Open problems and results in the group theoretic approach to quantum gravity via the BMS group and its generalizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melas, Evangelos

2011-02-01

The Bondi-Metzner-Sachs group B is the common asymptotic group of all asymptotically flat (lorentzian) space-times, and is the best candidate for the universal symmetry group of General Relativity. However, in quantum gravity, complexified or euclidean versions of General Relativity are frequently considered. McCarthy has shown that there are forty-two generalizations of B for these versions of the theory and a variety of further ones, either real in any signature, or complex. A firm foundation for quantum gravity can be laid by following through the analogue of Wigner's programme for special relativity with B replacing the Poincare group P. Here the main results which have been obtained so far in this research programme are reported and the more important open problems are stated.

Blended Wing Body Concept Development with Open Rotor Engine Intergration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pitera, David M.; DeHaan, Mark; Brown, Derrell; Kawai, Ronald T.; Hollowell, Steve; Camacho, Peter; Bruns, David; Rawden, Blaine K.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study is to perform a systems analysis of a Blended Wing Body (BWB) open rotor concept at the conceptual design level. This concept will be utilized to estimate overall noise and fuel burn performance, leveraging recent test data. This study will also investigate the challenge of propulsion airframe installation of an open rotor engine on a BWB configuration. Open rotor engines have unique problems relative to turbofans. The rotors are open, exposed to flow conditions outside of the engine. The flow field that the rotors are immersed in may be higher than the free stream flow and it may not be uniform, both of these characteristics could increase noise and decrease performance. The rotors sometimes cause changes in the flow conditions imposed on aircraft surfaces. At high power conditions such as takeoff and climb out, the stream tube of air that goes through the rotors contracts rapidly causing the boundary layer on the body upper surface to go through an adverse pressure gradient which could result with separated airflow. The BWB / Open Rotor configuration must be designed to mitigate these problems.

The Role of Trust in the Teaching of History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haynes, Bruce

2018-01-01

This article is an initial exploration of possibilities opened up by considering trust relations as central to the teaching of history in schools. It is an extension of an investigation into epistemological problems to see whether "trust" is a more fruitful concept to use than "truth" in dealing with those problems and is based…

MARC and Relational Databases.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Llorens, Jose; Trenor, Asuncion

1993-01-01

Discusses the use of MARC format in relational databases and addresses problems of incompatibilities. A solution is presented that is in accordance with Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) standards and is based on experiences at the library of the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (Spain). (four references) (EA)

Contribution of Equal-Sign Instruction beyond Word-Problem Tutoring for Third-Grade Students with Mathematics Difficulty.

PubMed

Powell, Sarah R; Fuchs, Lynn S

2010-05-01

Elementary school students often misinterpret the equal sign (=) as an operational rather than a relational symbol. Such misunderstanding is problematic because solving equations with missing numbers may be important for higher-order mathematics skills including word problems. Research indicates equal-sign instruction can alter how typically-developing students use the equal sign, but no study has examined effects for students with mathematics difficulty (MD) or how equal-sign instruction contributes to word-problem skill for students with or without MD. The present study assessed the efficacy of equal-sign instruction within word-problem tutoring. Third-grade students with MD (n = 80) were assigned to word-problem tutoring, word-problem tutoring plus equal-sign instruction (combined) tutoring, or no-tutoring control. Combined tutoring produced better improvement on equal sign tasks and open equations compared to the other 2 conditions. On certain forms of word problems, combined tutoring but not word-problem tutoring alone produced better improvement than control. When compared at posttest to 3(rd)-grade students without MD on equal sign tasks and open equations, only combined tutoring students with MD performed comparably.

From "Wiggly Structures" to "Unshaky Towers": Problem Framing, Solution Finding, and Negotiation of Courses of Actions During a Civil Engineering Unit for Elementary Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Wolff-Michael

1995-01-01

Investigated problem- and solution-related activity of (n=28) fourth and fifth graders in ill-defined and open-ended settings. In the course of their negotiations, students demonstrated an uncanny competence to frame and reframe problems and solutions and to decide courses of actions of different complexities in spite of the ambiguous nature of…

The Erdős-Hajnal problem of hypergraph colouring, its generalizations, and related problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raigorodskii, Andrei M.; Shabanov, Dmitrii A.

2011-10-01

Extremal problems concerned with hypergraph colouring first arose in connection with classical investigations in the 1920-30s which gave rise to Ramsey theory. Since then, this area has assumed a central position in extremal combinatorics. This survey is devoted to one well-known problem of hypergraph colouring, the Erdős-Hajnal problem, initially posed in 1961. It opened a line of research in hypergraph theory whose methods and results are widely used in various domains of discrete mathematics. Bibliography: 109 titles.

Open ended intelligence: the individuation of intelligent agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weinbaum Weaver, David; Veitas, Viktoras

2017-03-01

Artificial general intelligence is a field of research aiming to distil the principles of intelligence that operate independently of a specific problem domain and utilise these principles in order to synthesise systems capable of performing any intellectual task a human being is capable of and beyond. While "narrow" artificial intelligence which focuses on solving specific problems such as speech recognition, text comprehension, visual pattern recognition and robotic motion has shown impressive breakthroughs lately, understanding general intelligence remains elusive. We propose a paradigm shift from intelligence perceived as a competence of individual agents defined in relation to an a priori given problem domain or a goal, to intelligence perceived as a formative process of self-organisation. We call this process open-ended intelligence. Starting with a brief introduction of the current conceptual approach, we expose a number of serious limitations that are traced back to the ontological roots of the concept of intelligence. Open-ended intelligence is then developed as an abstraction of the process of human cognitive development, so its application can be extended to general agents and systems. We introduce and discuss three facets of the idea: the philosophical concept of individuation, sense-making and the individuation of general cognitive agents. We further show how open-ended intelligence can be framed in terms of a distributed, self-organising network of interacting elements and how such process is scalable. The framework highlights an important relation between coordination and intelligence and a new understanding of values.

ASP, Art and Science of Practice: Educating Military Operations Research Practitioners

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-01

the ships are relatively slow. This is a multiple traveling salesman problem with moving customers, where the Navy may consume a gallon of fuel to...Defense, in a unique relationship that ensures NPS students and faculty are focused on critical and important problems facing the military. Our students...integrate graduate education with a commitment to solving real military problems , and our programs have already been documented in the open literature

Teaching and Evaluating Using "Open-Ended Problems" in Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nohda, Nobuhiko

1995-01-01

Discusses advantages and considerations in using open-ended problems in mathematics teaching and evaluation. Describes results of using open-ended problems in a sixth-grade class in Japan. (Author/MKR)

Remelt Ingot Production Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grandfield, J. F.

The technology related to the production of remelt ingots (small ingots, sows and T-Bar) is reviewed. Open mold conveyors, sow casting, wheel and belt casting and VDC and HDC casting are described and compared. Process economics, capacity, product quality and process problems are listed. Trends in casting machine technology such as longer open mold conveyor lines are highlighted. Safety issues related to the operation of these processes are discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of the various machine configurations and options e.g. such as dry filling with the mold out of water and wet filling with the mold in water for open mould conveyors are discussed. The effect of mold design on machine productivity, mold cracking and mold life is also examined.

Prevalence and Citation Advantage of Gold Open Access in the Subject Areas of the Scopus Database

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorta-González, Pablo; Santana-Jiménez, Yolanda

2018-01-01

The potential benefit of open access (OA) in relation to citation impact has been discussed in the literature in depth. The methodology used to test the OA citation advantage includes comparing OA vs. non-OA journal impact factors and citations of OA vs. non-OA articles published in the same non-OA journals. However, one problem with many studies…

Leadership for the 1970s. Human Relations in the Military Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-08-01

gleaned from humanistic response to the recognition of problem symptoms. The commander becomes known as a caring person, which opens communications...plagued by the deviant behavior described above. This delinquency was countered by opening communication channels, adopting a more humanistic approach...trade-off between mission accomplishment and the humanistic treatment of people prob- lens. Most conflicts can be resolved in favor of the

Brain size predicts problem-solving ability in mammalian carnivores

PubMed Central

Benson-Amram, Sarah; Dantzer, Ben; Stricker, Gregory; Swanson, Eli M.; Holekamp, Kay E.

2016-01-01

Despite considerable interest in the forces shaping the relationship between brain size and cognitive abilities, it remains controversial whether larger-brained animals are, indeed, better problem-solvers. Recently, several comparative studies have revealed correlations between brain size and traits thought to require advanced cognitive abilities, such as innovation, behavioral flexibility, invasion success, and self-control. However, the general assumption that animals with larger brains have superior cognitive abilities has been heavily criticized, primarily because of the lack of experimental support for it. Here, we designed an experiment to inquire whether specific neuroanatomical or socioecological measures predict success at solving a novel technical problem among species in the mammalian order Carnivora. We presented puzzle boxes, baited with food and scaled to accommodate body size, to members of 39 carnivore species from nine families housed in multiple North American zoos. We found that species with larger brains relative to their body mass were more successful at opening the boxes. In a subset of species, we also used virtual brain endocasts to measure volumes of four gross brain regions and show that some of these regions improve model prediction of success at opening the boxes when included with total brain size and body mass. Socioecological variables, including measures of social complexity and manual dexterity, failed to predict success at opening the boxes. Our results, thus, fail to support the social brain hypothesis but provide important empirical support for the relationship between relative brain size and the ability to solve this novel technical problem. PMID:26811470

Brain size predicts problem-solving ability in mammalian carnivores.

PubMed

Benson-Amram, Sarah; Dantzer, Ben; Stricker, Gregory; Swanson, Eli M; Holekamp, Kay E

2016-03-01

Despite considerable interest in the forces shaping the relationship between brain size and cognitive abilities, it remains controversial whether larger-brained animals are, indeed, better problem-solvers. Recently, several comparative studies have revealed correlations between brain size and traits thought to require advanced cognitive abilities, such as innovation, behavioral flexibility, invasion success, and self-control. However, the general assumption that animals with larger brains have superior cognitive abilities has been heavily criticized, primarily because of the lack of experimental support for it. Here, we designed an experiment to inquire whether specific neuroanatomical or socioecological measures predict success at solving a novel technical problem among species in the mammalian order Carnivora. We presented puzzle boxes, baited with food and scaled to accommodate body size, to members of 39 carnivore species from nine families housed in multiple North American zoos. We found that species with larger brains relative to their body mass were more successful at opening the boxes. In a subset of species, we also used virtual brain endocasts to measure volumes of four gross brain regions and show that some of these regions improve model prediction of success at opening the boxes when included with total brain size and body mass. Socioecological variables, including measures of social complexity and manual dexterity, failed to predict success at opening the boxes. Our results, thus, fail to support the social brain hypothesis but provide important empirical support for the relationship between relative brain size and the ability to solve this novel technical problem.

Numerical methods for coupled fracture problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viesca, Robert C.; Garagash, Dmitry I.

2018-04-01

We consider numerical solutions in which the linear elastic response to an opening- or sliding-mode fracture couples with one or more processes. Classic examples of such problems include traction-free cracks leading to stress singularities or cracks with cohesive-zone strength requirements leading to non-singular stress distributions. These classical problems have characteristic square-root asymptotic behavior for stress, relative displacement, or their derivatives. Prior work has shown that such asymptotics lead to a natural quadrature of the singular integrals at roots of Chebyhsev polynomials of the first, second, third, or fourth kind. We show that such quadratures lead to convenient techniques for interpolation, differentiation, and integration, with the potential for spectral accuracy. We further show that these techniques, with slight amendment, may continue to be used for non-classical problems which lack the classical asymptotic behavior. We consider solutions to example problems of both the classical and non-classical variety (e.g., fluid-driven opening-mode fracture and fault shear rupture driven by thermal weakening), with comparisons to analytical solutions or asymptotes, where available.

Bethe/Gauge correspondence in odd dimension: modular double, non-perturbative corrections and open topological strings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sciarappa, Antonio

2016-10-01

Bethe/Gauge correspondence as it is usually stated is ill-defined in five dimensions and needs a "non-perturbative" completion; a related problem also appears in three dimensions. It has been suggested that this problem, probably due to incompleteness of Omega background regularization in odd dimension, may be solved if we consider gauge theory on compact S 5 and S 3 geometries. We will develop this idea further by giving a full Bethe/Gauge correspondence dictionary on S 5 and S 3 focussing mainly on the eigenfunctions of (open and closed) relativistic 2-particle Toda chain and its quantized spectral curve: these are most properly written in terms of non-perturbatively completed NS open topological strings. A key ingredient is Faddeev's modular double structure which is naturally implemented by the S 5 and S 3 geometries.

Dystrophic changes in masticatory muscles related chewing problems and malocclusions in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

PubMed

van den Engel-Hoek, L; de Groot, I J M; Sie, L T; van Bruggen, H W; de Groot, S A F; Erasmus, C E; van Alfen, N

2016-06-01

Dysphagia in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) worsens with age, with increasingly effortful mastication. The aims of this study were to describe mastication problems in consecutive stages in a group of patients with DMD and to determine related pathophysiological aspects of masticatory muscle structure, tongue thickness, bite force and dental characteristics. Data from 72 patients with DMD (4.3 to 28.0 years), divided into four clinical stages, were collected in a cross sectional study. Problems with mastication and the need for food adaptations, in combination with increased echogenicity of the masseter muscle, were already found in the early stages of the disease. A high percentage of open bites and cross bites were found, especially in the later stages. Tongue hypertrophy also increased over time. Increased dysfunction, reflected by increasingly abnormal echogenicity, of the masseter muscle and reduced occlusal contacts (anterior and posterior open bites) were mainly responsible for the hampered chewing. In all, this study shows the increasing involvement of various elements of the masticatory system in progressive Duchenne muscular dystrophy. To prevent choking and also nutritional deficiency, early detection of chewing problems by asking about feeding and mastication problems, as well as asking about food adaptations made, is essential and can lead to timely intervention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving data quality in the linked open data: a survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadhiatma, A.

2018-03-01

The Linked Open Data (LOD) is “web of data”, a different paradigm from “web of document” commonly used today. However, the huge LOD still suffers from data quality problems such as completeness, consistency, and accuracy. Data quality problems relate to designing effective methods both to manage and to retrieve information at various data quality levels. Based on review from papers and journals, addressing data quality requires some standards functioning to (1) identification of data quality problems, (2) assessment of data quality for a given context, and (3) correction of data quality problems. However, mostly the methods and strategies dealing with the LOD data quality were not as an integrative approach. Hence, based on those standards and an integrative approach, there are opportunities to improve the LOD data quality in the term of incompleteness, inaccuracy and inconsistency, considering to its schema and ontology, namely ontology refinement. Moreover, the term of the ontology refinement means that it copes not only to improve data quality but also to enrich the LOD. Therefore, it needs (1) a standard for data quality assessment and evaluation which is more appropriate to the LOD; (2) a framework of methods based on statistical relational learning that can improve the correction of data quality problems as well as enrich the LOD.

Contribution of Equal-Sign Instruction beyond Word-Problem Tutoring for Third-Grade Students with Mathematics Difficulty

PubMed Central

Powell, Sarah R.; Fuchs, Lynn S.

2010-01-01

Elementary school students often misinterpret the equal sign (=) as an operational rather than a relational symbol. Such misunderstanding is problematic because solving equations with missing numbers may be important for higher-order mathematics skills including word problems. Research indicates equal-sign instruction can alter how typically-developing students use the equal sign, but no study has examined effects for students with mathematics difficulty (MD) or how equal-sign instruction contributes to word-problem skill for students with or without MD. The present study assessed the efficacy of equal-sign instruction within word-problem tutoring. Third-grade students with MD (n = 80) were assigned to word-problem tutoring, word-problem tutoring plus equal-sign instruction (combined) tutoring, or no-tutoring control. Combined tutoring produced better improvement on equal sign tasks and open equations compared to the other 2 conditions. On certain forms of word problems, combined tutoring but not word-problem tutoring alone produced better improvement than control. When compared at posttest to 3rd-grade students without MD on equal sign tasks and open equations, only combined tutoring students with MD performed comparably. PMID:20640240

Wigner's "Polanyian" Epistemology and the Measurement Problem: The Wigner-Polanyi Dialog on Tacit Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jha, Stefania

2011-09-01

I analyze the long dialog that Eugene Wigner (1902-1995) and Michael Polanyi (1891-1976) carried out on Polanyi's concept of tacit knowledge and its meaning for the measurement problem in quantum physics, focusing in particular on their ten-year correspondence between 1961 and 1971 on these subjects and the related mind-body problem. They differed in their interpretations, epistemologies, and ontologies, and consequently never resolved their differences on the measurement and mind-body problems. Nonetheless, their long dialog is significant and opens up avenues for exploring these problems further.

Investigating Students' Success in Solving and Attitudes towards Context-Rich Open-Ended Problems in Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Overton, Tina L.; Potter, Nicholas M.

2011-01-01

Much research has been carried out on how students solve algorithmic and structured problems in chemistry. This study is concerned with how students solve open-ended, ill-defined problems in chemistry. Over 200 undergraduate chemistry students solved a number of open-ended problem in groups and individually. The three cognitive variables of…

Problems Experienced by Ovarian Cancer Survivors During Treatment.

PubMed

Keim-Malpass, Jessica; Mihalko, Shannon L; Russell, Greg; Case, Doug; Miller, Brigitte; Avis, Nancy E

To identify problems at different treatment points (early treatment, mid-treatment, early posttreatment, and late posttreatment) among women with ovarian cancer. Longitudinal and cross-sectional study design. An academic and community clinical cancer center in the Southeastern United States. Sixty-eight women with Stage I to IV ovarian cancer. Variables assessed included reported problems (physical, psychosocial, pain, marital, medical interaction), social support, optimism, and responses to open-ended questions. Analysis involved mixed models for longitudinal repeated measures and unpaired t tests and content analysis to describe responses to open-ended questions. Physical and psychosocial problems were greatest during early treatment and decreased throughout the treatment trajectory. Women with greater levels of social support and optimism at baseline had fewer problems over time. Women who did not have trouble paying for basics had fewer problems related to pain and psychological problems. Problems across all domains must be addressed throughout the treatment trajectory, even after chemotherapy has ended. Nurses are well positioned to refer women appropriately to social workers and clinical navigators across all domains of care and should consider systematic assessment of patient-reported problems as a routine form of practice. Copyright © 2017 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anxiety Treatment and Targeted Sleep Enhancement to Address Sleep Disturbance in Pre/Early Adolescents with Anxiety.

PubMed

McMakin, Dana L; Ricketts, Emily J; Forbes, Erika E; Silk, Jennifer S; Ladouceur, Cecile D; Siegle, Greg J; Milbert, Melissa; Trubnick, Laura; Cousins, Jennifer C; Ryan, Neal D; Harvey, Allison G; Dahl, Ronald E

2018-06-06

Sleep disturbance is prevalent in anxious youth and prospectively predicts poor emotional adjustment in adolescence. Study 1 examined whether anxiety treatment improves subjective and objective sleep disturbance in anxious youth. Study 2 examined whether a sleep intervention called Sleeping TIGERS can further improve sleep following anxiety treatment. Study 1 examined 133 youth (ages 9-14; 56% female; 11% ethnic/racial minority) with generalized, social, or separation anxiety over the course of anxiety treatment (cognitive behavioral treatment or client-centered treatment). Sleep-related problems (parent-, child-report) and subjective (diary) and objective (actigraphy) sleep patterns were assessed across treatment in an open trial design. Study 2 included 50 youth (ages 9-14; 68% female; 10% ethnic/racial minority) who continued to report sleep-related problems after anxiety treatment and enrolled in an open trial of Sleeping TIGERS. Pre- and postassessments duplicated Study 1 and included the Focal Interview of Sleep to assess sleep disturbance. Study 1 demonstrated small reductions in sleep problems and improvements in subjective sleep patterns (diary) across anxiety treatment, but outcomes were not deemed clinically significant, and 75% of youth stayed above clinical cutoff. Study 2 showed clinically significant, large reductions in sleep problems and small changes in some subjective sleep patterns (diary). Anxiety treatment improves, but does not resolve, sleep disturbance in peri-pubertal youth, which may portend risk for poor emotional adjustment and mental health. The open trial provides preliminary support that Sleeping TIGERS can improve sleep in anxious youth to a clinically significant degree.

Wireless Sensor Network Optimization: Multi-Objective Paradigm.

PubMed

Iqbal, Muhammad; Naeem, Muhammad; Anpalagan, Alagan; Ahmed, Ashfaq; Azam, Muhammad

2015-07-20

Optimization problems relating to wireless sensor network planning, design, deployment and operation often give rise to multi-objective optimization formulations where multiple desirable objectives compete with each other and the decision maker has to select one of the tradeoff solutions. These multiple objectives may or may not conflict with each other. Keeping in view the nature of the application, the sensing scenario and input/output of the problem, the type of optimization problem changes. To address different nature of optimization problems relating to wireless sensor network design, deployment, operation, planing and placement, there exist a plethora of optimization solution types. We review and analyze different desirable objectives to show whether they conflict with each other, support each other or they are design dependent. We also present a generic multi-objective optimization problem relating to wireless sensor network which consists of input variables, required output, objectives and constraints. A list of constraints is also presented to give an overview of different constraints which are considered while formulating the optimization problems in wireless sensor networks. Keeping in view the multi facet coverage of this article relating to multi-objective optimization, this will open up new avenues of research in the area of multi-objective optimization relating to wireless sensor networks.

Prevention of Alcohol Abuse in American Families. Hearing before the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families. House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, First Session.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families.

This document is the text of a Congressional hearing called to examine prevention of alcohol abuse in American families. In her opening statement, Representative Lindy Boggs states that alcohol abuse is related to many problems confronting families including divorce, violence, and behavioral emotional problems and that the purpose of this hearing…

Predicting Condom Use Attitudes, Norms, and Control Beliefs in Hispanic Problem Behavior Youth: The Effects of Family Functioning and Parent-Adolescent Communication about Sex on Condom Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malcolm, Shandey; Huang, Shi; Cordova, David; Freitas, Derek; Arzon, Margaret; Jimenez, Giselle Leon; Pantin, Hilda; Prado, Guillermo

2013-01-01

Hispanic problem behavior youth are at an increased risk of engaging in HIV risk behaviors, including low condom use. However, relatively little research has examined factors that affect condom use in this population. Although research indicates that family processes, such as higher levels of family functioning and open parent-adolescent…

A Purposeful MOOC to Alleviate Insufficient CS Education in Finnish Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurhila, Jaakko; Vihavainen, Arto

2015-01-01

The Finnish national school curriculum, effective from 2004, does not include any topics related to Computer Science (CS). To alleviate the problem that school students are not able to study CS-related topics, the Department of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki prepared a completely online course that is open to pupils and students in…

Young children's imagination in science education and education for sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caiman, Cecilia; Lundegård, Iann

2017-09-01

This research is concerned with how children's processes of imagination, situated in cultural and social practices, come into play when they invent, anticipate, and explore a problem that is important to them. To enhance our understanding of young children's learning and meaning-making related to science and sustainability, research that investigates children's use of imagination is valuable. The specific aim of this paper is to empirically scrutinize how children's imaginations emerge, develop, and impact their experiences in science. We approach imagination as a situated, open, and unscripted act that emerges within transactions. This empirical study was conducted in a Swedish pre-school, and the data was collected `in between' a science inquiry activity and lunchtime. We gathered specific video-sequences wherein the children, lived through the process of imagination, invented a problem together and produced something new. Our analysis showed that imagination has a great significance when children provide different solutions which may be useful in the future to sustainability-related problems. If the purpose of an educational experience in some way supports children's imaginative flow, then practicing an open, listening approach becomes vital. Thus, by encouraging children to explore their concerns and questions related to sustainability issues more thoroughly without incautious recommendations or suggestions from adults, the process of imagination might flourish.

Solving work-related ethical problems.

PubMed

Laukkanen, Laura; Suhonen, Riitta; Leino-Kilpi, Helena

2016-12-01

Nurse managers are responsible for solving work-related ethical problems to promote a positive ethical culture in healthcare organizations. The aim of this study was to describe the activities that nurse managers use to solve work-related ethical problems. The ultimate aim was to enhance the ethical awareness of all nurse managers. The data for this descriptive cross-sectional survey were analyzed through inductive content analysis and quantification. Participants and research context: The data were collected in 2011 using a questionnaire that included an open-ended question and background factors. Participants were nurse managers working in Finnish healthcare organizations (n = 122). Ethical considerations: Permission for the study was given by the Finnish Association of Academic Managers and Experts of Health Sciences. Nurse managers identified a variety of activities they use to solve work-related ethical problems: discussion (30%), cooperation (25%), work organization (17%), intervention (10%), personal values (9%), operational models (4%), statistics and feedback (4%), and personal examples (1%). However, these activities did not follow any common or systematic model. In the future, nurse managers need a more systematic approach to solve ethical problems. It is important to establish new kinds of ethics structures in organizations, such as a common, systematic ethical decision-making model and an ethics club for nurse manager problems, to support nurse managers in solving work-related ethical problems.

Cold Confusion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fogle, Pamela W.

1991-01-01

Public relations issues arising from the University of Utah's controversial announcement of research claiming achievement of nuclear fusion at room temperature are discussed. They include problems occurring before and after the initial press conference, secrecy vs. openness, research ethics, and effects lasting past the original incident and…

The Open-Ended Approach Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munroe, Lloyd

2015-01-01

This paper describes a pedagogical framework that teachers can use to support students who are engaged in solving open-ended problems, by explaining how two Japanese expert teachers successfully apply open-ended problems in their mathematics class. The Open-Ended Approach (OPA) framework consists of two main sections: Understanding Mathematical…

A personality-based description of maturing out of alcohol problems: extension with a five-factor model and robustness to modeling challenges.

PubMed

Littlefield, Andrew K; Sher, Kenneth J; Wood, Phillip K

2010-11-01

To examine the relation of changes in Five-Factor personality traits (i.e., extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience; Costa & McCrae, 1985), drinking motives, and problematic alcohol involvement in a cohort of college students (N=467) at varying risk for alcohol use disorders from ages 21 to 35. Parallel process latent growth models were estimated to determine the extent that prospective changes in personality and alcohol problems covaried as well as the extent to which drinking motives appeared to mediate these relations. Changes in neuroticism and conscientiousness covaried with changes in problematic alcohol involvement. Specifically, increases in conscientiousness and decreases in neuroticism were related to decreases in alcohol from ages 21 to 35, even after accounting for marriage and/or parenthood. Change in coping (but not enhancement) motives specifically mediated the relation between changes in conscientiousness and alcohol problems in addition to the relation between changes in neuroticism and alcohol problems. Personality changes, as assessed by a Five-Factor model of personality, are associated with "maturing out" of alcohol problems. Of equal importance, change in coping motives may be an important mediator of the relation between personality change and the "maturing out" of alcohol problems. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Theoretical motivation for gravitation experiments on ultra-low energy antiprotons and antihydrogen

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

Nieto, M.M.

1995-12-31

It is known that the generally accepted theories of gravity and quantum mechanics are fundamentally incompatible. Thus, when one tries to combine these theories, one must beware of physical pitfalls. Modern theories of quantum gravity are trying to overcome these problems. Any ideas must confront the present agreement with general relativity, but yet be free to wonder about not understood phenomena, such as the dark matter problem. This all has led some {open_quotes}intrepid{close_quotes} theorists to consider a new gravitational regime, that of antimatter. Even more {open_quotes}daring{close_quotes} experimentalists are attempting, or considering attempting, the measurement of the gravitational force on antimatter,more » including low-energy antiprotons and, perhaps most enticing, antihydrogen.« less

Open problems in mathematical physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coley, Alan A.

2017-09-01

We present a list of open questions in mathematical physics. After a historical introduction, a number of problems in a variety of different fields are discussed, with the intention of giving an overall impression of the current status of mathematical physics, particularly in the topical fields of classical general relativity, cosmology and the quantum realm. This list is motivated by the recent article proposing 42 fundamental questions (in physics) which must be answered on the road to full enlightenment (Allen and Lidstrom 2017 Phys. Scr. 92 012501). But paraphrasing a famous quote by the British football manager Bill Shankly, in response to the question of whether mathematics can answer the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything, mathematics is, of course, much more important than that.

Relation between inflammables and ignition sources in aircraft environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scull, Wilfred E

1951-01-01

A literature survey was conducted to determine the relation between aircraft ignition sources and inflammables. Available literature applicable to the problem of aircraft fire hazards is analyzed and discussed. Data pertaining to the effect of many variables on ignition temperatures, minimum ignition pressures, minimum spark-ignition energies of inflammables, quenching distances of electrode configurations, and size of openings through which flame will not propagate are presented and discussed. Ignition temperatures and limits of inflammability of gasoline in air in different test environments, and the minimum ignition pressures and minimum size of opening for flame propagation in gasoline-air mixtures are included; inerting of gasoline-air mixtures is discussed.

Designing students’ worksheet based on open-ended approach to foster students’ creative thinking skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romli, S.; Abdurrahman; Riyadi, B.

2018-01-01

This study aimed at designing an open-ended worksheet to enhance students’ creative thinking skills. The study was conducted at one private school in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia. The participants of the study were twenty students of tenth grade students and two physics teachers. This study used descriptive data. Data were collected by analyzing qualitative data, literature and focus group discussion to gain information about students’ conceptions of physics in the context of open-ended learning. The result showed that students needed innovative learning resources in form of open ended-based worksheet which could give the students an opportunity to develop various solutions related to physics problem. Therefore, students’ creative thinking skill could be improved.

Free boundary problems in shock reflection/diffraction and related transonic flow problems

PubMed Central

Chen, Gui-Qiang; Feldman, Mikhail

2015-01-01

Shock waves are steep wavefronts that are fundamental in nature, especially in high-speed fluid flows. When a shock hits an obstacle, or a flying body meets a shock, shock reflection/diffraction phenomena occur. In this paper, we show how several long-standing shock reflection/diffraction problems can be formulated as free boundary problems, discuss some recent progress in developing mathematical ideas, approaches and techniques for solving these problems, and present some further open problems in this direction. In particular, these shock problems include von Neumann's problem for shock reflection–diffraction by two-dimensional wedges with concave corner, Lighthill's problem for shock diffraction by two-dimensional wedges with convex corner, and Prandtl-Meyer's problem for supersonic flow impinging onto solid wedges, which are also fundamental in the mathematical theory of multidimensional conservation laws. PMID:26261363

Alcohol Expectancies Mediate and Moderate the Associations between Big Five Personality Traits and Adolescent Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol-Related Problems.

PubMed

Ibáñez, Manuel I; Camacho, Laura; Mezquita, Laura; Villa, Helena; Moya-Higueras, Jorge; Ortet, Generós

2015-01-01

Personality and expectancies are relevant psychological factors for the development of adolescent alcohol use and misuse. The present study examined their direct, mediated and moderated effects on different drinking behaviors in adolescence. Personality domains of the five-factor model, positive and negative alcohol expectancies (AEs), alcohol use during the week and the weekend, and alcohol-related problems were assessed in a sample of 361 adolescents. Different personality dimensions were directly associated with specific alcohol outcomes: Extraversion, low Conscientiousness and low Openness were associated with weekend alcohol use; low Agreeableness was related to weekday use; whereas low Agreeableness, low Conscientiousness and Extraversion were associated with alcohol-related problems. In addition, positive AEs mediated the relationship between Extraversion and alcohol use, whereas both positive and negative expectancies mediated the association between Neuroticism and alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. Finally, both types of expectancies interacted with Extraversion to predict alcohol problems. Our results highlight the importance of examining the complex interplay of comprehensive personality models and AEs to gain a better understanding of the development of different alcohol use and misuse patterns in adolescence.

An Investigation of Preservice Teachers' Use of Guess and Check in Solving a Semi Open-Ended Mathematics Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capraro, Mary Margaret; An, Song A.; Ma, Tingting; Rangel-Chavez, A. Fabiola; Harbaugh, Adam

2012-01-01

Open-ended problems have been regarded as powerful tools for teaching mathematics. This study examined the problem solving of eight mathematics/science middle-school teachers. A semi-structured interview was conducted with (PTs) after completing an open-ended triangle task with four unique solutions. Of particular emphasis was how the PTs used a…

Sensory retraining: burden in daily life related to altered sensation after orthognathic surgery, a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Phillips, C; Kim, S H; Tucker, M; Turvey, T A

2010-08-01

Assess the long-term effect of sensory retraining exercises, age, gender, type of surgery, and pre-surgical psychological distress on patients' perception of the interference related to altered sensation 2 years after orthognathic surgery. A total of 186 subjects with a developmental dentofacial disharmony were enrolled in a multicenter randomized clinical trial: one center was a community-based practice and the other a university-based center. Subjects were randomly allocated to two groups: standard of care mouth opening exercises after BSSO or a progressive series of sensory retraining facial exercises in addition to the opening exercises. At 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery, subjects scored unusual feelings on the face, numbness, and loss of lip sensitivity from 'no problem (1)' to 'serious problem (7)'. A marginal proportional odds model was fit for each of the ordinal outcomes. Up to 2 years after surgery, the opening exercise only group had a higher likelihood of reporting interference in daily activities related to numbness and loss of lip sensitivity than the sensory retraining exercise group. The difference between the two groups was relatively constant. Older subjects and those with elevated psychological distress before surgery reported higher burdens related to unusual facial feelings, numbness, and loss of lip sensitivity (p < 0.02). The positive effect of sensory retraining facial exercises observed after surgery is maintained over time. Clinicians should consider the patient's age and psychological well-being prior to providing pre-surgical counseling regarding the impact on daily life of persistent altered sensation following a mandibular osteotomy.

Global Positioning System Bibliography

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-01

Nev., November, pp. 110-121. Chrzanowski, A. (1987). " Experiencias con GPS en mediciones de deformaciones." Presented at: Workshop on New Techniques...Material Placed in Open Waters Area 2 - Material Properties Related to Navigation and Dredging Area 3 - Dredge Plant Equipment and Systems Processes Area 4...Positioning System." Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Problems Related to the Redefinintion of North American Geodetic Networks

Density functional theory for open-shell singlet biradicals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gräfenstein, Jürgen; Kraka, Elfi; Cremer, Dieter

1998-05-01

The description of open-shell singlet (OSS) σ- π biradicals by density functional theory (DFT) requires at least a two-configurational (TC) or, in general, a MC-DFT approach, which bears many unsolved problems. These can be avoided by reformulating the TC description in the spirit of restricted open shell theory for singlets (ROSS) and developing an exchange-correlation functional for ROSS-DFT. ROSS-DFT turns out to lead to reliable descriptions of geometry and vibrational frequencies for OSS biradicals. The relative energies of the OSS states obtained at the ROSS-B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level are often better than the corresponding ROSS-MP2 results. However, in those cases where spin polarization in a conjugated π systems plays a role, DFT predicts the triplet state related to the OSS state 2-4 kcal/mol too stable.

Physicians' opening questions and patients' satisfaction.

PubMed

Robinson, Jeffrey D; Heritage, John

2006-03-01

To determine the association between the format of physicians' opening questions that solicit patients' presenting concerns and patients' post-visit evaluations of (i.e., satisfaction with) the affective-relational dimension of physicians' communication. Videotape and questionnaire data were collected from visits between 28 primary-care physicians and 142 adult patients with acute problems. Factor analysis resulted in three dependent variables derived from the 9-item Socioemotional Behavior subscale of the Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale. Question format was significantly, positively associated with patients' evaluations of physicians' listening (p=.028) and positive affective-relational communication (p=.046). Patients desire opportunities to present concerns in their own time and terms regardless of how extensively they act on this opportunity. Visits should be opened with general inquiries (e.g., What can I do for you today?) versus closed-ended requests for confirmation (e.g., Sore throat, huh?).

Wireless Sensor Network Optimization: Multi-Objective Paradigm

PubMed Central

Iqbal, Muhammad; Naeem, Muhammad; Anpalagan, Alagan; Ahmed, Ashfaq; Azam, Muhammad

2015-01-01

Optimization problems relating to wireless sensor network planning, design, deployment and operation often give rise to multi-objective optimization formulations where multiple desirable objectives compete with each other and the decision maker has to select one of the tradeoff solutions. These multiple objectives may or may not conflict with each other. Keeping in view the nature of the application, the sensing scenario and input/output of the problem, the type of optimization problem changes. To address different nature of optimization problems relating to wireless sensor network design, deployment, operation, planing and placement, there exist a plethora of optimization solution types. We review and analyze different desirable objectives to show whether they conflict with each other, support each other or they are design dependent. We also present a generic multi-objective optimization problem relating to wireless sensor network which consists of input variables, required output, objectives and constraints. A list of constraints is also presented to give an overview of different constraints which are considered while formulating the optimization problems in wireless sensor networks. Keeping in view the multi facet coverage of this article relating to multi-objective optimization, this will open up new avenues of research in the area of multi-objective optimization relating to wireless sensor networks. PMID:26205271

Dynamic model of open shell structures buried in poroelastic soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bordón, J. D. R.; Aznárez, J. J.; Maeso, O.

2017-08-01

This paper is concerned with a three-dimensional time harmonic model of open shell structures buried in poroelastic soils. It combines the dual boundary element method (DBEM) for treating the soil and shell finite elements for modelling the structure, leading to a simple and efficient representation of buried open shell structures. A new fully regularised hypersingular boundary integral equation (HBIE) has been developed to this aim, which is then used to build the pair of dual BIEs necessary to formulate the DBEM for Biot poroelasticity. The new regularised HBIE is validated against a problem with analytical solution. The model is used in a wave diffraction problem in order to show its effectiveness. It offers excellent agreement for length to thickness ratios greater than 10, and relatively coarse meshes. The model is also applied to the calculation of impedances of bucket foundations. It is found that all impedances except the torsional one depend considerably on hydraulic conductivity within the typical frequency range of interest of offshore wind turbines.

The Effect of Restricting Opening Hours on Alcohol-Related Violence

PubMed Central

Duailibi, Sergio; Ponicki, William; Grube, Joel; Pinsky, Ilana; Laranjeira, Ronaldo; Raw, Martin

2007-01-01

Objective. We investigated whether limiting the hours of alcoholic beverage sales in bars had an effect on homicides and violence against women in the Brazilian city of Diadema. The policy to restrict alcohol sales was introduced in July 2002 and prohibited on-premises alcohol sales after 11 pm. Methods. We analyzed data on homicides (1995 to 2005) and violence against women (2000 to 2005) from the Diadema (population 360 000) police archives using log-linear regression analyses. Results. The new restriction on drinking hours led to a decrease of almost 9 murders a month. Assaults against women also decreased, but this effect was not significant in models in which we controlled for underlying trends. Conclusions. Introducing restrictions on opening hours resulted in a significant decrease in murders, which confirmed what we know from the literature: restricting access to alcohol can reduce alcohol-related problems. Our results give no support to the converse view, that increasing availability will somehow reduce problems. PMID:17971559

Augmented switching linear dynamical system model for gas concentration estimation with MOX sensors in an open sampling system.

PubMed

Di Lello, Enrico; Trincavelli, Marco; Bruyninckx, Herman; De Laet, Tinne

2014-07-11

In this paper, we introduce a Bayesian time series model approach for gas concentration estimation using Metal Oxide (MOX) sensors in Open Sampling System (OSS). Our approach focuses on the compensation of the slow response of MOX sensors, while concurrently solving the problem of estimating the gas concentration in OSS. The proposed Augmented Switching Linear System model allows to include all the sources of uncertainty arising at each step of the problem in a single coherent probabilistic formulation. In particular, the problem of detecting on-line the current sensor dynamical regime and estimating the underlying gas concentration under environmental disturbances and noisy measurements is formulated and solved as a statistical inference problem. Our model improves, with respect to the state of the art, where system modeling approaches have been already introduced, but only provided an indirect relative measures proportional to the gas concentration and the problem of modeling uncertainty was ignored. Our approach is validated experimentally and the performances in terms of speed of and quality of the gas concentration estimation are compared with the ones obtained using a photo-ionization detector.

Augmented Switching Linear Dynamical System Model for Gas Concentration Estimation with MOX Sensors in an Open Sampling System

PubMed Central

Di Lello, Enrico; Trincavelli, Marco; Bruyninckx, Herman; De Laet, Tinne

2014-01-01

In this paper, we introduce a Bayesian time series model approach for gas concentration estimation using Metal Oxide (MOX) sensors in Open Sampling System (OSS). Our approach focuses on the compensation of the slow response of MOX sensors, while concurrently solving the problem of estimating the gas concentration in OSS. The proposed Augmented Switching Linear System model allows to include all the sources of uncertainty arising at each step of the problem in a single coherent probabilistic formulation. In particular, the problem of detecting on-line the current sensor dynamical regime and estimating the underlying gas concentration under environmental disturbances and noisy measurements is formulated and solved as a statistical inference problem. Our model improves, with respect to the state of the art, where system modeling approaches have been already introduced, but only provided an indirect relative measures proportional to the gas concentration and the problem of modeling uncertainty was ignored. Our approach is validated experimentally and the performances in terms of speed of and quality of the gas concentration estimation are compared with the ones obtained using a photo-ionization detector. PMID:25019637

Dynamics of Pure Shape, Relativity, and the Problem of Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbour, Julian

A new approach to the dynamics of the universe based on work by Ó Murchadha, Foster, Anderson and the author is presented. The only kinematics presupposed is the spatial geometry needed to define configuration spaces in purely relational terms. A new formulation of the relativity principle based on Poincarés analysis of the problem of absolute and relative motion (Machs principle) is given. The entire dynamics is based on shape and nothing else. It leads to much stronger predictions than standard Newtonian theory. For the dynamics of Riemannian 3-geometries on which matter fields also evolve, implementation of the new relativity principle establishes unexpected links between special relativity, general relativity and the gauge principle. They all emerge together as a self-consistent complex from a unified and completely relational approach to dynamics. A connection between time and scale invariance is established. In particular, the representation of general relativity as evolution of the shape of space leads to a unique dynamical definition of simultaneity. This opens up the prospect of a solution of the problem of time in quantum gravity on the basis of a fundamental dynamical principle.

Value and benefits of open-book examinations as assessment for deep learning in a post-graduate animal health course.

PubMed

Dale, Vicki H M; Wieland, Barbara; Pirkelbauer, Birgit; Nevel, Amanda

2009-01-01

This study provides an overview of the perceptions of alumni in relation to their experience of open-book examinations (OBEs) as post-graduate students. This type of assessment was introduced as a way of allowing these adult learners to demonstrate their conceptual understanding and ability to apply knowledge in practice, which in theory would equip them with problem-solving skills required for the workplace. This study demonstrates that alumni-shown to be predominantly deep learners-typically regarded OBEs as less stressful than closed-book examinations, and as an effective way to assess the application of knowledge to real-life problems. Additional staff training and student induction, particularly for international students, are suggested as a means of improving the acceptability and effectiveness of OBEs.

Ecstasy Use Rises: What More Needs To Be Done by the Government To Combat the Problem? Hearing before the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, First Session (July 30, 2001).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs.

This document presents witness testimonies addressing the growing problem of Ecstasy use among American youth. All accounts point to the fact that youth are increasingly experimenting with the drug and experiencing seizures and other adverse affects at an alarming rate. Opening statements from Senators Lieberman, Bunning, and Akaka related the…

Educational Supervisors' Locus of Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konan, Necdet

2013-01-01

Problem statement: In social open systems, there are basically two determinant of organizational behavior: "organizational" and "personal." The former is mostly related to the aim of the organization, the necessities of the work, whereas the latter is concerned with the traits of the employee. Various studies have focused on…

Development of Open-Ended Problems for Measuring The Higher-Order-Thinking-Skills of High School Students on Global Warming Phenomenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fianti; Najwa, F. L.; Linuwih, S.

2017-04-01

Higher-order-thinking-skills can not be developed directly, except by training which is employing open-ended problems for measuring and developing critics, creativeness, and problem-solving thinking-skills of students. This study is a research and development producing open-ended problems. The purpose of this study is to measure the properness and effectiveness of the developed product and to observe the profile of higher-order-thinking-skills of students on global warming phenomenon. The result of properness test of open-ended problems according to the experts is 92,59% on the first stage and 97,53% on the second stage, so we can assume that the product isvery proper. The result of effectiveness test shows the coefficient of correlation between student’s midterm test scores and open-ended questions is 0,634 which is in the category of strong. Higher-order-thinking-skills of SMA Negeri 1 Salatiga students is in the category of good with the average achievement scores 61,28.

How do open-ended problems promote mathematical creativity? A reflection of bare mathematics problem and contextual problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wijaya, A.

2018-03-01

Creativity is often seen as one of the fundamental aspects of character education. As one of the 21st century skills, creativity has also been considered as an important goal of education across the world. This paper reports a study on promoting mathematical creativity through the use of open-ended mathematics problems. A total of 53 undergraduate students participated in the study. These students worked on open-ended problems in two types, i.e. bare mathematics problem and contextual problem. The contextual problem was presented in the form of paper-based and Geogebra-based. The students’ works were analysed qualitatively in order to describe how students’ mathematical creativity developed. It was found that the open-ended problems successfully promote students’ creativity as indicated by various solutions or strategies that were used by students to solve the problems. The analysis of students’ works show that students’ creativity developed through three kinds of exploration, i. e. (1) exploration of contexts, (2) exploration of software features, and (3) exploration of mathematics concepts. The use of metacognitive questioning was found to be helpful to develop the first two explorations into mathematical exploration.

Towards Open-World Person Re-Identification by One-Shot Group-Based Verification.

PubMed

Zheng, Wei-Shi; Gong, Shaogang; Xiang, Tao

2016-03-01

Solving the problem of matching people across non-overlapping multi-camera views, known as person re-identification (re-id), has received increasing interests in computer vision. In a real-world application scenario, a watch-list (gallery set) of a handful of known target people are provided with very few (in many cases only a single) image(s) (shots) per target. Existing re-id methods are largely unsuitable to address this open-world re-id challenge because they are designed for (1) a closed-world scenario where the gallery and probe sets are assumed to contain exactly the same people, (2) person-wise identification whereby the model attempts to verify exhaustively against each individual in the gallery set, and (3) learning a matching model using multi-shots. In this paper, a novel transfer local relative distance comparison (t-LRDC) model is formulated to address the open-world person re-identification problem by one-shot group-based verification. The model is designed to mine and transfer useful information from a labelled open-world non-target dataset. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms both non-transfer learning and existing transfer learning based re-id methods.

Constipation: causes and cures.

PubMed

Christer, Ruth; Robinson, Liz; Bird, Clare

Constipation is a common but poorly understood problem. Within the UK it is estimated that three million GP consultations relate to constipation every year. It is a problem that could affect any person at any time, yet it is often preventable. There is no accepted definition for constipation, however, and it is open to individual interpretation. Some may describe constipation as passing hard stools, others may describe it as infrequent defaecation. Constipation can affect a person's physical, psychological and social wellbeing. Nurses are in a key position to help with this problem, although a multidisciplinary approach is needed if treatment is to be successful.

Clomp

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

Gylenhaal, J.; Bronevetsky, G.

2007-05-25

CLOMP is the C version of the Livermore OpenMP benchmark deeloped to measure OpenMP overheads and other performance impacts due to threading (like NUMA memory layouts, memory contention, cache effects, etc.) in order to influence future system design. Current best-in-class implementations of OpenMP have overheads at least ten times larger than is required by many of our applications for effective use of OpenMP. This benchmark shows the significant negative performance impact of these relatively large overheads and of other thread effects. The CLOMP benchmark highly configurable to allow a variety of problem sizes and threading effects to be studied andmore » it carefully checks its results to catch many common threading errors. This benchmark is expected to be included as part of the Sequoia Benchmark suite for the Sequoia procurement.« less

Solving Open Job-Shop Scheduling Problems by SAT Encoding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshimura, Miyuki; Nabeshima, Hidetomo; Fujita, Hiroshi; Hasegawa, Ryuzo

This paper tries to solve open Job-Shop Scheduling Problems (JSSP) by translating them into Boolean Satisfiability Testing Problems (SAT). The encoding method is essentially the same as the one proposed by Crawford and Baker. The open problems are ABZ8, ABZ9, YN1, YN2, YN3, and YN4. We proved that the best known upper bounds 678 of ABZ9 and 884 of YN1 are indeed optimal. We also improved the upper bound of YN2 and lower bounds of ABZ8, YN2, YN3 and YN4.

Macroscopic irreversibility and microscopic paradox: A Constructal law analysis of atoms as open systems

PubMed Central

Lucia, Umberto

2016-01-01

The relation between macroscopic irreversibility and microscopic reversibility is a present unsolved problem. Constructal law is introduced to develop analytically the Einstein’s, Schrödinger’s, and Gibbs’ considerations on the interaction between particles and thermal radiation (photons). The result leads to consider the atoms and molecules as open systems in continuous interaction with flows of photons from their surroundings. The consequent result is that, in any atomic transition, the energy related to the microscopic irreversibility is negligible, while when a great number of atoms (of the order of Avogadro’s number) is considered, this energy related to irreversibility becomes so large that its order of magnitude must be taken into account. Consequently, macroscopic irreversibility results related to microscopic irreversibility by flows of photons and amount of atoms involved in the processes. PMID:27762333

Open problems in artificial life.

PubMed

Bedau, M A; McCaskill, J S; Packard, N H; Rasmussen, S; Adami, C; Green, D G; Ikegami, T; Kaneko, K; Ray, T S

2000-01-01

This article lists fourteen open problems in artificial life, each of which is a grand challenge requiring a major advance on a fundamental issue for its solution. Each problem is briefly explained, and, where deemed helpful, some promising paths to its solution are indicated.

Relation Between Inflammables and Ignition Sources in Aircraft Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scull, Wilfred E

1950-01-01

A literature survey was conducted to determine the relation between aircraft ignition sources and inflammables. Available literature applicable to the problem of aircraft fire hazards is analyzed and, discussed herein. Data pertaining to the effect of many variables on ignition temperatures, minimum ignition pressures, and minimum spark-ignition energies of inflammables, quenching distances of electrode configurations, and size of openings incapable of flame propagation are presented and discussed. The ignition temperatures and the limits of inflammability of gasoline in air in different test environments, and the minimum ignition pressure and the minimum size of openings for flame propagation of gasoline - air mixtures are included. Inerting of gasoline - air mixtures is discussed.

Forward Field Computation with OpenMEEG

PubMed Central

Gramfort, Alexandre; Papadopoulo, Théodore; Olivi, Emmanuel; Clerc, Maureen

2011-01-01

To recover the sources giving rise to electro- and magnetoencephalography in individual measurements, realistic physiological modeling is required, and accurate numerical solutions must be computed. We present OpenMEEG, which solves the electromagnetic forward problem in the quasistatic regime, for head models with piecewise constant conductivity. The core of OpenMEEG consists of the symmetric Boundary Element Method, which is based on an extended Green Representation theorem. OpenMEEG is able to provide lead fields for four different electromagnetic forward problems: Electroencephalography (EEG), Magnetoencephalography (MEG), Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT), and intracranial electric potentials (IPs). OpenMEEG is open source and multiplatform. It can be used from Python and Matlab in conjunction with toolboxes that solve the inverse problem; its integration within FieldTrip is operational since release 2.0. PMID:21437231

Loop Quantum Gravity.

PubMed

Rovelli, Carlo

2008-01-01

The problem of describing the quantum behavior of gravity, and thus understanding quantum spacetime , is still open. Loop quantum gravity is a well-developed approach to this problem. It is a mathematically well-defined background-independent quantization of general relativity, with its conventional matter couplings. Today research in loop quantum gravity forms a vast area, ranging from mathematical foundations to physical applications. Among the most significant results obtained so far are: (i) The computation of the spectra of geometrical quantities such as area and volume, which yield tentative quantitative predictions for Planck-scale physics. (ii) A physical picture of the microstructure of quantum spacetime, characterized by Planck-scale discreteness. Discreteness emerges as a standard quantum effect from the discrete spectra, and provides a mathematical realization of Wheeler's "spacetime foam" intuition. (iii) Control of spacetime singularities, such as those in the interior of black holes and the cosmological one. This, in particular, has opened up the possibility of a theoretical investigation into the very early universe and the spacetime regions beyond the Big Bang. (iv) A derivation of the Bekenstein-Hawking black-hole entropy. (v) Low-energy calculations, yielding n -point functions well defined in a background-independent context. The theory is at the roots of, or strictly related to, a number of formalisms that have been developed for describing background-independent quantum field theory, such as spin foams, group field theory, causal spin networks, and others. I give here a general overview of ideas, techniques, results and open problems of this candidate theory of quantum gravity, and a guide to the relevant literature.

