Impact of the time scale of model sensitivity response on coupled model parameter estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chang; Zhang, Shaoqing; Li, Shan; Liu, Zhengyu

2017-11-01

That a model has sensitivity responses to parameter uncertainties is a key concept in implementing model parameter estimation using filtering theory and methodology. Depending on the nature of associated physics and characteristic variability of the fluid in a coupled system, the response time scales of a model to parameters can be different, from hourly to decadal. Unlike state estimation, where the update frequency is usually linked with observational frequency, the update frequency for parameter estimation must be associated with the time scale of the model sensitivity response to the parameter being estimated. Here, with a simple coupled model, the impact of model sensitivity response time scales on coupled model parameter estimation is studied. The model includes characteristic synoptic to decadal scales by coupling a long-term varying deep ocean with a slow-varying upper ocean forced by a chaotic atmosphere. Results show that, using the update frequency determined by the model sensitivity response time scale, both the reliability and quality of parameter estimation can be improved significantly, and thus the estimated parameters make the model more consistent with the observation. These simple model results provide a guideline for when real observations are used to optimize the parameters in a coupled general circulation model for improving climate analysis and prediction initialization.

LPV gain-scheduled control of SCR aftertreatment systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meisami-Azad, Mona; Mohammadpour, Javad; Grigoriadis, Karolos M.; Harold, Michael P.; Franchek, Matthew A.

2012-01-01

Hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and some of other polluting emissions produced by diesel engines are usually lower than those produced by gasoline engines. While great strides have been made in the exhaust aftertreatment of vehicular pollutants, the elimination of nitrogen oxide (NO x ) from diesel vehicles is still a challenge. The primary reason is that diesel combustion is a fuel-lean process, and hence there is significant unreacted oxygen in the exhaust. Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) is a well-developed technology for power plants and has been recently employed for reducing NO x emissions from automotive sources and in particular, heavy-duty diesel engines. In this article, we develop a linear parameter-varying (LPV) feedforward/feedback control design method for the SCR aftertreatment system to decrease NO x emissions while keeping ammonia slippage to a desired low level downstream the catalyst. The performance of the closed-loop system obtained from the interconnection of the SCR system and the output feedback LPV control strategy is then compared with other control design methods including sliding mode, and observer-based static state-feedback parameter-varying control. To reduce the computational complexity involved in the control design process, the number of LPV parameters in the developed quasi-LPV (qLPV) model is reduced by applying the principal component analysis technique. An LPV feedback/feedforward controller is then designed for the qLPV model with reduced number of scheduling parameters. The designed full-order controller is further simplified to a first-order transfer function with a parameter-varying gain and pole. Finally, simulation results using both a low-order model and a high-fidelity and high-order model of SCR reactions in GT-POWER interfaced with MATLAB/SIMULINK illustrate the high NO x conversion efficiency of the closed-loop SCR system using the proposed parameter-varying control law.

Pelvic floor muscle training protocol for stress urinary incontinence in women: A systematic review.

PubMed

Oliveira, Marlene; Ferreira, Margarida; Azevedo, Maria João; Firmino-Machado, João; Santos, Paula Clara

2017-07-01

Strengthening exercises for pelvic floor muscles (SEPFM) are considered the first approach in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Nevertheless, there is no evidence about training parameters. To identify the protocol and/or most effective training parameters in the treatment of female SUI. A literature research was conducted in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, PEDro, Web of Science and Lilacs databases, with publishing dates ranging from January 1992 to March 2014. The articles included consisted of English-speaking experimental studies in which SEPFM were compared with placebo treatment (usual or untreated). The sample had a diagnosis of SUI and their age ranged between 18 and 65 years. The assessment of methodological quality was performed based on the PEDro scale. Seven high methodological quality articles were included in this review. The sample consisted of 331 women, mean age 44.4±5.51 years, average duration of urinary loss of 64±5.66 months and severity of SUI ranging from mild to severe. SEPFM programs included different training parameters concerning the PFM. Some studies have applied abdominal training and adjuvant techniques. Urine leakage cure rates varied from 28.6 to 80%, while the strength increase of PFM varied from 15.6 to 161.7%. The most effective training protocol consists of SEPFM by digital palpation combined with biofeedback monitoring and vaginal cones, including 12 week training parameters, and ten repetitions per series in different positions compared with SEPFM alone or a lack of treatment.

Dealing with the time-varying parameter problem of robot manipulators performing path tracking tasks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Song, Y. D.; Middleton, R. H.

1992-01-01

Many robotic applications involve time-varying payloads during the operation of the robot. It is therefore of interest to consider control schemes that deal with time-varying parameters. Using the properties of the element by element (or Hadarmad) product of matrices, we obtain the robot dynamics in parameter-isolated form, from which a new control scheme is developed. The controller proposed yields zero asymptotic tracking errors when applied to robotic systems with time-varying parameters by using a switching type control law. The results obtained are global in the initial state of the robot, and can be applied to rapidly varying systems.

Method and Apparatus of Implementing a Magnetic Shield Flux Sweeper

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sadleir, John E. (Inventor)

2018-01-01

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus of protecting magnetically sensitive devices with a shield, including: a non-superconducting metal or lower transition temperature (T.sub.c) material compared to a higher transition temperature material, disposed in a magnetic field; means for creating a spatially varying order parameter's |.PSI.(r,T)|.sup.2 in a non-superconducting metal or a lower transition temperature material; wherein a spatially varying order parameter is created by a proximity effect, such that the non-superconducting metal or the lower transition temperature material becomes superconductive as a temperature is lowered, creating a flux-free Meissner state at a center thereof, in order to sweep magnetic flux lines to the periphery.

Parameter Transient Behavior Analysis on Fault Tolerant Control System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belcastro, Christine (Technical Monitor); Shin, Jong-Yeob

2003-01-01

In a fault tolerant control (FTC) system, a parameter varying FTC law is reconfigured based on fault parameters estimated by fault detection and isolation (FDI) modules. FDI modules require some time to detect fault occurrences in aero-vehicle dynamics. This paper illustrates analysis of a FTC system based on estimated fault parameter transient behavior which may include false fault detections during a short time interval. Using Lyapunov function analysis, the upper bound of an induced-L2 norm of the FTC system performance is calculated as a function of a fault detection time and the exponential decay rate of the Lyapunov function.

Effect of laser pulse shaping parameters on the fidelity of quantum logic gates.

PubMed

Zaari, Ryan R; Brown, Alex

2012-09-14

The effect of varying parameters specific to laser pulse shaping instruments on resulting fidelities for the ACNOT(1), NOT(2), and Hadamard(2) quantum logic gates are studied for the diatomic molecule (12)C(16)O. These parameters include varying the frequency resolution, adjusting the number of frequency components and also varying the amplitude and phase at each frequency component. A time domain analytic form of the original discretized frequency domain laser pulse function is derived, providing a useful means to infer the resulting pulse shape through variations to the aforementioned parameters. We show that amplitude variation at each frequency component is a crucial requirement for optimal laser pulse shaping, whereas phase variation provides minimal contribution. We also show that high fidelity laser pulses are dependent upon the frequency resolution and increasing the number of frequency components provides only a small incremental improvement to quantum gate fidelity. Analysis through use of the pulse area theorem confirms the resulting population dynamics for one or two frequency high fidelity laser pulses and implies similar dynamics for more complex laser pulse shapes. The ability to produce high fidelity laser pulses that provide both population control and global phase alignment is attributed greatly to the natural evolution phase alignment of the qubits involved within the quantum logic gate operation.

Parametric study of closed wet cooling tower thermal performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qasim, S. M.; Hayder, M. J.

2017-08-01

The present study involves experimental and theoretical analysis to evaluate the thermal performance of modified Closed Wet Cooling Tower (CWCT). The experimental study includes: design, manufacture and testing prototype of a modified counter flow forced draft CWCT. The modification based on addition packing to the conventional CWCT. A series of experiments was carried out at different operational parameters. In view of energy analysis, the thermal performance parameters of the tower are: cooling range, tower approach, cooling capacity, thermal efficiency, heat and mass transfer coefficients. The theoretical study included develops Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models to predicting various thermal performance parameters of the tower. Utilizing experimental data for training and testing, the models simulated by multi-layer back propagation algorithm for varying all operational parameters stated in experimental test.

Modeling spatially-varying landscape change points in species occurrence thresholds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, Tyler; Midway, Stephen R.

2014-01-01

Predicting species distributions at scales of regions to continents is often necessary, as large-scale phenomena influence the distributions of spatially structured populations. Land use and land cover are important large-scale drivers of species distributions, and landscapes are known to create species occurrence thresholds, where small changes in a landscape characteristic results in abrupt changes in occurrence. The value of the landscape characteristic at which this change occurs is referred to as a change point. We present a hierarchical Bayesian threshold model (HBTM) that allows for estimating spatially varying parameters, including change points. Our model also allows for modeling estimated parameters in an effort to understand large-scale drivers of variability in land use and land cover on species occurrence thresholds. We use range-wide detection/nondetection data for the eastern brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), a stream-dwelling salmonid, to illustrate our HBTM for estimating and modeling spatially varying threshold parameters in species occurrence. We parameterized the model for investigating thresholds in landscape predictor variables that are measured as proportions, and which are therefore restricted to values between 0 and 1. Our HBTM estimated spatially varying thresholds in brook trout occurrence for both the proportion agricultural and urban land uses. There was relatively little spatial variation in change point estimates, although there was spatial variability in the overall shape of the threshold response and associated uncertainty. In addition, regional mean stream water temperature was correlated to the change point parameters for the proportion of urban land use, with the change point value increasing with increasing mean stream water temperature. We present a framework for quantify macrosystem variability in spatially varying threshold model parameters in relation to important large-scale drivers such as land use and land cover. Although the model presented is a logistic HBTM, it can easily be extended to accommodate other statistical distributions for modeling species richness or abundance.

Estimation of Time-Varying Pilot Model Parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaal, Peter M. T.; Sweet, Barbara T.

2011-01-01

Human control behavior is rarely completely stationary over time due to fatigue or loss of attention. In addition, there are many control tasks for which human operators need to adapt their control strategy to vehicle dynamics that vary in time. In previous studies on the identification of time-varying pilot control behavior wavelets were used to estimate the time-varying frequency response functions. However, the estimation of time-varying pilot model parameters was not considered. Estimating these parameters can be a valuable tool for the quantification of different aspects of human time-varying manual control. This paper presents two methods for the estimation of time-varying pilot model parameters, a two-step method using wavelets and a windowed maximum likelihood estimation method. The methods are evaluated using simulations of a closed-loop control task with time-varying pilot equalization and vehicle dynamics. Simulations are performed with and without remnant. Both methods give accurate results when no pilot remnant is present. The wavelet transform is very sensitive to measurement noise, resulting in inaccurate parameter estimates when considerable pilot remnant is present. Maximum likelihood estimation is less sensitive to pilot remnant, but cannot detect fast changes in pilot control behavior.

Thermal study of bare tips with various system parameters and incision sizes.

PubMed

Osher, Robert H; Injev, Valentine P

2006-05-01

To identify major and minor surgeon-controlled parameters that affect incision temperature when performing microincision lens removal using the Alcon Infiniti Vision System. In vitro research and development laboratory, Alcon Research, Irvine, California, USA. Phacoemulsification was performed in eye-bank cadaver eyes and the following parameters evaluated: incision, duty cycle, ultrasound (US) power, aspiration flow rate (AFR), vacuum, pulse, bottle height and balanced salt solution temperature, and tip design/size. Each parameter was varied while the others remained constant. The resulting temperature of the incision and US tip was measured using a thermal camera. Major contributors to elevated incision temperature included incision size, US power, duty cycle, AFR, vacuum setting, tip design, and presence of an ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD). Minor contributors included pulse frequency, bottle height, and temperature of the infusate. Microincision lens removal can be performed at safe temperatures with the knowledgeable selection of surgeon-controlled parameters.

X-33 LH2 Tank Failure Investigation Findings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niedermeyer, Mindy; Clinton, R. G., Jr. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

This presentation focuses on the tank history, test objectives, failure description, investigation and conclusions. The test objectives include verify structural integrity at 105% expected flight load limit varying the following parameters: cryogenic temperature; internal pressure; and mechanical loading. The Failure description includes structural component of the aft body, quad-lobe design, and sandwich - honeycomb graphite epoxy construction.

BCS superconductors: The out-of-equilibrium response to a laser pulse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avella, Adolfo

2018-05-01

The dynamics of a 2D d-wave BCS superconductor driven out-of-equilibrium by a perpendicularly-impinging polarized laser pulse is analyzed on varying the laser pulse characteristics. The observed effects include: oscillations both in the amplitude and in the phase of the superconducting order parameter, suppression of the superconductivity, but also its enhancement with a strong dependence on all varying parameters and, in particular, on the polarization in plane of the applied vector potential and on the value of its frequency. This study opens up the possibility to distinguish very clearly the behavior of the nodal and anti-nodal non-thermal excitations and to tackle some of the puzzling results of the current experimental scenario in the field.

Dual Extended Kalman Filter for the Identification of Time-Varying Human Manual Control Behavior

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Popovici, Alexandru; Zaal, Peter M. T.; Pool, Daan M.

2017-01-01

A Dual Extended Kalman Filter was implemented for the identification of time-varying human manual control behavior. Two filters that run concurrently were used, a state filter that estimates the equalization dynamics, and a parameter filter that estimates the neuromuscular parameters and time delay. Time-varying parameters were modeled as a random walk. The filter successfully estimated time-varying human control behavior in both simulated and experimental data. Simple guidelines are proposed for the tuning of the process and measurement covariance matrices and the initial parameter estimates. The tuning was performed on simulation data, and when applied on experimental data, only an increase in measurement process noise power was required in order for the filter to converge and estimate all parameters. A sensitivity analysis to initial parameter estimates showed that the filter is more sensitive to poor initial choices of neuromuscular parameters than equalization parameters, and bad choices for initial parameters can result in divergence, slow convergence, or parameter estimates that do not have a real physical interpretation. The promising results when applied to experimental data, together with its simple tuning and low dimension of the state-space, make the use of the Dual Extended Kalman Filter a viable option for identifying time-varying human control parameters in manual tracking tasks, which could be used in real-time human state monitoring and adaptive human-vehicle haptic interfaces.

ESTIMATION OF CONSTANT AND TIME-VARYING DYNAMIC PARAMETERS OF HIV INFECTION IN A NONLINEAR DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION MODEL.

