Audience Design through Social Interaction during Group Discussion

PubMed Central

Rogers, Shane L.; Fay, Nicolas; Maybery, Murray

2013-01-01

This paper contrasts two accounts of audience design during multiparty communication: audience design as a strategic individual-level message adjustment or as a non-strategic interaction-level message adjustment. Using a non-interactive communication task, Experiment 1 showed that people distinguish between messages designed for oneself and messages designed for another person; consistent with strategic message design, messages designed for another person/s were longer (number of words) than those designed for oneself. However, audience size did not affect message length (messages designed for different sized audiences were similar in length). Using an interactive communication task Experiment 2 showed that as group size increased so too did communicative effort (number of words exchanged between interlocutors). Consistent with a non-strategic account, as group members were added more social interaction was necessary to coordinate the group's collective situation model. Experiment 3 validates and extends the production measures used in Experiment 1 and 2 using a comprehension task. Taken together, our results indicate that audience design arises as a non-strategic outcome of social interaction during group discussion. PMID:23437343

Direct-to-adolescent text messaging for vaccine reminders: What will parents permit?

PubMed

Roberts, James R; Morella, Kristen; Dawley, Erin H; Madden, Christi A; Jacobson, Robert M; Pope, Charlene; Davis, Boyd; Thompson, David; O'Brien, Elizabeth S; Darden, Paul M

2018-05-11

Direct-to-adolescent text messaging may be a consideration for vaccine reminders, including human papilloma virus (HPV), but no studies have explored the minimum age at which parents would allow adolescents to receive a text message. We distributed a survey to parents of 10-17 year olds during any office visit in two practice based research networks in South Carolina and Oklahoma. We asked about parental preference for receiving vaccine reminders for their adolescent, whether they would allow the healthcare provider to directly message their adolescent, and if so, what would be the acceptable minimum age. In 546 surveys from 11 practices, parents of females were more supportive of direct-to-teen text message reminders than were parents of males, (75% v. 60%, p < .001). The median age at which parents would allow direct text messages from physicians' offices was 14 in females compared to 15 in males, p = .049. We found a correlation between the child's age and the youngest age at which parents would allow a direct text message. Of the parents who permitted a text message directly to their adolescent, most reported an allowable age higher than their adolescent's current age until the age of 15. Our study suggests that direct-to-adolescent text messaging would be allowed by parents for older adolescents. This supports an intervention aimed at older adolescents, such as for receipt of MCV4 dose #2, delayed HPV vaccine series completion and annual influenza vaccination. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Privacy-Preserving RFID Authentication Using Public Exponent Three RSA Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yoonjeong; Ohm, Seongyong; Yi, Kang

In this letter, we propose a privacy-preserving authentication protocol with RSA cryptosystem in an RFID environment. For both overcoming the resource restriction and strengthening security, our protocol uses only modular exponentiation with exponent three at RFID tag side, with the padded random message whose length is greater than one-sixth of the whole message length.

Development of an HL7 interface engine, based on tree structure and streaming algorithm, for large-size messages which include image data.

PubMed

Um, Ki Sung; Kwak, Yun Sik; Cho, Hune; Kim, Il Kon

2005-11-01

A basic assumption of Health Level Seven (HL7) protocol is 'No limitation of message length'. However, most existing commercial HL7 interface engines do limit message length because they use the string array method, which is run in the main memory for the HL7 message parsing process. Specifically, messages with image and multi-media data create a long string array and thus cause the computer system to raise critical and fatal problem. Consequently, HL7 messages cannot handle the image and multi-media data necessary in modern medical records. This study aims to solve this problem with the 'streaming algorithm' method. This new method for HL7 message parsing applies the character-stream object which process character by character between the main memory and hard disk device with the consequence that the processing load on main memory could be alleviated. The main functions of this new engine are generating, parsing, validating, browsing, sending, and receiving HL7 messages. Also, the engine can parse and generate XML-formatted HL7 messages. This new HL7 engine successfully exchanged HL7 messages with 10 megabyte size images and discharge summary information between two university hospitals.

Star sub-pixel centroid calculation based on multi-step minimum energy difference method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Duo; Han, YanLi; Sun, Tengfei

2013-09-01

The star's centroid plays a vital role in celestial navigation, star images which be gotten during daytime, due to the strong sky background, have a low SNR, and the star objectives are nearly submerged in the background, takes a great trouble to the centroid localization. Traditional methods, such as a moment method, weighted centroid calculation method is simple but has a big error, especially in the condition of a low SNR. Gaussian method has a high positioning accuracy, but the computational complexity. Analysis of the energy distribution in star image, a location method for star target centroids based on multi-step minimum energy difference is proposed. This method uses the linear superposition to narrow the centroid area, in the certain narrow area uses a certain number of interpolation to pixels for the pixels' segmentation, and then using the symmetry of the stellar energy distribution, tentatively to get the centroid position: assume that the current pixel is the star centroid position, and then calculates and gets the difference of the sum of the energy which in the symmetric direction(in this paper we take the two directions of transverse and longitudinal) and the equal step length(which can be decided through different conditions, the paper takes 9 as the step length) of the current pixel, and obtain the centroid position in this direction when the minimum difference appears, and so do the other directions, then the validation comparison of simulated star images, and compare with several traditional methods, experiments shows that the positioning accuracy of the method up to 0.001 pixel, has good effect to calculate the centroid of low SNR conditions; at the same time, uses this method on a star map which got at the fixed observation site during daytime in near-infrared band, compare the results of the paper's method with the position messages which were known of the star, it shows that :the multi-step minimum energy difference method achieves a better effect.

Daily mood ratings via text message as a proxy for clinic based depression assessment.

PubMed

Aguilera, Adrian; Schueller, Stephen M; Leykin, Yan

2015-04-01

Mobile and automated technologies are increasingly becoming integrated into mental health care and assessment. The purpose of this study was to determine how automated daily mood ratings are related to the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a standard measure in the screening and tracking of depressive symptoms. There was a significant relationship between daily mood scores and PHQ-9 scores, and between one-week average mood scores and PHQ-9 scores, controlling for linear change in depression scores. PHQ-9 scores were not related to the average of two week mood ratings. This study also constructed models using variance, maximum, and minimum values of mood ratings in the preceding week and two-week periods as predictors of PHQ-9. None of these variables significantly predicted PHQ-9 scores when controlling for daily mood ratings and the corresponding averages for each period. This study only assessed patients who were in treatment for depression, therefore findings might not generalize to the relationship between text message mood ratings for those who are not depressed. The sample was also predominantly Spanish speaking and low-income making generalizability to other populations uncertain. Our results show that automatic text message based mood ratings can be a clinically useful proxy for the PHQ-9. Importantly, this approach avoids the limitations of the PHQ-9 administration, which include length and a higher requirement for literacy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Muskellunge growth potential in northern Wisconsin: implications for trophy management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faust, Matthew D.; Isermann, Daniel A.; Luehring, Mark A.; Hansen, Michael J.

2015-01-01

The growth potential of Muskellunge Esox masquinongy was evaluated by back-calculating growth histories from cleithra removed from 305 fish collected during 1995–2011 to determine whether it was consistent with trophy management goals in northern Wisconsin. Female Muskellunge had a larger mean asymptotic length (49.8 in) than did males (43.4 in). Minimum ultimate size of female Muskellunge (45.0 in) equaled the 45.0-in minimum length limit, but was less than the 50.0-in minimum length limit used on Wisconsin's trophy waters, while the minimum ultimate size of male Muskellunge (34.0 in) was less than the statewide minimum length limit. Minimum reproductive sizes for both sexes were less than Wisconsin's trophy minimum length limits. Mean growth potential of female Muskellunge in northern Wisconsin appears to be sufficient for meeting trophy management objectives and angler expectations. Muskellunge in northern Wisconsin had similar growth potential to those in Ontario populations, but lower growth potential than Minnesota's populations, perhaps because of genetic and environmental differences.

Accelerating list management for MPI.

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

Hemmert, K. Scott; Rodrigues, Arun F.; Underwood, Keith Douglas

2005-07-01

The latency and throughput of MPI messages are critically important to a range of parallel scientific applications. In many modern networks, both of these performance characteristics are largely driven by the performance of a processor on the network interface. Because of the semantics of MPI, this embedded processor is forced to traverse a linked list of posted receives each time a message is received. As this list grows long, the latency of message reception grows and the throughput of MPI messages decreases. This paper presents a novel hardware feature to handle list management functions on a network interface. By movingmore » functions such as list insertion, list traversal, and list deletion to the hardware unit, latencies are decreased by up to 20% in the zero length queue case with dramatic improvements in the presence of long queues. Similarly, the throughput is increased by up to 10% in the zero length queue case and by nearly 100% in the presence queues of 30 messages.« less

Minimum probe length for unique identification of all open reading frames in a microbial genome

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

Sokhansanj, B A; Ng, J; Fitch, J P

2000-03-05

In this paper, we determine the minimum hybridization probe length to uniquely identify at least 95% of the open reading frame (ORF) in an organism. We analyze the whole genome sequences of 17 species, 11 bacteria, 4 archaea, and 2 eukaryotes. We also present a mathematical model for minimum probe length based on assuming that all ORFs are random, of constant length, and contain an equal distribution of bases. The model accurately predicts the minimum probe length for all species, but it incorrectly predicts that all ORFs may be uniquely identified. However, a probe length of just 9 bases ismore » adequate to identify over 95% of the ORFs for all 15 prokaryotic species we studied. Using a minimum probe length, while accepting that some ORFs may not be identified and that data will be lost due to hybridization error, may result in significant savings in microarray and oligonucleotide probe design.« less

Segmentation and clustering as complementary sources of information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dale, Michael B.; Allison, Lloyd; Dale, Patricia E. R.

2007-03-01

This paper examines the effects of using a segmentation method to identify change-points or edges in vegetation. It identifies coherence (spatial or temporal) in place of unconstrained clustering. The segmentation method involves change-point detection along a sequence of observations so that each cluster formed is composed of adjacent samples; this is a form of constrained clustering. The protocol identifies one or more models, one for each section identified, and the quality of each is assessed using a minimum message length criterion, which provides a rational basis for selecting an appropriate model. Although the segmentation is less efficient than clustering, it does provide other information because it incorporates textural similarity as well as homogeneity. In addition it can be useful in determining various scales of variation that may apply to the data, providing a general method of small-scale pattern analysis.

Routing Based on Length of Time of Available Connection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anandappan, Thanga (Inventor); Roy, Aloke (Inventor); Malve, Sharath Babu (Inventor); Toth, Louis T. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

In an embodiment, a method of routing packets at a first node in an ad-hoc network is provided. The method includes receiving, at the first node, a plurality of route-alive messages corresponding to a destination, each of the plurality of route-alive messages including a route time indicating a length of time in which a communicative connection is available between the second node that sent the respective route-alive message and the destination. The method also includes determining an updated route time for each second node. The updated route time corresponds to a length of time in which a communication connection is available between the first node and the destination through the respective second node. A second node is selected for sending a packet to based on the updated route time for each of the second nodes, wherein a node having a longer updated route time is given higher priority for selection.

Phishing E-Mails--Six Month Investigation into What People Click

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehrfeld, Michael R.

2014-01-01

Phishing and SPAM emails have been used by marketers and hackers alike since the inception of email and the Internet. Phishing messages have become so common that many legitimate emails often get flagged and placed in a user's spam bucket. No one is denying that these messages are at a minimum a nuisance, and in many cases malicious. But what is…

50 CFR 648.72 - Minimum surf clam size.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fisheries § 648.72 Minimum surf clam size. (a) Minimum length. The minimum length for surf clams is 4.75 inches (12.065 cm). (b) Determination of compliance. No more than 50... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Minimum surf clam size. 648.72 Section 648...

30 CFR 75.1431 - Minimum rope strength.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) For rope lengths 3,000 feet or greater: Minimum Value=Static Load×4.0 (b) Friction drum ropes. For rope lengths less than 4,000 feet: Minimum Value=Static Load×(7.0−0.0005L) For rope lengths 4,000 feet... Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH...

30 CFR 75.1431 - Minimum rope strength.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) For rope lengths 3,000 feet or greater: Minimum Value=Static Load×4.0 (b) Friction drum ropes. For rope lengths less than 4,000 feet: Minimum Value=Static Load×(7.0−0.0005L) For rope lengths 4,000 feet... Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH...

Method for Veterbi decoding of large constraint length convolutional codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsu, In-Shek (Inventor); Truong, Trieu-Kie (Inventor); Reed, Irving S. (Inventor); Jing, Sun (Inventor)

1988-01-01

A new method of Viterbi decoding of convolutional codes lends itself to a pipline VLSI architecture using a single sequential processor to compute the path metrics in the Viterbi trellis. An array method is used to store the path information for NK intervals where N is a number, and K is constraint length. The selected path at the end of each NK interval is then selected from the last entry in the array. A trace-back method is used for returning to the beginning of the selected path back, i.e., to the first time unit of the interval NK to read out the stored branch metrics of the selected path which correspond to the message bits. The decoding decision made in this way is no longer maximum likelihood, but can be almost as good, provided that constraint length K in not too small. The advantage is that for a long message, it is not necessary to provide a large memory to store the trellis derived information until the end of the message to select the path that is to be decoded; the selection is made at the end of every NK time unit, thus decoding a long message in successive blocks.

A carrier sensed multiple access protocol for high data base rate ring networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foudriat, E. C.; Maly, Kurt J.; Overstreet, C. Michael; Khanna, S.; Paterra, Frank

1990-01-01

The results of the study of a simple but effective media access protocol for high data rate networks are presented. The protocol is based on the fact that at high data rates networks can contain multiple messages simultaneously over their span, and that in a ring, nodes used to detect the presence of a message arriving from the immediate upstream neighbor. When an incoming signal is detected, the node must either abort or truncate a message it is presently sending. Thus, the protocol with local carrier sensing and multiple access is designated CSMA/RN. The performance of CSMA/RN with TTattempt and truncate is studied using analytic and simulation models. Three performance factors, wait or access time, service time and response or end-to-end travel time are presented. The service time is basically a function of the network rate, it changes by a factor of 1 between no load and full load. Wait time, which is zero for no load, remains small for load factors up to 70 percent of full load. Response time, which adds travel time while on the network to wait and service time, is mainly a function of network length, especially for longer distance networks. Simulation results are shown for CSMA/RN where messages are removed at the destination. A wide range of local and metropolitan area network parameters including variations in message size, network length, and node count are studied. Finally, a scaling factor based upon the ratio of message to network length demonstrates that the results, and hence, the CSMA/RN protocol, are applicable to wide area networks.

50 CFR 648.93 - Monkfish minimum fish sizes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 12 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Monkfish minimum fish sizes. 648.93... Measures for the NE Multispecies and Monkfish Fisheries § 648.93 Monkfish minimum fish sizes. (a) General... fish size requirements established in this section. Minimum Fish Sizes (Total Length/Tail Length) Total...

50 CFR 648.93 - Monkfish minimum fish sizes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 12 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Monkfish minimum fish sizes. 648.93... Measures for the NE Multispecies and Monkfish Fisheries § 648.93 Monkfish minimum fish sizes. (a) General... fish size requirements established in this section. Minimum Fish Sizes (Total Length/Tail Length) Total...

50 CFR 648.93 - Monkfish minimum fish sizes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 10 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Monkfish minimum fish sizes. 648.93... Measures for the NE Multispecies and Monkfish Fisheries § 648.93 Monkfish minimum fish sizes. (a) General... fish size requirements established in this section. Minimum Fish Sizes (Total Length/Tail Length) Total...

50 CFR 648.93 - Monkfish minimum fish sizes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Monkfish minimum fish sizes. 648.93... Measures for the NE Multispecies and Monkfish Fisheries § 648.93 Monkfish minimum fish sizes. (a) General... fish size requirements established in this section. Minimum Fish Sizes (Total Length/Tail Length) Total...

mHealth Series: Text messaging data collection of infant and young child feeding practice in rural China – a feasibility study

PubMed Central

Du, Xiaozhen; Wang, Wei; Helena van Velthoven, Michelle; Chen, Li; Scherpbier, Robert W.; Zhang, Yanfeng; Wu, Qiong; Li, Ye; Rao, Xiuqin; Car, Josip

2013-01-01

Background Face–to–face interviews by trained field workers are commonly used in household surveys. However, this data collection method is labor–intensive, time–consuming, expensive, prone to interviewer and recall bias and not easily scalable to increase sample representativeness. Objective To explore the feasibility of using text messaging to collect information on infant and young child feeding practice in rural China. Methods Our study was part of a clustered randomized controlled trial that recruited 591 mothers of children aged 12 to 29 months in rural China. We used the test–retest method: first we collected data through face–to–face interviews and then through text messages. We asked the same five questions on standard infant and young child feeding indicators for both methods and asked caregivers how they fed their children yesterday. We assessed the response rate of the text messaging method and compared data agreement of the two methods. Finding In the text messaging survey, the response rate for the first question and the completion rate were 56.5% and 48.7%, respectively. Data agreement between the two methods was excellent for whether the baby was breastfed yesterday (question 1) (kappa, κ = 0.81), moderate for the times of drinking infant formula, fresh milk or yoghurt yesterday (question 2) (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC = 0.46) and whether iron fortified food or iron supplement was consumed (question 3) (κ = 0.44), and poor for 24–hour dietary recall (question 4) (ICC = 0.13) and times of eating solid and semi–solid food yesterday (question 5) (ICC = 0.06). There was no significant difference in data agreement between the two surveys at different time intervals. For infant and young child feeding indicators from both surveys, continued breastfeeding at 1 year (P = 1.000), continued breastfeeding at 2 years (P = 0.688) and minimum meal frequency (P = 0.056) were not significantly different, whereas minimum dietary diversity, minimum accepted diet and consumption of iron–rich or iron fortified foods were significantly different (P < 0.001). Conclusions The response rate for our text messaging survey was moderate compared to response rate of other studies using text messaging method and the data agreement between the two methods varied for different survey questions and infant and young child feeding indicators. Future research is needed to increase the response rate and improve data validity of text messaging data collection. PMID:24363921

The SME gauge sector with minimum length

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belich, H.; Louzada, H. L. C.

2017-12-01

We study the gauge sector of the Standard Model Extension (SME) with the Lorentz covariant deformed Heisenberg algebra associated to the minimum length. In order to find and estimate corrections, we clarify whether the violation of Lorentz symmetry and the existence of a minimum length are independent phenomena or are, in some way, related. With this goal, we analyze the dispersion relations of this theory.

The Einstein-Hilbert gravitation with minimum length

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Louzada, H. L. C.

2018-05-01

We study the Einstein-Hilbert gravitation with the deformed Heisenberg algebra leading to the minimum length, with the intention to find and estimate the corrections in this theory, clarifying whether or not it is possible to obtain, by means of the minimum length, a theory, in D=4, which is causal, unitary and provides a massive graviton. Therefore, we will calculate and analyze the dispersion relationships of the considered theory.

Fault-Tolerant Self-Stabilizing Distributed Clock Synchronization Protocol for Arbitrary Digraphs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malekpour, Mahyar R. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A self-stabilizing network in the form of an arbitrary, non-partitioned digraph includes K nodes having a synchronizer executing a protocol. K-1 monitors of each node may receive a Sync message transmitted from a directly connected node. When the Sync message is received, the logical clock value for the receiving node is set to between 0 and a communication latency value (gamma) if the clock value is less than a minimum event-response delay (D). A new Sync message is also transmitted to any directly connected nodes if the clock value is greater than or equal to both D and a graph threshold (T(sub S)). When the Sync message is not received the synchronizer increments the clock value if the clock value is less than a resynchronization period (P), and resets the clock value and transmits a new Sync message to all directly connected nodes when the clock value equals or exceeds P.

Results of a content analysis of electronic messages (email) sent between patients and their physicians

PubMed Central

Sittig, Dean F

2003-01-01

Background Email is the most important mechanism introduced since the telephone for developing interpersonal relationships. This study was designed to provide insight into how patients are using email to request information or services from their healthcare providers. Methods Following IRB approval, we reviewed all electronic mail (e-mail) messages sent between five study clinicians and their patients over a one-month period. We used a previously described taxonomy of patient requests to categorize all patient requests contained in the messages. We measured message volume, frequency, length and response time for all messages sent to and received by these clinicians. Results On average the 5 physicians involved in this study received 40 messages per month, each containing approximately 139 words. Replies sent by the physicians contained 39 words on average and 59.4% of them were sent within 24 hours. Patients averaged 1 request per message. Requests for information on medications or treatments, specific symptoms or diseases, and requests for actions regarding medications or treatments accounted for 75% of all requests. Physicians fulfilled 80.2% of all these requests. Upon comparison of these data to that obtained from traditional office visits, it appears that the potential exists for email encounters to substitute for some percentage of office visits. Conclusion Electronic messaging is an important method for physicians and patients to communicate and further develop their relationship. While many physicians worry that either the number or length of messages from their patients will overwhelm them, there is no evidence to support this. In fact, the evidence suggests that many patient requests, formerly made over the telephone or during office visits, can be addressed via email thus potentially saving both patients and physicians time. PMID:14519206

A network flow model for load balancing in circuit-switched multicomputers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bokhari, Shahid H.

1990-01-01

In multicomputers that utilize circuit switching or wormhole routing, communication overhead depends largely on link contention - the variation due to distance between nodes is negligible. This has a major impact on the load balancing problem. In this case, there are some nodes with excess load (sources) and others with deficit load (sinks) and it is required to find a matching of sources to sinks that avoids contention. The problem is made complex by the hardwired routing on currently available machines: the user can control only which nodes communicate but not how the messages are routed. Network flow models of message flow in the mesh and the hypercube were developed to solve this problem. The crucial property of these models is the correspondence between minimum cost flows and correctly routed messages. To solve a given load balancing problem, a minimum cost flow algorithm is applied to the network. This permits one to determine efficiently a maximum contention free matching of sources to sinks which, in turn, tells one how much of the given imbalance can be eliminated without contention.

Using threshold messages to promote physical activity: implications for public perceptions of health effects.

PubMed

Knox, Emily C L; Webb, Oliver J; Esliger, Dale W; Biddle, Stuart J H; Sherar, Lauren B

2014-04-01

The promotion of physical activity (PA) guidelines to the general public is an important issue that lacks empirical investigation. PA campaigns often feature participation thresholds that cite PA guidelines verbatim [e.g., 150 min/week moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)]. Some campaigns instead prefer to use generic PA messages (e.g., do as much MVPA as possible). 'Thresholds' may disrupt understanding of the health benefits of modest PA participation. This study examined the perception of health benefits of PA after exposure to PA messages that did and did not contain a duration threshold. Brief structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of adults (n = 1100). Participants received a threshold message (150 min/week MVPA), a message that presented the threshold as a minimum; a generic message or no message. Participants rated perceived health effects of seven PA durations. One-way analyses of variance with post hoc tests for group differences were used to assess raw perception ratings for each duration of PA. Recipients of all three messages held more positive perceptions of >150 min/week of MVPA relative to those not receiving any message. For MVPA durations <150 min/week, the generic PA message group perceived the greatest health benefits. Those receiving the threshold message tended to have the least positive perceptions of durations <150 min/week. Threshold messages were associated with lower perceived health benefits for modest PA durations. Campaigns based on threshold messages may be limited when promoting small PA increases at a population level.

5 CFR 890.1007 - Minimum length of mandatory debarments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Administrative Sanctions Imposed Against Health Care Providers Mandatory Debarments § 890.1007 Minimum length of mandatory debarments. (a...

coNCePTual

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

Pakin, Scott

2004-05-13

A frequently reinvented wheel among network researchers is a suite of programs that test a network’s performance. A problem with having umpteen versions of performance tests is that it leads to a variety in the way results are reported; colloquially, apples are often compared to oranges. Consider a bandwidth test. Does a bandwidth test run for a fixed number of iterations or a fixed length of time? Is bandwidth measured as ping-pong bandwidth (i.e., 2 * message length / round-trip time) or unidirectional throughput (N messages in one direction followed by a single acknowledgement message)? Is the acknowledgement message ofmore » minimal length or as long as the entire message? Does its length contribute to the total bandwidth? Is data sent unidirectionally or in both directions at once? How many warmup messages (if any) are sent before the timing loop? Is there a delay after the warmup messages (to give the network a chance to reclaim any scarce resources)? Are receives nonblocking (possibly allowing overlap in the NIC) or blocking? The motivation behind creating coNCePTuaL, a simple specification language designed for describing network benchmarks, is that it enables a benchmark to be described sufficiently tersely as to fit easily in a report or research paper, facilitating peer review of the experimental setup and timing measurements. Because coNCePTuaL code is simple to write, network tests can be developed and deployed with low turnaround times -- useful when the results of one test suggest a following test that should be written. Because coNCePTuaL is special-purpose its run-time system can perform the following functions, which benchmark writers often neglect to implement: * logging information about the environment under which the benchmark ran: operating system, CPU architecture and clock speed, timer type and resolution, etc. * aborting a program if it takes longer than a predetermined length of time to complete * writing measurement data and descriptive statistics to a variety of output formats, including the input formats of various graph-plotting programs coNCePTuaL is not limited to network peformance tests, however. It can also be used for network verification. That is, coNCePTuaL programs can be used to locate failed links or to determine the frequency of bit errors --even those that may sneak past the networks CRC hardware. In addition, because coNCePTuaL is a very high-level language, the coNCePTuaL compiler’s backend has a great deal of potential. It would be possible for the backend to produce a variety of target formats such as Fortran + MPI, Perl + sockets, C + a network vendor’s low-level messaging layer, and so forth. It could directly manipulate a network simulator. It could feed into a graphics program to produce a space-time diagram of a coNCePTuaL program. The possibilities are endless.« less

Contraction of online response to major events.

PubMed

Szell, Michael; Grauwin, Sébastian; Ratti, Carlo

2014-01-01

Quantifying regularities in behavioral dynamics is of crucial interest for understanding collective social events such as panics or political revolutions. With the widespread use of digital communication media it has become possible to study massive data streams of user-created content in which individuals express their sentiments, often towards a specific topic. Here we investigate messages from various online media created in response to major, collectively followed events such as sport tournaments, presidential elections, or a large snow storm. We relate content length and message rate, and find a systematic correlation during events which can be described by a power law relation--the higher the excitation, the shorter the messages. We show that on the one hand this effect can be observed in the behavior of most regular users, and on the other hand is accentuated by the engagement of additional user demographics who only post during phases of high collective activity. Further, we identify the distributions of content lengths as lognormals in line with statistical linguistics, and suggest a phenomenological law for the systematic dependence of the message rate to the lognormal mean parameter. Our measurements have practical implications for the design of micro-blogging and messaging services. In the case of the existing service Twitter, we show that the imposed limit of 140 characters per message currently leads to a substantial fraction of possibly dissatisfying to compose tweets that need to be truncated by their users.

Contraction of Online Response to Major Events

PubMed Central

Szell, Michael; Grauwin, Sébastian; Ratti, Carlo

2014-01-01

Quantifying regularities in behavioral dynamics is of crucial interest for understanding collective social events such as panics or political revolutions. With the widespread use of digital communication media it has become possible to study massive data streams of user-created content in which individuals express their sentiments, often towards a specific topic. Here we investigate messages from various online media created in response to major, collectively followed events such as sport tournaments, presidential elections, or a large snow storm. We relate content length and message rate, and find a systematic correlation during events which can be described by a power law relation—the higher the excitation, the shorter the messages. We show that on the one hand this effect can be observed in the behavior of most regular users, and on the other hand is accentuated by the engagement of additional user demographics who only post during phases of high collective activity. Further, we identify the distributions of content lengths as lognormals in line with statistical linguistics, and suggest a phenomenological law for the systematic dependence of the message rate to the lognormal mean parameter. Our measurements have practical implications for the design of micro-blogging and messaging services. In the case of the existing service Twitter, we show that the imposed limit of 140 characters per message currently leads to a substantial fraction of possibly dissatisfying to compose tweets that need to be truncated by their users. PMID:24586499

Change In Length of Stay and Readmissions among Hospitalized Medical Patients after Inpatient Medicine Service Adoption of Mobile Secure Text Messaging.

PubMed

Patel, Mitesh S; Patel, Neha; Small, Dylan S; Rosin, Roy; Rohrbach, Jeffrey I; Stromberg, Nathaniel; Hanson, C William; Asch, David A

2016-08-01

Changes in the medium of communication from paging to mobile secure text messaging may change clinical care, but the effects of these changes on patient outcomes have not been well examined. To evaluate the association between inpatient medicine service adoption of mobile secure text messaging and patient length of stay and readmissions. Observational study. Patients admitted to medicine services at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (intervention site; n = 8995 admissions of 6484 patients) and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (control site; n = 6799 admissions of 4977 patients) between May 1, 2012, and April 30, 2014. Mobile secure text messaging. Change in length of stay and 30-day readmissions, comparing patients at the intervention site to the control site before (May 1, 2012 to April 30, 2013) and after (May 1, 2013 to April 30, 2014) the intervention, adjusting for time trends and patient demographics, comorbidities, insurance, and disposition. During the pre-intervention period, the mean length of stay ranged from 4.0 to 5.0 days at the control site and from 5.2 to 6.7 days at the intervention site, but trends were similar. In the first month after the intervention, the mean length of stay was unchanged at the control site (4.7 to 4.7 days) but declined at the intervention site (6.0 to 5.4 days). Trends were mostly similar during the rest of the post-intervention period, ranging from 4.4 to 5.6 days at the control site and from 5.4 to 6.5 days at the intervention site. Readmission rates varied significantly within sites before and after the intervention, but overall trends were similar. In adjusted analyses, there was a significant decrease in length of stay for the intervention site relative to the control site during the post-intervention period compared to the pre-intervention period (-0.77 days ; 95 % CI, -1.14, -0.40; P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the odds of readmission (OR, 0.97; 95 % CI: 0.81, 1.17; P = 0.77). These findings were supported by multiple sensitivity analyses. Compared to a control group over time, hospitalized medical patients on inpatient services whose care providers and staff were offered mobile secure text messaging showed a relative decrease in length of stay and no change in readmissions.

30 CFR 18.31 - Enclosures-joints and fastenings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... pressed fit shall result in a minimum interference of 0.001 inch between the parts. The minimum length of the pressed fit shall be equal to the minimum thickness requirement of paragraph (a)(6) of this.... The length of fit shall not be reduced when a push button is depressed. Operating rods shall have a...

5 CFR 890.1015 - Minimum and maximum length of permissive debarments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Administrative Sanctions Imposed Against Health Care Providers Permissive Debarments § 890.1015 Minimum and maximum length of...

Empowerment in the process of health messaging for rural low-income mothers: an exploratory message design project.

PubMed

Aldoory, Linda; Braun, Bonnie; Maring, Elisabeth Fost; Duggal, Mili; Briones, Rowena Lynn

2015-01-01

Rural, low-income mothers face challenges to their health equal to or greater than those of low-income mothers from urban areas. This study put health message design into the hands of low-income rural mothers. The current study filled a research gap by analyzing a participatory process used to design health messages tailored to the everyday lives of rural low-income mothers. A total of forty-three mothers participated in nine focus groups, which were held from 2012 to 2013, in eight states. The mothers were from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Participants discussed food security, physical activity, and oral health information. They created messages by considering several elements: visuals, length of message, voice/perspective, self-efficacy and personal control, emotional appeals, positive and negative reinforcements, and steps to health behavior change. This study was innovative in its focus on empowerment as a key process to health message design.

Fast and secure encryption-decryption method based on chaotic dynamics

DOEpatents

Protopopescu, Vladimir A.; Santoro, Robert T.; Tolliver, Johnny S.

1995-01-01

A method and system for the secure encryption of information. The method comprises the steps of dividing a message of length L into its character components; generating m chaotic iterates from m independent chaotic maps; producing an "initial" value based upon the m chaotic iterates; transforming the "initial" value to create a pseudo-random integer; repeating the steps of generating, producing and transforming until a pseudo-random integer sequence of length L is created; and encrypting the message as ciphertext based upon the pseudo random integer sequence. A system for accomplishing the invention is also provided.

Minimum expected delay-based routing protocol (MEDR) for Delay Tolerant Mobile Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Feng, Yong; Liu, Ming; Wang, Xiaomin; Gong, Haigang

2010-01-01

It is a challenging work to develop efficient routing protocols for Delay Tolerant Mobile Sensor Networks (DTMSNs), which have several unique characteristics such as sensor mobility, intermittent connectivity, energy limit, and delay tolerability. In this paper, we propose a new routing protocol called Minimum Expected Delay-based Routing (MEDR) tailored for DTMSNs. MEDR achieves a good routing performance by finding and using the connected paths formed dynamically by mobile sensors. In MEDR, each sensor maintains two important parameters: Minimum Expected Delay (MED) and its expiration time. According to MED, messages will be delivered to the sensor that has at least a connected path with their hosting nodes, and has the shortest expected delay to communication directly with the sink node. Because of the changing network topology, the path is fragile and volatile, so we use the expiration time of MED to indicate the valid time of the path, and avoid wrong transmissions. Simulation results show that the proposed MEDR achieves a higher message delivery ratio with lower transmission overhead and data delivery delay than other DTMSN routing approaches.

Extending the Conceptualization of Listening Fidelity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitch-Hauser, Margaret; Powers, William G.; O'Brien, Kelley; Hanson, Scott

2007-01-01

An exploration of variables potentially related to Listening Fidelity (LF) was conducted through two separate studies. Study 1 indicated that when the potential fidelity of the stimulus message was varied as a function of the number of words and time length, the message with lowest potential fidelity produced significantly lower LF than either the…

16 CFR 1512.19 - Instructions and labeling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... assembly and adjustment, (2) a drawing illustrating the minimum leg-length dimension of a rider and a method of measurement of this dimension. (c) The minimum leg-length dimension shall be readily...

Magazines as wilderness information sources: assessing users' general wilderness knowledge and specific leave no trace knowledge

Treesearch

John J. Confer; Andrew J. Mowen; Alan K. Graefe; James D. Absher

2000-01-01

The Leave No Trace (LNT) educational program has the potential to provide wilderness users with useful minimum impact information. For LNT to be effective, managers need to understand who is most/least aware of minimum impact practices and how to expose users to LNT messages. This study examined LNT knowledge among various user groups at an Eastern wilderness area and...

Audio Steganography with Embedded Text

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teck Jian, Chua; Chai Wen, Chuah; Rahman, Nurul Hidayah Binti Ab.; Hamid, Isredza Rahmi Binti A.

2017-08-01

Audio steganography is about hiding the secret message into the audio. It is a technique uses to secure the transmission of secret information or hide their existence. It also may provide confidentiality to secret message if the message is encrypted. To date most of the steganography software such as Mp3Stego and DeepSound use block cipher such as Advanced Encryption Standard or Data Encryption Standard to encrypt the secret message. It is a good practice for security. However, the encrypted message may become too long to embed in audio and cause distortion of cover audio if the secret message is too long. Hence, there is a need to encrypt the message with stream cipher before embedding the message into the audio. This is because stream cipher provides bit by bit encryption meanwhile block cipher provide a fixed length of bits encryption which result a longer output compare to stream cipher. Hence, an audio steganography with embedding text with Rivest Cipher 4 encryption cipher is design, develop and test in this project.

47 CFR 101.143 - Minimum path length requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Technical Standards § 101.143 Minimum path length requirements. (a) The... carrier fixed point-to-point microwave services must equal or exceed the value set forth in the table...

47 CFR 101.143 - Minimum path length requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Technical Standards § 101.143 Minimum path length requirements. (a) The... carrier fixed point-to-point microwave services must equal or exceed the value set forth in the table...

47 CFR 101.143 - Minimum path length requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Technical Standards § 101.143 Minimum path length requirements. (a) The... carrier fixed point-to-point microwave services must equal or exceed the value set forth in the table...

47 CFR 101.143 - Minimum path length requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Technical Standards § 101.143 Minimum path length requirements. (a) The... carrier fixed point-to-point microwave services must equal or exceed the value set forth in the table...

47 CFR 101.143 - Minimum path length requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... SERVICES FIXED MICROWAVE SERVICES Technical Standards § 101.143 Minimum path length requirements. (a) The... carrier fixed point-to-point microwave services must equal or exceed the value set forth in the table...

49 CFR 38.29 - Interior circulation, handrails and stanchions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... length with front-door lifts or ramps, vertical stanchions immediately behind the driver shall either... of 22 feet in length, the minimum interior height along the path from the lift to the securement location shall be 68 inches. For vehicles of 22 feet in length or less, the minimum interior height from...

Detecting 2LSB steganography using extended pairs of values analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalind, Omed; Aziz, Benjamin

2014-05-01

In this paper, we propose an extended pairs of values analysis to detect and estimate the amount of secret messages embedded with 2LSB replacement in digital images based on chi-square attack and regularity rate in pixel values. The detection process is separated from the estimation of the hidden message length, as it is the main requirement of any steganalysis method. Hence, the detection process acts as a discrete classifier, which classifies a given set of images into stego and clean classes. The method can accurately detect 2LSB replacement even when the message length is about 10% of the total capacity, it also reaches its best performance with an accuracy of higher than 0.96 and a true positive rate of more than 0.997 when the amount of data are 20% to 100% of the total capacity. However, the method puts no assumptions neither on the image nor the secret message, as it tested with two sets of 3000 images, compressed and uncompressed, embedded with a random message for each case. This method of detection could also be used as an automated tool to analyse a bulk of images for hidden contents, which could be used by digital forensics analysts in their investigation process.

30 CFR 56.19021 - Minimum rope strength.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...=Static Load×4.0 (b) Friction drum ropes. For rope lengths less than 4,000 feet: Minimum Value=Static Load×(7.0-0.0005L) For rope lengths 4,000 feet or greater: Minimum Value=Static Load×5.0 (c) Tail ropes....19021 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL...

30 CFR 57.19021 - Minimum rope strength.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...=Static Load×4.0. (b) Friction drum ropes. For rope lengths less than 4,000 feet: Minimum Value=Static Load×(7.0−0.0005L) For rope lengths 4,000 feet or greater: Minimum Value=Static Load×5.0. (c) Tail....19021 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL...

30 CFR 57.19021 - Minimum rope strength.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...=Static Load×4.0. (b) Friction drum ropes. For rope lengths less than 4,000 feet: Minimum Value=Static Load×(7.0−0.0005L) For rope lengths 4,000 feet or greater: Minimum Value=Static Load×5.0. (c) Tail....19021 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL...

30 CFR 56.19021 - Minimum rope strength.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...=Static Load×4.0 (b) Friction drum ropes. For rope lengths less than 4,000 feet: Minimum Value=Static Load×(7.0-0.0005L) For rope lengths 4,000 feet or greater: Minimum Value=Static Load×5.0 (c) Tail ropes....19021 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL...

How Does Definition of Minimum Break Length Affect Objective Measures of Sitting Outcomes Among Office Workers?

PubMed

Kloster, Stine; Danquah, Ida Høgstedt; Holtermann, Andreas; Aadahl, Mette; Tolstrup, Janne Schurmann

2017-01-01

Harmful health effects associated with sedentary behavior may be attenuated by breaking up long periods of sitting by standing or walking. However, studies assess interruptions in sitting time differently, making comparisons between studies difficult. It has not previously been described how the definition of minimum break duration affects sitting outcomes. Therefore, the aim was to address how definitions of break length affect total sitting time, number of sit-to-stand transitions, prolonged sitting periods and time accumulated in prolonged sitting periods among office workers. Data were collected from 317 office workers. Thigh position was assessed with an ActiGraph GT3X+ fixed on the right thigh. Data were exported with varying bout length of breaks. Afterward, sitting outcomes were calculated for the respective break lengths. Absolute numbers of sit-to-stand transitions decreased, and number of prolonged sitting periods and total time accumulated in prolonged sitting periods increased, with increasing minimum break length. Total sitting time was not influenced by varying break length. The definition of minimum break length influenced the sitting outcomes with the exception of total sitting time. A standard definition of break length is needed for comparison and interpretation of studies in the evolving research field of sedentary behavior.

Extending Transfer Entropy Improves Identification of Effective Connectivity in a Spiking Cortical Network Model

PubMed Central

Ito, Shinya; Hansen, Michael E.; Heiland, Randy; Lumsdaine, Andrew; Litke, Alan M.; Beggs, John M.

2011-01-01

Transfer entropy (TE) is an information-theoretic measure which has received recent attention in neuroscience for its potential to identify effective connectivity between neurons. Calculating TE for large ensembles of spiking neurons is computationally intensive, and has caused most investigators to probe neural interactions at only a single time delay and at a message length of only a single time bin. This is problematic, as synaptic delays between cortical neurons, for example, range from one to tens of milliseconds. In addition, neurons produce bursts of spikes spanning multiple time bins. To address these issues, here we introduce a free software package that allows TE to be measured at multiple delays and message lengths. To assess performance, we applied these extensions of TE to a spiking cortical network model (Izhikevich, 2006) with known connectivity and a range of synaptic delays. For comparison, we also investigated single-delay TE, at a message length of one bin (D1TE), and cross-correlation (CC) methods. We found that D1TE could identify 36% of true connections when evaluated at a false positive rate of 1%. For extended versions of TE, this dramatically improved to 73% of true connections. In addition, the connections correctly identified by extended versions of TE accounted for 85% of the total synaptic weight in the network. Cross correlation methods generally performed more poorly than extended TE, but were useful when data length was short. A computational performance analysis demonstrated that the algorithm for extended TE, when used on currently available desktop computers, could extract effective connectivity from 1 hr recordings containing 200 neurons in ∼5 min. We conclude that extending TE to multiple delays and message lengths improves its ability to assess effective connectivity between spiking neurons. These extensions to TE soon could become practical tools for experimentalists who record hundreds of spiking neurons. PMID:22102894

30 CFR 77.1431 - Minimum rope strength.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...=Static Load×4.0 (b) Friction drum ropes. For rope lengths less than 4,000 feet: Minimum Value=Static Load×(7.0−0.0005L) For rope lengths 4,000 feet or greater: Minimum Value=Static Load×5.0 (c) Tail ropes... Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH...

30 CFR 77.1431 - Minimum rope strength.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...=Static Load×4.0 (b) Friction drum ropes. For rope lengths less than 4,000 feet: Minimum Value=Static Load×(7.0−0.0005L) For rope lengths 4,000 feet or greater: Minimum Value=Static Load×5.0 (c) Tail ropes... Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH...

Realization of Real-Time Clinical Data Integration Using Advanced Database Technology

PubMed Central

Yoo, Sooyoung; Kim, Boyoung; Park, Heekyong; Choi, Jinwook; Chun, Jonghoon

2003-01-01

As information & communication technologies have advanced, interest in mobile health care systems has grown. In order to obtain information seamlessly from distributed and fragmented clinical data from heterogeneous institutions, we need solutions that integrate data. In this article, we introduce a method for information integration based on real-time message communication using trigger and advanced database technologies. Messages were devised to conform to HL7, a standard for electronic data exchange in healthcare environments. The HL7 based system provides us with an integrated environment in which we are able to manage the complexities of medical data. We developed this message communication interface to generate and parse HL7 messages automatically from the database point of view. We discuss how easily real time data exchange is performed in the clinical information system, given the requirement for minimum loading of the database system. PMID:14728271

Development of Participant-Informed Text Messages to Promote Physical Activity Among African American Women Attending College: A Qualitative Mixed-Methods Inquiry.

PubMed

Reese, Jasmine M; Joseph, Rodney P; Cherrington, Andrea; Allison, Jeroan; Kim, Young-Il; Spear, Bonnie; Childs, Gwendolyn; Simpson, Tina; Durant, Nefertiti H

2017-05-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a participant-informed technology-based physical activity (PA) promotion tool for young overweight and obese African American (AA) women. A mixed-method 3-phase study protocol design was used to develop text messages to promote PA in AA women attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham during the Spring of 2013. Nominal focus groups and a 2-week pilot were used to generate and test participant-developed messages. Participants ( n = 14) had a mean age of 19.79 years ( SD = 1.4) and mean body mass index of 35.9 ( SD = 5.926). Focus group data identified key themes associated with the use of text messages to promote PA including message frequency, length, tone, and time of day. Participants preferred text messages that were brief, specific, and time sensitive. Results showed that text messaging was a feasible and acceptable strategy to promote PA in overweight and obese AA women in a university setting.

Comparison of secure messaging application (WhatsApp) and standard telephone usage for consultations on Length of Stay in the ED. A prospective randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Gulacti, Umut; Lok, Ugur

2017-07-19

Consultation, the process of an Emergency Physician seeking an opinion from other specialties, occurs frequently in the Emergency Department (ED). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of secure messaging application (WhatsApp) usage for medical consultations on Emergency Department Length of Stay (ED LOS) and consult time. We conducted a prospective, randomized controlled trial in the ED using allocation concealment over three months. Consultations requested in the ED were allocated into two groups: consultations requested via the secure messaging application and consultations requested by telephone as verbal. A total of 439 consultations requested in the ED were assessed for eligibility and 345 were included in the final analysis: 173 consultations were conducted using secure messaging application and 172 consultations were conducted using standard telephone communications. The median ED LOS was 240 minutes (IQR:230-270, 95% CI:240 to 255.2) for patients in the secure messaging application group and 277 minutes (IQR:270-287.8, 95% CI:277 to 279) for patients in the telephone group. The median total ED LOS was significantly lower among consults conducted using Secure messaging application relative to consults conducted by telephone (median dif: -30, 95%CI:-37to-25, p<0.0001). The median consult time was 158 minutes (IQR:133 to 177.25, 95% CI:150 to 169) for patients in the Secure messaging application group and 170 minutes (IQR:165 to 188.5, 95% CI:170-171) for patients in the Telephone group (median dif: -12, 95%CI:-19 to-7,p<0.0001). Consultations completed without ED arrival was 61.8% in the secure messaging group and 33.1% in the Telephone group (dif: 28.7, 95% CI:48.3 to 66, p<0.001). Use of secure messaging application for consultations in the ED reduces the total ED LOS and consultation time. Consultation with secure messaging application eliminated more than half of in-person ED consultation visits.

5 CFR 890.1007 - Minimum length of mandatory debarments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.... 890.1007 Section 890.1007 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Administrative Sanctions Imposed Against Health Care Providers Mandatory Debarments § 890.1007 Minimum length of mandatory debarments. (a...

5 CFR 890.1007 - Minimum length of mandatory debarments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

.... 890.1007 Section 890.1007 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Administrative Sanctions Imposed Against Health Care Providers Mandatory Debarments § 890.1007 Minimum length of mandatory debarments. (a...

5 CFR 890.1007 - Minimum length of mandatory debarments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

.... 890.1007 Section 890.1007 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Administrative Sanctions Imposed Against Health Care Providers Mandatory Debarments § 890.1007 Minimum length of mandatory debarments. (a...

5 CFR 890.1008 - Mandatory debarment for longer than the minimum length.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... minimum length. 890.1008 Section 890.1008 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Administrative Sanctions Imposed Against Health Care Providers Mandatory Debarments § 890.1008 Mandatory debarment for...

5 CFR 890.1015 - Minimum and maximum length of permissive debarments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... debarments. 890.1015 Section 890.1015 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Administrative Sanctions Imposed Against Health Care Providers Permissive Debarments § 890.1015 Minimum and maximum length of...

5 CFR 890.1008 - Mandatory debarment for longer than the minimum length.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... minimum length. 890.1008 Section 890.1008 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Administrative Sanctions Imposed Against Health Care Providers Mandatory Debarments § 890.1008 Mandatory debarment for...

5 CFR 890.1015 - Minimum and maximum length of permissive debarments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... debarments. 890.1015 Section 890.1015 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Administrative Sanctions Imposed Against Health Care Providers Permissive Debarments § 890.1015 Minimum and maximum length of...

5 CFR 890.1015 - Minimum and maximum length of permissive debarments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... debarments. 890.1015 Section 890.1015 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Administrative Sanctions Imposed Against Health Care Providers Permissive Debarments § 890.1015 Minimum and maximum length of...

Effects of redundancy in the comparison of speech and pictorial displays in the cockpit environment.

PubMed

Byblow, W D

1990-06-01

Synthesised speech and pictorial displays were compared in a spatially compatible simulated cockpit environment. Messages of high or low levels of redundancy were presented to subjects in both modality conditions. Subjects responded to warnings presented in a warning-only condition and in a dual-task condition, in which a simulated flight task was performed with visual and manual input/output modalities. Because the amount of information presented in most real-world applications and experimental paradigms is quantifiably large with respect to present guidelines for the use of synthesised speech warnings, the low-redundancy condition was hypothesised to allow for better performance. Results showed that subjects respond quicker to messages of low redundancy in both modalities. It is suggested that speech messages with low-redundancy levels were effective in minimising message length and ensuring that messages did not overload the short-term memory required to process and maintain speech in memory. Manipulation of phrase structure was used to optimise message redundancy and enhance the conceptual compatibility of the message without increasing message length or imposing a perceptual cost or memory overload. The results also suggest that system response times were quicker when synthesised speech warnings were used. This result is consistent with predictions from multiple resource theory which states that the resources required for the perception of verbal warnings are different from those for the flight task. It is also suggested that the perception of a pictorial display requires the same resources used for the perception of the primary flight task. An alternative explanation is that pictorial displays impose a visual scanning cost which is responsible for decreased performance. Based on the findings reported here, it is suggested that speech displays be incorporated in a spatially compatible cockpit environment because they allow equal or better performance when compared with pictorial displays. More importantly, the amount of time that the operator must direct his vision away from information vital to the flight task is decreased.

47 CFR 10.450 - Geographic targeting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Geographic targeting. 10.450 Section 10.450 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL COMMERCIAL MOBILE ALERT SYSTEM Alert Message Requirements § 10.450 Geographic targeting. This section establishes minimum requirements for the geographic...

A Unified Steganalysis Framework

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

contains more than 1800 images of different scenes. In the experiments, we used four JPEG based steganography techniques: Out- guess [13], F5 [16], model...also compressed these images again since some of the steganography meth- ods are double compressing the images . Stego- images are generated by embedding...randomly chosen messages (in bits) into 1600 grayscale images using each of the four steganography techniques. A random message length was determined

Weight compensation characteristics of Armeo®Spring exoskeleton: implications for clinical practice and research.

PubMed

Perry, Bonnie E; Evans, Emily K; Stokic, Dobrivoje S

2017-02-17

Armeo®Spring exoskeleton is widely used for upper extremity rehabilitation; however, weight compensation provided by the device appears insufficiently characterized to fully utilize it in clinical and research settings. Weight compensation was quantified by measuring static force in the sagittal plane with a load cell attached to the elbow joint of Armeo®Spring. All upper spring settings were examined in 5° increments at the minimum, maximum, and two intermediate upper and lower module length settings, while keeping the lower spring at minimum. The same measurements were made for minimum upper spring setting and maximum lower spring setting at minimum and maximum module lengths. Weight compensation was plotted against upper module angles, and slope was analyzed for each condition. The Armeo®Spring design prompted defining the slack angle and exoskeleton balance angle, which, depending on spring and length settings, divide the operating range into different unloading and loading regions. Higher spring tensions and shorter module lengths provided greater unloading (≤6.32 kg of support). Weight compensation slope decreased faster with shorter length settings (minimum length = -0.082 ± 0.002 kg/°; maximum length = -0.046 ± 0.001 kg/°) independent of spring settings. Understanding the impact of different settings on the Armeo®Spring weight compensation should help define best clinical practice and improve fidelity of research.

A two-stage broadcast message propagation model in social networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dan; Cheng, Shun-Jun

2016-11-01

Message propagation in social networks is becoming a popular topic in complex networks. One of the message types in social networks is called broadcast message. It refers to a type of message which has a unique and unknown destination for the publisher, such as 'lost and found'. Its propagation always has two stages. Due to this feature, rumor propagation model and epidemic propagation model have difficulty in describing this message's propagation accurately. In this paper, an improved two-stage susceptible-infected-removed model is proposed. We come up with the concept of the first forwarding probability and the second forwarding probability. Another part of our work is figuring out the influence to the successful message transmission chance in each level resulting from multiple reasons, including the topology of the network, the receiving probability, the first stage forwarding probability, the second stage forwarding probability as well as the length of the shortest path between the publisher and the relevant destination. The proposed model has been simulated on real networks and the results proved the model's effectiveness.

Robust quantum data locking from phase modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lupo, Cosmo; Wilde, Mark M.; Lloyd, Seth

2014-08-01

Quantum data locking is a uniquely quantum phenomenon that allows a relatively short key of constant size to (un)lock an arbitrarily long message encoded in a quantum state, in such a way that an eavesdropper who measures the state but does not know the key has essentially no information about the message. The application of quantum data locking in cryptography would allow one to overcome the limitations of the one-time pad encryption, which requires the key to have the same length as the message. However, it is known that the strength of quantum data locking is also its Achilles heel, as the leakage of a few bits of the key or the message may in principle allow the eavesdropper to unlock a disproportionate amount of information. In this paper we show that there exist quantum data locking schemes that can be made robust against information leakage by increasing the length of the key by a proportionate amount. This implies that a constant size key can still lock an arbitrarily long message as long as a fraction of it remains secret to the eavesdropper. Moreover, we greatly simplify the structure of the protocol by proving that phase modulation suffices to generate strong locking schemes, paving the way to optical experimental realizations. Also, we show that successful data locking protocols can be constructed using random code words, which very well could be helpful in discovering random codes for data locking over noisy quantum channels.

Mitigating Undesignated Trail Use: The Efficacy of Messaging and Direct Site Management Actions in an Urban-Proximate Open Space Context.

PubMed

Schwartz, F; Taff, B D; Lawhon, B; VanderWoude, D

2018-05-08

The use and creation of undesignated recreational trails can lead to erosion, vegetation damage, unsafe trail conditions, and impacts to local wildlife. The mitigation of undesignated trail use is typically addressed indirectly through minimum-impact visitor education programs such as Leave No Trace, or directly through closures or sanctions. In this study, researchers collaborated with City of Boulder, Colorado Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) staff to develop a quasi-experimental field study that examined the effectiveness of indirect (messaging) and direct (barriers) management approaches to mitigating undesignated trail use. The study applied a Theory of Planned Behavior framework, utilized Leave No Trace messaging, and employed a method to pair survey and direct observation data. A total of 2232 visitor parties were observed, and 147 surveys were collected. The combined direct (barrier) and indirect (messaging) intervention was the most effective at mitigating undesignated trail use. Implications for management and future research are discussed.

Engineered cell-cell communication via DNA messaging

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Evolution has selected for organisms that benefit from genetically encoded cell-cell communication. Engineers have begun to repurpose elements of natural communication systems to realize programmed pattern formation and coordinate other population-level behaviors. However, existing engineered systems rely on system-specific small molecules to send molecular messages among cells. Thus, the information transmission capacity of current engineered biological communication systems is physically limited by specific biomolecules that are capable of sending only a single message, typically “regulate transcription.” Results We have engineered a cell-cell communication platform using bacteriophage M13 gene products to autonomously package and deliver heterologous DNA messages of varying lengths and encoded functions. We demonstrate the decoupling of messages from a common communication channel via the autonomous transmission of various arbitrary genetic messages. Further, we increase the range of engineered DNA messaging across semisolid media by linking message transmission or receipt to active cellular chemotaxis. Conclusions We demonstrate decoupling of a communication channel from message transmission within engineered biological systems via the autonomous targeted transduction of user-specified heterologous DNA messages. We also demonstrate that bacteriophage M13 particle production and message transduction occurs among chemotactic bacteria. We use chemotaxis to improve the range of DNA messaging, increasing both transmission distance and communication bit rates relative to existing small molecule-based communication systems. We postulate that integration of different engineered cell-cell communication platforms will allow for more complex spatial programming of dynamic cellular consortia. PMID:22958599

Instant messaging at the hospital: supporting articulation work?