The Less You Know: The Utility of Ambiguity and Uncertainty in Counter-Terrorism

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

60  V.  ETHICAL AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS...61  A.  LEGALITY AND AN OPEN SOCIETY .....................................................61  B.  ETHICS AND UNCERTAINTY...results in cries of immoral overreaction. Israel wrestles with this ethical dilemma/public relations problem during every Intifada. An out-of-proportion

Concluding remarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bjørnholm, S.

1991-03-01

Viewing cluster science as the embryology of the full-grown forms of matter we encounter in our surroundings, makes it appear to a relative newcomer as a highly dynamic discipline. Lines of attack showing marked progress or potential promise are briefly reviewed, and a sketch of the vast field of still-open problems is presented.

Gradient Projection Anti-windup Scheme on Constrained Planar LTI Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-15

was recognized as a largely open problem in a recent survey paper . This report analyzes the properties of the GPAW scheme applied to an input...recent survey paper [2] that anti- windup compensation for nonlinear systems remains largely an open problem. To this end, [3] and relevant references...controllers, the solution of which was recognized as a largely open problem in a recent survey paper . This report analyzes the properties of the GPAW

Sensory retraining: burden in daily life related to altered sensation after orthognathic surgery, a randomized clinical trial

PubMed Central

Phillips, C; Kim, S H; Tucker, M; Turvey, T A

2010-01-01

Objective Assess the long-term effect of sensory re-training exercises, age, gender, type of surgery, and pre-surgical psychological distress on patients' perception of the interference related to altered sensation two years after orthognathic surgery. Setting and Sample Population 186 subjects with a developmental dentofacial disharmony were enrolled in a multicenter randomized clinical trial: one center was a community based practice and the other a university-based center. Methods and Materials Subjects were randomly allocated to two groups: standard of care mouth opening exercises after BSSO or a progressive series of sensory retraining facial exercises in addition to the opening exercises. At 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery, subjects scored unusual feelings on the face, numbness, and loss of lip sensitivity from “no problem(1)” to “serious problem(7)”. A marginal proportional odds model was fit for each of the ordinal outcomes. Results Up to two years after surgery, the opening exercise only group had a higher likelihood of reporting interference in daily activities related to numbness and loss of lip sensitivity than the sensory retraining exercise group. The difference between the two groups was relatively constant. Older subjects and those with elevated psychological distress before surgery reported higher burdens related to unusual facial feelings, numbness, and loss of lip sensitivity (P<0.02). Conclusion The positive effect of sensory retraining facial exercises observed after surgery is maintained over time. Clinicians should consider the patient's age and psychological well-being prior to providing pre-surgical counseling regarding the impact on daily life of persistent altered sensation following a mandibular osteotomy. PMID:20618719

Environmental Problems, Causes, and Solutions: An Open Question

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Negev, Maya; Garb, Yaakov; Biller, Roni; Sagy, Gonen; Tal, Alon

2010-01-01

In a national evaluation of environmental literacy in Israel, (Negev, Sagy, Garb, Salzberg, & Tal, 2008), the authors included both multiple choice questions and open questions. In this article the authors describe the qualitative analysis of the answers to an open question regarding a local environmental problem. Most participants specified…

The relative degree enhancement problem for MIMO nonlinear systems

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

Schoenwald, D.A.; Oezguener, Ue.

1995-07-01

The authors present a result for linearizing a nonlinear MIMO system by employing partial feedback - feedback at all but one input-output channel such that the SISO feedback linearization problem is solvable at the remaining input-output channel. The partial feedback effectively enhances the relative degree at the open input-output channel provided the feedback functions are chosen to satisfy relative degree requirements. The method is useful for nonlinear systems that are not feedback linearizable in a MIMO sense. Several examples are presented to show how these feedback functions can be computed. This strategy can be combined with decentralized observers for amore » completely decentralized feedback linearization result for at least one input-output channel.« less

Crowdsourcing for Challenging Technical Problems - It Works!

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Jeffrey R.

2011-01-01

The NASA Johnson Space Center Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD) and Wyle Integrated Science and Engineering (Wyle) will conduct a one-day business cluster at the 62nd IAC so that IAC attendees will understand the benefits of open innovation (crowdsourcing), review successful results of conducting technical challenges in various open innovation projects, and learn how an organization can effectively deploy these new problem solving tools to innovate more efficiently and effectively. Results from both the SLSD open innovation pilot program and the open innovation workshop conducted by the NASA Human Health and Performance Center will be discussed. NHHPC members will be recruited to participate in the business cluster (see membership http://nhhpc.nasa.gov) and as IAF members. Crowdsourcing may be defined as the act of outsourcing tasks that are traditionally performed by an employee or contractor to an undefined, generally large group of people or community (a crowd) in the form of an open call. The open call may be issued by the organization wishing to find a solution to a particular problem or complete a task, or by an open innovation service provider on behalf of that organization. In 2008, the SLSD, with the support of Wyle, established and implemented pilot projects in open innovation (crowdsourcing) to determine if these new internet-based platforms could indeed find solutions to difficult technical challenges. These unsolved technical problems were converted to problem statements, called Challenges by some open innovation service providers, and were then posted externally to seek solutions to these problems. In addition, an open call was issued internally to NASA employees Agency wide (11 Field Centers and NASA HQ) using an open innovation service provider crowdsourcing platform to post NASA challenges from each Center for the others to propose solutions). From 2008 to 2010, the SLSD issued 34 challenges, 14 externally and 20 internally. The 14 external problems or challenges were posted through three different vendors: InnoCentive, yet2.com and TopCoder. The 20 internal challenges were conducted using the InnoCentive crowdsourcing platform designed for use internal to an organization and customized for NASA use, and promoted as NASA@Work. The results were significant. Of the seven InnoCentive external challenges, two full and five partial awards were made in complex technical areas such as predicting solar flares and long-duration food packaging.

Utilization of open source electronic health record around the world: A systematic review.

PubMed

Aminpour, Farzaneh; Sadoughi, Farahnaz; Ahamdi, Maryam

2014-01-01

Many projects on developing Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems have been carried out in many countries. The current study was conducted to review the published data on the utilization of open source EHR systems in different countries all over the world. Using free text and keyword search techniques, six bibliographic databases were searched for related articles. The identified papers were screened and reviewed during a string of stages for the irrelevancy and validity. The findings showed that open source EHRs have been wildly used by source limited regions in all continents, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. It would create opportunities to improve national healthcare level especially in developing countries with minimal financial resources. Open source technology is a solution to overcome the problems of high-costs and inflexibility associated with the proprietary health information systems.

Stress and prevalence of hearing problems in the Swedish working population

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Current human and experimental studies are indicating an association between stress and hearing problems; however potential risk factors have not been established. Hearing problems are projected to become among the top ten disabilities according to the WHO in the near future. Therefore a better understanding of the relationships between stress and hearing is warranted. Here we describe the prevalence of two common hearing problems, i.e. hearing complaints and tinnitus, in relation to different work-and health-related stressors. Methods A total of 18,734 individuals were invited to participate in the study, out of which 9,756 (52%) enrolled. Results The results demonstrate a clear and mostly linear relationship between higher prevalence of hearing problems (tinnitus or hearing loss or both) and different stressors, e.g. occupational, poorer self-rated health, long-term illness, poorer sleep quality, and higher burnout scores. Conclusions The present study unambiguously demonstrates associations between hearing problems and various stressors that have not been previously described for the auditory system. These findings will open new avenues for future investigations. PMID:21345187

Cause-and-effect analysis of risk management files to assess patient care in the emergency department.

PubMed

White, Andrew A; Wright, Seth W; Blanco, Roberto; Lemonds, Brent; Sisco, Janice; Bledsoe, Sandy; Irwin, Cindy; Isenhour, Jennifer; Pichert, James W

2004-10-01

Identifying the etiologies of adverse outcomes is an important first step in improving patient safety and reducing malpractice risks. However, relatively little is known about the causes of emergency department-related adverse outcomes. The objective was to describe a method for identification of common causes of adverse outcomes in an emergency department. This methodology potentially can suggest ways to improve care and might provide a model for identification of factors associated with adverse outcomes. This was a retrospective analysis of 74 consecutive files opened by a malpractice insurer between 1995 and 2000. Each risk-management file was analyzed to identify potential causes of adverse outcomes. The main outcomes were rater-assigned codes for alleged problems with care (e.g., failures of communication or problems related to diagnosis). About 50% of cases were related to injuries or abdominal complaints. A contributing cause was found in 92% of cases, and most had more than one contributing cause. The most frequent contributing categories included failure to diagnose (45%), supervision problems (31%), communication problems (30%), patient behavior (24%), administrative problems (20%), and documentation (20%). Specific relating factors within these categories, such as lack of timely resident supervision and failure to follow policies and procedures, were identified. This project documented that an aggregate analysis of risk-management files has the potential to identify shared causes related to real or perceived adverse outcomes. Several potentially correctable systems problems were identified using this methodology. These simple, descriptive management tools may be useful in identifying issues for problem solving and can be easily learned by physicians and managers.

Educational Uses of Cable Television.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cable Television Information Center, Washington, DC.

The different educational uses of cable television as well as the methods and problems of that use are described in a state of the art review. The Federal Communications Commission regulations and related franchise activity are described, and the methods of using the educational channel as open or closed circuit TV or pay TV are indicated for…

Education, Job Openings, and Unemployment in Metropolitan America

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothwell, Jonathan

2012-01-01

This paper aims to provide metro, state, and national policy makers with a better sense of the specific problems facing metropolitan labor markets. First, the analysis examines trends in the demand for educated labor and how a gap between education supply and demand is related to unemployment. Next, it attempts to distinguish between cyclical and…

Use of gaming simulation by health care professionals.

PubMed

Smoyak, S A

1977-01-01

Gaming-simulation is being developed foruse in a variety of aspects of health care. A mental health diagnostic and therapeutic application is described for problems in parent-teenager relations; it features gaming, videotaping of interactions, and extensive discussion. Two applications which elucidate the nature of discord between couples and two applications for work-group problems are also described. Gaming-simulation is used in basic and continuing education of health professionals for such issues as problems of dying patients and the aged, and prevention of coronary heart disease. Patients rights issues provide a potential focus for opening dialogues between patients and professionals about all facets of health and illness care.

Biological and aerodynamic problems with the flight of animals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holst, E. V.; Kuchemann, D.

1980-01-01

Biological and aerodynamic considerations related to birds and insects are discussed. A wide field is open for comparative biological, physiological, and aerodynamic investigations. Considerable mathematics related to the flight of animals is presented, including 20 equations. The 15 figures included depict the design of bird and insect wings, diagrams of propulsion efficiency, thrust, lift, and angles of attack and photographs of flapping wing free flying wing only models which were built and flown.

The Role of Personality in Daily Food Allergy Experiences

PubMed Central

Conner, Tamlin S.; Mirosa, Miranda; Bremer, Phil; Peniamina, Rana

2018-01-01

Food allergies present numerous challenges to coping in everyday life. Even simple things like planning a lunch with a friend can be stressful for people with food allergies. But are some people more adversely impacted by having a food allergy than other people? This paper addressed this question by investigating whether individual differences in the Big Five personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) are related to food allergy-related problems in everyday life among adults with food allergies. Participants were 108 adults (85% female; mean age = 40.2; age range 18–87) with a physician-diagnosed food allergy [most commonly to gluten (54.6%), peanuts (21.3%), cow's milk (16.7%), and shellfish/seafood (16.7%)]. Participants completed an initial online survey that measured demographics, food allergy information, and personality traits using the Big Five Inventory (John et al., 1991). For 2 weeks, participants completed a daily online survey that queried the occurrence of 25 food allergy issues that day and participants' overall stress and mood that day. Neuroticism did not predict more frequent allergy issues or greater stress/poorer mood on days with more allergy issues. Instead, higher openness to experience predicted a range of issues including going hungry because there is no safe food available, problems finding suitable foods when grocery shopping, feeling anxious at social occasions involving food, being excluded, and feeling embarrassed and poorly understood about their food allergy. Conscientious people were less embarrassed or self-conscious about their food allergy, but they had more problems eating out, and their positive mood was more impaired by allergy issues than their less conscientious peers. Extraversion and agreeableness played minor roles. Personality testing can identify people that may have difficulty living with food allergies–such as those higher in openness to experience. PMID:29467686

The Role of Personality in Daily Food Allergy Experiences.

PubMed

Conner, Tamlin S; Mirosa, Miranda; Bremer, Phil; Peniamina, Rana

2018-01-01

Food allergies present numerous challenges to coping in everyday life. Even simple things like planning a lunch with a friend can be stressful for people with food allergies. But are some people more adversely impacted by having a food allergy than other people? This paper addressed this question by investigating whether individual differences in the Big Five personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) are related to food allergy-related problems in everyday life among adults with food allergies. Participants were 108 adults (85% female; mean age = 40.2; age range 18-87) with a physician-diagnosed food allergy [most commonly to gluten (54.6%), peanuts (21.3%), cow's milk (16.7%), and shellfish/seafood (16.7%)]. Participants completed an initial online survey that measured demographics, food allergy information, and personality traits using the Big Five Inventory (John et al., 1991). For 2 weeks, participants completed a daily online survey that queried the occurrence of 25 food allergy issues that day and participants' overall stress and mood that day. Neuroticism did not predict more frequent allergy issues or greater stress/poorer mood on days with more allergy issues. Instead, higher openness to experience predicted a range of issues including going hungry because there is no safe food available, problems finding suitable foods when grocery shopping, feeling anxious at social occasions involving food, being excluded, and feeling embarrassed and poorly understood about their food allergy. Conscientious people were less embarrassed or self-conscious about their food allergy, but they had more problems eating out, and their positive mood was more impaired by allergy issues than their less conscientious peers. Extraversion and agreeableness played minor roles. Personality testing can identify people that may have difficulty living with food allergies-such as those higher in openness to experience.

Prevalence of symptoms associated with temporomandibular disorders in Hong Kong Chinese.

PubMed

Pow, E H; Leung, K C; McMillan, A S

2001-01-01

To estimate the prevalence of self-reported symptoms associated with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and treatment-seeking in adult Chinese in Hong Kong. A telephone survey technique was used to identify 1,526 randomly selected Cantonese-speaking individuals aged 18 years or over. Standard questions were asked about joint and jaw muscle pain, jaw opening, and joint sounds. In addition, questions on tooth grinding and clenching, sleep patterns, and treatment-seeking behavior were posed. Jaw pain was reported by 33% of the population. Only 5% of them had frequent pain, with two thirds of this subgroup having moderate to severe symptoms. The prevalence of frequent problems with jaw opening and joint clicking was 0.3% and 1.8%, respectively. There were no gender-related differences in the reporting of TMD symptoms or related conditions. One percent of the Hong Kong Chinese population had TMD-related jaw pain that was of moderate or severe intensity and occurred frequently; 0.6% of the population had sought treatment for jaw pain, impaired jaw opening, or joint clicking that occurred often in the previous year.

Interpersonal relations and nurses' job satisfaction through knowledge and usage of relational skills.

PubMed

Lapeña-Moñux, Yolanda Raquel; Cibanal-Juan, Luis; Maciá-Soler, M Loreto; Orts-Cortés, M Isabel; Pedraz-Marcos, Azucena

2015-11-01

Many interpersonal labor disputes stem from the lack of communication skills and the relational problems in the interactions between health professionals. A qualitative study was conducted in a Spanish hospital in order to get to know how the communicative interaction between hospital nurses is like in relation to the nurses' interpersonal interaction and communication skills developed in their working relationships. Twenty-one hospital nurses between 29 and 55 years old, working in different wards, were interviewed. Open-ended interview discourses were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The following four key themes were analyzed: communication and sender; communication and awareness of who has the problem; non-verbal communication; communication and recipient. The results of this study highlight the need to broaden nurses' relational-communication skills in order to increase job satisfaction. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Weight problems and spam e-mail for weight loss products.

PubMed

Fogel, Joshua; Shlivko, Sam

2010-01-01

This study focuses on young adult behaviors with regard to spam e-mails that sell weight loss products. Participants (N = 200) with and without weight problems were asked if they received, opened, and bought products from spam e-mail about weight loss topics in the past year. Psychological factors of self-esteem and perceived stress were measured. Those with weight problems had significantly greater percentages than those without weight problems for receiving (87.7% vs. 73.3%, P = 0.02), opening (41.5% vs. 17.8%, P <0.001), and buying products (18.5% vs. 5.2%, P = 0.003). In the multivariate logistic regression analyses, weight problems were significantly associated with receiving (OR: 3.39, 95% CI: 1.31, 8.82), opening (OR: 3.10, 95% CI: 1.53, 6.29), and buying products (OR: 3.38, 95% CI: 1.16, 9.82). Physicians should consider discussing with patients the potential risks of opening and/or purchasing weight loss products from spam e-mails.

Physics Instructional Resource Usage by High-, Medium-, and Low-Skilled MOOC Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balint, Trevor A.; Teodorescu, Raluca; Colvin, Kimberly; Choi, Youn-Jeng; Pritchard, David

2017-04-01

In this paper we examine how different types of participants in a physics Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) tend to use the existing course resources. We use data from the 2013 offering of the Massive Open Online Course 8.MReVx designed by the RELATE (REsearch in Learning Assessing and Tutoring Effectively) Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and offered on the edX platform. We propose six measures of student performance in a course, and, based on these measures, we divide the student population into clusters and analyze the resource usage of the students from each cluster. This course contains a wide variety of physics problems targeting various levels of thinking. Our analysis focuses on 1080 participants (out of 16,787 enrolled in the course) who attempted more than 50% of available problems, as this is an indicator of students who participated actively in the entire course.

Function and structure in glycine receptors and some of their relatives.

PubMed

Colquhoun, David; Sivilotti, Lucia G

2004-06-01

In the field of ligand-gated ion channels, recent developments, both in the knowledge of structure and in the measurement of function at the single-channel level, have allowed a sensible start to be made on understanding the relationship between structure and function in these proteins. In this review, the cases of glycine, nicotinic ACh and glutamate receptors are compared and contrasted, and problems such as how binding of agonist causes the channel to open, and why partial agonists are partial, are considered. Some observations, both structural and functional, suggest that more attention needs to be paid to conformational changes that occur before the channel opens. Such changes might account for the interaction found between subunits of the glycine receptor while it is still shut and, perhaps, the agonist-dependent structural changes seen in AMPA receptors. They might also complicate our understanding of the binding-gating problem.

The topology of fullerenes

PubMed Central

Schwerdtfeger, Peter; Wirz, Lukas N; Avery, James

2015-01-01

Fullerenes are carbon molecules that form polyhedral cages. Their bond structures are exactly the planar cubic graphs that have only pentagon and hexagon faces. Strikingly, a number of chemical properties of a fullerene can be derived from its graph structure. A rich mathematics of cubic planar graphs and fullerene graphs has grown since they were studied by Goldberg, Coxeter, and others in the early 20th century, and many mathematical properties of fullerenes have found simple and beautiful solutions. Yet many interesting chemical and mathematical problems in the field remain open. In this paper, we present a general overview of recent topological and graph theoretical developments in fullerene research over the past two decades, describing both solved and open problems. WIREs Comput Mol Sci 2015, 5:96–145. doi: 10.1002/wcms.1207 Conflict of interest: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. PMID:25678935

Open-Ended, Problem-Solving Investigations--Getting Started.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lock, Roger

1991-01-01

Ways in which linear lesson sequences can be modified to provide increased opportunities for open-ended activities especially with problem solving are considered. Examples drawn from chemistry and plant reproduction, seeds, and germination are given. (KR)

Raising the stakes: assessing the human service response to the advent of a casino.

PubMed

Engel, Rafael J; Rosen, Daniel; Weaver, Addie; Soska, Tracy

2010-12-01

This article reports the findings of one county's human service network's readiness to treat gambling related problems in anticipation of the opening of a new casino. Using a cross-sectional survey design, questionnaires were mailed to executive directors of all mental health, family counseling, drug and alcohol, and faith-based, addiction-related organizations in the county (N = 248); 137 (55.2%) agency directors responded to the questionnaire. The survey requested information about agency demographics, training, screening, treatment, and public awareness/education. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were used to summarize the findings. The analyses revealed a lack of human service response to the impending start of casino gambling. More than three-quarters of respondents had not sent staff for training in screening or treating gambling disorders, did not screen for problem gambling, did not treat problem gambling, and did not refer clients to other agencies for treatment of gambling-related problems. The most common reason offered for not engaging in prevention and treatment activities was that problem gambling is not considered an issue for the agency. There were differences between mental health and/or substance abuse focused agencies and other service providers. Based on the findings of this study, specific strategies to enhance the service delivery network's capacity to address problem gambling are suggested.

The Everett-Wheeler interpretation and the open future

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

Sudbery, Anthony

2011-03-28

I discuss the meaning of probability in the Everett-Wheeler interpretation of quantum mechanics, together with the problem of defining histories. To resolve these, I propose an understanding of probability arising from a form of temporal logic: the probability of a future-tense proposition is identified with its truth value in a many-valued and context-dependent logic. In short, probability is degree of truth. These ideas relate to traditional naive ideas of time and chance. Indeed, I argue that Everettian quantum mechanics is the only form of scientific theory that truly incorporates the perception that the future is open.

Informational temperature concept and the nature of self-organization

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

Lin, Shu-Kun

1996-12-31

Self-organization phenomena are spontaneous processes. Their behavior should be governed by the second law of thermodynamics. The dissipative structure theory of the Prigogine school of thermodynamics claims that {open_quotes}order out of chaos{close_quotes} through {open_quotes}self-organization{close_quotes} and challenges the validity of the second law of thermodynamics. Unfortunately this theory is questionable. Therefore we have to reconsider the related fundamental theoretical problems. Informational entropy (S) and information (I) are related by S = S{sub max} - I, where S{sub max} is the maximum informational entropy. This conforms with the broadly accepted definition that entropy is the information loss. As informational entropy concept hasmore » been proved to be useful, it will be convenient to define an informational temperature, T{sub I}. This can be related to energy E and the informational entropy S. Information registration is a process of {Delta}I > 0, or {Delta}S < 0, and involves the energetically excited states ({Delta}E > 0). Therefore, T{sub I} is negative, and has the opposite sign of the conventional thermodynamic temperature, T. This concept is useful for clarifying the concepts of {open_quotes}order{close_quotes} and {open_quotes}disorder{close_quotes} of static structures and characterizing many typical information loss processes of self-organization.« less

Generating optimal control simulations of musculoskeletal movement using OpenSim and MATLAB.

PubMed

Lee, Leng-Feng; Umberger, Brian R

2016-01-01

Computer modeling, simulation and optimization are powerful tools that have seen increased use in biomechanics research. Dynamic optimizations can be categorized as either data-tracking or predictive problems. The data-tracking approach has been used extensively to address human movement problems of clinical relevance. The predictive approach also holds great promise, but has seen limited use in clinical applications. Enhanced software tools would facilitate the application of predictive musculoskeletal simulations to clinically-relevant research. The open-source software OpenSim provides tools for generating tracking simulations but not predictive simulations. However, OpenSim includes an extensive application programming interface that permits extending its capabilities with scripting languages such as MATLAB. In the work presented here, we combine the computational tools provided by MATLAB with the musculoskeletal modeling capabilities of OpenSim to create a framework for generating predictive simulations of musculoskeletal movement based on direct collocation optimal control techniques. In many cases, the direct collocation approach can be used to solve optimal control problems considerably faster than traditional shooting methods. Cyclical and discrete movement problems were solved using a simple 1 degree of freedom musculoskeletal model and a model of the human lower limb, respectively. The problems could be solved in reasonable amounts of time (several seconds to 1-2 hours) using the open-source IPOPT solver. The problems could also be solved using the fmincon solver that is included with MATLAB, but the computation times were excessively long for all but the smallest of problems. The performance advantage for IPOPT was derived primarily by exploiting sparsity in the constraints Jacobian. The framework presented here provides a powerful and flexible approach for generating optimal control simulations of musculoskeletal movement using OpenSim and MATLAB. This should allow researchers to more readily use predictive simulation as a tool to address clinical conditions that limit human mobility.

Generating optimal control simulations of musculoskeletal movement using OpenSim and MATLAB

PubMed Central

Lee, Leng-Feng

2016-01-01

Computer modeling, simulation and optimization are powerful tools that have seen increased use in biomechanics research. Dynamic optimizations can be categorized as either data-tracking or predictive problems. The data-tracking approach has been used extensively to address human movement problems of clinical relevance. The predictive approach also holds great promise, but has seen limited use in clinical applications. Enhanced software tools would facilitate the application of predictive musculoskeletal simulations to clinically-relevant research. The open-source software OpenSim provides tools for generating tracking simulations but not predictive simulations. However, OpenSim includes an extensive application programming interface that permits extending its capabilities with scripting languages such as MATLAB. In the work presented here, we combine the computational tools provided by MATLAB with the musculoskeletal modeling capabilities of OpenSim to create a framework for generating predictive simulations of musculoskeletal movement based on direct collocation optimal control techniques. In many cases, the direct collocation approach can be used to solve optimal control problems considerably faster than traditional shooting methods. Cyclical and discrete movement problems were solved using a simple 1 degree of freedom musculoskeletal model and a model of the human lower limb, respectively. The problems could be solved in reasonable amounts of time (several seconds to 1–2 hours) using the open-source IPOPT solver. The problems could also be solved using the fmincon solver that is included with MATLAB, but the computation times were excessively long for all but the smallest of problems. The performance advantage for IPOPT was derived primarily by exploiting sparsity in the constraints Jacobian. The framework presented here provides a powerful and flexible approach for generating optimal control simulations of musculoskeletal movement using OpenSim and MATLAB. This should allow researchers to more readily use predictive simulation as a tool to address clinical conditions that limit human mobility. PMID:26835184

Heat stroke risk for open-water swimmers during long-distance events.

PubMed

Macaluso, Filippo; Barone, Rosario; Isaacs, Ashwin W; Farina, Felicia; Morici, Giuseppe; Di Felice, Valentina

2013-12-01

Open-water swimming is a rapidly growing sport discipline worldwide, and clinical problems associated with long-distance swimming are now better recognized and managed more effectively. The most prevalent medical risk associated with an open-water swimming event is hypothermia; therefore, the Federation Internationale De Natation (FINA) has instituted 2 rules to reduce this occurrence related to the minimum water temperature and the time taken to complete the race. Another medical risk that is relevant to open-water swimmers is heat stroke, a condition that can easily go unnoticed. The purpose of this review is to shed light on this physiological phenomenon by examining the physiological response of swimmers during long-distance events, to define a maximum water temperature limit for competitions. We conclude that competing in water temperatures exceeding 33°C should be avoided. Copyright © 2013 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Utilization of open source electronic health record around the world: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Aminpour, Farzaneh; Sadoughi, Farahnaz; Ahamdi, Maryam

2014-01-01

Many projects on developing Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems have been carried out in many countries. The current study was conducted to review the published data on the utilization of open source EHR systems in different countries all over the world. Using free text and keyword search techniques, six bibliographic databases were searched for related articles. The identified papers were screened and reviewed during a string of stages for the irrelevancy and validity. The findings showed that open source EHRs have been wildly used by source limited regions in all continents, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. It would create opportunities to improve national healthcare level especially in developing countries with minimal financial resources. Open source technology is a solution to overcome the problems of high-costs and inflexibility associated with the proprietary health information systems. PMID:24672566

The Development of Online Tutorial Program Design Using Problem-Based Learning in Open Distance Learning System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Said, Asnah; Syarif, Edy

2016-01-01

This research aimed to evaluate of online tutorial program design by applying problem-based learning Research Methods currently implemented in the system of Open Distance Learning (ODL). The students must take a Research Methods course to prepare themselves for academic writing projects. Problem-based learning basically emphasizes the process of…

Multiple Problem-Solving Strategies Provide Insight into Students' Understanding of Open-Ended Linear Programming Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sole, Marla A.

2016-01-01

Open-ended questions that can be solved using different strategies help students learn and integrate content, and provide teachers with greater insights into students' unique capabilities and levels of understanding. This article provides a problem that was modified to allow for multiple approaches. Students tended to employ high-powered, complex,…

Maintaining live discussion in two-stage open peer review.

PubMed

Sandewall, Erik

2012-01-01

Open peer review has been proposed for a number of reasons, in particular, for increasing the transparency of the article selection process for a journal, and for obtaining a broader basis for feedback to the authors and for the acceptance decision. The review discussion may also in itself have a value for the research community. These goals rely on the existence of a lively review discussion, but several experiments with open-process peer review in recent years have encountered the problem of faltering review discussions. The present article addresses the question of how lively review discussion may be fostered by relating the experience of the journal Electronic Transactions on Artificial Intelligence (ETAI) which was an early experiment with open peer review. Factors influencing the discussion activity are identified. It is observed that it is more difficult to obtain lively discussion when the number of contributed articles increases, which implies difficulties for scaling up the open peer review model. Suggestions are made for how this difficulty may be overcome.

Maintaining Live Discussion in Two-Stage Open Peer Review

PubMed Central

Sandewall, Erik

2011-01-01

Open peer review has been proposed for a number of reasons, in particular, for increasing the transparency of the article selection process for a journal, and for obtaining a broader basis for feedback to the authors and for the acceptance decision. The review discussion may also in itself have a value for the research community. These goals rely on the existence of a lively review discussion, but several experiments with open-process peer review in recent years have encountered the problem of faltering review discussions. The present article addresses the question of how lively review discussion may be fostered by relating the experience of the journal Electronic Transactions on Artificial Intelligence (ETAI) which was an early experiment with open peer review. Factors influencing the discussion activity are identified. It is observed that it is more difficult to obtain lively discussion when the number of contributed articles increases, which implies difficulties for scaling up the open peer review model. Suggestions are made for how this difficulty may be overcome. PMID:22363282

The Efficiency of Higher Education Institutions as a Basis for Forming Competent Personnel for Region Economy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sezonova, Olga N.; Galchenko, Svetlana A.; Khodirevskaya, Valentina N.

2016-01-01

The modern market relations open provide new opportunities of development for higher educational institutions, however the majority of universities aren't ready for effective and independent business management yet. At the turn of the 21st century many educational institutions faced such problems as scarcity of federal financing, fundamental…

International High/Scope Registry Conference Proceedings (Ypsilanti, Michigan, May 8-11, 1996).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, Ypsilanti, MI.

These conference proceedings provide summaries of 66 presentations on various aspects of the High/Scope active learning approach for high-risk students, as well as related topics. Topics addressed include: (1) real-life problem solving; (2) songs in daily routines; (3) open-ended art materials; (4) transition strategies; (5) recall ideas for…

Trade-Offs, Biases, and Uncertainty in Project Planning and Execution: A Problem-Based Simulation Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith-Daniels, Dwight E.; Smith-Daniels, Vicki L.

2008-01-01

The ability to plan and execute projects is a fundamental skill required among managers and business school graduates. In the opening phase of a project, the project team makes decisions about the relative priority of project time, cost, and performance objectives, oftentimes without complete information about customer and stakeholder…

Formative feedback and scaffolding for developing complex problem solving and modelling outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, Brian; Simper, Natalie; Kaupp, James

2018-07-01

This paper discusses the use and impact of formative feedback and scaffolding to develop outcomes for complex problem solving in a required first-year course in engineering design and practice at a medium-sized research-intensive Canadian university. In 2010, the course began to use team-based, complex, open-ended contextualised problems to develop problem solving, communications, teamwork, modelling, and professional skills. Since then, formative feedback has been incorporated into: task and process-level feedback on scaffolded tasks in-class, formative assignments, and post-assignment review. Development in complex problem solving and modelling has been assessed through analysis of responses from student surveys, direct criterion-referenced assessment of course outcomes from 2013 to 2015, and an external longitudinal study. The findings suggest that students are improving in outcomes related to complex problem solving over the duration of the course. Most notably, the addition of new feedback and scaffolding coincided with improved student performance.

Impact of the DRG System in Arizona. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Health and Long-Term Care of the Select Committee on Aging. House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, First Session (September 14, 1985, Tucson, AZ).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Select Committee on Aging.

Text of a Congressional hearing held in Tucson, Arizona, to examine health care and the diagnostic related group (DRG) system is presented in this document. Opening statements are delivered by Representatives Kolbe and McCain. Witnesses testifying include: (1) two older Arizona residents who had experienced problems related to diagnostic related…

Facilitating Open-Ended Problem Solving: Training Engineering TAs To Facilitate Open-Ended Problem Solving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Streveler, Ruth A.; King, Robert H.

2000-01-01

Describes and evaluates a four-session training program for Multidisciplinary Engineering Laboratory (MEL) teaching assistants at the Colorado School of Mines. The sessions focus attention on student development approaches to learning. (EV)

OpenMDAO: Framework for Flexible Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis and Optimization Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heath, Christopher M.; Gray, Justin S.

2012-01-01

The OpenMDAO project is underway at NASA to develop a framework which simplifies the implementation of state-of-the-art tools and methods for multidisciplinary design, analysis and optimization. Foremost, OpenMDAO has been designed to handle variable problem formulations, encourage reconfigurability, and promote model reuse. This work demonstrates the concept of iteration hierarchies in OpenMDAO to achieve a flexible environment for supporting advanced optimization methods which include adaptive sampling and surrogate modeling techniques. In this effort, two efficient global optimization methods were applied to solve a constrained, single-objective and constrained, multiobjective version of a joint aircraft/engine sizing problem. The aircraft model, NASA's nextgeneration advanced single-aisle civil transport, is being studied as part of the Subsonic Fixed Wing project to help meet simultaneous program goals for reduced fuel burn, emissions, and noise. This analysis serves as a realistic test problem to demonstrate the flexibility and reconfigurability offered by OpenMDAO.

Personality, stress and coping in intensive care nurses: a descriptive exploratory study.

PubMed

Burgess, Lorraine; Irvine, Fiona; Wallymahmed, Akhtar

2010-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits, perception of workplace stress and coping among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses. Research has indicated that ICUs are stressful environments. There is a tendency for research studies to investigate causes of stress and ways of coping, but few studies, particularly in recent years, have considered the personality traits of the staff who thrive in this challenging environment, the work stress they perceive and the coping strategies they use. A convenience sample of critical care nurses (n = 46) completed three standardised questionnaires during September 2007: the revised NEO personality inventory (NEO-PI-R); the nurses stress scale (NSI) and the Brief Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (COPE) scale. ICU nurses did not perceive their workplaces to be stressful. Certain personality traits, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness, were associated with problem-solving coping strategies such as active planning and reframing. Openness and extraversion were associated with less perceived stress from the 'patients and relatives' dimension of the NSI; there were also negative correlations between conscientiousness and the 'workload stress' and stress from lack of 'confidence and competence' dimensions of the NSI. Certain personality traits may have a buffering effect on workplace stress. Pre-employment screening to identify staff that exhibit personality and coping traits associated with low perceived stress may be considered as part of the recruitment strategy to address problems relating to stress, sickness and retention. The retention and recruitment of staff who have lower perceived workplace stress and who utilise problem-focused coping may result in less reported absences and fewer critical incidents and errors.

Transfer of energy in Camassa-Holm and related models by use of nonunique characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamróz, Grzegorz

2017-02-01

We study the propagation of energy density in finite-energy weak solutions of the Camassa-Holm and related equations. Developing the methods based on generalized nonunique characteristics, we show that the parts of energy related to positive and negative slopes are one-sided weakly continuous and of bounded variation, which allows us to define certain measures of dissipation of both parts of energy. The result is a step towards the open problem of uniqueness of dissipative solutions of the Camassa-Holm equation.

An overview of unconstrained free boundary problems

PubMed Central

Figalli, Alessio; Shahgholian, Henrik

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present a survey concerning unconstrained free boundary problems of type where B1 is the unit ball, Ω is an unknown open set, F1 and F2 are elliptic operators (admitting regular solutions), and is a functions space to be specified in each case. Our main objective is to discuss a unifying approach to the optimal regularity of solutions to the above matching problems, and list several open problems in this direction. PMID:26261367

Navigation through unknown and dynamic open spaces using topological notions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miguel-Tomé, Sergio

2018-04-01

Until now, most algorithms used for navigation have had the purpose of directing system towards one point in space. However, humans communicate tasks by specifying spatial relations among elements or places. In addition, the environments in which humans develop their activities are extremely dynamic. The only option that allows for successful navigation in dynamic and unknown environments is making real-time decisions. Therefore, robots capable of collaborating closely with human beings must be able to make decisions based on the local information registered by the sensors and interpret and express spatial relations. Furthermore, when one person is asked to perform a task in an environment, this task is communicated given a category of goals so the person does not need to be supervised. Thus, two problems appear when one wants to create multifunctional robots: how to navigate in dynamic and unknown environments using spatial relations and how to accomplish this without supervision. In this article, a new architecture to address the two cited problems is presented, called the topological qualitative navigation architecture. In previous works, a qualitative heuristic called the heuristic of topological qualitative semantics (HTQS) has been developed to establish and identify spatial relations. However, that heuristic only allows for establishing one spatial relation with a specific object. In contrast, navigation requires a temporal sequence of goals with different objects. The new architecture attains continuous generation of goals and resolves them using HTQS. Thus, the new architecture achieves autonomous navigation in dynamic or unknown open environments.

Health providers' opinions on provider-client relations: results of a multi-country study to test Health Workers for Change.

PubMed

Fonn, S; Mtonga, A S; Nkoloma, H C; Bantebya Kyomuhendo, G; daSilva, L; Kazilimani, E; Davis, S; Dia, R

2001-09-01

A multi-centre study in four African countries was undertaken to test the acceptability and effectiveness of Health Workers for Change, a methodology to explore provider-client relations within a gender-sensitive context. This intervention addresses the interpersonal component of quality of care. The methodology, consisting of six workshops, was implemented by research teams in Zambia, Senegal, Mozambique and Uganda. It was found to be acceptable within in a range of cultural and primary health care settings. The workshops allowed difficult issues such as prejudice and bribery to be discussed openly, fostered problem solving and the development of practical plans to address problems that could strengthen district health systems.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2012-01-01

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

Multichromosomal median and halving problems under different genomic distances

PubMed Central

Tannier, Eric; Zheng, Chunfang; Sankoff, David

2009-01-01

Background Genome median and genome halving are combinatorial optimization problems that aim at reconstructing ancestral genomes as well as the evolutionary events leading from the ancestor to extant species. Exploring complexity issues is a first step towards devising efficient algorithms. The complexity of the median problem for unichromosomal genomes (permutations) has been settled for both the breakpoint distance and the reversal distance. Although the multichromosomal case has often been assumed to be a simple generalization of the unichromosomal case, it is also a relaxation so that complexity in this context does not follow from existing results, and is open for all distances. Results We settle here the complexity of several genome median and halving problems, including a surprising polynomial result for the breakpoint median and guided halving problems in genomes with circular and linear chromosomes, showing that the multichromosomal problem is actually easier than the unichromosomal problem. Still other variants of these problems are NP-complete, including the DCJ double distance problem, previously mentioned as an open question. We list the remaining open problems. Conclusion This theoretical study clears up a wide swathe of the algorithmical study of genome rearrangements with multiple multichromosomal genomes. PMID:19386099

Performance evaluation of OpenFOAM on many-core architectures

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

Brzobohatý, Tomáš; Říha, Lubomír; Karásek, Tomáš, E-mail: tomas.karasek@vsb.cz

In this article application of Open Source Field Operation and Manipulation (OpenFOAM) C++ libraries for solving engineering problems on many-core architectures is presented. Objective of this article is to present scalability of OpenFOAM on parallel platforms solving real engineering problems of fluid dynamics. Scalability test of OpenFOAM is performed using various hardware and different implementation of standard PCG and PBiCG Krylov iterative methods. Speed up of various implementations of linear solvers using GPU and MIC accelerators are presented in this paper. Numerical experiments of 3D lid-driven cavity flow for several cases with various number of cells are presented.

Brief screening questionnaires to identify problem drinking during pregnancy: a systematic review.

PubMed

Burns, Ethel; Gray, Ron; Smith, Lesley A

2010-04-01

Although prenatal screening for problem drinking during pregnancy has been recommended, guidance on screening instruments is lacking. We investigated the sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of brief alcohol screening questionnaires to identify problem drinking in pregnant women. Electronic databases from their inception to June 2008 were searched, as well as reference lists of eligible papers and related review papers. We sought cohort or cross-sectional studies that compared one or more brief alcohol screening questionnaire(s) with reference criteria obtained using structured interviews to detect 'at-risk' drinking, alcohol abuse or dependency in pregnant women receiving prenatal care. Five studies (6724 participants) were included. In total, seven instruments were evaluated: TWEAK (Tolerance, Worried, Eye-opener, Amnesia, Kut down), T-ACE [Take (number of drinks), Annoyed, Cut down, Eye-opener], CAGE (Cut down, Annoyed, Guilt, Eye-opener], NET (Normal drinker, Eye-opener, Tolerance), AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test), AUDIT-C (AUDIT-consumption) and SMAST (Short Michigan Alcohol Screening Test). Study quality was generally good, but lack of blinding was a common weakness. For risk drinking sensitivity was highest for T-ACE (69-88%), TWEAK (71-91%) and AUDIT-C (95%), with high specificity (71-89%, 73-83% and 85%, respectively). CAGE and SMAST performed poorly. Sensitivity of AUDIT-C at score >or=3 was high for past year alcohol dependence (100%) or alcohol use disorder (96%) with moderate specificity (71% each). For life-time alcohol dependency the AUDIT at score >or=8 performed poorly. T-ACE, TWEAK and AUDIT-C show promise for screening for risk drinking, and AUDIT-C may also be useful for identifying alcohol dependency or abuse. However, their performance as stand-alone tools is uncertain, and further evaluation of questionnaires for prenatal alcohol use is warranted.

Open lung biopsy

MedlinePlus

Biopsy - open lung ... An open lung biopsy is done in the hospital using general anesthesia . This means you will be asleep and ... The open lung biopsy is done to evaluate lung problems seen on x-ray or CT scan .

Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial in the field of planetary science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frigeri, A.

2012-12-01

Information technology applied to geospatial analyses has spread quickly in the last ten years. The availability of OpenData and data from collaborative mapping projects increased the interest on tools, procedures and methods to handle spatially-related information. Free Open Source Software projects devoted to geospatial data handling are gaining a good success as the use of interoperable formats and protocols allow the user to choose what pipeline of tools and libraries is needed to solve a particular task, adapting the software scene to his specific problem. In particular, the Free Open Source model of development mimics the scientific method very well, and researchers should be naturally encouraged to take part to the development process of these software projects, as this represent a very agile way to interact among several institutions. When it comes to planetary sciences, geospatial Free Open Source Software is gaining a key role in projects that commonly involve different subjects in an international scenario. Very popular software suites for processing scientific mission data (for example, ISIS) and for navigation/planning (SPICE) are being distributed along with the source code and the interaction between user and developer is often very strict, creating a continuum between these two figures. A very widely spread library for handling geospatial data (GDAL) has started to support planetary data from the Planetary Data System, and recent contributions enabled the support to other popular data formats used in planetary science, as the Vicar one. The use of Geographic Information System in planetary science is now diffused, and Free Open Source GIS, open GIS formats and network protocols allow to extend existing tools and methods developed to solve Earth based problems, also to the case of the study of solar system bodies. A day in the working life of a researcher using Free Open Source Software for geospatial will be presented, as well as benefits and solutions to possible detriments coming from the effort required by using, supporting and contributing.

The impact of the cigarette market opening in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Wen, C; Cheng, T; Eriksen, M; Tsai, S; Hsu, C

2005-01-01

Objective: To assess the effect of the opening of the Taiwanese cigarette market on cigarette consumption, changes in market share, and the effects on tobacco control efforts. Methods: With the use of key word "Taiwan", the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library of the University of California, San Francisco, was searched for internal documents related to smuggling activities, promotion of light cigarettes, and market share analyses in Taiwan. Age adjusted smoking rates and cigarette and betel quid consumption before and after market opening were compared. Results: By 2000, the market share of imported cigarettes increased from less than 2% in 1986 to nearly 50%, and per capita cigarette consumption increased 15% following market opening. Because of the sharp increase in smuggling, with contraband cigarettes being as popular as legal imports, and the rapid proliferation of retail outlets, such as betel quid stalls, the market penetration by foreign tobacco companies was greater in Taiwan than among the other Super 301 Asian countries. Aggressive cigarette marketing strategies were associated with a 6% increase in adult male smoking prevalence, and with a 13% increase in the youth rate, within three years after market opening. The market opening also had an incidental effect on increasing the popularity of betel quid. Betel quid chewing has since become a major public health problem in Taiwan. Conclusion: The opening of the cigarette market in 1987 had a long lasting impact on Taiwan. It increased smoking prevalence and the market has become dominated by foreign companies. The seriousness of smuggling and its associated loss of revenue by the government, the extent of increased youth smoking and its associated future health care costs, and the increased use of betel quid and the associated doubling of oral cancer mortality rates each pose significant problems to Taiwan. However, the market opening galvanised anti-smoking sentiment and forced the government to initiate and intensify a series of tobacco control efforts. PMID:15923448

The impact of the cigarette market opening in Taiwan.

PubMed

Wen, C P; Cheng, T Y; Eriksen, M P; Tsai, S P; Hsu, C C

2005-06-01

To assess the effect of the opening of the Taiwanese cigarette market on cigarette consumption, changes in market share, and the effects on tobacco control efforts. With the use of key word "Taiwan", the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library of the University of California, San Francisco, was searched for internal documents related to smuggling activities, promotion of light cigarettes, and market share analyses in Taiwan. Age adjusted smoking rates and cigarette and betel quid consumption before and after market opening were compared. By 2000, the market share of imported cigarettes increased from less than 2% in 1986 to nearly 50%, and per capita cigarette consumption increased 15% following market opening. Because of the sharp increase in smuggling, with contraband cigarettes being as popular as legal imports, and the rapid proliferation of retail outlets, such as betel quid stalls, the market penetration by foreign tobacco companies was greater in Taiwan than among the other Super 301 Asian countries. Aggressive cigarette marketing strategies were associated with a 6% increase in adult male smoking prevalence, and with a 13% increase in the youth rate, within three years after market opening. The market opening also had an incidental effect on increasing the popularity of betel quid. Betel quid chewing has since become a major public health problem in Taiwan. The opening of the cigarette market in 1987 had a long lasting impact on Taiwan. It increased smoking prevalence and the market has become dominated by foreign companies. The seriousness of smuggling and its associated loss of revenue by the government, the extent of increased youth smoking and its associated future health care costs, and the increased use of betel quid and the associated doubling of oral cancer mortality rates each pose significant problems to Taiwan. However, the market opening galvanised anti-smoking sentiment and forced the government to initiate and intensify a series of tobacco control efforts.

Will Global Warming Cause a Rise in Sea Level? A Simple Activity about the States of Water

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oguz, Ayse

2009-01-01

In this activity, a possible problem related to global warming is clarified by the principle of states of water. The activity consists of an experiment that includes three scientific principles: Archimedes' Principle, the Law of Conservation of Matter, and the fluidity of liquids. The experiment helps students raise questions and open new horizons…

Reviews and Practice of College Students Regarding Access to Scientific Knowledge: A Case Study in Two Spanish Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez, Jose Manuel Saez; Ruiz Ruiz, Jose Maria; Gonzalez, Maria-Luz Cacheiro

2013-01-01

This study analyzes the concepts, attitudes, and practices of 327 pedagogy students from two major Spanish universities related to the process of finding academic information utilizing open access. A training program has been developed through an innovation project (PIMCD) to address the problem of the lack of university training designed to…

The Different Role of Working Memory in Open-Ended versus Closed-Ended Creative Problem Solving: A Dual-Process Theory Account

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Wei-Lun; Lien, Yunn-Wen

2013-01-01

This study examined how working memory plays different roles in open-ended versus closed-ended creative problem-solving processes, as represented by divergent thinking tests and insight problem-solving tasks. With respect to the analysis of different task demands and the framework of dual-process theories, the hypothesis was that the idea…

Analytical design of an industrial two-term controller for optimal regulatory control of open-loop unstable processes under operational constraints.

PubMed

Tchamna, Rodrigue; Lee, Moonyong

2018-01-01

This paper proposes a novel optimization-based approach for the design of an industrial two-term proportional-integral (PI) controller for the optimal regulatory control of unstable processes subjected to three common operational constraints related to the process variable, manipulated variable and its rate of change. To derive analytical design relations, the constrained optimal control problem in the time domain was transformed into an unconstrained optimization problem in a new parameter space via an effective parameterization. The resulting optimal PI controller has been verified to yield optimal performance and stability of an open-loop unstable first-order process under operational constraints. The proposed analytical design method explicitly takes into account the operational constraints in the controller design stage and also provides useful insights into the optimal controller design. Practical procedures for designing optimal PI parameters and a feasible constraint set exclusive of complex optimization steps are also proposed. The proposed controller was compared with several other PI controllers to illustrate its performance. The robustness of the proposed controller against plant-model mismatch has also been investigated. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interactomes, manufacturomes and relational biology: analogies between systems biology and manufacturing systems

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background We review and extend the work of Rosen and Casti who discuss category theory with regards to systems biology and manufacturing systems, respectively. Results We describe anticipatory systems, or long-range feed-forward chemical reaction chains, and compare them to open-loop manufacturing processes. We then close the loop by discussing metabolism-repair systems and describe the rationality of the self-referential equation f = f (f). This relationship is derived from some boundary conditions that, in molecular systems biology, can be stated as the cardinality of the following molecular sets must be about equal: metabolome, genome, proteome. We show that this conjecture is not likely correct so the problem of self-referential mappings for describing the boundary between living and nonliving systems remains an open question. We calculate a lower and upper bound for the number of edges in the molecular interaction network (the interactome) for two cellular organisms and for two manufacturomes for CMOS integrated circuit manufacturing. Conclusions We show that the relevant mapping relations may not be Abelian, and that these problems cannot yet be resolved because the interactomes and manufacturomes are incomplete. PMID:21689427

Annotating Relations in Scientific Articles (Open Access, Publisher’s Version)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-31

that are part of a relation need be anno - 4604 tated at all. Given the wide range of possible disagreements (in contrast with, for example, part of...thus it should be straight-forward to compare the quality of a system versus the quality of a human anno - tator and this is a very useful measure. 5...these procedures and planning to create additional ones to offset 4606 the problem of Specification creep, harmonizing the anno - tation to be

Expressing clinical data sets with openEHR archetypes: a solid basis for ubiquitous computing.

PubMed

Garde, Sebastian; Hovenga, Evelyn; Buck, Jasmin; Knaup, Petra

2007-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the feasibility and usefulness of expressing clinical data sets (CDSs) as openEHR archetypes. For this, we present an approach to transform CDS into archetypes, and outline typical problems with CDS and analyse whether some of these problems can be overcome by the use of archetypes. Literature review and analysis of a selection of existing Australian, German, other European and international CDSs; transfer of a CDS for Paediatric Oncology into openEHR archetypes; implementation of CDSs in application systems. To explore the feasibility of expressing CDS as archetypes an approach to transform existing CDSs into archetypes is presented in this paper. In case of the Paediatric Oncology CDS (which consists of 260 data items) this lead to the definition of 48 openEHR archetypes. To analyse the usefulness of expressing CDS as archetypes, we identified nine problems with CDS that currently remain unsolved without a common model underpinning the CDS. Typical problems include incompatible basic data types and overlapping and incompatible definitions of clinical content. A solution to most of these problems based on openEHR archetypes is motivated. With regard to integrity constraints, further research is required. While openEHR cannot overcome all barriers to Ubiquitous Computing, it can provide the common basis for ubiquitous presence of meaningful and computer-processable knowledge and information, which we believe is a basic requirement for Ubiquitous Computing. Expressing CDSs as openEHR archetypes is feasible and advantageous as it fosters semantic interoperability, supports ubiquitous computing, and helps to develop archetypes that are arguably of better quality than the original CDS.

[Construction of NIRS-based total quality control system for compound Ejiao oral liquid and relative thinking].