PubMed

Liang, Hua; Miao, Hongyu; Wu, Hulin

2010-03-01

Modeling viral dynamics in HIV/AIDS studies has resulted in deep understanding of pathogenesis of HIV infection from which novel antiviral treatment guidance and strategies have been derived. Viral dynamics models based on nonlinear differential equations have been proposed and well developed over the past few decades. However, it is quite challenging to use experimental or clinical data to estimate the unknown parameters (both constant and time-varying parameters) in complex nonlinear differential equation models. Therefore, investigators usually fix some parameter values, from the literature or by experience, to obtain only parameter estimates of interest from clinical or experimental data. However, when such prior information is not available, it is desirable to determine all the parameter estimates from data. In this paper, we intend to combine the newly developed approaches, a multi-stage smoothing-based (MSSB) method and the spline-enhanced nonlinear least squares (SNLS) approach, to estimate all HIV viral dynamic parameters in a nonlinear differential equation model. In particular, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to propose a comparatively thorough procedure, accounting for both efficiency and accuracy, to rigorously estimate all key kinetic parameters in a nonlinear differential equation model of HIV dynamics from clinical data. These parameters include the proliferation rate and death rate of uninfected HIV-targeted cells, the average number of virions produced by an infected cell, and the infection rate which is related to the antiviral treatment effect and is time-varying. To validate the estimation methods, we verified the identifiability of the HIV viral dynamic model and performed simulation studies. We applied the proposed techniques to estimate the key HIV viral dynamic parameters for two individual AIDS patients treated with antiretroviral therapies. We demonstrate that HIV viral dynamics can be well characterized and quantified for individual patients. As a result, personalized treatment decision based on viral dynamic models is possible.

Wing Shaping and Gust Load Controls of Flexible Aircraft: An LPV Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hammerton, Jared R.; Su, Weihua; Zhu, Guoming; Swei, Sean Shan-Min

2018-01-01

In the proposed paper, the optimum wing shape of a highly flexible aircraft under varying flight conditions will be controlled by a linear parameter-varying approach. The optimum shape determined under multiple objectives, including flight performance, ride quality, and control effort, will be determined as well. This work is an extension of work done previously by the authors, and updates the existing optimization and utilizes the results to generate a robust flight controller.

Experimental Parameters Affecting Stripping of Rare Earth Elements from Loaded Sorptive Media in Simulated Geothermal Brines

DOE Data Explorer

Dean Stull

2016-05-24

Experimental results from several studies exploring the impact of pH and acid volume on the stripping of rare earth elements (REEs) loaded onto ligand-based media via an active column. The REEs in this experiment were loaded onto the media through exposure to a simulated geothermal brine with known mineral concentrations. The data include the experiment results, rare earth element concentrations, and the experimental parameters varied.

Study on reservoir time-varying design flood of inflow based on Poisson process with time-dependent parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiqing; Huang, Jing; Li, Jianchang

2018-06-01

The time-varying design flood can make full use of the measured data, which can provide the reservoir with the basis of both flood control and operation scheduling. This paper adopts peak over threshold method for flood sampling in unit periods and Poisson process with time-dependent parameters model for simulation of reservoirs time-varying design flood. Considering the relationship between the model parameters and hypothesis, this paper presents the over-threshold intensity, the fitting degree of Poisson distribution and the design flood parameters are the time-varying design flood unit period and threshold discriminant basis, deduced Longyangxia reservoir time-varying design flood process at 9 kinds of design frequencies. The time-varying design flood of inflow is closer to the reservoir actual inflow conditions, which can be used to adjust the operating water level in flood season and make plans for resource utilization of flood in the basin.

Comparison of resistive MHD simulations and experimental CHI discharges in NSTX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooper, E. B.; Sovinec, C. R.; Raman, R.; Fatima, F.

2013-10-01

Resistive MHD simulations using NIMROD simulate CHI discharges for NSTX startup plasmas. Quantitative comparison with experiment ensures that the simulation physics includes a minimal physics set needed to extend the simulations to new experiments, e.g. NSTX-U. Important are time-varying vacuum magnetic field, ohmic heating, thermal transport, impurity radiation, and spatially-varying plasma parameters including density. Equilibria are compared with experimental injector currents, voltages and parameters including toroidal current, photographs of emitted light and measurements of midplane temperature profiles, radiation and surface heating. Initial results demonstrate that adjusting impurity radiation and cross-field transport yields temperatures and injected-current channel widths similar to experiment. These determine the plasma resistance, feeding back to the impedance on the injector power supply. Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy under contracts DE-AC52-07NA27344 at LLNL and DE-AC02-09CH11466 at PPPL, and grants DE-FC02-05ER54813 at PSI Center (U. Wisc.) and DOE-FG02-12ER55115 (at Princeton U.).

A highly precise frequency-based method for estimating the tension of an inclined cable with unknown boundary conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Lin

2017-11-01

This paper develops a method for precisely determining the tension of an inclined cable with unknown boundary conditions. First, the nonlinear motion equation of an inclined cable is derived, and a numerical model of the motion of the cable is proposed using the finite difference method. The proposed numerical model includes the sag-extensibility, flexural stiffness, inclination angle and rotational stiffness at two ends of the cable. Second, the influence of the dynamic parameters of the cable on its frequencies is discussed in detail, and a method for precisely determining the tension of an inclined cable is proposed based on the derivatives of the eigenvalues of the matrices. Finally, a multiparameter identification method is developed that can simultaneously identify multiple parameters, including the rotational stiffness at two ends. This scheme is applicable to inclined cables with varying sag, varying flexural stiffness and unknown boundary conditions. Numerical examples indicate that the method provides good precision. Because the parameters of cables other than tension (e.g., the flexural stiffness and rotational stiffness at the ends) are not accurately known in practical engineering, the multiparameter identification method could further improve the accuracy of cable tension measurements.

Slow-Slip Phenomena Represented by the One-Dimensional Burridge-Knopoff Model of Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawamura, Hikaru; Yamamoto, Maho; Ueda, Yushi

2018-05-01

Slow-slip phenomena, including afterslips and silent earthquakes, are studied using a one-dimensional Burridge-Knopoff model that obeys the rate-and-state dependent friction law. By varying only a few model parameters, this simple model allows reproducing a variety of seismic slips within a single framework, including main shocks, precursory nucleation processes, afterslips, and silent earthquakes.

Estimating varying coefficients for partial differential equation models.

PubMed

Zhang, Xinyu; Cao, Jiguo; Carroll, Raymond J

2017-09-01

Partial differential equations (PDEs) are used to model complex dynamical systems in multiple dimensions, and their parameters often have important scientific interpretations. In some applications, PDE parameters are not constant but can change depending on the values of covariates, a feature that we call varying coefficients. We propose a parameter cascading method to estimate varying coefficients in PDE models from noisy data. Our estimates of the varying coefficients are shown to be consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. The performance of our method is evaluated by a simulation study and by an empirical study estimating three varying coefficients in a PDE model arising from LIDAR data. © 2017, The International Biometric Society.

Exo-Milankovitch Cycles. I. Orbits and Rotation States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deitrick, Russell; Barnes, Rory; Quinn, Thomas R.; Armstrong, John; Charnay, Benjamin; Wilhelm, Caitlyn

2018-02-01

The obliquity of the Earth, which controls our seasons, varies by only ∼2.°5 over ∼40,000 years, and its eccentricity varies by only ∼0.05 over 100,000 years. Nonetheless, these small variations influence Earth’s ice ages. For exoplanets, however, variations can be significantly larger. Previous studies of the habitability of moonless Earth-like exoplanets have found that high obliquities, high eccentricities, and dynamical variations can extend the outer edge of the habitable zone by preventing runaway glaciation (snowball states). We expand upon these studies by exploring the orbital dynamics with a semianalytic model that allows us to map broad regions of parameter space. We find that, in general, the largest drivers of obliquity variations are secular spin–orbit resonances. We show how the obliquity varies in several test cases, including Kepler-62 f, across a wide range of orbital and spin parameters. These obliquity variations, alongside orbital variations, will have a dramatic impact on the climates of such planets.

Time-varying volatility in Malaysian stock exchange: An empirical study using multiple-volatility-shift fractionally integrated model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheong, Chin Wen

2008-02-01

This article investigated the influences of structural breaks on the fractionally integrated time-varying volatility model in the Malaysian stock markets which included the Kuala Lumpur composite index and four major sectoral indices. A fractionally integrated time-varying volatility model combined with sudden changes is developed to study the possibility of structural change in the empirical data sets. Our empirical results showed substantial reduction in fractional differencing parameters after the inclusion of structural change during the Asian financial and currency crises. Moreover, the fractionally integrated model with sudden change in volatility performed better in the estimation and specification evaluations.

Instantaneous polarization statistic property of EM waves incident on time-varying reentry plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Bowen; Liu, Yanming; Li, Xiaoping; Yao, Bo; Shi, Lei

2018-06-01

An analytical method is proposed in this paper to study the effect of time-varying reentry plasma sheath on the instantaneous polarization statistic property of electromagnetic (EM) waves. Based on the disturbance property of the hypersonic fluid, the spatial-temporal model of the time-varying reentry plasma sheath is established. An analytical technique referred to as transmission line analogy is developed to calculate the instantaneous transmission coefficient of EM wave propagation in time-varying plasma. Then, the instantaneous polarization statistic theory of EM wave propagation in the time-varying plasma sheath is developed. Taking the S-band telemetry right hand circularly polarized wave as an example, effects of incident angle and plasma parameters, including the electron density and the collision frequency on the EM wave's polarization statistic property are studied systematically. Statistical results indicate that the lower the collision frequency and the larger the electron density and incident angle is, the worse the deterioration of the polarization property is. Meanwhile, in conditions of critical parameters of certain electron density, collision frequency, and incident angle, the transmitted waves have both the right and left hand polarization mode, and the polarization mode will reverse. The calculation results could provide useful information for adaptive polarization receiving of the spacecraft's reentry communication.

Radar altimeter waveform modeled parameter recovery. [SEASAT-1 data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Satellite-borne radar altimeters include waveform sampling gates providing point samples of the transmitted radar pulse after its scattering from the ocean's surface. Averages of the waveform sampler data can be fitted by varying parameters in a model mean return waveform. The theoretical waveform model used is described as well as a general iterative nonlinear least squares procedures used to obtain estimates of parameters characterizing the modeled waveform for SEASAT-1 data. The six waveform parameters recovered by the fitting procedure are: (1) amplitude; (2) time origin, or track point; (3) ocean surface rms roughness; (4) noise baseline; (5) ocean surface skewness; and (6) altitude or off-nadir angle. Additional practical processing considerations are addressed and FORTRAN source listing for subroutines used in the waveform fitting are included. While the description is for the Seasat-1 altimeter waveform data analysis, the work can easily be generalized and extended to other radar altimeter systems.

An investigation of the ionospheric D region at sunrise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turco, R. P.; Sechrist, C. F., Jr.

1970-01-01

The growth over sunrise of the C and D layers of the ionosphere is investigated. The model which is analyzed includes the negative ion species O(-), O2(-), O3(-), O4(-), NO3(-), CO3(-), and CO4(-). Ionization sources due to galactic cosmic rays, precipitated electrons, ionization of NO by scattered Lyman alpha radiation, and the direct solar radiation ionization are also included. The photodetachment of most of the negative ions is discussed, as well as the time variation of these parameters. The time variations of the electron, negative ion, and positive ion densities are calculated over sunrise. From these data, the mesospheric C and D layer development is plotted. Several model parameters are varied until the best agreement with experimentally determined electron densities is obtained. The results are discussed in light of several atmospheric parameters including the O and NO concentrations and the electron-ion recombination coefficient.

Sequential Least-Squares Using Orthogonal Transformations. [spacecraft communication/spacecraft tracking-data smoothing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bierman, G. J.

1975-01-01

Square root information estimation, starting from its beginnings in least-squares parameter estimation, is considered. Special attention is devoted to discussions of sensitivity and perturbation matrices, computed solutions and their formal statistics, consider-parameters and consider-covariances, and the effects of a priori statistics. The constant-parameter model is extended to include time-varying parameters and process noise, and the error analysis capabilities are generalized. Efficient and elegant smoothing results are obtained as easy consequences of the filter formulation. The value of the techniques is demonstrated by the navigation results that were obtained for the Mariner Venus-Mercury (Mariner 10) multiple-planetary space probe and for the Viking Mars space mission.

Edge Modeling by Two Blur Parameters in Varying Contrasts.

PubMed

Seo, Suyoung

2018-06-01

This paper presents a method of modeling edge profiles with two blur parameters, and estimating and predicting those edge parameters with varying brightness combinations and camera-to-object distances (COD). First, the validity of the edge model is proven mathematically. Then, it is proven experimentally with edges from a set of images captured for specifically designed target sheets and with edges from natural images. Estimation of the two blur parameters for each observed edge profile is performed with a brute-force method to find parameters that produce global minimum errors. Then, using the estimated blur parameters, actual blur parameters of edges with arbitrary brightness combinations are predicted using a surface interpolation method (i.e., kriging). The predicted surfaces show that the two blur parameters of the proposed edge model depend on both dark-side edge brightness and light-side edge brightness following a certain global trend. This is similar across varying CODs. The proposed edge model is compared with a one-blur parameter edge model using experiments of the root mean squared error for fitting the edge models to each observed edge profile. The comparison results suggest that the proposed edge model has superiority over the one-blur parameter edge model in most cases where edges have varying brightness combinations.