PubMed

Iversen, Tobias Buschmann; Melby, Line; Toussaint, Pieter

2013-09-01

Clinical work is increasingly fragmented and requires extensive articulation and coordination. Computer systems may support such work. In this study, we investigate how instant messaging functions as a tool for supporting articulation work at the hospital. This paper aims to describe the characteristics of instant messaging communication in terms of number and length of messages, distribution over time, and the number of participants included in conversations. We also aim to determine what kind of articulation work is supported by analysing message content. Analysis of one month's worth of instant messages sent through the perioperative coordination and communication system at a Danish hospital. Instant messaging was found to be used extensively for articulation work, mostly through short, simple conversational exchanges. It is used particularly often for communication concerning the patient, specifically, the coordination and logistics of patient care. Instant messaging is used by all actors involved in the perioperative domain. Articulation work and clinical work are hard to separate in a real clinical setting. Predefined messages and strict workflow design do not suffice when supporting communication in the context of collaborative clinical work. Flexibility is of vital importance, and this needs to be reflected in the design of supportive communication systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of air traffic control message length and timing on pilot communication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrow, Daniel; Rodvold, Michelle

1993-01-01

The present paper outlines an approach to air traffic control (ATC) communication that is based on theories of dialogue organization and describes several steps or phases in routine controller-pilot communication. The introduction also describes several kinds of communication problems that often disrupt these steps, as well as how these problems may be caused by factors related to ATC messages, the communication medium (radio vs. data link) and task workload. Next, a part-task simulation study is described. This study focused on how problems in radio communication are related to message factors. More specifically, we examined if pilots are more likely to misunderstanding longer ATC messages. A more general goal of the study is to show that communication analysis can help trace where problem occur and why.

Collective Emotions Online and Their Influence on Community Life

PubMed Central

Chmiel, Anna; Sienkiewicz, Julian; Thelwall, Mike; Paltoglou, Georgios; Buckley, Kevan; Kappas, Arvid; Hołyst, Janusz A.

2011-01-01

Background E-communities, social groups interacting online, have recently become an object of interdisciplinary research. As with face-to-face meetings, Internet exchanges may not only include factual information but also emotional information – how participants feel about the subject discussed or other group members. Emotions in turn are known to be important in affecting interaction partners in offline communication in many ways. Could emotions in Internet exchanges affect others and systematically influence quantitative and qualitative aspects of the trajectory of e-communities? The development of automatic sentiment analysis has made large scale emotion detection and analysis possible using text messages collected from the web. However, it is not clear if emotions in e-communities primarily derive from individual group members' personalities or if they result from intra-group interactions, and whether they influence group activities. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, for the first time, we show the collective character of affective phenomena on a large scale as observed in four million posts downloaded from Blogs, Digg and BBC forums. To test whether the emotions of a community member may influence the emotions of others, posts were grouped into clusters of messages with similar emotional valences. The frequency of long clusters was much higher than it would be if emotions occurred at random. Distributions for cluster lengths can be explained by preferential processes because conditional probabilities for consecutive messages grow as a power law with cluster length. For BBC forum threads, average discussion lengths were higher for larger values of absolute average emotional valence in the first ten comments and the average amount of emotion in messages fell during discussions. Conclusions/Significance Overall, our results prove that collective emotional states can be created and modulated via Internet communication and that emotional expressiveness is the fuel that sustains some e-communities. PMID:21818302

Scalable Replay with Partial-Order Dependencies for Message-Logging Fault Tolerance

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

Lifflander, Jonathan; Meneses, Esteban; Menon, Harshita

2014-09-22

Deterministic replay of a parallel application is commonly used for discovering bugs or to recover from a hard fault with message-logging fault tolerance. For message passing programs, a major source of overhead during forward execution is recording the order in which messages are sent and received. During replay, this ordering must be used to deterministically reproduce the execution. Previous work in replay algorithms often makes minimal assumptions about the programming model and application in order to maintain generality. However, in many cases, only a partial order must be recorded due to determinism intrinsic in the code, ordering constraints imposed bymore » the execution model, and events that are commutative (their relative execution order during replay does not need to be reproduced exactly). In this paper, we present a novel algebraic framework for reasoning about the minimum dependencies required to represent the partial order for different concurrent orderings and interleavings. By exploiting this theory, we improve on an existing scalable message-logging fault tolerance scheme. The improved scheme scales to 131,072 cores on an IBM BlueGene/P with up to 2x lower overhead than one that records a total order.« less

Sandia Compact Sensor Node (SCSN) v. 1.0

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

HARRINGTON, JOHN

2009-01-07

The SCSN communication protocol is implemented in software and incorporates elements of Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA) to reduce radio message collisions, latency, and power consumption. Alarm messages are expeditiously routed to a central node as a 'star' network with minimum overhead. Other messages can be routed along network links between any two nodes so that peer-to-peer communication is possible. Broadcast messages can be composed that flood the entire network or just specific portions with minimal radio traffic and latency. Two-way communication with sensor nodes, which sleep most ofmore » the time to conserve battery life, can occur at seven second intervals. SCSN software also incorporates special algorithms to minimize superfluous radio traffic that can result from excessive intrusion alarm messages. A built-in seismic detector is implemented with a geophone and software that distinguishes between pedestrian and vehicular targets. Other external sensors can be attached to a SCSN using supervised interface lines that are controlled by software. All software is written in the ANSI C language for ease of development, maintenance, and portability.« less

How to obtain a shortest mode converter based on periodic waveguide with limited index contrast?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lingxuan; Zhang, Wenfu; Wang, Guoxi; Hu, Yaowei; Ge, Zhiqiang; Wang, Leiran; Sun, Qibing; Wang, Weiqiang; Gong, Yongkang; Zhao, Wei

2017-05-01

Mode converter is one of most significant elements in photonic integrated circuits. It relies on increasing index contrast to shorten its length. However, index contrast is limited for technology. In addition, an overlarge index contrast leads to some disadvantages, such as large scattering loss, reflection loss, and small tolerance for manufacturing. Thus, an approximate scheme to design a mode converter is manipulating the transverse distribution of index to achieve the minimum length when the index contrast is given. We have analytically deduced the theoretical maximum coupled efficiency in periodic waveguide, which determines the minimum coupling length of mode converter. What is more, we have demonstrated how to construct a distribution function of indices in a cross section of waveguide to achieve the minimum length and a case is also given to illustrate the process. Proofs, based on both mathematic derivation and numerical simulation, have been exhibited in the paper.

Text Messaging as a Tool for Behavior Change in Disease Prevention and Management

PubMed Central

Cole-Lewis, Heather; Kershaw, Trace

2011-01-01

Mobile phone text messaging is a potentially powerful tool for behavior change because it is widely available, inexpensive, and instant. This systematic review provides an overview of behavior change interventions for disease management and prevention delivered through text messaging. Evidence on behavior change and clinical outcomes was compiled from randomized or quasi-experimental controlled trials of text message interventions published in peer-reviewed journals by June 2009. Only those interventions using text message as the primary mode of communication were included. Study quality was assessed by using a standardized measure. Seventeen articles representing 12 studies (5 disease prevention and 7 disease management) were included. Intervention length ranged from 3 months to 12 months, none had long-term follow-up, and message frequency varied. Of 9 sufficiently powered studies, 8 found evidence to support text messaging as a tool for behavior change. Effects exist across age, minority status, and nationality. Nine countries are represented in this review, but it is problematic that only one is a developing country, given potential benefits of such a widely accessible, relatively inexpensive tool for health behavior change. Methodological issues and gaps in the literature are highlighted, and recommendations for future studies are provided. PMID:20354039

Text messaging as a tool for behavior change in disease prevention and management.

PubMed

Cole-Lewis, Heather; Kershaw, Trace

2010-01-01

Mobile phone text messaging is a potentially powerful tool for behavior change because it is widely available, inexpensive, and instant. This systematic review provides an overview of behavior change interventions for disease management and prevention delivered through text messaging. Evidence on behavior change and clinical outcomes was compiled from randomized or quasi-experimental controlled trials of text message interventions published in peer-reviewed journals by June 2009. Only those interventions using text message as the primary mode of communication were included. Study quality was assessed by using a standardized measure. Seventeen articles representing 12 studies (5 disease prevention and 7 disease management) were included. Intervention length ranged from 3 months to 12 months, none had long-term follow-up, and message frequency varied. Of 9 sufficiently powered studies, 8 found evidence to support text messaging as a tool for behavior change. Effects exist across age, minority status, and nationality. Nine countries are represented in this review, but it is problematic that only one is a developing country, given potential benefits of such a widely accessible, relatively inexpensive tool for health behavior change. Methodological issues and gaps in the literature are highlighted, and recommendations for future studies are provided.

Exploring the feasibility of text messaging to support substance abuse recovery among youth in treatment

PubMed Central

Gonzales, Rachel; Douglas Anglin, M.; Glik, Deborah C.

2014-01-01

This exploratory study examined treatment involved youth opinions about (i) the utility of using text messaging to support recovery behaviors after treatment; (ii) important types of text messages that could help youth self-manage their substance use behaviors after treatment; and (iii) programmatic or logistical areas associated with text messaging programs. Eight focus groups were conducted with 67 youth (aged 12–24) enrolled in outpatient and residential publicly funded substance abuse treatment programs around Los Angeles County, California. Results highlight that 70% of youth positively endorsed text messaging as a viable method of intervention during aftercare, 20% expressed ambivalent feelings, and 10% conveyed dislike. Thematic data exploration revealed seven themes related to the types of text messages youth recommend for helping youth avoid relapse after treatment, including positive appraisal (90%), lifestyle change tips (85%), motivational reinforcing (80%), coping advice (75%), confidence boosters (65%), inspiration encouragement (55%), and informational resources (50%). Youth opinions about key logistical features of text messaging programs, including frequency, timing, sender, and length are also examined. Findings offer insight for the development and enhancement of recovery support interventions with substance abusing youth. Results imply text messaging may serve as a promising opportunity for recovery support for young people with substance abuse problems. PMID:24038196

Exploring the feasibility of text messaging to support substance abuse recovery among youth in treatment.

PubMed

Gonzales, Rachel; Douglas Anglin, M; Glik, Deborah C

2014-02-01

This exploratory study examined treatment involved youth opinions about (i) the utility of using text messaging to support recovery behaviors after treatment; (ii) important types of text messages that could help youth self-manage their substance use behaviors after treatment; and (iii) programmatic or logistical areas associated with text messaging programs. Eight focus groups were conducted with 67 youth (aged 12-24) enrolled in outpatient and residential publicly funded substance abuse treatment programs around Los Angeles County, California. Results highlight that 70% of youth positively endorsed text messaging as a viable method of intervention during aftercare, 20% expressed ambivalent feelings, and 10% conveyed dislike. Thematic data exploration revealed seven themes related to the types of text messages youth recommend for helping youth avoid relapse after treatment, including positive appraisal (90%), lifestyle change tips (85%), motivational reinforcing (80%), coping advice (75%), confidence boosters (65%), inspiration encouragement (55%), and informational resources (50%). Youth opinions about key logistical features of text messaging programs, including frequency, timing, sender, and length are also examined. Findings offer insight for the development and enhancement of recovery support interventions with substance abusing youth. Results imply text messaging may serve as a promising opportunity for recovery support for young people with substance abuse problems.

Implementation of cryptographic hash function SHA256 in C++

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrivastava, Akash

2012-02-01

This abstract explains the implementation of SHA Secure hash algorithm 256 using C++. The SHA-2 is a strong hashing algorithm used in almost all kinds of security applications. The algorithm consists of 2 phases: Preprocessing and hash computation. Preprocessing involves padding a message, parsing the padded message into m-bits blocks, and setting initialization values to be used in the hash computation. It generates a message schedule from padded message and uses that schedule, along with functions, constants, and word operations to iteratively generate a series of hash values. The final hash value generated by the computation is used to determine the message digest. SHA-2 includes a significant number of changes from its predecessor, SHA-1. SHA-2 consists of a set of four hash functions with digests that are 224, 256, 384 or 512 bits. The algorithm outputs a 256 bits message block with an internal state block of 256 bits and initial block size of 512 bits. Maximum message length in bit is generated is 2^64 -1, over all computed over a series of 64 rounds consisting or several operations such as and, or, Xor, Shr, Rot. The code will provide clear understanding of the hash algorithm and generates hash values to retrieve message digest.

Shaping Core Health Messages: Rural, Low-Income Mothers Speak Through Participatory Action Research.

PubMed

Mammen, Sheila; Sano, Yoshie; Braun, Bonnie; Maring, Elisabeth Fost

2018-04-23

Rural, low-income families are disproportionately impacted by health problems owing to structural barriers (e.g., transportation, health insurance coverage) and personal barriers (e.g., health literacy). This paper presents a Participatory Action Research (PAR) model of co-created Core Health Messages (CHMs) in the areas of dental health, food security, health insurance, and physical activity. The research project engaged a multi-disciplinary team of experts to design initial health messages; rural, low-income mothers to respond to, and co-create, health messages; and stakeholders who work with families to share their insights. Findings reveal the perceptions of mothers and community stakeholders regarding messages and channels of message dissemination. By using PAR, a learner engagement approach, the researchers intend to increase the likelihood that the CHMs are culturally appropriate and relevant to specific populations. The CHM-PAR model visually illustrates an interactive, iterative process of health message generation and testing. The paper concludes with implications for future research and outreach in a technological landscape where dissemination channels are dynamic. This paper provides a model for researchers and health educators to co-create messages in a desired format (e.g., length, voice, level of empathy, tone) preferred by their audiences and to examine dissemination methods that will best reach those audiences.

SCOPES: steganography with compression using permutation search

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boorboor, Sahar; Zolfaghari, Behrouz; Mozafari, Saadat Pour

2011-10-01

LSB (Least Significant Bit) is a widely used method for image steganography, which hides the secret message as a bit stream in LSBs of pixel bytes in the cover image. This paper proposes a variant of LSB named SCOPES that encodes and compresses the secret message while being hidden through storing addresses instead of message bytes. Reducing the length of the stored message improves the storage capacity and makes the stego image visually less suspicious to the third party. The main idea behind the SCOPES approach is dividing the message into 3-character segments, seeking each segment in the cover image and storing the address of the position containing the segment instead of the segment itself. In this approach, every permutation of the 3 bytes (if found) can be stored along with some extra bits indicating the permutation. In some rare cases the segment may not be found in the image and this can cause the message to be expanded by some overhead bits2 instead of being compressed. But experimental results show that SCOPES performs overlay better than traditional LSB even in the worst cases.

Unprovable Security of Two-Message Zero Knowledge

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-19

functions on NP-hardness. In STOC ’06, pages 701–710, 2006. 10 [BCC88] Gilles Brassard, David Chaum , and Claude Crépeau. Minimum disclosure proofs...security of several primitives (e.g., Schnorr’s identification scheme, commitment schemes secure under weak notions of selective open- ing, Chaum blind

Self-reported awareness of the presence of product warning messages and signs by Hispanics in San Francisco.

PubMed Central

Marín, G

1994-01-01

This study investigated the self-reported awareness of the presence of product warning messages and signs among random samples of Hispanics in San Francisco surveyed in 1990 and in 1991. The messages that were tested related to cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, and other consumer products. A random sample of 1,204 Hispanics (43.5 percent males) were interviewed by telephone in 1990. The corresponding figure for the second survey in 1991 was 1,569 Hispanics (41.1 percent males). In general, respondents reported low levels of awareness of the presence of product warning messages and signs. The exception was warning messages on cigarette packets which approximately 70 percent of the respondents reported having seen within the 12 months before the survey. There was an increase from 1990 to 1991 in the reported awareness of warning messages for wine, beer, and cigarettes. Smokers and drinkers of alcoholic beverages reported the highest levels of awareness of the relevant warning messages and signs. Length of exposure to warning messages and multiplicity of sources (for example, advertisements and products) seem to produce greater levels of awareness of the presence of product warning messages. Less acculturated, Spanish-speaking Hispanics are less likely to report being aware of the warnings, particularly those that appear only in English (for example, alcoholic beverages). PMID:8153279

Streamlining Tsunami Messages (e.g., Warnings) of the US National Tsunami Warning Center, Palmer, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gregg, C. E.; Sorensen, J. H.; Vogt Sorensen, B.; Whitmore, P.; Johnston, D. M.

2016-12-01

Spurred in part by world-wide interest in improving warning messaging for and response to tsunamis in the wake of several catastrophic tsunamis since 2004 and growing interest at the US National Weather Service (NWS) to integrate social science into their Tsunami Program, the NWS Tsunami Warning Centers in Alaska and Hawaii have made great progress toward enhancing tsunami messages. These include numerous products, among them being Tsunami Warnings, Tsunami Advisories and Tsunami Watches. Beginning in 2010 we have worked with US National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) Warning Coordination and Mitigation and Education Subcommittee members; Tsunami Program administrators; and NWS Weather Forecast Officers to conduct a series of focus group meetings with stakeholders in coastal areas of Alaska, American Samoa, California, Hawaii, North Carolina, Oregon, US Virgin Islands and Washington to understand end-user perceptions of existing messages and their existing needs in message products. We also reviewed research literature on behavioral response to warnings to develop a Tsunami Warning Message Metric that could be used to guide revisions to tsunami warning messages of both warning centers. The message metric is divided into categories of Message Content, Style, Order, Formatting, and Receiver Characteristics. A sample message is evaluated by cross-referencing the message with the operational definitions of metric factors. Findings are then used to guide revisions of the message until the characteristics of each factor are met, whether the message is a full length or short message. Incrementally, this work contributed to revisions in the format, content and style of message products issued by the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC). Since that time, interest in short warning messages has continued to increase and in May 2016 the NTWC began efforts to revise message products to take advantage of recent NWS policy changes allowing use of mixed-case text format and expanded punctuation, a practice which the NWS first started in 2010. Here we describe our application of a modification of the warning message metric to develop new streamlined messages using mixed-case text. These messages reflect current state-of-the-art knowledge on warning message effectiveness.

Validation of mobile phone text messages for nicotine and tobacco risk communication among college students: A content analysis.

PubMed

Khalil, Georges E; Calabro, Karen S; Crook, Brittani; Machado, Tamara C; Perry, Cheryl L; Prokhorov, Alexander V

2018-02-01

In the United States, young adults have the highest prevalence of tobacco use. The dissemination of mobile phone text messages is a growing strategy for tobacco risk communication among young adults. However, little has been done concerning the design and validation of such text messages. The Texas Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science (Texas-TCORS) has developed a library of messages based on framing (gain- or loss-framed), depth (simple or complex) and appeal (emotional or rational). This study validated the library based on depth and appeal, identified text messages that may need improvement, and explored new themes. The library formed the study sample (N=976 messages). The Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software of 2015 was used to code for word count, word length and frequency of emotional and cognitive words. Analyses of variance, logistic regression and scatter plots were conducted for validation. In all, 874 messages agreed with LIWC-coding. Several messages did not agree with LIWC. Ten messages designed to be complex indicated simplicity, while 51 messages designed to be rational exhibited no cognitive words. New relevant themes were identified, such as health (e.g. 'diagnosis', 'cancer'), death (e.g. 'dead', 'lethal') and social connotations (e.g. 'parents', 'friends'). Nicotine and tobacco researchers can safely use, for young adults, messages from the Texas-TCORS library to convey information in the intended style. Future work may expand upon the new themes. Findings will be utilized to develop new campaigns, so that risks of nicotine and tobacco products can be widely disseminated.

Steiner trees and spanning trees in six-pin soap films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Prasun; Khastgir, S. Pratik; Roy, Anushree

2010-02-01

The problem of finding minimum (local as well as absolute) path lengths joining given points (or terminals) on a plane is known as the Steiner problem. The Steiner problem arises in finding the minimum total road length joining several towns and cities. We study the Steiner tree problem using six-pin soap films. Experimentally, we observe spanning trees as well as Steiner trees partly by varying the pin diameter. We propose a possibly exact expression for the length of a spanning tree or a Steiner tree, which fails mysteriously in certain cases.

Coupling between absorption and scattering in disordered colloids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephenson, Anna; Hwang, Victoria; Park, Jin-Gyu; Manoharan, Vinothan N.

We aim to understand how scattering and absorption are coupled in disordered colloidal suspensions containing absorbing molecules (dyes). When the absorption length is shorter than the transport length, absorption dominates, and absorption and scattering can be seen as two additive effects. However, when the transport length is shorter than the absorption length, the scattering and absorption become coupled, as multiple scattering increases the path length of the light in the sample, leading to a higher probability of absorption. To quantify this synergistic effect, we measure the diffuse reflectance spectra of colloidal samples of varying dye concentrations, thicknesses, and particle concentrations, and we calculate the transport length and absorption length from our measurements, using a radiative transfer model. At particle concentrations so high that the particles form disordered packings, we find a minimum in the transport length. We show that selecting a dye where the absorption peak matches the location of the minimum in the transport length allows for enhanced absorption. Kraft-Heinz Corporation, NSF GRFP 2015200426.

The Parallel of Decomposition of Linear Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-11-01

length is 16*(3+86) = 1424 bytes for all the test problems. Sending a message involves loading it into a buffer and copying the buffer into the proper...3 + r.) Primal PoinL and Ray 16 * (3 + r) Dual Point or Ray 8 * (4 + r.) Table 4.2: Message sizes. into a buffer . Subproblems have one mailbox for...model,i.e., to disaggregate. For instance, "dairy products" becomes milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream. Adding complexity allows a model to give a more

50 CFR 648.147 - Black sea bass minimum fish sizes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 12 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Black sea bass minimum fish sizes. 648... Measures for the Black Sea Bass Fishery § 648.147 Black sea bass minimum fish sizes. (a) Moratorium (commercially) permitted vessels. The minimum size for black sea bass is 11 inches (27.94 cm) total length for...

50 CFR 648.147 - Black sea bass minimum fish sizes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 12 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Black sea bass minimum fish sizes. 648... Measures for the Black Sea Bass Fishery § 648.147 Black sea bass minimum fish sizes. (a) Moratorium (commercially) permitted vessels. The minimum size for black sea bass is 11 inches (27.94 cm) total length for...

50 CFR 648.147 - Black sea bass minimum fish sizes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 12 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Black sea bass minimum fish sizes. 648... Measures for the Black Sea Bass Fishery § 648.147 Black sea bass minimum fish sizes. (a) Moratorium (commercially) permitted vessels. The minimum size for black sea bass is 11 inches (27.94 cm) total length for...

Minimum Information for Reporting Next Generation Sequence Genotyping (MIRING): Guidelines for Reporting HLA and KIR Genotyping via Next Generation Sequencing

PubMed Central

Mack, Steven J.; Milius, Robert P.; Gifford, Benjamin D.; Sauter, Jürgen; Hofmann, Jan; Osoegawa, Kazutoyo; Robinson, James; Groeneweg, Mathijs; Turenchalk, Gregory S.; Adai, Alex; Holcomb, Cherie; Rozemuller, Erik H.; Penning, Maarten T.; Heuer, Michael L.; Wang, Chunlin; Salit, Marc L.; Schmidt, Alexander H.; Parham, Peter R.; Müller, Carlheinz; Hague, Tim; Fischer, Gottfried; Fernandez-Viňa, Marcelo; Hollenbach, Jill A; Norman, Paul J.; Maiers, Martin

2015-01-01

The development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies for HLA and KIR genotyping is rapidly advancing knowledge of genetic variation of these highly polymorphic loci. NGS genotyping is poised to replace older methods for clinical use, but standard methods for reporting and exchanging these new, high quality genotype data are needed. The Immunogenomic NGS Consortium, a broad collaboration of histocompatibility and immunogenetics clinicians, researchers, instrument manufacturers and software developers, has developed the Minimum Information for Reporting Immunogenomic NGS Genotyping (MIRING) reporting guidelines. MIRING is a checklist that specifies the content of NGS genotyping results as well as a set of messaging guidelines for reporting the results. A MIRING message includes five categories of structured information – message annotation, reference context, full genotype, consensus sequence and novel polymorphism – and references to three categories of accessory information – NGS platform documentation, read processing documentation and primary data. These eight categories of information ensure the long-term portability and broad application of this NGS data for all current histocompatibility and immunogenetics use cases. In addition, MIRING can be extended to allow the reporting of genotype data generated using pre-NGS technologies. Because genotyping results reported using MIRING are easily updated in accordance with reference and nomenclature databases, MIRING represents a bold departure from previous methods of reporting HLA and KIR genotyping results, which have provided static and less-portable data. More information about MIRING can be found online at miring.immunogenomics.org. PMID:26407912

Validation of mobile phone text messages for nicotine and tobacco risk communication among college students: A content analysis

PubMed Central

Khalil, Georges E.; Calabro, Karen S.; Crook, Brittani; Machado, Tamara C.; Perry, Cheryl L.; Prokhorov, Alexander V.

2018-01-01

INTRODUCTION In the United States, young adults have the highest prevalence of tobacco use. The dissemination of mobile phone text messages is a growing strategy for tobacco risk communication among young adults. However, little has been done concerning the design and validation of such text messages. The Texas Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science (Texas-TCORS) has developed a library of messages based on framing (gain- or loss-framed), depth (simple or complex) and appeal (emotional or rational). This study validated the library based on depth and appeal, identified text messages that may need improvement, and explored new themes. METHODS The library formed the study sample (N=976 messages). The Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software of 2015 was used to code for word count, word length and frequency of emotional and cognitive words. Analyses of variance, logistic regression and scatter plots were conducted for validation. RESULTS In all, 874 messages agreed with LIWC-coding. Several messages did not agree with LIWC. Ten messages designed to be complex indicated simplicity, while 51 messages designed to be rational exhibited no cognitive words. New relevant themes were identified, such as health (e.g. ‘diagnosis’, ‘cancer’), death (e.g. ‘dead’, ‘lethal’) and social connotations (e.g. ‘parents’, ‘friends’). CONCLUSIONS Nicotine and tobacco researchers can safely use, for young adults, messages from the Texas-TCORS library to convey information in the intended style. Future work may expand upon the new themes. Findings will be utilized to develop new campaigns, so that risks of nicotine and tobacco products can be widely disseminated. PMID:29888338

Phonon wave interference in graphene and boron nitride superlattice

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

Chen, Xue-Kun; Zhou, Wu-Xing; Tang, Li-Ming

2016-07-11

The thermal transport properties of the graphene and boron nitride superlattice (CBNSL) are investigated via nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The simulation results show that a minimum lattice thermal conductivity can be achieved by changing the period length of the superlattice. Additionally, it is found that the period length at the minimum shifts to lower values at higher temperatures, and that the depth of the minimum increases with decreasing temperature. In particular, at 200 K, the thermal conductivities of CBNSLs with certain specific period lengths are nearly equal to the corresponding values at 300 K. A detailed analysis of the phonon spectra showsmore » that this anomalous thermal conductivity behavior is a result of strong phonon wave interference. These observations indicate a promising strategy for manipulation of thermal transport in superlattices.« less

Hybrid cryptosystem implementation using fast data encipherment algorithm (FEAL) and goldwasser-micali algorithm for file security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rachmawati, D.; Budiman, M. A.; Siburian, W. S. E.

2018-05-01

On the process of exchanging files, security is indispensable to avoid the theft of data. Cryptography is one of the sciences used to secure the data by way of encoding. Fast Data Encipherment Algorithm (FEAL) is a block cipher symmetric cryptographic algorithms. Therefore, the file which wants to protect is encrypted and decrypted using the algorithm FEAL. To optimize the security of the data, session key that is utilized in the algorithm FEAL encoded with the Goldwasser-Micali algorithm, which is an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm and using probabilistic concept. In the encryption process, the key was converted into binary form. The selection of values of x that randomly causes the results of the cipher key is different for each binary value. The concept of symmetry and asymmetry algorithm merger called Hybrid Cryptosystem. The use of the algorithm FEAL and Goldwasser-Micali can restore the message to its original form and the algorithm FEAL time required for encryption and decryption is directly proportional to the length of the message. However, on Goldwasser- Micali algorithm, the length of the message is not directly proportional to the time of encryption and decryption.

The effects of smartphone multitasking on gait and dynamic balance.

PubMed

Lee, Jeon Hyeong; Lee, Myoung Hee

2018-02-01

[Purpose] This study was performed to analyze the influence of smartphone multitasking on gait and dynamic balance. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 19 male and 20 female university students. There were 4 types of gait tasks: General Gait (walking without a task), Task Gait 1 (walking while writing a message), Task Gait 2 (walking while writing a message and listening to music), Task Gait 3 (walking while writing a message and having a conversation). To exclude the learning effect, the order of tasks was randomized. The Zebris FDM-T treadmill system (Zebris Medical GmbH, Germany) was used to measure left and right step length and width, and a 10 m walking test (10MWT) was conducted for gait velocity. In addition, a Timed Up and Go test (TUG) was used to measure dynamic balance. All the tasks were performed 3 times, and the mean of the measured values was analyzed. [Results] There were no statistically significant differences in step length and width. There were statistically significant differences in the 10MWT and TUG tests. [Conclusion] Using a smartphone while walking decreases a person's dynamic balance and walking ability. It is considered that accident rates are higher when using a smartphone.

Claw length recommendations for dairy cow foot trimming

PubMed Central

Archer, S. C.; Newsome, R.; Dibble, H.; Sturrock, C. J.; Chagunda, M. G. G.; Mason, C. S.; Huxley, J. N.

2015-01-01

The aim was to describe variation in length of the dorsal hoof wall in contact with the dermis for cows on a single farm, and hence, derive minimum appropriate claw lengths for routine foot trimming. The hind feet of 68 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were collected post mortem, and the internal structures were visualised using x-ray µCT. The internal distance from the proximal limit of the wall horn to the distal tip of the dermis was measured from cross-sectional sagittal images. A constant was added to allow for a minimum sole thickness of 5 mm and an average wall thickness of 8 mm. Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics and two-level linear regression models with claw nested within cow. Based on 219 claws, the recommended dorsal wall length from the proximal limit of hoof horn was up to 90 mm for 96 per cent of claws, and the median value was 83 mm. Dorsal wall length increased by 1 mm per year of age, yet 85 per cent of the null model variance remained unexplained. Overtrimming can have severe consequences; the authors propose that the minimum recommended claw length stated in training materials for all Holstein-Friesian cows should be increased to 90 mm. PMID:26220848

47 CFR 74.644 - Minimum path lengths for fixed links.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... fixed link must equal or exceed the value set forth in the table below or the EIRP must be reduced in...,990-7,125 17 12,200-13,250 5 Above 17,700 n/a (b) For paths shorter than those specified in the Table... = Maximum EIRP as set forth in the Table in § 74.636 of this part. A = Minimum path length from the Table...

47 CFR 74.644 - Minimum path lengths for fixed links.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... fixed link must equal or exceed the value set forth in the table below or the EIRP must be reduced in...,990-7,125 17 12,200-13,250 5 Above 17,700 n/a (b) For paths shorter than those specified in the Table... = Maximum EIRP as set forth in the Table in § 74.636 of this part. A = Minimum path length from the Table...

47 CFR 74.644 - Minimum path lengths for fixed links.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... fixed link must equal or exceed the value set forth in the table below or the EIRP must be reduced in...,990-7,125 17 12,200-13,250 5 Above 17,700 n/a (b) For paths shorter than those specified in the Table... = Maximum EIRP as set forth in the Table in § 74.636 of this part. A = Minimum path length from the Table...

47 CFR 74.644 - Minimum path lengths for fixed links.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... fixed link must equal or exceed the value set forth in the table below or the EIRP must be reduced in...,990-7,125 17 12,200-13,250 5 Above 17,700 n/a (b) For paths shorter than those specified in the Table... = Maximum EIRP as set forth in the Table in § 74.636 of this part. A = Minimum path length from the Table...

47 CFR 74.644 - Minimum path lengths for fixed links.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... fixed link must equal or exceed the value set forth in the table below or the EIRP must be reduced in...,990-7,125 17 12,200-13,250 5 Above 17,700 n/a (b) For paths shorter than those specified in the Table... = Maximum EIRP as set forth in the Table in § 74.636 of this part. A = Minimum path length from the Table...

Self-regulation of the Peruvian food industry: health message cues in the context of food and beverage advertisements.

PubMed

Busse, P; Bernabé-Ortiz, A

2018-06-01

One strategy to prevent the onset of non-communicable diseases is to motivate healthy lifestyles through health media messages. In Peru, the food industry is currently implementing such strategy with health message cues, in the form of a small icon of a walking person or a healthy dish, appearing on televised food and beverage advertisements. Yet the extent of this practice is unknown. Thus, the objective of this study was three-fold: to identify (1) the food and beverage advertisements showing health cues, (2) the types of health cues, and (3) their length in time. Cross-sectional analysis of televised food and beverage advertisements that children and adolescents encounter on Peruvian television. Content analysis of the presence of a health cue, type of health cue (physical activity and healthy diets), and the length in time of the health cue appearing on televised food and beverage advertisements in Peru. Health cues appeared on over 70% of advertisements for sugary drinks and tended to promote healthy diets more so than physical activity. This study shows that the food industry is currently advertising their products along with health message cues, and children and adolescents are exposed to this practice. Thus, we call for further testing of the effect of these health cues on children's and adolescents' food preferences and behaviors. Copyright © 2018 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Remote direct memory access

DOEpatents

Archer, Charles J.; Blocksome, Michael A.

2012-12-11

Methods, parallel computers, and computer program products are disclosed for remote direct memory access. Embodiments include transmitting, from an origin DMA engine on an origin compute node to a plurality target DMA engines on target compute nodes, a request to send message, the request to send message specifying a data to be transferred from the origin DMA engine to data storage on each target compute node; receiving, by each target DMA engine on each target compute node, the request to send message; preparing, by each target DMA engine, to store data according to the data storage reference and the data length, including assigning a base storage address for the data storage reference; sending, by one or more of the target DMA engines, an acknowledgment message acknowledging that all the target DMA engines are prepared to receive a data transmission from the origin DMA engine; receiving, by the origin DMA engine, the acknowledgement message from the one or more of the target DMA engines; and transferring, by the origin DMA engine, data to data storage on each of the target compute nodes according to the data storage reference using a single direct put operation.

Control mechanism to prevent correlated message arrivals from degrading signaling no. 7 network performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosal, Haluk; Skoog, Ronald A.

1994-04-01

Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) is designed to provide a connection-less transfer of signaling messages of reasonable length. Customers having access to user signaling bearer capabilities as specified in the ANSI T1.623 and CCITT Q.931 standards can send bursts of correlated messages (e.g., by doing a file transfer that results in the segmentation of a block of data into a number of consecutive signaling messages) through SS7 networks. These message bursts with short interarrival times could have an adverse impact on the delay performance of the SS7 networks. A control mechanism, Credit Manager, is investigated in this paper to regulate incoming traffic to the SS7 network by imposing appropriate time separation between messages when the incoming stream is too bursty. The credit manager has a credit bank where credits accrue at a fixed rate up to a prespecified credit bank capacity. When a message arrives, the number of octets in that message is compared to the number of credits in the bank. If the number of credits is greater than or equal to the number of octets, then the message is accepted for transmission and the number of credits in the bank is decremented by the number of octets. If the number of credits is less than the number of octets, then the message is delayed until enough credits are accumulated. This paper presents simulation results showing delay performance of the SS7 ISUP and TCAP message traffic with a range of correlated message traffic, and control parameters of the credit manager (i.e., credit generation rate and bank capacity) are determined that ensure the traffic entering the SS7 network is acceptable. The results show that control parameters can be set so that for any incoming traffic stream there is no detrimental impact on the SS7 ISUP and TCAP message delay, and the credit manager accepts a wide range of traffic patterns without causing significant delay.

75 FR 68177 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Model 757 and 767 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-05

... and FUEL CONFIG discrete signals from the fuel quantity processor unit, and alerts the flightcrew of a... the FUEL CONFIG discrete signal, which disables both the FUEL CONFIG and LOW FUEL messages. Such... depleted below the minimum of 2,200 pounds. The EICAS receives both the LOW FUEL and FUEL CONFIG discrete...

Minimum length from quantum mechanics and classical general relativity.

PubMed

Calmet, Xavier; Graesser, Michael; Hsu, Stephen D H

2004-11-19

We derive fundamental limits on measurements of position, arising from quantum mechanics and classical general relativity. First, we show that any primitive probe or target used in an experiment must be larger than the Planck length lP. This suggests a Planck-size minimum ball of uncertainty in any measurement. Next, we study interferometers (such as LIGO) whose precision is much finer than the size of any individual components and hence are not obviously limited by the minimum ball. Nevertheless, we deduce a fundamental limit on their accuracy of order lP. Our results imply a device independent limit on possible position measurements.

Influence of the optical fiber type on the performances of fiber-optics current sensor dedicated to plasma current measurement in ITER.

PubMed

Aerssens, Matthieu; Descamps, Frédéric; Gusarov, Andrei; Mégret, Patrice; Moreau, Philippe; Wuilpart, Marc

2015-07-01

In this paper, we compare, by means of simulations using the Jones formalism, the performances of several optical fiber types (low birefringence and spun fibers) for the measurement of plasma current in international thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER). The main results presented in this paper concern the minimum value of the ratio between the beat length and the spun period, which allows meeting the ITER current measurement specifications. Assuming a high-birefringence spun fiber with a beat length of 3 mm, we demonstrate that the minimum ratio between the beat length and the spun period is 4.4 when considering a 28 m long sensing fiber surrounding the vacuum vessel. This minimum ratio rises to 10.14 when a 100 m long lead fiber connecting the interrogating system to the sensing fiber is taken into account.

An Investigation of Flight Deck Data Link in the Terminal Area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Lynne; Lozito, Sandra; Kaneshige, John; Dulchinos, Vicki; Sharma, Shivanjli

2013-01-01

The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) and Europe's Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) concepts require an increased use of trajectory-based operations, including extensive strategic air traffic control clearances. The clearances are lengthy and complex, which necessitate data link communications to allow for message permanence and integration into the autoflight systems (i.e., autoload capability). This paper examines the use of flight deck data link communications for strategic and tactical clearance usage in the terminal area. A human-in-the-loop simulation was conducted using a high-fidelity flight deck simulator, with ten commercial flight crews as participants. Data were collected from six flight scenarios in the San Francisco terminal airspace. The variables of interest were ATC message modality (voice v. data link), temporal quality of the message (tactical v. strategic) and message length. Dependent variables were message response times, communication clarifications, communication-related errors, and pilot workload. Response time results were longer in data link compared to voice, a finding that has been consistently revealed in a number of other simulations [1]. In addition, strategic clearances and longer messages resulted in a greater number of clarifications and errors, suggesting an increase in uncertainty of message interpretation for the flight crews when compared to tactical clearances. The implications for strategic and compound clearance usage in NextGen and SESAR are discussed

Achieving fast and stable failure detection in WDM Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Donghui; Zhou, Zhiyu; Zhang, Hanyi

2005-02-01

In dynamic networks, the failure detection time takes a major part of the convergence time, which is an important network performance index. To detect a node or link failure in the network, traditional protocols, like Hello protocol in OSPF or RSVP, exchanges keep-alive messages between neighboring nodes to keep track of the link/node state. But by default settings, it can get a minimum detection time in the measure of dozens of seconds, which can not meet the demands of fast network convergence and failure recovery. When configuring the related parameters to reduce the detection time, there will be notable instability problems. In this paper, we analyzed the problem and designed a new failure detection algorithm to reduce the network overhead of detection signaling. Through our experiment we found it is effective to enhance the stability by implicitly acknowledge other signaling messages as keep-alive messages. We conducted our proposal and the previous approaches on the ASON test-bed. The experimental results show that our algorithm gives better performances than previous schemes in about an order magnitude reduction of both false failure alarms and queuing delay to other messages, especially under light traffic load.

Conditions affecting boundary response to messages out of awareness.

PubMed

Fisher, S

1976-05-01

Multiple studies evaluated the role of the following parameters in mediating the effects of auditory subliminal inputs upon the body boundary: being made aware that exposure to subliminal stimuli is occurring, nature of the priming preliminary to the input, length of exposure, competing sensory input, use of specialized content messages, tolerance for unrealistic experience, and masculinity-feminity. A test-retest design was typically employed that involved measuring the baseline Barrier score with the Holtzman bolts and then ascertaining the Barrier change when responding to a second series of Holtzman blots at the same time that subliminal input was occurring. Complex results emerged that defined in considerably new detail what facilitates and blocks the boundary-disrupting effects of subliminal messages in men and to a lesser degree in women.

Predictive minimum description length principle approach to inferring gene regulatory networks.

PubMed

Chaitankar, Vijender; Zhang, Chaoyang; Ghosh, Preetam; Gong, Ping; Perkins, Edward J; Deng, Youping

2011-01-01

Reverse engineering of gene regulatory networks using information theory models has received much attention due to its simplicity, low computational cost, and capability of inferring large networks. One of the major problems with information theory models is to determine the threshold that defines the regulatory relationships between genes. The minimum description length (MDL) principle has been implemented to overcome this problem. The description length of the MDL principle is the sum of model length and data encoding length. A user-specified fine tuning parameter is used as control mechanism between model and data encoding, but it is difficult to find the optimal parameter. In this work, we propose a new inference algorithm that incorporates mutual information (MI), conditional mutual information (CMI), and predictive minimum description length (PMDL) principle to infer gene regulatory networks from DNA microarray data. In this algorithm, the information theoretic quantities MI and CMI determine the regulatory relationships between genes and the PMDL principle method attempts to determine the best MI threshold without the need of a user-specified fine tuning parameter. The performance of the proposed algorithm is evaluated using both synthetic time series data sets and a biological time series data set (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The results show that the proposed algorithm produced fewer false edges and significantly improved the precision when compared to existing MDL algorithm.

50 CFR 648.83 - Multispecies minimum fish sizes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... vessels are subject to the following minimum fish sizes, determined by total length (TL): Minimum Fish Sizes (TL) for Commercial Vessels Species Size(inches) Cod 22 (55.9 cm) Haddock 18 (45.7 cm) Pollock 19 (48.3 cm) Witch flounder (gray sole) 14 (35.6 cm) Yellowtail flounder 13 (33.0 cm) American plaice...

50 CFR 648.83 - Multispecies minimum fish sizes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... vessels are subject to the following minimum fish sizes, determined by total length (TL): Minimum Fish Sizes (TL) for Commercial Vessels Species Size(inches) Cod 19 (48.3 cm) Haddock 16 (40.6 cm) Pollock 19 (48.3 cm) Witch flounder (gray sole) 13 (33 cm) Yellowtail flounder 12 (30.5 cm) American plaice (dab...

50 CFR 648.83 - Multispecies minimum fish sizes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... vessels are subject to the following minimum fish sizes, determined by total length (TL): Minimum Fish Sizes (TL) for Commercial Vessels Species Size(inches) Cod 19 (48.3 cm) Haddock 16 (40.6 cm) Pollock 19 (48.3 cm) Witch flounder (gray sole) 13 (33 cm) Yellowtail flounder 12 (30.5 cm) American plaice (dab...

50 CFR 648.83 - Multispecies minimum fish sizes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... vessels are subject to the following minimum fish sizes, determined by total length (TL): Minimum Fish Sizes (TL) for Commercial Vessels Species Size(inches) Cod 22 (55.9 cm) Haddock 18 (45.7 cm) Pollock 19 (48.3 cm) Witch flounder (gray sole) 14 (35.6 cm) Yellowtail flounder 13 (33.0 cm) American plaice...

A genetic code Boolean structure. II. The genetic information system as a Boolean information system.

PubMed

Sanchez, Robersy; Grau, Ricardo

2005-09-01

A Boolean structure of the genetic code where Boolean deductions have biological and physicochemical meanings was discussed in a previous paper. Now, from these Boolean deductions we propose to define the value of amino acid information in order to consider the genetic information system as a communication system and to introduce the semantic content of information ignored by the conventional information theory. In this proposal, the value of amino acid information is proportional to the molecular weight of amino acids with a proportional constant of about 1.96 x 10(25) bits per kg. In addition to this, for the experimental estimations of the minimum energy dissipation in genetic logic operations, we present two postulates: (1) the energy Ei (i=1,2,...,20) of amino acids in the messages conveyed by proteins is proportional to the value of information, and (2) amino acids are distributed according to their energy Ei so the amino acid population in proteins follows a Boltzmann distribution. Specifically, in the genetic message carried by the DNA from the genomes of living organisms, we found that the minimum energy dissipation in genetic logic operations was close to kTLn(2) joules per bit.

Classification of Kiwifruit Grades Based on Fruit Shape Using a Single Camera

PubMed Central

Fu, Longsheng; Sun, Shipeng; Li, Rui; Wang, Shaojin

2016-01-01

This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility for classifying kiwifruit into shape grades by adding a single camera to current Chinese sorting lines equipped with weight sensors. Image processing methods are employed to calculate fruit length, maximum diameter of the equatorial section, and projected area. A stepwise multiple linear regression method is applied to select significant variables for predicting minimum diameter of the equatorial section and volume and to establish corresponding estimation models. Results show that length, maximum diameter of the equatorial section and weight are selected to predict the minimum diameter of the equatorial section, with the coefficient of determination of only 0.82 when compared to manual measurements. Weight and length are then selected to estimate the volume, which is in good agreement with the measured one with the coefficient of determination of 0.98. Fruit classification based on the estimated minimum diameter of the equatorial section achieves a low success rate of 84.6%, which is significantly improved using a linear combination of the length/maximum diameter of the equatorial section and projected area/length ratios, reaching 98.3%. Thus, it is possible for Chinese kiwifruit sorting lines to reach international standards of grading kiwifruit on fruit shape classification by adding a single camera. PMID:27376292

The effects of smartphone multitasking on gait and dynamic balance

PubMed Central

Lee, Jeon Hyeong; Lee, Myoung Hee

2018-01-01

[Purpose] This study was performed to analyze the influence of smartphone multitasking on gait and dynamic balance. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 19 male and 20 female university students. There were 4 types of gait tasks: General Gait (walking without a task), Task Gait 1 (walking while writing a message), Task Gait 2 (walking while writing a message and listening to music), Task Gait 3 (walking while writing a message and having a conversation). To exclude the learning effect, the order of tasks was randomized. The Zebris FDM-T treadmill system (Zebris Medical GmbH, Germany) was used to measure left and right step length and width, and a 10 m walking test (10MWT) was conducted for gait velocity. In addition, a Timed Up and Go test (TUG) was used to measure dynamic balance. All the tasks were performed 3 times, and the mean of the measured values was analyzed. [Results] There were no statistically significant differences in step length and width. There were statistically significant differences in the 10MWT and TUG tests. [Conclusion] Using a smartphone while walking decreases a person’s dynamic balance and walking ability. It is considered that accident rates are higher when using a smartphone. PMID:29545698

Reliability and accuracy of three imaging software packages used for 3D analysis of the upper airway on cone beam computed tomography images.

PubMed

Chen, Hui; van Eijnatten, Maureen; Wolff, Jan; de Lange, Jan; van der Stelt, Paul F; Lobbezoo, Frank; Aarab, Ghizlane

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and accuracy of three different imaging software packages for three-dimensional analysis of the upper airway using CBCT images. To assess the reliability of the software packages, 15 NewTom 5G ® (QR Systems, Verona, Italy) CBCT data sets were randomly and retrospectively selected. Two observers measured the volume, minimum cross-sectional area and the length of the upper airway using Amira ® (Visage Imaging Inc., Carlsbad, CA), 3Diagnosys ® (3diemme, Cantu, Italy) and OnDemand3D ® (CyberMed, Seoul, Republic of Korea) software packages. The intra- and inter-observer reliability of the upper airway measurements were determined using intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland & Altman agreement tests. To assess the accuracy of the software packages, one NewTom 5G ® CBCT data set was used to print a three-dimensional anthropomorphic phantom with known dimensions to be used as the "gold standard". This phantom was subsequently scanned using a NewTom 5G ® scanner. Based on the CBCT data set of the phantom, one observer measured the volume, minimum cross-sectional area, and length of the upper airway using Amira ® , 3Diagnosys ® , and OnDemand3D ® , and compared these measurements with the gold standard. The intra- and inter-observer reliability of the measurements of the upper airway using the different software packages were excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥0.75). There was excellent agreement between all three software packages in volume, minimum cross-sectional area and length measurements. All software packages underestimated the upper airway volume by -8.8% to -12.3%, the minimum cross-sectional area by -6.2% to -14.6%, and the length by -1.6% to -2.9%. All three software packages offered reliable volume, minimum cross-sectional area and length measurements of the upper airway. The length measurements of the upper airway were the most accurate results in all software packages. All software packages underestimated the upper airway dimensions of the anthropomorphic phantom.

A Text Message Intervention with Adaptive Goal Support to Reduce Alcohol Consumption Among Non-Treatment-Seeking Young Adults: Non-Randomized Clinical Trial with Voluntary Length of Enrollment.

PubMed

Suffoletto, Brian; Chung, Tammy; Muench, Frederick; Monti, Peter; Clark, Duncan B

2018-02-16

Stand-alone text message-based interventions can reduce binge drinking episodes (≥4 drinks for women and ≥5 drinks for men) among nontreatment-seeking young adults, but may not be optimized. Adaptive text message support could enhance effectiveness by assisting context-specific goal setting and striving, but it remains unknown how to best integrate it into text message interventions. The objective of this study was to evaluate young adults' engagement with a text message intervention, Texting to Reduce Alcohol Consumption 2 (TRAC2), which focuses on reducing weekend alcohol consumption. TRAC2 incorporated preweekend drinking-limit goal-commitment ecological momentary assessments (EMA) tailored to past 2-week alcohol consumption, intraweekend goal reminders, self-efficacy EMA with support tailored to goal confidence, and maximum weekend alcohol consumption EMA with drinking limit goal feedback. We enrolled 38 nontreatment-seeking young adults (aged 18 to 25 years) who screened positive for hazardous drinking in an urban emergency department. Following a 2-week text message assessment-only run-in, subjects were given the opportunity to enroll in 4-week intervention blocks. We examined patterns of EMA responses and voluntary re-enrollment. We then examined how goal commitment and goal self-efficacy related to event-level alcohol consumption. Finally, we examined the association of length of TRAC2 exposure with alcohol-related outcomes from baseline to 3-month follow-up. Among a diverse sample of young adults (56% [28/50] female, 54% [27/50] black, 32% [12/50] college enrolled), response rates to EMA queries were, on average, 82% for the first 4-week intervention block, 75% for the second 4-week block, and 73% for the third 4-week block. In the first 4 weeks of the intervention, drinking limit goal commitment was made 68/71 times it was prompted (96%). The percentage of subjects being prompted to commit to a drinking limit goal above the binge threshold was 52% (15/29) in week 1 and decreased to 0% (0/15) by week 4. Subjects met their goal 130/146 of the times a goal was committed to (89.0%). There were lower rates of goal success when subjects reported lower confidence (score <4) in meeting the goal (76% [32/42 weekends]) compared with that when subjects reported high confidence (98% [56/57 weekends]; P=.001). There were reductions in alcohol consumption from baseline to 3 months, but reductions were not different by length of intervention exposure. Preliminary evidence suggests that nontreatment-seeking young adults will engage with a text message intervention incorporating self-regulation support features, resulting in high rates of weekend drinking limit goal commitment and goal success. ©Brian Suffoletto, Tammy Chung, Frederick Muench, Peter Monti, Duncan B Clark. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 16.02.2018.

Analysis of spectrum utilization and message length statistics for the railroad land mobile radio service

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-11-01

In support of the Federal Railroad Administration of the United States Department of Transportation, the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) has completed a field spectrum uitilization survey designed to examine individual channel utilizat...

On the Trend of the Annual Mean, Maximum, and Minimum Temperature and the Diurnal Temperature Range in the Armagh Observatory, Northern Ireland, Dataset, 1844 -2012

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.

2013-01-01

Examined are the annual averages, 10-year moving averages, decadal averages, and sunspot cycle (SC) length averages of the mean, maximum, and minimum surface air temperatures and the diurnal temperature range (DTR) for the Armagh Observatory, Northern Ireland, during the interval 1844-2012. Strong upward trends are apparent in the Armagh surface-air temperatures (ASAT), while a strong downward trend is apparent in the DTR, especially when the ASAT data are averaged by decade or over individual SC lengths. The long-term decrease in the decadaland SC-averaged annual DTR occurs because the annual minimum temperatures have risen more quickly than the annual maximum temperatures. Estimates are given for the Armagh annual mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures and the DTR for the current decade (2010-2019) and SC24.

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

Zhou, Q. G.; Chen, N.; Zhang, M.

Five IDs will be built for the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). Two identical mini-gap undulators with the period length 25mm and the minimum gap 6mm will use the in-vacuum technology and can operate in tapered mode. Two wigglers with the period lengths 7.9cm and 14cm and the same minimum gap 14mm will produce the peak fields of 1.2T and 1.94T. A variable polarization undulator of the APPLE-II type with 4.2m long and the period length 10cm can provide linearly, circularly and elliptically polarized radiation in a wide spectral range. This paper describes the magnet designs and the mechanical structuremore » designs of these IDs.« less

Minimum triplet covers of binary phylogenetic X-trees.

PubMed

Huber, K T; Moulton, V; Steel, M

2017-12-01

Trees with labelled leaves and with all other vertices of degree three play an important role in systematic biology and other areas of classification. A classical combinatorial result ensures that such trees can be uniquely reconstructed from the distances between the leaves (when the edges are given any strictly positive lengths). Moreover, a linear number of these pairwise distance values suffices to determine both the tree and its edge lengths. A natural set of pairs of leaves is provided by any 'triplet cover' of the tree (based on the fact that each non-leaf vertex is the median vertex of three leaves). In this paper we describe a number of new results concerning triplet covers of minimum size. In particular, we characterize such covers in terms of an associated graph being a 2-tree. Also, we show that minimum triplet covers are 'shellable' and thereby provide a set of pairs for which the inter-leaf distance values will uniquely determine the underlying tree and its associated branch lengths.

Impact of minimum catch size on the population viability of Strombus gigas (Mesogastropoda: Strombidae) in Quintana Roo, Mexico.

