to-treat eradication rates were 79.0% and 78.0% for groups of standard sequential and levofloxacin-containing sequential therapy, respectively (P = 0.863). Per-protocol eradication rates were 84.9% and 81.3%, respectively, for these two therapies (P = 0.498). There were no significant differences between the groups in regard to the eradication rates and adverse events. The 10-day levofloxacin-containing sequential regimen and the standard sequential regimen showed the similar eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori in Korea. Copyright © 2014 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Double-blind photo lineups using actual eyewitnesses: an experimental test of a sequential versus simultaneous lineup procedure.

PubMed

Wells, Gary L; Steblay, Nancy K; Dysart, Jennifer E

2015-02-01

Eyewitnesses (494) to actual crimes in 4 police jurisdictions were randomly assigned to view simultaneous or sequential photo lineups using laptop computers and double-blind administration. The sequential procedure used in the field experiment mimicked how it is conducted in actual practice (e.g., using a continuation rule, witness does not know how many photos are to be viewed, witnesses resolve any multiple identifications), which is not how most lab experiments have tested the sequential lineup. No significant differences emerged in rates of identifying lineup suspects (25% overall) but the sequential procedure produced a significantly lower rate (11%) of identifying known-innocent lineup fillers than did the simultaneous procedure (18%). The simultaneous/sequential pattern did not significantly interact with estimator variables and no lineup-position effects were observed for either the simultaneous or sequential procedures. Rates of nonidentification were not significantly different for simultaneous and sequential but nonidentifiers from the sequential procedure were more likely to use the "not sure" response option than were nonidentifiers from the simultaneous procedure. Among witnesses who made an identification, 36% (41% of simultaneous and 32% of sequential) identified a known-innocent filler rather than a suspect, indicating that eyewitness performance overall was very poor. The results suggest that the sequential procedure that is used in the field reduces the identification of known-innocent fillers, but the differences are relatively small.

Sequential Testing: Basics and Benefits

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-03-01

Eii~TARADC6M and x _..TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 12325 SEQUENTIAL TESTING: BASICS AND BENEFITS / i * p iREFERENCE CP...Sequential Testing: Basics and Benefits Contents Page I. Introduction and Summary II. Sequential Analysis 2 III. Mathematics of Sequential Testing 4 IV...testing. The added benefit of reduced energy needs are inherent in this testing method. The text was originally released by the authors in 1972. The text

Increased calcium absorption from synthetic stable amorphous calcium carbonate: Double-blind randomized crossover clinical trial in post-menopausal women

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Calcium supplementation is a widely recognized strategy for achieving adequate calcium intake. We designed this blinded, randomized, crossover interventional trial to compare the bioavailability of a new stable synthetic amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) with that of crystalline calcium carbonate (C...

Crossover Literature and Abjection: Geraldine McCaughrean's "The White Darkness"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falconer, Rachel

2007-01-01

This article provides a close reading of Geraldine McCaughrean's award-winning novel, "The White Darkness". It argues that this is a key text in the increasing debate about "crossover" literature. Whereas, traditionally, adolescent books were seen to offer compensatory fantasies to the adolescent reader, McCaughrean's text goes…

Effect of almond consumption on vascular function in patients with coronary artery disease: a randomized, controlled, cross-over trial

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objective: Almonds reduce cardiovascular disease risk via cholesterol reduction, anti-inflammation, glucoregulation, and antioxidation. The objective of this randomized, controlled, cross-over trial was to determine whether the addition of 85 g almonds daily to a National Cholesterol Education Progr...

Cedarwood: cross-over pressure research

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A series of experiments were conducted to determine the cross-over pressure for cedarwood oil in carbon dioxide. A closed stirrer reactor with an in-line loop connected to the injector of a GC was used to measure the concentration of cedarwood oil in the carbon dioxide. Both neat cedarwood oil as ...

Sampling command generator corrects for noise and dropouts in recorded data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, T. O.

1973-01-01

Generator measures period between zero crossings of reference signal and accepts as correct timing points only those zero crossings which occur acceptably close to nominal time predicted from last accepted command. Unidirectional crossover points are used exclusively so errors from analog nonsymmetry of crossover detector are avoided.

A two-step spin crossover mononuclear iron(II) complex with a [HS-LS-LS] intermediate phase.