Nonlinear control of linear parameter varying systems with applications to hypersonic vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, Zachary Donald

The focus of this dissertation is to design a controller for linear parameter varying (LPV) systems, apply it specifically to air-breathing hypersonic vehicles, and examine the interplay between control performance and the structural dynamics design. Specifically a Lyapunov-based continuous robust controller is developed that yields exponential tracking of a reference model, despite the presence of bounded, nonvanishing disturbances. The hypersonic vehicle has time varying parameters, specifically temperature profiles, and its dynamics can be reduced to an LPV system with additive disturbances. Since the HSV can be modeled as an LPV system the proposed control design is directly applicable. The control performance is directly examined through simulations. A wide variety of applications exist that can be effectively modeled as LPV systems. In particular, flight systems have historically been modeled as LPV systems and associated control tools have been applied such as gain-scheduling, linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), linear fractional transformations (LFT), and mu-types. However, as the type of flight environments and trajectories become more demanding, the traditional LPV controllers may no longer be sufficient. In particular, hypersonic flight vehicles (HSVs) present an inherently difficult problem because of the nonlinear aerothermoelastic coupling effects in the dynamics. HSV flight conditions produce temperature variations that can alter both the structural dynamics and flight dynamics. Starting with the full nonlinear dynamics, the aerothermoelastic effects are modeled by a temperature dependent, parameter varying state-space representation with added disturbances. The model includes an uncertain parameter varying state matrix, an uncertain parameter varying non-square (column deficient) input matrix, and an additive bounded disturbance. In this dissertation, a robust dynamic controller is formulated for a uncertain and disturbed LPV system. The developed controller is then applied to a HSV model, and a Lyapunov analysis is used to prove global exponential reference model tracking in the presence of uncertainty in the state and input matrices and exogenous disturbances. Simulations with a spectrum of gains and temperature profiles on the full nonlinear dynamic model of the HSV is used to illustrate the performance and robustness of the developed controller. In addition, this work considers how the performance of the developed controller varies over a wide variety of control gains and temperature profiles and are optimized with respect to different performance metrics. Specifically, various temperature profile models and related nonlinear temperature dependent disturbances are used to characterize the relative control performance and effort for each model. Examining such metrics as a function of temperature provides a potential inroad to examine the interplay between structural/thermal protection design and control development and has application for future HSV design and control implementation.

GENETIC DAMAGE INDICATORS IN FISH EXPOSED TO VARYING STREAM CONDITIONS IN AN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHED

EPA Science Inventory

Micronucleus (MN) and single cell gel electrophoresis (SCG) measures of genetic damage in fish erythrocytes were included in an evaluation of a wide range of biological and physical stream condition parameters being developed for use in watershed and regional scale assessments. B...

Macro and Microenvironments at the British Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shenton, Helen

This paper describes the storage of the 12 million items that have just been moved into the new British Library building. The specifications for the storage and environmental conditions for different types of library and archive material are explained. The varying environmental parameters for storage areas and public areas, including reading rooms…

Dynamic Factor Analysis Models with Time-Varying Parameters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chow, Sy-Miin; Zu, Jiyun; Shifren, Kim; Zhang, Guangjian

2011-01-01

Dynamic factor analysis models with time-varying parameters offer a valuable tool for evaluating multivariate time series data with time-varying dynamics and/or measurement properties. We use the Dynamic Model of Activation proposed by Zautra and colleagues (Zautra, Potter, & Reich, 1997) as a motivating example to construct a dynamic factor…

Customized rating assessment of climate suitability (CRACS): climate satisfaction evaluation based on subjective perception.

PubMed

Lin, Tzu-Ping; Yang, Shing-Ru; Matzarakis, Andreas

2015-12-01

Climate not only influences the behavior of people in urban environments but also affects people's schedules and travel plans. Therefore, providing people with appropriate long-term climate evaluation information is crucial. Therefore, we developed an innovative climate assessment system based on field investigations conducted in three cities located in Northern, Central, and Southern Taiwan. The field investigations included the questionnaire surveys and climate data collection. We first analyzed the relationship between the participants and climate parameters comprising physiologically equivalent temperature, air temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, cloud cover, and precipitation. Second, we established the neutral value, comfort range, and dissatisfied range of each parameter. Third, after verifying that the subjects' perception toward the climate parameters vary based on individual preferences, we developed the customized rating assessment of climate suitability (CRACS) approach, which featured functions such as personalized and default climate suitability information to be used by users exhibiting varying demands. Finally, we performed calculations using the climate conditions of two cities during the past 10 years to demonstrate the performance of the CRACS approach. The results can be used as a reference when planning activities in the city or when organizing future travel plans. The flexibility of the assessment system enables it to be adjusted for varying regions and usage characteristics.

Customized rating assessment of climate suitability (CRACS): climate satisfaction evaluation based on subjective perception

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Tzu-Ping; Yang, Shing-Ru; Matzarakis, Andreas

2015-12-01

Climate not only influences the behavior of people in urban environments but also affects people's schedules and travel plans. Therefore, providing people with appropriate long-term climate evaluation information is crucial. Therefore, we developed an innovative climate assessment system based on field investigations conducted in three cities located in Northern, Central, and Southern Taiwan. The field investigations included the questionnaire surveys and climate data collection. We first analyzed the relationship between the participants and climate parameters comprising physiologically equivalent temperature, air temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, cloud cover, and precipitation. Second, we established the neutral value, comfort range, and dissatisfied range of each parameter. Third, after verifying that the subjects' perception toward the climate parameters vary based on individual preferences, we developed the customized rating assessment of climate suitability (CRACS) approach, which featured functions such as personalized and default climate suitability information to be used by users exhibiting varying demands. Finally, we performed calculations using the climate conditions of two cities during the past 10 years to demonstrate the performance of the CRACS approach. The results can be used as a reference when planning activities in the city or when organizing future travel plans. The flexibility of the assessment system enables it to be adjusted for varying regions and usage characteristics.

Optimization of process parameters for a quasi-continuous tablet coating system using design of experiments.

PubMed

Cahyadi, Christine; Heng, Paul Wan Sia; Chan, Lai Wah

2011-03-01

The aim of this study was to identify and optimize the critical process parameters of the newly developed Supercell quasi-continuous coater for optimal tablet coat quality. Design of experiments, aided by multivariate analysis techniques, was used to quantify the effects of various coating process conditions and their interactions on the quality of film-coated tablets. The process parameters varied included batch size, inlet temperature, atomizing pressure, plenum pressure, spray rate and coating level. An initial screening stage was carried out using a 2(6-1(IV)) fractional factorial design. Following these preliminary experiments, optimization study was carried out using the Box-Behnken design. Main response variables measured included drug-loading efficiency, coat thickness variation, and the extent of tablet damage. Apparent optimum conditions were determined by using response surface plots. The process parameters exerted various effects on the different response variables. Hence, trade-offs between individual optima were necessary to obtain the best compromised set of conditions. The adequacy of the optimized process conditions in meeting the combined goals for all responses was indicated by the composite desirability value. By using response surface methodology and optimization, coating conditions which produced coated tablets of high drug-loading efficiency, low incidences of tablet damage and low coat thickness variation were defined. Optimal conditions were found to vary over a large spectrum when different responses were considered. Changes in processing parameters across the design space did not result in drastic changes to coat quality, thereby demonstrating robustness in the Supercell coating process. © 2010 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

Bayesian dynamic modeling of time series of dengue disease case counts.

PubMed

Martínez-Bello, Daniel Adyro; López-Quílez, Antonio; Torres-Prieto, Alexander

2017-07-01

The aim of this study is to model the association between weekly time series of dengue case counts and meteorological variables, in a high-incidence city of Colombia, applying Bayesian hierarchical dynamic generalized linear models over the period January 2008 to August 2015. Additionally, we evaluate the model's short-term performance for predicting dengue cases. The methodology shows dynamic Poisson log link models including constant or time-varying coefficients for the meteorological variables. Calendar effects were modeled using constant or first- or second-order random walk time-varying coefficients. The meteorological variables were modeled using constant coefficients and first-order random walk time-varying coefficients. We applied Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations for parameter estimation, and deviance information criterion statistic (DIC) for model selection. We assessed the short-term predictive performance of the selected final model, at several time points within the study period using the mean absolute percentage error. The results showed the best model including first-order random walk time-varying coefficients for calendar trend and first-order random walk time-varying coefficients for the meteorological variables. Besides the computational challenges, interpreting the results implies a complete analysis of the time series of dengue with respect to the parameter estimates of the meteorological effects. We found small values of the mean absolute percentage errors at one or two weeks out-of-sample predictions for most prediction points, associated with low volatility periods in the dengue counts. We discuss the advantages and limitations of the dynamic Poisson models for studying the association between time series of dengue disease and meteorological variables. The key conclusion of the study is that dynamic Poisson models account for the dynamic nature of the variables involved in the modeling of time series of dengue disease, producing useful models for decision-making in public health.

LAGEOS geodetic analysis-SL7.1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, D. E.; Kolenkiewicz, R.; Dunn, P. J.; Klosko, S. M.; Robbins, J. W.; Torrence, M. H.; Williamson, R. G.; Pavlis, E. C.; Douglas, N. B.; Fricke, S. K.

1991-01-01

Laser ranging measurements to the LAGEOS satellite from 1976 through 1989 are related via geodetic and orbital theories to a variety of geodetic and geodynamic parameters. The SL7.1 analyses are explained of this data set including the estimation process for geodetic parameters such as Earth's gravitational constant (GM), those describing the Earth's elasticity properties (Love numbers), and the temporally varying geodetic parameters such as Earth's orientation (polar motion and Delta UT1) and tracking site horizontal tectonic motions. Descriptions of the reference systems, tectonic models, and adopted geodetic constants are provided; these are the framework within which the SL7.1 solution takes place. Estimates of temporal variations in non-conservative force parameters are included in these SL7.1 analyses as well as parameters describing the orbital states at monthly epochs. This information is useful in further refining models used to describe close-Earth satellite behavior. Estimates of intersite motions and individual tracking site motions computed through the network adjustment scheme are given. Tabulations of tracking site eccentricities, data summaries, estimated monthly orbital and force model parameters, polar motion, Earth rotation, and tracking station coordinate results are also provided.

Geographic variation in survival and migratory tendency among North American Common Mergansers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearce, J.M.; Reed, J.A.; Flint, Paul L.

2005-01-01

Movement ecology and demographic parameters for the Common Merganser (Mergus merganser americanus) in North America are poorly known. We used band-recovery data from five locations across North America spanning the years 1938-1998 to examine migratory patterns and estimate survival rates. We examined competing time-invariant, age-graduated models with program MARK to study sources of variation in survival and reporting probability. We considered age, sex, geographic location, and the use of nasal saddles on hatching year birds at one location as possible sources of variation. Year-of-banding was included as a covariate in a post-hoc analysis. We found that migratory tendency, defined as the average distance between banding and recovery locations, varied geographically. Similarly, all models accounting for the majority of variation in recovery and survival probabilities included location of banding. Models that included age and sex received less support, but we lacked sufficient data to adequately assess these parameters. Model-averaged estimates of annual survival ranged from 0.21 in Michigan to 0.82 in Oklahoma. Heterogeneity in migration tendency and survival suggests that demographic patterns may vary across geographic scales, with implications for the population dynamics of this species.

Physical retrieval of precipitation water contents from Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) data. Part 2: Retrieval method and applications (report version)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, William S.

1990-01-01

A physical retrieval method for estimating precipitating water distributions and other geophysical parameters based upon measurements from the DMSP-F8 SSM/I is developed. Three unique features of the retrieval method are (1) sensor antenna patterns are explicitly included to accommodate varying channel resolution; (2) precipitation-brightness temperature relationships are quantified using the cloud ensemble/radiative parameterization; and (3) spatial constraints are imposed for certain background parameters, such as humidity, which vary more slowly in the horizontal than the cloud and precipitation water contents. The general framework of the method will facilitate the incorporation of measurements from the SSMJT, SSM/T-2 and geostationary infrared measurements, as well as information from conventional sources (e.g., radiosondes) or numerical forecast model fields.

Numerical simulations of flares on M dwarf stars. I - Hydrodynamics and coronal X-ray emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Chung-Chieh; Pallavicini, Roberto

1991-01-01

Flare-loop models are utilized to simulate the time evolution and physical characteristics of stellar X-ray flares by varying the values of flare-energy input and loop parameters. The hydrodynamic evolution is studied in terms of changes in the parameters of the mass, energy, and momentum equations within an area bounded by the chromosphere and the corona. The zone supports a magnetically confined loop for which processes are described including the expansion of heated coronal gas, chromospheric evaporation, and plasma compression at loop footpoints. The intensities, time profiles, and average coronal temperatures of X-ray flares are derived from the simulations and compared to observational evidence. Because the amount of evaporated material does not vary linearly with flare-energy input, large loops are required to produce the energy measured from stellar flares.

Automated design optimization of supersonic airplane wing structures under dynamic constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fox, R. L.; Miura, H.; Rao, S. S.

1972-01-01

The problems of the preliminary and first level detail design of supersonic aircraft wings are stated as mathematical programs and solved using automated optimum design techniques. The problem is approached in two phases: the first is a simplified equivalent plate model in which the envelope, planform and structural parameters are varied to produce a design, the second is a finite element model with fixed configuration in which the material distribution is varied. Constraints include flutter, aeroelastically computed stresses and deflections, natural frequency and a variety of geometric limitations.

Association of growth and nutritional parameters with pulmonary function in cystic fibrosis: a literature review.

PubMed

Mauch, Renan Marrichi; Kmit, Arthur Henrique Pezzo; Marson, Fernando Augusto de Lima; Levy, Carlos Emilio; Barros-Filho, Antonio de Azevedo; Ribeiro, José Dirceu

2016-12-01

To review the literature addressing the relationship of growth and nutritional parameters with pulmonary function in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis. A collection of articles published in the last 15 years in English, Portuguese and Spanish was made by research in electronic databases - PubMed, Cochrane, Medline, Lilacs and Scielo - using the keywords cystic fibrosis, growth, nutrition, pulmonary function in varied combinations. Articles that addressed the long term association of growth and nutritional parameters, with an emphasis on growth, with pulmonary disease in cystic fibrosis, were included, and we excluded those that addressing only the relationship between nutritional parameters and cystic fibrosis and those in which the aim was to describe the disease. Seven studies were included, with a total of 12,455 patients. Six studies reported relationship between growth parameters and lung function, including one study addressing the association of growth parameters, solely, with lung function, and all the seven studies reported relationship between nutritional parameters and lung function. The review suggests that the severity of the lung disease, determined by spirometry, is associated with body growth and nutritional status in cystic fibrosis. Thus, the intervention in these parameters can lead to the better prognosis and life expectancy for cystic fibrosis patients. Copyright © 2016 Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Curie-Montgolfiere Planetary Explorers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Chris Y.; Hansen, Jeremiah

2007-01-01

Hot-air balloons, also known as Montgolfiere balloons, powered by heat from radioisotope decay are a potentially useful tool for exploring planetary atmospheres and augmenting the capabilities of other exploration technologies. This paper describes the physical equations and identifies the key engineering parameters that drive radioisotope-powered balloon performance. These parameters include envelope strength-to-weight, envelope thermal conductivity, heater power-to-weight, heater temperature, and balloon shape. The design space for these parameters are shown for varying atmospheric compositions to illustrate the performance needed to build functioning ``Curie-Montgolfiere'' balloons for various planetary atmospheres. Methods to ease the process of Curie-Montgolfiere conceptual design and sizing of are also introduced.