PubMed

Peel, Joanne R; Mandujano, María del Carmen

2014-12-01

The queen conch Strombus gigas represents one of the most important fishery resources of the Caribbean but heavy fishing pressure has led to the depletion of stocks throughout the region, causing the inclusion of this species into CITES Appendix II and IUCN's Red-List. In Mexico, the queen conch is managed through a minimum fishing size of 200 mm shell length and a fishing quota which usually represents 50% of the adult biomass. The objectives of this study were to determine the intrinsic population growth rate of the queen conch population of Xel-Ha, Quintana Roo, Mexico, and to assess the effects of a regulated fishing impact, simulating the extraction of 50% adult biomass on the population density. We used three different minimum size criteria to demonstrate the effects of minimum catch size on the population density and discuss biological implications. Demographic data was obtained through capture-mark-recapture sampling, collecting all animals encountered during three hours, by three divers, at four different sampling sites of the Xel-Ha inlet. The conch population was sampled each month between 2005 and 2006, and bimonthly between 2006 and 2011, tagging a total of 8,292 animals. Shell length and lip thickness were determined for each individual. The average shell length for conch with formed lip in Xel-Ha was 209.39 ± 14.18 mm and the median 210 mm. Half of the sampled conch with lip ranged between 200 mm and 219 mm shell length. Assuming that the presence of the lip is an indicator for sexual maturity, it can be concluded that many animals may form their lip at greater shell lengths than 200 mm and ought to be considered immature. Estimation of relative adult abundance and densities varied greatly depending on the criteria employed for adult classification. When using a minimum fishing size of 200 mm shell length, between 26.2% and up to 54.8% of the population qualified as adults, which represented a simulated fishing impact of almost one third of the population. When conch extraction was simulated using a classification criteria based on lip thickness, it had a much smaller impact on the population density. We concluded that the best management strategy for S. gigas is a minimum fishing size based on a lip thickness, since it has lower impact on the population density, and given that selective fishing pressure based on size may lead to the appearance of small adult individuals with reduced fecundity. Furthermore, based on the reproductive biology and the results of the simulated fishing, we suggest a minimum lip thickness of ≥ 15 mm, which ensures the protection of reproductive stages, reduces the risk of overfishing, leading to non-viable density reduction.

The feasibility, patterns of use and acceptability of using mobile phone text-messaging to improve treatment adherence and post-treatment review of children with uncomplicated malaria in western Kenya.

PubMed

Otieno, Gabriel; Githinji, Sophie; Jones, Caroline; Snow, Robert W; Talisuna, Ambrose; Zurovac, Dejan

2014-02-03

Trials evaluating the impact of mobile phone text-messaging to support management of acute diseases, such as malaria, are urgently needed in Africa. There has been however a concern about the feasibility of interventions that rely on access to mobile phones among caregivers in rural areas. To assess the feasibility and inform development of an intervention to improve adherence to malaria medications and post-treatment review, mobile phone network, access, ownership and use among caregivers in western Kenya was assessed. A cross-sectional survey based on outpatient exit interviews was undertaken among caregivers of children with malaria at four trial facilities. The main outcomes were proportions of caregivers that have mobile signal at home; have access to mobile phones; are able to read; and use text-messaging. Willingness to receive text-message reminders was also explored. Descriptive analyses were performed. Of 400 interviewed caregivers, the majority were female (93.5%), mothers of the sick children (87.8%) and able to read (97.3%). Only 1.7% of caregivers were without any education. Nearly all (99.8%) reported access to a mobile signal at home. 93.0% (site range: 89-98%) had access to a mobile phone within their household while 73.8% (site range: 66-78%) possessed a personal phone. Among caregivers with mobile phone access, 93.6% (site range: 85-99%) used the phone to receive text-messages. Despite only 19% having electricity at home nearly all (99.7%) caregivers reported that they would be able to have permanent phone access to receive text-messages in the next 28 days. Willingness to receive text-message reminders was nearly universal (99.7%) with 41.7% of caregivers preferring texts in English, 32.3% in Kiswahili and 26.1% in Dholuo. Despite concerns that the feasibility of text-messaging interventions targeting caregivers may be compromised in rural high malaria risk areas in Kenya, very favourable conditions were found with respect to mobile network, access and ownership of phones, use of text-messaging and minimum literacy levels required for successful intervention delivery. Moreover, there was a high willingness of caregivers to receive text-message reminders. Impact evaluations of carefully tailored text-messaging interventions targeting caregivers of children with malaria are timely and justified.

50 CFR 697.20 - Size, harvesting and landing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... length. (1) The minimum carapace length for all American lobsters harvested in or from the EEZ Nearshore... length for all American lobsters landed, harvested, or possessed by vessels issued a Federal limited access American lobster permit fishing in or electing to fish in the Nearshore Management Area 1 or the...

50 CFR 697.20 - Size, harvesting and landing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... length. (1) The minimum carapace length for all American lobsters harvested in or from the EEZ Nearshore... length for all American lobsters landed, harvested, or possessed by vessels issued a Federal limited access American lobster permit fishing in or electing to fish in the Nearshore Management Area 1 or the...

A review on setting appropriate reach length for biological assessment of boatable rivers

EPA Science Inventory

Researchers working on boatable rivers are presented with the task of selecting an appropriate stream length, or reach length, from which data will be collected. Ideally, the sampling effort applied is the minimum that will allow stated objectives to be addressed as required by a...

Effect of Afterbody Length and Keel Angle on Minimum Depth of Step for Landing Stability and on Take-Off Stability of a Flying Boat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, Roland E; Land, Norman S

1949-01-01

Tests were made to fill partly the need for information on the effect of afterbody dimensions on the hydrodynamic stability of a flying boat in smooth water. The dimensions investigated were depth of step, angle of afterbody keel, and length of afterbody. An analysis of the data showed that as either the afterbody length or keel angle was increased an accompanying increase in depth of step was required in order to maintain adequate landing stability. The landing-tests results have been reduced to an empirical formula giving the minimum depth of step in terms of afterbody length and keel angle. This formula is compared with results from other tank tests, and the correlation is fairly good. The formula thus becomes of use in preliminary design.

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

Reister, D.B.; Lenhart, S.M.

Recent theoretical results have completely solved the problem of determining the minimum length path for a vehicle with a minimum turning radius moving from an initial configuration to a final configuration. Time optimal paths for a constant speed vehicle are a subset of the minimum length paths. This paper uses the Pontryagin maximum principle to find time optimal paths for a constant speed vehicle. The time optimal paths consist of sequences of axes of circles and straight lines. The maximum principle introduces concepts (dual variables, bang-bang solutions, singular solutions, and transversality conditions) that provide important insight into the nature ofmore » the time optimal paths. We explore the properties of the optimal paths and present some experimental results for a mobile robot following an optimal path.« less

Lossless quantum data compression and secure direct communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boström, Kim

2004-07-01

This thesis deals with the encoding and transmission of information through a quantum channel. A quantum channel is a quantum mechanical system whose state is manipulated by a sender and read out by a receiver. The individual state of the channel represents the message. The two topics of the thesis comprise 1) the possibility of compressing a message stored in a quantum channel without loss of information and 2) the possibility to communicate a message directly from one party to another in a secure manner, that is, a third party is not able to eavesdrop the message without being detected. The main results of the thesis are the following. A general framework for variable-length quantum codes is worked out. These codes are necessary to make lossless compression possible. Due to the quantum nature of the channel, the encoded messages are in general in a superposition of different lengths. It is found to be impossible to compress a quantum message without loss of information if the message is not apriori known to the sender. In the other case it is shown that lossless quantum data compression is possible and a lower bound on the compression rate is derived. Furthermore, an explicit compression scheme is constructed that works for arbitrarily given source message ensembles. A quantum cryptographic protocol - the “ping-pong protocol” - is presented that realizes the secure direct communication of classical messages through a quantum channel. The security of the protocol against arbitrary eavesdropping attacks is proven for the case of an ideal quantum channel. In contrast to other quantum cryptographic protocols, the ping-pong protocol is deterministic and can thus be used to transmit a random key as well as a composed message. The protocol is perfectly secure for the transmission of a key, and it is quasi-secure for the direct transmission of a message. The latter means that the probability of successful eavesdropping exponentially decreases with the length of the message. Diese Dissertation behandelt die Kodierung und Verschickung von Information durch einen Quantenkanal. Ein Quantenkanal besteht aus einem quantenmechanischen System, welches vom Sender manipuliert und vom Empfänger ausgelesen werden kann. Dabei repräsentiert der individuelle Zustand des Kanals die Nachricht. Die zwei Themen der Dissertation umfassen 1) die Möglichkeit, eine Nachricht in einem Quantenkanal verlustfrei zu komprimieren und 2) die Möglichkeit eine Nachricht von einer Partei zu einer einer anderen direkt und auf sichere Weise zu übermitteln, d.h. ohne dass es einer dritte Partei möglich ist, die Nachricht abzuhören und dabei unerkannt zu bleiben. Die wesentlichen Ergebnisse der Dissertation sind die folgenden. Ein allgemeiner Formalismus für Quantencodes mit variabler Länge wird ausgearbeitet. Diese Codes sind notwendig um verlustfreie Kompression zu ermöglichen. Wegen der Quantennatur des Kanals sind die codierten Nachrichten allgemein in einer Superposition von verschiedenen Längen. Es zeigt sich, daß es unmöglich ist eine Quantennachricht verlustfrei zu komprimieren, wenn diese dem Sender nicht apriori bekannt ist. Im anderen Falle wird die Möglichkeit verlustfreier Quantenkompression gezeigt und eine untere Schranke für die Kompressionsrate abgeleitet. Des weiteren wird ein expliziter Kompressionsalgorithmus konstruiert, der für beliebig vorgegebene Ensembles aus Quantennachrichten funktioniert. Ein quantenkryptografisches Prokoll - das “Ping-Pong Protokoll” - wird vorgestellt, welches die sichere direkte übertragung von klassischen Nachrichten durch einen Quantenkanal ermöglicht. Die Sicherheit des Protokolls gegen beliebige Abhörangriffe wird bewiesen für den Fall eines idealen Quantenkanals. Im Gegensatz zu anderen quantenkryptografischen Verfahren ist das Ping-Pong Protokoll deterministisch und kann somit sowohl für die Übermittlung eines zufälligen Schlüssels als auch einer komponierten Nachricht verwendet werden. Das Protokoll is perfekt sicher für die Übertragung eines Schlüssels und quasi-sicher für die direkte Übermittlung einer Nachricht. Letzteres bedeutet, dass die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines erfolgreichen Abhörangriffs exponenziell mit der Länge der Nachricht abnimmt.

Prescribed Burn at Pine Bluff Arsenal

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-03-01

length (ft) backfire flame length (ft) hf rate of spread (ch/hr) bf rate of spread (ch/hr) Minimum behavior headfire flame length (ft) backfire... flame length (ft) hf rate of spread (ch/hr) bf rate of spread (ch/hr) 8. FUEL AND WEATHER PRESCRIPTION Source of weather: National Weather Service...and left the site. No spots occurred. Backfire flame lengths were 0.2-3 feet through pine needles and grass. Flanking fire flame lengths were 2-4

Energy Efficient and Stable Weight Based Clustering for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouk, Safdar H.; Sasase, Iwao

Recently several weighted clustering algorithms have been proposed, however, to the best of our knowledge; there is none that propagates weights to other nodes without weight message for leader election, normalizes node parameters and considers neighboring node parameters to calculate node weights. In this paper, we propose an Energy Efficient and Stable Weight Based Clustering (EE-SWBC) algorithm that elects cluster heads without sending any additional weight message. It propagates node parameters to its neighbors through neighbor discovery message (HELLO Message) and stores these parameters in neighborhood list. Each node normalizes parameters and efficiently calculates its own weight and the weights of neighboring nodes from that neighborhood table using Grey Decision Method (GDM). GDM finds the ideal solution (best node parameters in neighborhood list) and calculates node weights in comparison to the ideal solution. The node(s) with maximum weight (parameters closer to the ideal solution) are elected as cluster heads. In result, EE-SWBC fairly selects potential nodes with parameters closer to ideal solution with less overhead. Different performance metrics of EE-SWBC and Distributed Weighted Clustering Algorithm (DWCA) are compared through simulations. The simulation results show that EE-SWBC maintains fewer average numbers of stable clusters with minimum overhead, less energy consumption and fewer changes in cluster structure within network compared to DWCA.

mCare: using secure mobile technology to support soldier reintegration and rehabilitation.

PubMed

Poropatich, Ronald K; Pavliscsak, Holly H; Tong, James C; Little, Jeanette R; McVeigh, Francis L

2014-06-01

The U.S. Army Medical Department conducted a pilot mobile health project to determine the requirements for coordination of care for "Wounded Warriors" using mobile messaging. The primary objective was to determine if a secure mobile health (mhealth) intervention provided to geographically dispersed patients would improve contact rates and positively impact the military healthcare system. Over 21 months, volunteers enrolled in a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant, secure mobile messaging initiative called mCare. The study included males and females, 18-61 years old, with a minimum of 60 days of outpatient recovery. Volunteers were required to have a compatible phone. The mhealth intervention included appointment reminders, health and wellness tips, announcements, and other relevant information to this population exchanged between care teams and patients. Provider respondents reported that 85% would refer patients to mCare, and 56% noted improvement in appointment attendance (n=90). Patient responses also revealed high acceptability of mCare and refined the frequency and delivery times (n=114). The pilot project resulted in over 84,000 outbound messages and improved contact rates by 176%. The mCare pilot project demonstrated the feasibility and administrative effectiveness of a scalable mhealth application using secure mobile messaging and information exchanges, including personalized patient education.

Using the Vape Shop Standardized Tobacco Assessment for Retail Settings (V-STARS) to Assess Product Availability, Price Promotions, and Messaging in New Hampshire Vape Shop Retailers.

PubMed

Kong, Amanda Y; Eaddy, Jessica L; Morrison, Susan L; Asbury, Donna; Lindell, Kristine M; Ribisl, Kurt M

2017-04-01

This is the first statewide census of the product availability, price promotions, and product messaging of vape shops. A comprehensive list of New Hampshire vape shops was developed through a previously validated online search method. Store audits were conducted in 55 stores between January and February 2016 using the Vape Shop Standardized Tobacco Assessment for Retail Settings (V-STARS). Modifiable devices and cig-alikes were sold in 92.6% and 14.6% of stores, respectively. Cross-product promotions with tobacco products were rare, and messaging promoting e-cigarettes as effective cessation devices was found in 27.3% of all stores. Candy/fruit and menthol e-liquids were most commonly found in stores, and sampling of products was available in 83.6% of stores. Ten (18.2%) stores did not have a minimum age sign posted, and self-service sampling displays were available in about one-fifth of stores. Using V-STARS to conduct retail assessments of vape shops is feasible and is important for assessing the changing retail environment of vape shops. Vape shops distinguish themselves from traditional tobacco product retailers and offer a variety of products to customize a consumer's experience. Regulations and effective enforcement ensuring accurate health messages is essential.

Complex Conjugated certificateless-based signcryption with differential integrated factor for secured message communication in mobile network

PubMed Central

Rajagopalan, S. P.

2017-01-01

Certificateless-based signcryption overcomes inherent shortcomings in traditional Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Key Escrow problem. It imparts efficient methods to design PKIs with public verifiability and cipher text authenticity with minimum dependency. As a classic primitive in public key cryptography, signcryption performs validity of cipher text without decryption by combining authentication, confidentiality, public verifiability and cipher text authenticity much more efficiently than the traditional approach. In this paper, we first define a security model for certificateless-based signcryption called, Complex Conjugate Differential Integrated Factor (CC-DIF) scheme by introducing complex conjugates through introduction of the security parameter and improving secured message distribution rate. However, both partial private key and secret value changes with respect to time. To overcome this weakness, a new certificateless-based signcryption scheme is proposed by setting the private key through Differential (Diff) Equation using an Integration Factor (DiffEIF), minimizing computational cost and communication overhead. The scheme is therefore said to be proven secure (i.e. improving the secured message distributing rate) against certificateless access control and signcryption-based scheme. In addition, compared with the three other existing schemes, the CC-DIF scheme has the least computational cost and communication overhead for secured message communication in mobile network. PMID:29040290

Complex Conjugated certificateless-based signcryption with differential integrated factor for secured message communication in mobile network.

PubMed

Alagarsamy, Sumithra; Rajagopalan, S P

2017-01-01

Certificateless-based signcryption overcomes inherent shortcomings in traditional Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Key Escrow problem. It imparts efficient methods to design PKIs with public verifiability and cipher text authenticity with minimum dependency. As a classic primitive in public key cryptography, signcryption performs validity of cipher text without decryption by combining authentication, confidentiality, public verifiability and cipher text authenticity much more efficiently than the traditional approach. In this paper, we first define a security model for certificateless-based signcryption called, Complex Conjugate Differential Integrated Factor (CC-DIF) scheme by introducing complex conjugates through introduction of the security parameter and improving secured message distribution rate. However, both partial private key and secret value changes with respect to time. To overcome this weakness, a new certificateless-based signcryption scheme is proposed by setting the private key through Differential (Diff) Equation using an Integration Factor (DiffEIF), minimizing computational cost and communication overhead. The scheme is therefore said to be proven secure (i.e. improving the secured message distributing rate) against certificateless access control and signcryption-based scheme. In addition, compared with the three other existing schemes, the CC-DIF scheme has the least computational cost and communication overhead for secured message communication in mobile network.

Women's Perceptions of Participation in an Extended Contact Text Message-Based Weight Loss Intervention: An Explorative Study.

PubMed

Job, Jennifer R; Spark, Lauren C; Fjeldsoe, Brianna S; Eakin, Elizabeth G; Reeves, Marina M

2017-02-27

Extending contact with participants after the end of an initial weight loss intervention has been shown to lead to maintained weight loss and related behavioral change. Mobile phone text messaging (short message service, SMS) offers a low-cost and efficacious method to deliver extended contact. In this rapidly developing area, formative work is required to understand user perspectives of text message technology. An extended contact intervention delivered by text messages following an initial telephone-delivered weight loss intervention in breast cancer survivors provided this opportunity. The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore women's perceptions of participation in an extended contact intervention using text messaging to support long-term weight loss, physical activity, and dietary behavioral change. Following the end of an initial 6-month randomized controlled trial of a telephone-delivered weight loss intervention (versus usual care), participants received a 6-month extended contact intervention via tailored text messages. Participant perceptions of the different types of text messages, the content, tailoring, timing, and frequency of the text messages, and the length of the intervention were assessed through semistructured interviews conducted after the extended contact intervention. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed with key themes identified. Participants (n=27) were a mean age of 56.0 years (SD 7.8) and mean body mass index of 30.4 kg/m2 (SD 4.2) and were at a mean of 16.1 months (SD 3.1) postdiagnosis at study baseline. Participants perceived the text messages to be useful behavioral prompts and felt the messages kept them accountable to their behavioral change goals. The individual tailoring of the text message content and schedules was a key to the acceptability of the messages; however, some women preferred the support and real-time discussion via telephone calls (during the initial intervention) compared with the text messages (during the extended contact intervention). Text message support was perceived as acceptable for the majority of women as a way of extending intervention contact for weight loss and behavioral maintenance. Text messages supported the maintenance of healthy behaviors established in the intervention phase and kept the women accountable to their goals. A combination of telephone calls and text message support was suggested as a more acceptable option for some of the women for an extended contact intervention. ©Jennifer R Job, Lauren C Spark, Brianna S Fjeldsoe, Elizabeth G Eakin, Marina M Reeves. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 27.02.2017.

Latency-Efficient Communication in Wireless Mesh Networks under Consideration of Large Interference Range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Qin; Yao, Xiaolan; Engelstad, Paal E.

2010-09-01

Wireless Mesh Networking is an emerging communication paradigm to enable resilient, cost-efficient and reliable services for the future-generation wireless networks. We study here the minimum-latency communication primitive of gossiping (all-to-all communication) in multi-hop ad-hoc Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs). Each mesh node in the WMN is initially given a message and the objective is to design a minimum-latency schedule such that each mesh node distributes its message to all other mesh nodes. Minimum-latency gossiping problem is well known to be NP-hard even for the scenario in which the topology of the WMN is known to all mesh nodes in advance. In this paper, we propose a new latency-efficient approximation scheme that can accomplish gossiping task in polynomial time units in any ad-hoc WMN under consideration of Large Interference Range (LIR), e.g., the interference range is much larger than the transmission range. To the best of our knowledge, it is first time to investigate such a scenario in ad-hoc WMNs under LIR, our algorithm allows the labels (e.g., identifiers) of the mesh nodes to be polynomially large in terms of the size of the WMN, which is the first time that the scenario of large labels has been considered in ad-hoc WMNs under LIR. Furthermore, our gossiping scheme can be considered as a framework which can be easily implied to the scenario under consideration of mobility-related issues since we assume that the mesh nodes have no knowledge on the network topology even for its neighboring mesh nodes.

The Combination of RSA And Block Chiper Algorithms To Maintain Message Authentication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanti Tarigan, Sepri; Sartika Ginting, Dewi; Lumban Gaol, Melva; Lorensi Sitompul, Kristin

2017-12-01

RSA algorithm is public key algorithm using prime number and even still used today. The strength of this algorithm lies in the exponential process, and the factorial number into 2 prime numbers which until now difficult to do factoring. The RSA scheme itself adopts the block cipher scheme, where prior to encryption, the existing plaintext is divide in several block of the same length, where the plaintext and ciphertext are integers between 1 to n, where n is typically 1024 bit, and the block length itself is smaller or equal to log(n)+1 with base 2. With the combination of RSA algorithm and block chiper it is expected that the authentication of plaintext is secure. The secured message will be encrypted with RSA algorithm first and will be encrypted again using block chiper. And conversely, the chipertext will be decrypted with the block chiper first and decrypted again with the RSA algorithm. This paper suggests a combination of RSA algorithms and block chiper to secure data.

Comparative Analysis of the Regulation of Expression and Structures of Two Evolutionarily Divergent Genes for Δ1-Pyrroline-5-Carboxylate Synthetase from Tomato1

PubMed Central

Fujita, Tomomichi; Maggio, Albino; Garcia-Rios, Mario; Bressan, Ray A.; Csonka, Laszlo N.

1998-01-01

We isolated two tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) cDNA clones, tomPRO1 and tomPRO2, specifying Δ1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate synthetase (P5CS), the first enzyme of proline (Pro) biosynthesis. tomPRO1 is unusual because it resembles prokaryotic polycistronic operons (M.G. García-Ríos, T. Fujita, P.C. LaRosa, R.D. Locy, J.M. Clithero, R.A. Bressan, L.N. Csonka [1997] Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94: 8249–8254), whereas tomPRO2 encodes a full-length P5CS. We analyzed the accumulation of Pro and the tomPRO1 and tomPRO2 messages in response to NaCl stress and developmental signals. Treatment with 200 mm NaCl resulted in a >60-fold increase in Pro levels in roots and leaves. However, there was a <3-fold increase in the accumulation of the tomPRO2 message and no detectable induction in the level of the tomPRO1 message in response to NaCl stress. Although pollen contained approximately 100-fold higher levels of Pro than other plant tissues, there was no detectable increase in the level of either message in pollen. We conclude that transcriptional regulation of these genes for P5CS is probably not important for the osmotic or pollen-specific regulation of Pro synthesis in tomato. Using restriction fragment-length polymorphism mapping, we determined the locations of tomPRO1 and tomPRO2 loci in the tomato nuclear genome. Sequence comparison suggested that tomPRO1 is similar to prokaryotic P5CS loci, whereas tomPRO2 is closely related to other eukaryotic P5CS genes. PMID:9765552

Minimum energy information fusion in sensor networks

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

Chapline, G

1999-05-11

In this paper we consider how to organize the sharing of information in a distributed network of sensors and data processors so as to provide explanations for sensor readings with minimal expenditure of energy. We point out that the Minimum Description Length principle provides an approach to information fusion that is more naturally suited to energy minimization than traditional Bayesian approaches. In addition we show that for networks consisting of a large number of identical sensors Kohonen self-organization provides an exact solution to the problem of combing the sensor outputs into minimal description length explanations.

Correlation of soft palate length with velum obstruction and severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

PubMed

Lim, Ju-Shin; Lee, Jae Woo; Han, Chun; Kwon, Jang-Woo

2018-06-01

Our aim in this study was to analyze whether soft palate length and velum obstruction during sleep are correlated and to determine the effects of related parameters on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) severity. We used computed tomography to measure soft palate length and drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) to evaluate velum obstruction severity. Patients also underwent polysomnography (PSG) for evaluation of OSAS severity. A retrospective cohort of 67 patients with OSAS treated between May 1st, 2013 and July 31st, 2016 was analyzed. Each patient underwent DISE, PSG, and computed tomography. Using DISE, velum obstruction was categorized by the VOTE classification method. Using computed tomography, soft palate length was measured as the length of the posterior nasal spine to the uvula. Correlations of velum obstruction in DISE and PSG parameters (obstructive apnea, hypopnea, apnea hypopnea index (AHI), respiratory effort related arousal (RERA), respiratory disturbance index (RDI), baseline SaO 2 , and minimum SaO 2 ) with soft palate length were also analyzed. Among the 67 patients, the average PNS-U length was 39.90±4.19mm. Length was significantly different by age but not by other demographic characteristics such as sex, past history, or BMI. DISE revealed a statistically significant difference of velum obstruction degree; the cutoff value for PNS-U was 39.47mm. The PSG results, obstructive apnea, AHI, RDI, baseline SaO 2 , and minimum SaO 2 were correlated with PNS-U length, while other results such as hypopnea and RERA showed no correlation. Analysis of soft palate length showed that increased PNS-U length was associated with higher rates of obstructive apnea, AHI, and RDI as assessed by PSG. In contrast, lower baseline SaO 2 and minimum SaO 2 values were seen by PSG; more severe velum obstruction was seen by DISE. We propose that when a soft palate is suspected in OSAS, computed tomography measurement of soft palate length is a valid method for estimating the degree of velum obstruction and the severity of OSAS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impact of maternity length-of-stay mandates on the labor market and insurance coverage.

PubMed

Sabik, Lindsay M; Laugesen, Miriam J

2012-01-01

To understand the effects of insurance regulation on the labor market and insurance coverage, this study uses a difference-in-difference-in-differences analysis to compare five states that passed minimum maternity length-of-stay laws with states that waited until after a federal law was passed. On average, we do not find statistically significant effects on labor market outcomes such as hours of work and wages. However, we find that employees of small firms in states with maternity length-of-stay mandates experienced a 6.2-percentage-point decline in the likelihood of having employer-sponsored insurance. Implementation of federal health reform that requires minimum benefit standards should consider the implications for firms of differing sizes.

Women’s Perceptions of Participation in an Extended Contact Text Message–Based Weight Loss Intervention: An Explorative Study

PubMed Central

Spark, Lauren C; Fjeldsoe, Brianna S; Eakin, Elizabeth G; Reeves, Marina M

2017-01-01

Background Extending contact with participants after the end of an initial weight loss intervention has been shown to lead to maintained weight loss and related behavioral change. Mobile phone text messaging (short message service, SMS) offers a low-cost and efficacious method to deliver extended contact. In this rapidly developing area, formative work is required to understand user perspectives of text message technology. An extended contact intervention delivered by text messages following an initial telephone-delivered weight loss intervention in breast cancer survivors provided this opportunity. Objective The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore women’s perceptions of participation in an extended contact intervention using text messaging to support long-term weight loss, physical activity, and dietary behavioral change. Methods Following the end of an initial 6-month randomized controlled trial of a telephone-delivered weight loss intervention (versus usual care), participants received a 6-month extended contact intervention via tailored text messages. Participant perceptions of the different types of text messages, the content, tailoring, timing, and frequency of the text messages, and the length of the intervention were assessed through semistructured interviews conducted after the extended contact intervention. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed with key themes identified. Results Participants (n=27) were a mean age of 56.0 years (SD 7.8) and mean body mass index of 30.4 kg/m2 (SD 4.2) and were at a mean of 16.1 months (SD 3.1) postdiagnosis at study baseline. Participants perceived the text messages to be useful behavioral prompts and felt the messages kept them accountable to their behavioral change goals. The individual tailoring of the text message content and schedules was a key to the acceptability of the messages; however, some women preferred the support and real-time discussion via telephone calls (during the initial intervention) compared with the text messages (during the extended contact intervention). Conclusions Text message support was perceived as acceptable for the majority of women as a way of extending intervention contact for weight loss and behavioral maintenance. Text messages supported the maintenance of healthy behaviors established in the intervention phase and kept the women accountable to their goals. A combination of telephone calls and text message support was suggested as a more acceptable option for some of the women for an extended contact intervention. PMID:28242595

The all-fiber cladding-pumped Yb-doped gain-switched laser.

PubMed

Larsen, C; Hansen, K P; Mattsson, K E; Bang, O

2014-01-27

Gain-switching is an alternative pulsing technique of fiber lasers, which is power scalable and has a low complexity. From a linear stability analysis of rate equations the relaxation oscillation period is derived and from it, the pulse duration is defined. Good agreement between the measured pulse duration and the theoretical prediction is found over a wide range of parameters. In particular we investigate the influence of an often present length of passive fiber in the cavity and show that it introduces a finite minimum in the achievable pulse duration. This minimum pulse duration is shown to occur at longer active fibers length with increased passive length of fiber in the cavity. The peak power is observed to depend linearly on the absorbed pump power and be independent of the passive fiber length. Given these conclusions, the pulse energy, duration, and peak power can be estimated with good precision.

Shortening the length of stay and mechanical ventilation time by using positive suggestions via MP3 players for ventilated patients.

PubMed

K Szilágyi, Adrienn; Diószeghy, Csaba; Fritúz, Gábor; Gál, János; Varga, Katalin

2014-03-01

Long stay in intensive care unit (ICU) and prolonged ventilation are deleterious for subsequent quality of life and surcharge financial capacity. We have already demonstrated the beneficial effects of using suggestive communication on recovery time during intensive care. The aim of our present study was to prove the same effects with standardized positive suggestive message delivered by an MP3 player. Patients ventilated in ICU were randomized into a control group receiving standard ICU treatment and two groups with a standardized pre-recorded material delivered via headphones: a suggestive message about safety, self-control, and recovery for the study group and a relaxing music for the music group. Groups were similar in terms of age, gender, and mortality, but the SAPS II scores were higher in the study group than that in the controls (57.8 ± 23.6 vs. 30.1 ± 15.5 and 33.7 ± 17.4). Our post-hoc analysis results showed that the length of ICU stay (134.2 ± 73.3 vs. 314.2 ± 178.4 h) and the time spent on ventilator (85.2 ± 34.9 vs. 232.0 ± 165.6 h) were significantly shorter in the study group compared to the unified control. The advantage of the structured positive suggestive message was proven against both music and control groups.

Shortening the length of stay and mechanical ventilation time by using positive suggestions via MP3 players for ventilated patients

PubMed Central

Diószeghy, Csaba; Fritúz, Gábor; Gál, János; Varga, Katalin

2014-01-01

Long stay in intensive care unit (ICU) and prolonged ventilation are deleterious for subsequent quality of life and surcharge financial capacity. We have already demonstrated the beneficial effects of using suggestive communication on recovery time during intensive care. The aim of our present study was to prove the same effects with standardized positive suggestive message delivered by an MP3 player. Patients ventilated in ICU were randomized into a control group receiving standard ICU treatment and two groups with a standardized pre-recorded material delivered via headphones: a suggestive message about safety, self-control, and recovery for the study group and a relaxing music for the music group. Groups were similar in terms of age, gender, and mortality, but the SAPS II scores were higher in the study group than that in the controls (57.8 ± 23.6 vs. 30.1 ± 15.5 and 33.7 ± 17.4). Our post-hoc analysis results showed that the length of ICU stay (134.2 ± 73.3 vs. 314.2 ± 178.4 h) and the time spent on ventilator (85.2 ± 34.9 vs. 232.0 ± 165.6 h) were significantly shorter in the study group compared to the unified control. The advantage of the structured positive suggestive message was proven against both music and control groups. PMID:24672669

Effects of cryptic mortality and the hidden costs of using length limits in fishery management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coggins, L.G.; Catalano, M.J.; Allen, M.S.; Pine, William E.; Walters, C.J.

2007-01-01

Fishery collapses cause substantial economic and ecological harm, but common management actions often fail to prevent overfishing. Minimum length limits are perhaps the most common fishing regulation used in both commercial and recreational fisheries, but their conservation benefits can be influenced by discard mortality of fish caught and released below the legal length. We constructed a computer model to evaluate how discard mortality could influence the conservation utility of minimum length regulations. We evaluated policy performance across two disparate fish life-history types: short-lived high-productivity (SLHP) and long-lived low-productivity (LLLP) species. For the life-history types, fishing mortality rates and minimum length limits that we examined, length limits alone generally failed to achieve sustainability when discard mortality rate exceeded about 0.2 for SLHP species and 0.05 for LLLP species. At these levels of discard mortality, reductions in overall fishing mortality (e.g. lower fishing effort) were required to prevent recruitment overfishing if fishing mortality was high. Similarly, relatively low discard mortality rates (>0.05) rendered maximum yield unobtainable and caused a substantial shift in the shape of the yield response surfaces. An analysis of fishery efficiency showed that length limits caused the simulated fisheries to be much less efficient, potentially exposing the target species and ecosystem to increased negative effects of the fishing process. Our findings suggest that for overexploited fisheries with moderate-to-high discard mortality rates, reductions in fishing mortality will be required to meet management goals. Resource managers should carefully consider impacts of cryptic mortality sources (e.g. discard mortality) on fishery sustainability, especially in recreational fisheries where release rates are high and effort is increasing in many areas of the world. ?? 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Progress in second-generation HTS wire development and manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selvamanickam, V.; Chen, Y.; Xiong, X.; Xie, Y.; Zhang, X.; Rar, A.; Martchevskii, M.; Schmidt, R.; Lenseth, K.; Herrin, J.

2008-09-01

2007 has marked yet another year of continued rapid progress in developing and manufacturing high-performance, long-length second-generation (2G) HTS wires at high speeds. Using ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) MgO and associated buffer sputtering processes, SuperPower has now exceeded piece lengths of 1000 m of fully buffered tape reproducibly with excellent in-plane texture of 6-7 degrees and uniformity of about 2%. These kilometer lengths are produced at high speeds of about 350 m/h of 4 mm wide tape. In combination with metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), 2G wires up to single piece lengths to 790 m with a minimum critical current value of 190 A/cm corresponding to a Critical current × Length performance of 150,100 Am have been achieved. Tape speeds up to 180 m/h have been reached MOCVD while maintaining critical currents above 200 A/cm in 100+ m lengths. Thick film MOCVD technology has been transitioned to Pilot manufacturing system where a minimum critical current of 320 A/cm has been demonstrated over a length of 155 m processed at a speed of 70 m/h in 4 mm width. Finally, nearly 10,000 m of 2G wire has been produced, exhaustively tested, and delivered to the Albany Cable project. The average minimum critical current of the wire delivered in 225 segments of 43-44 m is 70 A in 4 mm widths. A 30 m cable has been fabricated with this wire by Sumitomo Electric and has been installed in the power grid of National Grid in downtown Albany and is the world’s first 2G device installed in the grid.

Belief propagation decoding of quantum channels by passing quantum messages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renes, Joseph M.

2017-07-01

The belief propagation (BP) algorithm is a powerful tool in a wide range of disciplines from statistical physics to machine learning to computational biology, and is ubiquitous in decoding classical error-correcting codes. The algorithm works by passing messages between nodes of the factor graph associated with the code and enables efficient decoding of the channel, in some cases even up to the Shannon capacity. Here we construct the first BP algorithm which passes quantum messages on the factor graph and is capable of decoding the classical-quantum channel with pure state outputs. This gives explicit decoding circuits whose number of gates is quadratic in the code length. We also show that this decoder can be modified to work with polar codes for the pure state channel and as part of a decoder for transmitting quantum information over the amplitude damping channel. These represent the first explicit capacity-achieving decoders for non-Pauli channels.

Comprehension of Navigation Directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, Vivian I.; Healy, Alice F.

2000-01-01

In an experiment simulating communication between air traffic controllers and pilots, subjects were given navigation instructions varying in length telling them to move in a space represented by grids on a computer screen. The subjects followed the instructions by clicking on the grids in the locations specified. Half of the subjects read the instructions, and half heard them. Half of the subjects in each modality condition repeated back the instructions before following them,and half did not. Performance was worse for the visual than for the auditory modality on the longer messages. Repetition of the instructions generally depressed performance, especially with the longer messages, which required more output than did the shorter messages, and especially with the visual modality, in which phonological recoding from the visual input to the spoken output was necessary. These results are explained in terms of the degrading effects of output interference on memory for instructions.

Spread spectrum image steganography.

PubMed

Marvel, L M; Boncelet, C R; Retter, C T

1999-01-01

In this paper, we present a new method of digital steganography, entitled spread spectrum image steganography (SSIS). Steganography, which means "covered writing" in Greek, is the science of communicating in a hidden manner. Following a discussion of steganographic communication theory and review of existing techniques, the new method, SSIS, is introduced. This system hides and recovers a message of substantial length within digital imagery while maintaining the original image size and dynamic range. The hidden message can be recovered using appropriate keys without any knowledge of the original image. Image restoration, error-control coding, and techniques similar to spread spectrum are described, and the performance of the system is illustrated. A message embedded by this method can be in the form of text, imagery, or any other digital signal. Applications for such a data-hiding scheme include in-band captioning, covert communication, image tamperproofing, authentication, embedded control, and revision tracking.

A bill to clarify the health care provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs that constitutes minimum essential coverage.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Sen. Akaka, Daniel K. [D-HI

2010-03-24

Senate - 09/23/2010 Message received in the Senate: Returned to the Senate pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 1653. (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see H.R.5014, which became Public Law 111-173 on 5/27/2010. Tracker: This bill has the status Passed SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Sub-Saharan Africa Report, No. 2817.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-07-06

between the two countries. During his visit to Montevideo, he will deliver a personal message from the head of state, El Hadj Omar Bongo , to his...inception. The spokesman said that unless (Khaketla) could manage to attract the minimum affection from the people of Lesotho he would never have the...socialist countries would affect religion adversely. [Text] [MB180718 Maseru Domestic Service in English 0500 GMT 18 Jun 83] JONATHAN TOUR—The

Characterizing MPI matching via trace-based simulation

DOE PAGES

Ferreira, Kurt Brian; Levy, Scott Larson Nicoll; Pedretti, Kevin; ...

2017-01-01

With the increased scale expected on future leadership-class systems, detailed information about the resource usage and performance of MPI message matching provides important insights into how to maintain application performance on next-generation systems. However, obtaining MPI message matching performance data is often not possible without significant effort. A common approach is to instrument an MPI implementation to collect relevant statistics. While this approach can provide important data, collecting matching data at runtime perturbs the application's execution, including its matching performance, and is highly dependent on the MPI library's matchlist implementation. In this paper, we introduce a trace-based simulation approach tomore » obtain detailed MPI message matching performance data for MPI applications without perturbing their execution. Using a number of key parallel workloads, we demonstrate that this simulator approach can rapidly and accurately characterize matching behavior. Specifically, we use our simulator to collect several important statistics about the operation of the MPI posted and unexpected queues. For example, we present data about search lengths and the duration that messages spend in the queues waiting to be matched. Here, data gathered using this simulation-based approach have significant potential to aid hardware designers in determining resource allocation for MPI matching functions and provide application and middleware developers with insight into the scalability issues associated with MPI message matching.« less

How did policy actors use mass media to influence the Scottish alcohol minimum unit pricing debate? Comparative analysis of newspapers, evidence submissions and interviews

PubMed Central

Hilton, Shona

2015-01-01

Aims: To explore how policy actors attempted to deliberately frame public debate around alcohol minimum unit pricing (MUP) in the UK by comparing and contrasting their constructions of the policy in public (newspapers), semi-public (evidence submissions) and private (interviews). Methods: Content analysis was conducted on articles published in ten national newspapers between 1 January 2005 and 30 June 2012. Newsprint data were contrasted with alcohol policy documents, evidence submissions to the Scottish Parliament's Health and Sport Committee and 36 confidential interviews with policy stakeholders (academics, advocates, industry representatives, politicians and civil servants). Findings: A range of policy actors exerted influence both directly (through Parliamentary institutions and political representatives) and indirectly through the mass media. Policy actors were acutely aware of mass media's importance in shaping public opinion and used it tactically to influence policy. They often framed messages in subtly different ways, depending on target audiences. In general, newspapers presented the policy debate in a “balanced” way, but this arguably over-represented hostile perspective and suggested greater disagreement around the evidence base than is the case. Conclusions: The roles of policy actors vary between public and policy spheres, and how messages are communicated in policy debates depends on perceived strategic advantage. PMID:26045639

Time optimal paths for high speed maneuvering

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

Reister, D.B.; Lenhart, S.M.

1993-01-01

Recent theoretical results have completely solved the problem of determining the minimum length path for a vehicle with a minimum turning radius moving from an initial configuration to a final configuration. Time optimal paths for a constant speed vehicle are a subset of the minimum length paths. This paper uses the Pontryagin maximum principle to find time optimal paths for a constant speed vehicle. The time optimal paths consist of sequences of axes of circles and straight lines. The maximum principle introduces concepts (dual variables, bang-bang solutions, singular solutions, and transversality conditions) that provide important insight into the nature ofmore » the time optimal paths. We explore the properties of the optimal paths and present some experimental results for a mobile robot following an optimal path.« less

30 CFR 1206.151 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... interests regarding that contract. To be considered arm's length for any production month, a contract must.... Gathering means the movement of lease production to a central accumulation and/or treatment point on the... the lessee's production and to market that production. Minimum royalty means that minimum amount of...

30 CFR 1206.151 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... interests regarding that contract. To be considered arm's length for any production month, a contract must.... Gathering means the movement of lease production to a central accumulation and/or treatment point on the... the lessee's production and to market that production. Minimum royalty means that minimum amount of...

30 CFR 206.151 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... interests regarding that contract. To be considered arm's length for any production month, a contract must.... Gathering means the movement of lease production to a central accumulation and/or treatment point on the... the lessee's production and to market that production. Minimum royalty means that minimum amount of...

Implications of Extended Solar Minima

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Mitzi L.; Davis, J. M.

2009-01-01

Since the discovery of periodicity in the solar cycle, the historical record of sunspot number has been carefully examined, attempting to make predictions about the next cycle. Much emphasis has been on predicting the maximum amplitude and length of the next cycle. Because current space-based and suborbital instruments are designed to study active phenomena, there is considerable interest in estimating the length and depth of the current minimum. We have developed criteria for the definition of a minimum and applied it to the historical sunspot record starting in 1749. In doing so, we find that 1) the current minimum is not yet unusually long and 2) there is no obvious way of predicting when, using our definition, the current minimum may end. However, by grouping the data into 22- year cycles there is an interesting pattern of extended minima that recurs every fourth or fifth 22-year cycle. A preliminary comparison of this pattern with other records, suggests the possibility of a correlation between extended minima and lower levels of solar irradiance.

On the Importance of Cycle Minimum in Sunspot Cycle Prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.; Hathaway, David H.; Reichmann, Edwin J.

1996-01-01

The characteristics of the minima between sunspot cycles are found to provide important information for predicting the amplitude and timing of the following cycle. For example, the time of the occurrence of sunspot minimum sets the length of the previous cycle, which is correlated by the amplitude-period effect to the amplitude of the next cycle, with cycles of shorter (longer) than average length usually being followed by cycles of larger (smaller) than average size (true for 16 of 21 sunspot cycles). Likewise, the size of the minimum at cycle onset is correlated with the size of the cycle's maximum amplitude, with cycles of larger (smaller) than average size minima usually being associated with larger (smaller) than average size maxima (true for 16 of 22 sunspot cycles). Also, it was found that the size of the previous cycle's minimum and maximum relates to the size of the following cycle's minimum and maximum with an even-odd cycle number dependency. The latter effect suggests that cycle 23 will have a minimum and maximum amplitude probably larger than average in size (in particular, minimum smoothed sunspot number Rm = 12.3 +/- 7.5 and maximum smoothed sunspot number RM = 198.8 +/- 36.5, at the 95-percent level of confidence), further suggesting (by the Waldmeier effect) that it will have a faster than average rise to maximum (fast-rising cycles have ascent durations of about 41 +/- 7 months). Thus, if, as expected, onset for cycle 23 will be December 1996 +/- 3 months, based on smoothed sunspot number, then the length of cycle 22 will be about 123 +/- 3 months, inferring that it is a short-period cycle and that cycle 23 maximum amplitude probably will be larger than average in size (from the amplitude-period effect), having an RM of about 133 +/- 39 (based on the usual +/- 30 percent spread that has been seen between observed and predicted values), with maximum amplitude occurrence likely sometime between July 1999 and October 2000.

Scores on Riley's stuttering severity instrument versions three and four for samples of different length and for different types of speech material.

PubMed

Todd, Helena; Mirawdeli, Avin; Costelloe, Sarah; Cavenagh, Penny; Davis, Stephen; Howell, Peter

2014-12-01

Riley stated that the minimum speech sample length necessary to compute his stuttering severity estimates was 200 syllables. This was investigated. Procedures supplied for the assessment of readers and non-readers were examined to see whether they give equivalent scores. Recordings of spontaneous speech samples from 23 young children (aged between 2 years 8 months and 6 years 3 months) and 31 older children (aged between 10 years 0 months and 14 years 7 months) were made. Riley's severity estimates were scored on extracts of different lengths. The older children provided spontaneous and read samples, which were scored for severity according to reader and non-reader procedures. Analysis of variance supported the use of 200-syllable-long samples as the minimum necessary for obtaining severity scores. There was no significant difference in SSI-3 scores for the older children when the reader and non-reader procedures were used. Samples that are 200-syllables long are the minimum that is appropriate for obtaining stable Riley's severity scores. The procedural variants provide similar severity scores.

Correlations of catalytic combustor performance parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bulzan, D. L.

1978-01-01

Correlations for combustion efficiency percentage drop and the minimum required adiabatic reaction temperature necessary to meet emissions goals of 13.6 g CO/kg fuel and 1.64 g HC/kg fuel are presented. Combustion efficiency was found to be a function of the cell density, cell circumference, reactor length, reference velocity, and adiabatic reaction temperature. The percentage pressure drop at an adiabatic reaction temperature of 1450 K was found to be proportional to the reference velocity to the 1.5 power and to the reactor length. It is inversely proportional to the pressure, cell hydraulic diameter, and fractional open area. The minimum required adiabatic reaction temperature was found to increase with reference velocity and decrease with cell circumference, cell density and reactor length. A catalyst factor was introduced into the correlations to account for differences between catalysts. Combustion efficiency, the percentage pressure drop, and the minimum required adiabatic reaction temperature were found to be a function of the catalyst factor. The data was from a 12 cm-diameter test rig with noble metal reactors using propane fuel at an inlet temperature of 800 K.

Using Storytelling to Address Oral Health Knowledge in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

PubMed

Heaton, Brenda; Gebel, Christina; Crawford, Andrew; Barker, Judith C; Henshaw, Michelle; Garcia, Raul I; Riedy, Christine; Wimsatt, Maureen A

2018-05-24

We conducted a qualitative analysis to evaluate the acceptability of using storytelling as a way to communicate oral health messages regarding early childhood caries (ECC) prevention in the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population. A traditional story was developed and pilot tested among AIAN mothers residing in 3 tribal locations in northern California. Evaluations of the story content and acceptability followed a multistep process consisting of initial feedback from 4 key informants, a focus group of 7 AIAN mothers, and feedback from the Community Advisory Board. Upon story approval, 9 additional focus group sessions (N = 53 participants) were held with AIAN mothers following an oral telling of the story. Participants reported that the story was culturally appropriate and used relatable characters. Messages about oral health were considered to be valuable. Concerns arose about the oral-only delivery of the story, story content, length, story messages that conflicted with normative community values, and the intent to target audiences. Feedback by focus group participants raised some doubts about the relevance and frequency of storytelling in AIAN communities today. AIAN communities value the need for oral health messaging for community members. However, the acceptability of storytelling as a method for the messaging raises concerns, because the influence of modern technology and digital communications may weaken the acceptability of the oral tradition. Careful attention must be made to the delivery mode, content, and targeting with continual iterative feedback from community members to make these messages engaging, appropriate, relatable, and inclusive.

The Outcome of ATC Message Length and Complexity on En Route Pilot Readback Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

ngs.as.ordnal.data.produced.α=. . 945 ,.ndcatng.hgh. nter-coder.agreement . sector Descriptions Chicago ARTCC. The.transcrptons.are.of.plot/con...12 were.categorzed.accordng.to.three.types.of.errors:.Er- rors . of. omsson. only. (67 .4%),. Readback. errors. only. (0 .9

Statistical inference of protein structural alignments using information and compression.

PubMed

Collier, James H; Allison, Lloyd; Lesk, Arthur M; Stuckey, Peter J; Garcia de la Banda, Maria; Konagurthu, Arun S

2017-04-01

Structural molecular biology depends crucially on computational techniques that compare protein three-dimensional structures and generate structural alignments (the assignment of one-to-one correspondences between subsets of amino acids based on atomic coordinates). Despite its importance, the structural alignment problem has not been formulated, much less solved, in a consistent and reliable way. To overcome these difficulties, we present here a statistical framework for the precise inference of structural alignments, built on the Bayesian and information-theoretic principle of Minimum Message Length (MML). The quality of any alignment is measured by its explanatory power-the amount of lossless compression achieved to explain the protein coordinates using that alignment. We have implemented this approach in MMLigner , the first program able to infer statistically significant structural alignments. We also demonstrate the reliability of MMLigner 's alignment results when compared with the state of the art. Importantly, MMLigner can also discover different structural alignments of comparable quality, a challenging problem for oligomers and protein complexes. Source code, binaries and an interactive web version are available at http://lcb.infotech.monash.edu.au/mmligner . arun.konagurthu@monash.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Using the Vape Shop Standardized Tobacco Assessment for Retail Settings (V-STARS) to Assess Product Availability, Price Promotions, and Messaging in New Hampshire Vape Shop Retailers

PubMed Central

Kong, Amanda Y.; Eaddy, Jessica L.; Morrison, Susan L.; Asbury, Donna; Lindell, Kristine M.; Ribisl, Kurt M.

2017-01-01

Objectives This is the first statewide census of the product availability, price promotions, and product messaging of vape shops. Methods A comprehensive list of New Hampshire vape shops was developed through a previously validated online search method. Store audits were conducted in 55 stores between January and February 2016 using the Vape Shop Standardized Tobacco Assessment for Retail Settings (V-STARS). Results Modifiable devices and cig-alikes were sold in 92.6% and 14.6% of stores, respectively. Cross-product promotions with tobacco products were rare, and messaging promoting e-cigarettes as effective cessation devices was found in 27.3% of all stores. Candy/fruit and menthol e-liquids were most commonly found in stores, and sampling of products was available in 83.6% of stores. Ten (18.2%) stores did not have a minimum age sign posted, and self-service sampling displays were available in about one-fifth of stores. Conclusions Using V-STARS to conduct retail assessments of vape shops is feasible and is important for assessing the changing retail environment of vape shops. Vape shops distinguish themselves from traditional tobacco product retailers and offer a variety of products to customize a consumer’s experience. Regulations and effective enforcement ensuring accurate health messages is essential. PMID:29201950

Providing Focus via a Social Media Exploitation Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

networking sites, video/photo sharing websites, forums, message boards, blogs and user -generated content in general as a way to determine the volume...that are constantly being updated by users around the world provide an excellent near-real time sensor. This sensor can be used to alert analysts...using the platform is to mine the profiles provided by the various platforms. At a minimum, users require a username, but there is usually a large

Investigating Hastily-Formed Collaborative Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-01

support a minimum range of 250 meters since this is the minimum required length of a fire hose . • Jurisdiction Area Network (JAN): This is the main...but typical braided one-half inch polypropylene rope weighs less than two pounds per one hundred 4-19 feet and has tensile strengths greater than two

46 CFR 164.023-13 - Production tests and inspections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Constant Rate of Traverse tensile testing machine, capable of initial clamp separation of ten inches and a... the acceptance testing values but not less than the performance minimums. (2) Length/weight values must be within 5 percent of the acceptance testing values but not less than the performance minimums...

Apparatus and method for classifying fuel pellets for nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Wilks, Robert S.; Sternheim, Eliezer; Breakey, Gerald A.; Sturges, Jr., Robert H.; Taleff, Alexander; Castner, Raymond P.

1984-01-01

Control for the operation of a mechanical handling and gauging system for nuclear fuel pellets. The pellets are inspected for diameters, lengths, surface flaws and weights in successive stations. The control includes, a computer for commanding the operation of the system and its electronics and for storing and processing the complex data derived at the required high rate. In measuring the diameter, the computer enables the measurement of a calibration pellet, stores that calibration data and computes and stores diameter-correction factors and their addresses along a pellet. To each diameter measurement a correction factor is applied at the appropriate address. The computer commands verification that all critical parts of the system and control are set for inspection and that each pellet is positioned for inspection. During each cycle of inspection, the measurement operation proceeds normally irrespective of whether or not a pellet is present in each station. If a pellet is not positioned in a station, a measurement is recorded, but the recorded measurement indicates maloperation. In measuring diameter and length a light pattern including successive shadows of slices transverse for diameter or longitudinal for length are projected on a photodiode array. The light pattern is scanned electronically by a train of pulses. The pulses are counted during the scan of the lighted diodes. For evaluation of diameter the maximum diameter count and the number of slices for which the diameter exceeds a predetermined minimum is determined. For acceptance, the maximum must be less than a maximum level and the minimum must exceed a set number. For evaluation of length, the maximum length is determined. For acceptance, the length must be within maximum and minimum limits.

Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Flying-Boat Hull Having a Length-Beam Ratio of 15, TED No. NACA 2206

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riebe, John M.; Naeseth, Rodger L.

1951-01-01

An investigation was made in the Langley 300 MPH 7- by 10-foot tunnel to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of a flying-boat hull of a length-beam ratio of 15 in the presence of a wing. The investigation was an extension of previous tests made on hulls of length-beam ratios of 6, 9, and 12; these hulls were designed to have approximately the same hydrodynamic performance with respect to spray and resistance characteristics. Comparison with the previous investigation at lower length-beam ratios indicated a reduction in minimum drag coefficients of 0.0006 (10 peroent)with fixed transition when the length-beam ratio was extended from 12 to 15. As with the hulls of lower length-beam ratio, the drag reduction with a length-beam ratio of 15 occurred throughout the range of angle of attack tested and the angle of attack for minimum drag was in the range from 2deg to 3deg. Increasing the length-beam ratio from 12 to 15 reduced the hull longitudinal instability by an mount corresponding to an aerodynamic-center shift of about 1/2 percent of the mean aerodynamic chord of the hypothetical flying boat. At an angle of attack of 2deg, the value of the variation of yawing-moment coefficient with angle of yaw for a length-beam ratio of 15 was 0.00144, which was 0.00007 larger than the value for a length-beam ratio of 12.

Collaboration in Controller-Pilot Communication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrow, Daniel; Lebacqz, J. Victor (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

Like other forms of dialogue, air traffic control (ATC) communication is an act of collaboration between two or more people. Collaboration progresses more or less smoothly depending on speaker and listener strategies. For example, we have found that the way controllers organize and deliver messages influences how easily pilots understand these messages, which in turn determines how much time and effort is needed to successfully complete the transaction. In this talk, I will introduce a collaborative framework for investigating controller-pilot communication and then describe a set of studies that investigate ATC communication from two complementary directions. First, we focused on the impact of ATC message factors (e.g., length, speech rate) on the cognitive processes involved in ATC: communication. Second, we examined pilot factors that influence the amount of cognitive resources available for these communication processes. These studies also illustrate how the collaborate framework can help analyze the impact of proposed visual data link systems on ATC communication. Examining the joint effects of communication medium, message factors, and pilot/controller factors on performance should help improve air safety and communication efficiency. Increased efficiency is important for meeting the growing demands on the National Air System.

Patterns of Engagement With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Online Support Groups: Comparing Posters and Lurkers.