PubMed

Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Lu; Tian, Shou-Sheng; Zhou, Xiang-Shan; Li, Wen-Long; Qu, Hai-Bin

2016-10-01

In this paper, near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-based total quality control system of compound Ejiao oral liquid is introduced briefly, including the quality control of raw traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) materials, monitoring and control of the extract and the alkaline precipitation technics, and also the inspection of finished products in both open bottle and non-opening modes. By analyzing and summing up the significance and difficulties, several important problems in the practical applications of NIRS technology are proposed, which will provide references for the similar studies of other TCM products. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Learning to Write about Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Renee; Breyfogle, M. Lynn

2011-01-01

Beginning in third grade, Pennsylvania students are required to take the Pennsylvania State Standardized Assessment (PSSA), which presents multiple-choice mathematics questions and open-ended mathematics problems. Consistent with the Communication Standard of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, while solving the open-ended problems,…

Technology Implementation and Workarounds in the Nursing Home

PubMed Central

Vogelsmeier, Amy A.; Halbesleben, Jonathon R.B.; Scott-Cawiezell, Jill R.

2008-01-01

Objective This study sought to explore the relationship of workarounds related to the implementation of an electronic medication administration record and medication safety practices in five Midwestern nursing homes. Design As a part of a larger study, this qualitative evaluation was conducted to identify workarounds associated with the implementation of an electronic medication administration record. Data were collected using multimethods including direct observation, process mapping, key informant interviews, and review of field notes from medication safety team meetings. Measurements Open and axial coding techniques were used to identify and categorize types of workarounds in relation to work flow blocks. Results Workarounds presented in two distinct patterns, those related to work flow blocks introduced by technology and those related to organizational processes not reengineered to effectively integrate with the technology. Workarounds such as safety alert overrides and shortcuts to documentation resulted from first-order problem solving of immediate blocks. Nursing home staff as individuals frequently used first-order problem solving instead of the more sophisticated second-order problem solving approach used by the medication safety team. Conclusion This study provides important practical examples of how nursing home staff work around work flow blocks encountered during the implementation of technology. Understanding these workarounds as a means of first-order problem solving is an important consideration to understanding risk to medication safety. PMID:17947626

Solution mechanism guide: implementing innovation within a research & development organization.

PubMed

Keeton, Kathryn E; Richard, Elizabeth E; Davis, Jeffrey R

2014-10-01

In order to create a culture more open to novel problem-solving mechanisms, NASA's Human Health and Performance Directorate (HH&P) created a strategic knowledge management tool that educates employees about innovative problem-solving techniques, the Solution Mechanism Guide (SMG). The SMG is a web-based, interactive guide that leverages existing and innovative problem-solving methods and presents this information as a unique user experience so that the employee is empowered to make the best decision about which problem-solving tool best meets their needs. By integrating new and innovative methods with existing problem solving tools, the SMG seamlessly introduces open innovation and collaboration concepts within HH&P to more effectively address human health and performance risks. This commentary reviews the path of creating a more open and innovative culture within HH&P and the process and development steps that were taken to develop the SMG.

Using Peer Feedback to Promote Reflection on Open-Ended Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinholz, Daniel L.; Dounas-Frazer, Dimitri R.

2016-09-01

This paper describes a new approach for learning from homework called Peer-Assisted Reflection (PAR). PAR involves students using peer feedback to improve their work on open-ended homework problems. Collaborating with peers and revising one's work based on the feedback of others are important aspects of doing and learning physics. While notable exceptions exist, homework and exams are generally individual activities that do not support collaboration and refinement, which misses important opportunities to use assessment for learning. In contrast, PAR provides students with a structure to iteratively engage with challenging, open-ended problems and solicit the input of their peers to improve their work.

Effects of age and non-oropharyngeal proprioceptive and exteroceptive sensation on the magnitude of anticipatory mouth opening during eating

PubMed Central

Shune, Samantha E.; Moon, Jerald B.

2016-01-01

To best prevent and treat eating/swallowing problems, it is essential to understand how components of oral physiology contribute to the preservation and/or degradation of eating/swallowing in healthy aging. Anticipatory, pre-swallow motor movements may be critical to safe and efficient eating/swallowing, particularly for older adults. However, the nature of these responses is relatively unknown. This study compared the magnitude of anticipatory mouth opening during eating in healthy older (ages 70–85) and younger (ages 18–30) adults under four eating conditions: typical self-feeding, typical assisted feeding (being fed by a research assistant resulting in proprioceptive loss), sensory loss self-feeding (wearing blindfold/headphones resulting in exteroceptive loss), and sensory loss assisted feeding (proprioceptive and exteroceptive loss). Older adults opened their mouths wider than younger adults in anticipation of food intake under both typical and most non-oropharyngeal sensory loss conditions. Further, the loss of proprioceptive and exteroceptive cues resulted in decreased anticipatory mouth opening for all participants. Greater mouth opening in older adults may be a protective compensation, contributing to the preservation of function associated with healthy aging. Our finding that the loss of non-oropharyngeal sensory cues resulted in decreased anticipatory mouth opening highlights how important proprioception, vision, and hearing are in pre-swallow behavior. Age- and disease-related changes in vision, hearing, and the ability to self-feed may reduce the effectiveness of these pre-swallow strategies. PMID:27377757

Effects of age and non-oropharyngeal proprioceptive and exteroceptive sensation on the magnitude of anticipatory mouth opening during eating.

PubMed

Shune, S E; Moon, J B

2016-09-01

To best prevent and treat eating/swallowing problems, it is essential to understand how components of oral physiology contribute to the preservation and/or degradation of eating/swallowing in healthy ageing. Anticipatory, pre-swallow motor movements may be critical to safe and efficient eating/swallowing, particularly for older adults. However, the nature of these responses is relatively unknown. This study compared the magnitude of anticipatory mouth opening during eating in healthy older (aged 70-85) and younger (aged 18-30) adults under four eating conditions: typical self-feeding, typical assisted feeding (being fed by a research assistant resulting in proprioceptive loss), sensory loss self-feeding (wearing blindfold/headphones resulting in exteroceptive loss) and sensory loss assisted feeding (proprioceptive and exteroceptive loss). Older adults opened their mouths wider than younger adults in anticipation of food intake under both typical and most non-oropharyngeal sensory loss conditions. Further, the loss of proprioceptive and exteroceptive cues resulted in decreased anticipatory mouth opening for all participants. Greater mouth opening in older adults may be a protective compensation, contributing to the preservation of function associated with healthy ageing. Our finding that the loss of non-oropharyngeal sensory cues resulted in decreased anticipatory mouth opening highlights how important proprioception, vision, and hearing are in pre-swallow behaviour. Age- and disease-related changes in vision, hearing, and the ability to self-feed may reduce the effectiveness of these pre-swallow strategies. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prediction of aerodynamic tonal noise from open rotors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Anupam; Chen, Hsuan-nien

2013-08-01

A numerical approach for predicting tonal aerodynamic noise from "open rotors" is presented. "Open rotor" refers to an engine architecture with a pair of counter-rotating propellers. Typical noise spectra from an open rotor consist of dominant tones, which arise due to both the steady loading/thickness and the aerodynamic interaction between the two bladerows. The proposed prediction approach utilizes Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to obtain near-field description of the noise sources. The near-to-far-field propagation is then carried out by solving the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings equation. Since the interest of this paper is limited to tone noise, a linearized, frequency domain approach is adopted to solve the wake/vortex-blade interaction problem.This paper focuses primarily on the speed scaling of the aerodynamic tonal noise from open rotors. Even though there is no theoretical mode cut-off due to the absence of nacelle in open rotors, the far-field noise is a strong function of the azimuthal mode order. While the steady loading/thickness noise has circumferential modes of high order, due to the relatively large number of blades (≈10-12), the interaction noise typically has modes of small orders. The high mode orders have very low radiation efficiency and exhibit very strong scaling with Mach number, while the low mode orders show a relatively weaker scaling. The prediction approach is able to capture the speed scaling (observed in experiment) of the overall aerodynamic noise very well.

Impact of problem finding on the quality of authentic open inquiry science research projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labanca, Frank

2008-11-01

Problem finding is a creative process whereby individuals develop original ideas for study. Secondary science students who successfully participate in authentic, novel, open inquiry studies must engage in problem finding to determine viable and suitable topics. This study examined problem finding strategies employed by students who successfully completed and presented the results of their open inquiry research at the 2007 Connecticut Science Fair and the 2007 International Science and Engineering Fair. A multicase qualitative study was framed through the lenses of creativity, inquiry strategies, and situated cognition learning theory. Data were triangulated by methods (interviews, document analysis, surveys) and sources (students, teachers, mentors, fair directors, documents). The data demonstrated that the quality of student projects was directly impacted by the quality of their problem finding. Effective problem finding was a result of students using resources from previous, specialized experiences. They had a positive self-concept and a temperament for both the creative and logical perspectives of science research. Successful problem finding was derived from an idiosyncratic, nonlinear, and flexible use and understanding of inquiry. Finally, problem finding was influenced and assisted by the community of practicing scientists, with whom the students had an exceptional ability to communicate effectively. As a result, there appears to be a juxtaposition of creative and logical/analytical thought for open inquiry that may not be present in other forms of inquiry. Instructional strategies are suggested for teachers of science research students to improve the quality of problem finding for their students and their subsequent research projects.

Discrete and continuum links to a nonlinear coupled transport problem of interacting populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duong, M. H.; Muntean, A.; Richardson, O. M.

2017-07-01

We are interested in exploring interacting particle systems that can be seen as microscopic models for a particular structure of coupled transport flux arising when different populations are jointly evolving. The scenarios we have in mind are inspired by the dynamics of pedestrian flows in open spaces and are intimately connected to cross-diffusion and thermo-diffusion problems holding a variational structure. The tools we use include a suitable structure of the relative entropy controlling TV-norms, the construction of Lyapunov functionals and particular closed-form solutions to nonlinear transport equations, a hydrodynamics limiting procedure due to Philipowski, as well as the construction of numerical approximates to both the continuum limit problem in 2D and to the original interacting particle systems.

Limited mouth opening after primary therapy of head and neck cancer.

PubMed

Weber, Clemens; Dommerich, Steffen; Pau, Hans Wilhelm; Kramp, Burkhard

2010-09-01

Patients after surgery and radiation/chemoradiation for treatment of head and neck cancer often suffer from oral complications. These problems may be caused by surgery and radiation. Patients complain, for example, of swallowing problems and limited mouth opening (trismus). The maximal interincisal mouth opening (MIO) was measured in patients treated with surgery and radiation/chemoradiation for head and neck cancer at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at the University of Rostock. These patients also completed a 20-item questionnaire concerning nutritional, sensual, and speech disorders and pain. One hundred one patients (16 female and 85 male) returned the questionnaire and were included in the study. About 50% of the patients had a limited mouth opening (<36 mm); patients with oropharyngeal cancer had a significant higher risk for trismus (p = .024) than patients with other head and neck cancers, especially compared to patients with laryngeal cancer (p = .013). The questionnaire showed that especially patients with oral cancer report about problems with opening the mouth (73%), eating (65%), drinking (73%), xerostomia (92%), speech disorders (68%), and voice (62%). Patients with laryngeal cancer only reported about problems with xerostomia (62%), speech (83%), and voice (90%), similar to patients with pharyngeal cancer. About half of the patients who underwent primary treatment for oral and oropharyngeal cancer developed trismus and reported about problems with opening the mouth, eating, drinking, dry mouth, voice, and speech. Trismus has a negative impact on quality of life and should be a focus in the postoperative management of patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer, and, if diagnosed, special treatment should be initialized.

On the stabilizing role of species diffusion in chemical enhanced oil recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daripa, Prabir; Gin, Craig

2015-11-01

In this talk, the speaker will discuss a problem on the stability analysis related to the effect of species diffusion on stabilization of fingering in a Hele-Shaw model of chemical enhanced oil recovery. The formulation of the problem is motivated by a specific design principle of the immiscible interfaces in the hope that this will lead to significant stabilization of interfacial instabilities, there by improving oil recovery in the context of porous media flow. Testing the merits of this hypothesis poses some challenges which will be discussed along with some numerical results based on current formulation of this problem. Several open problems in this context will be discussed. This work is currently under progress. Supported by the grant NPRP 08-777-1-141 from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of The Qatar Foundation).

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

Louda, J.W.; Baker, E.W.

The premier molecular index for assessing the thermal maturity(history) of a bitumen is the DPEP-to-ETIO ratio. A restatement of that data set has appeared and is the %-DPEP. This is also preferred by the present authors. These indices (D/E, %D) chronicle the relative presence, absence, and changes in that relationship for porphyrins with ({open_quotes}DPEP{close_quotes}, {open_quotes}CAP{close_quotes}) or without ({open_quotes}ETIO{close_quotes}) exocyclic cycloalkyl ring moieties. An alternative index, the Alkylation Index (Al) has received scant attention since its inception nearly 2 decades ago. This index increasingly weights the higher (>C32), more alkylated, species and ratios those to the pigments at C32 and lower.more » The present report is an integration of several of our past and more recent studies on sediments, shales and petroleum crudes. The application of cross-plotting %-DPEP versus Alkylation Index (%D x Al), in order to {open_quote}fine-tune{close_quote} thermal maturity assessments, for source rocks and oils is covered. Potential problems due to (1) the {open_quote}contamination{close_quote} of mature bitumen with immature biomarkers or (2) biodegradation are also discussed.« less

Grafting Technique to Eliminate Rootstock Suckering of Grafted Tomatoes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Vegetable grafting has been proposed as a technique for avoiding disease problems in tomatoes in open field production. In this study we investigated the current use of grafting in an open field scenario and found a serious problem with the grafting techniques. In the Fall of 2007, commercially pr...

An efficient and accurate solution methodology for bilevel multi-objective programming problems using a hybrid evolutionary-local-search algorithm.

PubMed

Deb, Kalyanmoy; Sinha, Ankur

2010-01-01

Bilevel optimization problems involve two optimization tasks (upper and lower level), in which every feasible upper level solution must correspond to an optimal solution to a lower level optimization problem. These problems commonly appear in many practical problem solving tasks including optimal control, process optimization, game-playing strategy developments, transportation problems, and others. However, they are commonly converted into a single level optimization problem by using an approximate solution procedure to replace the lower level optimization task. Although there exist a number of theoretical, numerical, and evolutionary optimization studies involving single-objective bilevel programming problems, not many studies look at the context of multiple conflicting objectives in each level of a bilevel programming problem. In this paper, we address certain intricate issues related to solving multi-objective bilevel programming problems, present challenging test problems, and propose a viable and hybrid evolutionary-cum-local-search based algorithm as a solution methodology. The hybrid approach performs better than a number of existing methodologies and scales well up to 40-variable difficult test problems used in this study. The population sizing and termination criteria are made self-adaptive, so that no additional parameters need to be supplied by the user. The study indicates a clear niche of evolutionary algorithms in solving such difficult problems of practical importance compared to their usual solution by a computationally expensive nested procedure. The study opens up many issues related to multi-objective bilevel programming and hopefully this study will motivate EMO and other researchers to pay more attention to this important and difficult problem solving activity.

Seeking an African Einstein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durrani, Matin

2008-07-01

A new postgraduate centre for maths and computer science is set to open in the Nigerian capital of Abuja this month as part of an ambitious plan to find the "next Einstein" in Africa. The centre will provide advanced training to graduate students from across Africa in maths and related fields. It will seek to attract the best young African scientists and nurture their talents as problem-solvers and teachers.

Today is Friday. Eine religioese dramatische Szene von E. Hemingway im Englischunterricht (Today is Friday. A Religious Dramatic Scene from E. Hemingway in English Teaching)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoegel, Rolf

1977-01-01

This piece is described as unusual in Hemingway's work, and as calling for a certain open-mindedness in the student toward religious problems. Comments are made on the figures in the episode, the style, the relation to Hemingway's biography, and on possible teaching methods. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

An introduction to the Thysanoptera a survey of the group

Treesearch

1991-01-01

I acknowledge with gratitude the invitation of Bruce L. Parker, Margaret Skinner and the organizers of this meeting to open the proceedings. It is a great pleasure to be asked to enthuse about a group of insects for which I have long had a particular affection - the Thysanoptera. My problem is that relatively few of the world's entomologists - less than 0.2% -...

Future internet architecture and cloud ecosystem: A survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Man; Yin, Shiqun

2018-04-01

The Internet has gradually become a social infrastructure, the existing TCP/IP architecture faces many challenges. So future Internet architecture become hot research. This paper introduces two ways of idea about the future research of Internet structure system, probes into the future Internet architecture and the environment of cloud ecosystem. Finally, we focuses the related research, and discuss basic principles and problems of OpenStack.

Output Control Using Feedforward And Cascade Controllers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seraji, Homayoun

1990-01-01

Report presents theoretical study of open-loop control elements in single-input, single-output linear system. Focus on output-control (servomechanism) problem, in which objective is to find control scheme that causes output to track certain command inputs and to reject certain disturbance inputs in steady state. Report closes with brief discussion of characteristics and relative merits of feedforward, cascade, and feedback controllers and combinations thereof.

[Identification of psychosocial problems in patients with Hansen's disease by analysis of computerized resources].

PubMed

Helene, L M; Rocha, M T

1998-10-01

The purpose of this study was to identify leprosy patients' psychosocial problems experienced after they were informed about their diagnosis. We focused attention upon concerns and behavioral changes related to their families, friends, jobs and to themselves. Data were obtained by a two opened questions interview and they were analysed with the aid of artificial intelligence techniques. These intelligence tools were used to discover the most frequent words, phrases and concepts existing in the interview reports. The results showed that after being informed about their diagnosis, the majority of the patients referred some concerns and behavioral changes related to their families, friends, jobs and to themselves. The main concerns of the population were related to the disease (transmission, the treatment extension, the possibility of hospitalization, the uncertainty about the cure). These facts induced some of the patients to avoid telling people about the disease they have.

A hybrid algorithm for selecting head-related transfer function based on similarity of anthropometric structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Xiang-Yang; Wang, Shu-Guang; Gao, Li-Ping

2010-09-01

As the basic data for virtual auditory technology, head-related transfer function (HRTF) has many applications in the areas of room acoustic modeling, spatial hearing and multimedia. How to individualize HRTF fast and effectively has become an opening problem at present. Based on the similarity and relativity of anthropometric structures, a hybrid HRTF customization algorithm, which has combined the method of principal component analysis (PCA), multiple linear regression (MLR) and database matching (DM), has been presented in this paper. The HRTFs selected by both the best match and the worst match have been applied into obtaining binaurally auralized sounds, which are then used for subjective listening experiments and the results are compared. For the area in the horizontal plane, the localization results have shown that the selection of HRTFs can enhance the localization accuracy and can also abate the problem of front-back confusion.

Bell's theorem, the measurement problem, Newton's self-gravitation and its connections to violations of the discrete symmetries C, P, T

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiesmayr, Beatrix C.

2015-07-01

About 50 years ago John St. Bell published his famous Bell theorem that initiated a new field in physics. This contribution discusses how discrete symmetries relate to the big open questions of quantum mechanics, in particular: (i) how correlations stronger than those predicted by theories sharing randomness (Bell's theorem) relate to the violation of the CP symmetry and the P symmetry; and its relation to the security of quantum cryptography, (ii) how the measurement problem (“why do we observe no tables in superposition?”) can be polled in weakly decaying systems, (iii) how strongly and weakly interacting quantum systems are affected by Newton's self gravitation. These presented preliminary results show that the meson-antimeson systems and the hyperon- antihyperon systems are a unique laboratory to tackle deep fundamental questions and to contribute to the understand what impact the violation of discrete symmetries has.

Attributed relational graphs for cell nucleus segmentation in fluorescence microscopy images.

PubMed

Arslan, Salim; Ersahin, Tulin; Cetin-Atalay, Rengul; Gunduz-Demir, Cigdem

2013-06-01

More rapid and accurate high-throughput screening in molecular cellular biology research has become possible with the development of automated microscopy imaging, for which cell nucleus segmentation commonly constitutes the core step. Although several promising methods exist for segmenting the nuclei of monolayer isolated and less-confluent cells, it still remains an open problem to segment the nuclei of more-confluent cells, which tend to grow in overlayers. To address this problem, we propose a new model-based nucleus segmentation algorithm. This algorithm models how a human locates a nucleus by identifying the nucleus boundaries and piecing them together. In this algorithm, we define four types of primitives to represent nucleus boundaries at different orientations and construct an attributed relational graph on the primitives to represent their spatial relations. Then, we reduce the nucleus identification problem to finding predefined structural patterns in the constructed graph and also use the primitives in region growing to delineate the nucleus borders. Working with fluorescence microscopy images, our experiments demonstrate that the proposed algorithm identifies nuclei better than previous nucleus segmentation algorithms.

"Cancer Put My Life on Hold": Work-Related Challenges Among Middle-aged Adults 12 Months After a Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer.

PubMed

McGrath, Catherine; Mihala, Gabor; Beesley, Vanessa L; Lynch, Brigid M; Graves, Nicholas; Gordon, Louisa G

Colorectal cancer affects a wide range of working-age people. Little is known about the consequent work limitations. The aim of this study was to understand the extent and changing nature of work-related limitations of middle-aged (45-64 years) people over the first 12 months of colorectal cancer. Surveys were administered to participants recruited via the Queensland Cancer Registry, at 6 and 12 months after diagnosis. Among those who returned to work, the Work Limitations Questionnaire measured 4 job performance domains (time management, physical, mental-interpersonal, and output demands) and an overall productivity score. Open-ended questions supplemented the Work Limitations Questionnaire, and responses were thematically analyzed. Of 239 participants, 8% did not continue in the study, and 20% left employment by 12 months, leaving 171 participants eligible for this analysis. Open-ended responses for why participants stopped work included bowel problems and stoma, loss of strength, and medication adverse effects. At 12 months, 22% to 39% of participants reported work limitations, but there was no overall significant change in work limitations between 6 and 12 months. Qualitative data highlighted the key work-related issues were changes in work functioning, attitudes of employers and colleagues, financial pressures, and emotional responses. While a significant proportion left work because of treatment-related problems, and the majority of participants did not experience workplace limitations, some reported considerable work-related challenges. Discussions with health professionals about the possible impact of treatment adverse effects on employment, good communication with employers, and workplace flexibility may facilitate return to work for this population.

Teaching New Keynesian Open Economy Macroeconomics at the Intermediate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bofinger, Peter; Mayer, Eric; Wollmershauser, Timo

2009-01-01

For the open economy, the workhorse model in intermediate textbooks still is the Mundell-Fleming model, which basically extends the investment and savings, liquidity preference and money supply (IS-LM) model to open economy problems. The authors present a simple New Keynesian model of the open economy that introduces open economy considerations…

Older Adults' Casino Gambling Behavior and Their Attitudes Toward New Casino Development.

PubMed

Piscitelli, Anthony; Harrison, Jay; Doherty, Sean; Carmichael, Barbara A

2017-04-01

Research on new casinos typically focuses upon their impact on the community, rather than on specific at-risk groups. This research study explores the impact of the opening of a new casino on attitudes of older adult casino patrons, especially those at particular risk of having gambling problems. Results demonstrate that over 80% of older adult casino patrons would not change their attitudes toward gambling or expect to increase their gambling as a result of the opening of a new casino. However, older adults with problem gambling issues are more likely to indicate they would visit a casino more, spend more time at a casino, and gamble more as a result of the opening of a new casino. In addition, older adults with signs of a gambling problem are more likely to say the opening of a new casino would change their opinions of gambling in general or casino gambling.

Exploring Gender Differences in Solving Open-Ended Mathematical Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cai, Jinfa

Open-ended tasks were used to examine gender differences in complex mathematical problem solving. The results of this study suggest that, overall, males perform better than females, but the gender differences vary from task to task. A qualitative analysis of student responses to those tasks with gender differences showed that male and female…

Use of Open-Ended Problems in Mathematics Classroom. Research Report 176.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pehkonen, Erkki, Ed.

During the years 1993-96, there has existed an active discussion group entitled "Using Open-Ended Problems in Mathematics" as a part of the scientific program of the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME) conference. This report contains revised versions of presentations given in the discussion group. Since the PME is an international…

Using Peer Feedback to Promote Reflection on Open-Ended Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reinholz, Daniel L.; Dounas-Frazer, Dimitri R.

2016-01-01

This paper describes a new approach for learning from homework called Peer-Assisted Reflection (PAR). PAR involves students using peer feedback to improve their work on open-ended homework problems. Collaborating with peers and revising one's work based on the feedback of others are important aspects of doing and learning physics. While notable…

The Organization of the Distance Teaching Sub-System in an Open University.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chacon, Fabio J.

The problem of finding an adequate organization for the distance teaching subsystem in the Open University of Venezuela (Universidad Nacional Abierta) is analyzed. Problems facing this subsystem concern: communications with the headquarters and within the learning centers network, interaction with the environment in order to create a favorable…

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

Metcalf, R.L.

The proliferation of xenobiotic chemicals in the global environment poses living problems for each of us aboard {open_quotes}spaceship earth.{close_quotes} Seven case studies are presented that illustrate the magnitude of the problem that can result from waiting to identify toxic hazards until there have been decades of {open_quotes}human guinea pig{close_quotes} exposure. 25 refs., 5 tabs.

Van: An Open Letter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tieman, John Samuel

2011-01-01

This essay is an open letter from a classroom teacher to a concerned citizen. The letter lists a variety of problems caused largely by standardization and the more corrosive effects of positivism. Many of these problems are unknown to those outside the immediate school setting. While the letter focuses on a specific setting, an inner city school…

The impact of information technology and organizational focus on the visibility of patient care errors.

PubMed

Walston, Stephen L; Mwachofi, Ari; Aldosari, Bakheet; Al-Omar, Badran A; Yousef, Asmaa Al; Sheikh, Asiya

2010-01-01

INVESTIGATED: The implementation of information systems and the creation of an open culture, characterized by emphasis on patient safety and problem solving, are 2 means suggested to improve health care quality. This study examines the effects of use of information technology and focus on patient safety and problem solving on the visibility of patient care errors. A survey of nurses in Saudi Arabia is analyzed by means of factor analysis and multiregression analysis to examine nurses' use of information technology and culture in controlling errors. Our research suggests that greater use of information technology to control patient care errors may reduce the prevalence of such errors while an increased focus on patient safety and problem solving facilitates an open environment where errors can be more openly discussed and addressed. The use of technology appears to have a role in decreasing errors. Yet, an organization that focuses on problem solving and patient safety can open lines of communication and create a culture in which errors can be discussed and resolved.

Anterior open bite treatment with magnets.

PubMed

Kiliaridis, S; Egermark, I; Thilander, B

1990-11-01

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of repelling magnets on the treatment of anterior open bite and compare them with the effects of acrylic posterior bite-blocks. Twenty patients, aged 9-16 years with skeletal anterior open bite, were randomly divided into two groups. In one group the patients wore posterior repelling magnet splints and in the other they wore acrylic posterior bite-blocks of the same thickness as the magnet splints. The patients were instructed to use their appliance as much as possible (the minimum accepted being 18 hours daily) during a 6-month period. Dental casts, intra-oral photos, and lateral cephalograms were taken before and after treatment, and the patients were also examined regularly to identify the development of any craniomandibular disorders. In the first group, the dental and skeletal vertical relation responded quickly to the magnet treatment. The open bite was generally closed in just under 4 months, especially in patients in early mixed dentition. Spacing in the labial segments decreased in some cases, while slight crowding was induced in others. Transverse problems, i.e. unilateral cross-bite, sometimes followed by scissor-bite on the opposite side, was observed in those patients who were in the early mixed dentition and had used the magnets intensively. The patients who wore acrylic posterior bite-blocks also showed improvement in the dental and skeletal vertical relationships, especially during the first months. This was followed by a 'plateau' period. No transverse problems were found in these patients.

Medical students' preferences for problem-based learning in relation to culture and personality: a multicultural study.

PubMed

Holen, Are; Manandhar, Kedar; Pant, Devendra S; Karmacharya, Biraj M; Olson, Linda M; Koju, Rajendra; Mansur, Dil I

2015-07-19

The aim of this study was to explore positive and negative preferences towards problem-based learning in relation to personality traits and socio-cultural context. The study was an anonymous and voluntary cross-sectional survey of medical students (N=449) in hybrid problem-based curricula in Nepal, Norway and North Dakota. Data was collected on gender, age, year of study, cohabitation and medical school. The PBL Preference Inventory identified students' positive and negative preferences in relation to problem-based learning; the personality traits were detected by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. The determinants of the two kinds of preferences were analyzed by hierarchical multiple linear regressions. Positive preferences were mostly determined by personality; associations were found with the traits Extra-version, Openness to experience, Conscientiousness and Neuroticism; the first three are related to sociability, curiosity and orderliness, the last, to mental health. The learn-ing environments of such curricula may be supportive for some and unnerving for others who score high on Neuroticism. Negative preferences were rather determined by culture, but also, they correlated with Neuroticism and Conscientiousness. Negative preferences were lower among females and students living in symmetrical relationships. Some high on Conscientiousness disliked group work, and the negative correlation with Agreeableness indicated that less sociable students were not predisposed to this kind of learning activity. Preferences related to problem-based learning were significantly and independently determined both by personality traits and culture. More insights into the nature of students' preferences may guide aspects of curriculum modifications and the daily facilitation of groups.

Scientific author names: errors, corrections, and identity profiles

PubMed Central

Gasparyan, Armen Yuri; Yessirkepov, Marlen; Gerasimov, Alexey N.; Kostyukova, Elena I.; Kitas, George D.

2016-01-01

Authorship problems are deep-rooted in the field of science communication. Some of these relate to lack of specific journal instructions. For decades, experts in journal editing and publishing have been exploring the authorship criteria and contributions deserving either co-authorship or acknowledgment. The issue of inconsistencies of listing and abbreviating author names has come to the fore lately. There are reports on the difficulties of figuring out Chinese surnames and given names of South Indians in scholarly articles. However, it seems that problems with correct listing and abbreviating author names are global. This article presents an example of swapping second (father’s) name with surname in a ‘predatory’ journal, where numerous instances of incorrectly identifying and crediting authors passed unnoticed for the journal editors, and no correction has been published. Possible solutions are discussed in relation to identifying author profiles and adjusting editorial policies to the emerging problems. Correcting mistakes with author names post-publication and integrating with the Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) platform are among them. PMID:27346960

Scientific author names: errors, corrections, and identity profiles.

PubMed

Gasparyan, Armen Yuri; Yessirkepov, Marlen; Gerasimov, Alexey N; Kostyukova, Elena I; Kitas, George D

2016-01-01

Authorship problems are deep-rooted in the field of science communication. Some of these relate to lack of specific journal instructions. For decades, experts in journal editing and publishing have been exploring the authorship criteria and contributions deserving either co-authorship or acknowledgment. The issue of inconsistencies of listing and abbreviating author names has come to the fore lately. There are reports on the difficulties of figuring out Chinese surnames and given names of South Indians in scholarly articles. However, it seems that problems with correct listing and abbreviating author names are global. This article presents an example of swapping second (father's) name with surname in a 'predatory' journal, where numerous instances of incorrectly identifying and crediting authors passed unnoticed for the journal editors, and no correction has been published. Possible solutions are discussed in relation to identifying author profiles and adjusting editorial policies to the emerging problems. Correcting mistakes with author names post-publication and integrating with the Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) platform are among them.

Surviving colorectal cancer: long-term, persistent ostomy-specific concerns and adaptations.

PubMed

Sun, Virginia; Grant, Marcia; McMullen, Carmit K; Altschuler, Andrea; Mohler, M Jane; Hornbrook, Mark C; Herrinton, Lisa J; Baldwin, Carol M; Krouse, Robert S

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article was to describe persistent ostomy-specific concerns and adaptations in long-term (>5 years) colorectal cancer survivors with ostomies. Thirty-three colorectal cancer survivors who participated in 8 gender- and health-related quality of life stratified focus groups and 130 colorectal cancer survivors who provided written comments to 2 open-ended questions on ostomy location and pouch problems participated in the study. Data were collected on health maintenance organization members in Oregon, southwestern Washington, and northern California. Qualitative data were analyzed for the 8 focus groups and written comments from 2 open-ended survey questions. Discussions from the focu s groups were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis. Written content from the open-ended questions was derived from a mailed questionnaire on health-related quality of life in survivors with ostomies and analyzed using content analysis. Discussions related to persistent ostomy-related issues more than 5 years after formation were common. Persistent ostomy-related issues were focused on clothing restrictions and adaptations, dietary concerns, issues related to ostomy equipment and self-care, and the constant need to find solutions to adjust and readjust to living with an ostomy. Ostomy-specific concerns persist 5 years and more for long-term colorectal cancer survivors after initial ostomy formation. Adaptations tend to be individualized and based on trial and error. Findings underscore the need to develop long-term support mechanisms that survivors can access to promote better coping and adjustment to living with an ostomy.

OpenMP parallelization of a gridded SWAT (SWATG)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ying; Hou, Jinliang; Cao, Yongpan; Gu, Juan; Huang, Chunlin

2017-12-01

Large-scale, long-term and high spatial resolution simulation is a common issue in environmental modeling. A Gridded Hydrologic Response Unit (HRU)-based Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWATG) that integrates grid modeling scheme with different spatial representations also presents such problems. The time-consuming problem affects applications of very high resolution large-scale watershed modeling. The OpenMP (Open Multi-Processing) parallel application interface is integrated with SWATG (called SWATGP) to accelerate grid modeling based on the HRU level. Such parallel implementation takes better advantage of the computational power of a shared memory computer system. We conducted two experiments at multiple temporal and spatial scales of hydrological modeling using SWATG and SWATGP on a high-end server. At 500-m resolution, SWATGP was found to be up to nine times faster than SWATG in modeling over a roughly 2000 km2 watershed with 1 CPU and a 15 thread configuration. The study results demonstrate that parallel models save considerable time relative to traditional sequential simulation runs. Parallel computations of environmental models are beneficial for model applications, especially at large spatial and temporal scales and at high resolutions. The proposed SWATGP model is thus a promising tool for large-scale and high-resolution water resources research and management in addition to offering data fusion and model coupling ability.

Injection-Sensitive Mechanics of Hydraulic Fracture Interaction with Discontinuities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuprakov, D.; Melchaeva, O.; Prioul, R.

2014-09-01

We develop a new analytical model, called OpenT, that solves the elasticity problem of a hydraulic fracture (HF) contact with a pre-existing discontinuity natural fracture (NF) and the condition for HF re-initiation at the NF. The model also accounts for fluid penetration into the permeable NFs. For any angle of fracture intersection, the elastic problem of a blunted dislocation discontinuity is solved for the opening and sliding generated at the discontinuity. The sites and orientations of a new tensile crack nucleation are determined based on a mixed stress- and energy-criterion. In the case of tilted fracture intersection, the finite offset of the new crack initiation point along the discontinuity is computed. We show that aside from known controlling parameters such stress contrast, cohesional and frictional properties of the NFs and angle of intersection, the fluid injection parameters such as the injection rate and the fluid viscosity are of first-order in the crossing behavior. The model is compared to three independent laboratory experiments, analytical criteria of Blanton, extended Renshaw-Pollard, as well as fully coupled numerical simulations. The relative computational efficiency of OpenT model (compared to the numerical models) makes the model attractive for implementation in modern engineering tools simulating hydraulic fracture propagation in naturally fractured environments.

Opening of an interface flaw in a layered elastic half-plane under compressive loading

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, J. M.; Fichter, W. B.; Goree, J. G.

1984-01-01

A static analysis is given of the problem of an elastic layer perfectly bonded, except for a frictionless interface crack, to a dissimilar elastic half-plane. The free surface of the layer is loaded by a finite pressure distribution directly over the crack. The problem is formulated using the two dimensional linear elasticity equations. Using Fourier transforms, the governing equations are converted to a pair of coupled singular integral equations. The integral equations are reduced to a set of simultaneous algebraic equations by expanding the unknown functions in a series of Jacobi polynomials and then evaluating the singular Cauchy-type integrals. The resulting equations are found to be ill-conditioned and, consequently, are solved in the least-squares sense. Results from the analysis show that, under a normal pressure distribution on the free surface of the layer and depending on the combination of geometric and material parameters, the ends of the crack can open. The resulting stresses at the crack-tips are singular, implying that crack growth is possible. The extent of the opening and the crack-top stress intensity factors depend on the width of the pressure distribution zone, the layer thickness, and the relative material properties of the layer and half-plane.

Problems and Issues in Long-Term Care. Hearings before the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress. Long-Term Care Services for the Elderly (October 18, 1985) and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (January 27, 1986).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

This document provides testimony from two Congressional hearings, one on the subject of long-term care services for the elderly and the other on Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. In the hearing on long-term care, opening remarks are given by Congressmen Waxman and Wyden. Expert testimony from the following witnesses is provided: (1)…

Metacognitive experience of mathematics education students in open start problem solving based on intrapersonal intelligence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sari, D. P.; Usodo, B.; Subanti, S.

2018-04-01

This research aims to describe metacognitive experience of mathematics education students with strong, average, and weak intrapersonal intelligence in open start problem solving. Type of this research was qualitative research. The research subject was mathematics education students in Muhammadiyah University of Surakarta in academic year 2017/2018. The selected students consisted of 6 students with details of two students in each intrapersonal intelligence category. The research instruments were questionnaire, open start problem solving task, and interview guidelines. Data validity used time triangulation. Data analyses were done through data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusion. Based on findings, subjects with strong intrapersonal intelligence had high self confidence that they were able to solve problem correctly, able to do planning steps and able to solve the problem appropriately. Subjects with average intrapersonal intelligence had high self-assessment that they were able to solve the problem, able to do planning steps appropriately but they had not maximized in carrying out the plan so that it resulted incorrectness answer. Subjects with weak intrapersonal intelligence had high self confidence in capability of solving math problem, lack of precision in taking plans so their task results incorrectness answer.

Self-adjoint elliptic operators with boundary conditions on not closed hypersurfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantile, Andrea; Posilicano, Andrea; Sini, Mourad

2016-07-01

The theory of self-adjoint extensions of symmetric operators is used to construct self-adjoint realizations of a second-order elliptic differential operator on Rn with linear boundary conditions on (a relatively open part of) a compact hypersurface. Our approach allows to obtain Kreĭn-like resolvent formulae where the reference operator coincides with the ;free; operator with domain H2 (Rn); this provides an useful tool for the scattering problem from a hypersurface. Concrete examples of this construction are developed in connection with the standard boundary conditions, Dirichlet, Neumann, Robin, δ and δ‧-type, assigned either on a (n - 1) dimensional compact boundary Γ = ∂ Ω or on a relatively open part Σ ⊂ Γ. Schatten-von Neumann estimates for the difference of the powers of resolvents of the free and the perturbed operators are also proven; these give existence and completeness of the wave operators of the associated scattering systems.

An electromagnetism-like metaheuristic for open-shop problems with no buffer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naderi, Bahman; Najafi, Esmaeil; Yazdani, Mehdi

2012-12-01

This paper considers open-shop scheduling with no intermediate buffer to minimize total tardiness. This problem occurs in many production settings, in the plastic molding, chemical, and food processing industries. The paper mathematically formulates the problem by a mixed integer linear program. The problem can be optimally solved by the model. The paper also develops a novel metaheuristic based on an electromagnetism algorithm to solve the large-sized problems. The paper conducts two computational experiments. The first includes small-sized instances by which the mathematical model and general performance of the proposed metaheuristic are evaluated. The second evaluates the metaheuristic for its performance to solve some large-sized instances. The results show that the model and algorithm are effective to deal with the problem.

Linear-algebraic bath transformation for simulating complex open quantum systems

DOE PAGES

Huh, Joonsuk; Mostame, Sarah; Fujita, Takatoshi; ...

2014-12-02

In studying open quantum systems, the environment is often approximated as a collection of non-interacting harmonic oscillators, a configuration also known as the star-bath model. It is also well known that the star-bath can be transformed into a nearest-neighbor interacting chain of oscillators. The chain-bath model has been widely used in renormalization group approaches. The transformation can be obtained by recursion relations or orthogonal polynomials. Based on a simple linear algebraic approach, we propose a bath partition strategy to reduce the system-bath coupling strength. As a result, the non-interacting star-bath is transformed into a set of weakly coupled multiple parallelmore » chains. Furthermore, the transformed bath model allows complex problems to be practically implemented on quantum simulators, and it can also be employed in various numerical simulations of open quantum dynamics.« less

The validity of three tests of temperament in guppies (Poecilia reticulata).

PubMed

Burns, James G

2008-11-01

Differences in temperament (consistent differences among individuals in behavior) can have important effects on fitness-related activities such as dispersal and competition. However, evolutionary ecologists have put limited effort into validating their tests of temperament. This article attempts to validate three standard tests of temperament in guppies: the open-field test, emergence test, and novel-object test. Through multiple reliability trials, and comparison of results between different types of test, this study establishes the confidence that can be placed in these temperament tests. The open-field test is shown to be a good test of boldness and exploratory behavior; the open-field test was reliable when tested in multiple ways. There were problems with the emergence test and novel-object test, which leads one to conclude that the protocols used in this study should not be considered valid tests for this species. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).

The Stigma of Mental Illness as a Barrier to Self Labeling as Having a Mental Illness.

PubMed

Stolzenburg, Susanne; Freitag, Simone; Evans-Lacko, Sara; Muehlan, Holger; Schmidt, Silke; Schomerus, Georg

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether personal stigma decreases self-identification as having a mental illness in individuals with untreated mental health problems. We interviewed 207 persons with a currently untreated mental health problem as confirmed by a structured diagnostic interview. Measures included symptom appraisal, self-identification as having a mental illness (SELFI), self-labeling (open-ended question on the nature of their problem) stigma-related variables (explicit and implicit), as well as sociodemographics, current symptom severity, and previous treatment. Support for discrimination and implicit stigmatizing attitude were both associated with lower likelihood of self-identification. More social distance and support for discrimination were associated with less self-labeling. Previous treatment was the strongest predictor of symptom appraisal, SELFI, and self-labeling. Destigmatizing mental illness could increase awareness of personal mental health problems, potentially leading to lower rates of untreated mental illness.

Translations from Kommunist, Number 10, 1977

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-08-31

Committee, Moscow, published 18 times a year. 14. Abstracts The report contains articles on political, economic , military and social developments and...problems within the USSR and as they relate to communist and other countries. M< Key words and Document Analysis . 17o. Descriptors USSR Political...Science Sociology Propaganda Economics 17b. Identifiers/Open-Ended Terms 17«. COSATI Fl. Id/Group 5D, 5K, 5C It. Availability Statement

Nontraditional approach to algebra-based general physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meltzer, David E.

1997-03-01

In order to improve the degree of conceptual learning in our algebra-based general physics course, the second semester (of a two-semester sequence) has been taught in a nontraditional format during the past year. The key characteristics of this course were: 1) Intense and continuous use of interactive-engagement methods and cooperative learning; 2) coverage of less than half of the conventional number of topics, 3) heavy emphasis on qualitative questions as opposed to quantitative problems, 4) adjustment of the pacing of the course based on continuous (twice per week) formative assessment. The students enrolled in the course were relatively poorly prepared, with weak mathematical skills. Open-book quizzes stressing qualitative concepts in electricity and magnetism were given twice per week; most were given in "group quiz" format, allowing collaboration. Exams (also open-book) were all done individually. Most of the class time was taken up by quizzes, and by interactive discussion and group work related to quiz questions. New topics were not introduced until a majority of the class demonstrated competence in the topic under discussion. Despite lengthy and intensive focus on qualitative, conceptual questions and simple quantitative problems, only a small minority of the class ultimately demonstrated mastery of the targeted concepts. Frequent testing and re-testing of the students on basic concepts disclosed tenacious persistence of misconceptions.

Proteomics, lipidomics, metabolomics: a mass spectrometry tutorial from a computer scientist's point of view.

PubMed

Smith, Rob; Mathis, Andrew D; Ventura, Dan; Prince, John T

2014-01-01

For decades, mass spectrometry data has been analyzed to investigate a wide array of research interests, including disease diagnostics, biological and chemical theory, genomics, and drug development. Progress towards solving any of these disparate problems depends upon overcoming the common challenge of interpreting the large data sets generated. Despite interim successes, many data interpretation problems in mass spectrometry are still challenging. Further, though these challenges are inherently interdisciplinary in nature, the significant domain-specific knowledge gap between disciplines makes interdisciplinary contributions difficult. This paper provides an introduction to the burgeoning field of computational mass spectrometry. We illustrate key concepts, vocabulary, and open problems in MS-omics, as well as provide invaluable resources such as open data sets and key search terms and references. This paper will facilitate contributions from mathematicians, computer scientists, and statisticians to MS-omics that will fundamentally improve results over existing approaches and inform novel algorithmic solutions to open problems.

Two neural network algorithms for designing optimal terminal controllers with open final time

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plumer, Edward S.

1992-01-01

Multilayer neural networks, trained by the backpropagation through time algorithm (BPTT), have been used successfully as state-feedback controllers for nonlinear terminal control problems. Current BPTT techniques, however, are not able to deal systematically with open final-time situations such as minimum-time problems. Two approaches which extend BPTT to open final-time problems are presented. In the first, a neural network learns a mapping from initial-state to time-to-go. In the second, the optimal number of steps for each trial run is found using a line-search. Both methods are derived using Lagrange multiplier techniques. This theoretical framework is used to demonstrate that the derived algorithms are direct extensions of forward/backward sweep methods used in N-stage optimal control. The two algorithms are tested on a Zermelo problem and the resulting trajectories compare favorably to optimal control results.

What do patients and relatives know about problems and failures in care?

PubMed

Iedema, Rick; Allen, Suellen; Britton, Katherine; Gallagher, Thomas H

2012-03-01

To understand what patients and family members know about problems and failures in healthcare. Qualitative, semistructured open-ended interviews were conducted with 39 patients and 80 family members about their experiences of incidents in tertiary healthcare. Nineteen interviews involved more than one respondent, yielding 100 interviews in total. Participants were recruited through advertisements in the national broadsheet and tabloid print media (43%), with the help of the health services where the incidents occurred (28%), through invitations sent out by two internet marketing companies (27%) and by consumer organisations (2%). Interviews were conducted in the homes of the respondents or over the phone. One participant emailed her responses to the questionnaire. Analysis of the interview data revealed: (1) considerable knowledge on the part of patients and relatives about health service risks, problems and incidents; (2) the insight of interviewees into care improvement opportunities; and (3) challenges faced by patients and relatives when trying to negotiate their knowledge and insights with health service staff. Patients (and family members) need access to structured processes ensuring dialogue with health service personnel about perceived risks, problems and incidents. Such dialogue would reveal patients' and family members' questions and knowledge about improvement opportunities, and minimise the risk that their questions and knowledge are ignored.

Ultimate open pit stochastic optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcotte, Denis; Caron, Josiane

2013-02-01

Classical open pit optimization (maximum closure problem) is made on block estimates, without directly considering the block grades uncertainty. We propose an alternative approach of stochastic optimization. The stochastic optimization is taken as the optimal pit computed on the block expected profits, rather than expected grades, computed from a series of conditional simulations. The stochastic optimization generates, by construction, larger ore and waste tonnages than the classical optimization. Contrary to the classical approach, the stochastic optimization is conditionally unbiased for the realized profit given the predicted profit. A series of simulated deposits with different variograms are used to compare the stochastic approach, the classical approach and the simulated approach that maximizes expected profit among simulated designs. Profits obtained with the stochastic optimization are generally larger than the classical or simulated pit. The main factor controlling the relative gain of stochastic optimization compared to classical approach and simulated pit is shown to be the information level as measured by the boreholes spacing/range ratio. The relative gains of the stochastic approach over the classical approach increase with the treatment costs but decrease with mining costs. The relative gains of the stochastic approach over the simulated pit approach increase both with the treatment and mining costs. At early stages of an open pit project, when uncertainty is large, the stochastic optimization approach appears preferable to the classical approach or the simulated pit approach for fair comparison of the values of alternative projects and for the initial design and planning of the open pit.

Adaptive Comparative Judgment as a Tool for Assessing Open-Ended Design Problems and Model Eliciting Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartholomew, Scott R.; Nadelson, Louis S.; Goodridge, Wade H.; Reeve, Edward M.

2018-01-01

We investigated the use of adaptive comparative judgment to evaluate the middle school student learning, engagement, and experience with the design process in an open-ended problem assigned in a technology and engineering education course. Our results indicate that the adaptive comparative judgment tool effectively facilitated the grading of the…

The Problem of Open Cheating and Invigilator Compliance in the Lebanese Brevet and Baccalaureat Examinations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vlaardingerbroek, Barend; Shehab, Saadeddine S.; Alameh, Sahar K.

2011-01-01

This paper describes a study on examination room cheating during Lebanese Brevet and Baccalaureat examinations with a focus on "open cheating"--malpractices which are aided and abetted by examination invigilators. Findings suggest that the problem is widespread and is largely attributable to the empathy invigilators feel with candidates.…

Awareness Enhancing and Monitoring Device plus Habit Reversal in the Treatment of Trichotillomania: An Open Feasibility Trial.

PubMed

Himle, Joseph A; Bybee, Deborah; O'Donnell, Lisa A; Weaver, Addie; Vlnka, Sarah; DeSena, Daniel T; Rimer, Jessica M

2018-01-01

Habit Reversal Therapy (HRT) is helpful for many persons suffering from trichotillomania. However successful habit reversal therapy requires awareness of hair pulling behaviors. Available methods to monitor hair pulling behaviors are less than ideal, particularly when sufferers are unaware of their pulling-related behaviors. This open feasibility trial included 20 persons with trichotillomania who were treated with nine weeks of HRT with experienced clinicians following a well-established HRT protocol. HRT was augmented with an electronic Awareness Enhancing and Monitoring Device (AEMD) designed to alert users of hand to head contact and to monitor the frequency of pulling-related behaviors. The AEMD included a neck unit and two wrist units, each equipped with vibrating alert functions. The results of the open trial revealed significant improvements in trichotillomania symptoms as measured by clinician and self-report rating scales. Most participants met study criteria for HRT completion and treatment effects were large. Participants reported that the AEMD, when operational, was effective in alerting participants to TTM-related behaviors. The monitoring function of the AEMD did not operate as designed. Subjective feedback focused on the AEMD concept was positive but AEMD reliability problems and complaints about the wearability the units were common. Recommendations for AEMD design modifications were included.

Current concepts of oral and maxillofacial rehabilitation and treatment in aviation.

PubMed

Yuce, Esra; Koçer, Gulperi; Çini, Turan Atila

2016-01-01

Aerospace medicine is the medical discipline responsible for assessing and conserving the health, safety, and performance of individuals involved in air and space travel. With the upward trend in airline travel, flight-related oral conditions requiring treatment have become a source of concern for aircrew members. Awareness and treatment of any potential physiological problems for these aircrews have always been critical components of aviation safety. In a flight situation, oral and maxillofacial problems may in fact become life-threatening clinical conditions. The unusual nature of aerospace medicine requires practitioners to have unique expertise. Special attention to aerospace medicine will open the way for professionals to develop and apply their skills and capabilities. Both dentists and aviators should be aware of the issues involved in aviation dentistry. This article presents the principles of prevention, treatment guidelines, and dental-related flight restrictions.

Efficient Solution of Three-Dimensional Problems of Acoustic and Electromagnetic Scattering by Open Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turc, Catalin; Anand, Akash; Bruno, Oscar; Chaubell, Julian

2011-01-01

We present a computational methodology (a novel Nystrom approach based on use of a non-overlapping patch technique and Chebyshev discretizations) for efficient solution of problems of acoustic and electromagnetic scattering by open surfaces. Our integral equation formulations (1) Incorporate, as ansatz, the singular nature of open-surface integral-equation solutions, and (2) For the Electric Field Integral Equation (EFIE), use analytical regularizes that effectively reduce the number of iterations required by iterative linear-algebra solution based on Krylov-subspace iterative solvers.

Approximation algorithms for a genetic diagnostics problem.

PubMed

Kosaraju, S R; Schäffer, A A; Biesecker, L G

1998-01-01

We define and study a combinatorial problem called WEIGHTED DIAGNOSTIC COVER (WDC) that models the use of a laboratory technique called genotyping in the diagnosis of an important class of chromosomal aberrations. An optimal solution to WDC would enable us to define a genetic assay that maximizes the diagnostic power for a specified cost of laboratory work. We develop approximation algorithms for WDC by making use of the well-known problem SET COVER for which the greedy heuristic has been extensively studied. We prove worst-case performance bounds on the greedy heuristic for WDC and for another heuristic we call directional greedy. We implemented both heuristics. We also implemented a local search heuristic that takes the solutions obtained by greedy and dir-greedy and applies swaps until they are locally optimal. We report their performance on a real data set that is representative of the options that a clinical geneticist faces for the real diagnostic problem. Many open problems related to WDC remain, both of theoretical interest and practical importance.