Isochrones of M67 with an Expanded Set of Parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viani, Lucas; Basu, Sarbani

2017-10-01

We create isochrones of M67 using the Yale Rotating Stellar Evolution Code. In addition to metallicity, parameters that are traditionally held fixed, such as the mixing length parameter and initial helium abundance, also vary. The amount of convective overshoot is also changed in different sets of isochrones. Models are constructed both with and without diffusion. From the resulting isochrones that fit the cluster, the age range is between 3.6 and 4.8 Gyr and the distance is between 755 and 868 pc. We also confirm Michaud et al. (2004) claim that M67 can be fit without overshoot if diffusion is included.

Population Synthesis of Radio and Y-ray Millisecond Pulsars Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonthier, Peter L.; Billman, C.; Harding, A. K.

2013-04-01

We present preliminary results of a new population synthesis of millisecond pulsars (MSP) from the Galactic disk using Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques to better understand the model parameter space. We include empirical radio and γ-ray luminosity models that are dependent on the pulsar period and period derivative with freely varying exponents. The magnitudes of the model luminosities are adjusted to reproduce the number of MSPs detected by a group of ten radio surveys and by Fermi, predicting the MSP birth rate in the Galaxy. We follow a similar set of assumptions that we have used in previous, more constrained Monte Carlo simulations. The parameters associated with the birth distributions such as those for the accretion rate, magnetic field and period distributions are also free to vary. With the large set of free parameters, we employ Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations to explore the large and small worlds of the parameter space. We present preliminary comparisons of the simulated and detected distributions of radio and γ-ray pulsar characteristics. We express our gratitude for the generous support of the National Science Foundation (REU and RUI), Fermi Guest Investigator Program and the NASA Astrophysics Theory and Fundamental Program.

Time-varying parameter models for catchments with land use change: the importance of model structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathiraja, Sahani; Anghileri, Daniela; Burlando, Paolo; Sharma, Ashish; Marshall, Lucy; Moradkhani, Hamid

2018-05-01

Rapid population and economic growth in Southeast Asia has been accompanied by extensive land use change with consequent impacts on catchment hydrology. Modeling methodologies capable of handling changing land use conditions are therefore becoming ever more important and are receiving increasing attention from hydrologists. A recently developed data-assimilation-based framework that allows model parameters to vary through time in response to signals of change in observations is considered for a medium-sized catchment (2880 km2) in northern Vietnam experiencing substantial but gradual land cover change. We investigate the efficacy of the method as well as the importance of the chosen model structure in ensuring the success of a time-varying parameter method. The method was used with two lumped daily conceptual models (HBV and HyMOD) that gave good-quality streamflow predictions during pre-change conditions. Although both time-varying parameter models gave improved streamflow predictions under changed conditions compared to the time-invariant parameter model, persistent biases for low flows were apparent in the HyMOD case. It was found that HyMOD was not suited to representing the modified baseflow conditions, resulting in extreme and unrealistic time-varying parameter estimates. This work shows that the chosen model can be critical for ensuring the time-varying parameter framework successfully models streamflow under changing land cover conditions. It can also be used to determine whether land cover changes (and not just meteorological factors) contribute to the observed hydrologic changes in retrospective studies where the lack of a paired control catchment precludes such an assessment.

Intelligent, Robust Control of Deteriorated Turbofan Engines via Linear Parameter Varying Quadratic Lyapunov Function Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turso, James A.; Litt, Jonathan S.

2004-01-01

A method for accommodating engine deterioration via a scheduled Linear Parameter Varying Quadratic Lyapunov Function (LPVQLF)-Based controller is presented. The LPVQLF design methodology provides a means for developing unconditionally stable, robust control of Linear Parameter Varying (LPV) systems. The controller is scheduled on the Engine Deterioration Index, a function of estimated parameters that relate to engine health, and is computed using a multilayer feedforward neural network. Acceptable thrust response and tight control of exhaust gas temperature (EGT) is accomplished by adjusting the performance weights on these parameters for different levels of engine degradation. Nonlinear simulations demonstrate that the controller achieves specified performance objectives while being robust to engine deterioration as well as engine-to-engine variations.

Phase diagram of the Shastry-Sutherland Kondo lattice model with classical localized spins: a variational calculation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahzad, Munir; Sengupta, Pinaki

2017-08-01

We study the Shastry-Sutherland Kondo lattice model with additional Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interactions, exploring the possible magnetic phases in its multi-dimensional parameter space. Treating the local moments as classical spins and using a variational ansatz, we identify the parameter ranges over which various common magnetic orderings are potentially stabilized. Our results reveal that the competing interactions result in a heightened susceptibility towards a wide range of spin configurations including longitudinal ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic order, coplanar flux configurations and most interestingly, multiple non-coplanar configurations including a novel canted-flux state as the different Hamiltonian parameters like electron density, interaction strengths and degree of frustration are varied. The non-coplanar and non-collinear magnetic ordering of localized spins behave like emergent electromagnetic fields and drive unusual transport and electronic phenomena.

Compression and release dynamics of an active matter system of Euglena gracilis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lam, Amy; Tsang, Alan C. H.; Ouellette, Nicholas; Riedel-Kruse, Ingmar

Active matter, defined as ensembles of self-propelled particles, encompasses a large variety of systems at all scales, from nanoparticles to bird flocks. Though various models and simulations have been created to describe the dynamics of these systems, experimental verification has been difficult to obtain. This is frequently due to the complex interaction rules which govern the particle behavior, in turn making systematic varying of parameters impossible. Here, we propose a model for predicting the system evolution of compression and release of an active system based on experiments and simulations. In particular, we consider ensembles of the unicellular, photo-responsive algae, Euglena gracilis, under light stimulation. By varying the spatiotemporal light patterns, we are able to finely adjust cell densities and achieve arbitrary non-homogeneous distributions, including compression into high-density aggregates of varying geometries. We observe the formation of depletion zones after the release of the confining stimulus and investigate the effects of the density distribution and particle rotational noise on the depletion. These results provide implications for defining state parameters which determine system evolution.

Water quality assessment of sacred glacial Lake Satopanth of Garhwal Himalaya, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Ramesh C.; Kumar, Rahul

2017-12-01

Satopanth Lake is a glacial lake, located at an altitude of 4600 m above sea level in Garhwal Himalaya of Uttarakhand state in India where an attempt was made to assess the water quality. A total of sixteen physico-chemical parameters including temperature, hardness, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, calcium, magnesium, chlorides, nitrates, sulphates and phosphates were recorded during 2014 and 2015 between June and August in ice-free period. The mean values of pH ranged from 6.85 to 7.10; water temperature fluctuated from 0.1 to 0.3 °C; dissolved oxygen varied from 5.90 to 6.0 mg.L-1; free CO2 varied from 8.40 to 8.60 mg.L-1; total dissolved solids varied from 88.0 to 89.5 mg.L-1; calcium from 7.88 to 7.95 mg.L-1; magnesium from 0.53 to 0.66 mg.L-1. All the physico-chemical values were within the prescribed WHO/BIS limit for drinking water. Water Quality Index (WQI) calculated based on these parameters also revealed the excellent quality of lake water.

Inheritance of starch paste viscosity is directly associated with a rice Waxy gene exon 10 SNP marker

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Apparent amylose content is a key element for characterizing a rice cultivar for cooking quality. However, cultivars with similar apparent amylose content can have widely varying quality attributes, including major parameters of starch paste viscosity. It has been postulated that the presence of a r...

Considerations for site-specific implementation of active downforce and seeding depth technologies on row-crop planters

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Planter technology continues to rapidly advance including row-by-row control of parameters such as applied downforce and seeding depth that permit real-time adjustment to varying field conditions. The objective of this research was to investigate the relationship of seeding depth and applied downfo...

Professional Counseling in Nigeria: Past, Present, and Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okocha, Aneneosa A. G.; Alika, Ijeoma H.

2012-01-01

The events that circumscribed the parameters of today's counseling in Nigeria are many and varied regarding their influence in shaping the development of the profession in the country. The authors review these events and the current status of counseling in Nigeria, including the challenges faced in the profession. Future trends and suggestions for…

Material appearance acquisition from a single image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xu; Cui, Shulin; Cui, Hanwen; Yang, Lin; Wu, Tao

2017-01-01

The scope of this paper is to present a method of material appearance acquisition(MAA) from a single image. In this paper, material appearance is represented by spatially varying bidirectional reflectance distribution function(SVBRDF). Therefore, MAA can be reduced to the problem of recovery of each pixel's BRDF parameters from an original input image, which include diffuse coefficient, specular coefficient, normal and glossiness based on the Blinn-Phone model. In our method, the workflow of MAA includes five main phases: highlight removal, estimation of intrinsic images, shape from shading(SFS), initialization of glossiness and refining SVBRDF parameters based on IPOPT. The results indicate that the proposed technique can effectively extract the material appearance from a single image.

Potential efficiencies of open- and closed-cycle CO, supersonic, electric-discharge lasers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monson, D. J.

1976-01-01

Computed open- and closed-cycle system efficiencies (laser power output divided by electrical power input) are presented for a CW carbon monoxide, supersonic, electric-discharge laser. Closed-system results include the compressor power required to overcome stagnation pressure losses due to supersonic heat addition and a supersonic diffuser. The paper shows the effect on the system efficiencies of varying several important parameters. These parameters include: gas mixture, gas temperature, gas total temperature, gas density, total discharge energy loading, discharge efficiency, saturated gain coefficient, optical cavity size and location with respect to the discharge, and supersonic diffuser efficiency. Maximum open-cycle efficiency of 80-90% is predicted; the best closed-cycle result is 60-70%.

Determining fundamental properties of matter created in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novak, J.; Novak, K.; Pratt, S.; Vredevoogd, J.; Coleman-Smith, C. E.; Wolpert, R. L.

2014-03-01

Posterior distributions for physical parameters describing relativistic heavy-ion collisions, such as the viscosity of the quark-gluon plasma, are extracted through a comparison of hydrodynamic-based transport models to experimental results from 100AGeV+100AGeV Au +Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. By simultaneously varying six parameters and by evaluating several classes of observables, we are able to explore the complex intertwined dependencies of observables on model parameters. The methods provide a full multidimensional posterior distribution for the model output, including a range of acceptable values for each parameter, and reveal correlations between them. The breadth of observables and the number of parameters considered here go beyond previous studies in this field. The statistical tools, which are based upon Gaussian process emulators, are tested in detail and should be extendable to larger data sets and a higher number of parameters.

A simple strategy for varying the restart parameter in GMRES(m)

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

Baker, A H; Jessup, E R; Kolev, T V

2007-10-02

When solving a system of linear equations with the restarted GMRES method, a fixed restart parameter is typically chosen. We present numerical experiments that demonstrate the beneficial effects of changing the value of the restart parameter in each restart cycle on the total time to solution. We propose a simple strategy for varying the restart parameter and provide some heuristic explanations for its effectiveness based on analysis of the symmetric case.

Hydrodynamic Aspects of Particle Clogging in Porous Media

PubMed Central

MAYS, DAVID C.; HUNT, JAMES R.

2010-01-01

Data from 6 filtration studies, representing 43 experiments, are analyzed with a simplified version of the single-parameter O’Melia and Ali clogging model. The model parameter displays a systematic dependence on fluid velocity, which was an independent variable in each study. A cake filtration model also explains the data from one filtration study by varying a single, velocity-dependent parameter, highlighting that clogging models, because they are empirical, are not unique. Limited experimental data indicate exponential depth dependence of particle accumulation, whose impact on clogging is quantified with an extended O’Melia and Ali model. The resulting two-parameter model successfully describes the increased clogging that is always observed in the top segment of a filter. However, even after accounting for particle penetration, the two-parameter model suggests that a velocity-dependent parameter representing deposit morphology must also be included to explain the data. Most of the experimental data are described by the single-parameter O’Melia and Ali model, and the model parameter is correlated to the collector Peclet number. PMID:15707058

Consolidation processing parameters and alternative processing methods for powder metallurgy Al-Cu-Mg-X-X alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sankaran, K. K.

1987-01-01

The effects of varying the vacuum degassing parameters on the microstructure and properties of Al-4Cu-1Mg-X-X (X-X = 1.5Li-0.2Zr or 1.5Fe-0.75Ce) alloys processed from either prealloyed (PA) or mechanically alloyed (M) powder, and consolidated by either using sealed aluminum containers or containerless vacuum hot pressing were studied. The consolidated billets were hot extruded to evaluate microstructure and properties. The MA Li-containing alloy did not include Zr, and the MA Fe- and Ce-containing alloy was made from both elemental and partially prealloyed powder. The alloys were vacuum degassed both above and below the solution heat treatment temperature. While vacuum degassing lowered the hydrogen content of these alloys, the range over which the vacuum degassing parameters were varied was not large enough to cause significant changes in degassing efficiency, and the observed variations in the mechanical properties of the heat treated alloys were attributed to varying contributions to strengthening by the sub-structure and the dispersoids. Mechanical alloying increased the strength over that of alloys of similar composition made from PA powder. The inferior properties in the transverse orientation, especially in the Li-containing alloys, suggested deficiencies in degassing. Among all of the alloys processed for this study, the Fe- and Ce-containing alloys made from MA powder possessed better combinations of strength and toughness.

Spectrographic Polarimeter and Method of Recording State of Polarity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sparks, William B. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A single-shot real-time spectropolarimeter for use in astronomy and other sciences that captures and encodes some or all of the Stokes polarization parameters simultaneously using only static, robust optical components with no moving parts is described. The polarization information is encoded onto the spectrograph at each wavelength along the spatial dimension of the 2D output data array. The varying embodiments of the concept include both a two-Stokes implementation (in which any two of the three Stokes polarization parameters are measured) and a full Stokes implementation (in which all three of the Stokes polarization parameters are measured), each of which is provided in either single beam or dual beam forms.

Robust linear parameter-varying control of blood pressure using vasoactive drugs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luspay, Tamas; Grigoriadis, Karolos

2015-10-01

Resuscitation of emergency care patients requires fast restoration of blood pressure to a target value to achieve hemodynamic stability and vital organ perfusion. A robust control design methodology is presented in this paper for regulating the blood pressure of hypotensive patients by means of the closed-loop administration of vasoactive drugs. To this end, a dynamic first-order delay model is utilised to describe the vasoactive drug response with varying parameters that represent intra-patient and inter-patient variability. The proposed framework consists of two components: first, an online model parameter estimation is carried out using a multiple-model extended Kalman-filter. Second, the estimated model parameters are used for continuously scheduling a robust linear parameter-varying (LPV) controller. The closed-loop behaviour is characterised by parameter-varying dynamic weights designed to regulate the mean arterial pressure to a target value. Experimental data of blood pressure response of anesthetised pigs to phenylephrine injection are used for validating the LPV blood pressure models. Simulation studies are provided to validate the online model estimation and the LPV blood pressure control using phenylephrine drug injection models representing patients showing sensitive, nominal and insensitive response to the drug.