PubMed

Coulson, Neil

2015-01-01

Little is known about the varying patterns of member engagement within inflammatory bowel disease online support groups. The aim of the study was, therefore, to compare posters and lurkers (i.e., those who read messages but choose not to post) in terms of engagement and motives for accessing online groups as well as to explore reasons why lurkers do not make an active contribution through posting messages. The findings revealed that those who posted messages visited groups more often and spent longer periods of time accessing them. However, there was no difference between posters and lurkers in terms of length of time as a group member. Furthermore, posters were more inclined to access online support groups to both seek and provide emotional, informational, and experiential support. Finally, four main reasons were described by lurkers for not posting messages and these focused on personal factors, illness severity, being helpful, and new member. For those healthcare professionals or patient volunteers who are involved in supporting inflammatory bowel disease online support groups, there are a number of practical strategies arising from these results which can be implemented to help integrate and encourage active participation by all members.

Acoustic evaluation of loblolly pine tree- and lumber-length logs allows for segregation of lumber modulus of elasticity, not for modulus of rupture

Treesearch

Mark Alexander Butler; Joseph Dahlen; Thomas L. Eberhardt; Cristian Montes; Finto Antony; Richard F. Daniels

2017-01-01

Key message Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) logs can be evaluated using acoustic velocity whereby threshold acoustic velocity values can be set to ensure lumber meets specified mechanical property design values for modulus of elasticity. Context...

UNIX NSW Front End Enhancements. Volume I.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

scenario number */ int pi pcod ; /* value of us pcod in US entry */ int pi-mlen; /* length of following message */1; In both structures, the fields are...inst; /* cqde for kind of info stored -- is ipptr->ipinst */ int tb_pcod; /* value of us_pcod for this buffer */1; It is necessary to store tb pcod in

Books that Made a Difference (and Still Do)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Administrator, 2009

2009-01-01

At a time when traditional forms of print media are surrendering to electronic transmission, the full-length hardcover/softcover book still finds its way onto the reading lists of the nation's top-level education administrators. This article presents nine reflections by education leaders on a book whose message continues to resonate: John L. Barry…

Context in Text: The Development of Oral and Written Language in Two Genres.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellegrini, A. D.; And Others

1984-01-01

Tests Halliday's model of context/text relationships and how these relationships vary for 71 children in first, second, and third grades. Children produced oral and written messages about a circus in narrative and persuasive genres. Texts were analyzed for elements of linguistic cohesion and length of clausal themes. (Author/CB)

Dynamically-allocated multi-queue buffers for VLSI communication switches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tamir, Yuval; Frazier, Gregory L.

1992-01-01

Several buffer structures are discussed and compared in terms of implementation complexity, interswitch handshaking requirements, and their ability to deal with variations in traffic patterns and message lengths. A new design of buffers is presented that provide non-FIFO message handling and efficient storage allocation for variable size packets using linked lists managed by a simple on-chip controller. The new buffer design is evaluated by comparing it to several alternative designs in the context of a multistage interconnection network. The present modeling and simulations show that the new buffer outperforms alternative buffers and can thus be used to improve the performance of a wide variety of systems currently using less efficient buffers.

Effects of consumption-oriented versus trophy-oriented fisheries on Muskellunge population size structure in northern Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faust, Matthew D.; Hansen, Michael J.

2016-01-01

To determine whether a consumption-oriented fishery was compatible with a trophy-oriented fishery for Muskellunge Esox masquinongy, we modeled effects of a spearing fishery and recreational angling fishery on population size structure (i.e., numbers of fish ≥ 102, 114, and 127 cm) in northern Wisconsin. An individual-based simulation model was used to quantify the effect of harvest mortality at currently observed levels of recreational angling and tribal spearing fishery exploitation, along with simulated increases in exploitation, for three typical growth potentials (i.e., low, moderate, and high) of Muskellunge in northern Wisconsin across a variety of minimum length limits (i.e., 71, 102, 114, and 127 cm). Populations with moderate to high growth potential and minimum length limits ≥ 114 cm were predicted to have lower declines in numbers of trophy Muskellunge when subjected to angling-only and mixed fisheries at observed and increased levels of exploitation, which suggested that fisheries with disparate motivations may be able to coexist under certain conditions such as restrictive length limits and low levels of exploitation. However, for most Muskellunge populations in northern Wisconsin regulated by a 102-cm minimum length limit, both angling and spearing fisheries may reduce numbers of trophy Muskellunge as larger declines were predicted across all growth potentials. Our results may be useful if Muskellunge management options in northern Wisconsin are re-examined in the future.

Using Storytelling to Address Oral Health Knowledge in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities

PubMed Central

Gebel, Christina; Crawford, Andrew; Barker, Judith C.; Henshaw, Michelle; Garcia, Raul I.; Riedy, Christine; Wimsatt, Maureen A.

2018-01-01

Introduction We conducted a qualitative analysis to evaluate the acceptability of using storytelling as a way to communicate oral health messages regarding early childhood caries (ECC) prevention in the American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) population. Methods A traditional story was developed and pilot tested among AIAN mothers residing in 3 tribal locations in northern California. Evaluations of the story content and acceptability followed a multistep process consisting of initial feedback from 4 key informants, a focus group of 7 AIAN mothers, and feedback from the Community Advisory Board. Upon story approval, 9 additional focus group sessions (N = 53 participants) were held with AIAN mothers following an oral telling of the story. Results Participants reported that the story was culturally appropriate and used relatable characters. Messages about oral health were considered to be valuable. Concerns arose about the oral-only delivery of the story, story content, length, story messages that conflicted with normative community values, and the intent to target audiences. Feedback by focus group participants raised some doubts about the relevance and frequency of storytelling in AIAN communities today. Conclusion AIAN communities value the need for oral health messaging for community members. However, the acceptability of storytelling as a method for the messaging raises concerns, because the influence of modern technology and digital communications may weaken the acceptability of the oral tradition. Careful attention must be made to the delivery mode, content, and targeting with continual iterative feedback from community members to make these messages engaging, appropriate, relatable, and inclusive. PMID:29806581

What you do every day matters: A new direction for health promotion.

PubMed

Gewurtz, Rebecca E; Moll, Sandra E; Letts, Lori J; Larivière, Nadine; Levasseur, Mélanie; Krupa, Terry M

2016-08-15

Canadian health promotion campaigns directed towards healthy living have traditionally emphasized discrete behaviours that influence health and wellbeing, such as diet, physical activity and smoking. Although this traditional approach is important and supported by evidence, it does not account for broader determinants of health. The purpose of this commentary is to propose an innovative health promotion approach that expands the healthy living discourse through a focus on patterns of daily activity. We highlight four key public health messages derived from a synthesis of existing research evidence. The messages are based on the premise that what you do every day has an important impact on health and well-being. Rather than being prescriptive or outlining minimum requirements, this approach invites reflection on various experiences and activity patterns that shape the health and well-being of individuals and communities. This broader and more inclusive approach to healthy living reflects diverse needs and experiences, making it relevant and attainable for people of all ages and abilities. Future efforts directed at operationalizing the key messages for individuals and communities hold much promise for populations that may be at risk of activity patterns believed to contribute to poor health and well-being.

Association of Day Length and Weather Conditions with Physical Activity Levels in Older Community Dwelling People

PubMed Central

Witham, Miles D.; Donnan, Peter T.; Vadiveloo, Thenmalar; Sniehotta, Falko F.; Crombie, Iain K.; Feng, Zhiqiang; McMurdo, Marion E. T.

2014-01-01

Background Weather is a potentially important determinant of physical activity. Little work has been done examining the relationship between weather and physical activity, and potential modifiers of any relationship in older people. We therefore examined the relationship between weather and physical activity in a cohort of older community-dwelling people. Methods We analysed prospectively collected cross-sectional activity data from community-dwelling people aged 65 and over in the Physical Activity Cohort Scotland. We correlated seven day triaxial accelerometry data with daily weather data (temperature, day length, sunshine, snow, rain), and a series of potential effect modifiers were tested in mixed models: environmental variables (urban vs rural dwelling, percentage of green space), psychological variables (anxiety, depression, perceived behavioural control), social variables (number of close contacts) and health status measured using the SF-36 questionnaire. Results 547 participants, mean age 78.5 years, were included in this analysis. Higher minimum daily temperature and longer day length were associated with higher activity levels; these associations remained robust to adjustment for other significant associates of activity: age, perceived behavioural control, number of social contacts and physical function. Of the potential effect modifier variables, only urban vs rural dwelling and the SF-36 measure of social functioning enhanced the association between day length and activity; no variable modified the association between minimum temperature and activity. Conclusions In older community dwelling people, minimum temperature and day length were associated with objectively measured activity. There was little evidence for moderation of these associations through potentially modifiable health, environmental, social or psychological variables. PMID:24497925

Association of day length and weather conditions with physical activity levels in older community dwelling people.

PubMed

Witham, Miles D; Donnan, Peter T; Vadiveloo, Thenmalar; Sniehotta, Falko F; Crombie, Iain K; Feng, Zhiqiang; McMurdo, Marion E T

2014-01-01

Weather is a potentially important determinant of physical activity. Little work has been done examining the relationship between weather and physical activity, and potential modifiers of any relationship in older people. We therefore examined the relationship between weather and physical activity in a cohort of older community-dwelling people. We analysed prospectively collected cross-sectional activity data from community-dwelling people aged 65 and over in the Physical Activity Cohort Scotland. We correlated seven day triaxial accelerometry data with daily weather data (temperature, day length, sunshine, snow, rain), and a series of potential effect modifiers were tested in mixed models: environmental variables (urban vs rural dwelling, percentage of green space), psychological variables (anxiety, depression, perceived behavioural control), social variables (number of close contacts) and health status measured using the SF-36 questionnaire. 547 participants, mean age 78.5 years, were included in this analysis. Higher minimum daily temperature and longer day length were associated with higher activity levels; these associations remained robust to adjustment for other significant associates of activity: age, perceived behavioural control, number of social contacts and physical function. Of the potential effect modifier variables, only urban vs rural dwelling and the SF-36 measure of social functioning enhanced the association between day length and activity; no variable modified the association between minimum temperature and activity. In older community dwelling people, minimum temperature and day length were associated with objectively measured activity. There was little evidence for moderation of these associations through potentially modifiable health, environmental, social or psychological variables.

The Minimum Effective Dose of Lidocaine Needed to Block Evoked Potentials in the Sciatic Nerve of the Rat

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-10-01

which include the sciatic nerve, will be described. Gilman and Newman (1996) describe the PNS in their book, Manter and Gatz’s Essentials of Clinical ...Neural Blockade in Clinical Anesthesia and Management of Pain. He wrote that sensory and motor messages are transported along a nerve in the form of an...different groups of local anesthetics, the esters (procaine, chloroprocaine, tetracaine) and the amides (lidocaine, mepivacaine, bupivacaine , etidocaine

Modelling of information diffusion on social networks with applications to WeChat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Liang; Qu, Bo; Chen, Bin; Hanjalic, Alan; Wang, Huijuan

2018-04-01

Traces of user activities recorded in online social networks open new possibilities to systematically understand the information diffusion process on social networks. From the online social network WeChat, we collected a large number of information cascade trees, each of which tells the spreading trajectory of a message/information such as which user creates the information and which users view or forward the information shared by which neighbours. In this work, we propose two heterogeneous non-linear models, one for the topologies of the information cascade trees and the other for the stochastic process of information diffusion on a social network. Both models are validated by the WeChat data in reproducing and explaining key features of cascade trees. Specifically, we apply the Random Recursive Tree (RRT) to model the growth of cascade trees. The RRT model could capture key features, i.e. the average path length and degree variance of a cascade tree in relation to the number of nodes (size) of the tree. Its single identified parameter quantifies the relative depth or broadness of the cascade trees and indicates that information propagates via a star-like broadcasting or viral-like hop by hop spreading. The RRT model explains the appearance of hubs, thus a possibly smaller average path length as the cascade size increases, as observed in WeChat. We further propose the stochastic Susceptible View Forward Removed (SVFR) model to depict the dynamic user behaviour including creating, viewing, forwarding and ignoring a message on a given social network. Beside the average path length and degree variance of the cascade trees in relation to their sizes, the SVFR model could further explain the power-law cascade size distribution in WeChat and unravel that a user with a large number of friends may actually have a smaller probability to read a message (s)he receives due to limited attention.

An Adaptive Pheromone Updation of the Ant-System using LMS Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, Abhishek; Mukhopadhyay, Sumitra

2010-10-01

We propose a modified model of pheromone updation for Ant-System, entitled as Adaptive Ant System (AAS), using the properties of basic Adaptive Filters. Here, we have exploited the properties of Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm for the pheromone updation to find out the best minimum tour for the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP). TSP library has been used for the selection of benchmark problem and the proposed AAS determines the minimum tour length for the problems containing large number of cities. Our algorithm shows effective results and gives least tour length in most of the cases as compared to other existing approaches.

Supersonic minimum length nozzle design for dense gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aldo, Andrew C.; Argrow, Brian M.

1993-01-01

Recently, dense gases have been investigated for many engineering applications such as for turbomachinery and wind tunnels. Supersonic nozzle design for these gases is complicated by their nonclassical behavior in the transonic flow regime. In this paper a method of characteristics (MOC) is developed for two-dimensional (planar) and, primarily, axisymmetric flow of a van der Waals gas. Using a straight aortic line assumption, a centered expansion is used to generate an inviscid wall contour of minimum length. The van der Waals results are compared to previous perfect gas results to show the real gas effects on the flow properties and inviscid wall contours.

Biology of larval sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) of the 1960 year class, isolated in the Big Garlic River, Michigan, 1960-65

USGS Publications Warehouse

Manion, Patrick J.; McLain, Alberton L.

1971-01-01

The capture of four recently metamorphosed sea lampreys (two males and two females), 152-172 mm long, in the fall of 1965, established the minimum age at transformation for larvae in the Big Garlic River at 5 years. Age and length (with the exception of a possible minimum length) were determined not to be critical factors in metamorphosis. The presence of larvae 65-176 mm long (mean, 107 mm) in the river in 1965 indicated that metamorphosis of lampreys in a single year class takes place over a period of years.

Analysis of the electron-beam-induced current of a polycrystalline p-n junction when the diffusion lengths of the material on either side of a grain boundary differ

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Von Roos, O.; Luke, K. L.

1984-01-01

The short circuit current generated by the electron beam of a scanning electron microscope in p-n junctions is reduced by enhanced recombination at grain boundaries in polycrystalline material. Frequently, grain boundaries separate the semiconductor into regions possessing different minority carrier life times. This markedly affects the short circuit current I(sc) as a function of scanning distance from the grain boundary. It will be shown theoretically that (1) the minimum of the I(sc) in crossing the grain boundary with the scanning electron beam is shifted away from the grain boundary toward the region with smaller life time (shorter diffusion length), (2) the magnitude of the minimum differs markedly from those calculated under the assumption of equal diffusion lengths on either side of the grain boundary, and (3) the minimum disappears altogether for small surface recombination velocities (s less than 10,000 cm/s). These effects become negligible, however, for large recombination velocities s at grain boundaries. For p-type silicon this happens for s not less than 100,000 cm/s.

Extracting Association Patterns in Network Communications

PubMed Central

Portela, Javier; Villalba, Luis Javier García; Trujillo, Alejandra Guadalupe Silva; Orozco, Ana Lucila Sandoval; Kim, Tai-hoon

2015-01-01

In network communications, mixes provide protection against observers hiding the appearance of messages, patterns, length and links between senders and receivers. Statistical disclosure attacks aim to reveal the identity of senders and receivers in a communication network setting when it is protected by standard techniques based on mixes. This work aims to develop a global statistical disclosure attack to detect relationships between users. The only information used by the attacker is the number of messages sent and received by each user for each round, the batch of messages grouped by the anonymity system. A new modeling framework based on contingency tables is used. The assumptions are more flexible than those used in the literature, allowing to apply the method to multiple situations automatically, such as email data or social networks data. A classification scheme based on combinatoric solutions of the space of rounds retrieved is developed. Solutions about relationships between users are provided for all pairs of users simultaneously, since the dependence of the data retrieved needs to be addressed in a global sense. PMID:25679311

Extracting association patterns in network communications.

PubMed

Portela, Javier; Villalba, Luis Javier García; Trujillo, Alejandra Guadalupe Silva; Orozco, Ana Lucila Sandoval; Kim, Tai-hoon

2015-02-11

In network communications, mixes provide protection against observers hiding the appearance of messages, patterns, length and links between senders and receivers. Statistical disclosure attacks aim to reveal the identity of senders and receivers in a communication network setting when it is protected by standard techniques based on mixes. This work aims to develop a global statistical disclosure attack to detect relationships between users. The only information used by the attacker is the number of messages sent and received by each user for each round, the batch of messages grouped by the anonymity system. A new modeling framework based on contingency tables is used. The assumptions are more flexible than those used in the literature, allowing to apply the method to multiple situations automatically, such as email data or social networks data. A classification scheme based on combinatoric solutions of the space of rounds retrieved is developed. Solutions about relationships between users are provided for all pairs of users simultaneously, since the dependence of the data retrieved needs to be addressed in a global sense.

System and method for authentication of goods

DOEpatents

Kaish, Norman; Fraser, Jay; Durst, David I.

1999-01-01

An authentication system comprising a medium having a plurality of elements, the elements being distinctive, detectable and disposed in an irregular pattern or having an intrinsic irregularity. Each element is characterized by a determinable attribute distinct from a two-dimensional coordinate representation of simple optical absorption or simple optical reflection intensity. An attribute and position of the plurality of elements, with respect to a positional reference is detected. A processor generates an encrypted message including at least a portion of the attribute and position of the plurality of elements. The encrypted message is recorded in physical association with the medium. The elements are preferably dichroic fibers, and the attribute is preferably a polarization or dichroic axis, which may vary over the length of a fiber. An authentication of the medium based on the encrypted message may be authenticated with a statistical tolerance, based on a vector mapping of the elements of the medium, without requiring a complete image of the medium and elements to be recorded.

Mother-Daughter Dyad Recruitment and Cancer Intervention Challenges in an African American Sample

PubMed Central

Mosavel, Maghboeba; Ports, Katie; Leighton-Herrmann, Ellyn

2014-01-01

Developing an effective youth-based health messaging intervention for African American women, who remain disparately impacted by cancer, presents unique challenges. This paper reports on the challenges with recruiting familial dyads from predominantly low-income, African American neighborhoods, as well as the challenges associated with designing and implementing an upward-directed cancer screening intervention. We developed and pilot tested an educational workshop that provided adolescents with cancer screening information to share with their mother or female relative. Data from follow-up interviews and focus groups, as well as observation records regarding implementation obstacles highlight important lessons learned. The use of familial dyads as well as issues of access posed challenges for recruitment and follow-up. Workshop-related challenges stemmed from the approach, content and length. Finally, personal and environmental factors presented barriers to adolescent message delivery and adult follow-through. By identifying these challenges, we hope to influence and enable the future development of effective adolescent-initiated health messaging interventions. PMID:25489496

High-Throughput Bit-Serial LDPC Decoder LSI Based on Multiple-Valued Asynchronous Interleaving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onizawa, Naoya; Hanyu, Takahiro; Gaudet, Vincent C.

This paper presents a high-throughput bit-serial low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoder that uses an asynchronous interleaver. Since consecutive log-likelihood message values on the interleaver are similar, node computations are continuously performed by using the most recently arrived messages without significantly affecting bit-error rate (BER) performance. In the asynchronous interleaver, each message's arrival rate is based on the delay due to the wire length, so that the decoding throughput is not restricted by the worst-case latency, which results in a higher average rate of computation. Moreover, the use of a multiple-valued data representation makes it possible to multiplex control signals and data from mutual nodes, thus minimizing the number of handshaking steps in the asynchronous interleaver and eliminating the clock signal entirely. As a result, the decoding throughput becomes 1.3 times faster than that of a bit-serial synchronous decoder under a 90nm CMOS technology, at a comparable BER.

Seatbelt and helmet depiction on the big screen blockbuster injury prevention messages?

PubMed

Cowan, John A; Dubosh, Nicole; Hadley, Craig

2009-03-01

Injuries from vehicle crashes are a major cause of death among American youth. Many of these injuries are worsened because of noncompliant safety practices. Messages delivered by mass media are omnipresent in young peoples' lives and influence their behavior patterns. In this investigation, we analyzed seat belt and helmet messages from a sample of top-grossing motion pictures with emphasis on scene context and character demographics. Content analysis of 50 top-grossing motion pictures for years 2000 to 2004, with coding for seat belt and helmet usage by trained media coders. In 48 of 50 movies (53% PG-13; 33% R; 10% PG; 4% G) with vehicle scenes, 518 scenes (82% car/truck; 7% taxi/limo; 7% motorcycle; 4% bicycle/skateboard) were coded. Overall, seat belt and helmet usage rates were 15.4% and 33.3%, respectively, with verbal indications for seat belt or helmet use found in 1.0% of scenes. Safety compliance rates varied by character race (18.3% white; 6.5% black; p = 0.036). No differences in compliance rates were noted for high-speed or unsafe vehicle operation. The injury rate for noncompliant characters involved in crashes was 10.7%. A regression model demonstrated black character race and escape scenes most predictive of noncompliant safety behavior. Safety compliance messages and images are starkly absent in top-grossing motion pictures resulting in, at worst, a deleterious effect on vulnerable populations and public health initiatives, and, at minimum, a lost opportunity to prevent injury and death. Healthcare providers should call on the motion picture industry to improve safety compliance messages and images in their products delivered for mass consumption.

Problems associated with pooling mark-recapture data prior to estimating stopover length for migratory passerines

Treesearch

Sara R. Morris; Erica M. Turner; David A. Liebner; Amanda M. Larracuente; H. David Sheets

2005-01-01

One measure of the importance of a stopover site is the length of time that migrants spend at an area, however measuring the time birds spend at a stopover site has proven difficult. Most banding studies have presented only minimum length of stopover, based on the difference between initial capture and final recapture of birds that are captured more than once. Cormack-...

Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Refined Deep-step Planing-tail Flying-boat Hull with Various Forebody and Afterbody Shapes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riebe, John M; Naeseth, Rodger L

1952-01-01

An investigation was made in the Langley 300-mph 7- by 10-foot tunnel to determine the aerodynamic characteristics of a refined deep-step planing-tail hull with various forebody and afterbody shapes and, for comparison, a streamline body simulating the fuselage of a modern transport airplane. The results of the tests indicated that the configurations incorporating a forebody with a length-beam ratio of 7 had lower minimum drag coefficients than the configurations incorporating a forebody with length-beam ratio of 5. The lowest minimum drag coefficients, which were considerably less than that of a conventional hull and slightly less than that of a streamline body, were obtained on the length-beam-ratio-7 forebody, alone and with round center boom. Drag coefficients and longitudinal- and lateral-stability parameters presented include the interference of a 21-percent-thick support wing.

How well do WHO complementary feeding indicators relate to nutritional status of children aged 6-23 months in rural Northern Ghana?

PubMed

Saaka, Mahama; Wemakor, Anthony; Abizari, Abdul-Razak; Aryee, Paul

2015-11-23

Though the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) indicators have been in use, little is known about their association with child nutritional status. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between IYCF indicators (timing of complementary feeding, minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet) and child growth indicators. A community-based cross-sectional survey was carried out in November 2013. The study population comprised mothers/primary caregivers and their children selected using a two-stage cluster sampling procedure. Of the 1984 children aged 6-23 months; 58.2 % met the minimum meal frequency, 34.8 % received minimum dietary diversity (≥4 food groups), 27.8 % had received minimum acceptable diet and only 15.7 % received appropriate complementary feeding. With respect to nutritional status, 20.5 %, 11.5 % and 21.1 % of the study population were stunted, wasted and underweight respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that compared to children who were introduced to complementary feeding either late or early, children who started complementary feeding at six months of age were 25 % protected from chronic malnutrition (AOR = 0.75, CI = 0.50 - 0.95, P = 0.02). It was found that children whose mothers attended antenatal care (ANC) at least 4 times were 34 % protected [AOR 0.66; 95 % CI (0.50 - 0.88)] against stunted growth compared to children born to mothers who attended ANC less than 4 times. Children from households with high household wealth index were 51 % protected [AOR 0.49; 95 % CI (0.26 - 0.94)] against chronic malnutrition compared to children from households with low household wealth index. After adjusting for potential confounders, there was a significant positive association between appropriate complementary feeding index and mean WLZ (β = 0.10, p = 0.005) but was not associated with mean LAZ. The WHO IYCF indicators better explain weight-for-length Z-scores than length-for-age Z-scores of young children in rural Northern Ghana. Furthermore, a composite indicator comprising timely introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods at 6 months, minimum meal frequency, and minimum dietary diversity better explains weight-for-length Z-scores than each of the single indicators.

Demodulation of messages received with low signal to noise ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marguinaud, A.; Quignon, T.; Romann, B.

The implementation of this all-digital demodulator is derived from maximum likelihood considerations applied to an analytical representation of the received signal. Traditional adapted filters and phase lock loops are replaced by minimum variance estimators and hypothesis tests. These statistical tests become very simple when working on phase signal. These methods, combined with rigorous control data representation allow significant computation savings as compared to conventional realizations. Nominal operation has been verified down to energetic signal over noise of -3 dB upon a QPSK demodulator.

Pseudolite Architecture and Performance Analysis for the FAA’s NextGen Airspace

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

acquired, signals were tracked at a range of 66km. Recall, the 746 th ’ s minimum range to acquire and track was 48km. During the flight test data was...in 1Mbps messages encoded on 978 MHz carrier channel (Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics, SC-186 2009) s . The ADS-B Out information is...not in sight, the pseudolite will synchronize its clock to another pseudolite that is in view of the master. The pseudolites are then “ daisy

Design and Analysis of an Optical Interface Message Processor

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-03-01

Device 16 2.2.15 Microchannel Spatial Light Modulator (MSLM) 16 2.2.16 Si/PLST Modulator 16 2.2.17 Deformable Mirror Device ( DMD ) 17 2.2.18 Charged...wavelength of UV light, ’n this process, is the minimum image which can be developed. X-Ray lithography wil’ reduce the image size to the 1000 Angstrom...resonance of laser wavelength. This is due to a change in the index of refraction which results in an optical path allowing constructive interference

Distributed Trust Evaluation in Ad-Hoc Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

of money that the issuer will pay to anyone who is misled because of the certificate. Being misled means falsely authenticating the certified entity...Alice to Bob. This is the minimum amount of money for which Alice is insured in the case of her being misled by Bob’s key. Note that if all edges are...confidence gets to vote first. Moreover, some paths are pruned which means that fewer messages are exchanged, thus saving bandwidth, but also some of the

Temperature sensing in Yersinia pestis: translation of the LcrF activator protein is thermally regulated.

PubMed Central

Hoe, N P; Goguen, J D

1993-01-01

The lcrF gene of Yersinia pestis encodes a transcription activator responsible for inducing expression of several virulence-related proteins in response to temperature. The mechanism of this thermoregulation was investigated. An lcrF clone was found to produce much lower levels of LcrF protein at 26 than at 37 degrees C in Y. pestis, although it was transcribed at similar levels at both temperatures. High-level T7 polymerase-directed transcription of the lcrF gene in Escherichia coli also resulted in temperature-dependent production of the LcrF protein. Pulse-chase experiments showed that the LcrF protein was stable at 26 and 37 degrees C, suggesting that translation rate or message degradation is thermally controlled. The lcrF mRNA appears to be highly unstable and could not be reliably detected in Y. pestis. Insertion of the lcrF gene into plasmid pET4a, which produces high levels of plasmid-length RNA, aided detection of lcrF-specific message in E. coli. Comparison of the amount of LcrF protein produced per unit of message at 26 and 37 degrees C indicated that the efficiency of translation of lcrF message increased with temperature. mRNA secondary structure predictions suggest that the lcrF Shine-Dalgarno sequence is sequestered in a stem-loop. A model in which decreased stability of this stem-loop with increasing temperature leads to increased efficiency of translation initiation of lcrF message is presented. Images PMID:7504666

Informing the Uninformed: Optimizing the Consent Message Using a Fractional Factorial Design

PubMed Central

Tait, Alan R.; Voepel-Lewis, Terri; Nair, Vijayan N.; Narisetty, Naveen N.; Fagerlin, Angela

2013-01-01

Objective Research information should be presented in a manner that promotes understanding. However, many parents and research subjects have difficulty understanding and making informed decisions. This study was designed to examine the effect of different communication strategies on parental understanding of research information. Participants 640 parents of children scheduled for elective surgery Design Observational study using a fractional factorial design Setting Large tertiary care children's hospital Interventions Parents were randomized to receive information about a hypothetical pain trial presented in one of 16 consent documents containing different combinations of 5 selected communication strategies (i.e., length, readability, processability [formatting], graphical display, and supplemental verbal disclosure). Main outcome measures Parents were interviewed to determine their understanding of the study elements (e.g., protocol, alternatives etc.) and their gist (main point) and verbatim (actual) understanding of the risks and benefits. Results Main effects for understanding were found for processability, readability, message length, use of graphics, and verbal discussion. Consent documents with high processability, 8th grade reading level, and graphics resulted in significantly greater gist and verbatim understanding compared with forms without these attributes (mean difference, 95% CI = 0.57, 0.26–0.88, correct responses out of 7 and 0.54, 0.20–0.88 correct responses out of 4 for gist and verbatim, respectively). Conclusions Results identified several communication strategy combinations that improved parents' understanding of research information. Adoption of these active strategies by investigators, clinicians, IRBs, and study sponsors represents a simple, practical, and inexpensive means to optimize the consent message and enhance parental, participant, and patient understanding. PMID:23700028

A parametric study of the microwave plasma-assisted combustion of premixed ethylene/air mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuh, Che A.; Wu, Wei; Wang, Chuji

2017-11-01

A parametric study of microwave argon plasma assisted combustion (PAC) of premixed ethylene/air mixtures was carried out using visual imaging, optical emission spectroscopy and cavity ringdown spectroscopy as diagnostic tools. The parameters investigated included the plasma feed gas flow rate, the plasma power, the fuel equivalence ratio and the total flow rate of the fuel/air mixture. The combustion enhancement effects were characterized by the minimum ignition power, the flame length and the fuel efficiency of the combustor. It was found that: (1) increasing the plasma feed gas flow rate resulted in a decrease in the flame length, an increase in the minimum ignition power for near stoichiometric fuel equivalence ratios and a corresponding decrease in the minimum ignition power for ultra-lean and rich fuel equivalence ratios; (2) at a constant plasma power, increasing the total flow rate of the ethylene/air mixture from 1.0 slm to 1.5 slm resulted in an increase in the flame length and a reduction in the fuel efficiency; (3) increasing the plasma power resulted in a slight increase in flame length as well as improved fuel efficiency with fewer C2(d) and CH(A) radicals present downstream of the flame; (4) increasing the fuel equivalence ratio caused an increase in flame length but at a reduced fuel efficiency when plasma power was kept constant; and (5) the ground state OH(X) number density was on the order of 1015 molecules/cm3 and was observed to drop downstream along the propagation axis of the flame at all parameters investigated. Results suggest that each of the parameters independently influences the PAC processes.

Optimal fractal tree-like microchannel networks with slip for laminar-flow-modified Murray's law.

PubMed

Jing, Dalei; Song, Shiyu; Pan, Yunlu; Wang, Xiaoming

2018-01-01

The fractal tree-like branched network is an effective channel design structure to reduce the hydraulic resistance as compared with the conventional parallel channel network. In order for a laminar flow to achieve minimum hydraulic resistance, it is believed that the optimal fractal tree-like channel network obeys the well-accepted Murray's law of β m = N -1/3 (β m is the optimal diameter ratio between the daughter channel and the parent channel and N is the branching number at every level), which is obtained under the assumption of no-slip conditions at the channel wall-liquid interface. However, at the microscale, the no-slip condition is not always reasonable; the slip condition should indeed be considered at some solid-liquid interfaces for the optimal design of the fractal tree-like channel network. The present work reinvestigates Murray's law for laminar flow in a fractal tree-like microchannel network considering slip condition. It is found that the slip increases the complexity of the optimal design of the fractal tree-like microchannel network to achieve the minimum hydraulic resistance. The optimal diameter ratio to achieve minimum hydraulic resistance is not only dependent on the branching number, as stated by Murray's law, but also dependent on the slip length, the level number, the length ratio between the daughter channel and the parent channel, and the diameter of the channel. The optimal diameter ratio decreases with the increasing slip length, the increasing level number and the increasing length ratio between the daughter channel and the parent channel, and decreases with decreasing channel diameter. These complicated relations were found to become relaxed and simplified to Murray's law when the ratio between the slip length and the diameter of the channel is small enough.

Geodesy by radio interferometry: Water vapor radiometry for estimation of the wet delay

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

Elgered, G.; Davis, J.L.; Herring, T.A.

1991-04-10

An important source of error in very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) estimates of baseline length is unmodeled variations of the refractivity of the neutral atmosphere along the propagation path of the radio signals. The authors present and discuss the method of using data from a water vapor readiometer (WVR) to correct for the propagation delay caused by atmospheric water vapor, the major cause of these variations. Data from different WVRs are compared with estimated propagation delays obtained by Kalman filtering of the VLBI data themselves. The consequences of using either WVR data of Kalman filtering to correct for atmospheric propagation delay atmore » the Onsala VLBI site are investigated by studying the repeatability of estimated baseline lengths from Onsala to several other sites. The lengths of the baselines range from 919 to 7,941 km. The repeatability obtained for baseline length estimates shows that the methods of water vapor radiometry and Kalman filtering offer comparable accuracies when applied to VLBI observations obtained in the climate of the Swedish west coast. The use of WVR data yielded a 13% smaller weighted-root-mean-square (WRMS) scatter of the baseline length estimates compared to the use of a Kalman filter. It is also clear that the best minimum elevation angle for VLBI observations depends on the accuracy of the determinations of the total propagation delay to be used, since the error in this delay increases with increasing air mass. For use of WVR data along with accurate determinations of total surface pressure, the best minimum is about 20{degrees}; for use of a model for the wet delay based on the humidity and temperature at the ground, the best minimum is about 35{degrees}.« less

The Use of WhatsApp Smartphone Messaging Improves Communication Efficiency within an Orthopaedic Surgery Team.

PubMed

Ellanti, Prasad; Moriarty, Andrew; Coughlan, Fionn; McCarthy, Thomas

2017-02-18

Effective and timely communication is important for any surgical specialty to function. The use of smartphones is prevalent amongst doctors. Numerous smartphone applications offer the potential for fast and cost-effective communication. WhatsApp is a commonly used application that is free, easy to use, and capable of text and multimedia messaging. We report on the use of WhatsApp over a six month period in our unit. WhatsApp communication between non-consultant members of an orthopaedic team over a six-month period was analysed. Both the phones and the WhatsApp application were password-protected, and patient details were anonymised. A series of 20 communications using the hospital pager system and the telephone system were also analysed. A total of 5,492 messages were sent during the six-month period and were part of 1,916 separate communication events. The vast majority of messages, 5,090, were related to patient care. A total of 195 multimedia messages were sent and these included images of radiographs and wounds. When using the hospital telephones, the length of time spent on a communication averaged 5.78 minutes and using the hospital pager system averaged 7.45 minutes. Using the WhatsApp messaging system has potentially saved up to 7,664 minutes over the study period. All participants found WhatsApp easy to use and found it to be more efficient than the traditional pager system Conclusion: Compared to the traditional pager systems, the use of WhatsApp is easy, inexpensive, and reliable and can help improve the efficiency of communication within a surgical team.

The Use of WhatsApp Smartphone Messaging Improves Communication Efficiency within an Orthopaedic Surgery Team

PubMed Central

Moriarty, Andrew; Coughlan, Fionn; McCarthy, Thomas

2017-01-01

Introduction: Effective and timely communication is important for any surgical specialty to function. The use of smartphones is prevalent amongst doctors. Numerous smartphone applications offer the potential for fast and cost-effective communication. WhatsApp is a commonly used application that is free, easy to use, and capable of text and multimedia messaging. We report on the use of WhatsApp over a six month period in our unit. Materials and Methods: WhatsApp communication between non-consultant members of an orthopaedic team over a six-month period was analysed. Both the phones and the WhatsApp application were password-protected, and patient details were anonymised. A series of 20 communications using the hospital pager system and the telephone system were also analysed. Results: A total of 5,492 messages were sent during the six-month period and were part of 1,916 separate communication events. The vast majority of messages, 5,090, were related to patient care. A total of 195 multimedia messages were sent and these included images of radiographs and wounds. When using the hospital telephones, the length of time spent on a communication averaged 5.78 minutes and using the hospital pager system averaged 7.45 minutes. Using the WhatsApp messaging system has potentially saved up to 7,664 minutes over the study period. All participants found WhatsApp easy to use and found it to be more efficient than the traditional pager system Conclusion: Compared to the traditional pager systems, the use of WhatsApp is easy, inexpensive, and reliable and can help improve the efficiency of communication within a surgical team.  PMID:28357172

49 CFR 38.29 - Interior circulation, handrails and stanchions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... location from the lift or ramp. (b) Handrails and stanchions shall be provided in the entrance to the... length with front-door lifts or ramps, vertical stanchions immediately behind the driver shall either... of 22 feet in length, the minimum interior height along the path from the lift to the securement...

49 CFR 38.29 - Interior circulation, handrails and stanchions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... location from the lift or ramp. (b) Handrails and stanchions shall be provided in the entrance to the... length with front-door lifts or ramps, vertical stanchions immediately behind the driver shall either... of 22 feet in length, the minimum interior height along the path from the lift to the securement...

Searching for discrimination rules in protease proteolytic cleavage activity using genetic programming with a min-max scoring function.

PubMed

Yang, Zheng Rong; Thomson, Rebecca; Hodgman, T Charles; Dry, Jonathan; Doyle, Austin K; Narayanan, Ajit; Wu, XiKun

2003-11-01

This paper presents an algorithm which is able to extract discriminant rules from oligopeptides for protease proteolytic cleavage activity prediction. The algorithm is developed using genetic programming. Three important components in the algorithm are a min-max scoring function, the reverse Polish notation (RPN) and the use of minimum description length. The min-max scoring function is developed using amino acid similarity matrices for measuring the similarity between an oligopeptide and a rule, which is a complex algebraic equation of amino acids rather than a simple pattern sequence. The Fisher ratio is then calculated on the scoring values using the class label associated with the oligopeptides. The discriminant ability of each rule can therefore be evaluated. The use of RPN makes the evolutionary operations simpler and therefore reduces the computational cost. To prevent overfitting, the concept of minimum description length is used to penalize over-complicated rules. A fitness function is therefore composed of the Fisher ratio and the use of minimum description length for an efficient evolutionary process. In the application to four protease datasets (Trypsin, Factor Xa, Hepatitis C Virus and HIV protease cleavage site prediction), our algorithm is superior to C5, a conventional method for deriving decision trees.

A user guide for the sign sizing program

Treesearch

Donna Sheehy; Kurt Krueger

1999-01-01

This user guide explains how to use the Forest Service Sign Sizing program. The program calculates the length and height of a rectangular sign panel for road and trail guide signs. Variable text messages and directional arrows can be mocked up using U.S. Federal Highway Administration standards. Users can make text or other changes and quickly determine the effect on...

Paving the Way Towards Reactive Planar Spanner Construction in Wireless Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frey, Hannes; Rührup, Stefan

A spanner is a subgraph of a given graph that supports the original graph's shortest path lengths up to a constant factor. Planar spanners and their distributed construction are of particular interest for geographic routing, which is an efficient localized routing scheme for wireless ad hoc and sensor networks. Planarity of the network graph is a key criterion for guaranteed delivery, while the spanner property supports efficiency in terms of path length. We consider the problem of reactive local spanner construction, where a node's local topology is determined on demand. Known message-efficient reactive planarization algorithms do not preserve the spanner property, while reactive spanner constructions with a low message overhead have not been described so far. We introduce the concept of direct planarization which may be an enabler of efficient reactive spanner construction. Given an edge, nodes check for all incident intersecting edges a certain geometric criterion and withdraw the edge if this criterion is not satisfied. We use this concept to derive a generic reactive topology control mechanism and consider two geometric criteria. Simulation results show that direct planarization increases the performance of localized geographic routing by providing shorter paths than existing reactive approaches.

Implementation analysis of RC5 algorithm on Preneel-Govaerts-Vandewalle (PGV) hashing schemes using length extension attack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siswantyo, Sepha; Susanti, Bety Hayat

2016-02-01

Preneel-Govaerts-Vandewalle (PGV) schemes consist of 64 possible single-block-length schemes that can be used to build a hash function based on block ciphers. For those 64 schemes, Preneel claimed that 4 schemes are secure. In this paper, we apply length extension attack on those 4 secure PGV schemes which use RC5 algorithm in its basic construction to test their collision resistance property. The attack result shows that the collision occurred on those 4 secure PGV schemes. Based on the analysis, we indicate that Feistel structure and data dependent rotation operation in RC5 algorithm, XOR operations on the scheme, along with selection of additional message block value also give impact on the collision to occur.

Designing Microblog Direct Messages to Engage Social Media Users With Suicide Ideation: Interview and Survey Study on Weibo

PubMed Central

Tan, Ziying; Liu, Xingyun; Liu, Xiaoqian; Cheng, Qijin

2017-01-01

Background While Web-based interventions can be efficacious, engaging a target population’s attention remains challenging. We argue that strategies to draw such a population’s attention should be tailored to meet its needs. Increasing user engagement in online suicide intervention development requires feedback from this group to prevent people who have suicide ideation from seeking treatment. Objective The goal of this study was to solicit feedback on the acceptability of the content of messaging from social media users with suicide ideation. To overcome the common concern of lack of engagement in online interventions and to ensure effective learning from the message, this research employs a customized design of both content and length of the message. Methods In study 1, 17 participants suffering from suicide ideation were recruited. The first (n=8) group conversed with a professional suicide intervention doctor about its attitudes and suggestions for a direct message intervention. To ensure the reliability and consistency of the result, an identical interview was conducted for the second group (n=9). Based on the collected data, questionnaires about this intervention were formed. Study 2 recruited 4222 microblog users with suicide ideation via the Internet. Results The results of the group interviews in study 1 yielded little difference regarding the interview results; this difference may relate to the 2 groups’ varied perceptions of direct message design. However, most participants reported that they would be most drawn to an intervention where they knew that the account was reliable. Out of 4222 microblog users, we received responses from 725 with completed questionnaires; 78.62% (570/725) participants were not opposed to online suicide intervention and they valued the link for extra suicide intervention information as long as the account appeared to be trustworthy. Their attitudes toward the intervention and the account were similar to those from study 1, and 3 important elements were found pertaining to the direct message: reliability of account name, brevity of the message, and details of the phone numbers of psychological intervention centers and psychological assessment. Conclusions This paper proposed strategies for engaging target populations in online suicide interventions. PMID:29233805

On Channel-Discontinuity-Constraint Routing in Wireless Networks☆

PubMed Central

Sankararaman, Swaminathan; Efrat, Alon; Ramasubramanian, Srinivasan; Agarwal, Pankaj K.

2011-01-01

Multi-channel wireless networks are increasingly deployed as infrastructure networks, e.g. in metro areas. Network nodes frequently employ directional antennas to improve spatial throughput. In such networks, between two nodes, it is of interest to compute a path with a channel assignment for the links such that the path and link bandwidths are the same. This is achieved when any two consecutive links are assigned different channels, termed as “Channel-Discontinuity-Constraint” (CDC). CDC-paths are also useful in TDMA systems, where, preferably, consecutive links are assigned different time-slots. In the first part of this paper, we develop a t-spanner for CDC-paths using spatial properties; a sub-network containing O(n/θ) links, for any θ > 0, such that CDC-paths increase in cost by at most a factor t = (1−2 sin (θ/2))−2. We propose a novel distributed algorithm to compute the spanner using an expected number of O(n log n) fixed-size messages. In the second part, we present a distributed algorithm to find minimum-cost CDC-paths between two nodes using O(n2) fixed-size messages, by developing an extension of Edmonds’ algorithm for minimum-cost perfect matching. In a centralized implementation, our algorithm runs in O(n2) time improving the previous best algorithm which requires O(n3) running time. Moreover, this running time improves to O(n/θ) when used in conjunction with the spanner developed. PMID:24443646

29 CFR 1926.251 - Rigging equipment for material handling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... splices, the U-bolt shall be applied so that the “U” section is in contact with the dead end of the rope... laid grommets and endless slings shall have a minimum circumferential length of 96 times their body... body of the rope using at least two additional tucks (which will require a tail length of approximately...

Efficacy of buffer zones in disconnecting roads and streams in the coastal plain

Treesearch

J.M. III Grace; E. Davis

2010-01-01

Established forest BMPs rely heavily on the forest floor to disconnect upslope activities from stream systems. Optimizing the buffer length required to negate the storm runoff contribution of upslope activities has been a point of interest for soil scientist, hydrologist, and conservation professionals for the last century. Minimum buffer lengths have been recommended...

Research review of nongovernmental organizations' security policies for humanitarian programs in war, conflict, and postconflict environments.

PubMed

Rowley, Elizabeth; Burns, Lauren; Burnham, Gilbert

2013-06-01

To identify the most and least commonly cited security management messages that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are communicating to their field staff, to determine the types of documentation that NGOs most often use to communicate key security messages, and to distinguish the points of commonality and divergence across organizations in the content of key security messages. The authors undertook a systematic review of available security policies, manuals, and training materials from 20 international humanitarian NGOs using the InterAction Minimum Operating Security Standards as the basis for a review framework. The most commonly cited standards include analytical security issues such as threat and risk assessment processes and guidance on acceptance, protection, and deterrence approaches. Among the least commonly cited standards were considering security threats to national staff during staffing decision processes, incorporating security awareness into job descriptions, and ensuring that national staff security issues are addressed in trainings. NGO staff receive security-related messages through multiple document types, but only 12 of the 20 organizations have a distinct security policy document. Points of convergence across organizations in the content of commonly cited standards were found in many areas, but differences in security risk and threat assessment guidance may undermine communication between aid workers about changes in local security environments. Although the humanitarian community has experienced significant progress in the development of practical staff security guidance during the past 10 years, gaps remain that can hinder efforts to garner needed resources, clarify security responsibilities, and ensure that the distinct needs of national staff are recognized and addressed.

A Comparison of the Fit of Empirical Data to Two Latent Trait Models. Report No. 92.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutten, Leah R.

Goodness of fit of raw test score data were compared, using two latent trait models: the Rasch model and the Birnbaum three-parameter logistic model. Data were taken from various achievement tests and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (Verbal). A minimum sample size of 1,000 was required, and the minimum test length was 40 items. Results indicated that…

Nearshore Pipeline Installation Methods.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

inches b) Pipe, materials of construction: fully rigid, semi-rigid, flexible c) Pipeline length, maximum 2 miles d) Pipeline design life , minimum 15...common to their operations. Permanent facilities are specified in the Statement of Work. There- fore, a minimum design life of 15 years is chosen, which...makes the pipe leakproof and resists corrosion and abrasion. 5) Interlocked Z-shaped steel or stainless steel carcass - resists internal and external

The data acquisition system for the Anglo-Australian Observatory 2-degree field project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shortridge, K.; Farrell, T. J.; Bailey, J.

1992-01-01

The Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) is building a system that will provide a two-degree field of view at prime focus. A robot positioner will be used to locate up to 400 optical fibers at pre-determined positions in this field. While observations are being made using one set of 400 fibers, the robot will be positioning a second set of fibers in a background field that can be moved in to replace the first when the telescope is moved to a new position. The fibers feed two spectrographs each with a 1024 square CCD detector. The software system being produced to control this involves Vaxes for overall control and data recording, UNIX workstations for fiber configuration calculations and on-line data reduction, and VME systems running VxWorks for real-time control of critical parts such as the positioner robot. The system has to be able to interact with the observatory's present data acquisition systems, which use the ADAM system. As yet, the real-time parts of ADAM have not been ported to Unix, and so we are having to produce a smaller-scale system that is similar but inherently distributed (which ADAM is not). We are using this system as a testbed for ideas that we hope may eventually influence an ADAM II system. The system we are producing is based on a message system that is designed to be able to handle inter-process and inter-processor messages of any length, efficiently, and without ever requiring a task to block (i.e., be unresponsive to 'cancel' messages, enquiry messages), other than when deliberately waiting for external input - all of which will be through such messages. The essential requirement is that a message 'send' operation should never be able to block. The messages will be hierarchical, self-defining, machine-independent data structures. This allows us to provide very simple monitoring of messages for diagnostic purposes, and allows general purpose interface programs to be written without needing to share precise byte by byte message format definitions. Programs in this system have interfaces defined simply in terms of named actions and their parameters. Real-time control programs are required to be able to handle a number of such actions concurrently; data reduction programs will normally only need to handle one action at a time ('process an image', 'display a spectrum', etc).

An experimental study of search in global social networks.

PubMed

Dodds, Peter Sheridan; Muhamad, Roby; Watts, Duncan J

2003-08-08

We report on a global social-search experiment in which more than 60,000 e-mail users attempted to reach one of 18 target persons in 13 countries by forwarding messages to acquaintances. We find that successful social search is conducted primarily through intermediate to weak strength ties, does not require highly connected "hubs" to succeed, and, in contrast to unsuccessful social search, disproportionately relies on professional relationships. By accounting for the attrition of message chains, we estimate that social searches can reach their targets in a median of five to seven steps, depending on the separation of source and target, although small variations in chain lengths and participation rates generate large differences in target reachability. We conclude that although global social networks are, in principle, searchable, actual success depends sensitively on individual incentives.

Compact microchannel system

DOEpatents

Griffiths, Stewart

2003-09-30

The present invention provides compact geometries for the layout of microchannel columns through the use of turns and straight channel segments. These compact geometries permit the use of long separation or reaction columns on a small microchannel substrate or, equivalently, permit columns of a fixed length to occupy a smaller substrate area. The new geometries are based in part on mathematical analyses that provide the minimum turn radius for which column performance in not degraded. In particular, we find that straight channel segments of sufficient length reduce the required minimum turn radius, enabling compact channel layout when turns and straight segments are combined. The compact geometries are obtained by using turns and straight segments in overlapped or nested arrangements to form pleated or coiled columns.

Predicting paddlefish roe yields using an extension of the Beverton–Holt equilibrium yield-per-recruit model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colvin, M.E.; Bettoli, Phillip William; Scholten, G.D.

2013-01-01

Equilibrium yield models predict the total biomass removed from an exploited stock; however, traditional yield models must be modified to simulate roe yields because a linear relationship between age (or length) and mature ovary weight does not typically exist. We extended the traditional Beverton-Holt equilibrium yield model to predict roe yields of Paddlefish Polyodon spathula in Kentucky Lake, Tennessee-Kentucky, as a function of varying conditional fishing mortality rates (10-70%), conditional natural mortality rates (cm; 9% and 18%), and four minimum size limits ranging from 864 to 1,016mm eye-to-fork length. These results were then compared to a biomass-based yield assessment. Analysis of roe yields indicated the potential for growth overfishing at lower exploitation rates and smaller minimum length limits than were suggested by the biomass-based assessment. Patterns of biomass and roe yields in relation to exploitation rates were similar regardless of the simulated value of cm, thus indicating that the results were insensitive to changes in cm. Our results also suggested that higher minimum length limits would increase roe yield and reduce the potential for growth overfishing and recruitment overfishing at the simulated cm values. Biomass-based equilibrium yield assessments are commonly used to assess the effects of harvest on other caviar-based fisheries; however, our analysis demonstrates that such assessments likely underestimate the probability and severity of growth overfishing when roe is targeted. Therefore, equilibrium roe yield-per-recruit models should also be considered to guide the management process for caviar-producing fish species.

Real-Time Data Collection Using Text Messaging in a Primary Care Clinic.

PubMed

Rai, Manisha; Moniz, Michelle H; Blaszczak, Julie; Richardson, Caroline R; Chang, Tammy

2017-12-01

The use of text messaging is nearly ubiquitous and represents a promising method of collecting data from diverse populations. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of text message surveys in a clinical setting and to describe key lessons to minimize attrition. We obtained a convenience sample of individuals who entered the waiting room of a low-income, primary care clinic. Participants were asked to answer between 17 and 30 survey questions on a variety of health-related topics, including both open- and closed-ended questions. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the participants and determine the response rates. Bivariate analyses were used to identify predictors of incomplete surveys. Our convenience sample consisted of 461 individuals. Of those who attempted the survey, 80% (370/461) completed it in full. The mean age of respondents was 35.4 years (standard deviation = 12.4). Respondents were predominantly non-Hispanic black (42%) or non-Hispanic white (41%), female (75%), and with at least some college education (70%). Of those who completed the survey, 84% (312/370) reported willingness to do another text message survey. Those with incomplete surveys answered a median of nine questions before stopping. Smartphone users were less likely to leave the survey incomplete compared with non-smartphone users (p = 0.004). Text-message surveys are a feasible and acceptable method to collect real-time data among low-income, clinic-based populations. Offering participants a setting for immediate survey completion, minimizing survey length, simplifying questions, and allowing "free text" responses for all questions may optimize response rates.

External morphology and calling song characteristics in Tibicen plebejus (Hemiptera: Cicadidae).

PubMed

Mehdipour, Maedeh; Sendi, Jalal Jalali; Zamanian, Hossein

2015-02-01

Tibicen plebejus is the largest cicada native to the ecosystem in northern Iran. The male cicada produces a loud calling song for attracting females from a long distance. It is presumed that the female selects a mate based on a combination of passive and active mechanisms, but it is not known if she selects for size, nor if the male's size correlates with any characteristic of the advertisement call. In this study, we report the relationship between calling song features and morphological characters in the male of T. plebejus. Research was conducted in northern Iran during the summer of 2010. Seventeen males were collected and their calling songs were recorded in a natural environment. Two morphological characters were measured: length and weight. Maximum, minimum and average of values of 10 key acoustic variables of the calling song were analyzed: phrase duration, phrase part 1, phrase part 2, number of phrases per minute, echeme duration, echeme period, interecheme interval, number of echeme per second, echeme/intereheme ratio, and dominant frequency. The data were tested for the level of association between morphology and acoustic variables using simple linear regression. In conclusion, in terms of song structure, three significant positive correlations existed between length and (1) mean echeme duration, (2) mean echeme/interecheme ratio, (3) maximum echeme/interecheme ratio. We found out also four significant negative correlations between both length and weight with (1) minimum interecheme intervals, (2) mean dominant frequency, (3) minimum dominant frequency, (4) maximum dominant frequency, and between weight and (1) minimum interecheme intervals, (2) mean dominant frequency, (3) minimum dominant frequency, (4) maximum dominant frequency. It can be found that larger males of T. plebejus produce songs of lower frequency and are less silent between echemes. Copyright © 2014 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Flame Driving of Longitudinal Instabilities in Liquid Fueled Dump Combustors.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-01

plotted in Fig. 8 for the first " natural frequency of 80 Hz. As the flame length is much smaller than the acoustic wavelength at 80 Hz the pressure...velocity u and the near a pressure minimum there was a large radia- flame length . In all cases, it was Found that the tion signal at the driving...frequency. On the theory underpredicted the flame length . This may other hand, when the stabilizing wire was near a be due to the neglect of viscous and

Flame Driving of Longitudinal Instabilities in Liquid Fueled Dump Combustors

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-10-01

for the first * natural frequency of 80 Hz. As the flame length is much smaller than the acoustic wavelength at 80 Hz the pressure is constant over...release at different locations along the flame. The reason for this is that the flame length is equivalent to several vortical wavelengths as is evident...pressure minimum there was a large radla- flame length . In all cases, it was ?ound that the tion signal at the driving frequency. On the theory

The effect of ultradian and orbital cycles on plant growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berry, W.; Hoshizaki, T.; Ulrich, A.