Joint analyses of open comments and quantitative data: Added value in a job satisfaction survey of hospital professionals.

PubMed

Gilles, Ingrid; Mayer, Mauro; Courvoisier, Nelly; Peytremann-Bridevaux, Isabelle

2017-01-01

To obtain a comprehensive understanding of the job opinions of hospital professionals by conducting qualitative analyses of the open comments included in a job satisfaction survey and combining these results with the quantitative results. A cross-sectional survey targeting all Lausanne University Hospital professionals was performed in the fall of 2013. The survey considered ten job satisfaction dimensions (e.g. self-fulfilment, workload, management, work-related burnout, organisational commitment, intent to stay) and included an open comment section. Computer-assisted qualitative analyses were conducted on these comments. Satisfaction rates on the included dimensions and professional groups were entered as predictive variables in the qualitative analyses. Of 10 838 hospital professionals, 4978 participated in the survey and 1067 provided open comments. Data from 1045 respondents with usable comments constituted the analytic sample (133 physicians, 393 nurses, 135 laboratory technicians, 247 administrative staff, including researchers, 67 logistic staff, 44 psycho-social workers, and 26 unspecified). Almost a third of the comments addressed scheduling issues, mostly related to problems and exhaustion linked to shifts, work-life balance, and difficulties with colleagues' absences and the consequences for quality of care and patient safety. The other two-thirds related to classic themes included in job satisfaction surveys. Although some comments were provided equally by all professional groups, others were group specific: work and hierarchy pressures for physicians, healthcare quality and patient safety for nurses, skill recognition for administrative staff. Overall, respondents' comments were consistent with their job satisfaction ratings. Open comment analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of hospital professionals' job experiences, allowing better consideration of quality initiatives that match the needs of professionals with reality.

Joint analyses of open comments and quantitative data: Added value in a job satisfaction survey of hospital professionals

PubMed Central

Gilles, Ingrid; Mayer, Mauro; Courvoisier, Nelly; Peytremann-Bridevaux, Isabelle

2017-01-01

Objective To obtain a comprehensive understanding of the job opinions of hospital professionals by conducting qualitative analyses of the open comments included in a job satisfaction survey and combining these results with the quantitative results. Design A cross-sectional survey targeting all Lausanne University Hospital professionals was performed in the fall of 2013. Material and methods The survey considered ten job satisfaction dimensions (e.g. self-fulfilment, workload, management, work-related burnout, organisational commitment, intent to stay) and included an open comment section. Computer-assisted qualitative analyses were conducted on these comments. Satisfaction rates on the included dimensions and professional groups were entered as predictive variables in the qualitative analyses. Participants Of 10 838 hospital professionals, 4978 participated in the survey and 1067 provided open comments. Data from 1045 respondents with usable comments constituted the analytic sample (133 physicians, 393 nurses, 135 laboratory technicians, 247 administrative staff, including researchers, 67 logistic staff, 44 psycho-social workers, and 26 unspecified). Results Almost a third of the comments addressed scheduling issues, mostly related to problems and exhaustion linked to shifts, work-life balance, and difficulties with colleagues’ absences and the consequences for quality of care and patient safety. The other two-thirds related to classic themes included in job satisfaction surveys. Although some comments were provided equally by all professional groups, others were group specific: work and hierarchy pressures for physicians, healthcare quality and patient safety for nurses, skill recognition for administrative staff. Overall, respondents’ comments were consistent with their job satisfaction ratings. Conclusion Open comment analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of hospital professionals’ job experiences, allowing better consideration of quality initiatives that match the needs of professionals with reality. PMID:28296974

Organizational, Cultural, and Psychological Determinants of Smart Infusion Pump Work Arounds: A Study of 3 U.S. Health Systems.

PubMed

Dunford, Benjamin B; Perrigino, Matthew; Tucker, Sharon J; Gaston, Cynthia L; Young, Jim; Vermace, Beverly J; Walroth, Todd A; Buening, Natalie R; Skillman, Katherine L; Berndt, Dawn

2017-09-01

We investigated nurse perceptions of smart infusion medication pumps to provide evidence-based insights on how to help reduce work around and improve compliance with patient safety policies. Specifically, we investigated the following 3 research questions: (1) What are nurses' current attitudes about smart infusion pumps? (2) What do nurses think are the causes of smart infusion pump work arounds? and (3) To whom do nurses turn for smart infusion pump training and troubleshooting? We surveyed a large number of nurses (N = 818) in 3 U.S.-based health care systems to address the research questions above. We assessed nurses' opinions about smart infusion pumps, organizational perceptions, and the reasons for work arounds using a voluntary and anonymous Web-based survey. Using qualitative research methods, we coded open-ended responses to questions about the reasons for work arounds to organize responses into useful categories. The nurses reported widespread satisfaction with smart infusion pumps. However, they reported numerous organizational, cultural, and psychological causes of smart pump work arounds. Of 1029 open-ended responses to the question "why do smart pump work arounds occur?" approximately 44% of the causes were technology related, 47% were organization related, and 9% were related to individual factors. Finally, an overwhelming majority of nurses reported seeking solutions to smart pump problems from coworkers and being trained primarily on the job. Hospitals may significantly improve adherence to smart pump safety features by addressing the nontechnical causes of work arounds and by providing more leadership and formalized training for resolving smart pump-related problems.

Geometric Reasoning about a Circle Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Gloriana; DeJarnette, Anna F.

2013-01-01

What does problem-based instruction do for students and teachers? The open-ended geometry problem presented in this article, along with examples of students' work on the problem, illustrates how problem-based instruction can help students develop their mathematical proficiency. Recent studies have shown that students who experience problem-based…

Toward open set recognition.

PubMed

Scheirer, Walter J; de Rezende Rocha, Anderson; Sapkota, Archana; Boult, Terrance E

2013-07-01

To date, almost all experimental evaluations of machine learning-based recognition algorithms in computer vision have taken the form of "closed set" recognition, whereby all testing classes are known at training time. A more realistic scenario for vision applications is "open set" recognition, where incomplete knowledge of the world is present at training time, and unknown classes can be submitted to an algorithm during testing. This paper explores the nature of open set recognition and formalizes its definition as a constrained minimization problem. The open set recognition problem is not well addressed by existing algorithms because it requires strong generalization. As a step toward a solution, we introduce a novel "1-vs-set machine," which sculpts a decision space from the marginal distances of a 1-class or binary SVM with a linear kernel. This methodology applies to several different applications in computer vision where open set recognition is a challenging problem, including object recognition and face verification. We consider both in this work, with large scale cross-dataset experiments performed over the Caltech 256 and ImageNet sets, as well as face matching experiments performed over the Labeled Faces in the Wild set. The experiments highlight the effectiveness of machines adapted for open set evaluation compared to existing 1-class and binary SVMs for the same tasks.

Levels of Arithmetic Reasoning in Solving an Open-Ended Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kosyvas, Georgios

2016-01-01

This paper presents the results of an experimental teaching carried out on 12-year-old students. An open-ended task was given to them and they had not been taught the algorithmic process leading to the solution. The formal solution to the problem refers to a system of two linear equations with two unknown quantities. In this mathematical activity,…

Metacognition Difficulty of Students with Visual-Spatial Intelligence during Solving Open-Ended Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rimbatmojo, S.; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Riyadi, R.

2017-09-01

This study aims to find out students metacognition difficulty during solving open-ended problem in mathematics. It focuses on analysing the metacognition difficulty of students with visual-spatial intelligence in solving open-ended problem. A qualitative research with case study strategy is used in this study. Data in the form of visual-spatial intelligence test result and recorded interview during solving open-ended problems were analysed qualitatively. The results show that: (1) students with high visual-spatial intelligence have no difficulty on each metacognition aspects, (2) students with medium visual-spatial intelligence have difficulty on knowledge aspect on strategy and cognitive tasks, (3) students with low visual-spatial intelligence have difficulty on three metacognition aspects, namely knowledge on strategy, cognitive tasks and self-knowledge. Even though, several researches about metacognition process and metacognition literature recommended the steps to know the characteristics. It is still important to discuss that the difficulties of metacognitive is happened because of several factors, one of which on the characteristics of student’ visual-spatial intelligence. Therefore, it is really important for mathematics educators to consider and pay more attention toward students’ visual-spatial intelligence and metacognition difficulty in designing better mathematics learning.

The Effects of CW (Chemical Warfare)-Related Chemicals on Social Behavior and Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-10-01

Present Mount (no thrusting) Mount (with thrusting) Masturbate .Genital Manipulation (other animal) Genital Sniff (other animal) Other Social Behaviors...battery, although it may not be practical to use it an an everyday basis because of the habituation problem. In September, 1985, a banana pellet dispenser... masturbate , etc.) If two or more animals are observed simultaneously in the open field, the social behaviors listed in Table 2 are also scored for

Algebra of Majorana doubling.

PubMed

Lee, Jaehoon; Wilczek, Frank

2013-11-27

Motivated by the problem of identifying Majorana mode operators at junctions, we analyze a basic algebraic structure leading to a doubled spectrum. For general (nonlinear) interactions the emergent mode creation operator is highly nonlinear in the original effective mode operators, and therefore also in the underlying electron creation and destruction operators. This phenomenon could open up new possibilities for controlled dynamical manipulation of the modes. We briefly compare and contrast related issues in the Pfaffian quantum Hall state.

Improving Teacher Quality and Effectiveness. Issues for the '80s. Planning Grant for the Development of an Institutional Grant Proposal to Establish an NIE Research and Development Center for Teacher Quality and Effectiveness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawley, Willis D.; And Others

This paper presents an overview of several of the problems and conditions of the teaching profession and discusses different issues related to the development and implementation of policies, programs, and practices designed to address them. The opening section examines the conditions of teaching--employment opportunities, teacher evaluation,…

Using CellML with OpenCMISS to Simulate Multi-Scale Physiology

PubMed Central

Nickerson, David P.; Ladd, David; Hussan, Jagir R.; Safaei, Soroush; Suresh, Vinod; Hunter, Peter J.; Bradley, Christopher P.

2014-01-01

OpenCMISS is an open-source modeling environment aimed, in particular, at the solution of bioengineering problems. OpenCMISS consists of two main parts: a computational library (OpenCMISS-Iron) and a field manipulation and visualization library (OpenCMISS-Zinc). OpenCMISS is designed for the solution of coupled multi-scale, multi-physics problems in a general-purpose parallel environment. CellML is an XML format designed to encode biophysically based systems of ordinary differential equations and both linear and non-linear algebraic equations. A primary design goal of CellML is to allow mathematical models to be encoded in a modular and reusable format to aid reproducibility and interoperability of modeling studies. In OpenCMISS, we make use of CellML models to enable users to configure various aspects of their multi-scale physiological models. This avoids the need for users to be familiar with the OpenCMISS internal code in order to perform customized computational experiments. Examples of this are: cellular electrophysiology models embedded in tissue electrical propagation models; material constitutive relationships for mechanical growth and deformation simulations; time-varying boundary conditions for various problem domains; and fluid constitutive relationships and lumped-parameter models. In this paper, we provide implementation details describing how CellML models are integrated into multi-scale physiological models in OpenCMISS. The external interface OpenCMISS presents to users is also described, including specific examples exemplifying the extensibility and usability these tools provide the physiological modeling and simulation community. We conclude with some thoughts on future extension of OpenCMISS to make use of other community developed information standards, such as FieldML, SED-ML, and BioSignalML. Plans for the integration of accelerator code (graphical processing unit and field programmable gate array) generated from CellML models is also discussed. PMID:25601911

The numerical-analytical implementation of the cross-sections method to the open waveguide transition of the "horn" type

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Divakov, Dmitriy; Malykh, Mikhail; Sevastianov, Leonid; Sevastianov, Anton; Tiutiunnik, Anastasiia

2017-04-01

In the paper we construct a method for approximate solution of the waveguide problem for guided modes of an open irregular waveguide transition. The method is based on straightening of the curved waveguide boundaries by introducing new variables and applying the Kantorovich method to the problem formulated in the new variables to get a system of ordinary second-order differential equations. In the method, the boundary conditions are formulated by analogy with the partial radiation conditions in the similar problem for closed waveguide transitions. The method is implemented in the symbolic-numeric form using the Maple computer algebra system. The coefficient matrices of the system of differential equations and boundary conditions are calculated symbolically, and then the obtained boundary-value problem is solved numerically using the finite difference method. The chosen coordinate functions of Kantorovich expansions provide good conditionality of the coefficient matrices. The numerical experiment simulating the propagation of guided modes in the open waveguide transition confirms the validity of the method proposed to solve the problem.

The Public Health Threat of Road Traffic Accidents in Nigeria: A Call to Action

PubMed Central

Onyemaechi, NOC; Ofoma, UR

2016-01-01

Public health experts worldwide concede that there is a global epidemic of road traffic accidents (RTA). Globally, RTA is the leading cause of injury-related deaths. In Nigeria, injuries and deaths resulting from RTA are on the rise and are Nigeria's third-leading cause of overall deaths, the leading cause of trauma-related deaths and the most common cause of disability. Do RTA constitute a public health problem in Nigeria? If so, is there a pragmatic approach to combat this problem? A systematic literature search using the advanced features of various databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Google, and directory of open access journals was carried out using the key words “ RTA, public health problem, government response, Nigeria.” Out of initial 850 articles retrieved from the search 15 articles that suited the study were included in this review. There is need to view RTA s as an issue of urgent national importance that needs urgent attention aimed at reducing the health, social, and economic impact. Policy makers at the various levels of government need to recognize this growing problem as a public health crisis and design appropriate policy responses that will back up with meticulous implementation. PMID:28480093

The Public Health Threat of Road Traffic Accidents in Nigeria: A Call to Action.

PubMed

Onyemaechi, Noc; Ofoma, U R

2016-01-01

Public health experts worldwide concede that there is a global epidemic of road traffic accidents (RTA). Globally, RTA is the leading cause of injury-related deaths. In Nigeria, injuries and deaths resulting from RTA are on the rise and are Nigeria's third-leading cause of overall deaths, the leading cause of trauma-related deaths and the most common cause of disability. Do RTA constitute a public health problem in Nigeria? If so, is there a pragmatic approach to combat this problem? A systematic literature search using the advanced features of various databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Google, and directory of open access journals was carried out using the key words " RTA, public health problem, government response, Nigeria." Out of initial 850 articles retrieved from the search 15 articles that suited the study were included in this review. There is need to view RTA s as an issue of urgent national importance that needs urgent attention aimed at reducing the health, social, and economic impact. Policy makers at the various levels of government need to recognize this growing problem as a public health crisis and design appropriate policy responses that will back up with meticulous implementation.

Topological String Theory and Enumerative Geometry

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

Song, Y. S

In this thesis we investigate several problems which have their roots in both topological string theory and enumerative geometry. In the former case, underlying theories are topological field theories, whereas the latter case is concerned with intersection theories on moduli spaces. A permeating theme in this thesis is to examine the close interplay between these two complementary fields of study. The main problems addressed are as follows: In considering the Hurwitz enumeration problem of branched covers of compact connected Riemann surfaces, we completely solve the problem in the case of simple Hurwitz numbers. In addition, utilizing the connection between Hurwitzmore » numbers and Hodge integrals, we derive a generating function for the latter on the moduli space {bar M}{sub g,2} of 2-pointed, genus-g Deligne-Mumford stable curves. We also investigate Givental's recent conjecture regarding semisimple Frobenius structures and Gromov-Witten invariants, both of which are closely related to topological field theories; we consider the case of a complex projective line P{sup 1} as a specific example and verify his conjecture at low genera. In the last chapter, we demonstrate that certain topological open string amplitudes can be computed via relative stable morphisms in the algebraic category.« less

Psychological Adaptation to Extreme Environments: Effects of Team Composition on Individual Adaptation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, J.; Hysong, S. J.; Lugg, D. J.; Harm, D. L.

1999-01-01

This study is part of an ongoing program of research examining the psychological effects of isolation and confinement on individual adaptation, productivity and group relations in Antarctic winter personnel. This environment is used as an analogue for long-duration space mission scenarios, such as a space station sojourn, or a mission to Mars. Earlier results from this and other environments have demonstrated that: (1) most changes in psychological well-being are event-related and of relatively short duration; and (2) the greatest problem facing most individuals is interpersonal conflict. Content analysis of responses to open-ended questions has identified the numerous enjoyable aspects of Antarctic living, and confirmed that many of the problems reported were interpersonal in nature, and that problems varied significantly by station. Current work is exploring the effects of team assignment on the self-reported psychological changes and self-evaluations of members of isolated teams. This work includes identifying the dimensions by which subjects determine how well they are functioning. These dimensions (e.g., work, social life, internal emotional state) appear to play an important role in how subjects evaluate many aspects of life in isolation.

New approaches with two cyano columns to the separation of acetaminophen, phenylephrine, chlorpheniramine and related compounds.

PubMed

Olmo, B; García, A; Marín, A; Barbas, C

2005-03-25

The development of new pharmaceutical forms with classical active compounds generates new analytical problems. That is the case of sugar-free sachets of cough-cold products containing acetaminophen, phenylephrine hydrochloride and chlorpheniramine maleate. Two cyanopropyl stationary phases have been employed to tackle the problem. The Discovery cyanopropyl (SUPELCO) column permitted the separation of the three actives, maleate and excipients (mainly saccharine and orange flavour) with a constant proportion of aqueous/ organic solvent (95:5, v/v) and a pH gradient from 7.5 to 2. The run lasted 14 min. This technique avoids many problems related to baseline shifts with classical organic solvent gradients and opens great possibilities to modify selectivity not generally used in reversed phase HPLC. On the other hand, the Agilent Zorbax SB-CN column with a different retention profile permitted us to separate not only the three actives and the excipients but also the three known related compounds: 4-aminophenol, 4-chloracetanilide and 4-nitrophenol in an isocratic method with a run time under 30 min. This method was validated following ICH guidelines and validation parameters showed that it could be employed as stability-indicating method for this pharmaceutical form.

Enabling an Open Data Ecosystem for the Neurosciences.

PubMed

Wiener, Martin; Sommer, Friedrich T; Ives, Zachary G; Poldrack, Russell A; Litt, Brian

2016-11-02

As the pace and complexity of neuroscience data grow, an open data ecosystem must develop and grow with it to allow neuroscientists the ability to reach for new heights of discovery. However, the problems and complexities of neuroscience data sharing must first be addressed. Among the challenges facing data sharing in neuroscience, the problem of incentives, discoverability, and sustainability may be the most pressing. We here describe these problems and provide potential future solutions to help cultivate an ecosystem for data sharing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

OPEN PROBLEM: Turbulence transition in pipe flow: some open questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckhardt, Bruno

2008-01-01

The transition to turbulence in pipe flow is a longstanding problem in fluid dynamics. In contrast to many other transitions it is not connected with linear instabilities of the laminar profile and hence follows a different route. Experimental and numerical studies within the last few years have revealed many unexpected connections to the nonlinear dynamics of strange saddles and have considerably improved our understanding of this transition. The text summarizes some of these insights and points to some outstanding problems in areas where valuable contributions from nonlinear dynamics can be expected.

ADFNE: Open source software for discrete fracture network engineering, two and three dimensional applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fadakar Alghalandis, Younes

2017-05-01

Rapidly growing topic, the discrete fracture network engineering (DFNE), has already attracted many talents from diverse disciplines in academia and industry around the world to challenge difficult problems related to mining, geothermal, civil, oil and gas, water and many other projects. Although, there are few commercial software capable of providing some useful functionalities fundamental for DFNE, their costs, closed code (black box) distributions and hence limited programmability and tractability encouraged us to respond to this rising demand with a new solution. This paper introduces an open source comprehensive software package for stochastic modeling of fracture networks in two- and three-dimension in discrete formulation. Functionalities included are geometric modeling (e.g., complex polygonal fracture faces, and utilizing directional statistics), simulations, characterizations (e.g., intersection, clustering and connectivity analyses) and applications (e.g., fluid flow). The package is completely written in Matlab scripting language. Significant efforts have been made to bring maximum flexibility to the functions in order to solve problems in both two- and three-dimensions in an easy and united way that is suitable for beginners, advanced and experienced users.

A spectral approach for the stability analysis of turbulent open-channel flows over granular beds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camporeale, C.; Canuto, C.; Ridolfi, L.

2012-01-01

A novel Orr-Sommerfeld-like equation for gravity-driven turbulent open-channel flows over a granular erodible bed is here derived, and the linear stability analysis is developed. The whole spectrum of eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the complete generalized eigenvalue problem is computed and analyzed. The fourth-order eigenvalue problem presents singular non-polynomial coefficients with non-homogenous Robin-type boundary conditions that involve first and second derivatives. Furthermore, the Exner condition is imposed at an internal point. We propose a numerical discretization of spectral type based on a single-domain Galerkin scheme. In order to manage the presence of singular coefficients, some properties of Jacobi polynomials have been carefully blended with numerical integration of Gauss-Legendre type. The results show a positive agreement with the classical experimental data and allow one to relate the different types of instability to such parameters as the Froude number, wavenumber, and the roughness scale. The eigenfunctions allow two types of boundary layers to be distinguished, scaling, respectively, with the roughness height and the saltation layer for the bedload sediment transport.

Surviving Colorectal Cancer: Long-Term, Persistent Ostomy-Specific Concerns and Adaptations

PubMed Central

Sun, Virginia; Grant, Marcia; McMullen, Carmit K.; Altschuler, Andrea; Mohler, M. Jane; Hornbrook, Mark C.; Herrinton, Lisa J.; Baldwin, Carol M.; Krouse, Robert S.

2012-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe persistent ostomy-specific concerns and adaptations in long-term (> 5 years) colorectal cancer survivors with ostomies. Subjects and Settings Thirty three colorectal cancer survivors who participated in eight gender- and health related Quality of life (HRQOL) stratified focus groups and 130 colorectal cancer survivors who provided written comments to two open-ended questions on ostomy location and pouch problems participated in the study. Data were collected on health maintenance organization members in Oregon, southwestern Washington and northern California. Methods Qualitative data were analyzed for the 8 focus groups and written comments from 2 open-ended survey questions. Discussions from the focus groups were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using content analysis. Written content from the open-ended questions was derived from a mailed questionnaire on health related quality of life in survivors with ostomies and analyzed using content analysis. Results Discussions related to persistent ostomy-related issues more than 5 years after formation were common. Persistent ostomy-related issues were focused on clothing restrictions and adaptations, dietary concerns, issues related to ostomy equipment and self-care, and the constant need to find solutions to adjust and re-adjust to living with an ostomy. Conclusions Ostomy-specific concerns persist 5 years and more for long-term colorectal cancer survivors after initial ostomy formation. Adaptations tend to be individualized and based on trial and error. Findings underscore the need to develop long-term support mechanisms that survivors can access to promote better coping and adjustment to living with an ostomy. PMID:23222968

ESTEST: An Open Science Platform for Electronic Structure Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuan, Gary

2012-01-01

Open science platforms in support of data generation, analysis, and dissemination are becoming indispensible tools for conducting research. These platforms use informatics and information technologies to address significant problems in open science data interoperability, verification & validation, comparison, analysis, post-processing,…

Crowd Sourcing for Challenging Technical Problems and Business Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Jeffrey R.; Richard, Elizabeth

2011-01-01

Crowd sourcing may be defined as the act of outsourcing tasks that are traditionally performed by an employee or contractor to an undefined, generally large group of people or community (a crowd) in the form of an open call. The open call may be issued by an organization wishing to find a solution to a particular problem or complete a task, or by an open innovation service provider on behalf of that organization. In 2008, the Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD), with the support of Wyle Integrated Science and Engineering, established and implemented pilot projects in open innovation (crowd sourcing) to determine if these new internet-based platforms could indeed find solutions to difficult technical challenges. These unsolved technical problems were converted to problem statements, also called "Challenges" or "Technical Needs" by the various open innovation service providers, and were then posted externally to seek solutions. In addition, an open call was issued internally to NASA employees Agency wide (10 Field Centers and NASA HQ) using an open innovation service provider crowd sourcing platform to post NASA challenges from each Center for the others to propose solutions). From 2008 to 2010, the SLSD issued 34 challenges, 14 externally and 20 internally. The 14 external problems or challenges were posted through three different vendors: InnoCentive, Yet2.com and TopCoder. The 20 internal challenges were conducted using the InnoCentive crowd sourcing platform designed for internal use by an organization. This platform was customized for NASA use and promoted as NASA@Work. The results were significant. Of the seven InnoCentive external challenges, two full and five partial awards were made in complex technical areas such as predicting solar flares and long-duration food packaging. Similarly, the TopCoder challenge yielded an optimization algorithm for designing a lunar medical kit. The Yet2.com challenges yielded many new industry and academic contacts in bone imaging, microbial detection and even the use of pharmaceuticals for radiation protection. The internal challenges through NASA@Work drew over 6000 participants across all NASA centers. Challenges conducted by each NASA center elicited ideas and solutions from several other NASA centers and demonstrated rapid and efficient participation from employees at multiple centers to contribute to problem solving. Finally, on January 19, 2011, the SLSD conducted a workshop on open collaboration and innovation strategies and best practices through the newly established NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC). Initial projects will be described leading to a new business model for SLSD.

e-Assessment in a Limited-Resources Dental School Using an Open-Source Learning Management System.

PubMed

El Tantawi, Maha M A; Abdelsalam, Maha M; Mourady, Ahmed M; Elrifae, Ismail M B

2015-05-01

e-Assessment provides solutions to some problems encountered in dental students' evaluation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the experience of a limited-resources dental school with e-assessment provided through an open-source learning management system (LMS). Data about users' access and types of e-assessment activities at the Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University, Egypt, were obtained from the web-based LMS Moodle. A questionnaire developed to assess students' perceptions of the e-assessment was also sent to students registered in two courses (undergraduate and postgraduate) with the same instructor. The results showed that most e-courses at the school had one form of e-assessment (82%) and, of these, 16.7% had summative assessment activities. There were significant differences among departments in the number of e-courses with e-assessment. One-quarter of e-courses with e-assessment used Moodle quizzes. Of 285 students registered in the two courses that included the questionnaire, 170 responded (response rate=59.6%). The responding students positively perceived the impact of e-assessment on learning and its reliability and security, whereas technical issues and related stresses were negatively perceived. This study suggests that e-assessment can be used at minimal cost in dental schools with limited resources and large class sizes with the least demands on faculty members and teaching staff time. For these schools, an open-source LMS such as Moodle provides formative e-assessment not available otherwise and accommodates various question formats and varying levels of instructors' technical skills. These students seemed to have a positive impression of the e-assessment although technical problems and related stresses are issues that need to be addressed.

Boltzmann babies in the proper time measure

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

Bousso, Raphael; Freivogel, Ben; Yang, I-S.

2008-05-15

After commenting briefly on the role of the typicality assumption in science, we advocate a phenomenological approach to the cosmological measure problem. Like any other theory, a measure should be simple, general, well defined, and consistent with observation. This allows us to proceed by elimination. As an example, we consider the proper time cutoff on a geodesic congruence. It predicts that typical observers are quantum fluctuations in the early universe, or Boltzmann babies. We sharpen this well-known youngness problem by taking into account the expansion and open spatial geometry of pocket universes. Moreover, we relate the youngness problem directly tomore » the probability distribution for observables, such as the temperature of the cosmic background radiation. We consider a number of modifications of the proper time measure, but find none that would make it compatible with observation.« less

Boltzmann babies in the proper time measure

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

Bousso, Raphael; Bousso, Raphael; Freivogel, Ben

After commenting briefly on the role of the typicality assumption in science, we advocate a phenomenological approach to the cosmological measure problem. Like any other theory, a measure should be simple, general, well defined, and consistent with observation. This allows us to proceed by elimination. As an example, we consider the proper time cutoff on a geodesic congruence. It predicts that typical observers are quantum fluctuations in the early universe, or Boltzmann babies. We sharpen this well-known youngness problem by taking into account the expansion and open spatial geometry of pocket universes. Moreover, we relate the youngness problem directly tomore » the probability distribution for observables, such as the temperature of the cosmic background radiation. We consider a number of modifications of the proper time measure, but find none that would make it compatible with observation.« less

Personality dimensions and emotional problems: the mediating role of irrational beliefs in Pakistani adult non-clinical sample.

PubMed

Jibeen, Tahira

2015-03-01

This study presents the first examination of the relation between the Big Five personality traits, irrational beliefs and emotional problems in Pakistan, which is an understudied country in the psychological distress literature. A total of 195 participants (aged 25-60 years), employees at COMSATS University, completed a demographic information sheet, the Big Five Personality Questionnaire, the Irrational Belief Inventory and two subscales of the Brief Symptom Inventory including depression and anxiety. Direct effects of neuroticism, openness and conscientiousness were also observed for depression and anxiety. Structural Equation Modelling demonstrated that irrational beliefs played a significant mediating role in the relationship between neuroticism and anxiety and neuroticism and depression. The results highlight the importance of cognitive beliefs in functionally linking personality traits and emotional problems. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

Sampling, feasibility, and priors in data assimilation

DOE PAGES

Tu, Xuemin; Morzfeld, Matthias; Miller, Robert N.; ...

2016-03-01

Importance sampling algorithms are discussed in detail, with an emphasis on implicit sampling, and applied to data assimilation via particle filters. Implicit sampling makes it possible to use the data to find high-probability samples at relatively low cost, making the assimilation more efficient. A new analysis of the feasibility of data assimilation is presented, showing in detail why feasibility depends on the Frobenius norm of the covariance matrix of the noise and not on the number of variables. A discussion of the convergence of particular particle filters follows. A major open problem in numerical data assimilation is the determination ofmore » appropriate priors, a progress report on recent work on this problem is given. The analysis highlights the need for a careful attention both to the data and to the physics in data assimilation problems.« less

What "Dr. Mom" ordered: a community-based exploratory study of parental self-care responses to children's ADHD symptoms.

PubMed

Bussing, Regina; E Koro-Ljungberg, Mirka; Williamson, Pamela; Gary, Faye A; Wilson Garvan, Cynthia

2006-08-01

Little is known about family initiated self-care interventions in response to symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and how self-care may co-exist with professional treatments. This paper explores parental self-care strategies for children with hyperactivity or attention problems, and examines factors and domains that influence their use from the mixed method perspective. As part of a longitudinal cohort study of ADHD detection and service use, caregivers of a representative US community sample of 266 children at high risk for ADHD completed a questionnaire that assessed five self-care strategies (behavior modification, coping, diet, over-the-counter medication use and religious practices), and made open-ended inquiry about discipline changes in response to behavioral concerns. Questionnaire responses were analyzed using logistic regression approaches. Open-ended answers were open coded; secondary analysis followed Spradley's model of domain analysis. Quantitative findings showed that behavior modification was the most commonly tried self-care strategy, followed by coping, diet, and religious practices. Over-the-counter trial was least common. The parents of professionally treated children were more likely to have employed behavior modification, coping strategies and over-the-counter medications than the parents of untreated children. Two-thirds of parents had changed their disciplinary action within three domains that were identified through qualitative analysis, including changes related to (a) the prevention of disciplinary problems (e.g., sustain eye contact, activation, consistency, clear instructions), (b) the solution of disciplinary problems (e.g., time-outs; privilege removal), and (c) parental coping associated with disciplinary problems (e.g., control own emotions, become less judgmental and more tolerant, and develop more appropriate expectations). These findings suggest that self-care strategies are commonly employed and appear to co-exist with professional treatment. Therefore, healthcare providers should actively explore parents' use of such strategies as some of them may interfere with prescribed treatments (e.g., over-the-counter) or absorb parental resources without likely benefit (e.g., diet).

Personality factors versus expectations and self-reported symptoms among patients awaiting advanced prosthodontic treatment.

PubMed

Hakestam, U; Söderfeldt, B; Rydén, O; Glantz, P O

1997-09-01

To assess simple questions for identifying patient personality traits among a normal Swedish population and to assess possible relationships between personality and symptoms, attitudes, dental problems, and received dental care, a questionnaire was sent to 489 subjects awaiting prosthodontic treatment (response rate 84.2%). Three personality traits could be identified: "Fearful-depressed" subjects consumed more tranquillisers, were worried and had many symptoms, whilst "Open-minded" were optimistic about treatment, had high expectations and few symptoms. "Control-minded" did not reveal worries and guarded their autonomy. It was concluded that personality indicators were related to clinically relevant factors: salience of teeth, perceptions of problems, dental attendance pattern, expectations and perceptions of symptoms.

Dorsal Failures: From Saddle Deformity to Pollybeak.

PubMed

Hamilton, Grant S

2018-06-01

The nasal dorsum is an important component of a rhinoplasty and may be the primary motivation for seeking surgery. The nasal dorsum is a complex three-dimensional shape that is shrouded by local anesthetic and edema during surgery. This makes an accurate assessment of the surgical changes challenging. Complications related to dorsal modification include imbalances from over- or underresection of the structures of the nasal dorsum, inadequate or overaugmentation, an open-roof deformity, pollybeak, saddle nose, inverted-V, warped cartilage, visible grafts, contour problems, graft malposition, and extrusion. This review will discuss the common problems that can occur with dorsal modification during rhinoplasty. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

The management of staghorn calculi in children

PubMed Central

Horuz, Rahim; Sarica, Kemal

2012-01-01

Objectives To review reports focusing on the surgical treatment of staghorn stones in children, as despite all the improvements in the surgical treatment of paediatric urolithiasis the management of staghorn calculi still represents a challenging problem in urology practice. Methods To evaluate current knowledge about treating staghorn calculi in children, we searched PubMed for relevant articles published between 1991 and 2011, using a combination of related keywords, i.e. staghorn stone, child, kidney calculi, surgical treatment, electrohydraulic shockwave therapy (ESWL), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), and open surgery. Reports relating to the treatment of paediatric stone disease in general (open surgery, PCNL, ESWL) were also searched with the same method. Additional references were obtained from the reference list of full-text reports. Results Although open surgery had been widely used in the past for treating such stones in children, currently it has only limited indications in highly selected patients. Current published data clearly indicate that, in experienced hands, both PCNL and ESWL are now effective methods for treating staghorn calculi in children. Conclusions Due to advanced techniques and instrumentation, it is now possible to successfully treat staghorn calculi in children, with very limited safety concerns. Currently, while PCNL is recommended as the first-line surgical treatment, ESWL, open surgery and/or combined methods are valuable but secondary options in the treatment of paediatric staghorn calculi. PMID:26558045

Opening up the Collaborative Problem-Solving Process to Solvers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robison, Tyler

2013-01-01

In software systems, having features of openness means that some of the internal components of the system are made available for examination by users. Researchers have looked at different effects of open systems a great deal in the area of educational technology, but also in areas outside of education. Properly used, openness has the potential to…

Open Versus Endoscopic Cubital Tunnel In Situ Decompression: A Systematic Review of Outcomes and Complications.

PubMed

Toirac, Alexander; Giugale, Juan M; Fowler, John R

2017-05-01

Endoscopic cubital tunnel release has been proposed as an alternative to open in situ release. However, it is difficult to analyze outcomes after endoscopic release, as only a few small case series exist. The electronic databases of PubMed (1960-June 2014) were systematically screened for studies related to endoscopic cubital tunnel release or open in situ cubital tunnel release. Baseline characteristics, clinical scores, and complication rates were abstracted. The binary outcome was defined as rate of excellent/good response versus fair/poor. Complications were recorded into 3 categories: wound problems, persistent ulnar nerve symptoms, and other. We included 8 articles that reported the clinical outcomes after surgical intervention including a total of 494 patients (344 endoscopic, 150 open in situ). The pooled rate of excellent/good was 92.0% (88.8%-95.2%) for endoscopic and 82.7% (76.15%-89.2%) for open. We identified 18 articles that detailed complications including a total of 1108 patients (691 endoscopic, 417 open). The 4 articles that listed complication rates for both endoscopic and open techniques were analyzed and showed a pooled odds ratio of 0.280 (95% confidence interval, 0.125-0.625), indicating that endoscopic patients have reduced odds of complications. The results of this systematic review suggest that there is a difference in clinical outcomes between the open in situ and endoscopic cubital tunnel release, with the endoscopic technique being superior in regard to both complication rates along with patient satisfaction.

Guaranteeing safety in spatially situated agents

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

Kohout, R.C.; Hendler, J.A.; Musliner, D.J.

1996-12-31

{open_quote}Mission-critical{close_quotes} systems, which include such diverse applications as nuclear power plant controllers, {open_quotes}fly-by-wire{close_quotes} airplanes, medical care and monitoring systems, and autonomous mobile vehicles, are characterized by the fact that system failure is potentially catastrophic. The high cost of failure justifies the expenditure of considerable effort at design-time in order to guarantee the correctness of system behavior. This paper examines the problem of guaranteeing safety in a well studied class of robot motion problems known as the {open_quotes}asteroid avoidance problem.{close_quotes} We establish necessary and sufficient conditions for ensuring safety in the simple version of this problem which occurs most frequently inmore » the literature, as well as sufficient conditions for a more general and realistic case. In doing so, we establish functional relationships between the number, size and speed of obstacles, the robot`s maximum speed and the conditions which must be maintained in order to ensure safety.« less

Couples' Reports of Relationship Problems in a Naturalistic Therapy Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boisvert, Marie-Michele; Wright, John; Tremblay, Nadine; McDuff, Pierre

2011-01-01

Understanding couples' relationship problems is fundamental to couple therapy. Although research has documented common relationship problems, no study has used open-ended questions to explore problems in couples seeking therapy in naturalistic settings. The present study used a reliable coding system to explore the relationship problems reported…

"Should we talk about it?": A study of the experiences business leaders have of employing people with mental health problems.

PubMed

Pettersen, Kaare Torgny; Fugletveit, Ragnhild

2015-01-01

Job seekers with mental health problems are more at risk of being excluded from the labour market than those without such problems. Our aim has been to explore the experiences business leaders have of employing people with mental health problems and to investigate whether they can suggest what might be done in order to include more job seekers with mental health problems in their companies. Our empirical sample consisted of in-depth interviews with ten business leaders who were recruited from five public and five private companies. On the one hand business leaders want more openness in the hiring process in relation to any psychological problems job seekers have. On the other hand, employers were unsure whether job seekers would state that they have or have had mental health problems. The study concludes that more attention must be focused on changing business leaders' attitudes and changing unhealthy corporate cultures that create and sustain the idea that people with mental health problems are disabled. In order to reverse the trend of increasing numbers of people with mental health problems being excluded from the labour market, it seems imperative that business leaders develop their understanding of how the workplace can accommodate employees who have a history of mental health problems.

How do gamblers end gambling: longitudinal analysis of Internet gambling behaviors prior to account closure due to gambling related problems.

PubMed

Xuan, Ziming; Shaffer, Howard

2009-06-01

To examine behavioral patterns of actual Internet gamblers who experienced gambling-related problems and voluntarily closed their accounts. A nested case-control design was used to compare gamblers who closed their accounts because of gambling problems to those who maintained open accounts. Actual play patterns of in vivo Internet gamblers who subscribed to an Internet gambling site. 226 gamblers who closed accounts due to gambling problems were selected from a cohort of 47,603 Internet gamblers who subscribed to an Internet gambling site during February 2005; 226 matched-case controls were selected from the group of gamblers who did not close their accounts. Daily aggregates of behavioral data were collected during an 18-month study period. Main outcomes of interest were daily aggregates of stake, odds, and net loss, which were standardized by the daily aggregate number of bets. We also examined the number of bets to measure trajectory of gambling frequency. Account closers due to gambling problems experienced increasing monetary loss as the time to closure approached; they also increased their stake per bet. Yet they did not chase longer odds; their choices of wagers were more probabilistically conservative (i.e., short odds) compared with the controls. The changes of monetary involvement and risk preference occurred concurrently during the last few days prior to voluntary closing. Our finding of an involvement-seeking yet risk-averse tendency among self-identified problem gamblers challenges the notion that problem gamblers seek "long odds" during "chasing."

The death of the Job plot, transparency, open science and online tools, uncertainty estimation methods and other developments in supramolecular chemistry data analysis.

PubMed

Brynn Hibbert, D; Thordarson, Pall

2016-10-25

Data analysis is central to understanding phenomena in host-guest chemistry. We describe here recent developments in this field starting with the revelation that the popular Job plot method is inappropriate for most problems in host-guest chemistry and that the focus should instead be on systematically fitting data and testing all reasonable binding models. We then discuss approaches for estimating uncertainties in binding studies using case studies and simulations to highlight key issues. Related to this is the need for ready access to data and transparency in the methodology or software used, and we demonstrate an example a webportal () that aims to address this issue. We conclude with a list of best-practice protocols for data analysis in supramolecular chemistry that could easily be translated to other related problems in chemistry including measuring rate constants or drug IC 50 values.

To draw or not to draw? Examining the necessity of problem diagrams using massive open online course experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhongzhou; Demirci, Neset; Choi, Youn-Jeng; Pritchard, David E.

2017-06-01

Previous research on problem diagrams suggested that including a supportive diagram, one that does not provide necessary problem solving information, may bring little, or even negative, benefit to students' problem solving success. We tested the usefulness of problem diagrams on 12 different physics problems (6A/B experiments) in our massive open online course. By analyzing over 8000 student responses in total, we found that including a problem diagram that contains no significant additional information only slightly improves the first attempt correct rate for the few most spatially complex problems, and has little impact on either the final correct percentage or the time spent on solving the problem. On the other hand, in half of the cases, removing the diagram significantly increased the fraction of students' drawing their own diagrams during problem solving. The increase in drawing behavior is largely independent of students' physics abilities. In summary, our results suggest that for many physics problems, the benefit of a diagram is exceedingly small and may not justify the effort of creating one.

Computational alternatives to obtain time optimal jet engine control. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basso, R. J.; Leake, R. J.

1976-01-01

Two computational methods to determine an open loop time optimal control sequence for a simple single spool turbojet engine are described by a set of nonlinear differential equations. Both methods are modifications of widely accepted algorithms which can solve fixed time unconstrained optimal control problems with a free right end. Constrained problems to be considered have fixed right ends and free time. Dynamic programming is defined on a standard problem and it yields a successive approximation solution to the time optimal problem of interest. A feedback control law is obtained and it is then used to determine the corresponding open loop control sequence. The Fletcher-Reeves conjugate gradient method has been selected for adaptation to solve a nonlinear optimal control problem with state variable and control constraints.

MPPhys—A many-particle simulation package for computational physics education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, Thomas

2014-03-01

In a first course to classical mechanics elementary physical processes like elastic two-body collisions, the mass-spring model, or the gravitational two-body problem are discussed in detail. The continuation to many-body systems, however, is deferred to graduate courses although the underlying equations of motion are essentially the same and although there is a strong motivation for high-school students in particular because of the use of particle systems in computer games. The missing link between the simple and the more complex problem is a basic introduction to solve the equations of motion numerically which could be illustrated, however, by means of the Euler method. The many-particle physics simulation package MPPhys offers a platform to experiment with simple particle simulations. The aim is to give a principle idea how to implement many-particle simulations and how simulation and visualization can be combined for interactive visual explorations. Catalogue identifier: AERR_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AERR_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen’s University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 111327 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 608411 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: C++, OpenGL, GLSL, OpenCL. Computer: Linux and Windows platforms with OpenGL support. Operating system: Linux and Windows. RAM: Source Code 4.5 MB Complete package 242 MB Classification: 14, 16.9. External routines: OpenGL, OpenCL Nature of problem: Integrate N-body simulations, mass-spring models Solution method: Numerical integration of N-body-simulations, 3D-Rendering via OpenGL. Running time: Problem dependent

Rio Arriba County Strategy To Combat Heroin Addiction. Hearing before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixth Congress, First Session. Special Hearing (Espanola, New Mexico, March 30, 1999).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Appropriations.

At an Espanola (New Mexico) hearing, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies of the Senate Committee on Appropriations heard testimony on heroin addiction and intervention efforts in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. An opening statement of Senator Pete Domenici outlined the problem of an epidemic of…

A Fresh Math Perspective Opens New Possibilities for Computational Chemistry

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

Vu, Linda; Govind, Niranjan; Yang, Chao

2017-05-26

By reformulating the TDDFT problem as a matrix function approximation, making use of a special transformation and taking advantage of the underlying symmetry with respect to a non-Euclidean metric, Yang and his colleagues were able to apply the Lanczos algorithm and a Kernal Polynomial Method (KPM) to approximate the absorption spectrum of several molecules. Both of these algorithms require relatively low-memory compared to non-symmetrical alternatives, which is the key to the computational savings.

Multilevel description of the DNA molecule translocation in solid-state synthetic nanopores

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

Nosik, V. L., E-mail: v-nosik@yandex.ru; Rudakova, E. B.

2016-07-15

Interest of researchers in micro- and nanofluidics of polymer solutions and, in particular, DNA ionic solutions is constantly increasing. The use of DNA translocation with a controlled velocity through solid-state nanopores and pulsed X-ray beams in new sequencing schemes opens up new possibilities for studying the structure of DNA and other biopolymers. The problems related to the description of DNA molecular motion in a limited volume of nanopore are considered.

Training innovations in gastroenterology and educational resources: a new vision of gastrointestinal education across Europe.

PubMed

Berberat, Pascal O; de Wit, Niek J; Bockhorn, Maximilian; Lundell, Lars; Drenth, Joost P H

2010-12-01

To define a new educational strategy for the United European Gastroenterology Federation (UEGF) to be followed and implemented in the near future. UEGF organized a consensus-based strategy meeting with stakeholders and key decision makers in European Gastroenterology on Training Innovations in Gastroenterology and Educational Resources. In May 2010, in an 'open-face conference' at Starnberg, Germany, 59 specialists in gastroenterology, hepatology, and related fields from 15 countries and 16 societies participated. Breakout sessions identified the key problem areas, possible solutions, and formulated statements subsequently voted upon in plenum. A majority of the formulated statements (59%) reached a strong agreement. Topics in which UEGF should focus are the future educational activities that include developing ways to advocate multidisciplinarity and integration between levels of care and specialties, ways to improve quality of care, and the development of training tools. The successful outcome of the Training Innovations in Gastroenterology and Educational Resources conference was achieved with the production of a strategy layout for new UEGF educational activities. There was an agreement that improvement in topics related to multidisciplinarity and professionalism, which is crucial for further development. An open-face conference, such as that embodied by the Training Innovations in Gastroenterology and Educational Resources meeting, was shown to be an effective tool in identifying the key problem areas in education and in formulating new strategies.

Threats to Validity When Using Open-Ended Items in International Achievement Studies: Coding Responses to the PISA 2012 Problem-Solving Test in Finland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arffman, Inga

2016-01-01

Open-ended (OE) items are widely used to gather data on student performance in international achievement studies. However, several factors may threaten validity when using such items. This study examined Finnish coders' opinions about threats to validity when coding responses to OE items in the PISA 2012 problem-solving test. A total of 6…

A Cognitive Analysis of Students’ Mathematical Problem Solving Ability on Geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusyda, N. A.; Kusnandi, K.; Suhendra, S.

2017-09-01

The purpose of this research is to analyze of mathematical problem solving ability of students in one of secondary school on geometry. This research was conducted by using quantitative approach with descriptive method. Population in this research was all students of that school and the sample was twenty five students that was chosen by purposive sampling technique. Data of mathematical problem solving were collected through essay test. The results showed the percentage of achievement of mathematical problem solving indicators of students were: 1) solve closed mathematical problems with context in math was 50%; 2) solve the closed mathematical problems with the context beyond mathematics was 24%; 3) solving open mathematical problems with contexts in mathematics was 35%; And 4) solving open mathematical problems with contexts outside mathematics was 44%. Based on the percentage, it can be concluded that the level of achievement of mathematical problem solving ability in geometry still low. This is because students are not used to solving problems that measure mathematical problem solving ability, weaknesses remember previous knowledge, and lack of problem solving framework. So the students’ ability of mathematical problems solving need to be improved with implement appropriate learning strategy.

Highlighting the Mechanism of the Quantum Speedup by Time-Symmetric and Relational Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castagnoli, Giuseppe

2016-03-01

Bob hides a ball in one of four drawers. Alice is to locate it. Classically she has to open up to three drawers, quantally just one. The fundamental reason for this quantum speedup is not known. The usual representation of the quantum algorithm is limited to the process of solving the problem. We extend it to the process of setting the problem. The number of the drawer with the ball becomes a unitary transformation of the random outcome of the preparation measurement. This extended, time-symmetric, representation brings in relational quantum mechanics. It is with respect to Bob and any external observer and cannot be with respect to Alice. It would tell her the number of the drawer with the ball before she opens any drawer. To Alice, the projection of the quantum state due to the preparation measurement should be retarded at the end of her search; in the input state of the search, the drawer number is determined to Bob and undetermined to Alice. We show that, mathematically, one can ascribe any part of the selection of the random outcome of the preparation measurement to the final Alice's measurement. Ascribing half of it explains the speedup of the present algorithm. This leaves the input state to Bob unaltered and projects that to Alice on a state of lower entropy where she knows half of the number of the drawer with the ball in advance. The quantum algorithm turns out to be a sum over histories in each of which Alice knows in advance that the ball is in a pair of drawers and locates it by opening one of the two. In the sample of quantum algorithms examined, the part of the random outcome of the initial measurement selected by the final measurement is one half or slightly above it. Conversely, given an oracle problem, the assumption it is one half always corresponds to an existing quantum algorithm and gives the order of magnitude of the number of oracle queries required by the optimal one.

Computational open-channel hydraulics for movable-bed problems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lai, Chintu; ,

1990-01-01

As a major branch of computational hydraulics, notable advances have been made in numerical modeling of unsteady open-channel flow since the beginning of the computer age. According to the broader definition and scope of 'computational hydraulics,' the basic concepts and technology of modeling unsteady open-channel flow have been systematically studied previously. As a natural extension, computational open-channel hydraulics for movable-bed problems are addressed in this paper. The introduction of the multimode method of characteristics (MMOC) has made the modeling of this class of unsteady flows both practical and effective. New modeling techniques are developed, thereby shedding light on several aspects of computational hydraulics. Some special features of movable-bed channel-flow simulation are discussed here in the same order as given by the author in the fixed-bed case.

Equipment Selection by using Fuzzy TOPSIS Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yavuz, Mahmut

2016-10-01

In this study, Fuzzy TOPSIS method was performed for the selection of open pit truck and the optimal solution of the problem was investigated. Data from Turkish Coal Enterprises was used in the application of the method. This paper explains the Fuzzy TOPSIS approaches with group decision-making application in an open pit coal mine in Turkey. An algorithm of the multi-person multi-criteria decision making with fuzzy set approach was applied an equipment selection problem. It was found that Fuzzy TOPSIS with a group decision making is a method that may help decision-makers in solving different decision-making problems in mining.

The work-related stressors and coping strategies of group-employed rural health care practitioners: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Hasbrouck, Melinda A; Waddimba, Anthony C

2017-10-01

Escalating demands on practitioners, stagnating/dwindling resources, and diminishing autonomy have heightened patient-care work-related stress. Using qualitative content/thematic analysis of responses to open-ended survey questions, plus spontaneous comments, we sought to identify rural clinicians' subjective perceptions of their workplace stressors and typical adaptive/coping strategies. Within a hybrid inductive-deductive approach, we framed empirical themes (derived by consensus, corroborated with text segments, and extant literature) into theory-based coding templates by which we analyzed the data. Of 308 (65.1% of) recipients completing questionnaires, 290 (94%) answered open-ended questions and/or provided comments. Categorizing stressors by socio-ecology, they cited four themes: Organizational, practitioner/staff-related, patient-related, and third party-induced stressors. Organizational stressors were referenced most conspicuously. How respondents described their coping fitted the Stress, Appraisal and Coping. [Lazarus and Folkman (1984): New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company, Inc] model. Emotion-focused were referenced more than problem-focused approaches. Themes scarcely differed by demographics, except for marital status. Findings highlight needs for resilience coaching, rekindling work meaningfulness, mentorship in work-home balance/limit-setting, supportive peer networks, and deeper teamwork. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Parent-child communication patterns during the first year after a parent's cancer diagnosis: the effect on parents' functioning.