The Limitations of Model-Based Experimental Design and Parameter Estimation in Sloppy Systems.

PubMed

White, Andrew; Tolman, Malachi; Thames, Howard D; Withers, Hubert Rodney; Mason, Kathy A; Transtrum, Mark K

2016-12-01

We explore the relationship among experimental design, parameter estimation, and systematic error in sloppy models. We show that the approximate nature of mathematical models poses challenges for experimental design in sloppy models. In many models of complex biological processes it is unknown what are the relevant physical mechanisms that must be included to explain system behaviors. As a consequence, models are often overly complex, with many practically unidentifiable parameters. Furthermore, which mechanisms are relevant/irrelevant vary among experiments. By selecting complementary experiments, experimental design may inadvertently make details that were ommitted from the model become relevant. When this occurs, the model will have a large systematic error and fail to give a good fit to the data. We use a simple hyper-model of model error to quantify a model's discrepancy and apply it to two models of complex biological processes (EGFR signaling and DNA repair) with optimally selected experiments. We find that although parameters may be accurately estimated, the discrepancy in the model renders it less predictive than it was in the sloppy regime where systematic error is small. We introduce the concept of a sloppy system-a sequence of models of increasing complexity that become sloppy in the limit of microscopic accuracy. We explore the limits of accurate parameter estimation in sloppy systems and argue that identifying underlying mechanisms controlling system behavior is better approached by considering a hierarchy of models of varying detail rather than focusing on parameter estimation in a single model.

The Limitations of Model-Based Experimental Design and Parameter Estimation in Sloppy Systems

PubMed Central

Tolman, Malachi; Thames, Howard D.; Mason, Kathy A.

2016-01-01

We explore the relationship among experimental design, parameter estimation, and systematic error in sloppy models. We show that the approximate nature of mathematical models poses challenges for experimental design in sloppy models. In many models of complex biological processes it is unknown what are the relevant physical mechanisms that must be included to explain system behaviors. As a consequence, models are often overly complex, with many practically unidentifiable parameters. Furthermore, which mechanisms are relevant/irrelevant vary among experiments. By selecting complementary experiments, experimental design may inadvertently make details that were ommitted from the model become relevant. When this occurs, the model will have a large systematic error and fail to give a good fit to the data. We use a simple hyper-model of model error to quantify a model’s discrepancy and apply it to two models of complex biological processes (EGFR signaling and DNA repair) with optimally selected experiments. We find that although parameters may be accurately estimated, the discrepancy in the model renders it less predictive than it was in the sloppy regime where systematic error is small. We introduce the concept of a sloppy system–a sequence of models of increasing complexity that become sloppy in the limit of microscopic accuracy. We explore the limits of accurate parameter estimation in sloppy systems and argue that identifying underlying mechanisms controlling system behavior is better approached by considering a hierarchy of models of varying detail rather than focusing on parameter estimation in a single model. PMID:27923060

Distributed Time-Varying Formation Robust Tracking for General Linear Multiagent Systems With Parameter Uncertainties and External Disturbances.

PubMed

Hua, Yongzhao; Dong, Xiwang; Li, Qingdong; Ren, Zhang

2017-05-18

This paper investigates the time-varying formation robust tracking problems for high-order linear multiagent systems with a leader of unknown control input in the presence of heterogeneous parameter uncertainties and external disturbances. The followers need to accomplish an expected time-varying formation in the state space and track the state trajectory produced by the leader simultaneously. First, a time-varying formation robust tracking protocol with a totally distributed form is proposed utilizing the neighborhood state information. With the adaptive updating mechanism, neither any global knowledge about the communication topology nor the upper bounds of the parameter uncertainties, external disturbances and leader's unknown input are required in the proposed protocol. Then, in order to determine the control parameters, an algorithm with four steps is presented, where feasible conditions for the followers to accomplish the expected time-varying formation tracking are provided. Furthermore, based on the Lyapunov-like analysis theory, it is proved that the formation tracking error can converge to zero asymptotically. Finally, the effectiveness of the theoretical results is verified by simulation examples.

Output-only modal parameter estimator of linear time-varying structural systems based on vector TAR model and least squares support vector machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Si-Da; Ma, Yuan-Chen; Liu, Li; Kang, Jie; Ma, Zhi-Sai; Yu, Lei

2018-01-01

Identification of time-varying modal parameters contributes to the structural health monitoring, fault detection, vibration control, etc. of the operational time-varying structural systems. However, it is a challenging task because there is not more information for the identification of the time-varying systems than that of the time-invariant systems. This paper presents a vector time-dependent autoregressive model and least squares support vector machine based modal parameter estimator for linear time-varying structural systems in case of output-only measurements. To reduce the computational cost, a Wendland's compactly supported radial basis function is used to achieve the sparsity of the Gram matrix. A Gamma-test-based non-parametric approach of selecting the regularization factor is adapted for the proposed estimator to replace the time-consuming n-fold cross validation. A series of numerical examples have illustrated the advantages of the proposed modal parameter estimator on the suppression of the overestimate and the short data. A laboratory experiment has further validated the proposed estimator.

Optimal critic learning for robot control in time-varying environments.

PubMed

Wang, Chen; Li, Yanan; Ge, Shuzhi Sam; Lee, Tong Heng

2015-10-01

In this paper, optimal critic learning is developed for robot control in a time-varying environment. The unknown environment is described as a linear system with time-varying parameters, and impedance control is employed for the interaction control. Desired impedance parameters are obtained in the sense of an optimal realization of the composite of trajectory tracking and force regulation. Q -function-based critic learning is developed to determine the optimal impedance parameters without the knowledge of the system dynamics. The simulation results are presented and compared with existing methods, and the efficacy of the proposed method is verified.

Method of electric field flow fractionation wherein the polarity of the electric field is periodically reversed

DOEpatents

Stevens, Fred J.

1992-01-01

A novel method of electric field flow fractionation for separating solute molecules from a carrier solution is disclosed. The method of the invention utilizes an electric field that is periodically reversed in polarity, in a time-dependent, wave-like manner. The parameters of the waveform, including amplitude, frequency and wave shape may be varied to optimize separation of solute species. The waveform may further include discontinuities to enhance separation.

Characterization and Effects of Fiber Pull-Outs in Hole Quality of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics Composite.

PubMed

Alizadeh Ashrafi, Sina; Miller, Peter W; Wandro, Kevin M; Kim, Dave

2016-10-13

Hole quality plays a crucial role in the production of close-tolerance holes utilized in aircraft assembly. Through drilling experiments of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic composites (CFRP), this study investigates the impact of varying drilling feed and speed conditions on fiber pull-out geometries and resulting hole quality parameters. For this study, hole quality parameters include hole size variance, hole roundness, and surface roughness. Fiber pull-out geometries are quantified by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the mechanically-sectioned CFRP-machined holes, to measure pull-out length and depth. Fiber pull-out geometries and the hole quality parameter results are dependent on the drilling feed and spindle speed condition, which determines the forces and undeformed chip thickness during the process. Fiber pull-out geometries influence surface roughness parameters from a surface profilometer, while their effect on other hole quality parameters obtained from a coordinate measuring machine is minimal.

Deviation Value for Conventional X-ray in Hospitals in South Sulawesi Province from 2014 to 2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachtiar, Ilham; Abdullah, Bualkar; Tahir, Dahlan

2018-03-01

This paper describes the conventional X-ray machine parameters tested in the region of South Sulawesi from 2014 to 2016. The objective of this research is to know deviation of every parameter of conventional X-ray machine. The testing parameters were analyzed by using quantitative methods with participatory observational approach. Data collection was performed by testing the output of conventional X-ray plane using non-invasive x-ray multimeter. The test parameters include tube voltage (kV) accuracy, radiation output linearity, reproducibility and radiation beam value (HVL) quality. The results of the analysis show four conventional X-ray test parameters have varying deviation spans, where the tube voltage (kV) accuracy has an average value of 4.12%, the average radiation output linearity is 4.47% of the average reproducibility of 0.62% and the averaged of the radiation beam (HVL) is 3.00 mm.

Calculation of residual principal stresses in CVD boron on carbon filaments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Behrendt, D. R.

1980-01-01

A three-dimensional finite element model of the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of boron on a carbon substrate (B/C) is developed. The model includes an expansion of the boron after deposition due to atomic rearrangement and includes creep of the boron and carbon. Curves are presented to show how the principal residual stresses and the filament elongation vary as the parameters defining deposition strain and creep are varied. The calculated results are compared with experimental axial residual stress and elongation measurements made on B/C filaments. This comparison requires that for good agreement between calculated and experimental results, the deposited boron must continue to expand after deposition, and that the build-up of residual stresses is limited by significant boron and carbon creep rates.

Constitutive Equation with Varying Parameters for Superplastic Flow Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Zhiping; Ren, Mingwen; Jia, Hongjie; Zhao, Po; Ma, Pinkui

2014-03-01

In this study, constitutive equations for superplastic materials with an extra large elongation were investigated through mechanical analysis. From the view of phenomenology, firstly, some traditional empirical constitutive relations were standardized by restricting some strain paths and parameter conditions, and the coefficients in these relations were strictly given new mechanical definitions. Subsequently, a new, general constitutive equation with varying parameters was theoretically deduced based on the general mechanical equation of state. The superplastic tension test data of Zn-5%Al alloy at 340 °C under strain rates, velocities, and loads were employed for building a new constitutive equation and examining its validity. Analysis results indicated that the constitutive equation with varying parameters could characterize superplastic flow behavior in practical superplastic forming with high prediction accuracy and without any restriction of strain path or deformation condition, showing good industrial or scientific interest. On the contrary, those empirical equations have low prediction capabilities due to constant parameters and poor applicability because of the limit of special strain path or parameter conditions based on strict phenomenology.

Bayesian dynamic modeling of time series of dengue disease case counts

PubMed Central

López-Quílez, Antonio; Torres-Prieto, Alexander

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to model the association between weekly time series of dengue case counts and meteorological variables, in a high-incidence city of Colombia, applying Bayesian hierarchical dynamic generalized linear models over the period January 2008 to August 2015. Additionally, we evaluate the model’s short-term performance for predicting dengue cases. The methodology shows dynamic Poisson log link models including constant or time-varying coefficients for the meteorological variables. Calendar effects were modeled using constant or first- or second-order random walk time-varying coefficients. The meteorological variables were modeled using constant coefficients and first-order random walk time-varying coefficients. We applied Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations for parameter estimation, and deviance information criterion statistic (DIC) for model selection. We assessed the short-term predictive performance of the selected final model, at several time points within the study period using the mean absolute percentage error. The results showed the best model including first-order random walk time-varying coefficients for calendar trend and first-order random walk time-varying coefficients for the meteorological variables. Besides the computational challenges, interpreting the results implies a complete analysis of the time series of dengue with respect to the parameter estimates of the meteorological effects. We found small values of the mean absolute percentage errors at one or two weeks out-of-sample predictions for most prediction points, associated with low volatility periods in the dengue counts. We discuss the advantages and limitations of the dynamic Poisson models for studying the association between time series of dengue disease and meteorological variables. The key conclusion of the study is that dynamic Poisson models account for the dynamic nature of the variables involved in the modeling of time series of dengue disease, producing useful models for decision-making in public health. PMID:28671941

The effect of membrane parameters on the properties of the nerve impulse.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sabah, N. H.; Leibovic, K. N.

1972-01-01

The effect of varying some membrane parameters is explored, basing the investigation on computer simulation of the Hodgkin-Huxley equations for the squid giant axon, including variations in the membrane capacitance, conductances, and the rate constants. It is shown that by reducing the degree of regeneration in the excitable membrane, the character of the nerve signal can be smoothly changed from that of the axonal spike to essentially electrotonic spread, with all gradations in between. The reduction in the degree of regeneration can most simply be brought about by a decrease in the density of active membrane patches.

Hydrology of Poorly Drained Coastal Watersheds in Eastern North Carolina

Treesearch

Devendra M. Amatya; George M. Chescheir; R. Wayne Skaggs; Glenn P. Fernandez

2002-01-01

A 10,000 ha lower coastal plain land near Plymouth in eastern North Carolina has been intensively monitored since 1996 to measure hydro-meteorological parameters including outflows and quality of water drained from fields and subwatersheds with varying land management practices. This study summarized the data for a six-year period (1996-2001) for a 2950 ha forested, a...

Complete synchronization of uncertain chaotic systems via a single proportional adaptive controller: A comparative study

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

Ahmad, Israr, E-mail: iak-2000plus@yahoo.com; Saaban, Azizan Bin, E-mail: azizan.s@uum.edu.my; Ibrahim, Adyda Binti, E-mail: adyda@uum.edu.my

This paper addresses a comparative computational study on the synchronization quality, cost and converging speed for two pairs of identical chaotic and hyperchaotic systems with unknown time-varying parameters. It is assumed that the unknown time-varying parameters are bounded. Based on the Lyapunov stability theory and using the adaptive control method, a single proportional controller is proposed to achieve the goal of complete synchronizations. Accordingly, appropriate adaptive laws are designed to identify the unknown time-varying parameters. The designed control strategy is easy to implement in practice. Numerical simulations results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed synchronization scheme.

Model misspecification detection by means of multiple generator errors, using the observed potential map.

PubMed

Zhang, Z; Jewett, D L

1994-01-01

Due to model misspecification, currently-used Dipole Source Localization (DSL) methods may contain Multiple-Generator Errors (MulGenErrs) when fitting simultaneously-active dipoles. The size of the MulGenErr is a function of both the model used, and the dipole parameters, including the dipoles' waveforms (time-varying magnitudes). For a given fitting model, by examining the variation of the MulGenErrs (or the fit parameters) under different waveforms for the same generating-dipoles, the accuracy of the fitting model for this set of dipoles can be determined. This method of testing model misspecification can be applied to evoked potential maps even when the parameters of the generating-dipoles are unknown. The dipole parameters fitted in a model should only be accepted if the model can be shown to be sufficiently accurate.