1986-01-01

In a series of experiments using sugar beets, researchers investigated the effects of varying cycles lengths on growth (0.37 hr to 48 hr). Each cycle was equally divided into a light and dark period so that each treatment regardless of cycle length received the same amount of light over the 17 weeks of the experiment. Two growth parameters were used to evaluate the effects of cycle length, total fresh weight and sucrose content of the storage root. Both parameters showed very similar responses in that under long cycles (12 hr or greater) growth was normal, whereas plants growing under shorter cycle periods were progressively inhibited. Minimum growth occurred at a cycle period of 0.75 hr. The yield at the 0.75 hr cycle, where was at a minimum, for total fresh weight was only 51 percent compared to the 24 hr cycle. The yield of sucrose was even more reduced at 41 percent of the 24 hr cycle.

Biological and surface-active properties of double-chain cationic amino acid-based surfactants.

PubMed

Greber, Katarzyna E; Dawgul, Małgorzata; Kamysz, Wojciech; Sawicki, Wiesław; Łukasiak, Jerzy

2014-08-01

Cationic amino acid-based surfactants were synthesized via solid phase peptide synthesis and terminal acylation of their α and ε positions with saturated fatty acids. Five new lipopeptides, N-α-acyl-N-ε-acyl lysine analogues, were obtained. Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal (fungicidal) concentration were determined on reference strains of bacteria and fungi to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of the lipopeptides. Toxicity to eukaryotic cells was examined via determination of the haemolytic activities. The surface-active properties of these compounds were evaluated by measuring the surface tension and formation of micelles as a function of concentration in aqueous solution. The cationic surfactants demonstrated diverse antibacterial activities dependent on the length of the fatty acid chain. Gram-negative bacteria and fungi showed a higher resistance than Gram-positive bacterial strains. It was found that the haemolytic activities were also chain length-dependent values. The surface-active properties showed a linear correlation between the alkyl chain length and the critical micelle concentration.

Self-Organized Link State Aware Routing for Multiple Mobile Agents in Wireless Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oda, Akihiro; Nishi, Hiroaki

Recently, the importance of data sharing structures in autonomous distributed networks has been increasing. A wireless sensor network is used for managing distributed data. This type of distributed network requires effective information exchanging methods for data sharing. To reduce the traffic of broadcasted messages, reduction of the amount of redundant information is indispensable. In order to reduce packet loss in mobile ad-hoc networks, QoS-sensitive routing algorithm have been frequently discussed. The topology of a wireless network is likely to change frequently according to the movement of mobile nodes, radio disturbance, or fading due to the continuous changes in the environment. Therefore, a packet routing algorithm should guarantee QoS by using some quality indicators of the wireless network. In this paper, a novel information exchanging algorithm developed using a hash function and a Boolean operation is proposed. This algorithm achieves efficient information exchanges by reducing the overhead of broadcasting messages, and it can guarantee QoS in a wireless network environment. It can be applied to a routing algorithm in a mobile ad-hoc network. In the proposed routing algorithm, a routing table is constructed by using the received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and the neighborhood information is periodically broadcasted depending on this table. The proposed hash-based routing entry management by using an extended MAC address can eliminate the overhead of message flooding. An analysis of the collision of hash values contributes to the determination of the length of the hash values, which is minimally required. Based on the verification of a mathematical theory, an optimum hash function for determining the length of hash values can be given. Simulations are carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and to validate the theory in a general wireless network routing algorithm.

Lightweight CoAP-Based Bootstrapping Service for the Internet of Things.

PubMed

Garcia-Carrillo, Dan; Marin-Lopez, Rafael

2016-03-11

The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming increasingly important in several fields of industrial applications and personal applications, such as medical e-health, smart cities, etc. The research into protocols and security aspects related to this area is continuously advancing in making these networks more reliable and secure, taking into account these aspects by design. Bootstrapping is a procedure by which a user obtains key material and configuration information, among other parameters, to operate as an authenticated party in a security domain. Until now solutions have focused on re-using security protocols that were not developed for IoT constraints. For this reason, in this work we propose a design and implementation of a lightweight bootstrapping service for IoT networks that leverages one of the application protocols used in IoT : Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP). Additionally, in order to provide flexibility, scalability, support for large scale deployment, accountability and identity federation, our design uses technologies such as the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) and Authentication Authorization and Accounting (AAA). We have named this service CoAP-EAP. First, we review the state of the art in the field of bootstrapping and specifically for IoT. Second, we detail the bootstrapping service: the architecture with entities and interfaces and the flow operation. Third, we obtain performance measurements of CoAP-EAP (bootstrapping time, memory footprint, message processing time, message length and energy consumption) and compare them with PANATIKI. The most significant and constrained representative of the bootstrapping solutions related with CoAP-EAP. As we will show, our solution provides significant improvements, mainly due to an important reduction of the message length.

Lightweight CoAP-Based Bootstrapping Service for the Internet of Things

PubMed Central

Garcia-Carrillo, Dan; Marin-Lopez, Rafael

2016-01-01

The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming increasingly important in several fields of industrial applications and personal applications, such as medical e-health, smart cities, etc. The research into protocols and security aspects related to this area is continuously advancing in making these networks more reliable and secure, taking into account these aspects by design. Bootstrapping is a procedure by which a user obtains key material and configuration information, among other parameters, to operate as an authenticated party in a security domain. Until now solutions have focused on re-using security protocols that were not developed for IoT constraints. For this reason, in this work we propose a design and implementation of a lightweight bootstrapping service for IoT networks that leverages one of the application protocols used in IoT : Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP). Additionally, in order to provide flexibility, scalability, support for large scale deployment, accountability and identity federation, our design uses technologies such as the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) and Authentication Authorization and Accounting (AAA). We have named this service CoAP-EAP. First, we review the state of the art in the field of bootstrapping and specifically for IoT. Second, we detail the bootstrapping service: the architecture with entities and interfaces and the flow operation. Third, we obtain performance measurements of CoAP-EAP (bootstrapping time, memory footprint, message processing time, message length and energy consumption) and compare them with PANATIKI. The most significant and constrained representative of the bootstrapping solutions related with CoAP-EAP. As we will show, our solution provides significant improvements, mainly due to an important reduction of the message length. PMID:26978362

[Analysis of drug advertising in Spanish gynecology journals].

PubMed

Diez, Brezo; Hidalgo, Agustín

2012-01-01

To determine advertising pressure in three Spanish gynecology journals, to describe the characteristics of the drugs advertised and to analyze compliance with current regulatory standards in drug advertisements. We identified the number of advertisements, the characteristics of the drugs advertised, the minimum information required by legislation and the advertising message in the selected journals. A total of 139 advertisements were identified, corresponding to 33 distinct products (28 prescription medicines and five over-the-counter drugs). Advertising pressures were 18.13% in Progresos de Obstetricia y Ginecología, 16.18% in Acta Ginecológica and 5.21% in Clínica e Investigación en Ginecología y Obstetricia. Legislative failure occurred in 82.14% of the advertisements and in 22.22% of slogans, while 41.46% of advertising messages were misleading. A critical attitude to advertising among health professionals is advisable. Information contained in advertisements should be contrasted with official and other independent sources. Copyright © 2011 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Adaptation of a culturally relevant nutrition and physical activity program for low-income, Mexican-origin parents with young children.

PubMed

Kaiser, Lucia; Martinez, Judith; Horowitz, Marcel; Lamp, Catherine; Johns, Margaret; Espinoza, Dorina; Byrnes, Michele; Gomez, Mayra Muñoz; Aguilera, Alberto; de la Torre, Adela

2015-05-14

Latino children experience higher rates of obesity than do non-Latino white children. Family-centered nutrition interventions can slow the rate of weight gain in this population. Niños Sanos, Familia Sana (Healthy Children, Healthy Family) is a 5-year, community-based, participatory research study that targets rural Mexican-origin farmworker families with children aged 2 to 8 years in California's Central Valley. Adaptation of a culturally relevant obesity prevention program involved qualitative research to tailor key obesity prevention messages, pilot testing and implementation of key messages and activities at family nights, and continual modification to incorporate culturally innovative elements. Of the 238 families enrolled, 53% (125) attended the recommended minimum of 5 (of 10 possible) classes during the first year. A university and community partnership can guide development of a culturally tailored obesity prevention program that is suitable for reaching a high-risk Mexican-origin audience through cooperative extension and other public health programs.

Adaptation of a Culturally Relevant Nutrition and Physical Activity Program for Low-Income, Mexican-Origin Parents With Young Children

PubMed Central

Martinez, Judith; Horowitz, Marcel; Lamp, Catherine; Johns, Margaret; Espinoza, Dorina; Byrnes, Michele; Gomez, Mayra Muñoz; Aguilera, Alberto; de la Torre, Adela

2015-01-01

Latino children experience higher rates of obesity than do non-Latino white children. Family-centered nutrition interventions can slow the rate of weight gain in this population. Niños Sanos, Familia Sana (Healthy Children, Healthy Family) is a 5-year, community-based, participatory research study that targets rural Mexican-origin farmworker families with children aged 2 to 8 years in California’s Central Valley. Adaptation of a culturally relevant obesity prevention program involved qualitative research to tailor key obesity prevention messages, pilot testing and implementation of key messages and activities at family nights, and continual modification to incorporate culturally innovative elements. Of the 238 families enrolled, 53% (125) attended the recommended minimum of 5 (of 10 possible) classes during the first year. A university and community partnership can guide development of a culturally tailored obesity prevention program that is suitable for reaching a high-risk Mexican-origin audience through cooperative extension and other public health programs. PMID:25974142

Enabling IP Header Compression in COTS Routers via Frame Relay on a Simplex Link

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Sam P.; Pang, Jackson; Clare, Loren P.; Cheng, Michael K.

2010-01-01

NASA is moving toward a networkcentric communications architecture and, in particular, is building toward use of Internet Protocol (IP) in space. The use of IP is motivated by its ubiquitous application in many communications networks and in available commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology. The Constellation Program intends to fit two or more voice (over IP) channels on both the forward link to, and the return link from, the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) during all mission phases. Efficient bandwidth utilization of the links is key for voice applications. In Voice over IP (VoIP), the IP packets are limited to small sizes to keep voice latency at a minimum. The common voice codec used in VoIP is G.729. This new algorithm produces voice audio at 8 kbps and in packets of 10-milliseconds duration. Constellation has designed the VoIP communications stack to use the combination of IP/UDP/RTP protocols where IP carries a 20-byte header, UDP (User Datagram Protocol) carries an 8-byte header, and RTP (Real Time Transport Protocol) carries a 12-byte header. The protocol headers total 40 bytes and are equal in length to a 40-byte G.729 payload, doubling the VoIP latency. Since much of the IP/UDP/RTP header information does not change from IP packet to IP packet, IP/UDP/RTP header compression can avoid transmission of much redundant data as well as reduce VoIP latency. The benefits of IP header compression are more pronounced at low data rate links such as the forward and return links during CEV launch. IP/UDP/RTP header compression codecs are well supported by many COTS routers. A common interface to the COTS routers is through frame relay. However, enabling IP header compression over frame relay, according to industry standard (Frame Relay IP Header Compression Agreement FRF.20), requires a duplex link and negotiations between the compressor router and the decompressor router. In Constellation, each forward to and return link from the CEV in space is treated independently as a simplex link. Without negotiation, the COTS routers are prevented from entering into the IP header compression mode, and no IP header compression would be performed. An algorithm is proposed to enable IP header compression in COTS routers on a simplex link with no negotiation or with a one-way messaging. In doing so, COTS routers can enter IP header compression mode without the need to handshake through a bidirectional link as required by FRF.20. This technique would spoof the routers locally and thereby allow the routers to enter into IP header compression mode without having the negotiations between routers actually occur. The spoofing function is conducted by a frame relay adapter (also COTS) with the capability to generate control messages according to the FRF.20 descriptions. Therefore, negotiation is actually performed between the FRF.20 adapter and the connecting COTS router locally and never occurs over the space link. Through understanding of the handshaking protocol described by FRF.20, the necessary FRF.20 negotiations messages can be generated to control the connecting router, not only to turn on IP header compression but also to adjust the compression parameters. The FRF.20 negotiation (or control) message is composed in the FRF.20 adapter by interpreting the incoming router request message. Many of the fields are simply transcribed from request to response while the control field indicating response and type are modified.

49 CFR 393.110 - What else do I have to do to determine the minimum number of tiedowns?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SAFETY REGULATIONS PARTS AND ACCESSORIES NECESSARY FOR SAFE OPERATION Protection Against Shifting and... meters), and one additional tiedown for every 10 feet (3.04 meters) of article length, or fraction... secured by at least one tiedown for every 3.04 meters (10 feet) of article length, or fraction thereof. (d...

Spectral analysis of variable-length coded digital signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cariolaro, G. L.; Pierobon, G. L.; Pupolin, S. G.

1982-05-01

A spectral analysis is conducted for a variable-length word sequence by an encoder driven by a stationary memoryless source. A finite-state sequential machine is considered as a model of the line encoder, and the spectral analysis of the encoded message is performed under the assumption that the sourceword sequence is composed of independent identically distributed words. Closed form expressions for both the continuous and discrete parts of the spectral density are derived in terms of the encoder law and sourceword statistics. The jump part exhibits jumps at multiple integers of per lambda(sub 0)T, where lambda(sub 0) is the greatest common divisor of the possible codeword lengths, and T is the symbol period. The derivation of the continuous part can be conveniently factorized, and the theory is applied to the spectral analysis of BnZS and HDBn codes.

Entropy uncertainty relations and stability of phase-temporal quantum cryptography with finite-length transmitted strings

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

Molotkov, S. N., E-mail: sergei.molotkov@gmail.com

2012-12-15

Any key-generation session contains a finite number of quantum-state messages, and it is there-fore important to understand the fundamental restrictions imposed on the minimal length of a string required to obtain a secret key with a specified length. The entropy uncertainty relations for smooth min and max entropies considerably simplify and shorten the proof of security. A proof of security of quantum key distribution with phase-temporal encryption is presented. This protocol provides the maximum critical error compared to other protocols up to which secure key distribution is guaranteed. In addition, unlike other basic protocols (of the BB84 type), which aremore » vulnerable with respect to an attack by 'blinding' of avalanche photodetectors, this protocol is stable with respect to such an attack and guarantees key security.« less

A new fast algorithm for solving the minimum spanning tree problem based on DNA molecules computation.

PubMed

Wang, Zhaocai; Huang, Dongmei; Meng, Huajun; Tang, Chengpei

2013-10-01

The minimum spanning tree (MST) problem is to find minimum edge connected subsets containing all the vertex of a given undirected graph. It is a vitally important NP-complete problem in graph theory and applied mathematics, having numerous real life applications. Moreover in previous studies, DNA molecular operations usually were used to solve NP-complete head-to-tail path search problems, rarely for NP-hard problems with multi-lateral path solutions result, such as the minimum spanning tree problem. In this paper, we present a new fast DNA algorithm for solving the MST problem using DNA molecular operations. For an undirected graph with n vertex and m edges, we reasonably design flexible length DNA strands representing the vertex and edges, take appropriate steps and get the solutions of the MST problem in proper length range and O(3m+n) time complexity. We extend the application of DNA molecular operations and simultaneity simplify the complexity of the computation. Results of computer simulative experiments show that the proposed method updates some of the best known values with very short time and that the proposed method provides a better performance with solution accuracy over existing algorithms. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Determination of Shapes of Boattail Bodies of Revolution for Minimum Wave Drag

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Mac C.

1951-01-01

By use of an approximate equation for the wave drag of slender bodies of revolution in a supersonic flow field, the optimum shapes of certain boattail bodies are determined for minimum wave drag. The properties of three specific families of bodies are determined, the first family consisting of bodies having a given length and base area and a contour passing through a prescribed point between the nose and base, the second family having fixed length, base area, and maximum area, and the third family having given length, volume, and base area. The method presented is easily generalized to determine minimum-wave-drag profile shapes which have contours that must pass through any prescribed number of points. According to linearized theory, the optimum profiles are found to have infinite slope at the nose but zero radius of curvature so that the bodies appear to have pointed noses, a zero slope at the body base, and no variation of wave drag with Mach number. For those bodies having a specified intermediate.diameter (that is, location and magnitude given), the maximum body diameter is shown to be larger, in general, than the specified diameter. It is also shown that, for bodies having a specified maximum diameter, the location of the maximum diameter is not arbitrary but is determined from the ratio of base diameter to maximum diameter.

Minimum size limits for yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in western Lake Erie

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hartman, Wilbur L.; Nepszy, Stephen J.; Scholl, Russell L.

1980-01-01

During the 1960's yellow perch (Perca flavescens) of Lake Erie supported a commercial fishery that produced an average annual catch of 23 million pounds, as well as a modest sport fishery. Since 1969, the resource has seriously deteriorated. Commercial landings amounted to only 6 million pounds in 1976, and included proportionally more immature perch than in the 1960's. Moreover, no strong year classes were produced between 1965 and 1975. An interagency technical committee was appointed in 1975 by the Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to develop an interim management strategy that would provide for greater protection of perch in western Lake Erie, where declines have been the most severe. The committee first determined the age structure, growth and mortality rates, maturation schedule, and length-fecundity relationship for the population, and then applied Ricker-type equilibrium yield models to determine the effects of various minimum length limits on yield, production, average stock weight, potential egg deposition, and the Abrosov spawning frequency indicator (average number of spawning opportunities per female). The committee recommended increasing the minimum length limit of 5.0 inches to at least 8.5 inches. Theoretically, this change would increase the average stock weight by 36% and potential egg deposition by 44%, without significantly decreasing yield. Abrosov's spawning frequency indicator would rise from the existing 0.6 to about 1.2.

On the normalization of the minimum free energy of RNAs by sequence length.

PubMed

Trotta, Edoardo

2014-01-01

The minimum free energy (MFE) of ribonucleic acids (RNAs) increases at an apparent linear rate with sequence length. Simple indices, obtained by dividing the MFE by the number of nucleotides, have been used for a direct comparison of the folding stability of RNAs of various sizes. Although this normalization procedure has been used in several studies, the relationship between normalized MFE and length has not yet been investigated in detail. Here, we demonstrate that the variation of MFE with sequence length is not linear and is significantly biased by the mathematical formula used for the normalization procedure. For this reason, the normalized MFEs strongly decrease as hyperbolic functions of length and produce unreliable results when applied for the comparison of sequences with different sizes. We also propose a simple modification of the normalization formula that corrects the bias enabling the use of the normalized MFE for RNAs longer than 40 nt. Using the new corrected normalized index, we analyzed the folding free energies of different human RNA families showing that most of them present an average MFE density more negative than expected for a typical genomic sequence. Furthermore, we found that a well-defined and restricted range of MFE density characterizes each RNA family, suggesting the use of our corrected normalized index to improve RNA prediction algorithms. Finally, in coding and functional human RNAs the MFE density appears scarcely correlated with sequence length, consistent with a negligible role of thermodynamic stability demands in determining RNA size.

On the Normalization of the Minimum Free Energy of RNAs by Sequence Length

PubMed Central

Trotta, Edoardo

2014-01-01

The minimum free energy (MFE) of ribonucleic acids (RNAs) increases at an apparent linear rate with sequence length. Simple indices, obtained by dividing the MFE by the number of nucleotides, have been used for a direct comparison of the folding stability of RNAs of various sizes. Although this normalization procedure has been used in several studies, the relationship between normalized MFE and length has not yet been investigated in detail. Here, we demonstrate that the variation of MFE with sequence length is not linear and is significantly biased by the mathematical formula used for the normalization procedure. For this reason, the normalized MFEs strongly decrease as hyperbolic functions of length and produce unreliable results when applied for the comparison of sequences with different sizes. We also propose a simple modification of the normalization formula that corrects the bias enabling the use of the normalized MFE for RNAs longer than 40 nt. Using the new corrected normalized index, we analyzed the folding free energies of different human RNA families showing that most of them present an average MFE density more negative than expected for a typical genomic sequence. Furthermore, we found that a well-defined and restricted range of MFE density characterizes each RNA family, suggesting the use of our corrected normalized index to improve RNA prediction algorithms. Finally, in coding and functional human RNAs the MFE density appears scarcely correlated with sequence length, consistent with a negligible role of thermodynamic stability demands in determining RNA size. PMID:25405875

An improvement of the Earthworm Based Earthquake Alarm Reporting system in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, D. Y.; Hsiao, N. C.; Yih-Min, W.

2017-12-01

The Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan (CWB) has operated the Earthworm Based Earthquake Alarm Reporting (eBEAR) system for the purpose of earthquake early warning (EEW). The system has been used to report EEW messages to the general public since 2016 through text message from the mobile phones and the television programs. The system for inland earthquakes is able to provide accurate and fast warnings. The average epicenter error is about 5 km and the processing time is about 15 seconds. The epicenter error is defined as the distance between the epicenter estimated by the EEW system and the epicenter estimated by man. The processing time is defined as the time difference between the time earthquakes occurred and the time the system issued warning. The CWB seismic network consist about 200 seismic stations. In some area of Taiwan the distance between each seismic station is about 10 km. It means that when an earthquake occurred the seismic P wave is able to propagate through 6 stations, which is the minimum number of required stations in the EEW system, within 20 km. If the latency of data transmitting is about 1 sec, the P-wave velocity is about 6 km per sec and we take 3-sec length time window to estimate earthquake magnitude, then the processing should be around 8 sec. In fact, however, the average processing time is larger than this figure. Because some outliers of P-wave onset picks may exist in the beginning of the earthquake occurrence, the Geiger's method we used in the EEW system for earthquake location is not stable. It usually takes more time to wait for enough number of good picks. In this study we used grid search method to improve the estimations of earthquake location. The MAXEL algorithm (Sheen et al., 2015, 2016) was tested in the EEW system by simulating historical earthquakes occurred in Taiwan. The results show the processing time can be reduced and the location accuracy is acceptable for EEW purpose.

Promoting Linguistic Complexity, Greater Message Length and Ease of Engagement in Email Writing in People with Aphasia: Initial Evidence from a Study Utilizing Assistive Writing Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thiel, Lindsey; Sage, Karen; Conroy, Paul

2017-01-01

Background: Improving email writing in people with aphasia could enhance their ability to communicate, promote interaction and reduce isolation. Spelling therapies have been effective in improving single-word writing. However, there has been limited evidence on how to achieve changes to everyday writing tasks such as email writing in people with…

File text security using Hybrid Cryptosystem with Playfair Cipher Algorithm and Knapsack Naccache-Stern Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amalia; Budiman, M. A.; Sitepu, R.

2018-03-01

Cryptography is one of the best methods to keep the information safe from security attack by unauthorized people. At present, Many studies had been done by previous researchers to generate a more robust cryptographic algorithm to provide high security for data communication. To strengthen data security, one of the methods is hybrid cryptosystem method that combined symmetric and asymmetric algorithm. In this study, we observed a hybrid cryptosystem method contain Modification Playfair Cipher 16x16 algorithm as a symmetric algorithm and Knapsack Naccache-Stern as an asymmetric algorithm. We observe a running time of this hybrid algorithm with some of the various experiments. We tried different amount of characters to be tested which are 10, 100, 1000, 10000 and 100000 characters and we also examined the algorithm with various key’s length which are 10, 20, 30, 40 of key length. The result of our study shows that the processing time for encryption and decryption process each algorithm is linearly proportional, it means the longer messages character then, the more significant times needed to encrypt and decrypt the messages. The encryption running time of Knapsack Naccache-Stern algorithm takes a longer time than its decryption, while the encryption running time of modification Playfair Cipher 16x16 algorithm takes less time than its decryption.

A novel gene network inference algorithm using predictive minimum description length approach.

PubMed

Chaitankar, Vijender; Ghosh, Preetam; Perkins, Edward J; Gong, Ping; Deng, Youping; Zhang, Chaoyang

2010-05-28

Reverse engineering of gene regulatory networks using information theory models has received much attention due to its simplicity, low computational cost, and capability of inferring large networks. One of the major problems with information theory models is to determine the threshold which defines the regulatory relationships between genes. The minimum description length (MDL) principle has been implemented to overcome this problem. The description length of the MDL principle is the sum of model length and data encoding length. A user-specified fine tuning parameter is used as control mechanism between model and data encoding, but it is difficult to find the optimal parameter. In this work, we proposed a new inference algorithm which incorporated mutual information (MI), conditional mutual information (CMI) and predictive minimum description length (PMDL) principle to infer gene regulatory networks from DNA microarray data. In this algorithm, the information theoretic quantities MI and CMI determine the regulatory relationships between genes and the PMDL principle method attempts to determine the best MI threshold without the need of a user-specified fine tuning parameter. The performance of the proposed algorithm was evaluated using both synthetic time series data sets and a biological time series data set for the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The benchmark quantities precision and recall were used as performance measures. The results show that the proposed algorithm produced less false edges and significantly improved the precision, as compared to the existing algorithm. For further analysis the performance of the algorithms was observed over different sizes of data. We have proposed a new algorithm that implements the PMDL principle for inferring gene regulatory networks from time series DNA microarray data that eliminates the need of a fine tuning parameter. The evaluation results obtained from both synthetic and actual biological data sets show that the PMDL principle is effective in determining the MI threshold and the developed algorithm improves precision of gene regulatory network inference. Based on the sensitivity analysis of all tested cases, an optimal CMI threshold value has been identified. Finally it was observed that the performance of the algorithms saturates at a certain threshold of data size.

5 CFR 890.1008 - Mandatory debarment for longer than the minimum length.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Administrative Sanctions Imposed Against Health Care Providers Mandatory Debarments § 890.1008 Mandatory debarment for...

34 CFR 668.10 - Direct assessment programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... student will do (e.g., required readings, research, and work products), how the student's work will be... including, if applicable, minimum program length and qualitative factors. (d) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a...

34 CFR 668.10 - Direct assessment programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... student will do (e.g., required readings, research, and work products), how the student's work will be... including, if applicable, minimum program length and qualitative factors. (d) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a...

34 CFR 668.10 - Direct assessment programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... student will do (e.g., required readings, research, and work products), how the student's work will be... including, if applicable, minimum program length and qualitative factors. (d) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a...

Long-distance quantum communication with atomic ensembles and linear optics.

PubMed

Duan, L M; Lukin, M D; Cirac, J I; Zoller, P

2001-11-22

Quantum communication holds promise for absolutely secure transmission of secret messages and the faithful transfer of unknown quantum states. Photonic channels appear to be very attractive for the physical implementation of quantum communication. However, owing to losses and decoherence in the channel, the communication fidelity decreases exponentially with the channel length. Here we describe a scheme that allows the implementation of robust quantum communication over long lossy channels. The scheme involves laser manipulation of atomic ensembles, beam splitters, and single-photon detectors with moderate efficiencies, and is therefore compatible with current experimental technology. We show that the communication efficiency scales polynomially with the channel length, and hence the scheme should be operable over very long distances.

Multiphase complete exchange: A theoretical analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bokhari, Shahid H.

1993-01-01

Complete Exchange requires each of N processors to send a unique message to each of the remaining N-1 processors. For a circuit switched hypercube with N = 2(sub d) processors, the Direct and Standard algorithms for Complete Exchange are optimal for very large and very small message sizes, respectively. For intermediate sizes, a hybrid Multiphase algorithm is better. This carries out Direct exchanges on a set of subcubes whose dimensions are a partition of the integer d. The best such algorithm for a given message size m could hitherto only be found by enumerating all partitions of d. The Multiphase algorithm is analyzed assuming a high performance communication network. It is proved that only algorithms corresponding to equipartitions of d (partitions in which the maximum and minimum elements differ by at most 1) can possibly be optimal. The run times of these algorithms plotted against m form a hull of optimality. It is proved that, although there is an exponential number of partitions, (1) the number of faces on this hull is Theta(square root of d), (2) the hull can be found in theta(square root of d) time, and (3) once it has been found, the optimal algorithm for any given m can be found in Theta(log d) time. These results provide a very fast technique for minimizing communication overhead in many important applications, such as matrix transpose, Fast Fourier transform, and ADI.

Designing Microblog Direct Messages to Engage Social Media Users With Suicide Ideation: Interview and Survey Study on Weibo.

PubMed

Tan, Ziying; Liu, Xingyun; Liu, Xiaoqian; Cheng, Qijin; Zhu, Tingshao

2017-12-12

While Web-based interventions can be efficacious, engaging a target population's attention remains challenging. We argue that strategies to draw such a population's attention should be tailored to meet its needs. Increasing user engagement in online suicide intervention development requires feedback from this group to prevent people who have suicide ideation from seeking treatment. The goal of this study was to solicit feedback on the acceptability of the content of messaging from social media users with suicide ideation. To overcome the common concern of lack of engagement in online interventions and to ensure effective learning from the message, this research employs a customized design of both content and length of the message. In study 1, 17 participants suffering from suicide ideation were recruited. The first (n=8) group conversed with a professional suicide intervention doctor about its attitudes and suggestions for a direct message intervention. To ensure the reliability and consistency of the result, an identical interview was conducted for the second group (n=9). Based on the collected data, questionnaires about this intervention were formed. Study 2 recruited 4222 microblog users with suicide ideation via the Internet. The results of the group interviews in study 1 yielded little difference regarding the interview results; this difference may relate to the 2 groups' varied perceptions of direct message design. However, most participants reported that they would be most drawn to an intervention where they knew that the account was reliable. Out of 4222 microblog users, we received responses from 725 with completed questionnaires; 78.62% (570/725) participants were not opposed to online suicide intervention and they valued the link for extra suicide intervention information as long as the account appeared to be trustworthy. Their attitudes toward the intervention and the account were similar to those from study 1, and 3 important elements were found pertaining to the direct message: reliability of account name, brevity of the message, and details of the phone numbers of psychological intervention centers and psychological assessment. This paper proposed strategies for engaging target populations in online suicide interventions. ©Ziying Tan, Xingyun Liu, Xiaoqian Liu, Qijin Cheng, Tingshao Zhu. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 12.12.2017.

High capacity low delay packet broadcasting multiaccess schemes for satellite repeater systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bose, S. K.

1980-12-01

Demand assigned packet radio schemes using satellite repeaters can achieve high capacities but often exhibit relatively large delays under low traffic conditions when compared to random access. Several schemes which improve delay performance at low traffic but which have high capacity are presented and analyzed. These schemes allow random acess attempts by users, who are waiting for channel assignments. The performance of these are considered in the context of a multiple point communication system carrying fixed length messages between geographically distributed (ground) user terminals which are linked via a satellite repeater. Channel assignments are done following a BCC queueing discipline by a (ground) central controller on the basis of requests correctly received over a collision type access channel. In TBACR Scheme A, some of the forward message channels are set aside for random access transmissions; the rest are used in a demand assigned mode. Schemes B and C operate all their forward message channels in a demand assignment mode but, by means of appropriate algorithms for trailer channel selection, allow random access attempts on unassigned channels. The latter scheme also introduces framing and slotting of the time axis to implement a more efficient algorithm for trailer channel selection than the former.

Variation of Solar, Interplanetary and Geomagnetic Parameters during Solar Cycles 21-24

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Suyeon; Kim, Bogyeong

2013-06-01

The length of solar cycle 23 has been prolonged up to about 13 years. Many studies have speculated that the solar cycle 23/24 minimum will indicate the onset of a grand minimum of solar activity, such as the Maunder Minimum. We check the trends of solar (sunspot number, solar magnetic fields, total solar irradiance, solar radio flux, and frequency of solar X-ray flare), interplanetary (interplanetary magnetic field, solar wind and galactic cosmic ray intensity), and geomagnetic (Ap index) parameters (SIG parameters) during solar cycles 21-24. Most SIG parameters during the period of the solar cycle 23/24 minimum have remarkably low values. Since the 1970s, the space environment has been monitored by ground observatories and satellites. Such prevalently low values of SIG parameters have never been seen. We suggest that these unprecedented conditions of SIG parameters originate from the weakened solar magnetic fields. Meanwhile, the deep 23/24 solar cycle minimum might be the portent of a grand minimum in which the global mean temperature of the lower atmosphere is as low as in the period of Dalton or Maunder minimum.

Final bubble lengths for aqueous foam coarsened in a horizontal cylinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sebag, V.; Roth, A. E.; Durian, D. J.

2011-12-01

We report on length statistics measured for bubbles in the equilibrium bamboo state, achieved by the coarsening of aqueous foam in long cylindrical tubes, such that the soap films are all flat and perpendicular to the axis of the tube. The average bubble length is found to be 0.88 times the tube diameter, independent of variation of the liquid filling fraction by a factor of nearly three. The actual distribution is well-approximated by a shifted Rayleigh form, with a minimum bubble size of 0.28 tube diameters. And, perhaps surprisingly, no correlations are found in the lengths of neighboring bubbles. The observed length distribution agrees with that of Fortes et al. for short bubbles, but not for long bubbles.

A fully covariant information-theoretic ultraviolet cutoff for scalar fields in expanding Friedmann Robertson Walker spacetimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kempf, A.; Chatwin-Davies, A.; Martin, R. T. W.

2013-02-01

While a natural ultraviolet cutoff, presumably at the Planck length, is widely assumed to exist in nature, it is nontrivial to implement a minimum length scale covariantly. This is because the presence of a fixed minimum length needs to be reconciled with the ability of Lorentz transformations to contract lengths. In this paper, we implement a fully covariant Planck scale cutoff by cutting off the spectrum of the d'Alembertian. In this scenario, consistent with Lorentz contractions, wavelengths that are arbitrarily smaller than the Planck length continue to exist. However, the dynamics of modes of wavelengths that are significantly smaller than the Planck length possess a very small bandwidth. This has the effect of freezing the dynamics of such modes. While both wavelengths and bandwidths are frame dependent, Lorentz contraction and time dilation conspire to make the freezing of modes of trans-Planckian wavelengths covariant. In particular, we show that this ultraviolet cutoff can be implemented covariantly also in curved spacetimes. We focus on Friedmann Robertson Walker spacetimes and their much-discussed trans-Planckian question: The physical wavelength of each comoving mode was smaller than the Planck scale at sufficiently early times. What was the mode's dynamics then? Here, we show that in the presence of the covariant UV cutoff, the dynamical bandwidth of a comoving mode is essentially zero up until its physical wavelength starts exceeding the Planck length. In particular, we show that under general assumptions, the number of dynamical degrees of freedom of each comoving mode all the way up to some arbitrary finite time is actually finite. Our results also open the way to calculating the impact of this natural UV cutoff on inflationary predictions for the cosmic microwave background.

Aging and cardiovascular complexity: effect of the length of RR tachograms

PubMed Central

Nagaraj, Nithin

2016-01-01

As we age, our hearts undergo changes that result in a reduction in complexity of physiological interactions between different control mechanisms. This results in a potential risk of cardiovascular diseases which are the number one cause of death globally. Since cardiac signals are nonstationary and nonlinear in nature, complexity measures are better suited to handle such data. In this study, three complexity measures are used, namely Lempel–Ziv complexity (LZ), Sample Entropy (SampEn) and Effort-To-Compress (ETC). We determined the minimum length of RR tachogram required for characterizing complexity of healthy young and healthy old hearts. All the three measures indicated significantly lower complexity values for older subjects than younger ones. However, the minimum length of heart-beat interval data needed differs for the three measures, with LZ and ETC needing as low as 10 samples, whereas SampEn requires at least 80 samples. Our study indicates that complexity measures such as LZ and ETC are good candidates for the analysis of cardiovascular dynamics since they are able to work with very short RR tachograms. PMID:27957395

The flame structure and vorticity generated by a chemically reacting transverse jet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karagozian, A. R.

1986-01-01

An analytical model describing the behavior of a turbulent fuel jet injected normally into a cross flow is developed. The model places particular emphasis on the contrarotating vortex pair associated with the jet, and predicts the flame length and shape based on entrainment of the oxidizer by the fuel jet. Effects of buoyancy and density variations in the flame are neglected in order to isolate the effects of large-scale mixing. The results are compared with a simulation of the transverse reacting jet in a liquid (acid-base) system. For a wide range of ratios of the cross flow to jet velocity, the model predicts flame length quite well. In particular, the observed transitional behavior in the flame length between cross-flow velocity to jet velocity of orifice ratios of 0.0 to 0.1, yielding an approximate minimum at the ratio 0.05, is reproduced very clearly by the present model. The transformation in flow structure that accounts for this minimum arises from the differing components of vorticity dominant in the near-field and far-field regions of the jet.

cWINNOWER algorithm for finding fuzzy dna motifs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liang, S.; Samanta, M. P.; Biegel, B. A.

2004-01-01

The cWINNOWER algorithm detects fuzzy motifs in DNA sequences rich in protein-binding signals. A signal is defined as any short nucleotide pattern having up to d mutations differing from a motif of length l. The algorithm finds such motifs if a clique consisting of a sufficiently large number of mutated copies of the motif (i.e., the signals) is present in the DNA sequence. The cWINNOWER algorithm substantially improves the sensitivity of the winnower method of Pevzner and Sze by imposing a consensus constraint, enabling it to detect much weaker signals. We studied the minimum detectable clique size qc as a function of sequence length N for random sequences. We found that qc increases linearly with N for a fast version of the algorithm based on counting three-member sub-cliques. Imposing consensus constraints reduces qc by a factor of three in this case, which makes the algorithm dramatically more sensitive. Our most sensitive algorithm, which counts four-member sub-cliques, needs a minimum of only 13 signals to detect motifs in a sequence of length N = 12,000 for (l, d) = (15, 4). Copyright Imperial College Press.

cWINNOWER Algorithm for Finding Fuzzy DNA Motifs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liang, Shoudan

2003-01-01

The cWINNOWER algorithm detects fuzzy motifs in DNA sequences rich in protein-binding signals. A signal is defined as any short nucleotide pattern having up to d mutations differing from a motif of length l. The algorithm finds such motifs if multiple mutated copies of the motif (i.e., the signals) are present in the DNA sequence in sufficient abundance. The cWINNOWER algorithm substantially improves the sensitivity of the winnower method of Pevzner and Sze by imposing a consensus constraint, enabling it to detect much weaker signals. We studied the minimum number of detectable motifs qc as a function of sequence length N for random sequences. We found that qc increases linearly with N for a fast version of the algorithm based on counting three-member sub-cliques. Imposing consensus constraints reduces qc, by a factor of three in this case, which makes the algorithm dramatically more sensitive. Our most sensitive algorithm, which counts four-member sub-cliques, needs a minimum of only 13 signals to detect motifs in a sequence of length N = 12000 for (l,d) = (15,4).

Balancing building and maintenance costs in growing transport networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bottinelli, Arianna; Louf, Rémi; Gherardi, Marco

2017-09-01

The costs associated to the length of links impose unavoidable constraints to the growth of natural and artificial transport networks. When future network developments cannot be predicted, the costs of building and maintaining connections cannot be minimized simultaneously, requiring competing optimization mechanisms. Here, we study a one-parameter nonequilibrium model driven by an optimization functional, defined as the convex combination of building cost and maintenance cost. By varying the coefficient of the combination, the model interpolates between global and local length minimization, i.e., between minimum spanning trees and a local version known as dynamical minimum spanning trees. We show that cost balance within this ensemble of dynamical networks is a sufficient ingredient for the emergence of tradeoffs between the network's total length and transport efficiency, and of optimal strategies of construction. At the transition between two qualitatively different regimes, the dynamics builds up power-law distributed waiting times between global rearrangements, indicating a point of nonoptimality. Finally, we use our model as a framework to analyze empirical ant trail networks, showing its relevance as a null model for cost-constrained network formation.

Electron cooling of a bunched ion beam in a storage ring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, He; Mao, Lijun; Yang, Jiancheng; Xia, Jiawen; Yang, Xiaodong; Li, Jie; Tang, Meitang; Shen, Guodong; Ma, Xiaoming; Wu, Bo; Wang, Geng; Ruan, Shuang; Wang, Kedong; Dong, Ziqiang

2018-02-01

A combination of electron cooling and rf system is an effective method to compress the beam bunch length in storage rings. A simulation code based on multiparticle tracking was developed to calculate the bunched ion beam cooling process, in which the electron cooling, intrabeam scattering (IBS), ion beam space-charge field, transverse and synchrotron motion are considered. Meanwhile, bunched ion beam cooling experiments have been carried out in the main cooling storage ring (CSRm) of the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou, to investigate the minimum bunch length obtained by the cooling method, and study the dependence of the minimum bunch length on beam and machine parameters. The experiments show comparable results to those from simulation. Based on these simulations and experiments, we established an analytical model to describe the limitation of the bunch length of the cooled ion beam. It is observed that the IBS effect is dominant for low intensity beams, and the space-charge effect is much more important for high intensity beams. Moreover, the particles will not be bunched for much higher intensity beam. The experimental results in CSRm show a good agreement with the analytical model in the IBS dominated regime. The simulation work offers us comparable results to those from the analytical model both in IBS dominated and space-charge dominated regimes.

SU-E-I-16: Scan Length Dependency of the Radial Dose Distribution in a Long Polyethylene Cylinder

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

Bakalyar, D; McKenney, S; Feng, W

Purpose: The area-averaged dose in the central plane of a long cylinder following a CT scan depends upon the radial dose distribution and the length of the scan. The ICRU/TG200 phantom, a polyethylene cylinder 30 cm in diameter and 60 cm long, was the subject of this study. The purpose was to develop an analytic function that could determine the dose for a scan length L at any point in the central plane of this phantom. Methods: Monte Carlo calculations were performed on a simulated ICRU/TG200 phantom under conditions of cylindrically symmetric conditions of irradiation. Thus, the radial dose distributionmore » function must be an even function that accounts for two competing effects: The direct beam makes its weakest contribution at the center while the scatter begins abruptly at the outer radius and grows as the center is approached. The scatter contribution also increases with scan length with the increase approaching its limiting value at the periphery faster than along the central axis. An analytic function was developed that fit the data and possessed these features. Results: Symmetry and continuity dictate a local extremum at the center which is a minimum for the ICRU/TG200 phantom. The relative depth of the minimum decreases as the scan length grows and an absolute maximum can occur between the center and outer edge of the cylinders. As the scan length grows, the relative dip in the center decreases so that for very long scan lengths, the dose profile is relatively flat. Conclusion: An analytic function characterizes the radial and scan length dependency of dose for long cylindrical phantoms. The function can be integrated with the results expressed in closed form. One use for this is to help determine average dose distribution over the central cylinder plane for any scan length.« less

Optimal Guiding Catheter Length for Endovascular Coiling of Intracranial Aneurysms in Anterior Circulation in Era of Flourishing Distal Access System

PubMed Central

Jia, Zhen Yu; Lee, Sang Hun; Kim, Young Eun; Choi, Joon Ho; Hwang, Sun Moon; Lee, Ga Young; Youn, Jin Ho

2017-01-01

Purpose To determine the minimum required guiding catheter length for embolization of various intracranial aneurysms in anterior circulation and to analyze the effect of various patient factors on the required catheter length and potential interaction with its stability. Materials and Methods From December 2016 to March 2017, 90 patients with 93 anterior circulation aneurysms were enrolled. Three types of guiding catheters (Envoy, Envoy DA, and Envoy DA XB; Codman Neurovascular, Raynham, MA, USA) were used. We measured the in-the-body length of the catheter and checked the catheter tip location in the carotid artery. We analyzed factors affecting the in-the-body length and stability of the guiding catheter system. Results The average (±standard deviation) in-the-body length of the catheter was 84.2±5.9 cm. The length was significantly longer in men (89.1±5.6 vs. 82.1±4.6 cm, P<0.001), patients older than 65 years (87.7±7.8 vs. 82.7±4.2 cm, P<0.001), patients with a more tortuous arch (arch type 2 and 3) (87.5±7.4 vs. 82.7±4.4 cm, P<0.001), and patients with a distal aneurysm location (distal group) (86.2±5.0 vs. 82.7±6.1 cm, P=0.004). A shift in the tip location was noted in 19 patients (20.4%); there was no significant different among the 3 catheters (P=0.942). Conclusion The minimum required length of a guiding catheter was 84 cm on average for elective anterior-circulation aneurysm embolization. The length increased in men older than 65 years with a more tortuous arch. We could reach a higher position with distal access catheters with little difference in the stability once we reached the target location. PMID:28955511

A Rational Approach to Determine Minimum Strength Thresholds in Novel Structural Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schur, Willi W.; Bilen, Canan; Sterling, Jerry

2003-01-01

Design of safe and survivable structures requires the availability of guaranteed minimum strength thresholds for structural materials to enable a meaningful comparison of strength requirement and available strength. This paper develops a procedure for determining such a threshold with a desired degree of confidence, for structural materials with none or minimal industrial experience. The problem arose in attempting to use a new, highly weight-efficient structural load tendon material to achieve a lightweight super-pressure balloon. The developed procedure applies to lineal (one dimensional) structural elements. One important aspect of the formulation is that it extrapolates to expected probability distributions for long length specimen samples from some hypothesized probability distribution that has been obtained from a shorter length specimen sample. The use of the developed procedure is illustrated using both real and simulated data.

46 CFR 76.10-90 - Installations contracted for prior to May 26, 1965.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Not over Minimum number of pumps Minimum hose and hydrant size, inches Nozzle orifice size, inches Length of hose, feet 100 4,000 2 1 11/2 1 5/8 1 50 4,000 3 1 11/2 1 5/8 1 50 1 May use 50 feet of 21/2-inch hose with 7/8-inch nozzles for exterior stations. May use 75 feet of 11/2-inch hose with 5/8-inch...

Electronic communication based interventions for hazardous young drinkers: A systematic review.

PubMed

O Rourke, L; Humphris, G; Baldacchino, A

2016-09-01

Previous reviews have specifically looked at computer-based or Internet-based approaches. However, there has been no systematic review focused upon electronic communication based interventions for hazardous young drinkers. Out of 3298 relevant citations, 13 papers consisting of 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. Effectiveness of intervention delivery was assessed using behavioural outcomes. Eight papers delivered interventions using the Web, three implemented text messaging, one used a mobile phone app and the remaining paper used a social networking site. The ability to provide personalized electronic feedback resulted in a reduction in alcohol consumption, frequency of binge drinking, and drinking in a non-risky way. However, intervention length did not appear to have an impact on overall effectiveness. Usage of text messaging and Social Network Sites (SNS) increased accessibility and ease of engaging in an intervention that is appealing and acceptable for young adults. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comprehension of Navigation Directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Healy, Alice F.; Schneider, Vivian I.

2002-01-01

Subjects were shown navigation instructions varying in length directing them to move in a space represented by grids on a computer screen. They followed the instructions by clicking on the grids in the locations specified. Some subjects repeated back the instructions before following them, some did not, and others repeated back the instructions in reduced form, including only the critical words. The commands in each message were presented simultaneously for half of the subjects and sequentially for the others. For the longest messages, performance was better on the initial commands and worse on the final commands with simultaneous than with sequential presentation. Instruction repetition depressed performance, but reduced repetition removed this disadvantage. Effects of presentation format were attributed to visual scanning strategies. The advantage for reduced repetition was attributable either to enhanced visual scanning or to reduced output interference. A follow-up study with auditory presentation supported the visual scanning explanation.

Factors affecting adherence to appointment system in the clinic for non-communicable diseases in UNRWA's Khan Younis Health Centre and the role of mobile phone text messages to improve adherence: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Al Najjar, Sanaa; Al Shaer, Tamer

2018-02-21

To meet the emerging needs of the increasing numbers of patients with non-communicable diseases and to provide optimum care with optimum contact time and minimum waiting time, as stated in UNRWA guidelines, the mobile phone text messaging system was implemented in UNRWA centres to remind patients of upcoming appointments and to thereby improve the quality of care for vulnerable patients and regulate the work load in the clinics for non-communicable diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the causes for lack of adherence to the appointment system at UNRWA centres. This descriptive cross-sectional study was done in the UNRWA's Khan Younis Health Centre (KYHC), which serves the same refugee population as other UNRWA health centres and follows the same guidelines with minimal variation. Data were collected through interviewer-administered questionnaires, with ten medical staff members involved in the appointment process and 50 patients with non-communicable diseases selected randomly from patients attending the KYHC. The text-message reminder intervention targeted 1000 patients with non-communicable diseases and consisted of an electronic message technique that was developed to remind patients about the day and time of upcoming appointments. Administrative approval was obtained from the chief of UNRWA health programme. Verbal consent was obtained from participants. We followed the Modified International Code of Ethics Principles (1975), known as the Declaration of Helsinki. The main barrier to adherence to appointments in the clinic for non-communicable diseases was forgetting the appointment. Other factors were lack of awareness, clinic overcrowding, appointments that do not match the patient's preference, availability of other service providers, and financial issues. In March, 2016, after the completion of the intervention, the proportion of patients that adhered to their appointment by date and time was 76%, compared with about 45% in January and February, 2016 (p=0·013). The text messaging reminder is a successful way of improving patient's adherence to appointments in UNRWA clinics for non-communicable diseases. The intervention should be continued and integrated in daily work. More financial resources are needed to support the text messaging reminder system. None. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 84.151 - Harness test; minimum requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... concrete floor without disarranging the harness or exerting a pull on the facepiece. (5) The arrangement... manner that prevents a pull equivalent to dragging the maximum length of the hose over a concrete floor...

46 CFR 77.35-5 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...-3). (d) All lifelines shall be of steel or bronze wire rope. Steel wire ropes shall be either... less than 50 feet in length. The assembled lifeline shall have a minimum breaking strength of 1,500...

46 CFR 77.35-5 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...-3). (d) All lifelines shall be of steel or bronze wire rope. Steel wire ropes shall be either... less than 50 feet in length. The assembled lifeline shall have a minimum breaking strength of 1,500...

46 CFR 77.35-5 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...-3). (d) All lifelines shall be of steel or bronze wire rope. Steel wire ropes shall be either... less than 50 feet in length. The assembled lifeline shall have a minimum breaking strength of 1,500...

46 CFR 77.35-5 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...-3). (d) All lifelines shall be of steel or bronze wire rope. Steel wire ropes shall be either... less than 50 feet in length. The assembled lifeline shall have a minimum breaking strength of 1,500...

Affect and Dyads: Conflict Across Different Technological Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burge, Jamika D.; Tatar, Deborah

Communication is as, or more, important under conditions of conflict or disagreement as when agreement prevails. An experiment looked at couples engaged in discussing a topic that they disagreed about, either face-to-face, over the phone, or via instant messaging. At least one member of a couple was more likely to suffer an above-median decline in mood in the mediated condition as compared to the face-to-face condition. Couples in the face-to-face condition used the most words, while those in the instant messaging used the least. Couples in the phone condition nearly covered the spectrum. Current indications suggest that while the answer to the question, “Does arguing via mediated means have worse effects than all the other things in relationships, known and unknown, that contribute to the outcome of an argument?” is “No,” the answer to the question, “Does arguing via mediated means have bad effects compared to arguing face-to-face?” is “Quite likely.” At the minimum, the course of the argument and the facial expressions differ from medium to medium.

Exposure to Large-Scale Social and Behavior Change Communication Interventions Is Associated with Improvements in Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices in Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Rawat, Rahul; Mwangi, Edina M.; Tesfaye, Roman; Abebe, Yewelsew; Baker, Jean; Frongillo, Edward A.; Ruel, Marie T.; Menon, Purnima

2016-01-01

Optimal breastfeeding (BF) practices in Ethiopia are far below the government’s targets, and complementary feeding practices are poor. The Alive & Thrive initiative aimed to improve infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices through large-scale implementation of social and behavior change communication interventions in four regions of Ethiopia. The study assessed the effects of the interventions on IYCF practices and anthropometry over time in two regions–Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region and Tigray. A pre- and post-intervention adequacy evaluation design was used; repeated cross-sectional surveys of households with children aged 0–23.9 mo (n = 1481 and n = 1494) and with children aged 24–59.9 mo (n = 1481 and n = 1475) were conducted at baseline (2010) and endline (2014), respectively. Differences in outcomes over time were estimated using regression models, accounting for clustering and covariates. Plausibility analyses included tracing recall of key messages and promoted foods and dose-response analyses. We observed improvements in most WHO-recommended IYCF indicators. Early BF initiation and exclusive BF increased by 13.7 and 9.4 percentage points (pp), respectively. Differences for timely introduction of complementary foods, minimum dietary diversity (MDD), minimum meal frequency (MMF), minimum acceptable diet (MAD), and consumption of iron-rich foods were 22.2, 3.3, 26.2, 3.5, and 2.7 pp, respectively. Timely introduction and intake of foods promoted by the interventions improved significantly, but anthropometric outcomes did not. We also observed a dose-response association between health post visits and early initiation of BF (OR: 1.8); higher numbers of home visits by community volunteers and key messages recalled were associated with 1.8–4.4 times greater odds of achieving MDD, MMF, and MAD, and higher numbers of radio spots heard were associated with 3 times greater odds of achieving MDD and MAD. The interventions were associated with plausible improvements in IYCF practices, but large gaps in improving children’s diets in Ethiopia remain, particularly during complementary feeding. PMID:27755586

Computing the Length of the Shortest Telomere in the Nucleus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dao Duc, K.; Holcman, D.

2013-11-01

The telomere length can either be shortened or elongated by an enzyme called telomerase after each cell division. Interestingly, the shortest telomere is involved in controlling the ability of a cell to divide. Yet, its dynamics remains elusive. We present here a stochastic approach where we model this dynamics using a Markov jump process. We solve the forward Fokker-Planck equation to obtain the steady state distribution and the statistical moments of telomere lengths. We focus specifically on the shortest one and we estimate its length difference with the second shortest telomere. After extracting key parameters such as elongation and shortening dynamics from experimental data, we compute the length of telomeres in yeast and obtain as a possible prediction the minimum concentration of telomerase required to ensure a proper cell division.

Computer search for binary cyclic UEP codes of odd length up to 65

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Mao-Chao; Lin, Chi-Chang; Lin, Shu

1990-01-01

Using an exhaustive computation, the unequal error protection capabilities of all binary cyclic codes of odd length up to 65 that have minimum distances at least 3 are found. For those codes that can only have upper bounds on their unequal error protection capabilities computed, an analytic method developed by Dynkin and Togonidze (1976) is used to show that the upper bounds meet the exact unequal error protection capabilities.

Should title lengths really adhere to the American Psychological Association's twelve word limit?

PubMed

Hallock, Robert M; Dillner, Kari M

2016-04-01

The publication manual for the American Psychological Association (APA) suggests that title lengths do not exceed 12 words, yet journals do not prevent longer titles. Here, we examined title lengths in APA journals to see how many exceeded the APA's suggested limit. First, we conducted a systematic analysis of 235 articles in the current issues of 23 APA journals. A total of 52% of titles were more than 12 words long. Second, we examined articles from APA journals that were at least 50 years old to examine whether title lengths have changed over time. Our results suggested that the average title lengths have indeed increased with time. One of 2 courses should be taken. Perhaps science is becoming more complex that longer titles are needed in order to convey the primary message to the reader. If this is the case, then the APA's word limit should be increased. On the other hand, however, maybe editor and reviewers should try to enforce the current word limit to force writers to be succinct. Either way, editors should make their preferences clear so that the trend for longer titles does not continue unchecked. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Ensemble Weight Enumerators for Protograph LDPC Codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Divsalar, Dariush

2006-01-01

Recently LDPC codes with projected graph, or protograph structures have been proposed. In this paper, finite length ensemble weight enumerators for LDPC codes with protograph structures are obtained. Asymptotic results are derived as the block size goes to infinity. In particular we are interested in obtaining ensemble average weight enumerators for protograph LDPC codes which have minimum distance that grows linearly with block size. As with irregular ensembles, linear minimum distance property is sensitive to the proportion of degree-2 variable nodes. In this paper the derived results on ensemble weight enumerators show that linear minimum distance condition on degree distribution of unstructured irregular LDPC codes is a sufficient but not a necessary condition for protograph LDPC codes.