PubMed

Gazendam-Donofrio, Stacey; Hoekstra, Harald; van der Graaf, Winette; van de Wiel, Harry; Visser, Annemieke; Huizinga, Gea; Hoekstra-Weebers, Josette

2009-09-15

Good parent-child communication is thought to help families adjust more easily during stressful events such as parental cancer. Families dealing with cancer who communicate openly have reported less psychological distress. The first year after diagnosis may be particularly stressful. The authors investigated parents' quality of life (QOL) and stress-response symptoms and parent-child communication during the first year after diagnosis and examined possible relationships between communication and parents' functioning. Recently-diagnosed cancer patients (N=70) and spouses (N=55) participated within 4 months of diagnosis (T1) and 6 months (T2) and 12 months later (T3). Parents reported on communication with the children (PACS) and on their own physical and psychosocial functioning (RAND-36) and stress-response symptoms (IES). Parent-child communication remained stable throughout the first year after diagnosis and was similar to communication in families 1 year to 5 years after diagnosis. Patients' functioning improved and cancer-related distress decreased significantly. Spouses' cancer-related distress decreased; their functioning fluctuated through the year. In concurrent analyses, patients' open communication with the children related only to T1 intrusion. Spouses' open communication related to T3 psychosocial functioning; problem communication related to T1 and T2 psychosocial functioning and T2 avoidance. In prospective analyses, no significant relationships were found between parent-child communication and change in parents' functioning. Communication between parents and children remained stable over time; patients' and spouses' functioning improved. Parent-child communication seems to have a limited affect on parents' functioning. Copyright (c) 2009 American Cancer Society.

Use of open-ended problems as the basis for the mathematical creativity growth disclosure of student

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suyitno, A.; Suyitno, H.; Rochmad; Dwijanto

2018-03-01

Mathematical creativity is the essence of learning in mathematics. However, mathematical creativity had not yet grown among students. Means there was a gap between needs and reality. This gap must be bridged through by scientific studies, and there were novelty findings, namely the discovery of stages to cultivate of Mathematical Creativity. The problem formulation: How to use of open-ended problems as the basis for the mathematical creativity growth disclosure of student? The goal was to use of open issues as the basis for the mathematical creativity growth disclosure of student. Research method with a qualitative approach. After data was collected then activity in data analysis, include data reduction, data presentation, data interpretation, and conclusion/verification. The results of the research: After the learning by applying the modification of RTTW learning model, then the students were trained to do the open-ended problems and by looking at the UTS and UAS values then qualitatively the results: (1) There was a significant increase of the student's final score. (2) The category of the growth of mathematical creativity of students, the Very Good there were three students, the Good there were six students, There were 17 students, and there were six students. The validation of these results was reinforced by interviews and triangulation. (3) Stage to cultivate mathematical creativity: lecturers should need to provide inputs on student work; Apply an appropriate learning model, and train students to work on the continuing problems.

When intelligence is in control

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

Bellman, K.L.

Each time a discipline redefines itself, I look at it as a sign of growth, because often such redefinition means that there is new theory, new methods, or new {open_quotes}disciples{close_quote} from other disciplines who are stretching, enlarging, and deepening the field. Such is the case with semiotics. Deeply entwined with the concepts of {open_quotes}intelligent systems{close_quotes}, {open_quotes}intelligent control{close_quotes}, and complex systems theory, semiotics struggles to develop representations, notations (systems of representations), and models (functionally-oriented sets of related representations) to study systems that may or may not be usefully described as employing representations, notations, and models themselves. That last, of course, ismore » the main problem that semiotics faces. Semiotics, like psychology, philosophy, or any other self-referential discipline, is burdened by the eye attempting to study the eye or the mind studying the mind, or more to the point here, the modeler studying the modeling acts of others.« less

Spoken Language Processing in the Clarissa Procedure Browser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rayner, M.; Hockey, B. A.; Renders, J.-M.; Chatzichrisafis, N.; Farrell, K.

2005-01-01

Clarissa, an experimental voice enabled procedure browser that has recently been deployed on the International Space Station, is as far as we know the first spoken dialog system in space. We describe the objectives of the Clarissa project and the system's architecture. In particular, we focus on three key problems: grammar-based speech recognition using the Regulus toolkit; methods for open mic speech recognition; and robust side-effect free dialogue management for handling undos, corrections and confirmations. We first describe the grammar-based recogniser we have build using Regulus, and report experiments where we compare it against a class N-gram recogniser trained off the same 3297 utterance dataset. We obtained a 15% relative improvement in WER and a 37% improvement in semantic error rate. The grammar-based recogniser moreover outperforms the class N-gram version for utterances of all lengths from 1 to 9 words inclusive. The central problem in building an open-mic speech recognition system is being able to distinguish between commands directed at the system, and other material (cross-talk), which should be rejected. Most spoken dialogue systems make the accept/reject decision by applying a threshold to the recognition confidence score. NASA shows how a simple and general method, based on standard approaches to document classification using Support Vector Machines, can give substantially better performance, and report experiments showing a relative reduction in the task-level error rate by about 25% compared to the baseline confidence threshold method. Finally, we describe a general side-effect free dialogue management architecture that we have implemented in Clarissa, which extends the "update semantics'' framework by including task as well as dialogue information in the information state. We show that this enables elegant treatments of several dialogue management problems, including corrections, confirmations, querying of the environment, and regression testing.

Open and Positive Attitudes toward Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Chia-Fang

2014-01-01

This chapter argues that the most important thing for a nonnative English-speaking teacher is to have an open and positive attitude toward students. A teacher's willingness to work out problems with individual students, coupled with openness to students' ideas and criticism, should help improve students' negative attitudes toward…

Open Education: Promise and Problems. Fastback Series, No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perrone, Vito

The term "open education" is used to designate the curriculum and instruction methods associated with an open plan school -- one without interior walls. Such a program consists of more advanced children assisting those less advanced, independent study, children progressing at their own rate, extensive use of the outdoor environment,…

Development of Open Textbooks Learning Analytics System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prasad, Deepak; Totaram, Rajneel; Usagawa, Tsuyoshi

2016-01-01

Textbook costs have skyrocketed in recent years, putting them beyond the reach of many students, but there are options which can mitigate this problem. Open textbooks, an open educational resource, have proven capable of making textbooks affordable to students. There have been few educational development as promising as the development of open…

Open bite in prematurely born children.

PubMed

Harila, V; Heikkinen, T; Grön, M; Alvesalo, L

2007-01-01

The aims of this study were to: examine the expression of open bite in prematurely born children and discuss the etiological factors that may lead to bite it. The subjects were 328 prematurely born (<37 gestational weeks) Caucasoid and African American children and 1,804 full-term control children, who participated in the cross-sectional study of the Collaborative Perinatal Project in the 1960s and 1970s. Dental documents, including casts and photographs, were taken once at the age of 6-12 years in the mixed dentition. The occlusion was recorded by examining and measuring the hard stone casts. Vertical open bite was recorded only for full erupted teeth. The statistical method used was chi-square analysis. Significant differences in the incidence of anterior open bite (from left to right canine) was found between the preterm and control groups and between gender and ethnic groups. The prevalence of anterior open bite was nearly 9% in the preterm group and almost 7% in the control group. African Americans (9%) had a significantly greater incidence of open bite than Caucasians (3%; P<.0001). Generally, girls had a greater incidence of open bite than boys (8% vs 6%; P<.11). When the study groups were divided by prematurity, gender, and ethnic group, the prevalence of open bite was increased--especially in preterm African American boys compared to controls (11% vs 8%). The results show differences in the development of anterior open bite between ethnic and gender groups. Premature birth may also influence dental occlusal development. Of importance are the patient's: general health condition; respiratory infections; inadequate nasal- and mouth-breathing; oral habits; and other medical problems. Preterm children may be relatively more predisposed to etiological factors for the development of anterior open bite.

To Draw or Not to Draw? Examining the Necessity of Problem Diagrams Using Massive Open Online Course Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Zhongzhou; Demirci, Neset; Choi, Youn-Jeng; Pritchard, David E.

2017-01-01

Previous research on problem diagrams suggested that including a supportive diagram, one that does not provide necessary problem solving information, may bring little, or even negative, benefit to students' problem solving success. We tested the usefulness of problem diagrams on 12 different physics problems (6A/B experiments) in our massive open…

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, John W.

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

Quantum non-Markovianity: characterization, quantification and detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivas, Ángel; Huelga, Susana F.; Plenio, Martin B.

2014-09-01

We present a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the concept of quantum non-Markovianity, a central theme in the theory of open quantum systems. We introduce the concept of a quantum Markovian process as a generalization of the classical definition of Markovianity via the so-called divisibility property and relate this notion to the intuitive idea that links non-Markovianity with the persistence of memory effects. A detailed comparison with other definitions presented in the literature is provided. We then discuss several existing proposals to quantify the degree of non-Markovianity of quantum dynamics and to witness non-Markovian behavior, the latter providing sufficient conditions to detect deviations from strict Markovianity. Finally, we conclude by enumerating some timely open problems in the field and provide an outlook on possible research directions.

Quantum non-Markovianity: characterization, quantification and detection.

PubMed

Rivas, Ángel; Huelga, Susana F; Plenio, Martin B

2014-09-01

We present a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the concept of quantum non-Markovianity, a central theme in the theory of open quantum systems. We introduce the concept of a quantum Markovian process as a generalization of the classical definition of Markovianity via the so-called divisibility property and relate this notion to the intuitive idea that links non-Markovianity with the persistence of memory effects. A detailed comparison with other definitions presented in the literature is provided. We then discuss several existing proposals to quantify the degree of non-Markovianity of quantum dynamics and to witness non-Markovian behavior, the latter providing sufficient conditions to detect deviations from strict Markovianity. Finally, we conclude by enumerating some timely open problems in the field and provide an outlook on possible research directions.

Definition and solution of a stochastic inverse problem for the Manning's n parameter field in hydrodynamic models.

PubMed

Butler, T; Graham, L; Estep, D; Dawson, C; Westerink, J J

2015-04-01

The uncertainty in spatially heterogeneous Manning's n fields is quantified using a novel formulation and numerical solution of stochastic inverse problems for physics-based models. The uncertainty is quantified in terms of a probability measure and the physics-based model considered here is the state-of-the-art ADCIRC model although the presented methodology applies to other hydrodynamic models. An accessible overview of the formulation and solution of the stochastic inverse problem in a mathematically rigorous framework based on measure theory is presented. Technical details that arise in practice by applying the framework to determine the Manning's n parameter field in a shallow water equation model used for coastal hydrodynamics are presented and an efficient computational algorithm and open source software package are developed. A new notion of "condition" for the stochastic inverse problem is defined and analyzed as it relates to the computation of probabilities. This notion of condition is investigated to determine effective output quantities of interest of maximum water elevations to use for the inverse problem for the Manning's n parameter and the effect on model predictions is analyzed.

Definition and solution of a stochastic inverse problem for the Manning's n parameter field in hydrodynamic models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, T.; Graham, L.; Estep, D.; Dawson, C.; Westerink, J. J.

2015-04-01

The uncertainty in spatially heterogeneous Manning's n fields is quantified using a novel formulation and numerical solution of stochastic inverse problems for physics-based models. The uncertainty is quantified in terms of a probability measure and the physics-based model considered here is the state-of-the-art ADCIRC model although the presented methodology applies to other hydrodynamic models. An accessible overview of the formulation and solution of the stochastic inverse problem in a mathematically rigorous framework based on measure theory is presented. Technical details that arise in practice by applying the framework to determine the Manning's n parameter field in a shallow water equation model used for coastal hydrodynamics are presented and an efficient computational algorithm and open source software package are developed. A new notion of "condition" for the stochastic inverse problem is defined and analyzed as it relates to the computation of probabilities. This notion of condition is investigated to determine effective output quantities of interest of maximum water elevations to use for the inverse problem for the Manning's n parameter and the effect on model predictions is analyzed.

The perception of minimal structures: performance on open and closed versions of visually presented Euclidean travelling salesperson problems.

PubMed

Vickers, Douglas; Bovet, Pierre; Lee, Michael D; Hughes, Peter

2003-01-01

The planar Euclidean version of the travelling salesperson problem (TSP) requires finding a tour of minimal length through a two-dimensional set of nodes. Despite the computational intractability of the TSP, people can produce rapid, near-optimal solutions to visually presented versions of such problems. To explain this, MacGregor et al (1999, Perception 28 1417-1428) have suggested that people use a global-to-local process, based on a perceptual tendency to organise stimuli into convex figures. We review the evidence for this idea and propose an alternative, local-to-global hypothesis, based on the detection of least distances between the nodes in an array. We present the results of an experiment in which we examined the relationships between three objective measures and performance measures of optimality and response uncertainty in tasks requiring participants to construct a closed tour or an open path. The data are not well accounted for by a process based on the convex hull. In contrast, results are generally consistent with a locally focused process based initially on the detection of nearest-neighbour clusters. Individual differences are interpreted in terms of a hierarchical process of constructing solutions, and the findings are related to a more general analysis of the role of nearest neighbours in the perception of structure and motion.

Optimization of the Technological Synthesis of Refractory Compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaidar, S. M.; Karelina, M. Yu.; Prikhod'ko, V. M.; Volkov, A. A.

2017-12-01

The results of experimental studies, which are related to the regulation of the fractional composition of refractory compounds by roll milling in using controlled roll opening and unbalanced peripheral speeds of rollers, are reported. The content of prepared fine, middle, and coarse fractions is within 50-80%; in this case, the milling time of synthesis products is less than the time of ball milling by an order of magnitude. The application of roll milling for refining the products of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis can be most efficient in using together with heat-generating reactor to solve the main problem of self-propagating synthesis (SHS), which is a problem for recent several decades (the problem is the creation of intense automated production of refractory compounds in using continuous manufacturing cycle within a energotechnological system with the recovery of a great quantity of heat released during SHS).

Scaling Relations and Self-Similarity of 3-Dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes Equations.

PubMed

Ercan, Ali; Kavvas, M Levent

2017-07-25

Scaling conditions to achieve self-similar solutions of 3-Dimensional (3D) Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes Equations, as an initial and boundary value problem, are obtained by utilizing Lie Group of Point Scaling Transformations. By means of an open-source Navier-Stokes solver and the derived self-similarity conditions, we demonstrated self-similarity within the time variation of flow dynamics for a rigid-lid cavity problem under both up-scaled and down-scaled domains. The strength of the proposed approach lies in its ability to consider the underlying flow dynamics through not only from the governing equations under consideration but also from the initial and boundary conditions, hence allowing to obtain perfect self-similarity in different time and space scales. The proposed methodology can be a valuable tool in obtaining self-similar flow dynamics under preferred level of detail, which can be represented by initial and boundary value problems under specific assumptions.

The spectrum, radiation conditions and the Fredholm property for the Dirichlet Laplacian in a perforated plane with semi-infinite inclusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardone, G.; Durante, T.; Nazarov, S. A.

2017-07-01

We consider the spectral Dirichlet problem for the Laplace operator in the plane Ω∘ with double-periodic perforation but also in the domain Ω• with a semi-infinite foreign inclusion so that the Floquet-Bloch technique and the Gelfand transform do not apply directly. We describe waves which are localized near the inclusion and propagate along it. We give a formulation of the problem with radiation conditions that provides a Fredholm operator of index zero. The main conclusion concerns the spectra σ∘ and σ• of the problems in Ω∘ and Ω•, namely we present a concrete geometry which supports the relation σ∘ ⫋σ• due to a new non-empty spectral band caused by the semi-infinite inclusion called an open waveguide in the double-periodic medium.

The motivating operation and negatively reinforced problem behavior: a systematic review.

PubMed

Langthorne, Paul; McGill, Peter; Oliver, Chris

2014-01-01

The concept of motivational operations exerts an increasing influence on the understanding and assessment of problem behavior in people with intellectual and developmental disability. In this systematic review of 59 methodologically robust studies of the influence of motivational operations in negative reinforcement paradigms in this population, we identify themes related to situational and biological variables that have implications for assessment, intervention, and further research. There is now good evidence that motivational operations of differing origins influence negatively reinforced problem behavior, and that these might be subject to manipulation to facilitate favorable outcomes. There is also good evidence that some biological variables warrant consideration in assessment procedures as they predispose the person's behavior to be influenced by specific motivational operations. The implications for assessment and intervention are made explicit with reference to variables that are open to manipulation or that require further research and conceptualization within causal models.

Approximate Bayesian computation for spatial SEIR(S) epidemic models.

PubMed

Brown, Grant D; Porter, Aaron T; Oleson, Jacob J; Hinman, Jessica A

2018-02-01

Approximate Bayesia n Computation (ABC) provides an attractive approach to estimation in complex Bayesian inferential problems for which evaluation of the kernel of the posterior distribution is impossible or computationally expensive. These highly parallelizable techniques have been successfully applied to many fields, particularly in cases where more traditional approaches such as Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) are impractical. In this work, we demonstrate the application of approximate Bayesian inference to spatially heterogeneous Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Removed (SEIR) stochastic epidemic models. These models have a tractable posterior distribution, however MCMC techniques nevertheless become computationally infeasible for moderately sized problems. We discuss the practical implementation of these techniques via the open source ABSEIR package for R. The performance of ABC relative to traditional MCMC methods in a small problem is explored under simulation, as well as in the spatially heterogeneous context of the 2014 epidemic of Chikungunya in the Americas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automatic Invocation Linking for Collaborative Web-Based Corpora

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner, James; Krowne, Aaron; Xiong, Li

Collaborative online encyclopedias or knowledge bases such as Wikipedia and PlanetMath are becoming increasingly popular because of their open access, comprehensive and interlinked content, rapid and continual updates, and community interactivity. To understand a particular concept in these knowledge bases, a reader needs to learn about related and underlying concepts. In this chapter, we introduce the problem of invocation linking for collaborative encyclopedia or knowledge bases, review the state of the art for invocation linking including the popular linking system of Wikipedia, discuss the problems and challenges of automatic linking, and present the NNexus approach, an abstraction and generalization of the automatic linking system used by PlanetMath.org. The chapter emphasizes both research problems and practical design issues through discussion of real world scenarios and hence is suitable for both researchers in web intelligence and practitioners looking to adopt the techniques. Below is a brief outline of the chapter.

"Notice of Violation of IEEE Publication Principles" Multiobjective Reinforcement Learning: A Comprehensive Overview.

PubMed

Liu, Chunming; Xu, Xin; Hu, Dewen

2013-04-29

Reinforcement learning is a powerful mechanism for enabling agents to learn in an unknown environment, and most reinforcement learning algorithms aim to maximize some numerical value, which represents only one long-term objective. However, multiple long-term objectives are exhibited in many real-world decision and control problems; therefore, recently, there has been growing interest in solving multiobjective reinforcement learning (MORL) problems with multiple conflicting objectives. The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive overview of MORL. In this paper, the basic architecture, research topics, and naive solutions of MORL are introduced at first. Then, several representative MORL approaches and some important directions of recent research are reviewed. The relationships between MORL and other related research are also discussed, which include multiobjective optimization, hierarchical reinforcement learning, and multi-agent reinforcement learning. Finally, research challenges and open problems of MORL techniques are highlighted.

Constructing a neutron star from the lattice in G2-QCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajizadeh, Ouraman; Maas, Axel

2017-10-01

The inner structure of neutron stars is still an open question. One obstacle is the infamous sign problem of lattice QCD, which bars access to the high-density equation of state. A possibility to make progress and understand the qualitative impact of gauge interactions on the neutron star structure is to study a modified version of QCD without the sign problem. In the modification studied here the gauge group of QCD is replaced by the exceptional Lie group G_2 , which keeps neutrons in the spectrum. Using an equation of state from lattice calculations only we determine the mass-radius-relation for a neutron star using the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation. This allows us to understand the challenges and approximations currently necessary to use lattice data for this purpose. We discuss in detail the particular uncertainties and systematic problems of this approach.

Modernisation of the intermediate physics laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kontro, Inkeri; Heino, Olga; Hendolin, Ilkka; Galambosi, Szabolcs

2018-03-01

The intermediate laboratory courses at the Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, were reformed using desired learning outcomes as the basis for design. The reformed laboratory courses consist of weekly workshops and small-group laboratory sessions. Many of the laboratory exercises are open-ended and have several possible ways of execution. They were designed around affordable devices, to allow for the purchase of multiple sets of laboratory equipment. This allowed students to work on the same problems simultaneously. Thus, it was possible to set learning goals which build on each other. Workshop sessions supported the course by letting the students solve problems related to conceptual and technical aspects of each laboratory exercise. The laboratory exercises progressed biweekly to allow for iterative problem solving. Students reached the learning goals well and the reform improved student experiences. Neither positive or negative changes in expert-like attitudes towards experimental physics (measured by E-CLASS questionnaire) were observed.

Mouth Problems and HIV

MedlinePlus

... Fellowships, & Training Grants Job Openings Diversity Loan Repayment Staff Contacts News & Events - + NIDCR News E-Newsletters Grantee ... For Reporters About Us - + Mission Strategic Plan Leadership & Staff Advisory Committees Budget & Congressional Job Openings Diversity Getting ...

Preschool-age problem behavior and teacher-child conflict in school: direct and moderation effects by preschool organization.

PubMed

Skalická, Věra; Belsky, Jay; Stenseng, Frode; Wichstrøm, Lars

2015-01-01

The hypothesis was tested that the new open-group Norwegian day-care centers would more than traditionally organized centers negatively affect (a) current and (b) future teacher-child relationships, and (c) the developmental legacy of preschool problem behavior. The focus was on eight hundred and fifty 4-year-olds from 153 centers who were followed up in first grade. Results of this natural quasi-experiment revealed that children from open-group centers (a) experienced less teacher-child closeness in preschool and (b) more teacher-child conflict in first grade, and (c) that high levels of preschool problem behavior forecast especially high levels of future teacher-child conflict, but only for children from open-group centers. Results highlight the importance of spatial and social organization of day care and their translational implications. © 2015 The Authors. Child Development © 2015 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Calculation of open and closed system elastic coefficients for multicomponent solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishin, Y.

2015-06-01

Thermodynamic equilibrium in multicomponent solids subject to mechanical stresses is a complex nonlinear problem whose exact solution requires extensive computations. A few decades ago, Larché and Cahn proposed a linearized solution of the mechanochemical equilibrium problem by introducing the concept of open system elastic coefficients [Acta Metall. 21, 1051 (1973), 10.1016/0001-6160(73)90021-7]. Using the Ni-Al solid solution as a model system, we demonstrate that open system elastic coefficients can be readily computed by semigrand canonical Monte Carlo simulations in conjunction with the shape fluctuation approach. Such coefficients can be derived from a single simulation run, together with other thermodynamic properties needed for prediction of compositional fields in solid solutions containing defects. The proposed calculation approach enables streamlined solutions of mechanochemical equilibrium problems in complex alloys. Second order corrections to the linear theory are extended to multicomponent systems.

Problematics of open prostatectomy in an Ivorian District Hospital setting.

PubMed

Mgbakor, Anthony Chukwura

2012-09-01

Benign prostatic hypertrophy forms the bulk of urology workload in many sub-Saharan African hospitals. However, its management in secondary hospitals encounters specific problems that are rarely seen in the bigger tertiary institutions. We have tried to describe these difficulties across an account of open prostatectomy in regional secondary referral hospitals in the Côte d'Ivoire. This is a retrospective account of the specific difficulties encountered in the management of 327 consecutive cases of open prostatectomy carried out between August 1991 and September 2007 mainly in two secondary referral hospitals in the Côte d'Ivoire. The difficulties were at different levels: late presentation with 309 (94.5%) of the patients having experienced at least an episode of acute retention of urine, surgery while most patients were still carrying a catheter, minimal investigations carried out, scoring the patients in the IPSS scale, shortage of funds in the course of the management, and surveillance in the immediate postoperative period. The overall results were relatively satisfactory given our conditions of work. The most frequent complications were wound infection (14.7%), bleeding requiring transfusion (8.6%) and re-operation for clot retention (4.3%). We had a case (0.3%) of the rare prostato-rectal fistula which was managed conservatively. There were 4 deaths (1.2%). Open prostatectomy is the only surgical option for the management of benign prostatic hypertrophy in most of the urology centers of sub-Saharan Africa. Concerning its management away from the Tertiary Institutes, the surgery team is faced with specific problems which demand precise adaptations. Despite difficult working conditions, the results are sufficiently encouraging and gratifying to justify its pursuit while Urologists await the availability of equipments for transurethral resection of the prostate and other novel techniques.

Does quantity generate quality? Testing the fundamental principle of brainstorming.

PubMed

Muñoz Adánez, Alfredo

2005-11-01

The purpose of this work is to test the chief principle of brainstorming, formulated as "quantity generates quality." The study is included within a broad program whose goal is to detect the strong and weak points of creative techniques. In a sample of 69 groups, containing between 3 and 8 members, the concurrence of two commonly accepted criteria was established as a quality rule: originality and utility or value. The results fully support the quantity-quality relation (r = .893): the more ideas produced to solve a problem, the better quality of the ideas. The importance of this finding, which supports Osborn's theory, is discussed, and the use of brainstorming is recommended to solve the many open problems faced by our society.

Dynamics and formation of obscuring tori in AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bannikova, Elena Yu.; Sergeyev, Alexey V.

2017-12-01

We considered the evolution of a self-gravitating clumpy torus in the gravitational field of the central mass of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) in the framework of the N-body problem. The initial conditions take into account winds with different opening angles. Results of our N-body simulations show that the clouds moving on orbits with a spread in inclinations and eccentricities form a toroidal region. This mechanism can solve the problem of the geometrical thickness of the torus. The velocity of the clouds at the inner edge of the torus is lower than in a disk model that can explain the observed rotation curves. We discuss the scenario of torus formation related with the beginning of the AGN stage.

Management of enterocutaneous fistulas and problem stomas with silicone casting of the abdominal wall defect.

PubMed

Streza, G A; Laing, B J; Gilsdorf, R B

1977-12-01

Silicone casting of abdominal wall defects around enteric fistulas in six patients and problem stomas in three patients proved to be an effective means of controlling the output of the fistulas, reducing wound care time, and reducing or eliminating parenteral nutrition needs. Outpatient management was possible in seven of the nine patients. It is observed that the wounds healed rapidly with this method of fistula control. Epithelialization occurred more rapidly than expected. This method of management may tend to make the fistulas remain open longer than by other means of care, but the significant increase in patient comfort, the financial savings, and the relative safety warrant continued utilization and observation of this method of management.

A pitfall during endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial forceps biopsy of the mediastinal lymph nodes.

PubMed

Krenke, Rafal; Korczynski, Piotr; Gorska, Katarzyna; Chazan, Ryszarda

2014-03-01

The high diagnostic yield and favorable safety profile of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial forceps biopsy of the mediastinal lymph nodes have been recently demonstrated. We report an unusual technical problem during endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial forceps biopsy that could be a prerequisite for severe complications. A rupture of the steering band precluded closure of the forceps jaws opened in the subcarinal lymph node. A solution to the problem is presented, together with other procedure-related complications reported in the literature. The report emphasizes that a dysfunction of the forceps steering band can result in severe complications when it occurs during transbronchial sampling of mediastinal lesions. Copyright © 2014 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Introduction to the Problem of the Existence of Classical and Quantum Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocchi, Paolo; Gianfagna, Leonida

2006-01-01

Quantum computing raises novel meditation upon the nature of information, notably a number of theorists set out the critical elements of Shannon's work, which currently emerges as the most popular reference in the quantum territory. The present paper follows this vein and highlights how the prerequisites of the information theory, which should detail the precise hypotheses of this theory, appear rather obscure and the problem of the existence of information is still open. This work puts forward a theoretical scheme that calculates the existence of elementary items. These results clarify basic assumptions in information engineering. Later we bring evidence how information is not an absolute quantity and close with a discussion upon the information relativity.

Much ado about aha!: Insight problem solving is strongly related to working memory capacity and reasoning ability.

PubMed

Chuderski, Adam; Jastrzębski, Jan

2018-02-01

A battery comprising 4 fluid reasoning tests as well as 13 working memory (WM) tasks that involved storage, recall, updating, binding, and executive control, was applied to 318 adults in order to evaluate the true relationship of reasoning ability and WM capacity (WMC) to insight problem solving, measured using 40 verbal, spatial, math, matchstick, and remote associates problems (insight problems). WMC predicted 51.8% of variance in insight problem solving and virtually explained its almost isomorphic link to reasoning ability (84.6% of shared variance). The strong link between WMC and insight pertained generally to most WM tasks and insight problems, was identical for problems solved with and without reported insight, was linear throughout the ability levels, and was not mediated by age, motivation, anxiety, psychoticism, and openness to experience. In contrast to popular views on the sudden and holistic nature of insight, the solving of insight problems results primarily from typical operations carried out by the basic WM mechanisms that are responsible for the maintenance, retrieval, transformation, and control of information in the broad range of intellectual tasks (including fluid reasoning). Little above and beyond WM is unique about insight. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Potential interoperability problems facing multi-site radiation oncology centers in The Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheurleer, J.; Koken, Ph; Wessel, R.

2014-03-01

Aim: To identify potential interoperability problems facing multi-site Radiation Oncology (RO) departments in the Netherlands and solutions for unambiguous multi-system workflows. Specific challenges confronting the RO department of VUmc (RO-VUmc), which is soon to open a satellite department, were characterized. Methods: A nationwide questionnaire survey was conducted to identify possible interoperability problems and solutions. Further detailed information was obtained by in-depth interviews at 3 Dutch RO institutes that already operate in more than one site. Results: The survey had a 100% response rate (n=21). Altogether 95 interoperability problems were described. Most reported problems were on a strategic and semantic level. The majority were DICOM(-RT) and HL7 related (n=65), primarily between treatment planning and verification systems or between departmental and hospital systems. Seven were identified as being relevant for RO-VUmc. Departments have overcome interoperability problems with their own, or with tailor-made vendor solutions. There was little knowledge about or utilization of solutions developed by Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise Radiation Oncology (IHE-RO). Conclusions: Although interoperability problems are still common, solutions have been identified. Awareness of IHE-RO needs to be raised. No major new interoperability problems are predicted as RO-VUmc develops into a multi-site department.

Hausdorff dimension of certain sets arising in Engel expansions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Lulu; Wu, Min

2018-05-01

The present paper is concerned with the Hausdorff dimension of certain sets arising in Engel expansions. In particular, the Hausdorff dimension of the set is completely determined, where A n (x) can stand for the digit, gap and ratio between two consecutive digits in the Engel expansion of x and ϕ is a positive function defined on natural numbers. These results significantly extend the existing results of Galambos’ open problems on the Hausdorff dimension of sets related to the growth rate of digits.

Nonlinear mechanical behavior of thermoplastic matrix materials for advanced composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arenz, R. J.; Landel, R. F.

1989-01-01

Two recent theories of nonlinear mechanical response are quantitatively compared and related to experimental data. Computer techniques are formulated to handle the numerical integration and iterative procedures needed to solve the associated sets of coupled nonlinear differential equations. Problems encountered during these formulations are discussed and some open questions described. Bearing in mind these cautions, the consequences of changing parameters that appear in the formulations on the resulting engineering properties are discussed. Hence, engineering approaches to the analysis of thermoplastic matrix material can be suggested.

Static Analysis Using Abstract Interpretation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arthaud, Maxime

2017-01-01

Short presentation about static analysis and most particularly abstract interpretation. It starts with a brief explanation on why static analysis is used at NASA. Then, it describes the IKOS (Inference Kernel for Open Static Analyzers) tool chain. Results on NASA projects are shown. Several well known algorithms from the static analysis literature are then explained (such as pointer analyses, memory analyses, weak relational abstract domains, function summarization, etc.). It ends with interesting problems we encountered (such as C++ analysis with exception handling, or the detection of integer overflow).

The Higgs Portal and Cosmology

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

Assamagan, Ketevi; Chien-Yi Chen; Chou, John Paul

Higgs portal interactions provide a simple mechanism for addressing two open problems in cosmology: dark matter and the baryon asymmetry. In the latter instance, Higgs portal interactions may contain the ingredients for a strong first-order electroweak phase transition as well as new CP-violating interactions as needed for electroweak baryogenesis. These interactions may also allow for a viable dark matter candidate. We survey the opportunities for probing the Higgs portal as it relates to these questions in cosmology at the LHC and possible future colliders.

Computational intelligence in earth sciences and environmental applications: issues and challenges.

PubMed

Cherkassky, V; Krasnopolsky, V; Solomatine, D P; Valdes, J

2006-03-01

This paper introduces a generic theoretical framework for predictive learning, and relates it to data-driven and learning applications in earth and environmental sciences. The issues of data quality, selection of the error function, incorporation of the predictive learning methods into the existing modeling frameworks, expert knowledge, model uncertainty, and other application-domain specific problems are discussed. A brief overview of the papers in the Special Issue is provided, followed by discussion of open issues and directions for future research.

Towards open collaborative health informatics - The Role of free/libre open source principles. Contribution of the IMIA Open Source Health Informatics Working Group.

PubMed

Karopka, T; Schmuhl, H; Marcelo, A; Molin, J Dal; Wright, G

2011-01-01

: To analyze the contribution of Free/Libre Open Source Software in health care (FLOSS-HC) and to give perspectives for future developments. The paper summarizes FLOSS-related trends in health care as anticipated by members of the IMIA Open Source Working Group. Data were obtained through literature review and personal experience and observations of the authors in the last two decades. A status quo is given by a frequency analysis of the database of Medfloss.org, one of the world's largest platforms dedicated to FLOSS-HC. The authors discuss current problems in the field of health care and finally give a prospective roadmap, a projection of the potential influences of FLOSS in health care. FLOSS-HC already exists for more than 2 decades. Several projects have shown that FLOSS may produce highly competitive alternatives to proprietary solutions that are at least equivalent in usability and have a better total cost of ownership ratio. The Medfloss.org database currently lists 221 projects of diverse application types. FLOSS principles hold a great potential for addressing several of the most critical problems in health care IT. The authors argue that an ecosystem perspective is relevant and that FLOSS principles are best suited to create health IT systems that are able to evolve over time as medical knowledge, technologies, insights, workflows etc. continuously change. All these factors that inherently influence the development of health IT systems are changing at an ever growing pace. Traditional models of software engineering are not able to follow these changes and provide up-to-date systems for an acceptable cost/value ratio. To allow FLOSS to positively influence Health IT in the future a "FLOSS-friendly" environment has to be provided. Policy makers should resolve uncertainties in the legal framework that disfavor FLOSS. Certification procedures should be specified in a way that they do not raise additional barriers for FLOSS.

Autopilot, Mind Wandering, and the Out of the Loop Performance Problem.

PubMed

Gouraud, Jonas; Delorme, Arnaud; Berberian, Bruno

2017-01-01

To satisfy the increasing demand for safer critical systems, engineers have integrated higher levels of automation, such as glass cockpits in aircraft, power plants, and driverless cars. These guiding principles relegate the operator to a monitoring role, increasing risks for humans to lack system understanding. The out of the loop performance problem arises when operators suffer from complacency and vigilance decrement; consequently, when automation does not behave as expected, understanding the system or taking back manual control may be difficult. Close to the out of the loop problem, mind wandering points to the propensity of the human mind to think about matters unrelated to the task at hand. This article reviews the literature related to both mind wandering and the out of the loop performance problem as it relates to task automation. We highlight studies showing how these phenomena interact with each other while impacting human performance within highly automated systems. We analyze how this proximity is supported by effects observed in automated environment, such as decoupling, sensory attention, and cognitive comprehension decrease. We also show that this link could be useful for detecting out of the loop situations through mind wandering markers. Finally, we examine the limitations of the current knowledge because many questions remain open to characterize interactions between out of the loop, mind wandering, and automation.

Examinations and Grading: The System of Open-Book Examination is Excellent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ching-yen, Chang

1973-01-01

Positive support for the system of open-book examination is presented. A case study of an open-book examination in organic chemistry is cited as a basis for theories that testing method improves capacity for analyzing and solving problems, deepens knowledge, and helps to overcome shortcomings of casual readings. (SM)

Priority Fields of Teachers' Professional Development in Terms of Open Education Worldwide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avshenyuk, Nataliya

2016-01-01

The article is devoted to the problem of teachers' professional development within the concept of "open educational resources". The author analyzes the project "Massive Open Online Courses" (MOOC) as one of the modern achievements in the area of information and communication technology (ICT) for the development of adult…

Problems and Prospects of Open and Distance Education in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yusuf, Mudasiru Olalere

2006-01-01

Distance education as a mean of providing access to education, particularly tertiary level education, has gained great prominence in the world. Nigeria has taken giant steps of recent to introduce open and distance education programme. This paper explores the major terms inherent in open and distance education, its potentials, possible factors…

Collaborative Calibrated Peer Assessment in Massive Open Online Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boudria, Asma; Lafifi, Yacine; Bordjiba, Yamina

2018-01-01

The free nature and open access courses in the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) allow the facilities of disseminating information for a large number of participants. However, the "massive" propriety can generate many pedagogical problems, such as the assessment of learners, which is considered as the major difficulty facing in the…

Humans Do It Better: Inside the Open Directory Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Chris

2000-01-01

Explains the Open Directory Project (ODP), an attempt to catalog the World Wide Web by creating a human-compiled Web directory. Discusses the history of the project; open source models; the use of volunteer editors; quality control; problems and complaints; and use of ODP data by commercial services such as Google. (LRW)

Enhancing User Support in Open Problem Solving Environments through Bayesian Network Inference Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tselios, Nikolaos; Stoica, Adrian; Maragoudakis, Manolis; Avouris, Nikolaos; Komis, Vassilis

2006-01-01

During the last years, development of open learning environments that support effectively their users has been a challenge for the research community of educational technologies. The open interactive nature of these environments results in users experiencing difficulties in coping with the plethora of available functions, especially during their…

Manual Chapters

Science.gov Websites

question, problem or suggestion please open a Service Desk Ticket. Fermilab Home Page ESH&Q Home Page open a Service Desk Ticket. Fermilab Home Page ESH&Q Home Page Fermilab At Work Security, Privacy

A New Business Model for Problem Solving-Infusing Open Collaboration and Innovation Health and Human Services

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Jeffrey R.; Richard, Eliabeth E.; Fogarty, Jennifer A.; Rando, Cynthia M.

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD) new business model for problem solving, with emphasis on open collaboration and innovation. The topics that are discussed are: an overview of the work of the Space Life Sciences Directorate and the strategic initiatives that arrived at the new business model. A new business model was required to infuse open collaboration/innovation tools into existing models for research, development and operations (research announcements, procurements, SBIR/STTR etc). This new model involves use of several open innovation partnerships: InnoCentive, Yet2.com, TopCoder and NASA@work. There is also a new organizational structure developed to facilitate the joint collaboration with other NASA centers, international partners, other U.S. Governmental organizations, Academia, Corporate, and Non-Profit organizations: the NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC).

SUSY’s Ladder: Reframing sequestering at Large Volume

DOE PAGES

Reece, Matthew; Xue, Wei

2016-04-07

Theories with approximate no-scale structure, such as the Large Volume Scenario, have a distinctive hierarchy of multiple mass scales in between TeV gaugino masses and the Planck scale, which we call SUSY's Ladder. This is a particular realization of Split Supersymmetry in which the same small parameter suppresses gaugino masses relative to scalar soft masses, scalar soft masses relative to the gravitino mass, and the UV cutoff or string scale relative to the Planck scale. This scenario has many phenomenologically interesting properties, and can avoid dangers including the gravitino problem, flavor problems, and the moduli-induced LSP problem that plague othermore » supersymmetric theories. We study SUSY's Ladder using a superspace formalism that makes the mysterious cancelations in previous computations manifest. This opens the possibility of a consistent effective field theory understanding of the phenomenology of these scenarios, based on power-counting in the small ratio of string to Planck scales. We also show that four-dimensional theories with approximate no-scale structure enforced by a single volume modulus arise only from two special higher-dimensional theories: five-dimensional supergravity and ten-dimensional type IIB supergravity. As a result, this gives a phenomenological argument in favor of ten dimensional ultraviolet physics which is different from standard arguments based on the consistency of superstring theory.« less

On the Relation between Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Scientific Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christianto, Victor; Smarandache, Florentin

2011-10-01

In this article, we will shortly review a few old thoughts and recent thoughts on the relation between Mathematics and the Natural Sciences. Of course, the classic references to this open problem will include Wigner's paper (1964); a more recent review article is Darvas (2008). But it appears that this issue is partly on the domain of natural philosophy and also philosophy of inquiry. Therefore we will begin with a review on some known thoughts of Kant, Bacon, Popper, etc. Our hope here is to find out clues to reveal the hidden structure of Nature, just as what Planck did a century ago.

Enhancing US competitiveness through Federal scientific and technical information: Issues and opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.

1990-01-01

The possibility of using Federally funded scientific and technical information (STI) to increase U.S. industrial innovation and productivity is discussed. The history of Federally funded research and development in the fields of agriculture and aviation is reviewed as an example of successful government-sponsored research. Issues related to the production and utilization of information are considered and Federal STI policy is outlined. Issues related to the transfer of knowledge between government agencies and industry are examined and a model depicting the transfer of STI in aerospace research and development is presented. Also, consideration is given to the problem of open communication versus restricted access to STI.

The Problem of Heroin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, James Q.; And Others

1972-01-01

Argues that most of the underlying assumptions of presently recommended solutions to the problem of heroin addiction are unreasonable, unwarranted, or at least open to more than one interpretation. (DM)

Comparison of patrons of hotels with early opening and standard hours.

PubMed

Smith, D I

1986-02-01

A comparison was made of 72 men who were patrons in hotels with 6 A.M. or 7 A.M. opening, with a control group of 87 men interviewed in nearby hotels with 10 A.M. opening. The two groups were very similar on biographical characteristics, yet the men in the early-opening group consumed significantly more alcohol, had more drinking sessions, spent longer in drinking, and had significantly higher SMAST scores. The early opening was apparently facilitating problem drinking.

On the asymptotic optimality and improved strategies of SPTB heuristic for open-shop scheduling problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Danyu; Zhang, Zhihai

2014-08-01

This article investigates the open-shop scheduling problem with the optimal criterion of minimising the sum of quadratic completion times. For this NP-hard problem, the asymptotic optimality of the shortest processing time block (SPTB) heuristic is proven in the sense of limit. Moreover, three different improvements, namely, the job-insert scheme, tabu search and genetic algorithm, are introduced to enhance the quality of the original solution generated by the SPTB heuristic. At the end of the article, a series of numerical experiments demonstrate the convergence of the heuristic, the performance of the improvements and the effectiveness of the quadratic objective.

Open-Phylo: a customizable crowd-computing platform for multiple sequence alignment

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Citizen science games such as Galaxy Zoo, Foldit, and Phylo aim to harness the intelligence and processing power generated by crowds of online gamers to solve scientific problems. However, the selection of the data to be analyzed through these games is under the exclusive control of the game designers, and so are the results produced by gamers. Here, we introduce Open-Phylo, a freely accessible crowd-computing platform that enables any scientist to enter our system and use crowds of gamers to assist computer programs in solving one of the most fundamental problems in genomics: the multiple sequence alignment problem. PMID:24148814

An open-label, 12-week clinical and sleep EEG study of nefazodone in chronic combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

PubMed

Gillin, J C; Smith-Vaniz, A; Schnierow, B; Rapaport, M H; Kelsoe, J; Raimo, E; Marler, M R; Goyette, L M; Stein, M B; Zisook, S

2001-10-01

We examined the effects of nefazodone on polysomnographic sleep measures and subjective reports of sleep quality and nightmares. as well as other symptoms, in patients with chronic combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during a 12-week, open-label clinical trial. To our knowledge, this is the first polysomnographic study of treatment in patients with PTSD. The subjects were 12 male veterans (mean age = 54 years) who met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for PTSD (mean duration = 30 years). All but I patient also met DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder. Patients were evaluated weekly with clinical ratings in an open-label clinical trial. Polysomnographic recordings for 2 consecutive nights were obtained before treatment and at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The dose of nefazodone was adjusted according to individual clinical needs. Final mean daily dose was 441 mg. The patients reported significantly fewer nightmares and sleep problems during treatment. Nevertheless, contrary to studies in depressed patients, nefazodone did not significantly affect polysomnographic sleep measures compared with baseline. In addition, the patients showed significant improvement in the Clinical Global Impressions of PTSD symptoms (global score, hyperarousals and intrusions subscales), the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (global, hyperarousal, and intrusions subscales), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). These patients with chronic, treatment-resistant, combat-related PTSD showed significant improvement of subjective symptoms of nightmares and sleep disturbance, as well as depression and PTSD symptoms. in this 12-week open-label clinical trial. Nevertheless, objective polysomnographic sleep measures did not change. Further studies, including double-blind. placebo-controlled trials, are needed to extend these findings and to understand the relationships between the physiology of sleep and symptoms of poor sleep and nightmares.

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

Gearhart, Jared Lee; Adair, Kristin Lynn; Durfee, Justin David.

When developing linear programming models, issues such as budget limitations, customer requirements, or licensing may preclude the use of commercial linear programming solvers. In such cases, one option is to use an open-source linear programming solver. A survey of linear programming tools was conducted to identify potential open-source solvers. From this survey, four open-source solvers were tested using a collection of linear programming test problems and the results were compared to IBM ILOG CPLEX Optimizer (CPLEX) [1], an industry standard. The solvers considered were: COIN-OR Linear Programming (CLP) [2], [3], GNU Linear Programming Kit (GLPK) [4], lp_solve [5] and Modularmore » In-core Nonlinear Optimization System (MINOS) [6]. As no open-source solver outperforms CPLEX, this study demonstrates the power of commercial linear programming software. CLP was found to be the top performing open-source solver considered in terms of capability and speed. GLPK also performed well but cannot match the speed of CLP or CPLEX. lp_solve and MINOS were considerably slower and encountered issues when solving several test problems.« less

Open problems of magnetic island control by electron cyclotron current drive

DOE PAGES

Grasso, Daniela; Lazzaro, E.; Borgogno, D.; ...

2016-11-17

This study reviews key aspects of the problem of magnetic islands control by electron cyclotron current drive in fusion devices. On the basis of the ordering of the basic spatial and time scales of the magnetic reconnection physics, we present the established results, highlighting some of the open issues posed by the small-scale structures that typically accompany the nonlinear evolution of the magnetic islands and constrain the effect of the control action.

Cognitive Backgrounds of Problem Solving: A Comparison of Open-Ended vs. Closed Mathematics Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bahar, Abdulkadir; Maker, C. June

2015-01-01

Problem solving has been a core theme in education for several decades. Educators and policy makers agree on the importance of the role of problem solving skills for school and real life success. A primary purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of cognitive abilities on mathematical problem solving performance of elementary…

Data-driven in computational plasticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibáñez, R.; Abisset-Chavanne, E.; Cueto, E.; Chinesta, F.

2018-05-01

Computational mechanics is taking an enormous importance in industry nowadays. On one hand, numerical simulations can be seen as a tool that allows the industry to perform fewer experiments, reducing costs. On the other hand, the physical processes that are intended to be simulated are becoming more complex, requiring new constitutive relationships to capture such behaviors. Therefore, when a new material is intended to be classified, an open question still remains: which constitutive equation should be calibrated. In the present work, the use of model order reduction techniques are exploited to identify the plastic behavior of a material, opening an alternative route with respect to traditional calibration methods. Indeed, the main objective is to provide a plastic yield function such that the mismatch between experiments and simulations is minimized. Therefore, once the experimental results just like the parameterization of the plastic yield function are provided, finding the optimal plastic yield function can be seen either as a traditional optimization or interpolation problem. It is important to highlight that the dimensionality of the problem is equal to the number of dimensions related to the parameterization of the yield function. Thus, the use of sparse interpolation techniques seems almost compulsory.

Data preprocessing for determining outer/inner parallelization in the nested loop problem using OpenMP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handhika, T.; Bustamam, A.; Ernastuti, Kerami, D.

2017-07-01

Multi-thread programming using OpenMP on the shared-memory architecture with hyperthreading technology allows the resource to be accessed by multiple processors simultaneously. Each processor can execute more than one thread for a certain period of time. However, its speedup depends on the ability of the processor to execute threads in limited quantities, especially the sequential algorithm which contains a nested loop. The number of the outer loop iterations is greater than the maximum number of threads that can be executed by a processor. The thread distribution technique that had been found previously only be applied by the high-level programmer. This paper generates a parallelization procedure for low-level programmer in dealing with 2-level nested loop problems with the maximum number of threads that can be executed by a processor is smaller than the number of the outer loop iterations. Data preprocessing which is related to the number of the outer loop and the inner loop iterations, the computational time required to execute each iteration and the maximum number of threads that can be executed by a processor are used as a strategy to determine which parallel region that will produce optimal speedup.

Rehabilitation engineering training for the future: influence of trends in academics, technology, and health reform.

PubMed

Winters, J M

1995-01-01

A perspective is offered on rehabilitation engineering educational strategies, with a focus on the bachelor's and master's levels. Ongoing changes in engineering education are summarized, especially as related to the integration of design and computers throughout the curriculum; most positively affect rehabilitation engineering training. The challenge of identifying long-term "niches" for rehabilitation engineers within a changing rehabilitation service delivery process is addressed. Five key training components are identified and developed: core science and engineering knowledge, synthesized open-ended problem-solving skill development, hands-on design experience, rehabilitation breadth exposure, and a clinical internship. Two unique abilities are identified that help demarcate the engineer from other providers: open-ended problem-solving skills that include quantitative analysis when appropriate, and objective quantitative evaluation of human performance. Educational strategies for developing these abilities are addressed. Finally, a case is made for training "hybrid" engineers/therapists, in particular bachelor-level engineers who go directly to graduate school to become certified orthotists/prosthetists or physical/occupational therapists, pass the RESNA-sponsored assistive technology service provision exam along the way, then later in life obtain a professional engineer's license and an engineering master's degree.

Generalized Bondi-Sachs equations for characteristic formalism of numerical relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Zhoujian; He, Xiaokai

2013-11-01

The Cauchy formalism of numerical relativity has been successfully applied to simulate various dynamical spacetimes without any symmetry assumption. But discovering how to set a mathematically consistent and physically realistic boundary condition is still an open problem for Cauchy formalism. In addition, the numerical truncation error and finite region ambiguity affect the accuracy of gravitational wave form calculation. As to the finite region ambiguity issue, the characteristic extraction method helps much. But it does not solve all of the above issues. Besides the above problems for Cauchy formalism, the computational efficiency is another problem. Although characteristic formalism of numerical relativity suffers the difficulty from caustics in the inner near zone, it has advantages in relation to all of the issues listed above. Cauchy-characteristic matching (CCM) is a possible way to take advantage of characteristic formalism regarding these issues and treat the inner caustics at the same time. CCM has difficulty treating the gauge difference between the Cauchy part and the characteristic part. We propose generalized Bondi-Sachs equations for characteristic formalism for the Cauchy-characteristic matching end. Our proposal gives out a possible same numerical evolution scheme for both the Cauchy part and the characteristic part. And our generalized Bondi-Sachs equations have one adjustable gauge freedom which can be used to relate the gauge used in the Cauchy part. Then these equations can make the Cauchy part and the characteristic part share a consistent gauge condition. So our proposal gives a possible new starting point for Cauchy-characteristic matching.

Exploration on the matching between Optical Comprehensive Design Experiment and Washington Accord

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Yiping; Chen, Wenjing; Zhang, Qican; Liu, Yuankun; Li, Dahai; Zhou, Xinzhi; Wei, Jun

2017-08-01

Common problems faced in optical comprehensive design experiment and going against the Washington Accord are pointed out. For resolving these problems, an instructional and innovative teaching scheme for Optics Comprehensive Design Experiment is proposed. We would like to understand the student that can improve the hands-on practical ability, theory knowledge understanding ability, complex problem solving ability, engineering application ability, cooperative ability after tracking and researching the student who have attended the class about Optical Comprehensive Design Experiment, We found that there are some problems on the course such as the experiment content vague, the student beginning less time, phase separation theory and engineering application, the experiment content lack of selectivity and so on. So we have made some improvements reference to the Washington Accord for the class teaching plan about Optical Comprehensive Design Experiment. This class must relevant to the engineering basic courses, professional foundation course and the major courses, so far as to the future study and work that which can play a role in inheriting and continuity to the students. The Optical Comprehensive Design Experiment teaching program requires students learning this course to have learnt basic courses like analog electronics technique, digital electronic technique, applied optics and computer and other related courses which students are required to comprehensively utilize. This teaching scheme contains six practical complex engineering problems which are respectively optical system design, light energy meter design, illuminometer design, material refractive index measuring system design, light intensity measuring system design and open design. Establishing the optional experiment and open experiment can provide students with a greater choice and enhance the students' creativity, vivid teaching experimental teachers and enriching contents of experiment can make the experiment more interesting, providing students with more opportunities to conduct experiment and improving students' practical ability with long learning time, putting emphasis on student's understanding of complex engineering problems and the cognitive of the process to solve complex engineering problems with actual engineering problems. Applying the scheme in other courses and improving accordingly will be able to ensure the quality of engineering education. Look forward to offering useful reference for the curriculum system construction in colleges and universities.