PubMed

Bonnet, Sylvestre; Siegler, Maxime A; Costa, José Sánchez; Molnár, Gábor; Bousseksou, Azzedine; Spek, Anthony L; Gamez, Patrick; Reedijk, Jan

2008-11-21

The two-step spin crossover of a new mononuclear iron(ii) complex is studied by magnetic, crystallographic and calorimetric methods revealing two successive first-order phase transitions and an ordered intermediate phase built by the repetition of the unprecedented [HS-LS-LS] motif.

Sanitary Sewer Overflows and Association with Gastrointestinal Illness: A case crossover analysis of Massachusetts Data, 2006-2007

EPA Science Inventory

Sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) occur when untreated sewage is discharged into water sources potentially causing contamination. SSOs are primarily caused by heavy rainfall, which is expected to become heavier and more episodic due to climate change. We conducted a case-crossover ...

Broadband Via-Less Microwave Crossover Using Microstrip-CPW Transitions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevenson, Thomas; U-Yen, Kongpop; Wollack, Edward; Moseley, Samuel; Hsieh, Wen-Ting

2011-01-01

The front-to-back interface between microstrip and CPW (coplanar waveguide) typically requires complex fabrication or has high radiation loss. The microwave crossover typically requires a complex fabrication step. The prior art in microstrip-CPW transition requires a physical vias connection between the microstrip and CPW line on a separate layer. The via-less version of this transition was designed empirically and does not have a close form solution. The prior art of the micro wave crossover requires either additional substrate or wire bond as an air bridge to isolate two microwave lines at the crossing junction. The disadvantages are high radiation loss, no analytical solution to the problem, lengthy simulation time, and complex fabrication procedures to generate air bridges or via. The disadvantage of the prior crossover is a complex fabrication procedure, which also affects the device reliability and yield. This microstrip-CPW transition is visualized as two microstrip-slotline transitions combined in a way that the radiation from two slotlines cancels each other out. The invention is designed based on analytical methods; thus, it significantly reduces the development time. The crossover requires no extra layer to cross two microwave signals and has low radiation loss. The invention is simple to fabricate and design. It produces low radiation loss and can be designed with low insertion loss, with some tradeoff with signal isolation. The microstrip-CPW transition is used as an interface to connect between the device and the circuit outside the package. The via-less microwave crossover is used to allow two signals to cross without using an extra layer or fabrication processing step to enable this function. This design allows the solution to be determined entirely though analytical techniques. In addition, a planar via-less microwave crossover using this technique was proposed. The experimental results show that the proposed crossover at 5 GHz has a minimum isolation of 32 dB. It also has low in-band insertion loss and return loss of 1.2 dB and 18 dB, respectively, over more than 44 percent of bandwidth at room temperature. This microstrip-CPW transition requires the microstrip line to be split into two sections. Each section is connected to a microstrip quarter-wavelength openended stub. A slotline is also placed perpendicular to the microstrip section. The slot is connected to a grounded-end quarter-wavelength slotline and generates a microstrip-slotline transition. When two of these sections are placed in parallel and with the microstrip section combined at transition, a microstrip- CPW transition is formed. The slotline radiation is suppressed as two slots are excited with the electric field in an opposite direction, which cancels the radiation in far field. The invention on the crossover consists of the invented microstrip-CPW transitions combined back-to-back and a microstrip low-pass filter. One signal is crossed through to the microstrip layer, while the other signal is crossed through the CPW line located on the ground plane of the microstrip line. The microstrip low-pass filter produces a narrow line at the crossing point to enhance the system isolation. It also produces broadband response in the operating frequency band. The microstrip-CPW transition allows a microwave signal to travel from microstrip line to CPW line with low radiation loss. The crossover allows two microwave signals to cross with minimal parasitic coupling.

Sequential search leads to faster, more efficient fragment-based de novo protein structure prediction.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Saulo H P; Law, Eleanor C; Shi, Jiye; Deane, Charlotte M

2018-04-01

Most current de novo structure prediction methods randomly sample protein conformations and thus require large amounts of computational resource. Here, we consider a sequential sampling strategy, building on ideas from recent experimental work which shows that many proteins fold cotranslationally. We have investigated whether a pseudo-greedy search approach, which begins sequentially from one of the termini, can improve the performance and accuracy of de novo protein structure prediction. We observed that our sequential approach converges when fewer than 20 000 decoys have been produced, fewer than commonly expected. Using our software, SAINT2, we also compared the run time and quality of models produced in a sequential fashion against a standard, non-sequential approach. Sequential prediction produces an individual decoy 1.5-2.5 times faster than non-sequential prediction. When considering the quality of the best model, sequential prediction led to a better model being produced for 31 out of 41 soluble protein validation cases and for 18 out of 24 transmembrane protein cases. Correct models (TM-Score > 0.5) were produced for 29 of these cases by the sequential mode and for only 22 by the non-sequential mode. Our comparison reveals that a sequential search strategy can be used to drastically reduce computational time of de novo protein structure prediction and improve accuracy. Data are available for download from: http://opig.stats.ox.ac.uk/resources. SAINT2 is available for download from: https://github.com/sauloho/SAINT2. saulo.deoliveira@dtc.ox.ac.uk. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Efficacy of deep rTMS for neuropathic pain in the lower limb: a randomized, double-blind crossover trial of an H-coil and figure-8 coil.