Minimum and start of the eleven-year solar cycle, Earth's ionosphere and radioamateurs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janda, F. K.

2010-12-01

During the last long and deep minimum of solar activity, particularly in the years 2008 and 2009, we could read a whole bunch of unfulfilled predictions, and inaccurate and confusing messages whose authors were apparently surprised , or at least showed up a surprised face. Usually, their common feature was focusing on only a small number of solar activity parameters, often neglecting results of historical observations. Recall "It has all been here already, and yet it will all happen again" (Wieslaw Brudzinski). At the same time, we have, so to say, "at our hands" a medium which simultaneously responds in a flexible and accurate way to most manifestations of the solar activity and which can be traced with just a radio receiver - and, of course, somewhat trained ear, for example of an amateur radio operator. Ionospheric probes are, however, much better for our purposes, and things that can be done with their current generation only very recently belonged to the world of dreams.

Apical root resorption during orthodontic treatment with aligners? A retrospective radiometric study.

PubMed

Krieger, Elena; Drechsler, Thomas; Schmidtmann, Irene; Jacobs, Collin; Haag, Simeon; Wehrbein, Heinrich

2013-08-14

Objective of this study was to investigate the incidence and severity of apical root resorptions (ARR) during orthodontic treatment with aligners. The sample comprised 100 patients (17-75 years of age) with a class I occlusion and anterior crowding before treatment, treated exclusively with aligners (Invisalign®, Align Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA). The following teeth were assessed: upper and lower anterior teeth and first molars. Root and crown lengths of a total of 1600 teeth were measured twice in pre- and post-treatment panoramic radiographs. Afterwards, relative changes of the root length during treatment were calculated by a root-crown-ratio taking pre- and post-treatment root and crown lengths into consideration. A reduction of this ratio was considered as a shortening of the initial root length. Additionally, tooth movements of the front teeth were assessed by lateral cephalograms and the 3-dimensonal set up of each patient. All patients had a reduction of the pre-treatment root length with a minimum of two teeth. On average 7.36 teeth per patient were affected. 54% of 1600 measured teeth showed no measurable root reduction. A reduction of >0%-10% of the pre-treatment root length was found in 27.75%, a distinct reduction of >10%-20% in 11.94%. 6.31% of all teeth were affected with a considerable reduction of >20%. We found no statistically significant correlation between relative root length changes and the individual tooth, gender, age or sagittal and vertical orthodontic tooth movement; except for extrusion of upper front teeth, which was considered as not clinical relevant due to the small amount of mean 4% ARR. The present study is the first analyzing ARR in patients with a fully implemented orthodontic treatment with aligners (i.e. resolving anterior crowding). The variety was high and no clinical relevant influence factor could be detected. A minimum of two teeth with a root length reduction was found in every patient. On average, 7.36 teeth per patient were affected.

Measurement of operator workload in an information processing task

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenney, L. L.; Older, H. J.; Cameron, B. J.

1972-01-01

This was an experimental study to develop an improved methodology for measuring workload in an information processing task and to assess the effects of shift length and communication density (rate of information flow) on the ability to process and classify verbal messages. Each of twelve subjects was exposed to combinations of three shift lengths and two communication densities in a counterbalanced, repeated measurements experimental design. Results indicated no systematic variation in task performance measures or in other dependent measures as a function of shift length or communication density. This is attributed to the absence of a secondary loading task, an insufficiently taxing work schedule, and the lack of psychological stress. Subjective magnitude estimates of workload showed fatigue (and to a lesser degree, tension) to be a power function of shift length. Estimates of task difficulty and fatigue were initially lower but increased more sharply over time under low density than under high density conditions. An interpretation of findings and recommedations for furture research are included. This research has major implications to human workload problems in information processing of air traffic control verbal data.

[The 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine and its surprising message: lifestyle is associated with telomerase activity].

PubMed

Falus, András; Marton, István; Borbényi, Erika; Tahy, Adám; Karádi, Pál; Aradi, János; Stauder, Adrienne; Kopp, Mária

2010-06-13

The 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine was awarded to three scientists for their pioneer research on telomeres - and the enzyme that forms them - telomerase. Their work highlighted the considerable connection between the length of telomeres and intensive changes in lifestyle and nutrition (Ornish method) as well as behavioral and psychological factors. In this review the various elements of molecular, cell biological, nutritional and lifestyle changes are introduced and discussed.

Design and Development of a Web-Based DOD PKI Common Access Card (CAC) Instruction Tool

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

institute internal training programs…to help educate the appropriate personnel” (p. 269). This section indicates the need for training when...of “digital certificates” that provide for the integrity and authenticity of the user to public key value binding. • Though public keys can be...known as a digest) is a unique, fixed- length mathematical value that is determined by the content of the message and the ‘hashing’ algorithm used

Telemetry Standards, RCC Standard 106-17. Chapter 24. Message Formats

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-01

strength indicator TCP Transmission Control Protocol TE Traffic Engineering TAI International Atomic Time TLV Type-Length-Value TmNS Telemetry...to a specific radio link. TE Queue Status Report 10 This TLV is used by a radio to report Traffic Engineering (TE) queue levels for each of the 8...24.3.2.6 Traffic Engineering Queue Status Report TLV The TE Queue Status Report TLV shall be used to report the queue levels of the eight

50 CFR 622.436 - Size limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... intact. (a) Yellowtail snapper. The minimum size limit for yellowtail snapper is 12 inches (30.5 cm), TL... inches (20.3 cm), fork length. [78 FR 22952, Apr. 17, 2013, as amended at 78 FR 45896, July 30, 2013] ...

50 CFR 622.436 - Size limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... intact. (a) Yellowtail snapper. The minimum size limit for yellowtail snapper is 12 inches (30.5 cm), TL... inches (20.3 cm), fork length. [78 FR 22952, Apr. 17, 2013, as amended at 78 FR 45896, July 30, 2013] ...

Design of landfill daily cells.

PubMed

Panagiotakopoulos, D; Dokas, I

2001-08-01

The objective of this paper is to study the behaviour of the landfill soil-to-refuse (S/R) ratio when size, geometry and operating parameters of the daily cell vary over realistic ranges. A simple procedure is presented (1) for calculating the cell parameters values which minimise the S/R ratio and (2) for studying the sensitivity of this minimum S/R ratio to variations in cell size, final refuse density, working face length, lift height and cover thickness. In countries where daily soil cover is required, savings in landfill space could be realised following this procedure. The sensitivity of minimum S/R to variations in cell dimensions decreases with cell size. Working face length and lift height affect the S/R ratio significantly. This procedure also offers the engineer an additional tool for comparing one large daily cell with two or more smaller ones, at two different working faces within the same landfill.

The SMM Model as a Boundary Value Problem Using the Discrete Diffusion Equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, Joel

2007-01-01

A generalized single step stepwise mutation model (SMM) is developed that takes into account an arbitrary initial state to a certain partial difference equation. This is solved in both the approximate continuum limit and the more exact discrete form. A time evolution model is developed for Y DNA or mtDNA that takes into account the reflective boundary modeling minimum microsatellite length and the original difference equation. A comparison is made between the more widely known continuum Gaussian model and a discrete model, which is based on modified Bessel functions of the first kind. A correction is made to the SMM model for the probability that two individuals are related that takes into account a reflecting boundary modeling minimum microsatellite length. This method is generalized to take into account the general n-step model and exact solutions are found. A new model is proposed for the step distribution.

Using guided ultrasonic wave inspection to quantify the length of delaminations in composite laminates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Bo; Ribeiro, Artur Lopes; Ramos, Helena Geirinhas

2018-04-01

This paper presents a study of the characteristics of Lamb wave (S0 mode) testing signals in carbon fiber composite laminates containing delaminations. The study was implemented by using commercial finite element simulation software - ANSYS. The delamination signal is proven to be the superposition of the two waves travelling from upper and lower sub-laminates. Dispersion curves for the two sub-laminates were calculated to show the difference between phase velocities of the waves in the sub-laminates. Two models are specifically designed to get the phase difference between the waves that travel in each of the two sub-laminates. From the simulation results, it was found that the phase difference increases with the delamination length. Furthermore, the amplitude of delamination signal decreases first, then it starts to increase after reaching the minimum value. The minimum is reached when the waves from the two sub-laminates are 180° out of phase.

The SMM model as a boundary value problem using the discrete diffusion equation.

PubMed

Campbell, Joel

2007-12-01

A generalized single-step stepwise mutation model (SMM) is developed that takes into account an arbitrary initial state to a certain partial difference equation. This is solved in both the approximate continuum limit and the more exact discrete form. A time evolution model is developed for Y DNA or mtDNA that takes into account the reflective boundary modeling minimum microsatellite length and the original difference equation. A comparison is made between the more widely known continuum Gaussian model and a discrete model, which is based on modified Bessel functions of the first kind. A correction is made to the SMM model for the probability that two individuals are related that takes into account a reflecting boundary modeling minimum microsatellite length. This method is generalized to take into account the general n-step model and exact solutions are found. A new model is proposed for the step distribution.

Determining size and dispersion of minimum viable populations for land management planning and species conservation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmkuhl, John F.

1984-03-01

The concept of minimum populations of wildlife and plants has only recently been discussed in the literature. Population genetics has emerged as a basic underlying criterion for determining minimum population size. This paper presents a genetic framework and procedure for determining minimum viable population size and dispersion strategies in the context of multiple-use land management planning. A procedure is presented for determining minimum population size based on maintenance of genetic heterozygosity and reduction of inbreeding. A minimum effective population size ( N e ) of 50 breeding animals is taken from the literature as the minimum shortterm size to keep inbreeding below 1% per generation. Steps in the procedure adjust N e to account for variance in progeny number, unequal sex ratios, overlapping generations, population fluctuations, and period of habitat/population constraint. The result is an approximate census number that falls within a range of effective population size of 50 500 individuals. This population range defines the time range of short- to long-term population fitness and evolutionary potential. The length of the term is a relative function of the species generation time. Two population dispersion strategies are proposed: core population and dispersed population.

Improved cutback method measuring beat-length for high-birefringence optical fiber by fitting data of photoelectric signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Zhi-Dong; Lin, Jian-Qiang; Bao, Huan-Huan; Liu, Shu; Xiang, Xue-Nong

2008-03-01

A photoelectric measurement system for measuring the beat length of birefringence fiber is set up including a set of rotating-wave-plate polarimeter using single photodiode. And two improved cutback methods suitable for measuring beat-length within millimeter range of high birefringence fiber are proposed through data processing technique. The cut length needs not to be restricted shorter than one centimeter so that the auto-cleaving machine is freely used, and no need to carefully operate the manually cleaving blade with low efficiency and poor success. The first method adopts the parameter-fitting to a saw-tooth function of tried beat length by the criterion of minimum square deviations, without special limitation on the cut length. The second method adopts linear-fitting in the divided length ranges, only restrict condition is the increment between different cut lengths less than one beat-length. For a section of holey high-birefringence fiber, we do experiments respectively by the two methods. The detecting error of beat-length is discussed and the advantage is compared.

The Rainbow Spectrum of RNA Secondary Structures.

PubMed

Li, Thomas J X; Reidys, Christian M

2018-06-01

In this paper, we analyze the length spectrum of rainbows in RNA secondary structures. A rainbow in a secondary structure is a maximal arc with respect to the partial order induced by nesting. We show that there is a significant gap in this length spectrum. We shall prove that there asymptotically almost surely exists a unique longest rainbow of length at least [Formula: see text] and that with high probability any other rainbow has finite length. We show that the distribution of the length of the longest rainbow converges to a discrete limit law and that, for finite k, the distribution of rainbows of length k becomes for large n a negative binomial distribution. We then put the results of this paper into context, comparing the analytical results with those observed in RNA minimum free energy structures, biological RNA structures and relate our findings to the sparsification of folding algorithms.

Evaluation of SMS reminder messages for altering treatment adherence and health seeking perceptions among malaria care-seekers in Nigeria.

PubMed

Liu, Jenny X; Modrek, Sepideh

2016-12-01

In Nigeria, access to malaria diagnostics may be expanded if drug retailers were allowed to administer malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). A 2012 pilot intervention showed that short message service (SMS) reminder messages could boost treatment adherence to RDT results by 10-14% points. This study aimed to replicate the SMS intervention in a different population, and additionally test the effect of an expanded message about anticipated RDT access policy change on customers' acceptability for drug retailers' administration of RDTs. One day after being tested with an RDT, participants who purchased malaria treatment from drug shops were randomized to receive (1) a basic SMS reminder repeating the RDT result and appropriate treatment actions, (2) an expanded SMS reminder additionally saying that the 'government might allow pharmacists/chemists to do RDTs' or (3) no SMS reminders (i.e. control). Using regression analysis, we estimate intent-to-treat (ITT) and treatment effects on the treated for 686 study participants. Results corroborate previous findings that a basic SMS reminder increased treatment adherence [odds ratio (OR) = 1.53, 95% CI 0.96-2.44] and decreased use of unnecessary anti-malarials for RDT-negative adults [OR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.39-1.00]. The expanded SMS also increased adherence for adults [OR = 1.42, 95% CI 0.97-2.07], but the effects for sick children differed-the basic SMS did not have any measurable impact on treatment adherence [OR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.24-3.09] or use of unnecessary anti-malarials [OR = 1.27, 95% CI 0.32-1.93], and the expanded SMS actually led to poorer treatment adherence [OR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.10-0.66] and increased use of unnecessary anti-malarials [OR = 4.67, 95% CI 1.76-12.43]. Further, the targeted but neutral message in the expanded SMS lowered acceptance for drug retailers' administration of RDTs [OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.10-2.93], counter to what we hypothesized. Future SMS interventions should show consistent positive results across populations and be attuned to message length and content before initiating a larger messaging campaign. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Evaluation of SMS reminder messages for altering treatment adherence and health seeking perceptions among malaria care-seekers in Nigeria

PubMed Central

Liu, Jenny X.; Modrek, Sepideh

2016-01-01

In Nigeria, access to malaria diagnostics may be expanded if drug retailers were allowed to administer malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). A 2012 pilot intervention showed that short message service (SMS) reminder messages could boost treatment adherence to RDT results by 10–14% points. This study aimed to replicate the SMS intervention in a different population, and additionally test the effect of an expanded message about anticipated RDT access policy change on customers’ acceptability for drug retailers’ administration of RDTs. One day after being tested with an RDT, participants who purchased malaria treatment from drug shops were randomized to receive (1) a basic SMS reminder repeating the RDT result and appropriate treatment actions, (2) an expanded SMS reminder additionally saying that the ‘government might allow pharmacists/chemists to do RDTs’ or (3) no SMS reminders (i.e. control). Using regression analysis, we estimate intent-to-treat (ITT) and treatment effects on the treated for 686 study participants. Results corroborate previous findings that a basic SMS reminder increased treatment adherence [odds ratio (OR) = 1.53, 95% CI 0.96–2.44] and decreased use of unnecessary anti-malarials for RDT-negative adults [OR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.39–1.00]. The expanded SMS also increased adherence for adults [OR = 1.42, 95% CI 0.97–2.07], but the effects for sick children differed—the basic SMS did not have any measurable impact on treatment adherence [OR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.24–3.09] or use of unnecessary anti-malarials [OR = 1.27, 95% CI 0.32–1.93], and the expanded SMS actually led to poorer treatment adherence [OR = 0.26, 95% CI 0.10–0.66] and increased use of unnecessary anti-malarials [OR = 4.67, 95% CI 1.76–12.43]. Further, the targeted but neutral message in the expanded SMS lowered acceptance for drug retailers' administration of RDTs [OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.10–2.93], counter to what we hypothesized. Future SMS interventions should show consistent positive results across populations and be attuned to message length and content before initiating a larger messaging campaign. PMID:27315831

Feasibility and user perception of a fully automated push-based multiple-session alcohol intervention for university students: randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Bendtsen, Marcus; Bendtsen, Preben

2014-06-23

In recent years, many electronic health behavior interventions have been developed in order to reach individuals with unhealthy behaviors, such as risky drinking. This is especially relevant for university students, many of whom are risky drinkers. This study explored the acceptability and feasibility in a nontreatment-seeking group of university students (including both risk and nonrisk drinkers), of a fully automated, push-based, multiple-session, alcohol intervention, comparing two modes of delivery by randomizing participants to receive the intervention either by SMS text messaging (short message service, SMS) or by email. A total of 5499 students at Luleå University in northern Sweden were invited to participate in a single-session alcohol assessment and feedback intervention; 28.04% (1542/5499) students completed this part of the study. In total, 29.44% (454/1542) of those participating in the single-session intervention accepted to participate further in the extended multiple-session intervention lasting for 4 weeks. The students were randomized to receive the intervention messages via SMS or email. A follow-up questionnaire was sent immediately after the intervention and 52.9% (240/454) responded. No difference was seen regarding satisfaction with the length and frequency of the intervention, regardless of the mode of delivery. Approximately 15% in both the SMS (19/136) and email groups (15/104) would have preferred the other mode of delivery. On the other hand, more students in the SMS group (46/229, 20.1%) stopped participating in the intervention during the 4-week period compared with the email group (10/193, 5.2%). Most students in both groups expressed satisfaction with the content of the messages and would recommend the intervention to a fellow student in need of reducing drinking. A striking difference was seen regarding when a message was read; 88.2% (120/136) of the SMS group read the messages within 1 hour in contrast to 45.2% (47/104) in the email group. In addition, 83.1% (113/136) in the SMS group stated that they read all or almost all the messages, compared with only 63.5% (66/104) in the email group. Based on the feedback from the students, an extended, multiple-session, push-based intervention seems to be a feasible option for students interested in additional support after a single-session alcohol intervention. SMS as a mode of delivery seems to have some advantages over email regarding when a message is read and the proportion of messages read. However, more students in the SMS group stopped the intervention than in the email group. Based on these promising findings, further studies comparing the effectiveness of single-session interventions with extended multiple-session interventions delivered separately or in combination are warranted.

Organizational structure and communication networks in a university environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathiesen, Joachim; Jamtveit, Bjørn; Sneppen, Kim

2010-07-01

The “six degrees of separation” between any two individuals on Earth has become emblematic of the “small world” theme, even though the information conveyed via a chain of human encounters decays very rapidly with increasing chain length, and diffusion of information via this process may be very inefficient in large human organizations. The information flow on a communication network in a large organization, the University of Oslo, has been studied by analyzing email records. The records allow for quantification of communication intensity across organizational levels and between organizational units (referred to as “modules”). We find that the number of email messages within modules scales with module size to the power of 1.29±.06 , and the frequency of communication between individuals decays exponentially with the number of links required upward in the organizational hierarchy before they are connected. Our data also indicates that the number of messages sent by administrative units is proportional to the number of individuals at lower levels in the administrative hierarchy, and the “divergence of information” within modules is associated with this linear relationship. The observed scaling is consistent with a hierarchical system in which individuals far apart in the organization interact little with each other and receive a disproportionate number of messages from higher levels in the administrative hierarchy.

Diffusion on an Ising chain with kinks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamma, Alioscia; Mansour, Toufik; Severini, Simone

2009-07-01

We count the number of histories between the two degenerate minimum energy configurations of the Ising model on a chain, as a function of the length n and the number d of kinks that appear above the critical temperature. This is equivalent to count permutations of length n avoiding certain subsequences depending on d. We give explicit generating functions and compute the asymptotics. The setting considered has a role when describing dynamics induced by quantum Hamiltonians with deconfined quasi-particles.

49 CFR 393.110 - What else do I have to do to determine the minimum number of tiedowns?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... articles 5 feet (1.52 meters) or less in length, and 1,100 pounds (500 kg) or less in weight; (2) Two tiedowns if the article is: (i) 5 feet (1.52 meters) or less in length and more than 1,100 pounds (500 kg) in weight; or (ii) Longer than 5 feet (1.52 meters) but less than or equal to 10 feet (3.04 meters...

When is Deceptive Message Production More Effortful than Truth-Telling? A Baker's Dozen of Moderators.

PubMed

Burgoon, Judee K

2015-01-01

Deception is thought to be more effortful than telling the truth. Empirical evidence from many quarters supports this general proposition. However, there are many factors that qualify and even reverse this pattern. Guided by a communication perspective, I present a baker's dozen of moderators that may alter the degree of cognitive difficulty associated with producing deceptive messages. Among sender-related factors are memory processes, motivation, incentives, and consequences. Lying increases activation of a network of brain regions related to executive memory, suppression of unwanted behaviors, and task switching that is not observed with truth-telling. High motivation coupled with strong incentives or the risk of adverse consequences also prompts more cognitive exertion-for truth-tellers and deceivers alike-to appear credible, with associated effects on performance and message production effort, depending on the magnitude of effort, communicator skill, and experience. Factors related to message and communication context include discourse genre, type of prevarication, expected response length, communication medium, preparation, and recency of target event/issue. These factors can attenuate the degree of cognitive taxation on senders so that truth-telling and deceiving are similarly effortful. Factors related to the interpersonal relationship among interlocutors include whether sender and receiver are cooperative or adversarial and how well-acquainted they are with one another. A final consideration is whether the unit of analysis is the utterance, turn at talk, episode, entire interaction, or series of interactions. Taking these factors into account should produce a more nuanced answer to the question of when deception is more difficult than truth-telling.

The effect of catalyst length and downstream reactor distance on catalytic combustor performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, D.

1980-01-01

A study was made to determine the effects on catalytic combustor performance which resulted from independently varying the length of a catalytic reactor and the length available for gas-phase reactions downstream of the catalyst. Monolithic combustion catalysts from three manufacturers were tested in a combustion test rig with no. 2 diesel fuel. Catalytic reactor lengths of 2.5 and 5.4 cm, and downstream gas-phase reaction distances of 7.3, 12.4, 17.5, and 22.5 cm were evaluated. Measurements of carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and pressure drop were made. The catalytic-reactor pressure drop was less than 1 percent of the upstream total pressure for all test configurations and test conditions. Nitrogen oxides and unburned hydrocarbons emissions were less than 0.25 g NO2/kg fuel and 0.6 g HC/kg fuel, respectively. The minimum operating temperature (defined as the adiabatic combustion temperature required to obtain carbon monoxide emissions below a reference level of 13.6 g CO/kg fuel) ranged from 1230 K to 1500 K for the various conditions and configurations tested. The minimum operating temperature decreased with increasing total (catalytic-reactor-plus-downstream-gas-phase-reactor-zone) residence time but was independent of the relative times spent in each region when the catalytic-reactor residence time was greater than or equal to 1.4 ms.

Real-time trajectory optimization on parallel processors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Psiaki, Mark L.

1993-01-01

A parallel algorithm has been developed for rapidly solving trajectory optimization problems. The goal of the work has been to develop an algorithm that is suitable to do real-time, on-line optimal guidance through repeated solution of a trajectory optimization problem. The algorithm has been developed on an INTEL iPSC/860 message passing parallel processor. It uses a zero-order-hold discretization of a continuous-time problem and solves the resulting nonlinear programming problem using a custom-designed augmented Lagrangian nonlinear programming algorithm. The algorithm achieves parallelism of function, derivative, and search direction calculations through the principle of domain decomposition applied along the time axis. It has been encoded and tested on 3 example problems, the Goddard problem, the acceleration-limited, planar minimum-time to the origin problem, and a National Aerospace Plane minimum-fuel ascent guidance problem. Execution times as fast as 118 sec of wall clock time have been achieved for a 128-stage Goddard problem solved on 32 processors. A 32-stage minimum-time problem has been solved in 151 sec on 32 processors. A 32-stage National Aerospace Plane problem required 2 hours when solved on 32 processors. A speed-up factor of 7.2 has been achieved by using 32-nodes instead of 1-node to solve a 64-stage Goddard problem.

Compact and high resolution virtual mouse using lens array and light sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Zong; Chang, Yu-Cheng; Su, Yu-Jie; Huang, Yi-Pai; Shieh, Han-Ping David

2016-06-01

Virtual mouse based on IR source, lens array and light sensor was designed and implemented. Optical architecture including lens amount, lens pitch, baseline length, sensor length, lens-sensor gap, focal length etc. was carefully designed to achieve low detective error, high resolution, and simultaneously, compact system volume. System volume is 3.1mm (thickness) × 4.5mm (length) × 2, which is much smaller than that of camera-based device. Relative detective error of 0.41mm and minimum resolution of 26ppi were verified in experiments, so that it can replace conventional touchpad/touchscreen. If system thickness is eased to 20mm, resolution higher than 200ppi can be achieved to replace real mouse.

The engineering of construction specifications for externally bonded FRP composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xinbao

This dissertation, consisting of six technical papers, presents the results of research on the theme of developing engineering and the construction specifications for externally bonded FRP composites. For particular, the work focuses on three critical aspects of the performance of FRP systems: fiber misalignment, corner radius, and lap splice length. Based on both experimental and theoretical investigations, the main contribution of this work is the development of recommendations on fiber misalignment limit, minimum corner radius, lap splice length to be used as guidance in the construction practice of FRP strengthening of concrete structures. The first three papers focus on the strength and stiffness degradation of CFRP laminates from fiber misalignment. It was concluded that misalignment affects strength more than stiffness. In practice, when all fibers in a laminate can be regarded as through fibers, it is recommended to use a reduction factor for strength and no reduction factor for stiffness to account for fiber misalignment. Findings from concrete beams strengthened with misaligned CFRP laminates verified these recommendations. The fourth and fifth papers investigate the effect of corner radius on the mechanical properties of CFRP laminates wrapped around a rectangular cross section. A unique reusable test device was fabricated to determine fiber stress and radial stress of CFRP laminates with different corner radii. Comparison performed with finite element analyses shows that the test method and the reusable device were viable and the stress concentration needs to be considered in FRP laminate wrapped corners. A minimum of 1.0 in. corner radius was recommended for practice. The sixth paper summarizes the research on the lap splice length of FRP laminates under static and repeated loads. Although a lap splice length of 1.5 in. is sufficient for CFRP laminates to develop the ultimate static tensile strength, a minimum of 4.0 in. is recommended in order to account for repeated loads.

TORC3: Token-ring clearing heuristic for currency circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Humes, Carlos, Jr.; Lauretto, Marcelo S.; Nakano, Fábio; Pereira, Carlos A. B.; Rafare, Guilherme F. G.; Stern, Julio Michael

2012-10-01

Clearing algorithms are at the core of modern payment systems, facilitating the settling of multilateral credit messages with (near) minimum transfers of currency. Traditional clearing procedures use batch processing based on MILP - mixed-integer linear programming algorithms. The MILP approach demands intensive computational resources; moreover, it is also vulnerable to operational risks generated by possible defaults during the inter-batch period. This paper presents TORC3 - the Token-Ring Clearing Algorithm for Currency Circulation. In contrast to the MILP approach, TORC3 is a real time heuristic procedure, demanding modest computational resources, and able to completely shield the clearing operation against the participating agents' risk of default.

Some effects of stress on users of a voice recognition system: A preliminary inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

French, B. A.

1983-03-01

Recent work with Automatic Speech Recognition has focused on applications and productivity considerations in the man-machine interface. This thesis is an attempt to see if placing users of such equipment under time-induced stress has an effect on their percent correct recognition rates. Subjects were given a message-handling task of fixed length and allowed progressively shorter times to attempt to complete it. Questionnaire responses indicate stress levels increased with decreased time-allowance; recognition rates decreased as time was reduced.

The French short term radiopropagation predictions in the decameter band

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lassudrie-Duchesne, P.; Bourdila, A. M.; Sizun, H.

1979-01-01

Weekly and daily predictions of the ionospheric characteristics relevant to radio propagation are considered. A description of the techniques involved is given as well as examples showing how the prediction messages are prepared. The short term predictions are confined to restricted geographical areas and are relevant to radio circuits whose terminators are both located inside the same zone. They can be used with a reasonable approximation for circuits less than 3000 km of length whose reflection point lies within a given zone.

Intelligent Advanced Communications IP Telephony Feasibility for the US Navy - Phase 3

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

atlanta.example.com CSeq: 1 BYE Content-Length: 0 Figure 2- 4 SIP Message Details 2.6.8 Implementation of Selected Features Below we examine a set of...34.priority" where priority is one of the following values: 0 Routine (lowest priority) 2 Priority 4 Immediate 6 Flash 8 Flash...cm/dial?poolId= 0 &uri=5553002 HTTPC: <-- : 192.168.0.135:8080 /cm/dial?poolId= 0 &uri=5553002 HTTPC: Closed : 192.168.0.135:8080 4

The Future of Officer Career Development System in the Slovenian Armed Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-13

Professors Anton Zabkar and Uros Svete, at the Faculty for Social Science at University of Ljubljana, clearly identified the deficiencies in the...short-lived solution], Slovenian Armed Forces Bulletin 10, no. 1 (May 2008): 97-120. 5Anton Zabkar and Uros Svete, “Solanje Vojaskih Profesionalcev...is based on Length of Service ( LoS ) and applies to all DE officers and the other is the LE career structure.87 85Major Al Thorp, e-mail message to

Concrete Cutting Refinement for Crater Repair

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-01

Identification of damage sustained to the airfield operating surfaces, 2. Selection of minimum pavement surface areas required to support air- craft...also studied to identify the appropriate lineup and stop locations to achieve the desired overcut lengths. Edwards et al. (2015) recommends overcut

Are 10-, 10-12-, or > 12-mm prostate biopsy core quality control cutoffs reasonable?

PubMed

Sanches, Brunno C F; Lalli, Ana Luiza; Azal Neto, Wilmar; Billis, Athanase; Reis, Leonardo Oliveira

2018-07-01

To explore the role of prostate biopsy core length on prediction of index tumor clinical significance and localization on radical prostatectomy (RP) and time to recurrence, hypothesizing 10-, 10-12-, or > 12-mm minimum core as potential biopsy quality control. Assessed 2424 prostate biopsy cores and corresponding RP of 202 patients submitted to the first set of 12 cores prostate biopsy between 2010 and 2015. Analyzed biopsy core length, age, prostate volume (PV), free and total PSA ratio, PSA density, RP index tumor clinical significance, extension, localization, surgical margins, and cancer control. Prostate biopsy confronted to surgical specimens defined Gleason grade-grouping system (1-5) agreement. Median age was 63.7 years, PSA 10.1 ng/dl, PSA density 28%, and mean follow-up 5 years. Recurrence was identified in 64 (31.7%) patients and predicted by PSA > 10 at time of diagnosis (p = 0.008), seminal vesicle invasion (p = 0.0019), core tumor percentage (p = 0.033), and tumor localization predominantly in the prostate base (p = 0017). The mean core length was longer in index tumor positive cores (p = 0.043) and in tumors classified as clinically insignificant (p = 0.011), without impact on tumor localization (basal vs apical p = 0.592; left vs. right p = 0.320). Biopsy core length categories (≤ 10, 10-12 and > 12 mm) did not significantly impact Gleason grade-grouping agreement or time to recurrence (p > 0.05). Core length was not significantly different in all Gleason grade-groupings 1-5 (p = 0.312). Prostate biopsy core length impacts tumor characterization; however, 10 mm minimum core length and even 10-12- and > 12-mm categories failed as a biopsy quality control in our data.

Software For Computer-Security Audits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arndt, Kate; Lonsford, Emily

1994-01-01

Information relevant to potential breaches of security gathered efficiently. Automated Auditing Tools for VAX/VMS program includes following automated software tools performing noted tasks: Privileged ID Identification, program identifies users and their privileges to circumvent existing computer security measures; Critical File Protection, critical files not properly protected identified; Inactive ID Identification, identifications of users no longer in use found; Password Lifetime Review, maximum lifetimes of passwords of all identifications determined; and Password Length Review, minimum allowed length of passwords of all identifications determined. Written in DEC VAX DCL language.

A heuristic for suffix solutions

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

Bilgory, A.; Gajski, D.D.

1986-01-01

The suffix problem has appeared in solutions of recurrence systems for parallel and pipelined machines and more recently in the design of gate and silicon compilers. In this paper the authors present two algorithms. The first algorithm generates parallel suffix solutions with minimum cost for a given length, time delay, availability of initial values, and fanout. This algorithm generates a minimal solution for any length n and depth range log/sub 2/ N to N. The second algorithm reduces the size of the solutions generated by the first algorithm.

Experimental investigation of the effect of insulator sleeve length on the time to pinch and multipinch formation in the plasma focus facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Momenei, M.; Khodabakhshei, Z.; Panahi, N.; Mohammadi, M. A.

2017-03-01

The length of insulator sleeve is varied to investigate its effect on the pinch formation in the plasma focus facility. In this paper, the effect of insulator length on the time to pinch at various pressures and working voltages in the 1.15 kJ Mather type plasma focus is investigated. The results show that with 4.5 cm insulator length the time to pinch at all pressures is minimum. Other results also confirm that with increasing of pressure the time to pinch is increased. Moreover, with increasing working voltage the time to pinch is decreased. Pictures, captured using a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) Canon EOS 7D system, show that multipinch phenomenon is formed.

47 CFR 73.186 - Establishment of effective field at one kilometer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... radiation (not less than one wave length or 5 times the vertical height in the case of a single element, i.e... lieu of the required minimum physical heights of the antennas proper. Also, in other situations, it may...

47 CFR 73.186 - Establishment of effective field at one kilometer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... radiation (not less than one wave length or 5 times the vertical height in the case of a single element, i.e... lieu of the required minimum physical heights of the antennas proper. Also, in other situations, it may...

47 CFR 73.186 - Establishment of effective field at one kilometer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... radiation (not less than one wave length or 5 times the vertical height in the case of a single element, i.e... lieu of the required minimum physical heights of the antennas proper. Also, in other situations, it may...

47 CFR 73.186 - Establishment of effective field at one kilometer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... radiation (not less than one wave length or 5 times the vertical height in the case of a single element, i.e... lieu of the required minimum physical heights of the antennas proper. Also, in other situations, it may...

Eyelashes divert airflow to protect the eye

PubMed Central

Amador, Guillermo J.; Mao, Wenbin; DeMercurio, Peter; Montero, Carmen; Clewis, Joel; Alexeev, Alexander; Hu, David L.

2015-01-01

Eyelashes are ubiquitous, although their function has long remained a mystery. In this study, we elucidate the aerodynamic benefits of eyelashes. Through anatomical measurements, we find that 22 species of mammals possess eyelashes of a length one-third the eye width. Wind tunnel experiments confirm that this optimal eyelash length reduces both deposition of airborne particles and evaporation of the tear film by a factor of two. Using scaling theory, we find this optimum arises because of the incoming flow's interactions with both the eye and eyelashes. Short eyelashes create a stagnation zone above the ocular surface that thickens the boundary layer, causing shear stress to decrease with increasing eyelash length. Long eyelashes channel flow towards the ocular surface, causing shear stress to increase with increasing eyelash length. These competing effects result in a minimum shear stress for intermediate eyelash lengths. This design may be employed in creating eyelash-inspired protection for optical sensors. PMID:25716186

Practical steganalysis of digital images: state of the art

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fridrich, Jessica; Goljan, Miroslav

2002-04-01

Steganography is the art of hiding the very presence of communication by embedding secret messages into innocuous looking cover documents, such as digital images. Detection of steganography, estimation of message length, and its extraction belong to the field of steganalysis. Steganalysis has recently received a great deal of attention both from law enforcement and the media. In our paper, we classify and review current stego-detection algorithms that can be used to trace popular steganographic products. We recognize several qualitatively different approaches to practical steganalysis - visual detection, detection based on first order statistics (histogram analysis), dual statistics methods that use spatial correlations in images and higher-order statistics (RS steganalysis), universal blind detection schemes, and special cases, such as JPEG compatibility steganalysis. We also present some new results regarding our previously proposed detection of LSB embedding using sensitive dual statistics. The recent steganalytic methods indicate that the most common paradigm in image steganography - the bit-replacement or bit substitution - is inherently insecure with safe capacities far smaller than previously thought.

User-oriented end-to-end transport protocols for the real-time distribution of telemetry data from NASA spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hooke, A. J.

1979-01-01

A set of standard telemetry protocols for downlink data flow facilitating the end-to-end transport of instrument data from the spacecraft to the user in real time is proposed. The direct switching of data by autonomous message 'packets' that are assembled by the source instrument on the spacecraft is discussed. The data system consists thus of a format on a message rather than word basis, and such packet telemetry would include standardized protocol headers. Standards are being developed within the NASA End-to-End Data System (NEEDS) program for the source packet and transport frame protocols. The source packet protocol contains identification of both the sequence number of the packet as it is generated by the source and the total length of the packet, while the transport frame protocol includes a sequence count defining the serial number of the frame as it is generated by the spacecraft data system, and a field specifying any 'options' selected in the format of the frame itself.

Lack of size selectivity for paddlefish captured in hobbled gillnets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scholten, G.D.; Bettoli, P.W.

2007-01-01

A commercial fishery for paddlefish Polyodon spathula caviar exists in Kentucky Lake, a reservoir on the lower Tennessee River. A 152-mm (bar-measure) minimum mesh size restriction on entanglement gear was enacted in 2002 and the minimum size limit was increased to 864 mm eye-fork length to reduce the possibility of recruitment overfishing. Paddlefish were sampled in 2003-2004 using experimental monofilament gillnets with panels of 89, 102, 127, 152, 178, and 203-mm meshes and the efficacy of the mesh size restriction was evaluated. Following the standards of commercial gear used in that fishery, nets were "hobbled" (i.e., 128 m ?? 3.6 m nets were tied down to 2.4 m; 91 m ?? 9.1 m nets were tied down to 7.6 m). The mean lengths of paddlefish (Ntotal = 576 fish) captured in each mesh were similar among most meshes and bycatch rates of sublegal fish did not vary with mesh size. Selectivity curves could not be modeled because the mean and modal lengths of fish captured in each mesh did not increase with mesh size. Ratios of fish girth to mesh perimeter (G:P) for individual fish were often less than 1.0 as a result of the largest meshes capturing small paddlefish. It is unclear whether lack of size selectivity for paddlefish was because the gillnets were hobbled, the unique morphology of paddlefish, or the fact that they swim with their mouths agape when filter feeding. The lack of size selectivity by hobbled gillnets fished in Kentucky Lake means that managers cannot influence the size of paddlefish captured by commercial gillnet gear by changing minimum mesh size regulations. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Hydrophobic Interactions of Polymers with Water and Phospholipid Membranes Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drenscko, Mihaela

Polymers and lipid membranes are both essential soft materials. The structure and hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity of polymers, as well as the solvent they are embedded in, ultimately determines their size and shape. Understating the variation of shape of the polymer as well as its interactions with model biological membranes can assist in understanding the biocompatibility of the polymer itself. Computer simulations, in particular molecular dynamics, can aid in characterization of the interaction of polymers with solvent, as well as polymers with model membranes. In this thesis, molecular dynamics serve to describe polymer interactions with a solvent (water) and with a lipid membrane. To begin with, we characterize the hydrophobic collapse of single polystyrene chains in water using molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, we calculate the potential of mean force for the collapse of a single polystyrene chain in water using metadynamics, comparing the results between all atomistic with coarse-grained molecular simulation. We next explore the scaling behavior of the collapsed globular shape at the minimum energy configuration, characterized by the radius of gyration, as a function of chain length. The exponent is close to one third, consistent with that predicted for a polymer chain in bad solvent. We also explore the scaling behavior of the Solvent Accessible Surface Area (SASA) as a function of chain length, finding a similar exponent for both all-atomistic and coarse-grained simulations. Furthermore, calculation of the local water density as a function of chain length near the minimum energy configuration suggests that intermediate chain lengths are more likely to form dewetted states, as compared to shorter or longer chain lengths. Next, in order to investigate the molecular interactions between single hydrophobic polymer chains and lipids in biological membranes and at lipid membrane/solvent interface, we perform a series of molecular dynamics simulations of small membranes using all atomistic and coarse-grained methods. The molecular interaction between common polymer chains used in biomedical applications and the cell membrane is unknown. This interaction may affect the biocompatibility of the polymer chains. Molecular dynamics simulations offer an emerging tool to characterize the interaction between common degradable polymer chains used in biomedical applications, such as polycaprolactone, and model cell membranes. We systematically characterize with long-time all-atomistic molecular dynamics simulations the interaction between single polycaprolactone chains of varying chain lengths with a model phospholipid membrane. We find that the length of polymer chain greatly affects the nature of interaction with the membrane, as well as the membrane properties. Furthermore, we next utilize advanced sampling techniques in molecular dynamics to characterize the two-dimensional free energy surface for the interaction of varying polymer chain lengths (short, intermediate, and long) with model cell membranes. We find that the free energy minimum shifts from the membrane-water interface to the hydrophobic core of the phospholipid membrane as a function of chain length. These results can be used to design polymer chain lengths and chemistries to optimize their interaction with cell membranes at the molecular level.

Feasibility and User Perception of a Fully Automated Push-Based Multiple-Session Alcohol Intervention for University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In recent years, many electronic health behavior interventions have been developed in order to reach individuals with unhealthy behaviors, such as risky drinking. This is especially relevant for university students, many of whom are risky drinkers. Objective This study explored the acceptability and feasibility in a nontreatment-seeking group of university students (including both risk and nonrisk drinkers), of a fully automated, push-based, multiple-session, alcohol intervention, comparing two modes of delivery by randomizing participants to receive the intervention either by SMS text messaging (short message service, SMS) or by email. Methods A total of 5499 students at Luleå University in northern Sweden were invited to participate in a single-session alcohol assessment and feedback intervention; 28.04% (1542/5499) students completed this part of the study. In total, 29.44% (454/1542) of those participating in the single-session intervention accepted to participate further in the extended multiple-session intervention lasting for 4 weeks. The students were randomized to receive the intervention messages via SMS or email. A follow-up questionnaire was sent immediately after the intervention and 52.9% (240/454) responded. Results No difference was seen regarding satisfaction with the length and frequency of the intervention, regardless of the mode of delivery. Approximately 15% in both the SMS (19/136) and email groups (15/104) would have preferred the other mode of delivery. On the other hand, more students in the SMS group (46/229, 20.1%) stopped participating in the intervention during the 4-week period compared with the email group (10/193, 5.2%). Most students in both groups expressed satisfaction with the content of the messages and would recommend the intervention to a fellow student in need of reducing drinking. A striking difference was seen regarding when a message was read; 88.2% (120/136) of the SMS group read the messages within 1 hour in contrast to 45.2% (47/104) in the email group. In addition, 83.1% (113/136) in the SMS group stated that they read all or almost all the messages, compared with only 63.5% (66/104) in the email group. Conclusions Based on the feedback from the students, an extended, multiple-session, push-based intervention seems to be a feasible option for students interested in additional support after a single-session alcohol intervention. SMS as a mode of delivery seems to have some advantages over email regarding when a message is read and the proportion of messages read. However, more students in the SMS group stopped the intervention than in the email group. Based on these promising findings, further studies comparing the effectiveness of single-session interventions with extended multiple-session interventions delivered separately or in combination are warranted. PMID:25098296

Implementation and Operational Research: A Time-Motion Analysis of HIV Transmission Prevention Counseling and Antiretroviral Adherence Messages in Western Kenya.

PubMed

Were, Martin C; Kessler, Jason; Shen, Changyu; Sidle, John; Macharia, Stephen; Lizcano, John; Siika, Abraham; Wools-Kaloustian, Kara; Kurth, Ann

2015-08-01

Shortages of health workers and large number of HIV-infected persons in Africa mean that time to provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and other messages to patients is limited. Using time-motion methodology, we documented the intensity and nature of counseling delivered to patients. The study was conducted at a rural and an urban HIV clinic in western Kenya. We recorded all activities of 190 adult patients on ART during their return clinic visits to assess type, frequency, and duration of counseling messages. Mean visit length for patients at the rural clinic was 44.5 (SD = 27.9) minutes and at urban clinic was 78.2 (SD = 42.1) minutes. Median time spent receiving any counseling during a visit was 4.07 minutes [interquartile range (IQR), 1.57-7.33] at rural and 3.99 (IQR, 2.87-6.25) minutes at urban, representing 11% and 8% of total mean visit time, respectively. Median time patients received ART adherence counseling was 1.29 (IQR, 0.77-2.83) minutes at rural and 1.76 (IQR, 1.23-2.83) minutes at urban (P = 0.001 for difference). Patients received a median time of 0.18 (0-0.72) minutes at rural and 0.28 (IQR, 0-0.67) minutes at urban clinic of counseling regarding contraception and pregnancy. Most patients in the study did not receive any counseling regarding alcohol/substance use, emerging risks for ongoing HIV transmission. Although ART adherence was discussed with most patients, time was limited. Reproductive counseling was provided to only half of the patients, and "positive prevention" messaging was minimal. There are strategic opportunities to enhance counseling and information received by clients within HIV programs in resource-limited settings.

Sports betting marketing during sporting events: a stadium and broadcast census of Australian Football League matches.

PubMed

Thomas, Samantha; Lewis, Sophie; Duong, Jenny; McLeod, Colin

2012-04-01

Using Australian Football League (AFL) matches as a case study, we investigated the frequency, length and content of marketing strategies for sports betting during two specific settings: 1) at stadiums during four live matches; and 2) during eight televised broadcasts of matches. Census of sports betting marketing during Round 12 of the 2011 AFL premiership season. Per match, there was an average of 58.5 episodes (median 49.5, s.d 27.8) and 341.1 minutes (median 324.1 minutes and s.d 44.5) of sports betting marketing at stadiums, and 50.5 episodes (median 53.5, s.d 45.2) and 4.8 minutes (median 5.0 minutes, s.d 4.0) during televised broadcasts. A diverse range of marketing techniques were used to: a) embed sports betting within the game; b) align sports betting with fans' overall experience of the game; and c) encourage individuals to bet live during the game. There were very few visible or audible messages (such as responsible gambling or Gambler's Help messages) to counter-frame the overwhelmingly positive messages that individuals received about sports betting during the match. This study raises important questions about the impacts of saturation, integrated and impulse gambling marketing strategies in sporting matches. Future research should explore: 1) how wagering industry marketing strategies may affect the attitudes and behaviours of community sub-groups (e.g. young male sports fans, and children); and 2) which public health and policy strategies, including regulation and harm minimisation messaging, will be effective in responding to wagering industry marketing strategies during sporting matches. © 2012 The Authors. ANZJPH © 2012 Public Health Association of Australia.

Correlation of root dentin thickness and length of roots in mesial roots of mandibular molars.

PubMed

Dwivedi, Shweta; Dwivedi, Chandra Dhar; Mittal, Neelam

2014-09-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relation of tooth length and distal wall thickness of mesial roots in mandibular molars at different locations (ie, 2 mm below the furcation and at the junction between the middle and apical third). Forty-five mandibular first molars were taken, and the length of each tooth was measured. Then, specimens were divided into three groups according to their length: group I-long (24.2 mm ± 1.8), group II-medium (21 mm ± 1.5) and group III-short (16.8 mm ± 1.8). mesial root of each marked at two levels - at 2 mm below the furcation as well as at junction of apical and middle third of roots. The minimum thickness of the distal root dentine associated with the buccal and lingual canals of the mesial roots was measured, The distance between the buccal and lingual canals and the depth of concavity in the distal surface of the mesial roots were also measured. Statistical analysis was performed by using analysis of variance and the Student-Newman-Keuls test. The minimum thickness of the distal wall of the mesiobuccal canal was significantly different (P < .001) between groups 1 (long) and 3 (short). Distal wall thickness of the mesiobuccal root and distal concavity of the mesial root of mandibular first molars were found to be thinner in longer teeth compared with shorter teeth. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using mobile health technology to deliver decision support for self-monitoring after lung transplantation.

PubMed

Jiang, Yun; Sereika, Susan M; DeVito Dabbs, Annette; Handler, Steven M; Schlenk, Elizabeth A

2016-10-01

Lung transplant recipients (LTR) experience problems recognizing and reporting critical condition changes during their daily health self-monitoring. Pocket PATH(®), a mobile health application, was designed to provide automatic feedback messages to LTR to guide decisions for detecting and reporting critical values of health indicators. To examine the degree to which LTR followed decision support messages to report recorded critical values, and to explore predictors of appropriately following technology decision support by reporting critical values during the first year after transplantation. A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted to analyze existing data from 96 LTR who used the Pocket PATH for daily health self-monitoring. When a critical value is entered, the device automatically generated a feedback message to guide LTR about when and what to report to their transplant coordinators. Their socio-demographics and clinical characteristics were obtained before discharge. Their use of Pocket PATH for health self-monitoring during 12 months was categorized as low (≤25% of days), moderate (>25% to ≤75% of days), and high (>75% of days) use. Following technology decision support was defined by the total number of critical feedback messages appropriately handled divided by the total number of critical feedback messages generated. This variable was dichotomized by whether or not all (100%) feedback messages were appropriately followed. Binary logistic regression was used to explore predictors of appropriately following decision support. Of the 96 participants, 53 had at least 1 critical feedback message generated during 12 months. Of these 53 participants, the average message response rate was 90% and 33 (62%) followed 100% decision support. LTR who moderately used Pocket PATH (n=23) were less likely to follow technology decision support than the high (odds ratio [OR]=0.11, p=0.02) and low (OR=0.04, p=0.02) use groups. The odds of following decision support were reduced in LTR whose income met basic needs (OR=0.01, p=0.01) or who had longer hospital stays (OR=0.94, p=0.004). A significant interaction was found between gender and past technology experience (OR=0.21, p=0.03), suggesting that with increased past technology experience, the odds of following decision support to report all critical values decreased in men but increased in women. The majority of LTR responded appropriately to mobile technology-based decision support for reporting recorded critical values. Appropriately following technology decision support was associated with gender, income, experience with technology, length of hospital stay, and frequency of use of technology for self-monitoring. Clinicians should monitor LTR, who are at risk for poor reporting of recorded critical values, more vigilantly even when LTR are provided with mobile technology decision support. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of 20 magnetic clouds at 1 AU during a solar minimum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gulisano, A. M.; Dasso, S.; Mandrini, C. H.; Démoulin, P.

We study 20 magnetic clouds, observed in situ by the spacecraft Wind, at the Lagrangian point L1, from 22 August, 1995, to 7 November, 1997. In previous works, assuming a cylindrical symmetry for the local magnetic configuration and a satellite trajectory crossing the axis of the cloud, we obtained their orientations using a minimum variance analysis. In this work we compute the orientations and magnetic configurations using a non-linear simultaneous fit of the geometric and physical parameters for a linear force-free model, including the possibility of a not null impact parameter. We quantify global magnitudes such as the relative magnetic helicity per unit length and compare the values found with both methods (minimum variance and the simultaneous fit). FULL TEXT IN SPANISH

Statistical Development and Application of Cultural Consensus Theory

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-31

Bulletin & Review , 17, 275-286. Schmittmann, V.D., Dolan, C.V., Raijmakers, M.E.J., and Batchelder, W.H. (2010). Parameter identification in...Wu, H., Myung, J.I., and Batchelder, W.H. (2010). Minimum description length model selection of multinomial processing tree models. Psychonomic

5 CFR 890.1008 - Mandatory debarment for longer than the minimum length.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... that were not adjudicated, adversely affected the physical, mental, or financial well-being of one or... (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS PROGRAM Administrative Sanctions Imposed Against Health Care Providers Mandatory Debarments § 890.1008 Mandatory debarment for...

77 FR 43721 - Western Pacific Pelagic Fisheries; Revised Swordfish Trip Limits in the Hawaii Deep-Set Longline...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-26

... 1. The authority citation for part 665 continues to read as follows: Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et... length; a minimum of 15 branch lines are attached between any two floats (except basket-style longline...

Integrating aerodynamics and structures in the minimum weight design of a supersonic transport wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barthelemy, Jean-Francois M.; Wrenn, Gregory A.; Dovi, Augustine R.; Coen, Peter G.; Hall, Laura E.

1992-01-01

An approach is presented for determining the minimum weight design of aircraft wing models which takes into consideration aerodynamics-structure coupling when calculating both zeroth order information needed for analysis and first order information needed for optimization. When performing sensitivity analysis, coupling is accounted for by using a generalized sensitivity formulation. The results presented show that the aeroelastic effects are calculated properly and noticeably reduce constraint approximation errors. However, for the particular example selected, the error introduced by ignoring aeroelastic effects are not sufficient to significantly affect the convergence of the optimization process. Trade studies are reported that consider different structural materials, internal spar layouts, and panel buckling lengths. For the formulation, model and materials used in this study, an advanced aluminum material produced the lightest design while satisfying the problem constraints. Also, shorter panel buckling lengths resulted in lower weights by permitting smaller panel thicknesses and generally, by unloading the wing skins and loading the spar caps. Finally, straight spars required slightly lower wing weights than angled spars.

Room-Temperature Single-Photon Emission from Micrometer-Long Air-Suspended Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishii, A.; Uda, T.; Kato, Y. K.

2017-11-01

Statistics of photons emitted by mobile excitons in individual carbon nanotubes are investigated. Photoluminescence spectroscopy is used to identify the chiralities and suspended lengths of air-suspended nanotubes, and photon-correlation measurements are performed at room temperature on telecommunication-wavelength nanotube emission with a Hanbury-Brown-Twiss setup. We obtain zero-delay second-order correlation g(2 )(0 ) less than 0.5, indicating single-photon generation. Excitation power dependence of the photon antibunching characteristics is examined for nanotubes with various chiralities and suspended lengths, where we find that the minimum value of g(2 )(0 ) is obtained at the lowest power. The influence of exciton diffusion and end quenching is studied by Monte Carlo simulations, and we derive an analytical expression for the minimum value of g(2 )(0 ). Our results indicate that mobile excitons in micrometer-long nanotubes can in principle produce high-purity single photons, leading to new design strategies for quantum photon sources.

Minimum Description Length Block Finder, a Method to Identify Haplotype Blocks and to Compare the Strength of Block Boundaries

PubMed Central

Mannila, H.; Koivisto, M.; Perola, M.; Varilo, T.; Hennah, W.; Ekelund, J.; Lukk, M.; Peltonen, L.; Ukkonen, E.

2003-01-01

We describe a new probabilistic method for finding haplotype blocks that is based on the use of the minimum description length (MDL) principle. We give a rigorous definition of the quality of a segmentation of a genomic region into blocks and describe a dynamic programming algorithm for finding the optimal segmentation with respect to this measure. We also describe a method for finding the probability of a block boundary for each pair of adjacent markers: this gives a tool for evaluating the significance of each block boundary. We have applied the method to the published data of Daly and colleagues. The results expose some problems that exist in the current methods for the evaluation of the significance of predicted block boundaries. Our method, MDL block finder, can be used to compare block borders in different sample sets, and we demonstrate this by applying the MDL-based method to define the block structure in chromosomes from population isolates. PMID:12761696

Minimum description length block finder, a method to identify haplotype blocks and to compare the strength of block boundaries.