On solving three-dimensional open-dimension rectangular packing problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Junqueira, Leonardo; Morabito, Reinaldo

2017-05-01

In this article, a recently proposed three-dimensional open-dimension rectangular packing problem is considered, in which the objective is to find a minimal volume rectangular container that packs a set of rectangular boxes. The literature has tackled small-sized instances of this problem by means of optimization solvers, position-free mixed-integer programming (MIP) formulations and piecewise linearization approaches. In this study, the problem is alternatively addressed by means of grid-based position MIP formulations, whereas still considering optimization solvers and the same piecewise linearization techniques. A comparison of the computational performance of both models is then presented, when tested with benchmark problem instances and with new instances, and it is shown that the grid-based position MIP formulation can be competitive, depending on the characteristics of the instances. The grid-based position MIP formulation is also embedded with real-world practical constraints, such as cargo stability, and results are additionally presented.

Open shop scheduling problem to minimize total weighted completion time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Danyu; Zhang, Zhihai; Zhang, Qiang; Tang, Mengqian

2017-01-01

A given number of jobs in an open shop scheduling environment must each be processed for given amounts of time on each of a given set of machines in an arbitrary sequence. This study aims to achieve a schedule that minimizes total weighted completion time. Owing to the strong NP-hardness of the problem, the weighted shortest processing time block (WSPTB) heuristic is presented to obtain approximate solutions for large-scale problems. Performance analysis proves the asymptotic optimality of the WSPTB heuristic in the sense of probability limits. The largest weight block rule is provided to seek optimal schedules in polynomial time for a special case. A hybrid discrete differential evolution algorithm is designed to obtain high-quality solutions for moderate-scale problems. Simulation experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.

Performance comparison analysis library communication cluster system using merge sort

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wulandari, D. A. R.; Ramadhan, M. E.

2018-04-01

Begins by using a single processor, to increase the speed of computing time, the use of multi-processor was introduced. The second paradigm is known as parallel computing, example cluster. The cluster must have the communication potocol for processing, one of it is message passing Interface (MPI). MPI have many library, both of them OPENMPI and MPICH2. Performance of the cluster machine depend on suitable between performance characters of library communication and characters of the problem so this study aims to analyze the comparative performances libraries in handling parallel computing process. The case study in this research are MPICH2 and OpenMPI. This case research execute sorting’s problem to know the performance of cluster system. The sorting problem use mergesort method. The research method is by implementing OpenMPI and MPICH2 on a Linux-based cluster by using five computer virtual then analyze the performance of the system by different scenario tests and three parameters for to know the performance of MPICH2 and OpenMPI. These performances are execution time, speedup and efficiency. The results of this study showed that the addition of each data size makes OpenMPI and MPICH2 have an average speed-up and efficiency tend to increase but at a large data size decreases. increased data size doesn’t necessarily increased speed up and efficiency but only execution time example in 100000 data size. OpenMPI has a execution time greater than MPICH2 example in 1000 data size average execution time with MPICH2 is 0,009721 and OpenMPI is 0,003895 OpenMPI can customize communication needs.

Designing Open and Individualized Instruction at the Elementary Level: A Guide for the Individual Teacher.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldhusen, John; And Others

A description of open and individualized elementary school instruction is provided. The goals of such instruction are to: 1) teach basic skills in language arts, math, science, and social studies; 2) develop higher cognitive abilities, such as problem solving; and 3) develop the child's social competence and self-concept. Open, individualized…

Director, Platform and Audience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Richard D.

The open stage is discussed both as architecture and as part of a new theatrical style. In reference to use of the open stage, emphasis is given to specifics with which the director must deal, to special problems of the actor, to the approach to blocking a play, and to the open stage as "theatrical experience". The architectural advantage of the…

Present Problems and Future Challenges of the Korea National Open University. ZIFF Papiere 113.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Jae-Woong

Korea National Open University (KNOU) opened in 1972 as a correspondence college designed to improve adult learners' preparation for Korea's college examination. KNOU has been redefined as "an institution for adults who are deprived, by various reasons, of higher education opportunities and is now playing a major role in developing lifelong…

The primer vector in linear, relative-motion equations. [spacecraft trajectory optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Primer vector theory is used in analyzing a set of linear, relative-motion equations - the Clohessy-Wiltshire equations - to determine the criteria and necessary conditions for an optimal, N-impulse trajectory. Since the state vector for these equations is defined in terms of a linear system of ordinary differential equations, all fundamental relations defining the solution of the state and costate equations, and the necessary conditions for optimality, can be expressed in terms of elementary functions. The analysis develops the analytical criteria for improving a solution by (1) moving any dependent or independent variable in the initial and/or final orbit, and (2) adding intermediate impulses. If these criteria are violated, the theory establishes a sufficient number of analytical equations. The subsequent satisfaction of these equations will result in the optimal position vectors and times of an N-impulse trajectory. The solution is examined for the specific boundary conditions of (1) fixed-end conditions, two-impulse, and time-open transfer; (2) an orbit-to-orbit transfer; and (3) a generalized rendezvous problem. A sequence of rendezvous problems is solved to illustrate the analysis and the computational procedure.

Was Feyerabend a Popperian? Methodological issues in the History of the Philosophy of Science.

PubMed

Collodel, Matteo

2016-06-01

For more than three decades, there has been significant debate about the relation between Feyerabend and Popper. The discussion has been nurtured and complicated by the rift that opened up between the two and by the later Feyerabend's controversial portrayal of his earlier self. The first part of the paper provides an overview of the accounts of the relation that have been proposed over the years, disentangles the problems they deal with, and analyses the evidence supporting their conclusions as well as the methodological approaches used to process that evidence. Rather than advancing a further speculative account of the relation based on Feyerabend's philosophical work or autobiographical recollections, the second part of the paper strives to clarify the problems at issue by making use of a wider range of evidence. It outlines a historical reconstruction of the social context within which Feyerabend's intellectual trajectory developed, putting a special emphasis on the interplay between the perceived intellectual identity of Feyerabend, Feyerabend's own intellectual self-concept, and the peculiar features of the evolving Popperian research group. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design, characterization and modeling of biobased acoustic foams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghaffari Mosanenzadeh, Shahrzad

Polymeric open cell foams are widely used as sound absorbers in sectors such as automobile, aerospace, transportation and building industries, yet there is a need to improve sound absorption of these foams through understanding the relation between cell morphology and acoustic properties of porous material. Due to complicated microscopic structure of open cell foams, investigating the relation between foam morphology and acoustic properties is rather intricate and still an open problem in the field. The focus of this research is to design and develop biobased open cell foams for acoustic applications to replace conventional petrochemical based foams as well as investigating the link between cell morphology and macroscopic properties of open cell porous structures. To achieve these objectives, two industrially produced biomaterials, polylactide (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and their composites were examined and highly porous biobased foams were fabricated by particulate leaching and compression molding. Acoustic absorption capability of these foams was enhanced utilizing the effect of co-continuous blends to form a bimodal porous structure. To tailor mechanical and acoustic properties of biobased foams, blends of PLA and PHA were studied to reach the desired mechanical and viscoelastic properties. To enhance acoustic properties of porous medium for having a broad band absorption effect, cell structure must be appropriately graded. Such porous structures with microstructural gradation are called Functionally Graded Materials (FGM). A novel graded foam structure was designed with superior sound absorption to demonstrate the effect of cell arrangement on performance of acoustic fixtures. Acoustic measurements were performed in a two microphone impedance tube and acoustic theory of Johnson-Champoux-Allard was applied to the fabricated foams to determine micro cellular properties such as tortuosity, viscous and thermal lengths from sound absorption impedance tube measurements using an inverse technique. As the next step towards in depth understanding of the relation between cell morphology and sound absorption of open cell foams, a semi-analytical model was developed to account for the effect of micro cellular properties such as cell wall thickness and reticulation rate on overall macroscopic and structural properties. Developed model provides the tools to optimize the porous structure and enhance sound absorption capability.

Assessing Creative Problem-Solving with Automated Text Grading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Hao-Chuan; Chang, Chun-Yen; Li, Tsai-Yen

2008-01-01

The work aims to improve the assessment of creative problem-solving in science education by employing language technologies and computational-statistical machine learning methods to grade students' natural language responses automatically. To evaluate constructs like creative problem-solving with validity, open-ended questions that elicit…

Is globalization good for your health?

PubMed Central

Dollar, D.

2001-01-01

Four points are made about globalization and health. First, economic integration is a powerful force for raising the incomes of poor countries. In the past 20 years several large developing countries have opened up to trade and investment, and they are growing well--faster than the rich countries. Second, there is no tendency for income inequality to increase in countries that open up. The higher growth that accompanies globalization in developing countries generally benefits poor people. Since there is a large literature linking income of the poor to health status, we can be reasonably confident that globalization has indirect positive effects on nutrition, infant mortality and other health issues related to income. Third, economic integration can obviously have adverse health effects as well: the transmission of AIDS through migration and travel is a dramatic recent example. However, both relatively closed and relatively open developing countries have severe AIDS problems. The practical solution lies in health policies, not in policies on economic integration. Likewise, free trade in tobacco will lead to increased smoking unless health-motivated disincentives are put in place. Global integration requires supporting institutions and policies. Fourth, the international architecture can be improved so that it is more beneficial to poor countries. For example, with regard to intellectual property rights, it may be practical for pharmaceutical innovators to choose to have intellectual property rights in either rich country markets or poor country ones, but not both. In this way incentives could be strong for research on diseases in both rich and poor countries. PMID:11584730

Is globalization good for your health?

PubMed

Dollar, D

2001-01-01

Four points are made about globalization and health. First, economic integration is a powerful force for raising the incomes of poor countries. In the past 20 years several large developing countries have opened up to trade and investment, and they are growing well--faster than the rich countries. Second, there is no tendency for income inequality to increase in countries that open up. The higher growth that accompanies globalization in developing countries generally benefits poor people. Since there is a large literature linking income of the poor to health status, we can be reasonably confident that globalization has indirect positive effects on nutrition, infant mortality and other health issues related to income. Third, economic integration can obviously have adverse health effects as well: the transmission of AIDS through migration and travel is a dramatic recent example. However, both relatively closed and relatively open developing countries have severe AIDS problems. The practical solution lies in health policies, not in policies on economic integration. Likewise, free trade in tobacco will lead to increased smoking unless health-motivated disincentives are put in place. Global integration requires supporting institutions and policies. Fourth, the international architecture can be improved so that it is more beneficial to poor countries. For example, with regard to intellectual property rights, it may be practical for pharmaceutical innovators to choose to have intellectual property rights in either rich country markets or poor country ones, but not both. In this way incentives could be strong for research on diseases in both rich and poor countries.

Open letter to the Vatican.

PubMed

1999-01-01

An open letter was published by Latin American and Caribbean women during the Special Session of the UN General Assembly on the International Conference on Population and Development. The letter generally focused on the Church¿s stand on women's reproductive rights. In particular, it questioned the Church on the following aspects of reproductive health, which include: 1) maternal death related to lack of access to reproductive health care; 2) Vatican representatives insisting that only parents can supervise their children education and health, which also lead to many cases of sexual abuse and incest; 3) women's sexual inequality and daily violence; 4) the Vatican delegation blocking the advances of contraception, sexual education, and HIV prevention; 5) problems of migrants and allocation of resources; and 6) the Church failing to recognize the capacity of young people to make decisions based on their own conscience.

Research Projects in Physics: A Mechanism for Teaching Ill-Structured Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milbourne, Jeff; Bennett, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Physics education research has a tradition of studying problem solving, exploring themes such as physical intuition and differences between expert and novice problem solvers. However, most of this work has focused on traditional, or well-structured, problems, similar to what might appear in a textbook. Less work has been done with open-ended, or…

Application of multispectral remote sensing techniques for dismissed mine sites monitoring and rehabilitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonifazi, Giuseppe; Serranti, Silvia

2007-09-01

Mining activities, expecially those operated in open air (open pit), present a deep impact on the sourrondings. Such an impact, and the related problems, are directly related to the correct operation of the activities, and usually strongly interact with the environment. Impact can be mainly related to the following issues: high volumes of handled material, ii) generation of dust, noise and vibrations, water pollution, visual impact and, finally, mining area recovery at the end of exploitation activities. All these aspects can be considered very important, and must be properly evaluated and monitored. Environmental impact control is usually carried out during and after the end of the mining activities, adopting methods related to the detection, collection, analysis of specific environmental indicators and with their further comparison with reference thresholding values stated by official regulations. Aim of the study was to investigate, and critically evaluate, the problems related to development of an integrated set of procedures based on the collection and the analysis of remote sensed data in order to evaluate the effect of rehabilitation of land contaminated by extractive industry activities. Starting from the results of these analyses, a monitoring and registration of the environmental impact of such operations was performed by the application and the integration of modern information technologies, as the previous mentioned Earth Observation (EO), with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The study was developed with reference to different dismissed mine sites in India, Thailand and China. The results of the study have been utilized as input for the construction of a knowledge based decision support system finalized to help in the identification of the appropriate rehabilitation technologies for all those dismissed area previously interested by extractive industry activities. The work was financially supported within the framework of the Project ASIA IT&C - CN/ASIA IT&C/006 (89870) Extract-It "Application of Information Technologies for the Sustainable Management of Extractive Industry Activities" of the European Union.

Introducing the MCHF/OVRP/SDMP: Multicapacitated/Heterogeneous Fleet/Open Vehicle Routing Problems with Split Deliveries and Multiproducts

PubMed Central

Yilmaz Eroglu, Duygu; Caglar Gencosman, Burcu; Cavdur, Fatih; Ozmutlu, H. Cenk

2014-01-01

In this paper, we analyze a real-world OVRP problem for a production company. Considering real-world constrains, we classify our problem as multicapacitated/heterogeneous fleet/open vehicle routing problem with split deliveries and multiproduct (MCHF/OVRP/SDMP) which is a novel classification of an OVRP. We have developed a mixed integer programming (MIP) model for the problem and generated test problems in different size (10–90 customers) considering real-world parameters. Although MIP is able to find optimal solutions of small size (10 customers) problems, when the number of customers increases, the problem gets harder to solve, and thus MIP could not find optimal solutions for problems that contain more than 10 customers. Moreover, MIP fails to find any feasible solution of large-scale problems (50–90 customers) within time limits (7200 seconds). Therefore, we have developed a genetic algorithm (GA) based solution approach for large-scale problems. The experimental results show that the GA based approach reaches successful solutions with 9.66% gap in 392.8 s on average instead of 7200 s for the problems that contain 10–50 customers. For large-scale problems (50–90 customers), GA reaches feasible solutions of problems within time limits. In conclusion, for the real-world applications, GA is preferable rather than MIP to reach feasible solutions in short time periods. PMID:25045735

A Kind of Optimization Method of Loading Documents in OpenOffice.org

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lan, Yuqing; Li, Li; Zhou, Wenbin

As a giant in open source community, OpenOffice.org has become the most popular office suite within Linux community. But OpenOffice.org is relatively slow while loading documents. Research shows that the most time consuming part is importing one page of whole document. If there are many pages in a document, the accumulation of time consumed can be astonishing. Therefore, this paper proposes a solution, which has improved the speed of loading documents through asynchronous importing mechanism: a document is not imported as a whole, but only part of the document is imported at first for display, then mechanism in the background is started to asynchronously import the remaining parts, and insert it into the drawing queue of OpenOffice.org for display. In this way, the problem can be solved and users don't have to wait for a long time. Application start-up time testing tool has been used to test the time consumed in loading different pages of documents before and after optimization of OpenOffice.org, then, we adopt the regression theory to analyse the correlation between the page number of documents and the loading time. In addition, visual modeling of the experimental data are acquired with the aid of matlab. An obvious increase in loading speed can be seen after a comparison of the time consumed to load a document before and after the solution is adopted. And then, using Microsoft Office compared with the optimized OpenOffice.org, their loading speeds are almost same. The results of the experiments show the effectiveness of this solution.

Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics (CIG)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurnis, M.; Kellogg, L. H.; Bloxham, J.; Hager, B. H.; Spiegelman, M.; Willett, S.; Wysession, M. E.; Aivazis, M.

2004-12-01

Solid earth geophysicists have a long tradition of writing scientific software to address a wide range of problems. In particular, computer simulations came into wide use in geophysics during the decade after the plate tectonic revolution. Solution schemes and numerical algorithms that developed in other areas of science, most notably engineering, fluid mechanics, and physics, were adapted with considerable success to geophysics. This software has largely been the product of individual efforts and although this approach has proven successful, its strength for solving problems of interest is now starting to show its limitations as we try to share codes and algorithms or when we want to recombine codes in novel ways to produce new science. With funding from the NSF, the US community has embarked on a Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics (CIG) that will develop, support, and disseminate community-accessible software for the greater geodynamics community from model developers to end-users. The software is being developed for problems involving mantle and core dynamics, crustal and earthquake dynamics, magma migration, seismology, and other related topics. With a high level of community participation, CIG is leveraging state-of-the-art scientific computing into a suite of open-source tools and codes. The infrastructure that we are now starting to develop will consist of: (a) a coordinated effort to develop reusable, well-documented and open-source geodynamics software; (b) the basic building blocks - an infrastructure layer - of software by which state-of-the-art modeling codes can be quickly assembled; (c) extension of existing software frameworks to interlink multiple codes and data through a superstructure layer; (d) strategic partnerships with the larger world of computational science and geoinformatics; and (e) specialized training and workshops for both the geodynamics and broader Earth science communities. The CIG initiative has already started to leverage and develop long-term strategic partnerships with open source development efforts within the larger thrusts of scientific computing and geoinformatics. These strategic partnerships are essential as the frontier has moved into multi-scale and multi-physics problems in which many investigators now want to use simulation software for data interpretation, data assimilation, and hypothesis testing.

Wicked Problems in Natural Hazard Assessment and Mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, S.; Steckler, M. S.; Rundle, J. B.; Dixon, T. H.

2017-12-01

Social scientists have defined "wicked" problems that are "messy, ill-defined, more complex than we fully grasp, and open to multiple interpretations based on one's point of view... No solution to a wicked problem is permanent or wholly satisfying, which leaves every solution open to easy polemical attack." These contrast with "tame" problems in which necessary information is available and solutions - even if difficult and expensive - are straightforward to identify and execute. Updating the U.S.'s aging infrastructure is a tame problem, because what is wrong and how to fix it are clear. In contrast, addressing climate change is a wicked problem because its effects are uncertain and the best strategies to address them are unclear. An analogous approach can be taken to natural hazard problems. In tame problems, we have a good model of the process, good information about past events, and data implying that the model should predict future events. In such cases, we can make a reasonable assessment of the hazard that can be used to develop mitigation strategies. Earthquake hazard mitigation for San Francisco is a relatively tame problem. We understand how the earthquakes result from known plate motions, have information about past earthquakes, and have geodetic data implying that future similar earthquakes will occur. As a result, it is straightforward to develop and implement mitigation strategies. However, in many cases, hazard assessment and mitigation is a wicked problem. How should we prepare for a great earthquake on plate boundaries where tectonics favor such events but we have no evidence that they have occurred and hence how large they may be or how often to expect them? How should we assess the hazard within plates, for example in the New Madrid seismic zone, where large earthquakes have occurred but we do not understand their causes and geodetic data show no strain accumulating? How can we assess the hazard and make sensible policy when the recurrence of earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes seems to be changing with time or is expected to do so due to human activity? A starting approach might be to assess what we know, what we don't know, what we think, and what can be done that might improve this situation. We should draw on what is known in other areas of risk assessment including social science, meteorology, engineering, and economics.

Some remarks on the attractor behaviour in ELKO cosmology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, S. H.; A. Pinho S., S.; Hoff da Silva, J. M.

2014-08-01

Recent results on the dynamical stability of a system involving the interaction of the ELKO spinor field with standard matter in the universe have been reanalysed, and the conclusion is that such system does not exhibit isolated stable points that could alleviate the cosmic coincidence problem. When a constant parameter δ related to the potential of the ELKO field is introduced in the system however, stable fixed points are found for some specific types of interaction between the ELKO field and matter. Although the parameter δ is related to an unknown potential, in order to satisfy the stability conditions and also that the fixed points are real, the range of the constant parameter δ can be constrained for the present time and the coincidence problem can be alleviated for some specific interactions. Such restriction on the ELKO potential opens possibility to apply the ELKO field as a candidate to dark energy in the universe, and so explain the present phase of acceleration of the universe through the decay of the ELKO field into matter.

Procrastination as a Self-Regulation Failure: The Role of Impulsivity and Intrusive Thoughts.

PubMed

Rebetez, Marie My Lien; Rochat, Lucien; Barsics, Catherine; Van der Linden, Martial

2018-02-01

Procrastination has been described as the quintessence of self-regulatory failure. This study examines the relationships between this self-regulatory failure and other manifestations of self-regulation problems, namely impulsivity and intrusive thoughts. One hundred and forty-one participants completed questionnaires assessing procrastination, impulsivity (in particular, the urgency and lack of perseverance dimensions), and intrusive thoughts (i.e., rumination and daydreaming). Main results show that urgency mediated the association between rumination and procrastination, whereas rumination did not mediate the relation between urgency and procrastination. Lack of perseverance mediated the association between daydreaming and procrastination, and daydreaming mediated the relation between lack of perseverance and procrastination. This study highlights the role of impulsivity and intrusive thoughts in procrastination, specifies the links between these self-regulation problems, and provides insights into their (potential) underlying mechanisms. It also opens interesting prospects for management strategies for implementing targeted psychological interventions to reduce impulsive manifestations and/or thought control difficulties accompanying procrastination.

Optimal symmetric flight with an intermediate vehicle model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Menon, P. K. A.; Kelley, H. J.; Cliff, E. M.

1983-01-01

Optimal flight in the vertical plane with a vehicle model intermediate in complexity between the point-mass and energy models is studied. Flight-path angle takes on the role of a control variable. Range-open problems feature subarcs of vertical flight and singular subarcs. The class of altitude-speed-range-time optimization problems with fuel expenditure unspecified is investigated and some interesting phenomena uncovered. The maximum-lift-to-drag glide appears as part of the family, final-time-open, with appropriate initial and terminal transient exceeding level-flight drag, some members exhibiting oscillations. Oscillatory paths generally fail the Jacobi test for durations exceeding a period and furnish a minimum only for short-duration problems.

The importance of holiday trips for people with chronic mental health problems.

PubMed

Pols, Jeannette; Kroon, Hans

2007-02-01

Although research findings point to the importance of leisure activities for people with severe mental illness, there is no research into the specific effects of holiday trips. This Open Forum describes the experience of going on holiday trips for people with chronic mental health problems in the Netherlands. A qualitative research design was used. Material for the research was collected by participant observation on two trips and in-depth interviews of 11 travelers and four psychiatric nurses who accompanied the travelers. The trips contributed to rehabilitation by promoting and supporting, among other things, community participation, social relations, skill development, and new perceptions of identity. The trips also helped travelers to maintain balance in everyday life. For the nurses the trips provided a learning environment outside of medical institutions.

Can the fluctuations of motion be used to estimate the performance of kayak paddlers?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vadai, Gergely; Gingl, Zoltán

2016-05-01

Today many compact and efficient on-water data acquisition units help modern coaching by measuring and analyzing various inertial signals during kayaking. One of the most challenging problems is how these signals can be used to estimate performance and to develop the technique. Recently we have introduced indicators based on the fluctuations of the inertial signals as promising additions to the existing parameters. In this work we report on our more detailed analysis, compare new indicators, and discuss the possible advantages of the applied methods. Our primary aim is to draw attention to several exciting and inspiring open problems and to initiate further research even in several related multidisciplinary fields. More detailed information can be found on the dedicated webpage, www.noise.inf.u-szeged.hu/kayak.

Infrared stereo calibration for unmanned ground vehicle navigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harguess, Josh; Strange, Shawn

2014-06-01

The problem of calibrating two color cameras as a stereo pair has been heavily researched and many off-the-shelf software packages, such as Robot Operating System and OpenCV, include calibration routines that work in most cases. However, the problem of calibrating two infrared (IR) cameras for the purposes of sensor fusion and point could generation is relatively new and many challenges exist. We present a comparison of color camera and IR camera stereo calibration using data from an unmanned ground vehicle. There are two main challenges in IR stereo calibration; the calibration board (material, design, etc.) and the accuracy of calibration pattern detection. We present our analysis of these challenges along with our IR stereo calibration methodology. Finally, we present our results both visually and analytically with computed reprojection errors.

[Internet research methods: advantages and challenges].

PubMed

Liu, Yi; Tien, Yueh-Hsuan

2009-12-01

Compared to traditional research methods, using the Internet to conduct research offers a number of advantages to the researcher, which include increased access to sensitive issues and vulnerable / hidden populations; decreased data entry time requirements; and enhanced data accuracy. However, Internet research also presents certain challenges to the researcher. In this article, the advantages and challenges of Internet research methods are discussed in four principle issue areas: (a) recruitment, (b) data quality, (c) practicality, and (d) ethics. Nursing researchers can overcome problems related to sampling bias and data truthfulness using creative methods; resolve technical problems through collaboration with other disciplines; and protect participant's privacy, confidentiality and data security by maintaining a high level of vigilance. Once such issues have been satisfactorily addressed, the Internet should open a new window for Taiwan nursing research.

Relativity Based on Physical Processes Rather Than Space-Time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giese, Albrecht

2013-09-01

Physicists' understanding of relativity and the way it is handled is at present dominated by the interpretation of Albert Einstein, who related relativity to specific properties of space and time. The principal alternative to Einstein's interpretation is based on a concept proposed by Hendrik A. Lorentz, which uses knowledge of classical physics to explain relativistic phenomena. In this paper, we will show that on the one hand the Lorentz-based interpretation provides a simpler mathematical way of arriving at the known results for both Special and General Relativity. On the other hand, it is able to solve problems which have remained open to this day. Furthermore, a particle model will be presented, based on Lorentzian relativity, which explains the origin of mass without the use of the Higgs mechanism, based on the finiteness of the speed of light, and which provides the classical results for particle properties that are currently only accessible through quantum mechanics.

The new role of HSE in chemical product development

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

Purinton, R.J. Jr.; Manning, T.S.; Dowell, S.

1996-11-01

Today, Health, Safety, and Environmental issues take a more prominent role than ever before in chemical product development for the global oilfield service industry. Prior to widespread regulatory guidelines, technical problems were solved and well treatment programs were developed using the chemicals which performed the best and were the least expensive for the application. HSE concerns were sometimes addressed from a remedial standpoint, rather than a preventive one throughout the process. With a clearer understanding of the potential impact of chemicals upon people and the environment, along with the ever-increasing array of government regulations, service companies are taking a newmore » approach to product development. HSE-related risks and costs are being assessed early and continued throughout chemical development, with both product and treatment process features then designed accordingly. One service company reflects this approach with its {open_quotes}cradle-to-grave{close_quotes} Product Development and Stewardship program. Integral to this program are planned HSE assessments at each step of development, including Feasibility, Lab Development, Field Testing, Manufacturing, and Commercial Field Introduction. These assessments provide the data necessary to {open_quotes}engineer-in{close_quotes} solutions to potential HSE-related problems, produce viable Risk Management Plans, and promote a smoother path to commercialization. This avoids arriving at the commercial launch point with a product which poses unacceptably high personal or environmental risks, may be restricted or banned in key markets, or requires lengthy and expensive government registrations. In order to optimize R&E resources and ensure continuous evaluation, decision points (to continue, modify, or abandon) are built into the process. Early HSE screenings must be accurate but also relatively quick and inexpensive to be meaningful and economical.« less

Probabilistic Open Set Recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Lalit Prithviraj

Real-world tasks in computer vision, pattern recognition and machine learning often touch upon the open set recognition problem: multi-class recognition with incomplete knowledge of the world and many unknown inputs. An obvious way to approach such problems is to develop a recognition system that thresholds probabilities to reject unknown classes. Traditional rejection techniques are not about the unknown; they are about the uncertain boundary and rejection around that boundary. Thus traditional techniques only represent the "known unknowns". However, a proper open set recognition algorithm is needed to reduce the risk from the "unknown unknowns". This dissertation examines this concept and finds existing probabilistic multi-class recognition approaches are ineffective for true open set recognition. We hypothesize the cause is due to weak adhoc assumptions combined with closed-world assumptions made by existing calibration techniques. Intuitively, if we could accurately model just the positive data for any known class without overfitting, we could reject the large set of unknown classes even under this assumption of incomplete class knowledge. For this, we formulate the problem as one of modeling positive training data by invoking statistical extreme value theory (EVT) near the decision boundary of positive data with respect to negative data. We provide a new algorithm called the PI-SVM for estimating the unnormalized posterior probability of class inclusion. This dissertation also introduces a new open set recognition model called Compact Abating Probability (CAP), where the probability of class membership decreases in value (abates) as points move from known data toward open space. We show that CAP models improve open set recognition for multiple algorithms. Leveraging the CAP formulation, we go on to describe the novel Weibull-calibrated SVM (W-SVM) algorithm, which combines the useful properties of statistical EVT for score calibration with one-class and binary support vector machines. Building from the success of statistical EVT based recognition methods such as PI-SVM and W-SVM on the open set problem, we present a new general supervised learning algorithm for multi-class classification and multi-class open set recognition called the Extreme Value Local Basis (EVLB). The design of this algorithm is motivated by the observation that extrema from known negative class distributions are the closest negative points to any positive sample during training, and thus should be used to define the parameters of a probabilistic decision model. In the EVLB, the kernel distribution for each positive training sample is estimated via an EVT distribution fit over the distances to the separating hyperplane between positive training sample and closest negative samples, with a subset of the overall positive training data retained to form a probabilistic decision boundary. Using this subset as a frame of reference, the probability of a sample at test time decreases as it moves away from the positive class. Possessing this property, the EVLB is well-suited to open set recognition problems where samples from unknown or novel classes are encountered at test. Our experimental evaluation shows that the EVLB provides a substantial improvement in scalability compared to standard radial basis function kernel machines, as well as P I-SVM and W-SVM, with improved accuracy in many cases. We evaluate our algorithm on open set variations of the standard visual learning benchmarks, as well as with an open subset of classes from Caltech 256 and ImageNet. Our experiments show that PI-SVM, WSVM and EVLB provide significant advances over the previous state-of-the-art solutions for the same tasks.

Development of Contemporary Problem-Based Learning Projects in Particle Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Andrew T.

2009-01-01

The University of Sydney has offered an undergraduate course in particle technology using a contemporary problem based learning (PBL) methodology since 2005. Student learning is developed through the solution of complex, open-ended problems drawn from modern chemical engineering practice. Two examples are presented; i) zero emission electricity…

Current Social Problem Novels.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenney, Donald J.

This review of social problem novels for young adults opens with a brief background of the genre, then lists the dominant themes of social problem fiction and nonfiction novels that have been published in the last two years, such as alcoholism, alienation, death, growing up and self-awarness, drugs, and divorce. Other themes mentioned are…

Investigative Primary Science: A Problem-Based Learning Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Etherington, Matthew B.

2011-01-01

This study reports on the success of using a problem-based learning approach (PBL) as a pedagogical mode of learning open inquiry science within a traditional four-year undergraduate elementary teacher education program. In 2010, a problem-based learning approach to teaching primary science replaced the traditional content driven syllabus. During…

Problematizing as a Scientific Endeavor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillips, Anna McLean; Watkins, Jessica; Hammer, David

2017-01-01

The work of physics learners at all levels revolves around problems. Physics education research has inspired attention to the forms of these problems, whether conceptual or algorithmic, closed or open response, well or ill structured. Meanwhile, it has been the work of curriculum developers and instructors to develop these problems. Physics…

Analysis of creative mathematical thinking ability by using model eliciting activities (MEAs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winda, A.; Sufyani, P.; Elah, N.

2018-05-01

Lack of creative mathematical thinking ability can lead to not accustomed with open ended problem. Students’ creative mathematical thinking ability in the first grade at one of junior high school in Tangerang City is not fully developed. The reason of students’ creative mathematical thinking ability is not optimally developed is so related with learning process which has done by the mathematics teacher, maybe the learning design that teacher use is unsuitable for increasing students’ activity in the learning process. This research objective is to see the differences in students’ ways of answering the problems in terms of students’ creative mathematical thinking ability during the implementation of Model Eliciting Activities (MEAs). This research use post-test experimental class design. The indicators for creative mathematical thinking ability in this research arranged in three parts, as follow: (1) Fluency to answer the problems; (2) Flexibility to solve the problems; (3) Originality of answers. The result of this research found that by using the same learning model and same instrument from Model Eliciting Activities (MEAs) there are some differences in the way students answer the problems and Model Eliciting Activities (MEAs) can be one of approach used to increase students’ creative mathematical thinking ability.

Definition and solution of a stochastic inverse problem for the Manning’s n parameter field in hydrodynamic models

DOE PAGES

Butler, Troy; Graham, L.; Estep, D.; ...

2015-02-03

The uncertainty in spatially heterogeneous Manning’s n fields is quantified using a novel formulation and numerical solution of stochastic inverse problems for physics-based models. The uncertainty is quantified in terms of a probability measure and the physics-based model considered here is the state-of-the-art ADCIRC model although the presented methodology applies to other hydrodynamic models. An accessible overview of the formulation and solution of the stochastic inverse problem in a mathematically rigorous framework based on measure theory is presented in this paper. Technical details that arise in practice by applying the framework to determine the Manning’s n parameter field in amore » shallow water equation model used for coastal hydrodynamics are presented and an efficient computational algorithm and open source software package are developed. A new notion of “condition” for the stochastic inverse problem is defined and analyzed as it relates to the computation of probabilities. Finally, this notion of condition is investigated to determine effective output quantities of interest of maximum water elevations to use for the inverse problem for the Manning’s n parameter and the effect on model predictions is analyzed.« less

Quantum Measurement, Correlation, and Contextuality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozawa, Masanao

2011-03-01

The problem has long been discussed as to whether non-commuting observables are simultaneously measurable, since Heisenberg introduced the uncertainty principle in 1927. The problem was settled state-independently: Two observables are simultaneously measurable in every state if and only if the corresponding operators commute. However, the problem has been open for state-dependent formulation. Saying that two observables are nowhere commuting if there exist no common eigenstates, the problem at stake is whether nowhere commuting observable can be simultaneously measurable in a certain state. There have been two historical arguments claiming the case: (i) In an eigenstate of an observable A one can determine both the values of A and any other observable B . (ii) In an EPR state one can determine both the values of Q ⊗ 1 and P ⊗ 1 . In this talk, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for two observables to be simultaneously measurable in a given state, show that the above two cases actually satisfy the required mathematical conditions, and give a classification of all the possible simultaneous measurements of nowhere commuting observables for the Hilbert space with dimension 2. Related problems on quantum contextuality will also be discussed using a linguistic method based on quantum logic and quantum set theory.

Accurate structure, thermodynamics and spectroscopy of medium-sized radicals by hybrid Coupled Cluster/Density Functional Theory approaches: the case of phenyl radical

PubMed Central

Barone, Vincenzo; Biczysko, Malgorzata; Bloino, Julien; Egidi, Franco; Puzzarini, Cristina

2015-01-01

The CCSD(T) model coupled with extrapolation to the complete basis-set limit and additive approaches represents the “golden standard” for the structural and spectroscopic characterization of building blocks of biomolecules and nanosystems. However, when open-shell systems are considered, additional problems related to both specific computational difficulties and the need of obtaining spin-dependent properties appear. In this contribution, we present a comprehensive study of the molecular structure and spectroscopic (IR, Raman, EPR) properties of the phenyl radical with the aim of validating an accurate computational protocol able to deal with conjugated open-shell species. We succeeded in obtaining reliable and accurate results, thus confirming and, partly, extending the available experimental data. The main issue to be pointed out is the need of going beyond the CCSD(T) level by including a full treatment of triple excitations in order to fulfil the accuracy requirements. On the other hand, the reliability of density functional theory in properly treating open-shell systems has been further confirmed. PMID:23802956

Probing the holographic principle using dynamical gauge effects from open spin-orbit coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jianshi; Price, Craig; Liu, Qi; Gemelke, Nathan

2016-05-01

Dynamical gauge fields result from locally defined symmetries and an effective over-labeling of quantum states. Coupling atoms weakly to a reservoir of laser modes can create an effective dynamical gauge field purely due to the disregard of information in the optical states. Here we report measurements revealing effects of open spin-orbit coupling in a system where an effective model can be formed from a non-abelian SU(2) × U(1) field theory following the Yang-Mills construct. Forming a close analogy to dynamical gauge effects in quantum chromodynamics, we extract a measure of atomic motion which reveals the analog of a closing mass gap for the relevant gauge boson, shedding insight on long standing open problems in gauge-fixing scale anomalies. Using arguments following the holographic principle, we measure scaling relations which can be understood by quantifying information present in the local potential. New prospects using these techniques for developing fractionalization of multi-particle and macroscopic systems using dissipative and non-abelian gauge fields will also be discussed. We acknowledge support from NSF Award No. 1068570, and the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation.

OpenTox predictive toxicology framework: toxicological ontology and semantic media wiki-based OpenToxipedia

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The OpenTox Framework, developed by the partners in the OpenTox project (http://www.opentox.org), aims at providing a unified access to toxicity data, predictive models and validation procedures. Interoperability of resources is achieved using a common information model, based on the OpenTox ontologies, describing predictive algorithms, models and toxicity data. As toxicological data may come from different, heterogeneous sources, a deployed ontology, unifying the terminology and the resources, is critical for the rational and reliable organization of the data, and its automatic processing. Results The following related ontologies have been developed for OpenTox: a) Toxicological ontology – listing the toxicological endpoints; b) Organs system and Effects ontology – addressing organs, targets/examinations and effects observed in in vivo studies; c) ToxML ontology – representing semi-automatic conversion of the ToxML schema; d) OpenTox ontology– representation of OpenTox framework components: chemical compounds, datasets, types of algorithms, models and validation web services; e) ToxLink–ToxCast assays ontology and f) OpenToxipedia community knowledge resource on toxicology terminology. OpenTox components are made available through standardized REST web services, where every compound, data set, and predictive method has a unique resolvable address (URI), used to retrieve its Resource Description Framework (RDF) representation, or to initiate the associated calculations and generate new RDF-based resources. The services support the integration of toxicity and chemical data from various sources, the generation and validation of computer models for toxic effects, seamless integration of new algorithms and scientifically sound validation routines and provide a flexible framework, which allows building arbitrary number of applications, tailored to solving different problems by end users (e.g. toxicologists). Availability The OpenTox toxicological ontology projects may be accessed via the OpenTox ontology development page http://www.opentox.org/dev/ontology; the OpenTox ontology is available as OWL at http://opentox.org/api/1 1/opentox.owl, the ToxML - OWL conversion utility is an open source resource available at http://ambit.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/ambit/branches/toxml-utils/ PMID:22541598

OpenTox predictive toxicology framework: toxicological ontology and semantic media wiki-based OpenToxipedia.

PubMed

Tcheremenskaia, Olga; Benigni, Romualdo; Nikolova, Ivelina; Jeliazkova, Nina; Escher, Sylvia E; Batke, Monika; Baier, Thomas; Poroikov, Vladimir; Lagunin, Alexey; Rautenberg, Micha; Hardy, Barry

2012-04-24

The OpenTox Framework, developed by the partners in the OpenTox project (http://www.opentox.org), aims at providing a unified access to toxicity data, predictive models and validation procedures. Interoperability of resources is achieved using a common information model, based on the OpenTox ontologies, describing predictive algorithms, models and toxicity data. As toxicological data may come from different, heterogeneous sources, a deployed ontology, unifying the terminology and the resources, is critical for the rational and reliable organization of the data, and its automatic processing. The following related ontologies have been developed for OpenTox: a) Toxicological ontology - listing the toxicological endpoints; b) Organs system and Effects ontology - addressing organs, targets/examinations and effects observed in in vivo studies; c) ToxML ontology - representing semi-automatic conversion of the ToxML schema; d) OpenTox ontology- representation of OpenTox framework components: chemical compounds, datasets, types of algorithms, models and validation web services; e) ToxLink-ToxCast assays ontology and f) OpenToxipedia community knowledge resource on toxicology terminology.OpenTox components are made available through standardized REST web services, where every compound, data set, and predictive method has a unique resolvable address (URI), used to retrieve its Resource Description Framework (RDF) representation, or to initiate the associated calculations and generate new RDF-based resources.The services support the integration of toxicity and chemical data from various sources, the generation and validation of computer models for toxic effects, seamless integration of new algorithms and scientifically sound validation routines and provide a flexible framework, which allows building arbitrary number of applications, tailored to solving different problems by end users (e.g. toxicologists). The OpenTox toxicological ontology projects may be accessed via the OpenTox ontology development page http://www.opentox.org/dev/ontology; the OpenTox ontology is available as OWL at http://opentox.org/api/1 1/opentox.owl, the ToxML - OWL conversion utility is an open source resource available at http://ambit.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/ambit/branches/toxml-utils/

L{sup {infinity}} Variational Problems with Running Costs and Constraints

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

Aronsson, G., E-mail: gunnar.aronsson@liu.se; Barron, E. N., E-mail: enbarron@math.luc.edu

2012-02-15

Various approaches are used to derive the Aronsson-Euler equations for L{sup {infinity}} calculus of variations problems with constraints. The problems considered involve holonomic, nonholonomic, isoperimetric, and isosupremic constraints on the minimizer. In addition, we derive the Aronsson-Euler equation for the basic L{sup {infinity}} problem with a running cost and then consider properties of an absolute minimizer. Many open problems are introduced for further study.

Problems experienced by patients receiving parenteral nutrition at home: results of an open interview study.

PubMed

Huisman-de Waal, Getty; Naber, Ton; Schoonhoven, Lisette; Persoon, Anke; Sauerwein, Hans; van Achterberg, Theo

2006-01-01

Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) is offered to patients who are unable to absorb sufficient nourishment from normal oral food intake or tube feeding. Major causes include severe motility disorders and limited resorption surface in the small intestine. HPN is a lifesaving therapy but has severe consequences on daily life. The aim of this study was to make an inventory of the problems experienced by patients receiving HPN. Open interviews were held with 48 patients from the 2 major centers for HPN in the Netherlands, centered around the question: Which 3 HPN problems have the most severe impact on your daily life? Data were analyzed using content analysis. The respondents mentioned 7 central problems: negative emotions, physical problems, social limitations, dependence on others, incapability, complications, and patient-care provider problems. In addition, practical problems were mentioned: sleeping problems, financial problems, and the "hospital atmosphere" at home. The latter issues formed less of a problem for the patients. The main underlying elements in the lives of many HPN patients appeared to be loss, longing, and grief. In contrast, a smaller proportion of the patients expressed that they had clearly adapted to life with HPN. By means of the HPN, they were still alive and enjoying all the things they could still do.

Chemical Engineers Go to the Movies (Stimulating Problems for the Contemporary Undergraduate Student)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smart, Jimmy L.

2007-01-01

In this article, the author presents five problems that are representative of some of the "movie problems" that he has used on tests in various courses, including reactor design, heat transfer, mass transfer, engineering economics, and fluid mechanics. These problems tend to be open-ended. They can be challenging and can often be worked a variety…

Kleinberg Complex Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-21

linear combinations of paths. This project featured research on two classes of routing problems , namely traveling salesman problems and multicommodity...flows. One highlight of this research was our discovery of a polynomial-time algorithm for the metric traveling salesman s-t path problem whose...metric TSP would resolve one of the most venerable open problems in the theory of approximation algorithms. Our research on traveling salesman

Interpersonal Functioning Among Treatment-Seeking Trans Individuals.

PubMed

Davey, Amanda; Bouman, Walter Pierre; Meyer, Caroline; Arcelus, Jon

2015-12-01

Trans people have been found to have high levels of depression. In view of the association between interpersonal problems and depression and the importance of interpersonal skills to navigate the transition of trans people, this study aims to investigate the levels of interpersonal problems among treatment-seeking trans men and women and the role of depression in this association. A total of 104 patients from a UK gender identity clinic and 104 age- and gender-matched control participants completed self-report measures of interpersonal problems and general psychopathology, including depression. Trans people reported significantly higher scores on global interpersonal problems and on the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-32 (IIP-32) Hard to be Sociable, Hard to be Supportive, and Hard to be Involved subscales and lower scores on the Too Open subscale. Depression accounted for significant differences on IIP-32 global and the Too Open subscale but not on Hard to be Sociable, Hard to be Supportive, and Hard to be Involved subscales. Trans individuals present with interpersonal problems, which could potentially increase their vulnerability to mental health problems. Therefore, addressing interpersonal problems may help to prevent the development of depressive symptomatology and facilitate transition. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Enhancing U.S. competitiveness through federal scientific and technical information - Issues and opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.

1990-01-01

The possibility of using federally funded scientific and technical information (STI) to increase U.S. industrial innovation and productivity is discussed. The history of federally funded research and development in the fields of agriculture and aviation is reviewed as an example of successful government-sponsored research. Issues related to the production and utilization of information are considered and federal STI policy is outlined. Issues related to the transfer of knowledge between government agencies and industry are examined and a model depicting the transfer of STI in aerospace research and development is presented. Also, consideration is given to the problem of open communication versus restricted access to STI.

Modeling of biological intelligence for SCM system optimization.

PubMed

Chen, Shengyong; Zheng, Yujun; Cattani, Carlo; Wang, Wanliang

2012-01-01

This article summarizes some methods from biological intelligence for modeling and optimization of supply chain management (SCM) systems, including genetic algorithms, evolutionary programming, differential evolution, swarm intelligence, artificial immune, and other biological intelligence related methods. An SCM system is adaptive, dynamic, open self-organizing, which is maintained by flows of information, materials, goods, funds, and energy. Traditional methods for modeling and optimizing complex SCM systems require huge amounts of computing resources, and biological intelligence-based solutions can often provide valuable alternatives for efficiently solving problems. The paper summarizes the recent related methods for the design and optimization of SCM systems, which covers the most widely used genetic algorithms and other evolutionary algorithms.

Modeling of Biological Intelligence for SCM System Optimization

PubMed Central

Chen, Shengyong; Zheng, Yujun; Cattani, Carlo; Wang, Wanliang

2012-01-01

This article summarizes some methods from biological intelligence for modeling and optimization of supply chain management (SCM) systems, including genetic algorithms, evolutionary programming, differential evolution, swarm intelligence, artificial immune, and other biological intelligence related methods. An SCM system is adaptive, dynamic, open self-organizing, which is maintained by flows of information, materials, goods, funds, and energy. Traditional methods for modeling and optimizing complex SCM systems require huge amounts of computing resources, and biological intelligence-based solutions can often provide valuable alternatives for efficiently solving problems. The paper summarizes the recent related methods for the design and optimization of SCM systems, which covers the most widely used genetic algorithms and other evolutionary algorithms. PMID:22162724

Review of access, licenses and understandability of open datasets used in hydrology research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falkenroth, Esa; Arheimer, Berit; Lagerbäck Adolphi, Emma

2015-04-01

The amount of open data available for hydrology research is continually growing. In the EU-funded project SWITCH-ON (Sharing Water-related Information to Tackle Changes in the Hydrosphere - for Operational Needs), we are addressing water concerns by exploring and exploiting the untapped potential of these new open data. This work is enabled by many ongoing efforts to facilitate the use of open data. For instance, a number of portals (such as the GEOSS Portal and the INSPIRE community geoportal) provide the means to search for such open data sets and open spatial data services. However, in general, the systematic use of available open data is still fairly uncommon in hydrology research. Factors that limits (re)usability of a data set include: (1) accessibility, (2) understandability and (3) licences. If you cannot access the data set, you cannot use if for research. If you cannot understand the data set you cannot use it for research. Finally, if you are not permitted to use the data, you cannot use it for research. Early on in the project, we sent out a questionnaire to our research partners (SMHI, Universita di Bologna, University of Bristol, Technische Universiteit Delft and Technische Universitaet Wien) to find out what data sets they were planning to use in their experiments. The result was a comprehensive list of useful open data sets. Later, this list of data sets was extended with additional information on data sets for planned commercial water-information products and services. With the list of 50 common data sets as a starting point, we reviewed issues related to access, understandability and licence conditions. Regarding access to data sets, a majority of data sets were available through direct internet download via some well-known transfer protocol such as ftp or http. However, several data sets were found to be inaccessible due to server downtime, incorrect links or problems with the host database management system. One possible explanation for this could be that many data sets have been assembled by research project that no longer are funded. Hence, their server infrastructure would be less maintained compared to large-scale operational services. Regarding understandability of the data sets, the issues encountered were mainly due to incomplete documentation or metadata and problems with decoding binary formats. Ideally, open data sets should be represented in well-known formats and they should be accompanied with sufficient documentation so the data set can be understood. Furthermore, machine-readable format would be preferrable. Here, the development efforts on Water ML and NETCDF and other standards should improve understandability of data sets over time but in this review, only a few data sets were provided in these wellknown formats. Instead, the majority of datasets were stored in various text-based or binary formats or even document-oriented formats such as PDF. For some binary formats, we could not find information on what software was necessary to decipher the files. Other domains such as meteorology have long-standing traditions of operational data exchange format whereas hydrology research is still quite fragmented and the data exchange is usually done on a case-by-case basis. With the increased sharing of open data there is a good chance the situation will improve for data sets used in hydrology research. Finally, regarding licensce issue, a high number of data sets did not have a clear statement on terms of use and limitation for access. In most cases the provider could be contacted regarding licensing issues.

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act: Preventing Juvenile Crime at School and in the Community. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixth Congress, First Session (Washington, DC, March 18, 1999).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

This document presents discussion on the Juvenile Crime Control and Delinquency Prevention Act (H.R. 1150) and provides testimonies of experts with first-hand knowledge of quality delinquency and violence prevention programs. An opening statement from Representative Mike Castle (Delaware) related the problem of children who become involved in…

Past trauma and present functioning of patients attending a women's psychiatric clinic.

PubMed

Borins, E F; Forsythe, P J

1985-04-01

A women's psychiatric clinic, incorporated within a university teaching general hospital and staffed entirely by women, was opened in March of 1980. The authors studied a sample of 100 women who came to the clinic and characterized them by demographic variables, psychiatric diagnoses, health problems, chronic illness, death in the family, and traumatic incidents. Death in the family before she was 18 was found to predict a woman's subsequent request for or completion of sterilization. Physical or sexual abuse was significantly related to abortion, and abortion and trauma were significantly correlated.

Youth Violence: Examining the Role of the Federal Government and Nongovernment Organizations in Establishing Solutions for Combatting Juvenile Crime. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Children and Families of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources. Senate, One Hundred Fourth Congress, Second Session.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families.

A hearing was held before the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families of the Committee on Labor and Human Relations to discuss possible solutions to the problem of juvenile crime. An opening statement by parents whose young child was murdered by an adolescent set the scene for the panel discussion that followed. James Fox, a professor of…

Parallelizing a peanut butter sandwich

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quenette, S. M.

2005-12-01

This poster aims to demonstrate, in a novel way, why contemporary computational code development is seemingly hard to a geodynamics modeler (i.e. a non-computer-scientist). For example, to utilise comtemporary computer hardware, parallelisation is required. But why do we chose the explicit approach (MPI) over an implicit (OpenMP) one? How does this relate to the typical geodynamics codes. And do we face this same style of problems in every day life? We aim to demonstrate that the little bit of complexity, fore-thought and effort is worth its while.

Voicing differences: indigenous and urban radio in Argentina, Chile, and Nigeria.