PubMed

Shimizu, Takeshi; Hosomi, Koichi; Maruo, Tomoyuki; Goto, Yuko; Yokoe, Masaru; Kageyama, Yu; Shimokawa, Toshio; Yoshimine, Toshiki; Saitoh, Youichi

2017-11-01

OBJECTIVE Electrical motor cortex stimulation can relieve neuropathic pain (NP), but its use requires patients to undergo an invasive procedure. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the primary motor cortex (M1) using a figure-8 coil can relieve NP noninvasively, but its ability to relieve lower limb pain is still limited. Deep rTMS using an H-coil can effectively stimulate deep brain regions and has been widely used for the treatment of various neurological diseases; however, there have been no clinical studies comparing the effectiveness of figure-8 coils and H-coils. This study assessed the clinical effectiveness of 5 once-daily stimulations with H-coils and figure-8 coils in patients with NP. METHODS This randomized, double-blind, 3-way crossover trial examined 18 patients with NP who sequentially received 3 types of stimulations in the M1 for 5 consecutive days; each 5-day stimulation period was followed by a 17-day follow-up period before crossing over to the next type of stimulation. During each rTMS session, patients received a 5-Hz rTMS to the M1 region corresponding to the painful lower limb. The visual analog scale (VAS) and the Japanese version of the short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire 2 (SF-MPQ2-J) were used to measure pain intensity. The primary outcome was VAS score reduction immediately after and 1 hour after intervention. RESULTS Both the VAS and SF-MPQ2-J showed significant pain improvement immediately after deep rTMS with an H-coil as compared with the sham group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.049, respectively). However, neither outcome measure showed significant pain improvement when using a figure-8 coil. The VAS also showed significant pain improvement 1 hour after deep rTMS with an H-coil (p = 0.004) but not 1 hour after rTMS using a figure-8 coil. None of the patients exhibited any serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS The current findings suggest that the use of deep rTMS with an H-coil in the lower limb region of the M1 in patients with NP was tolerable and could provide significant short-term pain relief. Clinical trial registration no.: UMIN000010536 ( http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ ).

Discrimination between sequential and simultaneous virtual channels with electrical hearing

PubMed Central

Landsberger, David; Galvin, John J.

2011-01-01

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

Discrimination between sequential and simultaneous virtual channels with electrical hearing.

PubMed

Landsberger, David; Galvin, John J

2011-09-01

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

Inter-rater agreement in evaluation of disability: systematic review of reproducibility studies.

PubMed

Barth, Jürgen; de Boer, Wout E L; Busse, Jason W; Hoving, Jan L; Kedzia, Sarah; Couban, Rachel; Fischer, Katrin; von Allmen, David Y; Spanjer, Jerry; Kunz, Regina