Impact of Reactor Operating Parameters on Cask Reactivity in BWR Burnup Credit

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

Ilas, Germina; Betzler, Benjamin R; Ade, Brian J

This paper discusses the effect of reactor operating parameters used in fuel depletion calculations on spent fuel cask reactivity, with relevance for boiling-water reactor (BWR) burnup credit (BUC) applications. Assessments that used generic BWR fuel assembly and spent fuel cask configurations are presented. The considered operating parameters, which were independently varied in the depletion simulations for the assembly, included fuel temperature, bypass water density, specific power, and operating history. Different operating history scenarios were considered for the assembly depletion to determine the effect of relative power distribution during the irradiation cycles, as well as the downtime between cycles. Depletion, decay,more » and criticality simulations were performed using computer codes and associated nuclear data within the SCALE code system. Results quantifying the dependence of cask reactivity on the assembly depletion parameters are presented herein.« less

Modelling the evaporation of nanoparticle suspensions from heterogeneous surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chalmers, C.; Smith, R.; Archer, A. J.

2017-07-01

We present a Monte Carlo (MC) grid-based model for the drying of drops of a nanoparticle suspension upon a heterogeneous surface. The model consists of a generalised lattice-gas in which the interaction parameters in the Hamiltonian can be varied to model different properties of the materials involved. We show how to correctly choose the interactions, to minimise the effects of the underlying grid so that hemispherical droplets form. We also include the effects of surface roughness to examine the effects of contact-line pinning on the dynamics. When there is a ‘lid’ above the system, which prevents evaporation, equilibrium drops form on the surface, which we use to determine the contact angle and how it varies as the parameters of the model are changed. This enables us to relate the interaction parameters to the materials used in applications. The model has also been applied to drying on heterogeneous surfaces, in particular to the case where the suspension is deposited on a surface consisting of a pair of hydrophilic conducting metal surfaces that are either side of a band of hydrophobic insulating polymer. This situation occurs when using inkjet printing to manufacture electrical connections between the metallic parts of the surface. The process is not always without problems, since the liquid can dewet from the hydrophobic part of the surface, breaking the bridge before the drying process is complete. The MC model reproduces the observed dewetting, allowing the parameters to be varied so that the conditions for the best connection can be established. We show that if the hydrophobic portion of the surface is located at a step below the height of the neighbouring metal, the chance of dewetting of the liquid during the drying process is significantly reduced.

Scale effects on spatially varying relationships between urban landscape patterns and water quality.

PubMed

Sun, Yanwei; Guo, Qinghai; Liu, Jian; Wang, Run

2014-08-01

Scientific interpretation of the relationships between urban landscape patterns and water quality is important for sustainable urban planning and watershed environmental protection. This study applied the ordinary least squares regression model and the geographically weighted regression model to examine the spatially varying relationships between 12 explanatory variables (including three topographical factors, four land use parameters, and five landscape metrics) and 15 water quality indicators in watersheds of Yundang Lake, Maluan Bay, and Xinglin Bay with varying levels of urbanization in Xiamen City, China. A local and global investigation was carried out at the watershed-level, with 50 and 200 m riparian buffer scales. This study found that topographical features and landscape metrics are the dominant factors of water quality, while land uses are too weak to be considered as a strong influential factor on water quality. Such statistical results may be related with the characteristics of land use compositions in our study area. Water quality variations in the 50 m buffer were dominated by topographical variables. The impact of landscape metrics on water quality gradually strengthen with expanding buffer zones. The strongest relationships are obtained in entire watersheds, rather than in 50 and 200 m buffer zones. Spatially varying relationships and effective buffer zones were verified in this study. Spatially varying relationships between explanatory variables and water quality parameters are more diversified and complex in less urbanized areas than in highly urbanized areas. This study hypothesizes that all these varying relationships may be attributed to the heterogeneity of landscape patterns in different urban regions. Adjustment of landscape patterns in an entire watershed should be the key measure to successfully improving urban lake water quality.

Software Would Largely Automate Design of Kalman Filter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chuang, Jason C. H.; Negast, William J.

2005-01-01

Embedded Navigation Filter Automatic Designer (ENFAD) is a computer program being developed to automate the most difficult tasks in designing embedded software to implement a Kalman filter in a navigation system. The most difficult tasks are selection of error states of the filter and tuning of filter parameters, which are timeconsuming trial-and-error tasks that require expertise and rarely yield optimum results. An optimum selection of error states and filter parameters depends on navigation-sensor and vehicle characteristics, and on filter processing time. ENFAD would include a simulation module that would incorporate all possible error states with respect to a given set of vehicle and sensor characteristics. The first of two iterative optimization loops would vary the selection of error states until the best filter performance was achieved in Monte Carlo simulations. For a fixed selection of error states, the second loop would vary the filter parameter values until an optimal performance value was obtained. Design constraints would be satisfied in the optimization loops. Users would supply vehicle and sensor test data that would be used to refine digital models in ENFAD. Filter processing time and filter accuracy would be computed by ENFAD.

Mapping of all polarization-singularity C-point morphologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galvez, E. J.; Rojec, B. L.; Beach, K.

2014-02-01

We present theoretical descriptions and measurements of optical beams carrying isolated polarization-singularity C-points. Our analysis covers all types of C-points, including asymmetric lemons, stars and monstars. They are formed by the superposition of a circularly polarized mode carrying an optical vortex and a fundamental Gaussian mode in the opposite state of polarization. The type of C-point can be controlled experimentally by varying two parameters controlling the asymmetry of the optical vortex. This was implemented via a superposition of modes with singly charged optical vortices of opposite sign, and varying the relative amplitude and phase. The results are in excellent agreement with the predictions.

Sensitivity of estimated muscle force in forward simulation of normal walking

PubMed Central

Xiao, Ming; Higginson, Jill

2009-01-01

Generic muscle parameters are often used in muscle-driven simulations of human movement estimate individual muscle forces and function. The results may not be valid since muscle properties vary from subject to subject. This study investigated the effect of using generic parameters in a muscle-driven forward simulation on muscle force estimation. We generated a normal walking simulation in OpenSim and examined the sensitivity of individual muscle to perturbations in muscle parameters, including the number of muscles, maximum isometric force, optimal fiber length and tendon slack length. We found that when changing the number muscles included in the model, only magnitude of the estimated muscle forces was affected. Our results also suggest it is especially important to use accurate values of tendon slack length and optimal fiber length for ankle plantarflexors and knee extensors. Changes in force production one muscle were typically compensated for by changes in force production by muscles in the same functional muscle group, or the antagonistic muscle group. Conclusions regarding muscle function based on simulations with generic musculoskeletal parameters should be interpreted with caution. PMID:20498485

Anthropometric measurements in Iranian men.

PubMed

Gharehdaghi, Jaber; Baazm, Maryam; Ghadipasha, Masoud; Solhi, Sadra; Toutounchian, Farhoud

2018-01-01

There is inevitable need for data regarding anthropometric measurements of each community's population. These anthropometric data have various applications, including health assessment, industrial designing, plastic & orthopedic surgery, nutritional studies, anatomical studies and forensic medicine investigations. Anthropometric parameters vary from race to race throughout the world, hence providing an anthropometric profile model of residents of different geographic regions seems to be necessary. To our knowledge, there is no report of bone parameters of the Iranian population. The present study was carried out to provide data on anthropomorphic bone parameters of the Iranian population, as a basis for future relevant studies. We calculated most of the known anthropometric parameters including skull, mandible, clavicle, scapula, humerus, radius, ulna, sacrum, hip, femur, tibia and fibula of 225 male corpses during a period of 2 years (2014-2016). Data expression was done as mean ± standard deviation. The results consist the first documented report on anthropometric bone measurement profile of Iranian male population, that can be considered a valuable source of data for future research on Iranian population in this regard. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

Effect of pulse sequence parameter selection on signal strength in positive-contrast MRI markers for MRI-based prostate postimplant assessment

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

Lim, Tze Yee

Purpose: For postimplant dosimetric assessment, computed tomography (CT) is commonly used to identify prostate brachytherapy seeds, at the expense of accurate anatomical contouring. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is superior to CT for anatomical delineation, but identification of the negative-contrast seeds is challenging. Positive-contrast MRI markers were proposed to replace spacers to assist seed localization on MRI images. Visualization of these markers under varying scan parameters was investigated. Methods: To simulate a clinical scenario, a prostate phantom was implanted with 66 markers and 86 seeds, and imaged on a 3.0T MRI scanner using a 3D fast radiofrequency-spoiled gradient recalled echo acquisitionmore » with various combinations of scan parameters. Scan parameters, including flip angle, number of excitations, bandwidth, field-of-view, slice thickness, and encoding steps were systematically varied to study their effects on signal, noise, scan time, image resolution, and artifacts. Results: The effects of pulse sequence parameter selection on the marker signal strength and image noise were characterized. The authors also examined the tradeoff between signal-to-noise ratio, scan time, and image artifacts, such as the wraparound artifact, susceptibility artifact, chemical shift artifact, and partial volume averaging artifact. Given reasonable scan time and managable artifacts, the authors recommended scan parameter combinations that can provide robust visualization of the MRI markers. Conclusions: The recommended MRI pulse sequence protocol allows for consistent visualization of the markers to assist seed localization, potentially enabling MRI-only prostate postimplant dosimetry.« less

The Role of Thermal Properties in Periodic Time-Varying Phenomena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marin, E.

2007-01-01

The role played by physical parameters governing the transport of heat in periodical time-varying phenomena within solids is discussed. Starting with a brief look at the conduction heat transport mechanism, the equations governing heat conduction under static, stationary and non-stationary conditions, and the physical parameters involved, are…

Agreement Between Institutional Measurements and Treatment Planning System Calculations for Basic Dosimetric Parameters as Measured by the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core-Houston

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

Kerns, James R.; Followill, David S.; Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core-Houston, The University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, Houston, Texas

Purpose: To compare radiation machine measurement data collected by the Imaging and Radiation Oncology Core at Houston (IROC-H) with institutional treatment planning system (TPS) values, to identify parameters with large differences in agreement; the findings will help institutions focus their efforts to improve the accuracy of their TPS models. Methods and Materials: Between 2000 and 2014, IROC-H visited more than 250 institutions and conducted independent measurements of machine dosimetric data points, including percentage depth dose, output factors, off-axis factors, multileaf collimator small fields, and wedge data. We compared these data with the institutional TPS values for the same points bymore » energy, class, and parameter to identify differences and similarities using criteria involving both the medians and standard deviations for Varian linear accelerators. Distributions of differences between machine measurements and institutional TPS values were generated for basic dosimetric parameters. Results: On average, intensity modulated radiation therapy–style and stereotactic body radiation therapy–style output factors and upper physical wedge output factors were the most problematic. Percentage depth dose, jaw output factors, and enhanced dynamic wedge output factors agreed best between the IROC-H measurements and the TPS values. Although small differences were shown between 2 common TPS systems, neither was superior to the other. Parameter agreement was constant over time from 2000 to 2014. Conclusions: Differences in basic dosimetric parameters between machine measurements and TPS values vary widely depending on the parameter, although agreement does not seem to vary by TPS and has not changed over time. Intensity modulated radiation therapy–style output factors, stereotactic body radiation therapy–style output factors, and upper physical wedge output factors had the largest disagreement and should be carefully modeled to ensure accuracy.« less

Factorial experimental design for the culture of human embryonic stem cells as aggregates in stirred suspension bioreactors reveals the potential for interaction effects between bioprocess parameters.

PubMed

Hunt, Megan M; Meng, Guoliang; Rancourt, Derrick E; Gates, Ian D; Kallos, Michael S

2014-01-01

Traditional optimization of culture parameters for the large-scale culture of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) as aggregates is carried out in a stepwise manner whereby the effect of varying each culture parameter is investigated individually. However, as evidenced by the wide range of published protocols and culture performance indicators (growth rates, pluripotency marker expression, etc.), there is a lack of systematic investigation into the true effect of varying culture parameters especially with respect to potential interactions between culture variables. Here we describe the design and execution of a two-parameter, three-level (3(2)) factorial experiment resulting in nine conditions that were run in duplicate 125-mL stirred suspension bioreactors. The two parameters investigated here were inoculation density and agitation rate, which are easily controlled, but currently, poorly characterized. Cell readouts analyzed included fold expansion, maximum density, and exponential growth rate. Our results reveal that the choice of best case culture parameters was dependent on which cell property was chosen as the primary output variable. Subsequent statistical analyses via two-way analysis of variance indicated significant interaction effects between inoculation density and agitation rate specifically in the case of exponential growth rates. Results indicate that stepwise optimization has the potential to miss out on the true optimal case. In addition, choosing an optimum condition for a culture output of interest from the factorial design yielded similar results when repeated with the same cell line indicating reproducibility. We finally validated that human ESCs remain pluripotent in suspension culture as aggregates under our optimal conditions and maintain their differentiation capabilities as well as a stable karyotype and strong expression levels of specific human ESC markers over several passages in suspension bioreactors.

Assessing composition and structure of soft biphasic media from Kelvin-Voigt fractional derivative model parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hongmei; Wang, Yue; Fatemi, Mostafa; Insana, Michael F.

2017-03-01

Kelvin-Voigt fractional derivative (KVFD) model parameters have been used to describe viscoelastic properties of soft tissues. However, translating model parameters into a concise set of intrinsic mechanical properties related to tissue composition and structure remains challenging. This paper begins by exploring these relationships using a biphasic emulsion materials with known composition. Mechanical properties are measured by analyzing data from two indentation techniques—ramp-stress relaxation and load-unload hysteresis tests. Material composition is predictably correlated with viscoelastic model parameters. Model parameters estimated from the tests reveal that elastic modulus E 0 closely approximates the shear modulus for pure gelatin. Fractional-order parameter α and time constant τ vary monotonically with the volume fraction of the material’s fluid component. α characterizes medium fluidity and the rate of energy dissipation, and τ is a viscous time constant. Numerical simulations suggest that the viscous coefficient η is proportional to the energy lost during quasi-static force-displacement cycles, E A . The slope of E A versus η is determined by α and the applied indentation ramp time T r. Experimental measurements from phantom and ex vivo liver data show close agreement with theoretical predictions of the η -{{E}A} relation. The relative error is less than 20% for emulsions 22% for liver. We find that KVFD model parameters form a concise features space for biphasic medium characterization that described time-varying mechanical properties. The experimental work was carried out at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. Methodological development, including numerical simulation and all data analysis, were carried out at the school of Life Science and Technology, Xi’an JiaoTong University, 710049, China.

A Comparison of the Noise Characteristics of a Conventional Slat and Krueger Flap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bahr, Christopher J.; Hutcheson, Florence V.; Thomas, Russell H.; Housman, Jeffery A.