PubMed

Cárcamo-Huechante, Luis E; Legnani, Nicole Delia

2010-01-01

Indigenous cultures throughout the Americas and the rest of the world have to deal with problems of cultural assimilation, migration, and dissemination of their populations. Some of them, in countries such as Argentina, Chile, and Nigeria, have developed radio programming to maintain home languages; gain access to health, education, and employment information; greet friends and relatives; and re-create traditional culture under circumstances of modern pressures but also to open up opportunities. This article explores the capacity and awareness of these contributions in a multicultural world.

A Longitudinal Study of Fathers' and Young Children's Depressive Symptoms.

PubMed

Tichovolsky, Marianne H; Griffith, Shayl F; Rolon-Arroyo, Benjamin; Arnold, David H; Harvey, Elizabeth A

2016-09-21

Considerable research has examined the effects of maternal depression on children, but few studies have focused on the relation between paternal and child depressive symptoms, particularly during early childhood. Even fewer studies have been longitudinal, leaving open questions about how paternal and child depression covary over time. The present study sought to address this gap by examining the relation between fathers' and children's depressive symptoms over a 3-year period. Participants were 153 preschool children with behavior problems and their parents. Three longitudinal analytic approaches were used to examine how father and child depression change together and predict one another over time. Additional analyses examined whether externalizing problems or maternal depression might account for the associations between fathers' and children's depressive symptoms. Changes in paternal depression significantly predicted changes in father-reported and mother-reported child depressive symptoms. These effects were evident both in year-to-year fluctuations and in linear trajectories across the 3-year period. Cross-lagged analyses suggested that these relations may have been driven by father-effects; paternal depression at one time point predicted child depression at the next time point, but child depression did not significantly predict later paternal depression. We found little evidence that externalizing problems or maternal depression accounted for the relations between fathers' and children's depressive symptoms. Results provide convergent evidence that fathers' depression may play an important role in the development of depressive symptoms in young children and underscore the importance of including fathers in studies of depression in families.

Autopilot, Mind Wandering, and the Out of the Loop Performance Problem

PubMed Central

Gouraud, Jonas; Delorme, Arnaud; Berberian, Bruno

2017-01-01

To satisfy the increasing demand for safer critical systems, engineers have integrated higher levels of automation, such as glass cockpits in aircraft, power plants, and driverless cars. These guiding principles relegate the operator to a monitoring role, increasing risks for humans to lack system understanding. The out of the loop performance problem arises when operators suffer from complacency and vigilance decrement; consequently, when automation does not behave as expected, understanding the system or taking back manual control may be difficult. Close to the out of the loop problem, mind wandering points to the propensity of the human mind to think about matters unrelated to the task at hand. This article reviews the literature related to both mind wandering and the out of the loop performance problem as it relates to task automation. We highlight studies showing how these phenomena interact with each other while impacting human performance within highly automated systems. We analyze how this proximity is supported by effects observed in automated environment, such as decoupling, sensory attention, and cognitive comprehension decrease. We also show that this link could be useful for detecting out of the loop situations through mind wandering markers. Finally, we examine the limitations of the current knowledge because many questions remain open to characterize interactions between out of the loop, mind wandering, and automation. PMID:29051723

Hybrid generative-discriminative approach to age-invariant face recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sajid, Muhammad; Shafique, Tamoor

2018-03-01

Age-invariant face recognition is still a challenging research problem due to the complex aging process involving types of facial tissues, skin, fat, muscles, and bones. Most of the related studies that have addressed the aging problem are focused on generative representation (aging simulation) or discriminative representation (feature-based approaches). Designing an appropriate hybrid approach taking into account both the generative and discriminative representations for age-invariant face recognition remains an open problem. We perform a hybrid matching to achieve robustness to aging variations. This approach automatically segments the eyes, nose-bridge, and mouth regions, which are relatively less sensitive to aging variations compared with the rest of the facial regions that are age-sensitive. The aging variations of age-sensitive facial parts are compensated using a demographic-aware generative model based on a bridged denoising autoencoder. The age-insensitive facial parts are represented by pixel average vector-based local binary patterns. Deep convolutional neural networks are used to extract relative features of age-sensitive and age-insensitive facial parts. Finally, the feature vectors of age-sensitive and age-insensitive facial parts are fused to achieve the recognition results. Extensive experimental results on morphological face database II (MORPH II), face and gesture recognition network (FG-NET), and Verification Subset of cross-age celebrity dataset (CACD-VS) demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for age-invariant face recognition well.

Translating Answers to Open-Ended Survey Questions in Cross-Cultural Research: A Case Study on the Interplay between Translation, Coding, and Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Behr, Dorothée

2015-01-01

Open-ended probing questions in cross-cultural surveys help uncover equivalence problems in cross-cultural survey research. For languages that a project team does not understand, probe answers need to be translated into a common project language. This article presents a case study on translating open-ended, that is, narrative answers. It describes…

Open-Source Intelligence in the Czech Military: Knowledge System and Process Design

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-06-01

in Open-Source Intelligence OSINT, as one of the intelligence disciplines, bears some of the general problems of intelligence " business " OSINT...ADAPTING KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT THEORY TO THE CZECH MILITARY INTELLIGENCE Knowledge work is the core business of the military intelligence . As...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited OPEN-SOURCE INTELLIGENCE IN THE

The Aggregate National Supply of Job Openings and Firms' Procedures for Filling Positions. IAB Labour Market Research Topics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magvas, Emil; Spitznagel, Eugen

Surveys by the Institut fur Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB) of German firms' job openings have been combined with job registry data from the Bundesanstalt fur Arbeit on an annual basis since 1989 in order to determine the scope and structure of the aggregate national supply of job openings. The surveys also indicated problems encountered…

Influence of PBL with Open-Book Tests on Knowledge Retention Measured with Progress Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heijne-Penninga, M.; Kuks, J. B. M.; Hofman, W. H. A.; Muijtjens, A. M. M.; Cohen-Schotanus, J.

2013-01-01

The influence of problem-based learning (PBL) and open-book tests on long-term knowledge retention is unclear and subject of discussion. Hypotheses were that PBL as well as open-book tests positively affect long-term knowledge retention. Four progress test results of fifth and sixth-year medical students (n = 1,648) of three medical schools were…

Watts Bar Lock Valve Model Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-01

stream of the valve, and cavitation potential for various valve openings. Design modifications to improve performance were to be recommended. The...operation schedule to avoid gate openings with cavitation problems. This report provides results of the recent model experiments performed on the...the mid range openings. The noise is caused by cavitation in the culvert downstream of the filling valves. The vapor cavities that form from the low

Accounting for Academic Staff Resources for the Tutorial Support of Open Learning. Coombe Lodge Working Paper. Information Bank Number 1605.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birch, Derek W.; Latcham, Jack

The problems of resource allocation and management within open learning systems in colleges of further and higher education in Britain are discussed in this paper, with particular focus on the deployment of academic staff. First, the components of open learning systems are outlined; e.g., providing materials for students' private study, grading…

Variational data assimilation for limited-area models: solution of the open boundary control problem and its application for the Gulf of Finland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheloput, Tatiana; Agoshkov, Valery

2017-04-01

The problem of modeling water areas with `liquid' (open) lateral boundaries is discussed. There are different known methods dealing with open boundaries in limited-area models, and one of the most efficient is data assimilation. Although this method is popular, there are not so many articles concerning its implementation for recovering boundary functions. However, the problem of specifying boundary conditions at the open boundary of a limited area is still actual and important. The mathematical model of the Baltic Sea circulation, developed in INM RAS, is considered. It is based on the system of thermo-hydrodynamic equations in the Boussinesq and hydrostatic approximations. The splitting method that is used for time approximation in the model allows to consider the data assimilation problem as a sequence of linear problems. One of such `simple' temperature (salinity) assimilation problem is investigated in the study. Using well known techniques of study and solution of inverse problems and optimal control problems [1], we propose an iterative solution algorithm and we obtain conditions for existence of the solution, for unique and dense solvability of the problem and for convergence of the iterative algorithm. The investigation shows that if observations satisfy certain conditions, the proposed algorithm converges to the solution of the boundary control problem. Particularly, it converges when observational data are given on the `liquid' boundary [2]. Theoretical results are confirmed by the results of numerical experiments. The numerical algorithm was implemented to water area of the Baltic Sea. Two numerical experiments were carried out in the Gulf of Finland: one with the application of the assimilation procedure and the other without. The analyses have shown that the surface temperature field in the first experiment is close to the observed one, while the result of the second experiment misfits. Number of iterations depends on the regularisation parameter, but generally the algorithm converges after 10 iterations. The results of the numerical experiments show that the usage of the proposed method makes sense. The work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project 14-11-00609, the formulation of the iterative process and numerical experiments) and by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project 16-01-00548, the formulation of the problem and its study). [1] Agoshkov V. I. Methods of Optimal Control and Adjoint Equations in Problems of Mathematical Physics. INM RAS, Moscow, 2003 (in Russian). [2] Agoshkov V.I., Sheloput T.O. The study and numerical solution of the problem of heat and salinity transfer assuming 'liquid' boundaries // Russ. J. Numer. Anal. Math. Modelling. 2016. Vol. 31, No. 2. P. 71-80.

[Health, environment and sustainable development in Mexico].

PubMed

1998-09-01

This article is based on "Salud, ambiente y desarrollo humano sostenible: el caso de México," a document prepared in June 1997 by the Comité Técnico Nacional para el Desarrollo Sostenible. It opens with information regarding the epidemiologic and demographic changes that have taken place in Mexico, such as the decrease in communicable diseases, the rise in noncommunicable diseases, and the less conspicuous increase in lesions resulting from accidents or acts of violence. This is followed by a discussion of priority problems and problems of lesser magnitude in environmental health, specifically those relating to water and air quality, as well as disposal of household and dangerous wastes. Finally, it proposes three areas of intervention in light of the structural problems detected: the absence of an integrated information system covering the area of health, environment, and development; the absence of channels of communication within and between institutions and sectors, and the lack of coordination in planning and implementing programs and actions in this field.

Problems of collegial learning in psychoanalysis: narcissism and curiosity.

PubMed

Poland, Warren S

2009-04-01

Despite clinical sensitivity when listening to patients, analysts have not fared well in hearing and talking to each other with respectful open-mindedness. Underlying factors are considered with particular focus on the interplay between self-aimed forces of narcissism and outward-aimed forces of curiosity. Included in examination of problems of collegial communication are limitations structurally inherent to the human mind (such as the need to abstract aspects of experience in order to focus attention plus the mind's tendency to categorical thinking), those derived from individual psychology (such as vulnerability of self-esteem), and those related to group dynamics (such as the problems attendant to new ideas and the allegiances they stir, parochialism and the development of radical schools, the competitiveness between schools). The contribution of cultural influences and the multiply determined uses of language are also highlighted. The core sense of smallness in the strangeness of the universe and in the presence of others is seen as a common thread.

Open Source in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lakhan, Shaheen E.; Jhunjhunwala, Kavita

2008-01-01

Educational institutions have rushed to put their academic resources and services online, beginning the global community onto a common platform and awakening the interest of investors. Despite continuing technical challenges, online education shows great promise. Open source software offers one approach to addressing the technical problems in…

Undergraduate Research in Quantum Information Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyons, David W.

2017-01-01

Quantum Information Science (QIS) is an interdisciplinary field involving mathematics, computer science, and physics. Appealing aspects include an abundance of accessible open problems, active interest and support from government and industry, and an energetic, open, and collaborative international research culture. We describe our student-faculty…

"Open-Sourcing" Personal Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiedler, Sebastian H.D.

2014-01-01

This article offers a critical reflection on the contemporary Open Educational Resource (OER) movement, its unquestioned investment in a collective "content fetish" and an educational "problem description" that focuses on issues of scarcity, access, and availability of quality materials. It also argues that OER proponents fail…

Managing, Analysing, and Integrating Big Data in Medical Bioinformatics: Open Problems and Future Perspectives

PubMed Central

Merelli, Ivan; Pérez-Sánchez, Horacio; Gesing, Sandra; D'Agostino, Daniele

2014-01-01

The explosion of the data both in the biomedical research and in the healthcare systems demands urgent solutions. In particular, the research in omics sciences is moving from a hypothesis-driven to a data-driven approach. Healthcare is additionally always asking for a tighter integration with biomedical data in order to promote personalized medicine and to provide better treatments. Efficient analysis and interpretation of Big Data opens new avenues to explore molecular biology, new questions to ask about physiological and pathological states, and new ways to answer these open issues. Such analyses lead to better understanding of diseases and development of better and personalized diagnostics and therapeutics. However, such progresses are directly related to the availability of new solutions to deal with this huge amount of information. New paradigms are needed to store and access data, for its annotation and integration and finally for inferring knowledge and making it available to researchers. Bioinformatics can be viewed as the “glue” for all these processes. A clear awareness of present high performance computing (HPC) solutions in bioinformatics, Big Data analysis paradigms for computational biology, and the issues that are still open in the biomedical and healthcare fields represent the starting point to win this challenge. PMID:25254202

From Confrontation to Cooperation: 8th International Seminar on Nuclear War

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zichichi, A.; Dardo, M.

1992-09-01

The Table of Contents for the full book PDF is as follows: * OPENING SESSION * A. Zichichi: Opening Statements * R. Nicolosi: Opening Statements * MESSAGES * CONTRIBUTIONS * "The Contribution of the Erice Seminars in East-West-North-South Scientific Relations" * 1. LASER TECHNOLOGY * "Progress in laser technology" * "Progress in laboratory high gain ICF: prospects for the future" * "Applications of laser in metallurgy" * "Laser tissue interactions in medicine and surgery" * "Laser fusion" * "Compact X-ray lasers in the laboratory" * "Alternative method for inertial confinement" * "Laser technology in China" * 2. NUCLEAR AND CHEMICAL SAFETY * "Reactor safety and reactor design" * "Thereotical analysis and numerical modelling of heat transfer and fuel migration in underlying soils and constructive elements of nuclear plants during an accident release from the core" * "How really to attain reactor safely" * "The problem of chemical weapons" * "Long terms genetic effects of nuclear and chemical accidents" * "Features of the brain which are of importance in understanding the mode of operation of toxic substances and of radiation" * "CO2 and ultra safe reactors" * 3. USE OF MISSILES * "How to convert INF technology for peaceful scientific purposes" * "Beating words into plowshares: a proposal for the peaceful uses of retired nuclear warheads" * "Some thoughts on the peaceful use of retired nuclear warheads" * "Status of the HEFEST project" * 4. OZONE * "Status of the ozone layer problem" * 5. CONVENTIONAL AND NUCLEAR FORCE RESTRUCTURING IN EUROPE * 6. CONFLICT AVOIDANCE MODEL * 7. GENERAL DISCUSSION OF THE WORLD LAB PROJECTS * "East-West-North-South Collaboration in Subnuclear Physics" * "Status of the World Lab in the USSR" * CLOSING SESSION

A 1.375-approximation algorithm for sorting by transpositions.

PubMed

Elias, Isaac; Hartman, Tzvika

2006-01-01

Sorting permutations by transpositions is an important problem in genome rearrangements. A transposition is a rearrangement operation in which a segment is cut out of the permutation and pasted in a different location. The complexity of this problem is still open and it has been a 10-year-old open problem to improve the best known 1.5-approximation algorithm. In this paper, we provide a 1.375-approximation algorithm for sorting by transpositions. The algorithm is based on a new upper bound on the diameter of 3-permutations. In addition, we present some new results regarding the transposition diameter: we improve the lower bound for the transposition diameter of the symmetric group and determine the exact transposition diameter of simple permutations.

Enhancing participatory approach in water resources management: development of a survey to evaluate stakeholders needs and priorities related to software capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foglia, L.; Rossetto, R.; Borsi, I.; Josef, S.; Boukalova, Z.; Triana, F.; Ghetta, M.; Sabbatini, T.; Bonari, E.; Cannata, M.; De Filippis, G.

2016-12-01

The EU H2020 FREEWAT project (FREE and open source software tools for WATer resource management) aims at simplifying the application of EU-water related Directives, by developing an open source and public domain, GIS-integrated platform for planning and management of ground- and surface-water resources. The FREEWAT platform is conceived as a canvas, where several distributed and physically-based simulation codes are virtually integrated. The choice of such codes was supported by the result of a survey performed by means of questionnaires distributed to 14 case study FREEWAT project partners and several stakeholders. This was performed in the first phase of the project within the WP 6 (Enhanced science and participatory approach evidence-based decision making), Task 6.1 (Definition of a "needs/tools" evaluation grid). About 30% among all the invited entities and institutions from several EU and non-EU Countries expressed their interest in contributing to the survey. Most of them were research institutions, government and geoenvironmental companies and river basin authorities.The result of the questionnaire provided a spectrum of needs and priorities of partners/stakeholders, which were addressed during the development phase of the FREEWAT platform. The main needs identified were related to ground- and surface-water quality, sustainable water management, interaction between groundwater/surface-water bodies, and design and management of Managed Aquifer Recharge schemes. Needs and priorities were then connected to the specific EU Directives and Regulations to be addressed.One of the main goals of the questionnaires was to collect information and suggestions regarding the use of existing commercial/open-source software tools to address needs and priorities, and regarding the needs to address specific water-related processes/problems.

Big five personality and adolescent Internet addiction: The mediating role of coping style.

PubMed

Zhou, Yueyue; Li, Dongping; Li, Xian; Wang, Yanhui; Zhao, Liyan

2017-01-01

This study examined the unique associations between big five personality traits and adolescent Internet addiction (IA), as well as the mediating role of coping style underlying these relations. Our theoretical model was tested with 998 adolescents. Participants provided self-report data on demographic variables, big five personality traits, coping style, and IA. After controlling for demographic variables, it was found that agreeableness and conscientiousness were negatively associated with IA, whereas extraversion, neuroticism, and openness to experience were positively associated with IA. Mediation analyses further indicated that conscientiousness had an indirect impact on adolescent IA through decreased emotion-focused coping, whereas extraversion, neuroticism, openness to experience had indirect impacts on adolescent IA through increased emotion-focused coping. In contrast, problem-focused coping had no mediating role. These findings suggest that emotion-focused coping may, in part, account for the association between big five personality and adolescent IA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Communicating psychosocial problems in German well-child visits. What facilitates, what impedes pediatric exploration? A qualitative study.

PubMed

Krippeit, Lorena; Belzer, Florian; Martens-Le Bouar, Heike; Mall, Volker; Barth, Michael

2014-11-01

To examine whether, and if so, how psychosocial topics are discussed between parents and pediatricians. Thirty well-child visits at eight pediatricians' practices in southwest Germany were video recorded. Conversations were analyzed. Although psychosocial topics were frequently touched upon, they were rarely thoroughly explored. Pediatricians pursued a rather reserved conversation style. Especially when parents withdraw and psychosocial stressors are less baby-related, pediatricians hardly explore the psychosocial situation. In summary, the pediatrician's conversation style, the nature of the stressors and the parents' openness are paramount in determining the depth of psychosocial exploration. In order to ensure a good and fair quality of care to all parents, pediatricians should be provided with tailored communicative skills training allowing them to create a climate in which parents may open up and build trust toward their pediatrician. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Buoyancy on the Flowfields of Lean Premixed Turbulent V-Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, R. K.; Bedat, B.; Yegian, D. T.; Greenberg, P.

1999-01-01

Open laboratory turbulent flames used for investigating fundamental flame turbulence interactions are greatly affected by buoyancy. Though much of our current knowledge is based on observations made in open flames, buoyancy effects are usually not considered in data interpretation, numerical analysis or theories. This inconsistency remains an obstacle to merging experimental observations and theoretical predictions. To better understanding the effects of buoyancy, our research focuses on steady lean premixed flames propagating in fully developed turbulence. We hypothesize that the most significant role of buoyancy forces on these flames is to influence their flowfields through a coupling with the mean and the fluctuating pressure fields. This coupling relates to the elliptical problem that emphasizes the importance of the upstream, wall and downstream boundary conditions in determining all aspects of flame propagation. Therefore, buoyancy has the same significance as other parameters such as flow configuration, and flame geometry.

Open Access to Physics and Astronomy Theses: A Case Study of the Raman Research Institute Digital Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagaraj, M. N.; Manjunath, M.; Savanur, K. P.; Sheshadri, G.

2010-10-01

With the introduction of information technology (IT) and its applications, libraries have started looking for ways to promote their institutes' research output. At the Raman Research Institute (RRI), we have showcased research output such as research papers, newspaper clippings, annual reports, technical reports, and the entire collection of C.V. Raman through the RRI digital repository, using DSpace. Recently, we have added doctoral dissertations to the repository and have made them accessible with the author's permission. In this paper, we describe the challenges and problems encountered in this project. The various stages including policy decisions, the scanning process, getting permissions, metadata standards and other related issues are described. We conclude by making a plea to other institutions also to make their theses available open-access so that this valuable information resource is accessible to all.

Threats and risks to information security: a practical analysis of free access wireless networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quirumbay, Daniel I.; Coronel, Iván. A.; Bayas, Marcia M.; Rovira, Ronald H.; Gromaszek, Konrad; Tleshova, Akmaral; Kozbekova, Ainur

2017-08-01

Nowadays, there is an ever-growing need to investigate, consult and communicate through the internet. This need leads to the intensification of free access to the web in strategic and functional points for the benefit of the community. However, this open access is also related to the increase of information insecurity. The existing works on computer security primarily focus on the development of techniques to reduce cyber-attacks. However, these approaches do not address the sector of inexperienced users who have difficulty understanding browser settings. Two methods can solve this problem: first the development of friendly browsers with intuitive setups for new users and on the other hand, by implementing awareness programs on essential security without deepening on technical information. This article addresses an analysis of the vulnerabilities of wireless equipment that provides internet service in the open access zones and the potential risks that could be found when using these means.

Promoting Experimental Problem-Solving Ability in Sixth-Grade Students through Problem-Oriented Teaching of Ecology: Findings of an Intervention Study in a Complex Domain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roesch, Frank; Nerb, Josef; Riess, Werner

2015-01-01

Our study investigated whether problem-oriented designed ecology lessons with phases of direct instruction and of open experimentation foster the development of cross-domain and domain-specific components of "experimental problem-solving ability" better than conventional lessons in science. We used a paper-and-pencil test to assess…

Use of computer modeling to investigate a dynamic interaction problem in the Skylab TACS quad-valve package

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hesser, R. J.; Gershman, R.

1975-01-01

A valve opening-response problem encountered during development of a control valve for the Skylab thruster attitude control system (TACS) is described. The problem involved effects of dynamic interaction among valves in the quad-redundant valve package. Also described is a detailed computer simulation of the quad-valve package which was helpful in resolving the problem.

The Kadison–Singer Problem in mathematics and engineering

PubMed Central

Casazza, Peter G.; Tremain, Janet Crandell

2006-01-01

We will see that the famous intractible 1959 Kadison–Singer Problem in C*-algebras is equivalent to fundamental open problems in a dozen different areas of research in mathematics and engineering. This work gives all these areas common ground on which to interact as well as explaining why each area has volumes of literature on their respective problems without a satisfactory resolution. PMID:16461465

Development of indirect EFBEM for radiating noise analysis including underwater problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Hyun-Wung; Hong, Suk-Yoon; Song, Jee-Hun

2013-09-01

For the analysis of radiating noise problems in medium-to-high frequency ranges, the Energy Flow Boundary Element Method (EFBEM) was developed. EFBEM is the analysis technique that applies the Boundary Element Method (BEM) to Energy Flow Analysis (EFA). The fundamental solutions representing spherical wave property for radiating noise problems in open field and considering the free surface effect in underwater are developed. Also the directivity factor is developed to express wave's directivity patterns in medium-to-high frequency ranges. Indirect EFBEM by using fundamental solutions and fictitious source was applied to open field and underwater noise problems successfully. Through numerical applications, the acoustic energy density distributions due to vibration of a simple plate model and a sphere model were compared with those of commercial code, and the comparison showed good agreement in the level and pattern of the energy density distributions.

Generalizable open source urban water portfolio simulation framework demonstrated using a multi-objective risk-based planning benchmark problem.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trindade, B. C.; Reed, P. M.

2017-12-01

The growing access and reduced cost for computing power in recent years has promoted rapid development and application of multi-objective water supply portfolio planning. As this trend continues there is a pressing need for flexible risk-based simulation frameworks and improved algorithm benchmarking for emerging classes of water supply planning and management problems. This work contributes the Water Utilities Management and Planning (WUMP) model: a generalizable and open source simulation framework designed to capture how water utilities can minimize operational and financial risks by regionally coordinating planning and management choices, i.e. making more efficient and coordinated use of restrictions, water transfers and financial hedging combined with possible construction of new infrastructure. We introduce the WUMP simulation framework as part of a new multi-objective benchmark problem for planning and management of regionally integrated water utility companies. In this problem, a group of fictitious water utilities seek to balance the use of the mentioned reliability driven actions (e.g., restrictions, water transfers and infrastructure pathways) and their inherent financial risks. Several traits of this problem make it ideal for a benchmark problem, namely the presence of (1) strong non-linearities and discontinuities in the Pareto front caused by the step-wise nature of the decision making formulation and by the abrupt addition of storage through infrastructure construction, (2) noise due to the stochastic nature of the streamflows and water demands, and (3) non-separability resulting from the cooperative formulation of the problem, in which decisions made by stakeholder may substantially impact others. Both the open source WUMP simulation framework and its demonstration in a challenging benchmarking example hold value for promoting broader advances in urban water supply portfolio planning for regions confronting change.

From Distance Education to Online Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Robin

2000-01-01

Describes the history and development of the United Kingdom's Open University from a print-based distance teaching institution to an electronic university. Discusses computer conferencing, including problems and successes with implementation; barriers to use; research and development; designing and teaching online courses; and the Open University…

Nondestructive testing of delaminated interfaces between two materials using electromagnetic interrogation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cakoni, Fioralba; de Teresa, Irene; Monk, Peter

2018-06-01

We consider the problem of detecting whether two materials that should be in contact have separated or delaminated using electromagnetic radiation. The interface damage is modeled as a thin opening between two materials of different electromagnetic properties. To derive a reconstruction algorithm that focuses on testing for the delamination at the interface between the two materials, we use the approximate asymptotic model for the forward problem derived in de Teresa (2017 PhD Thesis University of Delaware). In this model, the differential equations in the small opening are replaced by approximate transmission conditions for the electromagnetic fields across the interface. We also assume that the undamaged or background state is known and it is desired to find where the delamination has opened. We adapt the linear sampling method to this configuration in order to locate the damaged part of the interface from a knowledge of the scattered field and the undamaged configuration, but without needing to know the electromagnetic properties of the opening. Numerical examples are presented to validate our algorithm.

A modal approach based on perfectly matched layers for the forced response of elastic open waveguides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallezot, M.; Treyssède, F.; Laguerre, L.

2018-03-01

This paper investigates the computation of the forced response of elastic open waveguides with a numerical modal approach based on perfectly matched layers (PML). With a PML of infinite thickness, the solution can theoretically be expanded as a discrete sum of trapped modes, a discrete sum of leaky modes and a continuous sum of radiation modes related to the PML branch cuts. Yet with numerical methods (e.g. finite elements), the waveguide cross-section is discretized and the PML must be truncated to a finite thickness. This truncation transforms the continuous sum into a discrete set of PML modes. To guarantee the uniqueness of the numerical solution of the forced response problem, an orthogonality relationship is proposed. This relationship is applicable to any type of modes (trapped, leaky and PML modes) and hence allows the numerical solution to be expanded on a discrete sum in a convenient manner. This also leads to an expression for the modal excitability valid for leaky modes. The physical relevance of each type of mode for the solution is clarified through two numerical test cases, a homogeneous medium and a circular bar waveguide example, excited by a point source. The former is favourably compared to a transient analytical solution, showing that PML modes reassemble the bulk wave contribution in a homogeneous medium. The latter shows that the PML mode contribution yields the long-term diffraction phenomenon whereas the leaky mode contribution prevails closer to the source. The leaky mode contribution is shown to remain accurate even with a relatively small PML thickness, hence reducing the computational cost. This is of particular interest for solving three-dimensional waveguide problems, involving two-dimensional cross-sections of arbitrary shapes. Such a problem is handled in a third numerical example by considering a buried square bar.

Research on OpenStack of open source cloud computing in colleges and universities’ computer room

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lei; Zhang, Dandan

2017-06-01

In recent years, the cloud computing technology has a rapid development, especially open source cloud computing. Open source cloud computing has attracted a large number of user groups by the advantages of open source and low cost, have now become a large-scale promotion and application. In this paper, firstly we briefly introduced the main functions and architecture of the open source cloud computing OpenStack tools, and then discussed deeply the core problems of computer labs in colleges and universities. Combining with this research, it is not that the specific application and deployment of university computer rooms with OpenStack tool. The experimental results show that the application of OpenStack tool can efficiently and conveniently deploy cloud of university computer room, and its performance is stable and the functional value is good.

Solution of electromagnetic scattering problems using time domain techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Britt, Charles L.

1989-01-01

New methods are developed to calculate the electromagnetic diffraction or scattering characteristics of objects of arbitrary material and shape. The methods extend the efforts of previous researchers in the use of finite-difference and pulse response techniques. Examples are given of the scattering from infinite conducting and nonconducting cylinders, open channel, sphere, cone, cone sphere, coated disk, open boxes, and open and closed finite cylinders with axially incident waves.

Parent-Child Communication and Adjustment Among Children With Advanced and Non-Advanced Cancer in the First Year Following Diagnosis or Relapse.

PubMed

Keim, Madelaine C; Lehmann, Vicky; Shultz, Emily L; Winning, Adrien M; Rausch, Joseph R; Barrera, Maru; Gilmer, Mary Jo; Murphy, Lexa K; Vannatta, Kathryn A; Compas, Bruce E; Gerhardt, Cynthia A

2017-09-01

To examine parent-child communication (i.e., openness, problems) and child adjustment among youth with advanced or non-advanced cancer and comparison children. Families (n = 125) were recruited after a child's diagnosis/relapse and stratified by advanced (n = 55) or non-advanced (n = 70) disease. Comparison children (n = 60) were recruited from local schools. Children (ages 10-17) reported on communication (Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale) with both parents, while mothers reported on child adjustment (Child Behavior Checklist) at enrollment (T1) and one year (T2). Openness/problems in communication did not differ across groups at T1, but problems with fathers were higher among children with non-advanced cancer versus comparisons at T2. Openness declined for all fathers, while changes in problems varied by group for both parents. T1 communication predicted later adjustment only for children with advanced cancer. Communication plays an important role, particularly for children with advanced cancer. Additional research with families affected by life-limiting conditions is needed. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Teaching the design of thermal systems using equation solvers

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

Garimella, S.

1999-07-01

Teaching the design of thermal systems requires an integrated approach that treats subjects such as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer as parts of one interconnected area, in which appropriate solutions to real-life design and analysis problems can be obtained only when all these aspects are considered simultaneously. This approach must be implemented through open-ended homework problems and design project-oriented teaching. Topics related to HVAC and other thermal systems that must be addressed include fluid flow networks, heat exchanger design, design and selection of pumps, fans and compressors, heat recovery systems, psychrometrics, air-conditioning systems, electronic cooling systems, fuels and combustion,more » solar thermal systems, and power plant design. A course that teaches the design of such systems and the wide array of thermal science applications is described in this paper.« less

[Pleasure and pain in sexual relations. The basis and reasons for sex counseling by the general practitioner].

PubMed

Sohn, W

2003-11-13

An essential factor for successful sex counseling by the family doctor is an atmosphere of openness and trust between physician and patient. However, few patients will begin to talk about their sexual problems of their own accord. The physician should therefore allow himself sufficient time for such counseling, be aware of his own limitations, and develop an ear attuned to involuntary remarks by the patient. During talks, only sparse use should be made of technical terms, the better to encourage the patient. The problems most commonly described in the doctor's office are functional disorders with a psychosomatic cause, and triggering factors may vary considerably (a high level of stress at the workplace, social or financial crises, monotonous leisure activities). In view of this, a somatic investigation should always be preceded by careful history-taking.

Accentuating the positive.

PubMed

Adkins, P C

1980-07-01

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is the largest organization representing our specialty. At this time, escalating costs of medical care and the public demand for accountability have given rise to a number of issues that must be faced. The Society is in a position to lead the medical profession in addressing many of these issues. We must present a united front for our specialty and resolve problems involving our training programs, manpower, federal regulations regarding medical devices, and the Federal Trade Commission's position on advertising. Additionally, the organization must address the issue of a definition of physician competence as it relates to the certifying and recertifying process. Awareness of these problems by all members of the Society with the opportunity for open discussion is essential. It is vital that The Society of Thoracic Surgeons assume a visible positive position on these issues.

The Problem of Hipparcos Distances to Open Clusters. Report 1; Constraints from Multicolor a Main-Sequence Fitting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinsonneault, Marc H.; Stauffer, John; Soderblom, David R.; King, Jeremy R.; Hanson, Robert B.

1998-01-01

Parallax data from the Hipparcos mission allow the direct distance to open clusters to be compared with the distance inferred from main-sequence (MS) fitting. There are surprising differences between the two distance measurements. indicating either the need for changes in the cluster compositions or reddening, underlying problems with the technique of MS fitting, or systematic errors in the Hipparcos parallaxes at the 1 mas level. We examine the different possibilities, focusing on MS fitting in both metallicity-sensitive B-V and metallicity-insensitive V-I for five well-studied systems (the Hyades, Pleiades, alpha Per, Praesepe, and Coma Ber). The Hipparcos distances to the Hyades and alpha Per are within 1 sigma of the MS-fitting distance in B-V and V-I, while the Hipparcos distances to Coma Ber and the Pleiades are in disagreement with the MS-fitting distance at more than the 3 sigma level. There are two Hipparcos measurements of the distance to Praesepe; one is in good agreement with the MS-fitting distance and the other disagrees at the 2 sigma level. The distance estimates from the different colors are in conflict with one another for Coma but in agreement for the Pleiades. Changes in the relative cluster metal abundances, age related effects, helium, and reddening are shown to be unlikely to explain the puzzling behavior of the Pleiades. We present evidence for spatially dependent systematic errors at the 1 mas level in the parallaxes of Pleiades stars. The implications of this result are discussed.

Gathering Circles: An Experience in Creativity and Variety.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakagomi, Koji

2000-01-01

Presents materials and methods that maintain student interest and encourage them to think creatively, develop mathematical reasoning, and look at problems from different perspectives, all within an open-ended approach to problem solving. Includes questions for discussion. (KHR)

Virtual GEOINT Center: C2ISR through an avatar's eyes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seibert, Mark; Tidbal, Travis; Basil, Maureen; Muryn, Tyler; Scupski, Joseph; Williams, Robert

2013-05-01

As the number of devices collecting and sending data in the world are increasing, finding ways to visualize and understand that data is becoming more and more of a problem. This has often been coined as the problem of "Big Data." The Virtual Geoint Center (VGC) aims to aid in solving that problem by providing a way to combine the use of the virtual world with outside tools. Using open-source software such as OpenSim and Blender, the VGC uses a visually stunning 3D environment to display the data sent to it. The VGC is broken up into two major components: The Kinect Minimap, and the Geoint Map. The Kinect Minimap uses the Microsoft Kinect and its open-source software to make a miniature display of people the Kinect detects in front of it. The Geoint Map collect smartphone sensor information from online databases and displays them in real time onto a map generated by Google Maps. By combining outside tools and the virtual world, the VGC can help a user "visualize" data, and provide additional tools to "understand" the data.

Coupled discrete element and finite volume solution of two classical soil mechanics problems

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

Chen, Feng; Drumm, Eric; Guiochon, Georges A

One dimensional solutions for the classic critical upward seepage gradient/quick condition and the time rate of consolidation problems are obtained using coupled routines for the finite volume method (FVM) and discrete element method (DEM), and the results compared with the analytical solutions. The two phase flow in a system composed of fluid and solid is simulated with the fluid phase modeled by solving the averaged Navier-Stokes equation using the FVM and the solid phase is modeled using the DEM. A framework is described for the coupling of two open source computer codes: YADE-OpenDEM for the discrete element method and OpenFOAMmore » for the computational fluid dynamics. The particle-fluid interaction is quantified using a semi-empirical relationship proposed by Ergun [12]. The two classical verification problems are used to explore issues encountered when using coupled flow DEM codes, namely, the appropriate time step size for both the fluid and mechanical solution processes, the choice of the viscous damping coefficient, and the number of solid particles per finite fluid volume.« less

Examining Functioning and Contextual Factors in Individuals with Joint Contractures from the Health Professional Perspective Using the ICF: An International Internet-Based Qualitative Expert Survey.

PubMed

Fischer, Uli; Müller, Martin; Strobl, Ralf; Bartoszek, Gabriele; Meyer, Gabriele; Grill, Eva

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify disease-related aspects of functioning and disability in people with joint contractures from a health professionals' perspective and to describe the findings, using categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). An Internet-based expert survey. We asked international health professionals for typical problems in functioning and important contextual factors of individuals with joint contractures using an Internet-based open-ended questionnaire. All answers were linked to the ICF according to established rules. Absolute and relative frequencies of the linked ICF categories were reported. Eighty experts named 1785 meaning units which could be linked to 256 ICF categories. Among the categories, 24.2% belonged to the component Body Functions, 20.7% to Body Structures, 36.3% to Activities and Participation, and 18.8% to Environmental Factors. Health professionals addressed a large variety of functional problems and multifaceted aspects due to the symptom joint contractures. International health professionals reported a large variety of aspects of functioning and health, which are related to joint contractures. © 2014 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

Knowledge, confidence, skills and practices among midwives in the republic of Ireland in relation to perinatal mental health care: The mind mothers study.

PubMed

Carroll, Margaret; Downes, Carmel; Gill, Ailish; Monahan, Mark; Nagle, Ursula; Madden, Deirdre; Higgins, Agnes

2018-05-18

The study aimed to identify midwives' competency in perinatal mental health care in terms of their knowledge, confidence, skill and educational priorities, and to explore their clinical practices in relation to the assessment and management of perinatal mental health problems. An exploratory descriptive study design was used on a sample of 438 midwives in the Republic of Ireland. Data were collected over a two-month period in 2016 using an anonymous, self-completed survey designed by the research team. The majority of midwives cared for women with perinatal mental health problems in their clinical practice; however, beyond depression and anxiety, their knowledge of perinatal mental health problems was quite limited. Similarly, midwives reported a lack of skill in opening a discussion with women on sensitive issues, such as sexual abuse, intimate partner violence and psychosis, and providing information to women's partners/families. The findings indicated that midwives adopted a selective approach to screening for perinatal mental health problems, with a tendency not to inquire about sensitive topics, or address them only with women deemed at-risk. Timely and appropriate care is required to ensure the best outcomes for women with perinatal mental health problems and their families. A greater understanding of perinatal mental health among midwives is required to enable them to provide support and information to women and their families, and to identify when specialist intervention is required. Education and other structural supports, such as care pathways and documentation, is required to train and support midwives in their key role of caring for, and collaborating with, women with perinatal mental health problems. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Problems and challenges of nursing students’ clinical evaluation: A qualitative study

PubMed Central

Rafiee, Ghazanfar; Moattari, Marzieh; Nikbakht, Alireza N; Kojuri, Javad; Mousavinasab, Masoud

2014-01-01

Background: The purpose of this qualitative exploratory study was to explore the views of nursing trainers and students about nursing students’ clinical evaluation problems and drawbacks in Shiraz Nursing and Midwifery School. Materials and Methods: A qualitative exploratory approach was used in this study at Shiraz Nursing and Midwifery School in 2012. A purposeful sample of 8 nursing instructors and 40 nursing students was interviewed and the data on their opinions about the problems of the clinical evaluation were collected through semi-structured deep interviews. Initially, four open-ended questions, which were related to the clinical evaluation status, problems, were used to stimulate discussions in the interview sessions. Content analysis was employed in order to analyze the transcribed data. The recorded interviews were initially transcribed, read, and reread on a number of occasions to get an overall feeling of what the participants were saying. Each line or incident was described, and then a code, which reflected the essence of the participants’ comments, was given. Results: The codes were compared for similarity and differences, merged together, and categorized. Finally, five themes emerged: In appropriate clinical evaluation method, problems of clinical evaluation Process, problems related to clinical instructors, unsuitable programming of clinical education, and organizational shortcomings. Conclusion: Besides focusing on upgrading the current clinical evaluation forms, nursing trainers should improve their knowledge about a complete and comprehensive clinical evaluation. They should also apply other appropriate and objective clinical evaluation methods and tools, and perform a formative and summative clinical evaluation. Also, workload adjustment of the nursing trainers needs revision. Therefore, despite using traditional and sometimes limited evaluation methods for assessing nursing students, a co mprehensive and appropriate evaluation of nursing students’ clinical competencies seems necessary. PMID:24554959

Hablando Con Maestros Guia para Padres para Resolver Problemas Con La Escuela = Talking With Teachers: A Problem-Solving Handbook for Parents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mata, Roberto L.

Designed to help parents communicate with teachers about the school problems of their children, the handbook provides strategies which can guide parents to collect accurate information about a problem and to use it to initiate an open exchange with the teacher. The strategies can be used whether parents are becoming aware of a problem or have been…

The Teaching of Creativity in Information Systems Programmes at South African Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turpin, Marita; Matthee, Machdel; Kruger, Anine

2015-01-01

The development of problem solving skills is a shared goal in science, engineering, mathematics and technology education. In the applied sciences, problems are often open-ended and complex, requiring a multidisciplinary approach as well as new designs. In such cases, problem solving requires not only analytical capabilities, but also creativity…

A Model for Ubiquitous Serious Games Development Focused on Problem Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorneles, Sandro Oliveira; da Costa, Cristiano André; Rigo, Sandro José

2015-01-01

The possibility of using serious games with problem-based learning opens up huge opportunities to connect the experiences of daily life of students with learning. In this context, this article presents a model for serious and ubiquitous games development, focusing on problem based learning methodology. The model allows teachers to create games…

Lesson Unplanning: Toward Transforming Routine Tasks into Non-Routine Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beghetto, Ronald A.

2017-01-01

How might teachers transform routine tasks into non-routine ones? The purpose of this article is to address this question. The article opens with a discussion of why non-routine problems require creative and original thought. Specifically, I discuss how non-routine problems require students to confront uncertainty and how uncertainty can serve as…

Investigation of the Effect of Assignment Projects on Mathematical Activity of Graduating Junior High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zehavi, Nurit

This study explored student mathematical activity in open problem-solving situations, derived from the work of Polya on problem solving and Skemp on intelligent learning and teaching. Assignment projects with problems for ninth-grade students were developed, whether they elicit the desired cognitive and cogno-affective goals was investigated, and…

Open data used in water sciences - Review of access, licenses and understandability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falkenroth, Esa; Lagerbäck Adolphi, Emma; Arheimer, Berit

2016-04-01

The amount of open data available for hydrology research is continually growing. In the EU-funded project SWITCH-ON (Sharing Water-related Information to Tackle Changes in the Hydrosphere - for Operational Needs: www.water-switch-on.eu), we are addressing water concerns by exploring and exploiting the untapped potential of these new open data. This work is enabled by many ongoing efforts to facilitate the use of open data. For instance, a number of portals provide the means to search for open data sets and open spatial data services (such as the GEOSS Portal, INSPIRE community geoportal or various Climate Services and public portals). However, in general, many research groups in water sciences still hesitate in using this open data. We therefore examined some limiting factors. Factors that limit usability of a dataset include: (1) accessibility, (2) understandability and (3) licences. In the SWITCH-ON project we have developed a search tool for finding and accessing data with relevance to water science in Europe, as the existing ones are not addressing data needs in water sciences specifically. The tool is filled with some 9000 sets of metadata and each one is linked to water related key-words. The keywords are based on the ones developed within the CUAHSI community in USA, but extended with non-hydrosphere topics, additional subclasses and only showing keywords actually having data. Access to data sets: 78% of the data is directly accessible, while the rest is either available after registration and request, or through a web client for visualisation but without direct download. However, several data sets were found to be inaccessible due to server downtime, incorrect links or problems with the host database management system. One possible explanation for this could be that many datasets have been assembled by research project that no longer are funded. Hence, their server infrastructure would be less maintained compared to large-scale operational services. Understandability of the data sets: 13 major formats were found, but the major issues encountered were due to incomplete documentation or metadata and problems with decoding binary formats. Ideally, open data sets should be represented in well-known formats and they should be accompanied with sufficient documentation so the data set can be understood. The development efforts on Water ML and NETCDF and other standards could improve understandability of data sets over time but in this review, only a few data sets were provided in these formats. Instead, the majority of datasets were stored in various text-based or binary formats or even document-oriented formats such as PDF. Other disciplines such as meteorology have long-standing traditions of operational data exchange format whereas hydrology research is still quite fragmented and the data exchange is usually done on a case-by-case basis. With the increased sharing of open data there is a good chance the situation will improve for data sets used also in water sciences. License issue: Only 3% of the data is completely free to use, while 57% can be used for non-commercial purposes or research. A high number of datasets did not have a clear statement on terms of use and limitation for access. In most cases the provider could be contacted regarding licensing issues.

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

PubMed

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

2014-02-01

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

Bifurcation of solutions to Hamiltonian boundary value problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLachlan, R. I.; Offen, C.

2018-06-01

A bifurcation is a qualitative change in a family of solutions to an equation produced by varying parameters. In contrast to the local bifurcations of dynamical systems that are often related to a change in the number or stability of equilibria, bifurcations of boundary value problems are global in nature and may not be related to any obvious change in dynamical behaviour. Catastrophe theory is a well-developed framework which studies the bifurcations of critical points of functions. In this paper we study the bifurcations of solutions of boundary-value problems for symplectic maps, using the language of (finite-dimensional) singularity theory. We associate certain such problems with a geometric picture involving the intersection of Lagrangian submanifolds, and hence with the critical points of a suitable generating function. Within this framework, we then study the effect of three special cases: (i) some common boundary conditions, such as Dirichlet boundary conditions for second-order systems, restrict the possible types of bifurcations (for example, in generic planar systems only the A-series beginning with folds and cusps can occur); (ii) integrable systems, such as planar Hamiltonian systems, can exhibit a novel periodic pitchfork bifurcation; and (iii) systems with Hamiltonian symmetries or reversing symmetries can exhibit restricted bifurcations associated with the symmetry. This approach offers an alternative to the analysis of critical points in function spaces, typically used in the study of bifurcation of variational problems, and opens the way to the detection of more exotic bifurcations than the simple folds and cusps that are often found in examples.

Open Geosciences Knowledge: foster Information Preparedness in a Disaster Resilience Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rapisardi, Elena; Di Franco, Sabina

2014-05-01

Information in science communication is the ability and the capacity to transfer scientific knowledge to enable the understanding of communication content. Particularly, as stated in many documents and programs (e.g. UNISDR, a clear and correct information on hazards and emergency matters is crucial,either for practitioners or population,to cope with disaster and to allow collaboration to take the best decision. The Open Knowledge is defined as a set of criteria and conditions related to production, use and distribution, that include principles for better access to knowledge. However,knowledge is a pillar to understand the world in itself and to guide human actions and interactions with the environment. A free and open access to knowledge in a wider perspective includes also an ethical topic that is strictly connected to the acting in terms of interactions and responsibilities, in other words with the purpose of knowledge. Focusing on "data" as a technical issue, could displace ethics and responsibility as external issues, enhancing the technical value of data. In this perspective "opening" to an open knowledge perspective could not only solve problems related to the téchne, such as functionalities and efficiency, but it should foster sharing and collaboration expressed through ethics (praxis). The web era frees the information, hence the internet "information deluge" brings to the idea of "encyclopedia" (and of Wikipedia) as a tool to "organize, control and filter" knowledge, to allow communication, knowledge transfer, education, and sense-making. Social media and crowdsourcing have considerable promise for supporting collaborative and innovative ways that reshape the information production and distribution. However, the debate is now facing an important concern related to true/false issues, focusing on validation, and liability. Without any doubt the massive use of Social Media during recent major and minor disasters highlighted a huge need of clear, correct, free and trustworthy information. The challenge is to find models and tools to build an open and structured knowledge to sustain a common understanding in Disaster Resilience [DR] in order to cope with risks and reduce the impact of disaster: to observe natural phenomena, to understand natural hazards dynamics and local risks, to improve and facilitate the access to validated and reliable information.

Quality of life after laparoscopic vs open sphincter-preserving resection for rectal cancer

PubMed Central

Ng, Simon Siu-Man; Leung, Wing-Wa; Wong, Cherry Yee-Ni; Hon, Sophie Sok-Fei; Mak, Tony Wing-Chung; Ngo, Dennis Kwok-Yu; Lee, Janet Fung-Yee

2013-01-01

AIM: To compare quality of life (QoL) outcomes in Chinese patients after curative laparoscopic vs open surgery for rectal cancer. METHODS: Eligible Chinese patients with rectal cancer undergoing curative laparoscopic or open sphincter-preserving resection between July 2006 and July 2008 were enrolled in this prospective study. The QoL outcomes were assessed longitudinally using the validated Chinese versions of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR38 questionnaires before surgery and at 4, 8, and 12 mo after surgery. The QoL scores at the different time points were compared between the laparoscopic and open groups. A higher score on a functional scale indicated better functioning, whereas a higher score on a symptom scale indicated a higher degree of symptoms. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients (49 laparoscopic and 25 open) were enrolled. The two groups of patients were comparable in terms of sociodemographic data, types of surgery, tumor staging, and baseline mean QoL scores. There was no significant decrease from baseline in global QoL for the laparoscopic group at different time points, whereas the global QoL was worse compared to baseline beginning at 4 mo but returned to baseline by 12 mo for the open group (P = 0.019, Friedman test). Compared to the open group, the laparoscopic group had significantly better physical (89.9 ± 1.4 vs 79.2 ± 3.7, P = 0.016), role (85.0 ± 3.4 vs 63.3 ± 6.9, P = 0.005), and cognitive (73.5 ± 3.4 vs 50.7 ± 6.2, P = 0.002) functioning at 8 mo, fewer micturition problems at 4-8 mo (4 mo: 32.3 ± 4.7 vs 54.7 ± 7.1, P = 0.011; 8 mo: 22.8 ± 4.0 vs 40.7 ± 6.9, P = 0.020), and fewer male sexual problems from 8 mo onward (20.0 ± 8.5 vs 76.7 ± 14.5, P = 0.013). At 12 mo after surgery, no significant differences were observed in any functional or symptom scale between the two groups, with the exception of male sexual problems, which remained worse in the open group (29.2 ± 11.3 vs 80.0 ± 9.7, P = 0.026). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic sphincter-preserving resection for rectal cancer is associated with better preservation of QoL and fewer male sexual problems when compared with open surgery in Chinese patients. These findings, however, should be interpreted with caution because of the small sample size of the study. PMID:23922475

Problem-based learning versus lecture-based learning in postgraduate medical education.

PubMed

Smits, Paul B; de Buisonjé, Cathelijn D; Verbeek, Jos H; van Dijk, Frank J; Metz, Jaap C; ten Cate, Olle J

2003-08-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of problem-based learning in comparison with lecture-based learning in a postgraduate medical training program concerning the management of mental health problems for occupational health physicians. A randomized controlled trial in 1999, with a mean follow-up of 14 months after the educational intervention, was used involving postgraduate medical education and training for occupational health physicians in The Netherlands, with 118 physicians in training as occupational health physicians. The experimental program was based on the principles of problem-based learning; the control program used the traditional lecture-based approach. Both programs were aimed at improving knowledge of and performance in the occupational management of work-related mental health problems. As the main outcome measures, knowledge tests consisting of true-or-false and open-answer questions and performance in practice based on self-reports and performance indicators were used. Satisfaction with the course was rated by the participants. In both groups, knowledge had increased equally directly after the programs and decreased equally after the follow-up. The gain in knowledge remained positive. The performance indicator scores also increased in both groups, but significantly more so in the problem-based group. The problem-based group was less satisfied with the course. Both forms of postgraduate medical training are effective. In spite of less favorable evaluations, the problem-based program appeared to be more effective than the lecture-based program in improving performance. Both programs, however, were equally effective in improving knowledge levels.

Debris mitigation methods for bridge piers : tech transfer summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-01

Problem statement: Debris accumulation on bridge piers is an on-going national problem that can obstruct waterway openings at bridges and also result in significant erosion of stream banks and scour at abutments and piers. : In some cases, debris acc...