PubMed

Mannila, H; Koivisto, M; Perola, M; Varilo, T; Hennah, W; Ekelund, J; Lukk, M; Peltonen, L; Ukkonen, E

2003-07-01

We describe a new probabilistic method for finding haplotype blocks that is based on the use of the minimum description length (MDL) principle. We give a rigorous definition of the quality of a segmentation of a genomic region into blocks and describe a dynamic programming algorithm for finding the optimal segmentation with respect to this measure. We also describe a method for finding the probability of a block boundary for each pair of adjacent markers: this gives a tool for evaluating the significance of each block boundary. We have applied the method to the published data of Daly and colleagues. The results expose some problems that exist in the current methods for the evaluation of the significance of predicted block boundaries. Our method, MDL block finder, can be used to compare block borders in different sample sets, and we demonstrate this by applying the MDL-based method to define the block structure in chromosomes from population isolates.

Advanced space engine preliminary design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cuffe, J. P. B.; Bradie, R. E.

1973-01-01

A preliminary design was completed for an O2/H2, 89 kN (20,000 lb) thrust staged combustion rocket engine that has a single-bell nozzle with an overall expansion ratio of 400:1. The engine has a best estimate vacuum specific impulse of 4623.8 N-s/kg (471.5 sec) at full thrust and mixture ratio = 6.0. The engine employs gear-driven, low pressure pumps to provide low NPSH capability while individual turbine-driven, high-speed main pumps provide the system pressures required for high-chamber pressure operation. The engine design dry weight for the fixed-nozzle configuration is 206.9 kg (456.3 lb). Engine overall length is 234 cm (92.1 in.). The extendible nozzle version has a stowed length of 141.5 cm (55.7 in.). Critical technology items in the development of the engine were defined. Development program plans and their costs for development, production, operation, and flight support of the ASE were established for minimum cost and minimum time programs.

Approximate Solutions for a Self-Folding Problem of Carbon Nanotubes

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

Y Mikata

2006-08-22

This paper treats approximate solutions for a self-folding problem of carbon nanotubes. It has been observed in the molecular dynamics calculations [1] that a carbon nanotube with a large aspect ratio can self-fold due to van der Waals force between the parts of the same carbon nanotube. The main issue in the self-folding problem is to determine the minimum threshold length of the carbon nanotube at which it becomes possible for the carbon nanotube to self-fold due to the van der Waals force. An approximate mathematical model based on the force method is constructed for the self-folding problem of carbonmore » nanotubes, and it is solved exactly as an elastica problem using elliptic functions. Additionally, three other mathematical models are constructed based on the energy method. As a particular example, the lower and upper estimates for the critical threshold (minimum) length are determined based on both methods for the (5,5) armchair carbon nanotube.« less

Method and system for gas flow mitigation of molecular contamination of optics

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

Delgado, Gildardo; Johnson, Terry; Arienti, Marco

A computer-implemented method for determining an optimized purge gas flow in a semi-conductor inspection metrology or lithography apparatus, comprising receiving a permissible contaminant mole fraction, a contaminant outgassing flow rate associated with a contaminant, a contaminant mass diffusivity, an outgassing surface length, a pressure, a temperature, a channel height, and a molecular weight of a purge gas, calculating a flow factor based on the permissible contaminant mole fraction, the contaminant outgassing flow rate, the channel height, and the outgassing surface length, comparing the flow factor to a predefined maximum flow factor value, calculating a minimum purge gas velocity and amore » purge gas mass flow rate from the flow factor, the contaminant mass diffusivity, the pressure, the temperature, and the molecular weight of the purge gas, and introducing the purge gas into the semi-conductor inspection metrology or lithography apparatus with the minimum purge gas velocity and the purge gas flow rate.« less

Effects of the internal friction and the solvent quality on the dynamics of a polymer chain closure.

PubMed

Yu, Wancheng; Luo, Kaifu

2015-03-28

Using 3D Langevin dynamics simulations, we investigate the effects of the internal friction and the solvent quality on the dynamics of a polymer chain closure. We show that the chain closure in good solvents is a purely diffusive process. By extrapolation to zero solvent viscosity, we find that the internal friction of a chain plays a non-ignorable role in the dynamics of the chain closure. When the solvent quality changes from good to poor, the mean closure time τc decreases by about 1 order of magnitude for the chain length 20 ≤ N ≤ 100. Furthermore, τc has a minimum as a function of the solvent quality. With increasing the chain length N, the minimum of τc occurs at a better solvent. Finally, the single exponential distributions of the closure time in poor solvents suggest that the negative excluded volume of segments does not alter the nearly Poisson statistical characteristics of the process of the chain closure.

Protein resistance efficacy of PEO-silane amphiphiles: Dependence on PEO-segment length and concentration

PubMed Central

Rufin, Marc A.; Barry, Mikayla E.; Adair, Paige A.; Hawkins, Melissa L.; Raymond, Jeffery E.; Grunlan, Melissa A.

2016-01-01

In contrast to modification with conventional PEO-silanes (i.e. no siloxane tether), silicones with dramatically enhanced protein resistance have been previously achieved via bulk-modification with poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO)-silane amphiphiles α-(EtO)3Si(CH2)2-oligodimethylsiloxane13-block-PEOn-OCH3 when n = 8 and 16 but not when n = 3. In this work, their efficacy was evaluated in terms of optimal PEO-segment length and minimum concentration required in silicone. For each PEO-silane amphiphile (n = 3, 8, and 16), five concentrations (5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 μmol per 1 g silicone) were evaluated. Efficacy was quantified in terms of the modified silicones’ abilities to undergo rapid, water-driven surface restructuring to form hydrophilic surfaces as well as resistance to fibrinogen adsorption. Only n = 8 and 16 were effective, with a lower minimum concentration in silicone required for n = 8 (10 μmol per 1 g silicone) versus n = 16 (25 μmol per 1 g silicone). Statement of Significance Silicone is commonly used for implantable medical devices, but its hydrophobic surface promotes protein adsorption which leads to thrombosis and infection. Typical methods to incorporate poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) into silicones have not been effective due to the poor migration of PEO to the surface-biological interface. In this work, PEO-silane amphiphiles – comprised of a siloxane tether (m = 13) and variable PEO segment lengths (n = 3, 8, 16) – were blended into silicone to improve its protein resistance. The efficacy of the amphiphiles was determined to be dependent on PEO length. With the intermediate PEO length (n = 8), water-driven surface restructuring and resulting protein resistance was achieved with a concentration of only 1.7 wt%. PMID:27090588

Reproductive traits of shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus (Rafinesque, 1820) in the lower Platte River, Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamel, M. J.; Rugg, M.L.; Pegg, M.A.; Patino, Reynaldo; Hammen, J.J.

2015-01-01

We assessed reproductive status, fecundity, egg size, and spawning dynamics of shovelnose sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus in the lower Platte River. Shovelnose sturgeon were captured throughout each year during 2011 and 2012 using a multi-gear approach designed to collect a variety of fish of varying sizes and ages. Fish were collected monthly for a laboratory assessment of reproductive condition. Female shovelnose sturgeon reached fork length at 50% maturity (FL50) at 547 mm and at a minimum length of 449 mm. The average female spawning cycle was 3–5 years. Mean egg count for adult females was 16 098 ± 1103 (SE), and mean egg size was 2.401 ± 0.051 (SE) mm. Total fecundity was positively correlated with length (r2 = 0.728; P < 0.001), mass (r2 = 0.896; P < 0.001), and age (r2 = 0.396; P = 0.029). However, fish size and age did not correlate to egg size (P > 0.05). Male shovelnose sturgeon reached FL50 at 579 mm and at a minimum length of 453 mm. The average male spawning cycle was 1–2 years. Reproductively viable male and female sturgeon occurred during the spring (March–May) and autumn (September–October) in both years, indicating spring and potential autumn spawning events. Shovelnose sturgeon in the lower Platte River are maturing at a shorter length and younger age compared to populations elsewhere. Although it is unknown if the change is plastic or evolutionary, unfavorable environmental conditions or over-harvest may lead to hastened declines compared to other systems.

Many-to-Many Multicast Routing Schemes under a Fixed Topology

PubMed Central

Ding, Wei; Wang, Hongfa; Wei, Xuerui

2013-01-01

Many-to-many multicast routing can be extensively applied in computer or communication networks supporting various continuous multimedia applications. The paper focuses on the case where all users share a common communication channel while each user is both a sender and a receiver of messages in multicasting as well as an end user. In this case, the multicast tree appears as a terminal Steiner tree (TeST). The problem of finding a TeST with a quality-of-service (QoS) optimization is frequently NP-hard. However, we discover that it is a good idea to find a many-to-many multicast tree with QoS optimization under a fixed topology. In this paper, we are concerned with three kinds of QoS optimization objectives of multicast tree, that is, the minimum cost, minimum diameter, and maximum reliability. All of three optimization problems are distributed into two types, the centralized and decentralized version. This paper uses the dynamic programming method to devise an exact algorithm, respectively, for the centralized and decentralized versions of each optimization problem. PMID:23589706

Longitudinal aerodynamic performance of a series of power-law and minimum wave drag bodies at Mach 6 and several Reynolds numbers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashby, G. C., Jr.

1974-01-01

Experimental data have been obtained for two series of bodies at Mach 6 and Reynolds numbers, based on model length, from 1.4 million to 9.5 million. One series consisted of axisymmetric power-law bodies geometrically constrained for constant length and base diameter with values of the exponent n of 0.25, 0.5, 0.6, 0.667, 0.75, and 1.0. The other series consisted of positively and negatively cambered bodies of polygonal cross section, each having a constant longitudinal area distribution conforming to that required for minimizing zero-lift wave drag at hypersonic speeds under the geometric constraints of given length and volume. At the highest Reynolds number, the power-law body for minimum drag is blunter (exponent n lower) than predicted by inviscid theory (n approximately 0.6 instead of n = 0.667); however, the peak value of lift-drag ratio occurs at n = 0.667. Viscous effects were present on the bodies of polygonal cross section but were less pronounced than those on the power-law bodies. The trapezoidal bodies with maximum width at the bottom were found to have the highest maximum lift-drag ratio and the lowest mimimum drag.

Improving computer security for authentication of users: influence of proactive password restrictions.

PubMed

Proctor, Robert W; Lien, Mei-Ching; Vu, Kim-Phuong L; Schultz, E Eugene; Salvendy, Gavriel

2002-05-01

Entering a username-password combination is a widely used procedure for identification and authentication in computer systems. However, it is a notoriously weak method, in that the passwords adopted by many users are easy to crack. In an attempt to improve security, proactive password checking may be used, in which passwords must meet several criteria to be more resistant to cracking. In two experiments, we examined the influence of proactive password restrictions on the time that it took to generate an acceptable password and to use it subsequently to long in. The required length was a minimum of five characters in Experiment 1 and eight characters in Experiment 2. In both experiments, one condition had only the length restriction, and the other had additional restrictions. The additional restrictions greatly increased the time it took to generate the password but had only a small effect on the time it took to use it subsequently to long in. For the five-character passwords, 75% were cracked when no other restrictions were imposed, and this was reduced to 33% with the additional restrictions. For the eight-character passwords, 17% were cracked with no other restrictions, and 12.5% with restrictions. The results indicate that increasing the minimum character length reduces crackability and increases security, regardless of whether additional restrictions are imposed.

Gillnet selectivity in the Ebro Delta coastal lagoons and its implication for the fishery management of the sand smelt, Atherina boyeri (Actinopterygii: Atherinidae)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Climent, Sílvia; Alcaraz, Carles; Caiola, Nuno; Ibáñez, Carles; Nebra, Alfonso; Muñoz-Camarillo, Gloria; Casals, Frederic; Vinyoles, Dolors; de Sostoa, Adolfo

2012-12-01

Multimesh nylon gillnets were set in three Ebro Delta (North-East of Spain) lagoons to determine mesh selectivity for the inhabiting fish community. Each gillnet consisted on a series of twelve panels of different mesh size (ranging from 5.0 to 55.0 mm bar length) randomly distributed. The SELECT method (Share Each Length's Catch Total) was used to estimate retention curves through five models: normal location, normal scale, gamma, lognormal and inverse Gaussian. Each model was fitted twice, under the assumptions of equal and proportional to mesh size fishing effort, but no differences were found between approaches. A possible situation of overfishing in the lagoons, where artisanal fisheries are carried out with a low surveillance effort, was assessed using a vulnerable species inhabiting these brackish waters as case study: the sand smelt, Atherina boyeri. The minimum size for its fishery has not been established, thus remaining under an uncontrolled exploitation situation. Therefore, a Minimum Landing Size (MLS) is proposed based on sexual maturity data. The importance of establishing an adequate MLS and regulate mesh sizes in order to respect natural maturation length is discussed, as well as, the proposal of other measures to improve A. boyeri fishery management.

Minimum-fuel, three-dimensional flight paths for jet transports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neuman, F.; Kreindler, E.

1985-01-01

A number of studies dealing with fuel minimization are concerned with three-dimensional flight. However, only Neuman and Kreindler (1982) consider cases involving commercial jet transports. In the latter study, only the climb-out and descent portions of complete long-range flight paths below 10,000 ft altitude have been investigated. The present investigation is concerned with the computation of minimum-fuel nonturning and turning flight paths for climb-outs from 2000 to 10,000 ft for long-range flights (greater than 50 n mi), and for complete flight paths of lengths between 5 and 50 n mi.

Benefits and Limitations of Text Messages to Stimulate Higher Learning Among Community Providers: Participants' Views of an mHealth Intervention to Support Continuing Medical Education in Vietnam

PubMed Central

Sabin, Lora L; Larson Williams, Anna; Le, Bao Ngoc; Herman, Augusta R; Viet Nguyen, Ha; Albanese, Rebecca R; Xiong, Wenjun; Shobiye, Hezekiah OA; Halim, Nafisa; Tran, Lien Thi Ngoc; McNabb, Marion; Hoang, Hai; Falconer, Ariel; Nguyen, Tam Thi Thanh; Gill, Christopher J

2017-01-01

Background: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2015 to evaluate a mobile continuing medical education (mCME) intervention that provided daily text messages to community-based physicians' assistants (CBPAs) in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam. Although the intervention failed to improve medical knowledge over a 6-month period, a companion qualitative study provided insights on the views and experiences of intervention participants. Methods: We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) among participants randomized to receive text messages containing either simple medical facts or quiz questions. Trained interviewers collected data immediately following the conclusion of the trial in December 2015. Using semi-structured question guides, respondents were queried on their views of the intervention, positive and negative, and perceived impacts of the intervention. During analysis, after learning that the intervention had failed to increase knowledge among participants, we also examined reasons for lack of improvement in medical knowledge. All analyses were performed in NVivo using a thematic approach. Results: A total of 70 CBPAs engaged in one of 8 FGDs or an IDI. One-half were men; average age among all respondents was 40 years. Most (81%) practiced in rural settings and most (51%) focused on general medicine. The mean length of work experience was 3 years. All respondents made positive comments about the intervention; convenience, relevance, and quick feedback (quiz format) were praised. Downsides encompassed lack of depth of information, weak interaction, technology challenges, and challenging/irrelevant messages. Respondents described perceived impacts encompassing increased motivation, knowledge, collegial discussions, Internet use to search for more information, and clinical skills. Overall, they expressed a desire for the intervention to continue and recommended expansion to other medical professionals. Overreliance on the text messages, lack of effective self-study, and technical/language-based barriers may be potential explanations for intervention failure. Conclusion: As a form of mCME, daily text messages were well-received by community-level health care providers in Vietnam. This mCME approach appears very promising in low-resource environments or where traditional forms of CME are impractical. Future models might consider enhancements to foster linkages to relevant medical materials, improve interaction with medical experts, and tailor medical content to the daily activities of medical staff. PMID:28655802

Benefits and Limitations of Text Messages to Stimulate Higher Learning Among Community Providers: Participants' Views of an mHealth Intervention to Support Continuing Medical Education in Vietnam.

PubMed

Sabin, Lora L; Larson Williams, Anna; Le, Bao Ngoc; Herman, Augusta R; Viet Nguyen, Ha; Albanese, Rebecca R; Xiong, Wenjun; Shobiye, Hezekiah Oa; Halim, Nafisa; Tran, Lien Thi Ngoc; McNabb, Marion; Hoang, Hai; Falconer, Ariel; Nguyen, Tam Thi Thanh; Gill, Christopher J

2017-06-27

A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2015 to evaluate a mobile continuing medical education (mCME) intervention that provided daily text messages to community-based physicians' assistants (CBPAs) in Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam. Although the intervention failed to improve medical knowledge over a 6-month period, a companion qualitative study provided insights on the views and experiences of intervention participants. We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) among participants randomized to receive text messages containing either simple medical facts or quiz questions. Trained interviewers collected data immediately following the conclusion of the trial in December 2015. Using semi-structured question guides, respondents were queried on their views of the intervention, positive and negative, and perceived impacts of the intervention. During analysis, after learning that the intervention had failed to increase knowledge among participants, we also examined reasons for lack of improvement in medical knowledge. All analyses were performed in NVivo using a thematic approach. A total of 70 CBPAs engaged in one of 8 FGDs or an IDI. One-half were men; average age among all respondents was 40 years. Most (81%) practiced in rural settings and most (51%) focused on general medicine. The mean length of work experience was 3 years. All respondents made positive comments about the intervention; convenience, relevance, and quick feedback (quiz format) were praised. Downsides encompassed lack of depth of information, weak interaction, technology challenges, and challenging/irrelevant messages. Respondents described perceived impacts encompassing increased motivation, knowledge, collegial discussions, Internet use to search for more information, and clinical skills. Overall, they expressed a desire for the intervention to continue and recommended expansion to other medical professionals. Overreliance on the text messages, lack of effective self-study, and technical/language-based barriers may be potential explanations for intervention failure. As a form of mCME, daily text messages were well-received by community-level health care providers in Vietnam. This mCME approach appears very promising in low-resource environments or where traditional forms of CME are impractical. Future models might consider enhancements to foster linkages to relevant medical materials, improve interaction with medical experts, and tailor medical content to the daily activities of medical staff. © Sabin et al.

30 CFR 1206.151 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... interests regarding that contract. To be considered arm's length for any production month, a contract must.... Gathering means the movement of lease production to a central accumulation and/or treatment point on the... is to acquire only the lessee's production and to market that production. Minimum royalty means that...

Syllabus in Trade Welding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Secondary Curriculum Development.

The syllabus outlines material for a course two academic years in length (minimum two and one-half hours daily experience) leading to entry-level occupational ability in several welding trade areas. Fourteen units covering are welding, gas welding, oxyacetylene welding, cutting, nonfusion processes, inert gas shielded-arc welding, welding cast…

A minimum price per unit of alcohol: A focus group study to investigate public opinion concerning UK government proposals to introduce new price controls to curb alcohol consumption

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background UK drinkers regularly consume alcohol in excess of guideline limits. One reason for this may be the high availability of low-cost alcoholic beverages. The introduction of a minimum price per unit of alcohol policy has been proposed as a means to reduce UK alcohol consumption. However, there is little in-depth research investigating public attitudes and beliefs regarding a minimum pricing policy. The aim of the present research was to investigate people’s attitudes and beliefs toward the introduction of a minimum price per unit of alcohol policy and their views on how the policy could be made acceptable to the general public. Methods Twenty-eight focus groups were conducted to gain in-depth data on attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs regarding the introduction of a minimum price per unit of alcohol policy. Participants (total N = 218) were asked to give their opinions about the policy, its possible outcomes, and how its introduction might be made more acceptable. Transcribed focus-group discussions were analysed for emergent themes using inductive thematic content analysis. Results Analysis indicated that participants’ objections to a minimum price had three main themes: (1) scepticism of minimum pricing as an effective means to reduce harmful alcohol consumption; (2) a dislike of the policy for a number of reasons (e.g., it was perceived to ‘punish’ the moderate drinker); and (3) concern that the policy might create or exacerbate existing social problems. There was a general perception that the policy was aimed at ‘problem’ and underage drinkers. Participants expressed some qualified support for the policy but stated that it would only work as part of a wider campaign including other educational elements. Conclusions There was little evidence to suggest that people would support the introduction of a minimum price per unit of alcohol policy. Scepticism about the effectiveness of the policy is likely to represent the most significant barrier to public support. Findings also suggest that clearer educational messages are needed to dispel misconceptions regarding the effectiveness of the policy and the introduction of the policy as part of a package of government initiatives to address excess alcohol consumption might be the best way to advance support for the policy. PMID:23174016

Proceedings of the Antenna Applications Symposium Held in Illinois, Robert Allerton Park on 21-23 September 1988. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-01

for stainless steel airlines of a nominal length of 7.5 cm, a temperature .hanne of +30C changes the length about ±--_1 electrical degree at 18 GHz...regions, each of which satisfies the source- free boundary conditions. The sum of these modes are then matched to the source discontinuity. The wave...dimension H, perpendicular to the array, represents a free dimension in linear array design limited only by the minimum field-of-view (FOV) orthogonal

The analytical approach to optimization of active region structure of quantum dot laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korenev, V. V.; Savelyev, A. V.; Zhukov, A. E.; Omelchenko, A. V.; Maximov, M. V.

2014-10-01

Using the analytical approach introduced in our previous papers we analyse the possibilities of optimization of size and structure of active region of semiconductor quantum dot lasers emitting via ground-state optical transitions. It is shown that there are optimal length' dispersion and number of QD layers in laser active region which allow one to obtain lasing spectrum of a given width at minimum injection current. Laser efficiency corresponding to the injection current optimized by the cavity length is practically equal to its maximum value.

Magnetic Design Guidelines for Electronic Power Supplies.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-30

henries ",= peak flux density in gauss d = wire (conductor) dia in mils CM = d2 = circular mi’s Irms = RMS current in amperes Idc = DC current in...component lac = RMS ac current in the inductor f = minimum frequency in hertz L = inductance in henries Then Eac 2 16.83 x 2, x 760 x .05 10 Eac 1 168.3 x 2...duty cycle x 1/f L inductance in henries *permeability in gauss/oersted H magnetizing force in oersteds ’. i g length of air gap in cm ic length of

Proceedings of the Conference on the Design of Experiments in Army Research Development and Testing (39th) Held in Houston, Texas on 20-22 October 1993

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-06-01

determine thresholds for retry interval, window size, message length and arrival rate. Next a pilot test will be executed to screen each of the four...Figure 3. Prepilot Study Factors and Levels FUTURE WORK When software modifications are completed, the pilot test will be conducted to ex. plore the need...EXPERIMENTS IN ARMY RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING DTICS ELECTE JUL 081994 94-20739 G Approved for public rele•s; distribution unlimited. The findings

Computational domain length and Reynolds number effects on large-scale coherent motions in turbulent pipe flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feldmann, Daniel; Bauer, Christian; Wagner, Claus

2018-03-01

We present results from direct numerical simulations (DNS) of turbulent pipe flow at shear Reynolds numbers up to Reτ = 1500 using different computational domains with lengths up to ?. The objectives are to analyse the effect of the finite size of the periodic pipe domain on large flow structures in dependency of Reτ and to assess a minimum ? required for relevant turbulent scales to be captured and a minimum Reτ for very large-scale motions (VLSM) to be analysed. Analysing one-point statistics revealed that the mean velocity profile is invariant for ?. The wall-normal location at which deviations occur in shorter domains changes strongly with increasing Reτ from the near-wall region to the outer layer, where VLSM are believed to live. The root mean square velocity profiles exhibit domain length dependencies for pipes shorter than 14R and 7R depending on Reτ. For all Reτ, the higher-order statistical moments show only weak dependencies and only for the shortest domain considered here. However, the analysis of one- and two-dimensional pre-multiplied energy spectra revealed that even for larger ?, not all physically relevant scales are fully captured, even though the aforementioned statistics are in good agreement with the literature. We found ? to be sufficiently large to capture VLSM-relevant turbulent scales in the considered range of Reτ based on our definition of an integral energy threshold of 10%. The requirement to capture at least 1/10 of the global maximum energy level is justified by a 14% increase of the streamwise turbulence intensity in the outer region between Reτ = 720 and 1500, which can be related to VLSM-relevant length scales. Based on this scaling anomaly, we found Reτ⪆1500 to be a necessary minimum requirement to investigate VLSM-related effects in pipe flow, even though the streamwise energy spectra does not yet indicate sufficient scale separation between the most energetic and the very long motions.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Optic Nerve Traction During Adduction in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma With Normal Intraocular Pressure

PubMed Central

Demer, Joseph L.; Clark, Robert A.; Suh, Soh Youn; Giaconi, JoAnn A.; Nouri-Mahdavi, Kouros; Law, Simon K.; Bonelli, Laura; Coleman, Anne L.; Caprioli, Joseph

2017-01-01

Purpose We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to ascertain effects of optic nerve (ON) traction in adduction, a phenomenon proposed as neuropathic in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods Seventeen patients with POAG and maximal IOP ≤ 20 mm Hg, and 31 controls underwent MRI in central gaze and 20° to 30° abduction and adduction. Optic nerve and sheath area centroids permitted computation of midorbital lengths versus minimum paths. Results Average mean deviation (±SEM) was −8.2 ± 1.2 dB in the 15 patients with POAG having interpretable perimetry. In central gaze, ON path length in POAG was significantly more redundant (104.5 ± 0.4% of geometric minimum) than in controls (102.9 ± 0.4%, P = 2.96 × 10−4). In both groups the ON became significantly straighter in adduction (28.6 ± 0.8° in POAG, 26.8 ± 1.1° in controls) than central gaze and abduction. In adduction, the ON in POAG straightened to 102.0% ± 0.2% of minimum path length versus 104.5% ± 0.4% in central gaze (P = 5.7 × 10−7), compared with controls who straightened to 101.6% ± 0.1% from 102.9% ± 0.3% in central gaze (P = 8.7 × 10−6); and globes retracted 0.73 ± 0.09 mm in POAG, but only 0.07 ± 0.08 mm in controls (P = 8.8 × 10−7). Both effects were confirmed in age-matched controls, and remained significant after correction for significant effects of age and axial globe length (P = 0.005). Conclusions Although tethering and elongation of ON and sheath are normal in adduction, adduction is associated with abnormally great globe retraction in POAG without elevated IOP. Traction in adduction may cause mechanical overloading of the ON head and peripapillary sclera, thus contributing to or resulting from the optic neuropathy of glaucoma independent of IOP. PMID:28829843

Minimum length of the adaptation and collection period in digestibility trials with sheep fed ad libitum only forage or forage plus concentrate.

PubMed

Farenzena, R; Kozloski, G V; Gindri, M; Stefanello, S

2017-10-01

Two in vivo digestibility trials with sheep were conducted to identify the minimum period length of feeding a new diet to obtain reproducible values of nutritional variables onward and the minimum length of collection period as to obtain maximal precision for each variable. Trial 1 was conducted with ten Polwarth male sheep (34 ± 5 kg body weight (BW)) throughout three 21-day periods, in a completely randomized two-way crossover design. The animals were divided into two groups (Group A and B, n = 5 per group) which were fed ad libitum with a sequence of the following diets throughout the periods: Group A: hay - hay plus concentrate - hay; Group B: hay plus concentrate - hay - hay plus concentrate. The concentrate was included in a proportion of 0.33 of the total diet. The intake, and the faecal and urinary excretion were measured daily throughout the experiment. For evaluating rumen fermentation variables, in Trial 2 four Santa Inês male sheep (65 ± 5 kg BW) fitted with ruminal cannula were used. The animals were randomly divided into two groups (n = 2 per group), and the trial was conducted through four 21 days experimental period, in a three-way crossover design, using experimental diets and feeding management similar to Trial 1. The results indicated that, even though no clear or consistent steady-state condition was identified for rumen fermentation or urinary excretion variables, the adaptation period for measuring OM digestibility in in vivo trials with sheep fed ad libitum where the diet shifts from one of only hay to another containing concentrate, or vice-versa, should be at least 12 days long. Moreover, although no precision improvement was obtained by increasing the collection period above 1 day for measuring OM digestibility, the minimal length of collection period should be 4 days for measuring faecal excretion variables and 7 days for measuring urinary excretion variables. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The origin of unequal bond lengths in the C 1B 2 state of SO 2: Signatures of high-lying potential energy surface crossings in the low-lying vibrational structure

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

Park, G. Barratt; Jiang, Jun; Field, Robert W.

Here the C 1B 2 state of SO 2 has a double-minimum potential in the antisymmetric stretch coordinate, such that the minimum energy geometry has nonequivalent SO bond lengths. The asymmetry in the potential energy surface is expressed as a staggering in the energy levels of the v' 3 progression. We have recently made the first observation of low-lying levels with odd quanta of v' 3, which allows us--in the current work--to characterize the origins of the level staggering. Our work demonstrates the usefulness of low-lying vibrational level structure, where the character of the wavefunctions can be relatively easily understood,more » to extract information about dynamically important potential energy surface crossings that occur at much higher energy. The measured staggering pattern is consistent with a vibronic coupling model for the double-minimum, which involves direct coupling to the bound 2 1A 1 state and indirect coupling with the repulsive 3 1A 1 state. The degree of staggering in the v' 3 levels increases with quanta of bending excitation, which is consistent with the approach along the C state potential energy surface to a conical intersection with the 2 1A 1 surface at a bond angle of ~145°.« less

The origin of unequal bond lengths in the C 1B 2 state of SO 2: Signatures of high-lying potential energy surface crossings in the low-lying vibrational structure

DOE PAGES

Park, G. Barratt; Jiang, Jun; Field, Robert W.

2016-04-14

Here the C 1B 2 state of SO 2 has a double-minimum potential in the antisymmetric stretch coordinate, such that the minimum energy geometry has nonequivalent SO bond lengths. The asymmetry in the potential energy surface is expressed as a staggering in the energy levels of the v' 3 progression. We have recently made the first observation of low-lying levels with odd quanta of v' 3, which allows us--in the current work--to characterize the origins of the level staggering. Our work demonstrates the usefulness of low-lying vibrational level structure, where the character of the wavefunctions can be relatively easily understood,more » to extract information about dynamically important potential energy surface crossings that occur at much higher energy. The measured staggering pattern is consistent with a vibronic coupling model for the double-minimum, which involves direct coupling to the bound 2 1A 1 state and indirect coupling with the repulsive 3 1A 1 state. The degree of staggering in the v' 3 levels increases with quanta of bending excitation, which is consistent with the approach along the C state potential energy surface to a conical intersection with the 2 1A 1 surface at a bond angle of ~145°.« less

Electrofishing effort required to estimate biotic condition in southern Idaho Rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maret, Terry R.; Ott, Douglas S.; Herlihy, Alan T.

2007-01-01

An important issue surrounding biomonitoring in large rivers is the minimum sampling effort required to collect an adequate number of fish for accurate and precise determinations of biotic condition. During the summer of 2002, we sampled 15 randomly selected large-river sites in southern Idaho to evaluate the effects of sampling effort on an index of biotic integrity (IBI). Boat electrofishing was used to collect sample populations of fish in river reaches representing 40 and 100 times the mean channel width (MCW; wetted channel) at base flow. Minimum sampling effort was assessed by comparing the relation between reach length sampled and change in IBI score. Thirty-two species of fish in the families Catostomidae, Centrarchidae, Cottidae, Cyprinidae, Ictaluridae, Percidae, and Salmonidae were collected. Of these, 12 alien species were collected at 80% (12 of 15) of the sample sites; alien species represented about 38% of all species (N = 32) collected during the study. A total of 60% (9 of 15) of the sample sites had poor IBI scores. A minimum reach length of about 36 times MCW was determined to be sufficient for collecting an adequate number of fish for estimating biotic condition based on an IBI score. For most sites, this equates to collecting 275 fish at a site. Results may be applicable to other semiarid, fifth-order through seventh-order rivers sampled during summer low-flow conditions.

Model of Transition from Laminar to Turbulent Flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanda, Hidesada

2001-11-01

For circular pipe flows, a model of transition from laminar to turbulent flow has already been proposed and the minimum critical Reynolds number of approximately 2040 was obtained (Kanda, 1999). In order to prove the validity of the model, another verification is required. Thus, for plane Poiseuille flow, results of previous investigations were studied, focusing on experimental data on the critical Reynolds number Rc, the entrance length, and the transition length. Consequently, concerning the natural transition, it was confirmed from the experimental data that (i) the transition occurs in the entrance region, (ii) Rc increases as the contraction ratio in the inlet section increases, and (iii) the minimum Rc is obtained when the contraction ratio is the smallest or one, and there is no-bellshaped entrance or straight parallel plates. Its value exists in the neighborhood of 1300, based on the channel height and the average velocity. Although, for Hagen-Poiseuille flow, the minimum Rc is approximately 2000, based on the pipe diameter and the average velocity, there seems to be no significant difference in the transition from laminar to turbulent flow between Hagen-Poiseuille flow and plane Poiseuille flow (Kanda, 2001). Rc is determined by the shape of the inlet. Kanda, H., 1999, Proc. of ASME Fluids Engineering Division - 1999, FED-Vol. 250, pp. 197-204. Kanda, H., 2001, Proc. of ASME Fluids Engineering Division - 2001.

Analysis of some compliance calibration data for chevron-notch bar and rod specimens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orange, Thomas W.; Bubsey, Raymond T.; Pierce, William S.; Shannon, John L., Jr.

1991-01-01

A set of equations describing certain fracture mechanics parameters for chevron-notch bar and rod specimens are presented. They are developed by fitting earlier compliance calibration data. The difficulty in determining the minimum stress intensity coefficient and the critical crack length is discussed.

46 CFR 173.095 - Towline pull criterion.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... diameter in feet (meters). s=that fraction of the propeller circle cylinder which would be intercepted by... shaft centerline at rudder to towing bitts in feet (meters). Δ=displacement in long tons (metric tons). f=minimum freeboard along the length of the vessel in feet (meters). B=molded beam in feet (meters...

46 CFR 28.835 - Fuel systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... flexible tubing or hose is permitted in the fuel supply line at or near the engine to prevent damage by vibration. If nonmetallic flexible hose is used it must: (1) Not exceed the minimum length needed to allow... with wire braid; (4) Be fitted with suitable, corrosion resistant, compression fittings; and (5) Be...

46 CFR 28.835 - Fuel systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... flexible tubing or hose is permitted in the fuel supply line at or near the engine to prevent damage by vibration. If nonmetallic flexible hose is used it must: (1) Not exceed the minimum length needed to allow... with wire braid; (4) Be fitted with suitable, corrosion resistant, compression fittings; and (5) Be...

46 CFR 28.835 - Fuel systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... flexible tubing or hose is permitted in the fuel supply line at or near the engine to prevent damage by vibration. If nonmetallic flexible hose is used it must: (1) Not exceed the minimum length needed to allow... with wire braid; (4) Be fitted with suitable, corrosion resistant, compression fittings; and (5) Be...

46 CFR 28.835 - Fuel systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... flexible tubing or hose is permitted in the fuel supply line at or near the engine to prevent damage by vibration. If nonmetallic flexible hose is used it must: (1) Not exceed the minimum length needed to allow... with wire braid; (4) Be fitted with suitable, corrosion resistant, compression fittings; and (5) Be...

DETERMINING THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF SITES FOR BIOASSESSMENT OF THE OHIO RIVER

EPA Science Inventory

For wadeable stream bioassessment, much work has been done to determine the number of samples to composite or the appropriate reach length for obtaining an adequate sample. Proportions of stream miles in a given condition are then often reported at the watershed or ecoregion lev...

7 CFR 3431.13 - Terms of loan repayment and length of service requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE VETERINARY MEDICINE LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM Administration of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program § 3431.13 Terms... service in a veterinary shortage situation, as determined by the Secretary, with a minimum of 3 years (and...

A Survey of Model Evaluation Approaches with a Tutorial on Hierarchical Bayesian Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shiffrin, Richard M.; Lee, Michael D.; Kim, Woojae; Wagenmakers, Eric-Jan

2008-01-01

This article reviews current methods for evaluating models in the cognitive sciences, including theoretically based approaches, such as Bayes factors and minimum description length measures; simulation approaches, including model mimicry evaluations; and practical approaches, such as validation and generalization measures. This article argues…

46 CFR 172.030 - Exemptions for certain vessels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... to a minimum by carrying as few slack holds as possible. (4) Each slack surface must be leveled. (5...=(0.268 r) if r is slack surface of grain, i.e...=breadth of slack grain surface (m L=Length of compartment (m) Disp.=Displacement of vessel (tons) SF...

Short wavelength turbulence generated by shear in the quiescent H-mode edge on DIII–D

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

Rost, J. C.; Porkolab, M.; Dorris, J.

2014-06-15

A region of turbulence with large radial wavenumber (k{sub r}ρ{sub s}>1) is found in the high-shear portion of the plasma edge in Quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) on DIII–D using the Phase Contrast Imaging (PCI) diagnostic. At its peak outside the minimum of the E{sub r} well, the turbulence exhibits large amplitude n{sup ~}/n∼40%, with large radial wavenumber |k{sup ¯}{sub r}/k{sup ¯}{sub θ}|∼11 and short radial correlation length L{sub r}/ρ{sub i}∼0.2. The turbulence inside the E{sub r} well minimum is characterized by the opposite sign in radial wavenumber from that of turbulence outside the minimum, consistent with the expected effects of velocitymore » shear. The PCI diagnostic provides a line-integrated measurement of density fluctuations, so data are taken during a scan of plasma position at constant parameters to allow the PCI to sample a range in k{sub r}/k{sub θ}. Analysis of the Doppler shift and plasma geometry allows the turbulence to be localized to a narrow region 3 mm inside the last closed flux surface, outside the minimum of the E{sub r} well. The turbulence amplitude and radial wavenumber and correlation length are determined by fitting the PCI results with a simple non-isotropic turbulence model with two regions of turbulence. These PCI observations, made in QH-mode, are qualitatively similar to those made in standard edge localized modes (ELM)-free H-mode and between ELMs, suggesting a similar role for large k{sub r} turbulence there.« less

Short wavelength turbulence generated by shear in the quiescent H-mode edge on DIII–D [Short wavelength turbulence generated by shear in the QH-mode edge on DIII-D

DOE PAGES

Rost, Jon C.; Porkolab, Miklos; Dorris, James R.; ...

2014-06-17

A region of turbulence with large radial wavenumber (k rρ s > 1) is found in the high-shear portion of the plasma edge in Quiescent H-mode (QH-mode) on DIII{D using the Phase Contrast Imaging (PCI) diagnostic. At its peak outside the minimum of the E r well, the turbulence exhibits large amplitudemore » $$\\tilde{n}$$/n ~ 40%, with large radial wavenumber |$$\\bar{k}$$ r/ $$\\bar{k}$$ θ| ~ 11 and short radial correlation length L r/ρ i ~ 0.2. The turbulence inside the E r well minimum is characterized by the opposite sign in radial wavenumber from that of turbulence outside the minimum, consistent with the expected effects of velocity shear. The PCI diagnostic provides a line-integrated measurement of density uctuations, so data is taken during a scan of plasma position at constant parameters to allow the PCI to sample a range in k r/k θ . Analysis of the Doppler Shift and plasma geometry allows the turbulence to be localized to a narrow region 3 mm inside the last closed flux surface (LCFS), outside the minimum of the E r well. The turbulence amplitude and radial wavenumber and correlation length are determined by fitting the PCI results with a simple non-isotropic turbulence model with two regions of turbulence. Finally, these PCI observations, made in QH-mode, are qualitatively similar to those made in standard ELM-free H-mode and between edge localized modes (ELMs), suggesting a similar role for large k r turbulence there.« less

Method for selecting minimum width of leaf in multileaf adjustable collimator while inhibiting passage of particle beams of radiation through sawtooth joints between collimator leaves

DOEpatents

Ludewigt, Bernhard; Bercovitz, John; Nyman, Mark; Chu, William

1995-01-01

A method is disclosed for selecting the minimum width of individual leaves of a multileaf adjustable collimator having sawtooth top and bottom surfaces between adjacent leaves of a first stack of leaves and sawtooth end edges which are capable of intermeshing with the corresponding sawtooth end edges of leaves in a second stack of leaves of the collimator. The minimum width of individual leaves in the collimator, each having a sawtooth configuration in the surface facing another leaf in the same stack and a sawtooth end edge, is selected to comprise the sum of the penetration depth or range of the particular type of radiation comprising the beam in the particular material used for forming the leaf; plus the total path length across all the air gaps in the area of the joint at the edges between two leaves defined between lines drawn across the peaks of adjacent sawtooth edges; plus at least one half of the length or period of a single sawtooth. To accomplish this, in accordance with the method of the invention, the penetration depth of the particular type of radiation in the particular material to be used for the collimator leaf is first measured. Then the distance or gap between adjoining or abutting leaves is selected, and the ratio of this distance to the height of the sawteeth is selected. Finally the number of air gaps through which the radiation will pass between sawteeth is determined by selecting the number of sawteeth to be formed in the joint. The measurement and/or selection of these parameters will permit one to determine the minimum width of the leaf which is required to prevent passage of the beam through the sawtooth joint.

Low-flow characteristics of streams in South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Feaster, Toby D.; Guimaraes, Wladmir B.

2017-09-22

An ongoing understanding of streamflow characteristics of the rivers and streams in South Carolina is important for the protection and preservation of the State’s water resources. Information concerning the low-flow characteristics of streams is especially important during critical flow periods, such as during the historic droughts that South Carolina has experienced in the past few decades.Between 2008 and 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, updated low-flow statistics at 106 continuous-record streamgages operated by the U.S. Geological Survey for the eight major river basins in South Carolina. The low-flow frequency statistics included the annual minimum 1-, 3-, 7-, 14-, 30-, 60-, and 90-day mean flows with recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 50 years, depending on the length of record available at the streamflow-gaging station. Computations of daily mean flow durations for the 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 75-, 90-, and 95-percent probability of exceedance also were included.This report summarizes the findings from publications generated during the 2008 to 2016 investigations. Trend analyses for the annual minimum 7-day average flows are provided as well as trend assessments of long-term annual precipitation data. Statewide variability in the annual minimum 7-day average flow is assessed at eight long-term (record lengths from 55 to 78 years) streamgages. If previous low-flow statistics were available, comparisons with the updated annual minimum 7-day average flow, having a 10-year recurrence interval, were made. In addition, methods for estimating low-flow statistics at ungaged locations near a gaged location are described.

[Length of stay in maternity wards after normal delivery: diverging point of views].

PubMed

Vautrin, E; Fontaine, A; Lanba, P; Guérin, V; Engelmann, P

2000-02-01

To compare maternity ward professionals' and patients' views regarding the length of stay in the maternity after a normal delivery and to explore working relationships with ambulatory health professionals. Three surveys General professional agreement on a minimum of 4 days; few contacts with ambulatory health professionals. One third of the women found their length of stay excessive. Most did not appear to gain new skills after 3 days, nor to encounter major difficulties once they returned to their home. and conclusion. It will be essential to organize effective working relationships between the maternity ward and ambulatory health professionals to ensure appropriate follow-up after an earlier discharge from the hospital, in agreement with the capabilities and expectations of a majority of women.

Flat tensile specimen design for advanced composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Worthem, Dennis W.

1990-01-01

Finite element analyses of flat, reduced gage section tensile specimens with various transition region contours were performed. Within dimensional constraints, such as maximum length, tab region width, gage width, gage length, and minimum tab length, a transition contour radius of 41.9 cm produced the lowest stress values in the specimen transition region. The stresses in the transition region were not sensitive to specimen material properties. The stresses in the tab region were sensitive to specimen composite and/or tab material properties. An evaluation of stresses with different specimen composite and tab material combinations must account for material nonlinearity of both the tab and the specimen composite. Material nonlinearity can either relieve stresses in the composite under the tab or elevate them to cause failure under the tab.

Biologic fixation through bridge plating for comminuted shaft fracture of the clavicle: technical aspects and prospective clinical experience with a minimum of 12-month follow-up.

PubMed

Jung, Gu Hee; Park, Chang-Min; Kim, Jae-Do

2013-12-01

For comminuted shaft fracture of clavicle, the operative goal, aside from sound bone healing without complications of direct reduction, is maintenance of the original length in order to maintain the normal biomechanics of adjacent joint. Our bridge plating technique utilizing distraction through a lumbar spreader was expected to be effective for restoring clavicular length with soft tissue preservation. However, there are two disadvantages. First, there is more exposure to radiation compared to conventional plating; and second, it is difficult to control the rotational alignment. Despite these disadvantages, our technique has important benefits, in particular, the ability to preserve clavicular length without soft tissue injury around the fracture site.

Solar Drivers of 11-yr and Long-Term Cosmic Ray Modulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cliver, E. W.; Richardson, I. G.; Ling, A. G.

2011-01-01

In the current paradigm for the modulation of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), diffusion is taken to be the dominant process during solar maxima while drift dominates at minima. Observations during the recent solar minimum challenge the pre-eminence of drift: at such times. In 2009, the approx.2 GV GCR intensity measured by the Newark neutron monitor increased by approx.5% relative to its maximum value two cycles earlier even though the average tilt angle in 2009 was slightly larger than that in 1986 (approx.20deg vs. approx.14deg), while solar wind B was significantly lower (approx.3.9 nT vs. approx.5.4 nT). A decomposition of the solar wind into high-speed streams, slow solar wind, and coronal mass ejections (CMEs; including postshock flows) reveals that the Sun transmits its message of changing magnetic field (diffusion coefficient) to the heliosphere primarily through CMEs at solar maximum and high-speed streams at solar minimum. Long-term reconstructions of solar wind B are in general agreement for the approx. 1900-present interval and can be used to reliably estimate GCR intensity over this period. For earlier epochs, however, a recent Be-10-based reconstruction covering the past approx. 10(exp 4) years shows nine abrupt and relatively short-lived drops of B to < or approx.= 0 nT, with the first of these corresponding to the Sporer minimum. Such dips are at variance with the recent suggestion that B has a minimum or floor value of approx.2.8 nT. A floor in solar wind B implies a ceiling in the GCR intensity (a permanent modulation of the local interstellar spectrum) at a given energy/rigidity. The 30-40% increase in the intensity of 2.5 GV electrons observed by Ulysses during the recent solar minimum raises an interesting paradox that will need to be resolved.

Read-Write-Codes: An Erasure Resilient Encoding System for Flexible Reading and Writing in Storage Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mense, Mario; Schindelhauer, Christian

We introduce the Read-Write-Coding-System (RWC) - a very flexible class of linear block codes that generate efficient and flexible erasure codes for storage networks. In particular, given a message x of k symbols and a codeword y of n symbols, an RW code defines additional parameters k ≤ r,w ≤ n that offer enhanced possibilities to adjust the fault-tolerance capability of the code. More precisely, an RWC provides linear left(n,k,dright)-codes that have (a) minimum distance d = n - r + 1 for any two codewords, and (b) for each codeword there exists a codeword for each other message with distance of at most w. Furthermore, depending on the values r,w and the code alphabet, different block codes such as parity codes (e.g. RAID 4/5) or Reed-Solomon (RS) codes (if r = k and thus, w = n) can be generated. In storage networks in which I/O accesses are very costly and redundancy is crucial, this flexibility has considerable advantages as r and w can optimally be adapted to read or write intensive applications; only w symbols must be updated if the message x changes completely, what is different from other codes which always need to rewrite y completely as x changes. In this paper, we first state a tight lower bound and basic conditions for all RW codes. Furthermore, we introduce special RW codes in which all mentioned parameters are adjustable even online, that is, those RW codes are adaptive to changing demands. At last, we point out some useful properties regarding safety and security of the stored data.

Visual communication materials for rural audiences: re-orienting artists and copy-writers.

PubMed

Chen, P

1989-01-01

An agency of the Indian government cooperated with a United Nations Children Fund to produce posters for the child survival and development program in India. To make the posters and other visual communications more effective a workshop was planned for the artists, visualizers, and copywriters. Previous experience had shown that some visual materials were not always oriented to the local contexts and villages often misinterpreted the messages of these materials. The 12 day workshop was designed to assist artists to better understand the audiences needs. there had been little pretesting of art work for health communication and no consideration of the visual literacy of the audience. The first project in the workshop consisted of artists and copywriters visiting villages to pretest posters presently in circulation. After some reservations they quickly found that the villagers perception of the posters was entirely different than the message being conveyed. By going back and getting the villagers perceptions of common sights related to maternal and child health, the artist could better prepare communication materials. They also collected basic sociological data at each village. New posters were then prepared with the help of inputs from midwives, nurses, and other health care workers. By pretesting these materials again they were able to clarify the messages, and repeated testing showed the posters were more understandable. The participants in the workshop found that visual communications materials demand proper understanding of the subject matter and the audience. Pretesting of materials is necessary before production, and changes should be made to reflect the local culture and surroundings. Posters for rural illiterate audiences should have the minimum written text needed and visual literacy must be assessed.

Using brothel leadership to promote condom use among brothel-based female sex workers in Abuja, Nigeria: study protocol for a cluster randomized pilot trial.

PubMed

Okafor, Uchenna; Crutzen, Rik; Okekearu, Ifeanyi; Adebajo, Sylvia; Uzoh, Adaora; Awo, Egbe Aneotah; Chima, Chukwuemeka; Agwagwa, Ogechukwu; van den Borne, Bart

2017-01-01

The HIV prevalence among female populations involved in sex work in Nigeria has heightened interest in HIV prevention programming for this sub-population with brothel-based female sex workers (BB FSWs) having a prevalence of 27.4%, six times higher than the prevalence in the general population. The clusters in the randomized pilot trial will be brothels and female sex workers (FSWs) residing in the brothels will be the participants of the study. The participants will receive free condom distribution as well as HIV prevention messages on condom use and negotiation skills to increase self-efficacy in handling social and gender power plays within their environment. Twelve brothels will be randomized into experimental and control conditions with a minimum total sample size of 200 participants. Recruitment of participants will be carried out from within the brothels. The control condition will receive a standard intervention consisting of a minimum of six interactive sessions with peer educators (PE) engaging their peers through group discussions and one on one interaction using pre-designed HIV prevention messages. The experimental condition will receive the standard intervention as well as interactive sessions with the brothel leadership (chairladies and brothel managers) to facilitate consistent condom use and appropriate condom use policies, conditions, and messaging. Both interventions will be delivered over a maximum period of 16 weeks, and male and female condoms will be distributed during the intervention. Quantitative assessments will be carried out at baseline and at 16 weeks follow-up, and the pilot findings will inform feasibility of and sample size estimation for a phase III trial. The primary outcomes measured are recruitment rate attrition rate and adherence to the intervention. Consistent condom use outcomes by FSWs within the brothel with all partner types and enhanced self-efficacy for condom negotiation with all partner types will be the primary outcomes for the main study, and the feasibility of their measurement will be determined in this pilot trial. The manuscript describes the protocol for a pilot study to determine the feasibility of a behavioral intervention to improve consistent condom use among BB FSWs. The results of this pilot will inform a larger intervention for HIV prevention for this target group in Nigeria. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria; Protocol Number NHREC/10/15/2014a-026.

Mass media interventions for preventing smoking in young people.

PubMed

Carson, Kristin V; Ameer, Faisal; Sayehmiri, Kourosh; Hnin, Khin; van Agteren, Joseph Em; Sayehmiri, Fatemeh; Brinn, Malcolm P; Esterman, Adrian J; Chang, Anne B; Smith, Brian J

2017-06-02

Mass media interventions can be used as a way of delivering preventive health messages. They have the potential to reach and modify the knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of a large proportion of the community. To assess the effects of mass media interventions on preventing smoking in young people, and whether it can reduce smoking uptake among youth (under 25 years), improve smoking attitudes, intentions and knowledge, improve self-efficacy/self-esteem, and improve perceptions about smoking, including the choice to follow positive role models. We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialized Register, with additional searches of MEDLINE and Embase in June 2016. This is an update of a review first published in 1998. Randomized trials, controlled trials without randomization and interrupted time-series studies that assessed the effect of mass media campaigns (defined as channels of communication such as television, radio, newspapers, social media, billboards, posters, leaflets or booklets intended to reach large numbers of people and which are not dependent on person-to-person contact) in influencing the smoking behaviour (either objective or self-reported) of young people under the age of 25 years. We define smoking behaviour as the presence or absence of tobacco smoking or other tobacco use, or both, and the frequency of tobacco use. Eligible comparators included education or no intervention. Two review authors independently extracted information relating to the characteristics and the content of media interventions, participants, outcomes, methods of the study and risks of bias. We combined studies using qualitative narrative synthesis. We assessed the risks of bias for each study using the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool, alongside additional domains to account for the nature of the intervention. We assessed the quality of evidence contributing to outcomes using GRADE. We identified eight eligible studies reporting information about mass media smoking campaigns, one of which is new for this update. Seven of the studies used a controlled trial design and one an interrupted time-series analysis. Risks of bias were high across all included studies and there was considerable heterogeneity in study design, intervention and population being assessed.Three studies (n = 17,385), one of which compared a mass media intervention to no intervention and two of which evaluated mass media interventions as adjuncts to school-based interventions, found that the mass media interventions reduced the smoking behaviour of young people. The remaining five studies (n = 72,740) did not detect a significant effect on smoking behaviour. These included three studies comparing a mass media intervention to no intervention, one study evaluating a mass media intervention as an adjunct to a school-based intervention, and one interrupted time-series study of a social media intervention. The three campaigns which found a significant effect described their theoretical basis, used formative research in designing the campaign messages, and used message broadcast of reasonable intensity over extensive periods of time. However, some of the campaigns which did not detect an effect also exhibited these characteristics. Effective campaigns tended to last longer (minimum 3 years) and were more intense (more contact time) for both school-based lessons (minimum eight lessons per grade) and media spots (minimum four weeks' duration across multiple media channels with between 167 and 350 TV and radio spots). Implementation of combined school-based components (e.g. school posters) and the use of repetitive media messages delivered by multiple channels (e.g. newspapers, radio, television) appeared to contribute to successful campaigns. Certainty about the effects of mass media campaigns on smoking behaviour in youth is very low, due to inconsistency between studies in both design and results, and due to methodological issues amongst the included studies. It would therefore be unwise to offer firm conclusions based on the evidence in this review. Methodologically rigorous studies investigating the effect of social media and novel forms of technology as part of tobacco prevention campaigns for youth are needed.

A new statistical framework to assess structural alignment quality using information compression

PubMed Central

Collier, James H.; Allison, Lloyd; Lesk, Arthur M.; Garcia de la Banda, Maria; Konagurthu, Arun S.

2014-01-01

Motivation: Progress in protein biology depends on the reliability of results from a handful of computational techniques, structural alignments being one. Recent reviews have highlighted substantial inconsistencies and differences between alignment results generated by the ever-growing stock of structural alignment programs. The lack of consensus on how the quality of structural alignments must be assessed has been identified as the main cause for the observed differences. Current methods assess structural alignment quality by constructing a scoring function that attempts to balance conflicting criteria, mainly alignment coverage and fidelity of structures under superposition. This traditional approach to measuring alignment quality, the subject of considerable literature, has failed to solve the problem. Further development along the same lines is unlikely to rectify the current deficiencies in the field. Results: This paper proposes a new statistical framework to assess structural alignment quality and significance based on lossless information compression. This is a radical departure from the traditional approach of formulating scoring functions. It links the structural alignment problem to the general class of statistical inductive inference problems, solved using the information-theoretic criterion of minimum message length. Based on this, we developed an efficient and reliable measure of structural alignment quality, I-value. The performance of I-value is demonstrated in comparison with a number of popular scoring functions, on a large collection of competing alignments. Our analysis shows that I-value provides a rigorous and reliable quantification of structural alignment quality, addressing a major gap in the field. Availability: http://lcb.infotech.monash.edu.au/I-value Contact: arun.konagurthu@monash.edu Supplementary information: Online supplementary data are available at http://lcb.infotech.monash.edu.au/I-value/suppl.html PMID:25161241

Host selection and gonotrophic cycle length of Anopheles punctimacula in southern Mexico.