2016-01-01

An aeroacoustic test of two types of leading-edge high-lift devices has been conducted in the NASA Langley Quiet Flow Facility. The test compares a conventional slat with a notional equivalent-mission Krueger flap. The test matrix includes points that allow for direct comparison of the conventional and Krueger devices for equivalent-mission configurations, where the two high-lift devices satisfy the same lift requirements for a free air flight path at the same cruise airfoil angle of attack. Measurements are made for multiple Mach numbers and directivity angles. Results indicate that the Krueger flap shows similar agreement to the expected power law scaling of a conventional flap, both in terms of Strouhal number and fixed frequency (as a surrogate for Helmholtz number). Directivity patterns vary depending on the specific slat and Krueger orientations. Varying the slat gap while holding overlap constant has the same influence on both the conventional slat and Krueger flap acoustic signature. Closing the gap shows dramatic reduction in levels for both devices. Varying the Krueger overlap has a different effect on the data when compared to varying the slat overlap, but analysis is limited by acoustic sources that regularly present themselves in model-scale wind tunnel testing but are not present for full-scale vehicles. The Krueger cavity is found to have some influence on level and directivity, though not as much as the other considered parameter variations. Overall, while the spectra of the two devices are different in detail, their scaling behavior for varying parameters is extremely similar.

Modifications of 'Gold Finger' Grape Berry Quality as Affected by the Different Rootstocks.

PubMed

Jin, Zhongxin; Sun, Hong; Sun, Tianyu; Wang, Qingjie; Yao, Yuxin

2016-06-01

Berry qualities of the grafted 'Gold Finger' grapevines were determined to evaluate the impacts of the resistant rootstocks on fruit quality. Compared to the own-rooted vines, berry and cluster weights and skin color were altered by the rootstocks to varying extents. The rootstock of 101-14M maintained TSS/TA and the contents of fructose, glucose, and sucrose, and SO4 decreased these parameters. 101-14M and 3309C increased and reduced the resveratrol content, respectively. SO4, 5BB, and 3309C decreased the total free amino acid content, along with the changes in amino acid composition. The amounts of aroma components were widely altered by the rootstocks. Additionally, a digital gene expression tag profiling revealed that the biological processes were largely altered by 3309C and 101-14M, including sugar, amino acid, and aroma metabolisms. In summary, the rootstock of 101-14M generally maintained berry quality, and SO4, 5BB, and 3309C imparted varying influences on different quality parameters.

Sum over Histories Representation for Kinetic Sensitivity Analysis: How Chemical Pathways Change When Reaction Rate Coefficients Are Varied

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

Bai, Shirong; Davis, Michael J.; Skodje, Rex T.

2015-11-12

The sensitivity of kinetic observables is analyzed using a newly developed sum over histories representation of chemical kinetics. In the sum over histories representation, the concentrations of the chemical species are decomposed into the sum of probabilities for chemical pathways that follow molecules from reactants to products or intermediates. Unlike static flux methods for reaction path analysis, the sum over histories approach includes the explicit time dependence of the pathway probabilities. Using the sum over histories representation, the sensitivity of an observable with respect to a kinetic parameter such as a rate coefficient is then analyzed in terms of howmore » that parameter affects the chemical pathway probabilities. The method is illustrated for species concentration target functions in H-2 combustion where the rate coefficients are allowed to vary over their associated uncertainty ranges. It is found that large sensitivities are often associated with rate limiting steps along important chemical pathways or by reactions that control the branching of reactive flux« less

Craniofacial anthropometry in newborns of Sikkimese origin.

PubMed

Sinha, P; Tamang, B K; Chakraborty, S

2014-06-01

Head and face dimensions vary according to race and geographical zone. Hereditary factors also greatly affect the size and shape of the head. There are important medical applications of craniofacial data specific to different racial and ethnic groups. Various cranial and facial anthropometric parameters were assessed in singleton, healthy, full-term newborns of Sikkimese origin in a tertiary care hospital in Sikkim, India. The data were then analysed to determine statistically significant differences between sexes. Forty-five newborns were included in the study. Both male and female newborns were observed to be hyperbrachycephalic and hyperleptoprosopic. The only significant difference between the sexes was in commissural length, which was observed to be greater in male newborns. Craniofacial parameters in Sikkimese newborns vary in comparison with those of other newborns from around the world. Larger studies are needed in order to reveal sex-related variations. Similar studies on various racial groups in North-East India are needed to establish standards for populations with East Asian features.

Control systems using modal domain optical fiber sensors for smart structure applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindner, Douglas K.; Reichard, Karl M.

1991-01-01

Recently, a new class of sensors has emerged for structural control which respond to environmental changes over a significant gauge length; these sensors are called distributed-effect sensors. These sensors can be fabricated with spatially varying sensitivity to the distributed measurand, and can be configured to measure a variety of structural parameters which can not be measured directly using point sensors. Examples of distributed-effect sensors include piezoelectric film, holographic sensors, and modal domain optical fiber sensors. Optical fiber sensors are particularly attractive for smart structure applications because they are flexible, have low mass, and can easily be embedded directly into materials. In this paper we describe the implementation of weighted modal domain optical fiber sensors. The mathematical model of the modal domain optical fiber sensor model is described and used to derive an expression for the sensor sensitivity. The effects of parameter variations on the sensor sensitivity are demonstrated to illustrate methods of spatially varying the sensor sensitivity.

Effects of matrix shrinkage and swelling on the economics of enhanced-coalbed-methane production and CO{sub 2} sequestration in coal

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

Gorucu, F.B.; Jikich, S.A.; Bromhal, G.S.

2007-08-15

In this work, the Palmer-Mansoori model for coal shrinkage and permeability increases during primary methane production was rewritten to also account for coal swelling caused by CO{sub 2} sorption. The generalized model was added to a compositional, dual porosity coalbed-methane reservoir simulator for primary (CBM) and ECBM production. A standard five-spot of vertical wells and representative coal properties for Appalachian coals was used. Simulations and sensitivity analyses were performed with the modified simulator for nine different parameters, including coal seam and operational parameters and economic criteria. The coal properties and operating parameters that were varied included Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio,more » cleat porosity, and injection pressure. The economic variables included CH{sub 4}, price, Col Cost, CO{sub 2} credit, water disposal cost, and interest rate. Net-present value (NPV) analyses of the simulation results included profits resulting from CH{sub 4}, production and potential incentives for sequestered CO{sub 2}, This work shows that for some coal seams, the combination of compressibility, cleat porosity, and shrinkage/swelling of the coal may have a significant impact on project economics.« less

Numerical models of cell death in RF ablation with monopolar and bipolar probes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bright, Benjamin M.; Pearce, John A.

2013-02-01

Radio frequency (RF) is used clinically to treat unresectible tumors. Finite element modeling has proven useful in treatment planning and applicator design. Typically isotherms in the middle 50s °C have been used as the parameter of assessment in these models. We compare and contrast isotherms for multiple known Arrhenius thermal damage predictors including collagen denaturation, vascular disruption, liver coagulation and cell death. Models for RITA probe geometries are included in the study. Comparison to isotherms is sensible when the activation time is held constant, but varies considerably when heating times vary. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of looking at specific processes and keeping track of the methods used to derive the Arrhenius coefficients in order to study the extremely complex cell death processes due to thermal therapies.

A Flight Dynamics Model for a Small Glider in Ambient Winds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beeler, Scott C.; Moerder, Daniel D.; Cox, David E.

2003-01-01

In this paper we describe the equations of motion developed for a point-mass zero-thrust (gliding) aircraft model operating in an environment of spatially varying atmospheric winds. The wind effects are included as an integral part of the flight dynamics equations, and the model is controlled through the three aerodynamic control angles. Formulas for the aerodynamic coefficients for this model are constructed to include the effects of several different aspects contributing to the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle. Characteristic parameter values of the model are compared with those found in a different set of small glider simulations. We execute a set of example problems which solve the glider dynamics equations to find the aircraft trajectory given specified control inputs. The ambient wind conditions and glider characteristics are varied to compare the simulation results under these different circumstances.

A Flight Dynamics Model for a Small Glider in Ambient Winds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beeler, Scott C.; Moerder, Daniel D.; Cox, David E.

2003-01-01

In this paper we describe the equations of motion developed for a point-mass zero-thrust (gliding) aircraft model operating in an environment of spatially varying atmospheric winds. The wind effects are included as an integral part of the flight dynamics equations, and the model is controlled through the three aerodynamic control angles. Formulas for the aerodynamic coefficients for this model are constructed to include the effects of several different aspects contributing to the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle. Characteristic parameter values of the model are compared with those found in a different set of small glider simulations. We execute a set of example problems which solve the glider dynamics equations to find aircraft trajectory given specified control inputs. The ambient wind conditions and glider characteristics are varied to compare the simulation results under these different circumstances.

Comparative Sensitivity Analysis of Muscle Activation Dynamics

PubMed Central

Günther, Michael; Götz, Thomas

2015-01-01

We mathematically compared two models of mammalian striated muscle activation dynamics proposed by Hatze and Zajac. Both models are representative for a broad variety of biomechanical models formulated as ordinary differential equations (ODEs). These models incorporate parameters that directly represent known physiological properties. Other parameters have been introduced to reproduce empirical observations. We used sensitivity analysis to investigate the influence of model parameters on the ODE solutions. In addition, we expanded an existing approach to treating initial conditions as parameters and to calculating second-order sensitivities. Furthermore, we used a global sensitivity analysis approach to include finite ranges of parameter values. Hence, a theoretician striving for model reduction could use the method for identifying particularly low sensitivities to detect superfluous parameters. An experimenter could use it for identifying particularly high sensitivities to improve parameter estimation. Hatze's nonlinear model incorporates some parameters to which activation dynamics is clearly more sensitive than to any parameter in Zajac's linear model. Other than Zajac's model, Hatze's model can, however, reproduce measured shifts in optimal muscle length with varied muscle activity. Accordingly we extracted a specific parameter set for Hatze's model that combines best with a particular muscle force-length relation. PMID:26417379

Altered Innate and Lymphocytic Immunity in Murine Splenocytes Following Short-Duration Spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crucian, Brian E.; Hwang, Shen-An; Actor, Jeffrey K.; Quiriarte, Heather; Sams, Clarence F.

2011-01-01

Immune dysregulation has been demonstrated following spaceflight of varying durations and limited in-flight studies indicate this phenomenon may persist during spaceflight. Causes may include microgravity, physiological stress, isolation, confinement and disrupted circadian rhythms. To further investigate the mechanisms associated with flight-associated immune changes, murine splenocytes immune parameters were assessed following 14 day space flight on Space Shuttle mission STS-135.

[The laser therapy of rheumatoid arthritis].

PubMed

Soroka, N F

1989-01-01

About 300 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) underwent multimodality treatment including laser radiation of varying wavelengths. Use was made of helium-neon, infrared, argon and helium-cadmium lasers. A new method of combined laser therapy by radiation of helium-cadmium and helium-neon lasers is described. A scheme of optimal parameters and types of laser radiation recommended for the treatment of different clinical varieties of RA is provided.

Wind-tunnel investigation of a flush airdata system at Mach numbers from 0.7 to 1.4

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larson, Terry J.; Moes, Timothy R.; Siemers, Paul M., III

1990-01-01

Flush pressure orifices installed on the nose section of a 1/7-scale model of the F-14 airplane were evaluated for use as a flush airdata system (FADS). Wing-tunnel tests were conducted in the 11- by 11-ft Unitary Wind Tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center. A full-scale FADS of the same configuration was previously tested using an F-14 aircraft at the Dryden Flight Research Facility of NASA Ames Research Center (Ames-Dryden). These tests, which were published, are part of a NASA program to assess accuracies of FADS for use on aircraft. The test program also provides data to validate algorithms for the shuttle entry airdata system developed at the NASA Langley Research Center. The wind-tunnel test Mach numbers were 0.73, 0.90, 1.05, 1.20, and 1.39. Angles of attack were varied in 2 deg increments from -4 deg to 20 deg. Sideslip angles were varied in 4 deg increments from -8 deg to 8 deg. Airdata parameters were evaluated for determination of free-stream values of stagnation pressure, static pressure, angle of attack, angle of sideslip, and Mach number. These parameters are, in most cases, the same as the parameters investigated in the flight test program. The basic FADS wind-tunnel data are presented in tabular form. A discussion of the more accurate parameters is included.

Image Discrimination Models With Stochastic Channel Selection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1995-01-01

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

Transitions of interaction outcomes in a uni-directional consumer-resource system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Y.; DeAngelis, D.L.

2011-01-01

A uni-directional consumer-resource system of two species is analyzed. Our aim is to understand the mechanisms that determine how the interaction outcomes depend on the context of the interaction; that is, on the model parameters. The dynamic behavior of the model is described and, in particular, it is demonstrated that no periodic orbits exist. Then the parameter (factor) space is shown to be divided into four regions, which correspond to the four forms of interaction outcomes; i.e. mutualism, commensalism, parasitism and amensalism. It is shown that the interaction outcomes of the system transition smoothly among these four forms when the parameters of the system are varied continuously. Varying each parameter individually or varying pairs of parameters can also lead to smooth transitions between the interaction outcomes. The analysis leads to both conditions for which each species achieves its maximal density, and situations in which periodic oscillations of the interaction outcomes emerge. ?? 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

CLASSIFYING MEDICAL IMAGES USING MORPHOLOGICAL APPEARANCE MANIFOLDS.

PubMed

Varol, Erdem; Gaonkar, Bilwaj; Davatzikos, Christos

2013-12-31

Input features for medical image classification algorithms are extracted from raw images using a series of pre processing steps. One common preprocessing step in computational neuroanatomy and functional brain mapping is the nonlinear registration of raw images to a common template space. Typically, the registration methods used are parametric and their output varies greatly with changes in parameters. Most results reported previously perform registration using a fixed parameter setting and use the results as input to the subsequent classification step. The variation in registration results due to choice of parameters thus translates to variation of performance of the classifiers that depend on the registration step for input. Analogous issues have been investigated in the computer vision literature, where image appearance varies with pose and illumination, thereby making classification vulnerable to these confounding parameters. The proposed methodology addresses this issue by sampling image appearances as registration parameters vary, and shows that better classification accuracies can be obtained this way, compared to the conventional approach.