From ``wiggly structures'' to ``unshaky towers'': problem framing, solution finding, and negotiation of courses of actions during a civil engineering unit for elementary students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roth, Wolff-Michael

1995-12-01

The present study was designed to investigate problem- and solution-related activity of elementary students in ill-defined and open-ended settings. One Grade 4/5 class of 28 students engaged in the activities of the “Engineering for Children: Structures” curriculum, designed as a vehicle for introducing science concepts, providing ill-defined problem solving contexts, and fostering positive attitudes towards science and technology. Data included video recordings, ethnographic field notes, student produced artefacts (projects and engineering logbooks), and interviews with teachers and observers. These data supported the notion of problems, solutions, and courses of actions as entities with flexible ontologies. In the course of their negotiations, students demonstrated an uncanny competence to frame and reframe problems and solutions and to decide courses of actions of different complexities in spite of the ambiguous nature of (arte)facts, plans, and language. A case study approach was chosen as the literary device to report these general findings. The discussion focuses on the inevitably ambiguous nature of (arte)facts, plans, and language and the associated notion of “interpretive flexibility.” Suggestions are provided for teachers on how to deal with interpretive flexibility without seeking recourse to the didactic approaches of direct teaching. But what happens when problems and solutions are negotiable, when there are no longer isolated problems which one tries to solve but problems which maintain complex linkages with ensembles of other problems and diverse constraints, or when problems and solutions are simultaneously invented? (Lestel, 1989, p. 692, my translation)

Technology needs for the development of the accommodative intraocular lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishi, Okihiro

2010-02-01

Refilling the lens capsule while preserving capsular integrity offers the potential to restore ocular accommodation. There are two persisting problems in capsular bag refilling for possible clinical application: Leakage of the injectable material through the capsular opening and capsular opacification. Numerous attempts for solving these cardinal problems have not been proven to be clinically applicable. Recently, we developed a novel capsular bag refilling procedure using a novel accommodative intraocular lens that serves as an optic as well as a plug for sealing the capsular opening. The procedure and the results of monkey experiments will be presented.

Extrusion Process by Finite Volume Method Using OpenFoam Software

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

Matos Martins, Marcelo; Tonini Button, Sergio; Divo Bressan, Jose

The computational codes are very important tools to solve engineering problems. In the analysis of metal forming process, such as extrusion, this is not different because the computational codes allow analyzing the process with reduced cost. Traditionally, the Finite Element Method is used to solve solid mechanic problems, however, the Finite Volume Method (FVM) have been gaining force in this field of applications. This paper presents the velocity field and friction coefficient variation results, obtained by numerical simulation using the OpenFoam Software and the FVM to solve an aluminum direct cold extrusion process.

Calculation of transmission probability by solving an eigenvalue problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bubin, Sergiy; Varga, Kálmán

2010-11-01

The electron transmission probability in nanodevices is calculated by solving an eigenvalue problem. The eigenvalues are the transmission probabilities and the number of nonzero eigenvalues is equal to the number of open quantum transmission eigenchannels. The number of open eigenchannels is typically a few dozen at most, thus the computational cost amounts to the calculation of a few outer eigenvalues of a complex Hermitian matrix (the transmission matrix). The method is implemented on a real space grid basis providing an alternative to localized atomic orbital based quantum transport calculations. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the efficiency of the method.

DNA damage and ageing: new-age ideas for an age-old problem

PubMed Central

Garinis, George A.; van der Horst, Gijsbertus T. J.; Vijg, Jan; Hoeijmakers, Jan H. J.

2015-01-01

Loss of genome maintenance may causally contribute to ageing, as exemplified by the premature appearance of multiple symptoms of ageing in a growing family of human syndromes and in mice with genetic defects in genome maintenance pathways. Recent evidence revealed a similarity between such prematurely ageing mutants and long-lived mice harbouring mutations in growth signalling pathways. At first sight this seems paradoxical as they represent both extremes of ageing yet show a similar ‘survival’ response that is capable of delaying age-related pathology and extending lifespan. Understanding the mechanistic basis of this response and its connection with genome maintenance would open exciting possibilities for counteracting cancer or age-related diseases, and for promoting longevity. PMID:18978832

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Open string pair creation from worldsheet instantons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, Christian; Torrielli, Alessandro

2010-10-01

Worldline instantons provide a particularly elegant way to derive Schwinger's well-known formula for the pair creation rate due to a constant electric field in quantum electrodynamics. In this communication, we show how to extend this method to the corresponding problem of open string pair creation.

Stimulating Mathematical Reasoning with Simple Open-Ended Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, John

2018-01-01

The importance of mathematical reasoning is unquestioned and providing opportunities for students to become involved in mathematical reasoning is paramount. The open-ended tasks presented incorporate mathematical content explored through the contexts of problem solving and reasoning. This article presents a number of simple tasks that may be…

Use of Performance Measures to Evaluate, Document Competence and Deterioration of ASSET Surgical Skills

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-01

Fewer motor vehicle occupant injuries and gunshot wounds nationwide; 4) New blood- use protocols (1:1:1 red cell: plasma: platelet) and tranexamic ... acid reduced the need for open surgical interventions to control bleeding. PROBLEM: Reduced clinical opportunities for open surgical control of

3D Modeling of Landslide in Open-pit Mining on Basis of Ground-based LIDAR Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, H.; Fernandez-Steeger, T. M.; Azzam, R.; Arnhardt, C.

2009-04-01

Slope stability is not only an important problem which is related to production and safety in open-pit mining, but also very complex task. There are three main reasons which affect the slope stability as follows: geotechnical factors: Geological structure, lithologic characteristics, water, cohesion, friction, etc.; climate factors: Rainfall and temperature; and external factors: Open-pit mining process, explosion vibration, dynamic load, etc.. The 3rd reason, as a specially one in open-pit mining, not only causes some dynamic problems but also induces the fast geometry changing which must be considered in the following research using numerical simulation and stability analysis. Recently, LIDAR technology has been applied in many fields and places in the world wide. Ground-based LIDAR technology with high accuracy up to 3mm increasingly accommodates to monitoring landslides and detecting changing. LIDAR data collection and preprocessing research have been carried out by Department of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology at RWTH Aachen University. LIDAR data, so-called a point-cloud of mass data in high density can be obtained in short time for the sensitive open-pit mining area by using ground-based LIDAR. To obtain a consistent surface model, it is necessary to set up multiple scans with the ground-based LIDAR. The framework of data preprocessing which can be implemented by Poly-Works is introduced as follows: gross error detection and elimination, integration of reference frame, model fusion of different scans (re-sampled in overlap region), data reduction without removing the useful information which is a challenge and research front in LIDAR data processing. After data preprocessing, 3D surface model can be directly generated in Poly-Works or generated in other software by building the triangular meshes. The 3D surface landslide model can be applied to further researches such as: real time landslide geometry monitoring due to the fast data collection and processing; change detecting by means of overlying different periods of topographic or geometric data; FEM (Finite Element Method) numerical simulation on basis of combining with the geotechnical properties and parameters to analyze slope stability and predict future movements for designing and rectifying the open-pit mining process; using the reverse engineering thought for developing constitutive models. An improved 3D surface model (HRDEM) which is based on fast data collection and precise data processing on basis of ground-based LIDAR technology is important contribution for further researches of slope stability in open-pit mining area.

Visualizing relativity: The OpenRelativity project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherin, Zachary W.; Cheu, Ryan; Tan, Philip; Kortemeyer, Gerd

2016-05-01

We present OpenRelativity, an open-source toolkit to simulate effects of special relativity within the popular Unity game engine. Intended for game developers, educators, and anyone interested in physics, OpenRelativity can help people create, test, and share experiments to explore the effects of special relativity. We describe the underlying physics and some of the implementation details of this toolset with the hope that engaging games and interactive relativistic "laboratory" experiments might be implemented.

Kinematic parameters of hand movement during a disparate bimanual movement task in children with unilateral Cerebral Palsy.

PubMed

Rudisch, Julian; Butler, Jenny; Izadi, Hooshang; Zielinski, Ingar Marie; Aarts, Pauline; Birtles, Deirdre; Green, Dido

2016-04-01

Children with unilateral Cerebral Palsy (uCP) experience problems performing tasks requiring the coordinated use of both hands (bimanual coordination; BC). Additionally, some children with uCP display involuntary symmetrical activation of the opposing hand (mirrored movements). Measures, used to investigate therapy-related improvements focus on the functionality of the affected hand during unimanual or bimanual tasks. None however specifically address spatiotemporal integration of both hands. We explored the kinematics of hand movements during a bimanual task to identify parameters of BC. Thirty-seven children (aged 10.9±2.6years, 20 male) diagnosed with uCP participated. 3D kinematic motion analysis was performed during the task requiring opening of a box with their affected- (AH) or less-affected hand (LAH), and pressing a button inside with the opposite hand. Temporal and spatial components of data were extracted and related to measures of hand function and level of impairment. Total task duration was correlated with the Jebsen-Taylor Test of Hand Function in both conditions (either hand leading with the lid-opening). Spatial accuracy of the LAH when the box was opened with their AH was correlated with outcomes on the Children's Hand Use Experience Questionnaire. Additionally, we found a subgroup of children displaying non-symmetrical movement interference associated with greater movement overlap when their affected hand opened the box. This subgroup also demonstrated decreased use of the affected hand during bimanual tasks. Further investigation of bimanual interference, which goes beyond small scaled symmetrical mirrored movements, is needed to consider its impact on bimanual task performance following early unilateral brain injury. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Building Chronic Kidney Disease Clinical Practice Guidelines Using the openEHR Guideline Definition Language.

PubMed

Lin, Ching-Heng; Lo, Ying-Chih; Hung, Pei-Yuan; Liou, Der-Ming

2016-12-07

As a result of the disease's high prevalence, chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a global public health problem. A clinical decision support system that integrates with computer-interpretable guidelines (CIGs) should improve clinical outcomes and help to ensure patient safety. The openEHR guideline definition language (GDL) is a formal language used to represent CIGs. This study explores the feasibility of using a GDL approach for CKD; it also attempts to identify any potential gaps between the ideal concept and reality. Using the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) anemia guideline as material, we designed a development workflow in order to establish a series of GDL guidelines. Focus group discussions were conducted in order to identify important issues related to GDL implementation. Ten GDL guidelines and 37 archetypes were established using the KDIGO guideline document. For the focus group discussions, 16 clinicians and 22 IT experts were recruited and their perceptions, opinions and attitudes towards the GDL approach were explored. Both groups provided positive feedback regarding the GDL approach, but raised various concerns about GDL implementation. Based on the findings of this study, we identified some potential gaps that might exist during implementation between the GDL concept and reality. Three directions remain to be investigated in the future. Two of them are related to the openEHR GDL approach. Firstly, there is a need for the editing tool to be made more sophisticated. Secondly, there needs to be integration of the present approach into non openEHR-based hospital information systems. The last direction focuses on the applicability of guidelines and involves developing a method to resolve any conflicts that occur with insurance payment regulations.

Empirical results on scheduling and dynamic backtracking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boddy, Mark S.; Goldman, Robert P.

1994-01-01

At the Honeywell Technology Center (HTC), we have been working on a scheduling problem related to commercial avionics. This application is large, complex, and hard to solve. To be a little more concrete: 'large' means almost 20,000 activities, 'complex' means several activity types, periodic behavior, and assorted types of temporal constraints, and 'hard to solve' means that we have been unable to eliminate backtracking through the use of search heuristics. At this point, we can generate solutions, where solutions exist, or report failure and sometimes why the system failed. To the best of our knowledge, this is among the largest and most complex scheduling problems to have been solved as a constraint satisfaction problem, at least that has appeared in the published literature. This abstract is a preliminary report on what we have done and how. In the next section, we present our approach to treating scheduling as a constraint satisfaction problem. The following sections present the application in more detail and describe how we solve scheduling problems in the application domain. The implemented system makes use of Ginsberg's Dynamic Backtracking algorithm, with some minor extensions to improve its utility for scheduling. We describe those extensions and the performance of the resulting system. The paper concludes with some general remarks, open questions and plans for future work.

Open Babel: An open chemical toolbox

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background A frequent problem in computational modeling is the interconversion of chemical structures between different formats. While standard interchange formats exist (for example, Chemical Markup Language) and de facto standards have arisen (for example, SMILES format), the need to interconvert formats is a continuing problem due to the multitude of different application areas for chemistry data, differences in the data stored by different formats (0D versus 3D, for example), and competition between software along with a lack of vendor-neutral formats. Results We discuss, for the first time, Open Babel, an open-source chemical toolbox that speaks the many languages of chemical data. Open Babel version 2.3 interconverts over 110 formats. The need to represent such a wide variety of chemical and molecular data requires a library that implements a wide range of cheminformatics algorithms, from partial charge assignment and aromaticity detection, to bond order perception and canonicalization. We detail the implementation of Open Babel, describe key advances in the 2.3 release, and outline a variety of uses both in terms of software products and scientific research, including applications far beyond simple format interconversion. Conclusions Open Babel presents a solution to the proliferation of multiple chemical file formats. In addition, it provides a variety of useful utilities from conformer searching and 2D depiction, to filtering, batch conversion, and substructure and similarity searching. For developers, it can be used as a programming library to handle chemical data in areas such as organic chemistry, drug design, materials science, and computational chemistry. It is freely available under an open-source license from http://openbabel.org. PMID:21982300

Investigation of the reasons for not using helmet among motorcyclists in Kerman, Iran.

PubMed

Maghsoudi, Aliasghar; Boostani, Dariush; Rafeiee, Manoochehr

2018-03-01

This study was carried out to investigate reasoning and interpretation of motorcyclists for not using helmet utilizing qualitative methodology of 'grounded theory'. The field of the study was Kerman, a cultural-historical city at the south-east of Iran. Participants were 21 young male motorcyclists. Two sampling strategies were used: maximum variation and snowball sampling. To collect data, in-depth, open-ended interviews were conducted. Data analysis yielded seven categories: fatalism; a barrier to social relationships; peer group pressure and negative labelling; messing up the appearance; disturbance in hearing and vision; barrier to normal breathing; and heaviness and superfluity of helmet. Based on the findings of the current study, it could be concluded that socio-cultural contexts, motorcyclists' worldview and partly helmet-related problems are of the main factors which affect motorcycling. Therefore, the studies, policy-makings, and intervening programmes to control injury and to promote safety among motorcyclists should be focused on socio-cultural barriers to helmet use in general and changing the motorcyclists' standpoints toward fatalism in particular. Helmet-related problems should be considered, too.

DEET toxicity to channel catfish sac fry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The combination of open facilities, moisture, and warm weather during channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus spawning season causes mosquito-infestation problems. A common solution to mosquito problems in hatcheries is to use mosquito repellents applied to exposed skin and clothing. DEET (N,N-diethyl-...

Partial coherence with application to the monotonicity problem of coherence involving skew information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Shunlong; Sun, Yuan

2017-08-01

Quantifications of coherence are intensively studied in the context of completely decoherent operations (i.e., von Neuamnn measurements, or equivalently, orthonormal bases) in recent years. Here we investigate partial coherence (i.e., coherence in the context of partially decoherent operations such as Lüders measurements). A bona fide measure of partial coherence is introduced. As an application, we address the monotonicity problem of K -coherence (a quantifier for coherence in terms of Wigner-Yanase skew information) [Girolami, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 170401 (2014), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.170401], which is introduced to realize a measure of coherence as axiomatized by Baumgratz, Cramer, and Plenio [Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 140401 (2014), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.113.140401]. Since K -coherence fails to meet the necessary requirement of monotonicity under incoherent operations, it is desirable to remedy this monotonicity problem. We show that if we modify the original measure by taking skew information with respect to the spectral decomposition of an observable, rather than the observable itself, as a measure of coherence, then the problem disappears, and the resultant coherence measure satisfies the monotonicity. Some concrete examples are discussed and related open issues are indicated.

Solution of cavity resonance and waveguide scattering problems using the eigenmode projection technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasr, Mamdouh H.; Othman, Mohamed A. K.; Eshrah, Islam A.; Abuelfadl, Tamer M.

2017-04-01

New developments in the eigenmode projection technique (EPT) are introduced in solving problems of electromagnetic resonance in closed cavities as well as scattering from discontinuities in guided-wave structures. The EPT invokes the eigenmodes of a canonical predefined cavity in the solution procedure and uses the expansion of these eigenmodes to solve Maxwell's equations, in conjunction with a convenient choice of port boundary conditions. For closed cavities, a new spurious-mode separation method is developed, showing robust and efficient spurious-mode separation. This has been tested using more complex and practical examples demonstrating the powerful use of the presented approach. For waveguide scattering problems, convergence studies are being performed showing stable solutions for a relatively small number of expansion modes, and the proposed method has advantages over conventional solvers in analyzing electromagnetic problems with inhomogeneous materials. These convergence studies also lead to an efficient rule-of-thumb for the number of modes to be used in the simulation. The ability to handle closed and open structures is presented in a unified framework that highlights the generality of the EPT which could be used to analyze and design a variety of microwave components.

An IYPT-based undergraduate physics tournament in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chuanyong; Song, Feng; Liu, Yubin; Sun, Qian

2013-03-01

International Young Physicists' Tournament (IYPT) is a team-oriented scientific competition of secondary school students. The participants present their solutions to scientific problems they have prepared over several months and discuss their solutions with other teams. It can also be implemented in university level as its physics problems are all open questions and have no standard answers, especially suitable for undergraduates' ability training in China. The annual tournament of physics learning of undergraduates in our school of physics was started in 2008. Each year, there are 15-18 teams, 20 more student volunteers and 30 more faculty jurors involved. The students benefited in different ways. It is project-based, requiring students to solve the problems in a research way. Team work is developed in both experimenting and discussing stages. The knowledge learned in classrooms can be used to solve these practical and life-related problems, raising their interest and initiative in physics learning. Finally, they are building up their skills in scientific presentation and communication. An IYPT-based program called CUPT (China undergraduate physics tournament) was launched in 2010 and annually attracts about 40 universities to attend. It gains its important role in physics education. National Fund for Talent Training in Basic Sciences (J1103208)

Hydrodynamic cavitation: from theory towards a new experimental approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lucia, Umberto; Gervino, Gianpiero

2009-09-01

Hydrodynamic cavitation is analysed by a global thermodynamics principle following an approach based on the maximum irreversible entropy variation that has already given promising results for open systems and has been successfully applied in specific engineering problems. In this paper we present a new phenomenological method to evaluate the conditions inducing cavitation. We think this method could be useful in the design of turbo-machineries and related technologies: it represents both an original physical approach to cavitation and an economical saving in planning because the theoretical analysis could allow engineers to reduce the experimental tests and the costs of the design process.

Statistical EMC: A new dimension electromagnetic compatibility of digital electronic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsaliovich, Anatoly

Electromagnetic compatibility compliance test results are used as a database for addressing three classes of electromagnetic-compatibility (EMC) related problems: statistical EMC profiles of digital electronic systems, the effect of equipment-under-test (EUT) parameters on the electromagnetic emission characteristics, and EMC measurement specifics. Open area test site (OATS) and absorber line shielded room (AR) results are compared for equipment-under-test highest radiated emissions. The suggested statistical evaluation methodology can be utilized to correlate the results of different EMC test techniques, characterize the EMC performance of electronic systems and components, and develop recommendations for electronic product optimal EMC design.

Asymptotic analysis on a pseudo-Hermitian Riemann-zeta Hamiltonian

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bender, Carl M.; Brody, Dorje C.

2018-04-01

The differential-equation eigenvalue problem associated with a recently-introduced Hamiltonian, whose eigenvalues correspond to the zeros of the Riemann zeta function, is analyzed using Fourier and WKB analysis. The Fourier analysis leads to a challenging open problem concerning the formulation of the eigenvalue problem in the momentum space. The WKB analysis gives the exact asymptotic behavior of the eigenfunction.

A case study of hospital operations management.

PubMed

Cheng, T C

1987-12-01

This paper discusses a study to investigate various operations management problems in a newly opened, modern regional hospital in Hong Kong. The findings of the study reveal that there exist in the hospital a number of current and potential problem areas. Recommendations for solving these problems are suggested with a view to improving the overall operational efficiency and effectiveness of the hospital.

On the Complexity of Duplication-Transfer-Loss Reconciliation with Non-Binary Gene Trees.

PubMed

Kordi, Misagh; Bansal, Mukul S

2017-01-01

Duplication-Transfer-Loss (DTL) reconciliation has emerged as a powerful technique for studying gene family evolution in the presence of horizontal gene transfer. DTL reconciliation takes as input a gene family phylogeny and the corresponding species phylogeny, and reconciles the two by postulating speciation, gene duplication, horizontal gene transfer, and gene loss events. Efficient algorithms exist for finding optimal DTL reconciliations when the gene tree is binary. However, gene trees are frequently non-binary. With such non-binary gene trees, the reconciliation problem seeks to find a binary resolution of the gene tree that minimizes the reconciliation cost. Given the prevalence of non-binary gene trees, many efficient algorithms have been developed for this problem in the context of the simpler Duplication-Loss (DL) reconciliation model. Yet, no efficient algorithms exist for DTL reconciliation with non-binary gene trees and the complexity of the problem remains unknown. In this work, we resolve this open question by showing that the problem is, in fact, NP-hard. Our reduction applies to both the dated and undated formulations of DTL reconciliation. By resolving this long-standing open problem, this work will spur the development of both exact and heuristic algorithms for this important problem.

Problem formulation, metrics, open government, and on-line collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziegler, C. R.; Schofield, K.; Young, S.; Shaw, D.

2010-12-01

Problem formulation leading to effective environmental management, including synthesis and application of science by government agencies, may benefit from collaborative on-line environments. This is illustrated by two interconnected projects: 1) literature-based evidence tools that support causal assessment and problem formulation, and 2) development of output, outcome, and sustainability metrics for tracking environmental conditions. Specifically, peer-production mechanisms allow for global contribution to science-based causal evidence databases, and subsequent crowd-sourced development of causal networks supported by that evidence. In turn, science-based causal networks may inform problem formulation and selection of metrics or indicators to track environmental condition (or problem status). Selecting and developing metrics in a collaborative on-line environment may improve stakeholder buy-in, the explicit relevance of metrics to planning, and the ability to approach problem apportionment or accountability, and to define success or sustainability. Challenges include contribution governance, data-sharing incentives, linking on-line interfaces to data service providers, and the intersection of environmental science and social science. Degree of framework access and confidentiality may vary by group and/or individual, but may ultimately be geared at demonstrating connections between science and decision making and supporting a culture of open government, by fostering transparency, public engagement, and collaboration.

A Particle Model Explaining Mass and Relativity in a Physical Way

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giese, Albrecht

Physicists' understanding of relativity and the way it is handled is up to present days dominated by the interpretation of Albert Einstein, who related relativity to specific properties of space and time. The principal alternative to Einstein's interpretation is based on a concept proposed by Hendrik A. Lorentz, which uses knowledge of classical physics alone to explain relativistic phenomena. In this paper, we will show that on the one hand the Lorentz-based interpretation provides a simpler mathematical way of arriving at the known results for both Special and General Relativity. On the other hand, it is able to solve problems which have remained open to this day. Furthermore, a particle model will be presented, based on Lorentzian relativity and the quantum mechanical concept of Louis de Broglie, which explains the origin of mass without the use of the Higgs mechanism. It is based on the finiteness of the speed of light and provides classical results for particle properties which are currently only accessible through quantum mechanics.

Shipping lanes or offshore rigs

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

Not Available

1980-09-01

This information was from the Los Angeles Steamship Association (LASSA) luncheon meeting. The problems of limiting access and availability of the Santa Barbara/Santa Catalina channels to commercial vessel traffic and other related uses. LASSA speaks for about 85% of the maritime industry in Southern California. The Association is actively seeking a compromise with the oil companies in keeping the Vessel Traffic Separation Scheme (VTSS) in the channels; however, the Western Oil and Gas Association (WOGA) is seeking to abolish VTSS as currently established in the channels and move the sea lanes outside the Channel Islands, and open up the entiremore » Santa Barbara Channel to unlimited drilling sites. LASSA claims that moving the VTSS sea lanes outside of the Channel Islands would add 18 to 22 miles to the average trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, with fuel cost etc. would make for a big loss to the merchant ship operators. LASSA has offered to support the concept of opening up the Buffer Zone that separates the Sea Lanes themselves to exploratory drilling. This two mile wide stretch of water is off limits to vessels and it would open new areas to the oil companies heretofore unaccessible to them. (DP)« less

Antibiotic penetration into bone in relation to the immediate management of open fractures: a review.

PubMed

Hughes, S P

1992-01-01

Bone is a vascular structure, which is capable of responding to changes in the systemic circulation. Antibiotics carried within the systemic circulation reach the capillaries in bone, and depending on molecular size, pass through the capillary walls to enter the fluid space. Following an open fracture, contamination with pathogenic organisms can occur both at the moment of injury, but also in the hospital, which is a particular problem in grade III fractures in which extensive soft tissue damage can occur in combination with an exposed wound. Antibiotics administered intravenously can be measured in bone by both bioassay and radioactive isotope techniques and are shown to reach bone in effective concentrations. It is apparent that short-course high-dose antibiotic therapy is appropriate for open fractures, and need not be continued as long as the normal fracture-healing process continues. However if infection in bone develops, further surgery is important to remove new dead tissue to allow adequate antibiotic penetration into bone. Thus antibiotics are useful when combined with effective surgical management, but do not on their own offer the only answer to management of the patient.

Lateral compression open cap splint with circummandibular wiring for management of pediatric mandibular fractures: a retrospective audit of 10 cases.

PubMed

Bhola, Nitin; Jadhav, Anendd; Borle, Rajiv; Khemka, Gaurav; Adwani, Nitin; Bhattad, Mayur

2014-03-01

Mandibular fractures are relatively less frequent in children when compared to adults. Pediatric patients present a unique challenge to maxillofacial surgeons in terms of their treatment planning and in their functional needs. We currently describe our experience with lateral compression open cap splint with circummandibular wiring as a treatment modality which involves fewer risks in treating pediatric symphysis/parasymphysis/body mandibular fractures. A retrospective analysis of pediatric patients with mandibular symphysis/parasymphysis/body fractures operated from January 2007 to January 2012 was performed. Clinical photographs and orthopantomogram assessment at the time of presentation, after treatment, and at 6 months postoperatively were evaluated. All the 10 patients were followed up until the period of 6 months, and none of them had any major complications. Postoperatively, there was satisfactory healing and union of fracture fragments in all the patients. Only one patient developed infection at submental region. The 6-month follow-up showed good occlusion, without interference in teeth eruption and no signs of temporomandibular joint problems. Lateral compression open cap splints for treatment of pediatric mandibular symphysis/parasymphysis/body fractures are reliable treatment modalities with regard to occlusion-guided fracture reduction.

[Open Borders for Alpine Pastures: The History of the Pacage Franco- Suisse].

PubMed

Schluep, J

2017-01-01

Alpine transhumance and summer grazing of animals on both sides of the French-Swiss border has a long tradition. The Bernese authorities first regulated the movement of animals across the French border in the 18th century due to outbreaks of epidemics. At that time the importation of cattle from the "Franche-Comté" was forbidden, but grazing on the French side of the border remained allowed. The 1912 agreement, relating to grazing on both sides of the border, was used for decades as a guideline to ensure the open communication and close cooperation of the veterinary and customs authorities of both countries with regard to border traffic. During World War I the movement across the border was temporarily stopped, whereas it remained open during World War II. During the last two decades of the 20th century problems have arisen due to IBR/ IPV from the Swiss, and BSE from the French point of view. In 1996, France annulled the 1912 agreement without any negative impact on the movement of animals across the border. As of 1999, the EU communitarian veterinary regulations apply, and veterinary border inspections have been abolished.

Improved Management of Water and Natural Resources Requires Open, Cognizant, Adaptive Science and Policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glynn, P. D.; Voinov, A. A.; Shapiro, C. D.; Jenni, K. E.

2017-12-01

Water issues impact the availability and use of other natural resources as well as environmental conditions. In an increasingly populated hyper-connected world, water issues are increasingly "wicked problems": complex problems with high uncertainties and no independent observers. Water is essential to life, and life affects water quality and availability. Scientists, managers, decision-makers, and the greater public all have a stake in improving the management of water resources. In turn, they are part of the systems that they are studying, deciding on, affecting, or trying to improve. Governance of water issues requires greater accessibility, traceability, and accountability (ATA) in science and policy. Water-related studies and decision-making need transdisciplinary science, inclusive participatory processes, and consideration and acceptance of multiple perspectives. Biases, Beliefs, Heuristics, and Values (BBHV) shape much of our perceptions and knowledge, and inevitably, affect both science and policy. Understanding the role of BBHV is critical to (1) understanding individual and group judgments and choices, (2) recognizing potential differences between societal "wants" and societal "needs", and (3) identifying "winners" and "losers" of policy decisions. Societal acceptance of proposed policies and actions can be fostered by enhancing participatory processes and by providing greater ATA in science, in policy, and in development of the laws, rules, and traditions that constrain decision-making. An adaptive science-infused governance framework is proposed that seeks greater cognizance of the role of BBHV in shaping science and policy choices and decisions, and that also seeks "Open Traceable Accountable Policy" to complement "Open Science". We discuss the limitations of the governance that we suggest, as well as tools and approaches to help implementation.

An automated program for reinforcement requirements for openings in cylindrical pressure vessels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. F.; Taylor, J. T.

1975-01-01

An automated interactive program for calculating the reinforcement requirements for openings in cylindrical pressure vessels subjected to internal pressure is described. The program is written for an electronic desk top calculator. The program calculates the required area of reinforcement for a given opening and compares this value with the area of reinforcement provided by a proposed design. All program steps, operating instructions, and example problems with input and sample output are documented.

Establishing a reliable framework for harnessing the creative power of the scientific crowd.

PubMed

Carter, Adrian J; Donner, Amy; Lee, Wen Hwa; Bountra, Chas

2017-02-01

Discovering new medicines is difficult and increasingly expensive. The pharmaceutical industry has responded to this challenge by embracing open innovation to access external ideas. Historically, partnerships were usually bilateral, and the drug discovery process was shrouded in secrecy. This model is rapidly changing. With the advent of the Internet, drug discovery has become more decentralised, bottom-up, and scalable than ever before. The term open innovation is now accepted as just one of many terms that capture different but overlapping levels of openness in the drug discovery process. Many pharmaceutical companies recognise the advantages of revealing some proprietary information in the form of results, chemical tools, or unsolved problems in return for valuable insights and ideas. For example, such selective revealing can take the form of openly shared chemical tools to explore new biological mechanisms or by publicly admitting what is not known in the form of an open call. The essential ingredient for addressing these problems is access to the wider scientific crowd. The business of crowdsourcing, a form of outsourcing in which individuals or organisations solicit contributions from Internet users to obtain ideas or desired services, has grown significantly to fill this need and takes many forms today. Here, we posit that open-innovation approaches are more successful when they establish a reliable framework for converting creative ideas of the scientific crowd into practice with actionable plans.

Establishing a reliable framework for harnessing the creative power of the scientific crowd

PubMed Central

Donner, Amy; Lee, Wen Hwa; Bountra, Chas

2017-01-01

Discovering new medicines is difficult and increasingly expensive. The pharmaceutical industry has responded to this challenge by embracing open innovation to access external ideas. Historically, partnerships were usually bilateral, and the drug discovery process was shrouded in secrecy. This model is rapidly changing. With the advent of the Internet, drug discovery has become more decentralised, bottom-up, and scalable than ever before. The term open innovation is now accepted as just one of many terms that capture different but overlapping levels of openness in the drug discovery process. Many pharmaceutical companies recognise the advantages of revealing some proprietary information in the form of results, chemical tools, or unsolved problems in return for valuable insights and ideas. For example, such selective revealing can take the form of openly shared chemical tools to explore new biological mechanisms or by publicly admitting what is not known in the form of an open call. The essential ingredient for addressing these problems is access to the wider scientific crowd. The business of crowdsourcing, a form of outsourcing in which individuals or organisations solicit contributions from Internet users to obtain ideas or desired services, has grown significantly to fill this need and takes many forms today. Here, we posit that open-innovation approaches are more successful when they establish a reliable framework for converting creative ideas of the scientific crowd into practice with actionable plans. PMID:28199324

Sea otter mortality in fish and shellfish traps: Estimating potential impacts and exploring possible solutions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hatfield, B.B.; Ames, J.A.; Estes, J.A.; Tinker, M.T.; Johnson, A.B.; Staedler, M.M.; Harris, M.D.

2011-01-01

Sea otters Enhydra lutris can be bycaught and drowned in fishing pots and traps, which may pose a threat to the welfare of otter populations. We explored this potential problem and its solutions using a wide variety of analyses. We exposed live California (USA) sea otters to finfish traps, lobster traps, and mock Dungeness crab traps in captive trials and found that the animals attempted to enter the circular and rectangular fyke openings, with some becoming entrapped. Using both live and dead sea otters, we found that a 3 ?? 9 inch (7.6 ?? 22.9 cm) fyke opening (1 inch narrower than the 4 ?? 9 inch [10.2 ?? 22.9 cm] openings currently used in California's commercial Dungeness crab fishery) would exclude most free-living (i.e. weaned from their mothers) otters while permitting the undiminished capture of crabs. Observer programs do not currently exist in California for these fisheries, so we calculated the effort required by an observer program to document sea otter bycatch over a range of hypothetical levels and evaluated the impact of those mortality rates on population growth. These analyses demonstrate that significant mortality from bycatch might easily go undetected, even with seemingly high levels of observer effort. As sea otters reoccupy portions of their former habitat in California, co-occurrence with finfish and shellfish traps with relatively large fyke openings will increase. ?? Inter-Research 2011.

Assessment of velocity fields through open-channel flows with an empiric law.

PubMed

Bardiaux, J B; Vazquez, J; Mosé, R

2008-01-01

Most sewer managers are currently confronted with the evaluation of the water discharges, that flow through their networks or go to the discharge system, i.e. rivers in the majority of cases. In this context, the Urban Hydraulic Systems laboratory of the ENGEES is working on the relation between velocity fields and metrology assessment through a partnership with the Fluid and Solid Mechanics Institute of Strasbourg (IMFS). The responsibility is clearly to transform a velocity profile measurement, given by a Doppler sensor developed by the IMFS team, into a water discharge evaluation. The velocity distribution in a cross section of the flow in a channel has attracted the interests of many researchers over the years, due to its practical applications. In the case of free surface flows in narrow open channels the maximum velocity is below the free surface. This phenomenon, usually called "dip-phenomenon", amongst other things, raises the problem of the area explored in the section of measurements. The work presented here tries to create a simple relation making possible to associate the flow with the velocity distribution. This step allows to insert the sensor position into the flow calculation.

Present state of the telecommunications market in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zielinski, Andrzej

2003-10-01

This statement shortly describes the changes in the telecommunication market that have taken place in the last 12 years, during the socio-economical transformation in Poland. It concerns economical, legal and technical problems related to the development of the telecommunications in Poland based on the principles of the market economy. Especially it is related to the commercialization of this sector, what has been a result of the changes of the principal law ruling the national economy including changes ot the telecommunication law. Changes of the law enabled the creation of the commercial company Polish Telecom and opened the way to the privatization of this company. Due to the changed law the way to the step-by-step liberalization and de-monopolization process has been also opened in Poland. It has caused fully digital modernization of telecommunication network, introduction new services such as cellular communications and Internet services, as well as rapid development of the market, what has expressed in multiplication of number of subscribers of stationary telephony, creation of the big cellular market and new increasing Internet market. The statemnet also refers to present difficulties in development of this market and as well as to the prospects for the future developments.

Simulation Exercises for an Undergraduate Digital Process Control Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeves, Deborah E.; Schork, F. Joseph

1988-01-01

Presents six problems from an alternative approach to homework traditionally given to follow-up lectures. Stresses the advantage of longer term exercises which allow for creativity and independence on the part of the student. Problems include: "System Model,""Open-Loop Simulation,""PID Control,""Dahlin…

MOOCs, Wicked Problems, and the Spirit of the Liberal Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClure, Maureen W.

2014-01-01

Higher education institutions today are increasingly considered to be "means," serving as suppliers for employers, not "ends" that address "wicked" problems. This disregards their role in the generational succession of civil societies. Massive open online courses can strengthen higher education institutions by working…

Educational Gymnastics--Stages of Content Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nilges, Lynda M.

1997-01-01

Educational gymnastics uses a problem-solving approach to accommodate multiple correct solutions to open-ended movement problems in gymnastics. A four-stage framework is outlined to help teachers systematically increase and decrease task difficulty in educational gymnastics. Answers to common questions about educational gymnastics are provided.…

Levels of arithmetic reasoning in solving an open-ended problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosyvas, Georgios

2016-04-01

This paper presents the results of an experimental teaching carried out on 12-year-old students. An open-ended task was given to them and they had not been taught the algorithmic process leading to the solution. The formal solution to the problem refers to a system of two linear equations with two unknown quantities. In this mathematical activity, students worked cooperatively. They discussed their discoveries in groups of four and then presented their answers to the whole class developing a rich communication. This study describes the characteristic arguments that represent certain different forms of reasoning that emerged during the process of justifying the solutions of the problem. The findings of this research show that within an environment conducive to creativity, which encourages collaboration, exploration and sharing ideas, students can be engaged in developing multiple mathematical strategies, posing new questions, creating informal proofs, showing beauty and elegance and bringing out that problem solving is a powerful way of learning mathematics.

Resonator reset in circuit QED by optimal control for large open quantum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boutin, Samuel; Andersen, Christian Kraglund; Venkatraman, Jayameenakshi; Ferris, Andrew J.; Blais, Alexandre

2017-10-01

We study an implementation of the open GRAPE (gradient ascent pulse engineering) algorithm well suited for large open quantum systems. While typical implementations of optimal control algorithms for open quantum systems rely on explicit matrix exponential calculations, our implementation avoids these operations, leading to a polynomial speedup of the open GRAPE algorithm in cases of interest. This speedup, as well as the reduced memory requirements of our implementation, are illustrated by comparison to a standard implementation of open GRAPE. As a practical example, we apply this open-system optimization method to active reset of a readout resonator in circuit QED. In this problem, the shape of a microwave pulse is optimized such as to empty the cavity from measurement photons as fast as possible. Using our open GRAPE implementation, we obtain pulse shapes, leading to a reset time over 4 times faster than passive reset.

Intelligent Computer-Aided Instruction Research at the Open University. CITE Report No. 10.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elsom-Cook, Mark

This document introduces the aims and activities of the Intelligent Computer Aided Instruction (ICAI) research community situated within the Centre for Information Technology in Education (CITE) at the Open University in Great Britain, outlines the nature of the problems which come under the auspices of ICAI, and describes the research…

Integrating Model-Driven and Data-Driven Techniques for Analyzing Learning Behaviors in Open-Ended Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kinnebrew, John S.; Segedy, James R.; Biswas, Gautam

2017-01-01

Research in computer-based learning environments has long recognized the vital role of adaptivity in promoting effective, individualized learning among students. Adaptive scaffolding capabilities are particularly important in open-ended learning environments, which provide students with opportunities for solving authentic and complex problems, and…

Open Learning Environments and the Impact of a Pedagogical Agent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarebout, Geraldine; Elen, Jan

2006-01-01

Research reveals that in highly structured learning environments pedagogical agents can act as tools to direct students' learning processes by providing content or problem solving guidance. It has not yet been addressed whether pedagogical agents have a similar impact in more open learning environments that aim at fostering students' acquisition…

A Summary of Project Open Horizons, Phase I: Implementation and Data Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grantham, Robert J.; Gordon, Myra

Project "Open Horizons," in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York, was born out of a recognition that minority adolescents in disadvantaged communities face serious social and personal problems in the area of career development. The originators of the project were seeking an effective methodology for exposing disadvantaged youth to a…

Open Introductory Psychology Textbooks: Prose and Qualms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griggs, Richard A.; Jackson, Sherri L.

2017-01-01

Given their high cost, many students no longer buy textbooks for all of their courses, impacting their learning and performance in these courses. This is especially prevalent at community colleges. Open (digitally free) textbooks constitute one solution to this problem, but the latest national survey of college faculty found that 66% were not…

Open Educational Resources: Removing Barriers from Within

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mishra, Sanjaya

2017-01-01

Enthusiasts and evangelists of open educational resources (OER) see these resources as a panacea for all of the problems of education. However, despite its promises, their adoption in educational institutions is slow. There are many barriers to the adoption of OER, and many are from within the community of OER advocates. This commentary calls for…

Developing Open-Ended Questions for Surface Area and Volume of Beam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kurniawan, Henry; Putri, Ratu Ilma Indra; Hartono, Yusuf

2018-01-01

The purpose of this research was to show open-ended questions about surface area and beam volume which valid and practice, have potential effect. This research is research development which consists of two main phases: preliminary phase (preparation phase and problem design) and formative evaluation phase (evaluation and revision phases). The…

Massive Open Online Courses: Designing for the Unknown Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macleod, Hamish; Sinclair, Christine; Haywood, Jeff; Woodgate, Amy

2016-01-01

University teachers are faced with a problem of "knowing" their learners when teaching on a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). This paper explores and analyses what the University of Edinburgh has come to know about its recent MOOC participants, highlighting one particular course. We draw attention to barriers and enablers from…

Metropolitan natural area protection to maximize public access and species representation

Treesearch

Jane A. Ruliffson; Robert G. Haight; Paul H. Gobster; Frances R. Homans

2003-01-01

In response to widespread urban development, local governments in metropolitan areas in the United States acquire and protect privately-owned open space. We addressed the planner's problem of allocating a fixed budget for open space protection among eligible natural areas with the twin objectives of maximizing public access and species representation. Both...

The Education of Refugees in Africa: The Role of Distance and Open Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodds, Tony

1988-01-01

Description of education services to refugees in Africa focuses on three case studies: Institute of In-Service Teacher Training (IITT) in Somalia; Sudan Extension Unit (SEU); and Namibian Extension Unit (NEU) in Angola and Zambia. Highlights include refugee problems, the relevance of distance and open learning approaches, and international…

Analysis of Open-Ended Statistics Questions with Many Facet Rasch Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Güler, Nese

2014-01-01

Problem Statement: The most significant disadvantage of open-ended items that allow the valid measurement of upper level cognitive behaviours, such as synthesis and evaluation, is scoring. The difficulty associated with objectively scoring the answers to the items contributes to the reduction of the reliability of the scores. Moreover, other…

Toward Enhancing OpenMP's Work-Sharing Directives

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

Chapman, B M; Huang, L; Jin, H

2006-05-17

OpenMP provides a portable programming interface for shared memory parallel computers (SMPs). Although this interface has proven successful for small SMPs, it requires greater flexibility in light of the steadily growing size of individual SMPs and the recent advent of multithreaded chips. In this paper, we describe two application development experiences that exposed these expressivity problems in the current OpenMP specification. We then propose mechanisms to overcome these limitations, including thread subteams and thread topologies. Thus, we identify language features that improve OpenMP application performance on emerging and large-scale platforms while preserving ease of programming.

Enhancing creativity: Proper body posture meets proper emotion.

PubMed

Hao, Ning; Xue, Hua; Yuan, Huan; Wang, Qing; Runco, Mark A

2017-02-01

This study tested whether compatibility or incompatibility between body posture and emotion was beneficial for creativity. In Study 1, participants were asked to solve the Alternative Uses Task (AUT) problems when performing open or closed body posture in positive or negative emotional state respectively. The results showed that originality of AUT performance was higher in the compatible conditions (i.e., open-positive and closed-negative) than in the incompatible conditions (i.e., closed-positive and open-negative). In Study 2, the compatibility effect was replicated in both the AUT and the Realistic Presented Problem test (i.e., RPP). Moreover, it was revealed that participants exhibited the highest associative flexibility in the open-positive condition, and the highest persistence in the closed-negative condition. These findings indicate that compatibility between body posture and emotion is beneficial for creativity. This may be because when the implicit emotions elicited by body posture match explicit emotions, the effects of emotions on creativity are enhanced, therefore promoting creativity through the flexibility or the persistence pathway respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growing up Kennedy: the role of medical ailments in the life of JFK, 1920-1957.

PubMed

Giglio, James N

2006-10-01

As a result of the opening of new materials at the John F Kennedy Library relating to John F Kennedy's medical problems, we have a better understanding of the specific nature of those ailments, how they were treated, and how he responded to them. Most important, this study focuses on how his medical problems affected his relationship with his parents, especially his father, in the context of an older sibling who personified what a Kennedy should be: bright, athletic, and healthy. John Kennedy's response to family expectations produced a sometimes rebellious and detached youth who learned to rely on his charm, wit, intellect, and inner toughness to overcome adversity. In the process of dealing with serious medical issues into adulthood, John Kennedy revealed both courage and fortitude-traits that would eventually carry him to the White House.

EasyDIAg: A tool for easy determination of interrater agreement.

PubMed

Holle, Henning; Rein, Robert

2015-09-01

Reliable measurements are fundamental for the empirical sciences. In observational research, measurements often consist of observers categorizing behavior into nominal-scaled units. Since the categorization is the outcome of a complex judgment process, it is important to evaluate the extent to which these judgments are reproducible, by having multiple observers independently rate the same behavior. A challenge in determining interrater agreement for timed-event sequential data is to develop clear objective criteria to determine whether two raters' judgments relate to the same event (the linking problem). Furthermore, many studies presently report only raw agreement indices, without considering the degree to which agreement can occur by chance alone. Here, we present a novel, free, and open-source toolbox (EasyDIAg) designed to assist researchers with the linking problem, while also providing chance-corrected estimates of interrater agreement. Additional tools are included to facilitate the development of coding schemes and rater training.

Experience with abstract notation one

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harvey, James D.; Weaver, Alfred C.

1990-01-01

The development of computer science has produced a vast number of machine architectures, programming languages, and compiler technologies. The cross product of these three characteristics defines the spectrum of previous and present data representation methodologies. With regard to computer networks, the uniqueness of these methodologies presents an obstacle when disparate host environments are to be interconnected. Interoperability within a heterogeneous network relies upon the establishment of data representation commonality. The International Standards Organization (ISO) is currently developing the abstract syntax notation one standard (ASN.1) and the basic encoding rules standard (BER) that collectively address this problem. When used within the presentation layer of the open systems interconnection reference model, these two standards provide the data representation commonality required to facilitate interoperability. The details of a compiler that was built to automate the use of ASN.1 and BER are described. From this experience, insights into both standards are given and potential problems relating to this development effort are discussed.

Motion and force control for multiple cooperative manipulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wen, John T.; Kreutz, Kenneth

1989-01-01

The motion and force control of multiple robot arms manipulating a commonly held object is addressed. A general control paradigm that decouples the motion and force control problems is introduced. For motion control, there are three natural choices: (1) joint torques, (2) arm-tip force vectors, and (3) the acceleration of a generalized coordinate. Choice (1) allows a class of relatively model-independent control laws by exploiting the Hamiltonian structure of the open-loop system; (2) and (3) require the full model information but produce simpler problems. To resolve the nonuniqueness of the joint torques, two methods are introduced. If the arm and object models are available, the allocation of the desired end-effector control force to the joint actuators can be optimized; otherwise the internal force can be controlled about some set point. It is shown that effective force regulation can be achieved even if little model information is available.

Laparoscopic versus Open Repair of Para-Umbilical Hernia- A Prospective Comparative Study of Short Term Outcomes.

PubMed

Korukonda, Sreeharsha; Amaranathan, Anandhi; Ramakrishnaiah, Vishnu Prasad Nelamangala

2017-08-01

Para-Umbilical Hernia (PUH) is one of the most common surgical problems. Since the prosthetic repair has become the standard of practice for inguinal hernia management, the same has been adapted for para-umbilical hernia management with better outcome. There is still debate going on regarding the optimal surgical approach. There are very few prospective studies comparing the laparoscopic and open method of para-umbilical hernia mesh repair. This study compared the short term outcomes following laparoscopic versus open mesh repair of PUH. To compare the early complications of open repair with laparoscopic repair of PUH. To compare the post-operative hospital stay of open repair with laparoscopic repair of PUH. This was a prospective comparative clinical study done from August 2014 to August 2016. All the patients above the age of 13 who attended our surgical outpatient department with PUH were taken into our study. Exclusion criteria included 1) Patients with obstructed or strangulated PUH 2) Patients with abdominal malignancies 3) Patients with coagulopathy, severe cardiopulmonary disease, ascites and renal failure 4) Patients who had PUH repair in combination with another major surgical operation such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy and inguinal hernia repair 5) Patients with recurrent PUH. Institute Ethical Committee clearance was obtained for this study. Out of 40 patients with PUH, 20 received open meshplasty and 20 patients received laparoscopic meshplasty. Postoperative pain and length of hospital stay is significantly less in laparoscopic PUH repair. Postoperative complications like wound infection, seroma, and haematoma are relatively less in laparoscopic group though statistically not significant. Laparoscopic PUH repair has significantly better outcome in terms of postoperative pain and postoperative hospital stay.

Generalized Bloch theorem for complex periodic potentials: A powerful application to quantum transport calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X.-G.; Varga, Kalman; Pantelides, Sokrates T.

2007-07-01

Band-theoretic methods with periodically repeated supercells have been a powerful approach for ground-state electronic structure calculations but have not so far been adapted for quantum transport problems with open boundary conditions. Here, we introduce a generalized Bloch theorem for complex periodic potentials and use a transfer-matrix formulation to cast the transmission probability in a scattering problem with open boundary conditions in terms of the complex wave vectors of a periodic system with absorbing layers, allowing a band technique for quantum transport calculations. The accuracy and utility of the method are demonstrated by the model problems of the transmission of an electron over a square barrier and the scattering of a phonon in an inhomogeneous nanowire. Application to the resistance of a twin boundary in nanocrystalline copper yields excellent agreement with recent experimental data.

Hybrid Optimization Parallel Search PACKage

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

2009-11-10

HOPSPACK is open source software for solving optimization problems without derivatives. Application problems may have a fully nonlinear objective function, bound constraints, and linear and nonlinear constraints. Problem variables may be continuous, integer-valued, or a mixture of both. The software provides a framework that supports any derivative-free type of solver algorithm. Through the framework, solvers request parallel function evaluation, which may use MPI (multiple machines) or multithreading (multiple processors/cores on one machine). The framework provides a Cache and Pending Cache of saved evaluations that reduces execution time and facilitates restarts. Solvers can dynamically create other algorithms to solve subproblems, amore » useful technique for handling multiple start points and integer-valued variables. HOPSPACK ships with the Generating Set Search (GSS) algorithm, developed at Sandia as part of the APPSPACK open source software project.« less

The Azimuth Project: an Open-Access Educational Resource

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baez, J. C.

2012-12-01

The Azimuth Project is an online collaboration of scientists, engineers and programmers who are volunteering their time to do something about a wide range of environmental problems. The project has several aspects: 1) a wiki designed to make reliable, sourced information easy to find and accessible to a technically literate nonexperts, 2) a blog featuring expository articles and news items, 3) a project to write programs that explain basic concepts of climate physics and illustrate principles of good open-source software design, and 4) a project to develop mathematical tools for studying complex networked systems. We discuss the progress so far and some preliminary lessons. For example, enlisting the help of experts outside academia highlights the problems with pay-walled journals and the benefits of open access, as well as differences between how software development is done commercially, in the free software community, and in academe.

Riemann-Hilbert technique scattering analysis of metamaterial-based asymmetric 2D open resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamiński, Piotr M.; Ziolkowski, Richard W.; Arslanagić, Samel

2017-12-01

The scattering properties of metamaterial-based asymmetric two-dimensional open resonators excited by an electric line source are investigated analytically. The resonators are, in general, composed of two infinite and concentric cylindrical layers covered with an infinitely thin, perfect conducting shell that has an infinite axial aperture. The line source is oriented parallel to the cylinder axis. An exact analytical solution of this problem is derived. It is based on the dual-series approach and its transformation to the equivalent Riemann-Hilbert problem. Asymmetric metamaterial-based configurations are found to lead simultaneously to large enhancements of the radiated power and to highly steerable Huygens-like directivity patterns; properties not attainable with the corresponding structurally symmetric resonators. The presented open resonator designs are thus interesting candidates for many scientific and engineering applications where enhanced directional near- and far-field responses, tailored with beam shaping and steering capabilities, are highly desired.