PubMed

Ulloa, Armando; Gonzalez-Cerón, Lilia; Rodríguez, Mario H

2006-12-01

The host preference, survival rates, and length of the gonotrophic cycle of Anopheles punctimacula was investigated in southern México. Mosquitoes were collected in 15-day separate experiments during the rainy and dry seasons. Daily changes in the parous-nulliparous ratio were recorded and the gonotrophic cycle length was estimated by a time series analysis. Anopheles punctimacula was most abundant during the dry season and preferred animals to humans. The daily survival rate in mosquitoes collected in animal traps was 0.96 (parity rate = 0.86; gonotrophic cycle = 4 days). The length of gonotrophic cycle of 4 days was estimated on the base of a high correlation coefficient value appearing every 4 days. The minimum time estimated for developing mature eggs after blood feeding was 72 h. The proportion of mosquitoes living enough to transmit Plasmodium vivax malaria during the dry season was 0.35.

Resolving Properties of Polymers and Nanoparticle Assembly through Coarse-Grained Computational Studies.

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

Grest, Gary S.

2017-09-01

Coupled length and time scales determine the dynamic behavior of polymers and polymer nanocomposites and underlie their unique properties. To resolve the properties over large time and length scales it is imperative to develop coarse grained models which retain the atomistic specificity. Here we probe the degree of coarse graining required to simultaneously retain significant atomistic details a nd access large length and time scales. The degree of coarse graining in turn sets the minimum length scale instrumental in defining polymer properties and dynamics. Using polyethylene as a model system, we probe how the coarse - graining scale affects themore » measured dynamics with different number methylene group s per coarse - grained beads. Using these models we simulate polyethylene melts for times over 500 ms to study the viscoelastic properties of well - entangled polymer melts and large nanoparticle assembly as the nanoparticles are driven close enough to form nanostructures.« less

Longevity in Calumma parsonii, the World's largest chameleon.

PubMed

Tessa, Giulia; Glaw, Frank; Andreone, Franco

2017-03-01

Large body size of ectothermic species can be correlated with high life expectancy. We assessed the longevity of the World's largest chameleon, the Parson's chameleon Calumma parsonii from Madagascar by using skeletochronology of phalanges taken from preserved specimens held in European natural history museums. Due to the high bone resorption we can provide only the minimum age of each specimen. The highest minimum age detected was nine years for a male and eight years for a female, confirming that this species is considerably long living among chameleons. Our data also show a strong correlation between snout-vent length and estimated age. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design optimization and probabilistic analysis of a hydrodynamic journal bearing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liniecki, Alexander G.

1990-01-01

A nonlinear constrained optimization of a hydrodynamic bearing was performed yielding three main variables: radial clearance, bearing length to diameter ratio, and lubricating oil viscosity. As an objective function a combined model of temperature rise and oil supply has been adopted. The optimized model of the bearing has been simulated for population of 1000 cases using Monte Carlo statistical method. It appeared that the so called 'optimal solution' generated more than 50 percent of failed bearings, because their minimum oil film thickness violated stipulated minimum constraint value. As a remedy change of oil viscosity is suggested after several sensitivities of variables have been investigated.

Equilibrium structure and atomic vibrations of Nin clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borisova, Svetlana D.; Rusina, Galina G.

2017-12-01

The equilibrium bond lengths and binding energy, second differences in energy and vibrational frequencies of free clusters Nin (2 ≤ n ≤ 20) were calculated with the use of the interaction potential obtained in the tight-binding approximation (TBA). The results show that the minimum vibration frequency plays a significant role in the evaluation of the dynamic stability of the clusters. A nonmonotonic dependence of the minimum vibration frequency of clusters on their size and the extreme values for the number of atoms in a cluster n = 4, 6, 13, and 19 are demonstrated. This result agrees with the theoretical and experimental data on stable structures of small metallic clusters.

Minimum-fuel, 3-dimensional flightpath guidance of transfer jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neuman, F.; Kreindler, E.

1984-01-01

Minimum fuel, three dimensional flightpaths for commercial jet aircraft are discussed. The theoretical development is divided into two sections. In both sections, the necessary conditions of optimal control, including singular arcs and state constraints, are used. One section treats the initial and final portions (below 10,000 ft) of long optimal flightpaths. Here all possible paths can be derived by generating fields of extremals. Another section treats the complete intermediate length, three dimensional terminal area flightpaths. Here only representative sample flightpaths can be computed. Sufficient detail is provided to give the student of optimal control a complex example of a useful application of optimal control theory.

Analysis of multigrid methods on massively parallel computers: Architectural implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matheson, Lesley R.; Tarjan, Robert E.

1993-01-01

We study the potential performance of multigrid algorithms running on massively parallel computers with the intent of discovering whether presently envisioned machines will provide an efficient platform for such algorithms. We consider the domain parallel version of the standard V cycle algorithm on model problems, discretized using finite difference techniques in two and three dimensions on block structured grids of size 10(exp 6) and 10(exp 9), respectively. Our models of parallel computation were developed to reflect the computing characteristics of the current generation of massively parallel multicomputers. These models are based on an interconnection network of 256 to 16,384 message passing, 'workstation size' processors executing in an SPMD mode. The first model accomplishes interprocessor communications through a multistage permutation network. The communication cost is a logarithmic function which is similar to the costs in a variety of different topologies. The second model allows single stage communication costs only. Both models were designed with information provided by machine developers and utilize implementation derived parameters. With the medium grain parallelism of the current generation and the high fixed cost of an interprocessor communication, our analysis suggests an efficient implementation requires the machine to support the efficient transmission of long messages, (up to 1000 words) or the high initiation cost of a communication must be significantly reduced through an alternative optimization technique. Furthermore, with variable length message capability, our analysis suggests the low diameter multistage networks provide little or no advantage over a simple single stage communications network.

Lost in the city: revisiting Milgram's experiment in the age of social networks.

PubMed

Szüle, János; Kondor, Dániel; Dobos, László; Csabai, István; Vattay, Gábor

2014-01-01

As more and more users access social network services from smart devices with GPS receivers, the available amount of geo-tagged information makes repeating classical experiments possible on global scales and with unprecedented precision. Inspired by the original experiments of Milgram, we simulated message routing within a representative sub-graph of the network of Twitter users with about 6 million geo-located nodes and 122 million edges. We picked pairs of users from two distant metropolitan areas and tried to find a route between them using local geographic information only; our method was to forward messages to a friend living closest to the target. We found that the examined network is navigable on large scales, but navigability breaks down at the city scale and the network becomes unnavigable on intra-city distances. This means that messages usually arrived to the close proximity of the target in only 3-6 steps, but only in about 20% of the cases was it possible to find a route all the way to the recipient, in spite of the network being connected. This phenomenon is supported by the distribution of link lengths; on larger scales the distribution behaves approximately as P(d) ≈ 1/d, which was found earlier by Kleinberg to allow efficient navigation, while on smaller scales, a fractal structure becomes apparent. The intra-city correlation dimension of the network was found to be D2 = 1.25, less than the dimension D2 = 1.78 of the distribution of the population.

Communication performance analysis and comparison of two patterns for data exchange between nodes in WorldFIP fieldbus network.

PubMed

Liang, Geng; Wang, Hong; Li, Wen; Li, Dazhong

2010-10-01

Data exchange patterns between nodes in WorldFIP fieldbus network are quite important and meaningful in improving the communication performance of WorldFIP network. Based on the basic communication ways supported in WorldFIP protocol, we propose two patterns for implementation of data exchange between peer nodes over WorldFIP network. Effects on communication performance of WorldFIP network in terms of some network parameters, such as number of bytes in user's data and turn-around time, in both the proposed patterns, are analyzed at length when different network speeds are applied. Such effects with the patterns of periodic message transmission using acknowledged and non-acknowledged messages, are also studied. Communication performance in both the proposed patterns are analyzed and compared. Practical applications of the research are presented. Through the study, it can be seen that different data exchange patterns make a great difference in improving communication efficiency with different network parameters, which is quite useful and helpful in the practical design of distributed systems based on WorldFIP network. Copyright © 2010 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A flight investigation with a STOL airplane flying curved, descending instrument approach paths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benner, M. S.; Mclaughlin, M. D.; Sawyer, R. H.; Vangunst, R.; Ryan, J. L.

1974-01-01

A flight investigation using a De Havilland Twin Otter airplane was conducted to determine the configurations of curved, 6 deg descending approach paths which would provide minimum airspace usage within the requirements for acceptable commercial STOL airplane operations. Path configurations with turns of 90 deg, 135 deg, and 180 deg were studied; the approach airspeed was 75 knots. The length of the segment prior to turn, the turn radius, and the length of the final approach segment were varied. The relationship of the acceptable path configurations to the proposed microwave landing system azimuth coverage requirements was examined.

Development, qualification, and delivery of a hydrogen burnoff igniter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, D.

1981-01-01

The hydrogen burnoff igniter, a pyrotechnic device used to burn off excess hydrogen gas near the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) nozzle, was designed, fabricated, and qualified. Characteristics of the burnoff igniter include a function time of 8 + or - 2 seconds, a minimum three foot flame length at maximum output, and hot particles projected 15 feet when fired directly into or perpendicular to a 34.5 knot wind. The three foot flame length was considered to be of questionable importance, since the hot particles are the media for igniting the hydrogen. Flame temperature is greater than 1500 F.

Numerical Simulation of Selecting Model Scale of Cable in Wind Tunnel Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Yifeng; Yang, Jixin

The numerical simulation method based on computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) provides a possible alternative means of physical wind tunnel test. Firstly, the correctness of the numerical simulation method is validated by one certain example. In order to select the minimum length of the cable as to a certain diameter in the numerical wind tunnel tests, the numerical wind tunnel tests based on CFD are carried out on the cables with several different length-diameter ratios (L/D). The results show that, when the L/D reaches to 18, the drag coefficient is stable essentially.

42 CFR 84.151 - Harness test; minimum requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... withstand a pull of 113 kg. (250 pounds) for 30 minutes without failure. (2) Belts, rings, and attachments... minutes without separating, and the hose attachments shall be arranged so that the pull or drag of the... attachment of the line shall permit dragging the maximum length of hose considered for approval over a...

23 CFR 230.111 - Implementation of special requirements for the provision of on-the-job training.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... to be provided training therein: (1) Availability of minorities, women, and disadvantaged for..., women and disadvantaged persons. (2) The development of full journeymen. (3) The minimum length and type... them, the training standards are made known in the advertised specifications, and such standards are...

Long term spatial and temporal trends in frost day indices in Kansas, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Frost day indices such as number of frost days (nFDs), frost free days (nFFDs), last spring freeze (LSF), first fall freeze (FFF), and growing-season length (GSL), were calculated using daily minimum air temperature (Tmin) values from 23 centennial weather stations spread across Kansas during four t...

Minimum Sample Size Requirements for Mokken Scale Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Straat, J. Hendrik; van der Ark, L. Andries; Sijtsma, Klaas

2014-01-01

An automated item selection procedure in Mokken scale analysis partitions a set of items into one or more Mokken scales, if the data allow. Two algorithms are available that pursue the same goal of selecting Mokken scales of maximum length: Mokken's original automated item selection procedure (AISP) and a genetic algorithm (GA). Minimum…

46 CFR 164.023-13 - Production tests and inspections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Constant Rate of Traverse tensile testing machine, capable of initial clamp separation of ten inches and a... production testing on a lot must meet the following criteria for the lot to be shipped as Coast Guard... the acceptance testing values but not less than the performance minimums. (2) Length/weight values...

5 CFR 890.1006 - Notice of proposed mandatory debarment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 30 days prior to the proposed effective date. (b) Contents of the notice. The notice shall contain information indicating the: (1) Effective date of the debarment; (2) Minimum length of the debarment; (3... business days after it was sent. (f) Procedures if notice cannot be delivered. (1) If OPM learns that a...

5 CFR 890.1006 - Notice of proposed mandatory debarment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 30 days prior to the proposed effective date. (b) Contents of the notice. The notice shall contain information indicating the: (1) Effective date of the debarment; (2) Minimum length of the debarment; (3... business days after it was sent. (f) Procedures if notice cannot be delivered. (1) If OPM learns that a...

5 CFR 890.1006 - Notice of proposed mandatory debarment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 30 days prior to the proposed effective date. (b) Contents of the notice. The notice shall contain information indicating the: (1) Effective date of the debarment; (2) Minimum length of the debarment; (3... business days after it was sent. (f) Procedures if notice cannot be delivered. (1) If OPM learns that a...

5 CFR 890.1006 - Notice of proposed mandatory debarment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 30 days prior to the proposed effective date. (b) Contents of the notice. The notice shall contain information indicating the: (1) Effective date of the debarment; (2) Minimum length of the debarment; (3... business days after it was sent. (f) Procedures if notice cannot be delivered. (1) If OPM learns that a...

5 CFR 890.1006 - Notice of proposed mandatory debarment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 30 days prior to the proposed effective date. (b) Contents of the notice. The notice shall contain information indicating the: (1) Effective date of the debarment; (2) Minimum length of the debarment; (3... business days after it was sent. (f) Procedures if notice cannot be delivered. (1) If OPM learns that a...

14 CFR 137.51 - Operation over congested areas: General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... engine aircraft must be operated as follows: (i) Except for helicopters, no person may take off a loaded... effective length of the runway from any point on takeoff up to the time of attaining, with all engines operating at normal takeoff power, 105 percent of the minimum control speed with the critical engine...

14 CFR 137.51 - Operation over congested areas: General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... engine aircraft must be operated as follows: (i) Except for helicopters, no person may take off a loaded... effective length of the runway from any point on takeoff up to the time of attaining, with all engines operating at normal takeoff power, 105 percent of the minimum control speed with the critical engine...

14 CFR 137.51 - Operation over congested areas: General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... engine aircraft must be operated as follows: (i) Except for helicopters, no person may take off a loaded... effective length of the runway from any point on takeoff up to the time of attaining, with all engines operating at normal takeoff power, 105 percent of the minimum control speed with the critical engine...

14 CFR 137.51 - Operation over congested areas: General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... engine aircraft must be operated as follows: (i) Except for helicopters, no person may take off a loaded... effective length of the runway from any point on takeoff up to the time of attaining, with all engines operating at normal takeoff power, 105 percent of the minimum control speed with the critical engine...

14 CFR 137.51 - Operation over congested areas: General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... engine aircraft must be operated as follows: (i) Except for helicopters, no person may take off a loaded... effective length of the runway from any point on takeoff up to the time of attaining, with all engines operating at normal takeoff power, 105 percent of the minimum control speed with the critical engine...

46 CFR 162.039-3 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... fitted with hose of sufficient length to a nozzle or nozzles to provide for suitable application of the... the hose connection); shall weigh more than 55 pounds when fully charged; shall be self-contained, i.e... which will withstand a minimum bursting pressure of 6,000 p.s.i., and a discharge hose or tube which...

46 CFR 162.039-3 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... fitted with hose of sufficient length to a nozzle or nozzles to provide for suitable application of the... the hose connection); shall weigh more than 55 pounds when fully charged; shall be self-contained, i.e... which will withstand a minimum bursting pressure of 6,000 p.s.i., and a discharge hose or tube which...

46 CFR 162.039-3 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... fitted with hose of sufficient length to a nozzle or nozzles to provide for suitable application of the... the hose connection); shall weigh more than 55 pounds when fully charged; shall be self-contained, i.e... which will withstand a minimum bursting pressure of 6,000 p.s.i., and a discharge hose or tube which...

46 CFR 162.039-3 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... fitted with hose of sufficient length to a nozzle or nozzles to provide for suitable application of the... the hose connection); shall weigh more than 55 pounds when fully charged; shall be self-contained, i.e... which will withstand a minimum bursting pressure of 6,000 p.s.i., and a discharge hose or tube which...

46 CFR 162.039-3 - Requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... fitted with hose of sufficient length to a nozzle or nozzles to provide for suitable application of the... the hose connection); shall weigh more than 55 pounds when fully charged; shall be self-contained, i.e... which will withstand a minimum bursting pressure of 6,000 p.s.i., and a discharge hose or tube which...

Ballistic Missile Propellant Evaluation Test Motor System (Super BATES)

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-11-25

and laminated parts are debulked and 75 cured in a hydroclave at 950 psi (minimum) and 3000 F, and machined to final dimensions. All molded parts are...to pick dlf- ferent lengths of motors simply hy relocating and pinning the cross arms. flatbed truck with forklift will be i adequate for moving

50 CFR 229.31 - Pacific Offshore Cetacean Take Reduction Plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE MARINE MAMMALS AUTHORIZATION FOR COMMERCIAL....9 m) in length during all sets. Accordingly, all floatlines must be fished at a minimum of 36 feet (10.9 m) below the surface of the water. (c) Pingers. (1) For the purposes of this paragraph (c), a...

Using 4th order Runge-Kutta method for solving a twisted Skyrme string equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadi, Miftachul; Anderson, Malcolm; Husein, Andri

2016-03-01

We study numerical solution, especially using 4th order Runge-Kutta method, for solving a twisted Skyrme string equation. We find numerically that the value of minimum energy per unit length of vortex solution for a twisted Skyrmion string is 20.37 × 1060 eV/m.

Quantitative test for concave aspheric surfaces using a Babinet compensator.

PubMed

Saxena, A K

1979-08-15

A quantitative test for the evaluation of surface figures of concave aspheric surfaces using a Babinet compensator is reported. A theoretical estimate of the sensitivity is 0.002lambda for a minimum detectable phase change of 2 pi x 10(-3) rad over a segment length of 1.0 cm.

Study of cryogenic propellant systems for loading the space shuttle. Part 2: Hydrogen systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steward, W. G.

1975-01-01

Computer simulation studies of liquid hydrogen fill and vent systems for the space shuttle are studied. The computer programs calculate maximum and minimum permissible flow rates during cooldown as limited by thermal stress considerations, fill line cooldown time, pressure drop, flow rates, vapor content, vent line pressure drop and vent line discharge temperature. The input data for these programs are selected through graphic displays which schematically depict the part of the system being analyzed. The computed output is also displayed in the form of printed messages and graphs. Digital readouts of graph coordinates may also be obtained. Procedures are given for operation of the graphic display unit and the associated minicomputer and timesharing computer.

The design, marketing, and implementation of online continuing education about computers and nursing informatics.

PubMed

Sweeney, Nancy M; Saarmann, Lembi; Seidman, Robert; Flagg, Joan

2006-01-01

Asynchronous online tutorials using PowerPoint slides with accompanying audio to teach practicing nurses about computers and nursing informatics were designed for this project, which awarded free continuing education units to completers. Participants had control over the advancement of slides, with the ability to repeat when desired. Graphics were kept to a minimum; thus, the program ran smoothly on computers using dial-up modems. The tutorials were marketed in live meetings and through e-mail messages on nursing listservs. Findings include that the enrollment process must be automated and instantaneous, the program must work from every type of computer and Internet connection, marketing should be live and electronic, and workshops should be offered to familiarize nurses with the online learning system.

A child feeding index is superior to WHO IYCF indicators in explaining length-for-age Z-scores of young children in rural Cambodia

PubMed Central

Reinbott, Anika; Kuchenbecker, Judith; Herrmann, Johannes; Jordan, Irmgard; Muehlhoff, Ellen; Kevanna, Ou; Krawinkel, Michael

2015-01-01

Background: Adequate young child feeding practices are influenced by a multitude of factors which affect growth and development. A combination of indicators is needed to explain the role of complementary feeding practices in growth retardation. Methods: A cross-sectional nutrition baseline survey was conducted in rural Cambodia in September 2012. Villages in pre-selected communes were randomly selected using stunting as a primary indicator. Data were collected from 803 randomly selected households with children aged 6–23 months, based on a standardised questionnaire and on length/height and weight measurements of mother and child. WHO Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) indicators [minimum dietary diversity (MDD), minimum meal frequency (MMF), minimum acceptable diet (MAD)] and a child feeding index (CFI) were created. The latter consisted of five components: breastfeeding, use of bottle, dietary diversity, food frequency and meal frequency which were adjusted for three age groups: 6–8, 9–11 and 12–23 months. The highest possible score was 10. Associations between length-for-age Z-scores (LAZ) and WHO indicators or CFI were explored. Results: Mean (SD) LAZ was −1.25 (1.14) (n  =  801). Mean (range) CFI was 6.7 (1–10) (n  =  797). Mean CFI was highest in the 9–11-months age group (7.93) and lowest for those aged 12–23 months (5.96). None of the WHO IYCF indicators was associated with LAZ, whereas CFI showed significant association with LAZ (P < 0.01). The association between higher CFI scores and LAZ became weaker as age increased. Conclusion: The results highlight the need to include a wide range of information in the analysis in order to understand the association between appropriate infant feeding practices and child growth. PMID:25226288

Evaluation of daily creel and minimum length limits for Black Crappies and Yellow Perch in Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mosel, Kyle; Isermann, Daniel A.; Hansen, Jonathan F.

2015-01-01

Harvest regulations for Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus and Yellow Perch Perca flavescens in the northern USA and Canada have not been thoroughly evaluated, and specific guidance regarding where minimum length limits (MLLs) might improve these fisheries is lacking. We examined whether: (1) transitioning from an aggregate statewide daily creel limit of 25 panfish to species-specific daily creel limits of <25 fish or implementing statewide MLLs could reduce harvest of Black Crappie and Yellow Perch in Wisconsin by ≥25%, and (2) MLLs would improve yield by ≥10% and mean TL of harvested fish by ≥25 mm in Wisconsin fisheries. Creel surveys indicated that ≥94% of Wisconsin anglers did not harvest a Black Crappie or Yellow Perch, and ≤0.12% of anglers harvested a daily creel limit of 25 fish. Daily creel limits would need to be ≤7 fish/ angler to reduce harvest by ≥25%. Statewide MLLs would need to be ≥229 mm for Black Crappie and ≥203 mm for Yellow Perch to reduce harvest by ≥25%, but predicted responses to MLLs varied among simulated populations. In general, MLLs were not predicted to improve yield, indicating that growth overfishing was not a widespread problem. Minimum length limits could improve mean TL of harvested fish, but increases ≥25 mm were only observed under 254-mm and 279-mm MLLs, and anglers would have to accept predicted reductions in harvest of ≥30% to achieve these improvements. A 229-mm MLL offered a more equitable trade-off between increases in mean TLs of harvested fish (11–21-mm improvements) and reductions in harvest (22–37% reductions). Our modeling provides a framework for managers to make more informed decisions regarding harvest regulations, but more information regarding angler preferences is needed for selecting appropriate management objectives and harvest regulations.

The classical limit of minimal length uncertainty relation: revisit with the Hamilton-Jacobi method

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

Guo, Xiaobo; Wang, Peng; Yang, Haitang, E-mail: guoxiaobo@swust.edu.cn, E-mail: pengw@scu.edu.cn, E-mail: hyanga@scu.edu.cn

2016-05-01

The existence of a minimum measurable length could deform not only the standard quantum mechanics but also classical physics. The effects of the minimal length on classical orbits of particles in a gravitation field have been investigated before, using the deformed Poisson bracket or Schwarzschild metric. In this paper, we first use the Hamilton-Jacobi method to derive the deformed equations of motion in the context of Newtonian mechanics and general relativity. We then employ them to study the precession of planetary orbits, deflection of light, and time delay in radar propagation. We also set limits on the deformation parameter bymore » comparing our results with the observational measurements. Finally, comparison with results from previous papers is given at the end of this paper.« less

Space Qualified High Speed Reed Solomon Encoder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gambles, Jody W.; Winkert, Tom

1993-01-01

This paper reports a Class S CCSDS recommendation Reed Solomon encoder circuit baselined for several NASA programs. The chip is fabricated using United Technologies Microelectronics Center's UTE-R radiation-hardened gate array family, contains 64,000 p-n transistor pairs, and operates at a sustained output data rate of 200 MBits/s. The chip features a pin selectable message interleave depth of from 1 to 8 and supports output block lengths of 33 to 255 bytes. The UTE-R process is reported to produce parts that are radiation hardened to 16 Rads (Si) total dose and 1.0(exp -10) errors/bit-day.

Proceedings of the Annual ACM Symposium (11th) on Principles of Distributed Computing Held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on 10-12 Aug 1992

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-08-10

scheduler’s strategy. At the beginning of the is delayed at this state. A routing edge (Si,Tj), execution, the scheduler delays all messages sent for...graph G and Appendix). We remark that the choice of "play" the role ý-’ the scheduler . The scheduler’s constants in the above definition is not...34’ Annmul Symposium ical wakeup . Also, assume that during [t, t + x], for on Foundations of Computer Science. IEEE, t > 2n, a specific route of length at most

Closed-loop multiple-scattering imaging with sparse seismic measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berkhout, A. J. Guus

2018-03-01

In the theoretical situation of noise-free, complete data volumes (`perfect data'), seismic data matrices are fully filled and multiple-scattering operators have the minimum-phase property. Perfect data allow direct inversion methods to be successful in removing surface and internal multiple scattering. Moreover, under these perfect data conditions direct source wavefields realize complete illumination (no irrecoverable shadow zones) and, therefore, primary reflections (first-order response) can provide us with the complete seismic image. However, in practice seismic measurements always contain noise and we never have complete data volumes at our disposal. We actually deal with sparse data matrices that cannot be directly inverted. The message of this paper is that in practice multiple scattering (including source ghosting) must not be removed but must be utilized. It is explained that in the real world we badly need multiple scattering to fill the illumination gaps in the subsurface. It is also explained that the proposed multiple-scattering imaging algorithm gives us the opportunity to decompose both the image and the wavefields into order-based constituents, making the multiple scattering extension easy to apply. Last but not least, the algorithm allows us to use the minimum-phase property to validate and improve images in an objective way.

Sunspot Activity Near Cycle Minimum and What it Might Suggest for Cycle 24, the Next Sunspot Cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.; Hathaway, David H.

2009-01-01

In late 2008, 12-month moving averages of sunspot number, number of spotless days, number of groups, area of sunspots, and area per group were reflective of sunspot cycle minimum conditions for cycle 24, these values being of or near record value. The first spotless day occurred in January 2004 and the first new-cycle, high-latitude spot was reported in January 2008, although old-cycle, low-latitude spots have continued to be seen through April 2009, yielding an overlap of old and new cycle spots of at least 16 mo. New-cycle spots first became dominant over old-cycle spots in September 2008. The minimum value of the weighted mean latitude of sunspots occurred in May 2007, measuring 6.6 deg, and the minimum value of the highest-latitude spot followed in June 2007, measuring 11.7 deg. A cycle length of at least 150 mo is inferred for cycle 23, making it the longest cycle of the modern era. Based on both the maximum-minimum and amplitude-period relationships, cycle 24 is expected to be only of average to below-average size, peaking probably in late 2012 to early 2013, unless it proves to be a statistical outlier.

Abdominal girth and vertebral column length can adjust spinal anesthesia for lower limb surgery, a prospective, observational study.

PubMed

Zhou, Qing-he; Zhu, Bo; Wei, Chang-na; Yan, Min

2016-03-24

Studies have shown that abdominal girth and vertebral column length have high predictive value for spinal spread after administering a dose of plain bupivacaine. we designed a study to identify the specific correlations between abdominal girth, vertebral column length and a 0.5% dosage of plain bupivacaine, which should provide a minimum upper block level (T12) and a suitable upper block level (T10) for lower limb surgeries. A suitable dose of 0.5% plain bupivacaine was administered intrathecally between the L3 and L4 vertebrae for lower limb surgeries. If the upper cephalad spread of the patient by loss of pinprick discrimination was T12 or T10, the patient was enrolled in this study. Five patient variables and intrathecal plain bupivacaine dose were recorded. Linear regression and multiple regression analyses were performed. Totals of 111 patients and 121 patients who lost pinprick discrimination at T12 and T10, respectively, were analyzed in this study. Linear regression analysis showed that only abdominal girth and plain bupivacaine dose were strongly correlated (r =-0.827 for T12, r = -0.806 for T10; both p < 0.0001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that both abdominal girth and vertebral column length were the key determinants of plain bupivacaine dose (both p < 0.0001). R(2) was 0.874 and 0.860 for the loss of pinprick discrimination at T12 and T10, respectively. Our data indicated that vertebral column length and abdominal girth were strongly correlated with the dosage of intrathecal plain bupivacaine for the loss of pinprick discrimination at T12 and T10. The two regression equations were YT12 = 3.547 + 0.045X1-0.044X2 and YT10 = 3.848 + 0.047X1- 0.046X2 (Y, 0.5% plain bupivacaine volume; X1, vertebral column length;and X 2, abdominal girth), which can accurately predict the minimum and suitable intrathecal bupivacaine dose for lower limb surgery to a great extent, separately.

Age structure and mortality of walleyes in Kansas reservoirs: Use of mortality caps to establish realistic management objectives

USGS Publications Warehouse

Quist, M.C.; Stephen, J.L.; Guy, C.S.; Schultz, R.D.

2004-01-01

Age structure, total annual mortality, and mortality caps (maximum mortality thresholds established by managers) were investigated for walleye Sander vitreus (formerly Stizostedion vitreum) populations sampled from eight Kansas reservoirs during 1991-1999. We assessed age structure by examining the relative frequency of different ages in the population; total annual mortality of age-2 and older walleyes was estimated by use of a weighted catch curve. To evaluate the utility of mortality caps, we modeled threshold values of mortality by varying growth rates and management objectives. Estimated mortality thresholds were then compared with observed growth and mortality rates. The maximum age of walleyes varied from 5 to 11 years across reservoirs. Age structure was dominated (???72%) by walleyes age 3 and younger in all reservoirs, corresponding to ages that were not yet vulnerable to harvest. Total annual mortality rates varied from 40.7% to 59.5% across reservoirs and averaged 51.1% overall (SE = 2.3). Analysis of mortality caps indicated that a management objective of 500 mm for the mean length of walleyes harvested by anglers was realistic for all reservoirs with a 457-mm minimum length limit but not for those with a 381-mm minimum length limit. For a 500-mm mean length objective to be realized for reservoirs with a 381-mm length limit, managers must either reduce mortality rates (e.g., through restrictive harvest regulations) or increase growth of walleyes. When the assumed objective was to maintain the mean length of harvested walleyes at current levels, the observed annual mortality rates were below the mortality cap for all reservoirs except one. Mortality caps also provided insight on management objectives expressed in terms of proportional stock density (PSD). Results indicated that a PSD objective of 20-40 was realistic for most reservoirs. This study provides important walleye mortality information that can be used for monitoring or for inclusion into population models; these results can also be combined with those of other studies to investigate large-scale differences in walleye mortality. Our analysis illustrates the utility of mortality caps for monitoring walleye populations and for establishing realistic management goals.

Method for estimating potential tree-grade distributions for northeastern forest species

Treesearch

Daniel A. Yaussy; Daniel A. Yaussy

1993-01-01

Generalized logistic regression was used to distribute trees into four potential tree grades for 20 northeastern species groups. The potential tree grade is defined as the tree grade based on the length and amount of clear cuttings and defects only, disregarding minimum grading diameter. The algorithms described use site index and tree diameter as the predictive...

29 CFR 1926.251 - Rigging equipment for material handling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... splices, the U-bolt shall be applied so that the “U” section is in contact with the dead end of the rope... laid grommets and endless slings shall have a minimum circumferential length of 96 times their body... be tapered and spliced into the body of the rope using at least two additional tucks (which will...

29 CFR 1926.251 - Rigging equipment for material handling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... splices, the U-bolt shall be applied so that the “U” section is in contact with the dead end of the rope... laid grommets and endless slings shall have a minimum circumferential length of 96 times their body... be tapered and spliced into the body of the rope using at least two additional tucks (which will...

Number of Instructional Days/Hours in the School Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowland, Julie

2014-01-01

While state requirements vary on the number of instructional days and/or hours in the school year, the majority of states require 180 days of student instruction. Most also specify the minimum length of time that constitutes an instructional day. Some states set instructional time in terms of days, some specify hours, and some provide…

Banach spaces that realize minimal fillings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bednov, B. B.; Borodin, P. A.

2014-04-01

It is proved that a real Banach space realizes minimal fillings for all its finite subsets (a shortest network spanning a fixed finite subset always exists and has the minimum possible length) if and only if it is a predual of L_1. The spaces L_1 are characterized in terms of Steiner points (medians). Bibliography: 25 titles.

On the prospect of using butterfly diagrams to predict cycle minimum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Robert M.

1987-01-01

Features enabling the prediction of the beginning and the length of a solar cycle, in addition to the turning points in the period-growth dichotomy, have been identified based on butterfly diagrams for the period from 1874 to the present. The present results indicate that cycle 21 will be a long-period cycle ending after July 1987. On the assumption that April 1985 was the first occurrence of high latitude new cycle (cycle 22) spots during the decline of cycle 21 (the old cycle), it is suggested that the last occurrence of high latitude old cycle spots was September 1983 and that the minimum for cycle 22 will be about 1986.7 + or - 1.1 yr.

Variable area nozzle including a plurality of convexly vanes with a crowned contour, in a vane to vane sealing arrangement and with nonuniform lengths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, Steven M. (Inventor); Penney, Nicholas (Inventor)

2008-01-01

A variable area nozzle comprising a concentric support and a plurality of convexly contoured self sealing vanes is disclosed and claimed. The vanes are circumferentially and rotatably mounted to the concentric support forming a nozzle infinitely positionable between a first position corresponding to a minimum area nozzle and a second position corresponding to a maximum area nozzle. A closer, which is preferably a shape memory alloy (SMA), urges the nozzle toward the first position corresponding to a minimum area nozzle. Periodically spaced openers act between adjacent vanes to urge the nozzle to a second position corresponding to a maximum area nozzle.

Unified description of the slip phenomena in sheared polymer films: A molecular dynamics study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priezjev, Nikolai

2010-03-01

The dynamic behavior of the slip length in shear flow of polymer melts past atomically smooth surfaces is investigated using MD simulations. The polymer melt was modeled as a collection of FENE-LJ bead-spring chains. We consider shear flow conditions at low pressures and weak wall-fluid interaction energy so that fluid velocity profiles are linear throughout the channel at all shear rates examined. In agreement with earlier studies we confirm that for shear- thinning fluids the slip length passes through a local minimum at low shear rates and then increases rapidly at higher shear rates. We found that the rate dependence of the slip length depends on the lattice orientation at high shear rates. The MD results show that the ratio of slip length to viscosity follows a master curve when plotted as a function of a single variable that depends on the structure factor, contact density and temperature of the first fluid layer near the solid wall. The universal dependence of the slip length holds for a number of parameters of the interface: fluid density and structure (chain length), wall-fluid interaction energy, wall density, lattice orientation, thermal or solid walls.

Launch Control System Master Console Event Message Reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Uyen

2014-01-01

System monitoring and control (SMC) message browsers receive so many messages daily that operators do not need to see. Important messages are often mixed up among the less important ones. My job is to reduce the messages displayed in the message browser so that warning and emergency messages can be seen easily and therefore, responded promptly. There are multiple methods to achieve this. Firstly, duplicate messages should not appear many times in the message browser. Instead, the message should appear only once but with a number that counts the times that it appears. This method is called duplicate message suppression. Secondly, messages that update the most recent state (e.g. up/down) of a component should replace the old-state messages. This method is called state based message correlation. Thirdly, messages that display "normal" alarm level should be suppressed unless it's a response to an operator action. In addition to message reduction, I also work on correcting the severity level and text formats on messages.

Monolithic coupling of a SU8 waveguide to a silicon photodiode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nathan, M.; Levy, O.; Goldfarb, I.; Ruzin, A.

2003-12-01

We present quantitative results of light coupling from SU8 waveguides into silicon p-n photodiodes in monolithically integrated structures. Multimode, 12 μm thick, and 20 μm wide SU8 waveguides were fabricated to overlap 40×180 μm2 photodiodes, with three different waveguide-photodiode overlap lengths. The attenuation due to leaky-mode coupling in the overlap area was then calculated from photocurrent measurements. The overlap attenuation ranged from a minimum of 2.2 dB per mm overlap length to a maximum of about 3 dB/mm, comparing favorably with reported nonpolymeric waveguide-Si photodiode attenuations.

A systematic review of three approaches for constructing physical activity messages: What messages work and what improvements are needed?

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background To motivate individuals to adhere to a regular physical activity regime, guidelines must be supplemented with persuasive messages that are disseminated widely. While substantial research has examined effective strategies for disseminating physical activity messages, there has been no systematic effort to examine optimal message content. This paper reviews studies that evaluate the effectiveness of three approaches for constructing physical activity messages including tailoring messages to suit individual characteristics of message recipients (message tailoring), framing messages in terms of gains versus losses (message framing), and targeting messages to affect change in self-efficacy (i.e., a theoretical determinant of behavior change). Methods We searched the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE and CINAHL databases up to July 2008. Relevant reference lists also were searched. We included intervention trials, field experiments, and laboratory-based studies that aimed to test the efficacy or effectiveness of tailored messages, framed messages and self-efficacy change messages among healthy adults. We used a descriptive approach to analyze emerging patterns in research findings. Based on this evidence we made recommendations for practice and future research. Results Twenty-two studies were identified. Twelve studies evaluated message tailoring. In 10 of these studies, tailored messages resulted in greater physical activity than a control message. Six studies evaluated framed messages. Five of these studies demonstrated that gain-framed messages lead to stronger intentions to be active compared to a control message. Moreover, a gain-frame advantage was evident in three of the four studies that assessed physical activity. Four studies evaluated self-efficacy change messages. The two studies that used an experimental design provide a clear indication that individuals' beliefs can be affected by messages that incorporate types of information known to be determinants of self-efficacy. Overall, strong evidence to support definitive recommendations for optimal message content and structure was lacking. Conclusions Additional research testing the optimal content of messages used to supplement physical activity guidelines is needed. Tailored messages, gain-framed messages, and self-efficacy change messages hold promise as strategies for constructing physical activity messages and should be a focus of future research. PMID:20459779

The K tree score: quantification of differences in the relative branch length and topology of phylogenetic trees.

PubMed

Soria-Carrasco, Víctor; Talavera, Gerard; Igea, Javier; Castresana, Jose

2007-11-01

We introduce a new phylogenetic comparison method that measures overall differences in the relative branch length and topology of two phylogenetic trees. To do this, the algorithm first scales one of the trees to have a global divergence as similar as possible to the other tree. Then, the branch length distance, which takes differences in topology and branch lengths into account, is applied to the two trees. We thus obtain the minimum branch length distance or K tree score. Two trees with very different relative branch lengths get a high K score whereas two trees that follow a similar among-lineage rate variation get a low score, regardless of the overall rates in both trees. There are several applications of the K tree score, two of which are explained here in more detail. First, this score allows the evaluation of the performance of phylogenetic algorithms, not only with respect to their topological accuracy, but also with respect to the reproduction of a given branch length variation. In a second example, we show how the K score allows the selection of orthologous genes by choosing those that better follow the overall shape of a given reference tree. http://molevol.ibmb.csic.es/Ktreedist.html

Investigation of dissipation elements in a fully developed turbulent channel flow by tomographic particle-image velocimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schäfer, L.; Dierksheide, U.; Klaas, M.; Schröder, W.

2011-03-01

A new method to describe statistical information from passive scalar fields has been proposed by Wang and Peters ["The length-scale distribution function of the distance between extremal points in passive scalar turbulence," J. Fluid Mech. 554, 457 (2006)]. They used direct numerical simulations (DNS) of homogeneous shear flow to introduce the innovative concept. This novel method determines the local minimum and maximum points of the fluctuating scalar field via gradient trajectories, starting from every grid point in the direction of the steepest ascending and descending scalar gradients. Relying on gradient trajectories, a dissipation element is defined as the region of all the grid points, the trajectories of which share the same pair of maximum and minimum points. The procedure has also been successfully applied to various DNS fields of homogeneous shear turbulence using the three velocity components and the kinetic energy as scalar fields [L. Wang and N. Peters, "Length-scale distribution functions and conditional means for various fields in turbulence," J. Fluid Mech. 608, 113 (2008)]. In this spirit, dissipation elements are, for the first time, determined from experimental data of a fully developed turbulent channel flow. The dissipation elements are deduced from the gradients of the instantaneous fluctuation of the three velocity components u', v', and w' and the instantaneous kinetic energy k', respectively. The measurements are conducted at a Reynolds number of 1.7×104 based on the channel half-height δ and the bulk velocity U. The required three-dimensional velocity data are obtained investigating a 17.75×17.75×6 mm3 (0.355δ×0.355δ×0.12δ) test volume using tomographic particle-image velocimetry. Detection and analysis of dissipation elements from the experimental velocity data are discussed in detail. The statistical results are compared to the DNS data from Wang and Peters ["The length-scale distribution function of the distance between extremal points in passive scalar turbulence," J. Fluid Mech. 554, 457 (2006); "Length-scale distribution functions and conditional means for various fields in turbulence," J. Fluid Mech. 608, 113 (2008)]. Similar characteristics have been found especially for the pdf's of the large dissipation element length regarding the exponential decay. In agreement with the DNS results, over 99% of the experimental dissipation elements possess a length that is smaller than three times the average element length.

Spontaneous knotting of an agitated string.

PubMed

Raymer, Dorian M; Smith, Douglas E

2007-10-16

It is well known that a jostled string tends to become knotted; yet the factors governing the "spontaneous" formation of various knots are unclear. We performed experiments in which a string was tumbled inside a box and found that complex knots often form within seconds. We used mathematical knot theory to analyze the knots. Above a critical string length, the probability P of knotting at first increased sharply with length but then saturated below 100%. This behavior differs from that of mathematical self-avoiding random walks, where P has been proven to approach 100%. Finite agitation time and jamming of the string due to its stiffness result in lower probability, but P approaches 100% with long, flexible strings. We analyzed the knots by calculating their Jones polynomials via computer analysis of digital photos of the string. Remarkably, almost all were identified as prime knots: 120 different types, having minimum crossing numbers up to 11, were observed in 3,415 trials. All prime knots with up to seven crossings were observed. The relative probability of forming a knot decreased exponentially with minimum crossing number and Möbius energy, mathematical measures of knot complexity. Based on the observation that long, stiff strings tend to form a coiled structure when confined, we propose a simple model to describe the knot formation based on random "braid moves" of the string end. Our model can qualitatively account for the observed distribution of knots and dependence on agitation time and string length.

Radio tag retention and tag-related mortality among adult sockeye salmon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramstad, Kristina M.; Woody, Carol Ann

2003-01-01

Tag retention and tag-related mortality are concerns for any tagging study but are rarely estimated. We assessed retention and mortality rates for esophageal radio tag implants in adult sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka. Migrating sockeye salmon captured at the outlet of Lake Clark, Alaska, were implanted with one of four different radio tags (14.5 × 43 mm (diameter × length), 14.5 × 49 mm, 16 × 46 mm, and 19 × 51 mm). Fish were observed for 15 to 35 d after tagging to determine retention and mortality rates. The overall tag retention rate was high (0.98; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.92-1.00; minimum, 33 d), with one loss of a 19-mm × 51- mm tag. Mortality of tagged sockeye salmon (0.02; 95% CI, 0-0.08) was similar to that of untagged controls (0.03 (0-0.15)). Sockeye salmon with body lengths (mid-eye to tail fork) of 585-649 mm retained tags as large as 19 × 51 mm and those with body lengths of 499-628 mm retained tags as small as 14.5 × 43 mm for a minimum of 33 d with no increase in mortality. The tags used in this study represent a suite of radio tags that vary in size, operational life, and cost but that are effective in tracking adult anadromous salmon with little tag loss or increase in fish mortality.

Optimal bladder diary duration for patients with suprapontine neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction.

PubMed

Konstantinidis, Charalampos; Kratiras, Zisis; Samarinas, Michael; Skriapas, Konstantinos

2016-01-01

To identify the minimum bladder diary's length required to furnish reliable documentation of LUTS in a specific cohort of patients suffering from neurogenic urinary dysfunction secondary to suprapontine pathology. From January 2008 to January 2014, patients suffering from suprapontine pathology and LUTS were requested to prospectively complete a bladder diary form for 7 consecutive days. Micturitions per day, excreta per micturition, urgency and incontinence episodes and voided volume per day were evaluated from the completed diaries. We compared the averaged records of consecutive days (2-6 days) to the total 7 days records for each patient's diary, seeking the minimum diary's length that could provide records comparable to the 7 days average, the reference point in terms of reliability. From 285 subjects, 94 male and 69 female patients enrolled in the study. The records of day 1 were significantly different from the average of the 7 days records in every parameter, showing relatively small correlation and providing insuficiente documentation. Correlations gradually increased along the increase in diary's duration. According to our results a 3-day duration bladder diary is efficient and can provide results comparable to a 7 day length for four of our evaluated parameters. Regarding incontinence episodes, 3 days seems inadequate to furnish comparable results, showing a borderline difference. A 3-day diary can be used, as its reliability is efficient regarding number of micturition per day, excreta per micturition, episodes of urgency and voided volume per day. Copyright© by the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.

Linear variability of gait according to socioeconomic status in elderly

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Aim: To evaluate the linear variability of comfortable gait according to socioeconomic status in community-dwelling elderly. Method: For this cross-sectional observational study 63 self- functioning elderly were categorized according to the socioeconomic level on medium-low (n= 33, age 69.0 ± 5.0 years) and medium-high (n= 30, age 71.0 ± 6.0 years). Each participant was asked to perform comfortable gait speed for 3 min on an 40 meters elliptical circuit, recording in video five strides which were transformed into frames, determining the minimum foot clearance, maximum foot clearance and stride length. The intra-group linear variability was calculated by the coefficient of variation in percent. Results: The trajectory parameters variability is not different according to socioeconomic status with a 30% (range= 15-55%) for the minimum foot clearance and 6% (range= 3-8%) in maximum foot clearance. Meanwhile, the stride length consistently was more variable in the medium-low socioeconomic status for the overall sample (p= 0.004), female (p= 0.041) and male gender (p= 0.007), with values near 4% ​​(range = 2.5-5.0%) in the medium-low and 2% (range = 1.5-3.5%) in the medium-high. Conclusions: The intra-group linear variability is consistently higher and within reference parameters for stride length during comfortable gait for elderly belonging to medium-low socioeconomic status. This might be indicative of greater complexity and consequent motor adaptability. PMID:27546931

Wildfire simulation using a chemically-reacting plume in a crossflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breidenthal, Robert; Alvarado, Travis; Potter, Brian

2010-11-01

Water tunnel experiments reveal the flame length of a chemically-reacting plume in a crossflow. Salt water containing a pH indicator and a base is slowly injected from above into the test section of a water tunnel containing an acidic solution. The flame length is measured optically as a function of the buoyancy flux, crossflow speed, and volume equivalence ratio of the chemical reaction. Based on earlier work of Broadwell with the transverse jet, a simple dilution model predicts the flame length of the transverse plume. The plume observations are in accord with the model. As with the jet, there is a minimum in the flame length of the plume at a transition between two self-similar regimes, corresponding to the formation of a pair of counter-rotating vortices at a certain crossflow speed. At the transition, there is a maximum in the entrainment and mixing rates. In an actual wildfire with variable winds, this transition may correspond to a dangerous condition for firefighters.

Influence of Turbulent Flow and Fractal Scaling on Effective Permeability of Fracture Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, J.

2017-12-01

A new approach is developed to calculate hydraulic gradient dependent effective permeability of a fractal fracture network where both laminar and turbulent flows may occur in individual fractures. A critical fracture length is used to distinguish flow characteristics in individual fractures. The developed new solutions can be used for the case of a general scaling relationship, an extension to the linear scaling. We examine the impact on the effective permeability of the network of fractal fracture network characteristics, which include the fractal scaling coefficient and exponent, fractal dimension, ratio of minimum over maximum fracture lengths. Results demonstrate that the developed solution can explain more variations of the effective permeability in relation to the fractal dimensions estimated from the field observations. At high hydraulic gradient the effective permeability decreases with the fractal scaling exponent, but increases with the fractal scaling exponent at low gradient. The effective permeability increases with the scaling coefficient, fractal dimension, fracture length ratio and maximum fracture length.

Collective motion in prolate γ-rigid nuclei within minimal length concept via a quantum perturbation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chabab, M.; El Batoul, A.; Lahbas, A.; Oulne, M.

2018-05-01

Based on the minimal length concept, inspired by Heisenberg algebra, a closed analytical formula is derived for the energy spectrum of the prolate γ-rigid Bohr-Mottelson Hamiltonian of nuclei, within a quantum perturbation method (QPM), by considering a scaled Davidson potential in β shape variable. In the resulting solution, called X(3)-D-ML, the ground state and the first β-band are all studied as a function of the free parameters. The fact of introducing the minimal length concept with a QPM makes the model very flexible and a powerful approach to describe nuclear collective excitations of a variety of vibrational-like nuclei. The introduction of scaling parameters in the Davidson potential enables us to get a physical minimum of this latter in comparison with previous works. The analysis of the corrected wave function, as well as the probability density distribution, shows that the minimal length parameter has a physical upper bound limit.

Resolving Dynamic Properties of Polymers through Coarse-Grained Computational Studies

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

Salerno, K. Michael; Agrawal, Anupriya; Perahia, Dvora

2016-02-05

Coupled length and time scales determine the dynamic behavior of polymers and underlie their unique viscoelastic properties. To resolve the long-time dynamics it is imperative to determine which time and length scales must be correctly modeled. In this paper, we probe the degree of coarse graining required to simultaneously retain significant atomistic details and access large length and time scales. The degree of coarse graining in turn sets the minimum length scale instrumental in defining polymer properties and dynamics. Using linear polyethylene as a model system, we probe how the coarse-graining scale affects the measured dynamics. Iterative Boltzmann inversion ismore » used to derive coarse-grained potentials with 2–6 methylene groups per coarse-grained bead from a fully atomistic melt simulation. We show that atomistic detail is critical to capturing large-scale dynamics. Finally, using these models we simulate polyethylene melts for times over 500 μs to study the viscoelastic properties of well-entangled polymer melts.« less

The Important Elements of a Science Video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harned, D. A.; Moorman, M.; McMahon, G.

2012-12-01

New technologies have revolutionized use of video as a means of communication. Films have become easier to create and to distribute. Video is omnipresent in our culture and supplements or even replaces writing in many applications. How can scientists and educators best use video to communicate scientific results? Video podcasts are being used in addition to journal, print, and online publications to communicate the relevance of scientific findings of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program to general audiences such as resource managers, educational groups, public officials, and the general public. In an effort to improve the production of science videos a survey was developed to provide insight into effective science communication with video. Viewers of USGS podcast videos were surveyed using Likert response- scaling to identify the important elements of science videos. The surveys were of 120 scientists and educators attending the 2010 and 2011 Fall Meetings of the American Geophysical Union and the 2012 meeting of the National Monitoring Council. The median age of the respondents was 44 years, with an education level of a Bachelor's Degree or higher. Respondents reported that their primary sources for watching science videos were YouTube and science websites. Video length was the single most important element associated with reaching the greatest number of viewers. The surveys indicated a median length of 5 minutes as appropriate for a web video, with 5-7 minutes the 25th-75th percentiles. An illustration of the effect of length: a 5-minute and a 20-minute version of a USGS film on the effect of urbanization on water-quality was made available on the same website. The short film has been downloaded 3 times more frequently than the longer film version. The survey showed that the most important elements to include in a science film are style elements including strong visuals, an engaging story, and a simple message, and elements of substance including clarity, believability, and a take-home message. The least important are journalistic elements such as showing different points of view and obstacles overcome. The survey respondents also considered inclusion of a hypothesis statement and study methods unnecessary in a science video.

LCS Master Console Event Message Reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Uyen

2014-01-01

System monitoring and control (SMC) message browsers receive so many messages daily that operators are unable to keep track all of them. Important messages are often mixed up among the less important ones. My job is to reduce the messages so that warning and emergency messages can be seen easily and therefore, responded promptly. There are multiple methods to achieve this. Firstly, messages that look the same should not appear many times in the message browser. Instead, the message should appear only once but with a number that counts the times that it appears. This method is called duplicate message suppression. Messages that display "normal" or "advisory" alarm level should be suppressed. Secondly, messages that update the most recent status of a system should replace the old-status messages. This method is called state based message correlation. Thirdly, some unnecessary messages should be sent straight to history after being displayed or not displayed at all. For an example, normal messages that are not a response to an operator's action should not be displayed. I also work on fixing messages that are not color-coded and formatted properly.

An Examination of Adolescent Recall of Anti-Smoking Messages: Attitudes, Message Type, and Message Perceptions.

PubMed

Bigsby, Elisabeth; Monahan, Jennifer L; Ewoldsen, David R

2017-04-01

Delayed message recall may be influenced by currently held accessible attitudes, the nature of the message, and message perceptions (perception of bias and message elaboration). This study examined the potential of message perceptions to mediate the influence of valenced attitude accessibility and message type on unaided recall of anti-smoking Public Service Announcements (PSAs). In a field experiment, ninth grade students (N = 244) watched three PSAs and responded to items on laptop computers. Twelve weeks later, follow-up telephone surveys were conducted to assess unaided recall. Both valenced attitude accessibility and message type were associated with message perceptions. However, only perception of message bias partially mediated the relationship between message type and unaided recall.

Internode data communications in a parallel computer

DOEpatents

Archer, Charles J.; Blocksome, Michael A.; Miller, Douglas R.; Parker, Jeffrey J.; Ratterman, Joseph D.; Smith, Brian E.

2013-09-03

Internode data communications in a parallel computer that includes compute nodes that each include main memory and a messaging unit, the messaging unit including computer memory and coupling compute nodes for data communications, in which, for each compute node at compute node boot time: a messaging unit allocates, in the messaging unit's computer memory, a predefined number of message buffers, each message buffer associated with a process to be initialized on the compute node; receives, prior to initialization of a particular process on the compute node, a data communications message intended for the particular process; and stores the data communications message in the message buffer associated with the particular process. Upon initialization of the particular process, the process establishes a messaging buffer in main memory of the compute node and copies the data communications message from the message buffer of the messaging unit into the message buffer of main memory.

Internode data communications in a parallel computer

DOEpatents

Archer, Charles J; Blocksome, Michael A; Miller, Douglas R; Parker, Jeffrey J; Ratterman, Joseph D; Smith, Brian E

2014-02-11

Internode data communications in a parallel computer that includes compute nodes that each include main memory and a messaging unit, the messaging unit including computer memory and coupling compute nodes for data communications, in which, for each compute node at compute node boot time: a messaging unit allocates, in the messaging unit's computer memory, a predefined number of message buffers, each message buffer associated with a process to be initialized on the compute node; receives, prior to initialization of a particular process on the compute node, a data communications message intended for the particular process; and stores the data communications message in the message buffer associated with the particular process. Upon initialization of the particular process, the process establishes a messaging buffer in main memory of the compute node and copies the data communications message from the message buffer of the messaging unit into the message buffer of main memory.