2017-01-25

 To explore agreement among healthcare professionals assessing eligibility for work disability benefits.  Systematic review and narrative synthesis of reproducibility studies.  Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO searched up to 16 March 2016, without language restrictions, and review of bibliographies of included studies.  Observational studies investigating reproducibility among healthcare professionals performing disability evaluations using a global rating of working capacity and reporting inter-rater reliability by a statistical measure or descriptively. Studies could be conducted in insurance settings, where decisions on ability to work include normative judgments based on legal considerations, or in research settings, where decisions on ability to work disregard normative considerations. : Teams of paired reviewers identified eligible studies, appraised their methodological quality and generalisability, and abstracted results with pretested forms. As heterogeneity of research designs and findings impeded a quantitative analysis, a descriptive synthesis stratified by setting (insurance or research) was performed.  From 4562 references, 101 full text articles were reviewed. Of these, 16 studies conducted in an insurance setting and seven in a research setting, performed in 12 countries, met the inclusion criteria. Studies in the insurance setting were conducted with medical experts assessing claimants who were actual disability claimants or played by actors, hypothetical cases, or short written scenarios. Conditions were mental (n=6, 38%), musculoskeletal (n=4, 25%), or mixed (n=6, 38%). Applicability of findings from studies conducted in an insurance setting to real life evaluations ranged from generalisable (n=7, 44%) and probably generalisable (n=3, 19%) to probably not generalisable (n=6, 37%). Median inter-rater reliability among experts was 0.45 (range intraclass correlation coefficient 0.86 to κ-0.10). Inter-rater reliability was poor in six studies (37%) and excellent in only two (13%). This contrasts with studies conducted in the research setting, where the median inter-rater reliability was 0.76 (range 0.91-0.53), and 71% (5/7) studies achieved excellent inter-rater reliability. Reliability between assessing professionals was higher when the evaluation was guided by a standardised instrument (23 studies, P=0.006). No such association was detected for subjective or chronic health conditions or the studies' generalisability to real world evaluation of disability (P=0.46, 0.45, and 0.65, respectively).  Despite their common use and far reaching consequences for workers claiming disabling injury or illness, research on the reliability of medical evaluations of disability for work is limited and indicates high variation in judgments among assessing professionals. Standardising the evaluation process could improve reliability. Development and testing of instruments and structured approaches to improve reliability in evaluation of disability are urgently needed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Modelling of squall with the generalised kinetic equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Annenkov, Sergei; Shrira, Victor

2014-05-01

We study the long-term evolution of random wind waves using the new generalised kinetic equation (GKE). The GKE derivation [1] does not assume the quasi-stationarity of a random wave field. In contrast with the Hasselmann kinetic equation, the GKE can describe fast spectral changes occurring when a wave field is driven out of a quasi-equilibrium state by a fast increase or decrease of wind, or by other factors. In these cases, a random wave field evolves on the dynamic timescale typical of coherent wave processes, rather than on the kinetic timescale predicted by the conventional statistical theory. Besides that, the generalised theory allows to trace the evolution of higher statistical moments of the field, notably the kurtosis, which is important for assessing the risk of freak waves and other applications. A new efficient and highly parallelised algorithm for the numerical simulation of the generalised kinetic equation is presented and discussed. Unlike in the case of the Hasselmann equation, the algorithm takes into account all (resonant and non-resonant) nonlinear wave interactions, but only approximately resonant interactions contribute to the spectral evolution. However, counter-intuitively, all interactions contribute to the kurtosis. Without forcing or dissipation, the algorithm is shown to conserve the relevant integrals. We show that under steady wind forcing the wave field evolution predicted by the GKE is close to the predictions of the conventional statistical theory, which is applicable in this case. In particular, we demonstrate the known long-term asymptotics for the evolution of the spectrum. When the wind forcing is not steady (in the simplest case, an instant increase or decrease of wind occurs), the generalised theory is the only way to study the spectral evolution, apart from the direct numerical simulation. The focus of the work is a detailed analysis of the fast evolution after an instant change of forcing, and of the subsequent transition to the new quasi-stationary state of a wave field. It is shown that both increase and decrease of wind lead to a significant transient increase of the dynamic kurtosis, although these changes remain small compared to the changes of the other component of the kurtosis, which is due to bound harmonics. A special consideration is given to the case of the squall, i.e. an instant and large (by a factor of 2-4) increase of wind, which lasts for O(102) characteristic wave periods. We show that fast adjustment processes lead to the formation of a transient spectrum, which has a considerably narrower peak than the spectra developed under a steady forcing. These transient spectra differ qualitatively from those predicted by the Hasselmann kinetic equation under the squall with the same parameters. 1. S.Annenkov, V.Shrira (2006) Role of non-resonant interactions in evolution of nonlinear random water wave fields, J. Fluid Mech. 561, 181-207.

Self-Assembling Molecular Logic Gates Based on DNA Crossover Tiles.

PubMed

Campbell, Eleanor A; Peterson, Evan; Kolpashchikov, Dmitry M

2017-07-05

DNA-based computational hardware has attracted ever-growing attention due to its potential to be useful in the analysis of complex mixtures of biological markers. Here we report the design of self-assembling logic gates that recognize DNA inputs and assemble into crossover tiles when the output signal is high; the crossover structures disassemble to form separate DNA stands when the output is low. The output signal can be conveniently detected by fluorescence using a molecular beacon probe as a reporter. AND, NOT, and OR logic gates were designed. We demonstrate that the gates can connect to each other to produce other logic functions. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.