Orbital Signature Analyzer (OSA): A spacecraft health/safety monitoring and analysis tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weaver, Steven; Degeorges, Charles; Bush, Joy; Shendock, Robert; Mandl, Daniel

1993-01-01

Fixed or static limit sensing is employed in control centers to ensure that spacecraft parameters remain within a nominal range. However, many critical parameters, such as power system telemetry, are time-varying and, as such, their 'nominal' range is necessarily time-varying as well. Predicted data, manual limits checking, and widened limit-checking ranges are often employed in an attempt to monitor these parameters without generating excessive limits violations. Generating predicted data and manual limits checking are both resource intensive, while broadening limit ranges for time-varying parameters is clearly inadequate to detect all but catastrophic problems. OSA provides a low-cost solution by using analytically selected data as a reference upon which to base its limits. These limits are always defined relative to the time-varying reference data, rather than as fixed upper and lower limits. In effect, OSA provides individual limits tailored to each value throughout all the data. A side benefit of using relative limits is that they automatically adjust to new reference data. In addition, OSA provides a wealth of analytical by-products in its execution.

Issues in Turbulence Simulation for Experimental Comparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, D. W.; Bravenec, R. V.; Dorland, W.; Beer, M. A.; Hammett, G. W.

1999-11-01

Studies of the sensitivity of fluctuation spectra and transport fluxes to local plasma parameters and gradients(D. W. Ross et al.), Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 43, 1760 (1998); D. W. Ross et al., Transport Task Force Workshop, Portland, Oregon, (1999). are continued using nonlinear gyrofluid simulation(M. A. Beer et al.), Phys. Plasmas 2, 2687 (1995). on the T3E at NERSC. Parameters that are characteristic of discharges in DIII-D and Alcator C-Mod are employed. In the previous work, the gradients of Z_eff, n_e, and Te were varied within the experimental uncertainty. Amplitudes and fluxes are quite sensitive to dZ_eff/dr. Here, these studies are continued and extended to variation of other parameters, including T_e/T_i, and dT_i/dr, which are important for ion temperature gradient modes. The role of electric field shear is discussed. Implications for comparison with experiment, including transient perturbations, are discussed, with the goal of quantifying the accuracy of profile data needed to verify the turbulence theory.

Dispersion-free radial transmission lines

DOEpatents

Caporaso, George J [Livermore, CA; Nelson, Scott D [Patterson, CA

2011-04-12

A dispersion-free radial transmission line ("DFRTL") preferably for linear accelerators, having two plane conductors each with a central hole, and an electromagnetically permeable material ("EPM") between the two conductors and surrounding a channel connecting the two holes. At least one of the material parameters of relative magnetic permeability, relative dielectric permittivity, and axial width of the EPM is varied as a function of radius, so that the characteristic impedance of the DFRTL is held substantially constant, and pulse transmission therethrough is substantially dispersion-free. Preferably, the EPM is divided into concentric radial sections, with the varied material parameters held constant in each respective section but stepwise varied between sections as a step function of the radius. The radial widths of the concentric sections are selected so that pulse traversal time across each section is the same, and the varied material parameters of the concentric sections are selected to minimize traversal error.

Non-destructive evaluation of porosity and its effect on mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhat, M. R.; Binoy, M. P.; Surya, N. M.; Murthy, C. R. L.; Engelbart, R. W.

2012-05-01

In this work, an attempt is made to induce porosity of varied levels in carbon fiber reinforced epoxy based polymer composite laminates fabricated using prepregs by varying the fabrication parameters such as applied vacuum, autoclave pressure and curing temperature. Different NDE tools have been utilized to evaluate the porosity content and correlate with measurable parameters of different NDE techniques. Primarily, ultrasonic imaging and real time digital X-ray imaging have been tried to obtain a measurable parameter which can represent or reflect the amount of porosity contained in the composite laminate. Also, effect of varied porosity content on mechanical properties of the CFRP composite materials is investigated through a series of experimental investigations. The outcome of the experimental approach has yielded interesting and encouraging trend as a first step towards developing an NDE tool for quantification of effect of varied porosity in the polymer composite materials.

Linear Parameter Varying Control Synthesis for Actuator Failure, Based on Estimated Parameter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shin, Jong-Yeob; Wu, N. Eva; Belcastro, Christine

2002-01-01

The design of a linear parameter varying (LPV) controller for an aircraft at actuator failure cases is presented. The controller synthesis for actuator failure cases is formulated into linear matrix inequality (LMI) optimizations based on an estimated failure parameter with pre-defined estimation error bounds. The inherent conservatism of an LPV control synthesis methodology is reduced using a scaling factor on the uncertainty block which represents estimated parameter uncertainties. The fault parameter is estimated using the two-stage Kalman filter. The simulation results of the designed LPV controller for a HiMXT (Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology) vehicle with the on-line estimator show that the desired performance and robustness objectives are achieved for actuator failure cases.

Aerodynamic parameter estimation via Fourier modulating function techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearson, A. E.

1995-01-01

Parameter estimation algorithms are developed in the frequency domain for systems modeled by input/output ordinary differential equations. The approach is based on Shinbrot's method of moment functionals utilizing Fourier based modulating functions. Assuming white measurement noises for linear multivariable system models, an adaptive weighted least squares algorithm is developed which approximates a maximum likelihood estimate and cannot be biased by unknown initial or boundary conditions in the data owing to a special property attending Shinbrot-type modulating functions. Application is made to perturbation equation modeling of the longitudinal and lateral dynamics of a high performance aircraft using flight-test data. Comparative studies are included which demonstrate potential advantages of the algorithm relative to some well established techniques for parameter identification. Deterministic least squares extensions of the approach are made to the frequency transfer function identification problem for linear systems and to the parameter identification problem for a class of nonlinear-time-varying differential system models.

Monolithically compatible impedance measurement

DOEpatents

Ericson, Milton Nance; Holcomb, David Eugene

2002-01-01

A monolithic sensor includes a reference channel and at least one sensing channel. Each sensing channel has an oscillator and a counter driven by the oscillator. The reference channel and the at least one sensing channel being formed integrally with a substrate and intimately nested with one another on the substrate. Thus, the oscillator and the counter have matched component values and temperature coefficients. A frequency determining component of the sensing oscillator is formed integrally with the substrate and has an impedance parameter which varies with an environmental parameter to be measured by the sensor. A gating control is responsive to an output signal generated by the reference channel, for terminating counting in the at least one sensing channel at an output count, whereby the output count is indicative of the environmental parameter, and successive ones of the output counts are indicative of changes in the environmental parameter.

Drag Characteristics of Several Towed Decelerator Models at Mach 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miserentino, Robert; Bohon, Herman L.

1970-01-01

An investigation has been made to determine the possibility of using toroid-membrane and wide-angle conical shapes as towed decelerators. Parameter variations were investigated which might render toroid-membrane models and wide-angle- cone models stable without loss of the high drag coefficients obtainable with sting-mounted models. The parameters varied included location of center of gravity, location of the pivot between the towline and the model, and configuration modifications of the aft end as the addition of a corner radius and the addition of a skirt. The toroid membrane can be made into a stable towed decelerator with a suitable configuration modification of the aft end.

Power Radiated from ITER and CIT by Impurities

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Cummings, J.; Cohen, S. A.; Hulse, R.; Post, D. E.; Redi, M. H.; Perkins, J.

1990-07-01

The MIST code has been used to model impurity radiation from the edge and core plasmas in ITER and CIT. A broad range of parameters have been varied, including Z{sub eff}, impurity species, impurity transport coefficients, and plasma temperature and density profiles, especially at the edge. For a set of these parameters representative of the baseline ITER ignition scenario, it is seen that impurity radiation, which is produced in roughly equal amounts by the edge and core regions, can make a major improvement in divertor operation without compromising core energy confinement. Scalings of impurity radiation with atomic number and machine size are also discussed.

Stochastic Modeling of Empirical Storm Loss in Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prahl, B. F.; Rybski, D.; Kropp, J. P.; Burghoff, O.; Held, H.

2012-04-01

Based on German insurance loss data for residential property we derive storm damage functions that relate daily loss with maximum gust wind speed. Over a wide range of loss, steep power law relationships are found with spatially varying exponents ranging between approximately 8 and 12. Global correlations between parameters and socio-demographic data are employed to reduce the number of local parameters to 3. We apply a Monte Carlo approach to calculate German loss estimates including confidence bounds in daily and annual resolution. Our model reproduces the annual progression of winter storm losses and enables to estimate daily losses over a wide range of magnitude.

Analyzing Effect of System Inertia on Grid Frequency Forecasting Usnig Two Stage Neuro-Fuzzy System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chourey, Divyansh R.; Gupta, Himanshu; Kumar, Amit; Kumar, Jitesh; Kumar, Anand; Mishra, Anup

2018-04-01

Frequency forecasting is an important aspect of power system operation. The system frequency varies with load-generation imbalance. Frequency variation depends upon various parameters including system inertia. System inertia determines the rate of fall of frequency after the disturbance in the grid. Though, inertia of the system is not considered while forecasting the frequency of power system during planning and operation. This leads to significant errors in forecasting. In this paper, the effect of inertia on frequency forecasting is analysed for a particular grid system. In this paper, a parameter equivalent to system inertia is introduced. This parameter is used to forecast the frequency of a typical power grid for any instant of time. The system gives appreciable result with reduced error.

Surface roughness scattering of electrons in bulk mosfets

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

Zuverink, Amanda Renee

2015-11-01

Surface-roughness scattering of electrons at the Si-SiO 2 interface is a very important consideration when analyzing Si metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Scattering reduces the mobility of the electrons and degrades the device performance. 250-nm and 50-nm bulk MOSFETs were simulated with varying device parameters and mesh sizes in order to compare the effects of surface-roughness scattering in multiple devices. The simulation framework includes the ensemble Monte Carlo method used to solve the Boltzmann transport equation coupled with a successive over-relaxation method used to solve the two-dimensional Poisson's equation. Four methods for simulating the surface-roughness scattering of electrons were implemented onmore » both devices and compared: the constant specularity parameter, the momentum-dependent specularity parameter, and the real-space-roughness method with both uniform and varying electric fields. The specularity parameter is the probability of an electron scattering speculariy from a rough surface. It can be chosen as a constant, characterizing partially diffuse scattering of all electrons from the surface the same way, or it can be momentum dependent, where the size of rms roughness and the normal component of the electron wave number determine the probability of electron-momentum randomization. The real-space rough surface method uses the rms roughness height and correlation length of an actual MOSFET to simulate a rough interface. Due to their charge, electrons scatter from the electric field and not directly from the surface. If the electric field is kept uniform, the electrons do not perceive the roughness and scatter as if from a at surface. However, if the field is allowed to vary, the electrons scatter from the varying electric field as they would in a MOSFET. These methods were implemented for both the 50-nm and 250-nm MOSFETs, and using the rms roughness heights and correlation lengths for real devices. The current-voltage and mobility-electric field curves were plotted for each method on the two devices and compared. The conclusion is that the specularity-parameter methods are valuable as simple models for relatively smooth interfaces. However, they have limitations, as they cannot accurately describe the drastic reduction in the current and the electron mobility that occur in MOSFETs with very rough Si-SiO 2 interfaces.« less

Characterization and Effects of Fiber Pull-Outs in Hole Quality of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics Composite

PubMed Central

Alizadeh Ashrafi, Sina; Miller, Peter W.; Wandro, Kevin M.; Kim, Dave

2016-01-01

Hole quality plays a crucial role in the production of close-tolerance holes utilized in aircraft assembly. Through drilling experiments of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic composites (CFRP), this study investigates the impact of varying drilling feed and speed conditions on fiber pull-out geometries and resulting hole quality parameters. For this study, hole quality parameters include hole size variance, hole roundness, and surface roughness. Fiber pull-out geometries are quantified by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the mechanically-sectioned CFRP-machined holes, to measure pull-out length and depth. Fiber pull-out geometries and the hole quality parameter results are dependent on the drilling feed and spindle speed condition, which determines the forces and undeformed chip thickness during the process. Fiber pull-out geometries influence surface roughness parameters from a surface profilometer, while their effect on other hole quality parameters obtained from a coordinate measuring machine is minimal. PMID:28773950

Assessment of Wind Parameter Sensitivity on Ultimate and Fatigue Wind Turbine Loads: Preprint

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

Robertson, Amy N; Sethuraman, Latha; Jonkman, Jason

Wind turbines are designed using a set of simulations to ascertain the structural loads that the turbine could encounter. While mean hub-height wind speed is considered to vary, other wind parameters such as turbulence spectra, sheer, veer, spatial coherence, and component correlation are fixed or conditional values that, in reality, could have different characteristics at different sites and have a significant effect on the resulting loads. This paper therefore seeks to assess the sensitivity of different wind parameters on the resulting ultimate and fatigue loads on the turbine during normal operational conditions. Eighteen different wind parameters are screened using anmore » Elementary Effects approach with radial points. As expected, the results show a high sensitivity of the loads to the turbulence standard deviation in the primary wind direction, but the sensitivity to wind shear is often much greater. To a lesser extent, other wind parameters that drive loads include the coherence in the primary wind direction and veer.« less

Assessment of Wind Parameter Sensitivity on Extreme and Fatigue Wind Turbine Loads

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

Robertson, Amy N; Sethuraman, Latha; Jonkman, Jason

Wind turbines are designed using a set of simulations to ascertain the structural loads that the turbine could encounter. While mean hub-height wind speed is considered to vary, other wind parameters such as turbulence spectra, sheer, veer, spatial coherence, and component correlation are fixed or conditional values that, in reality, could have different characteristics at different sites and have a significant effect on the resulting loads. This paper therefore seeks to assess the sensitivity of different wind parameters on the resulting ultimate and fatigue loads on the turbine during normal operational conditions. Eighteen different wind parameters are screened using anmore » Elementary Effects approach with radial points. As expected, the results show a high sensitivity of the loads to the turbulence standard deviation in the primary wind direction, but the sensitivity to wind shear is often much greater. To a lesser extent, other wind parameters that drive loads include the coherence in the primary wind direction and veer.« less

Light scattering by hexagonal ice crystals with distributed inclusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panetta, R. Lee; Zhang, Jia-Ning; Bi, Lei; Yang, Ping; Tang, Guanlin

2016-07-01

Inclusions of air bubbles or soot particles have significant effects on the single-scattering properties of ice crystals, effects that in turn have significant impacts on the radiation budget of an atmosphere containing the crystals. This study investigates some of the single-scattering effects in the case of hexagonal ice crystals, including effects on the backscattering depolarization ratio, a quantity of practical importance in the interpretation of lidar observations. One distinguishing feature of the study is an investigation of scattering properties at a visible wavelength for a crystal with size parameter (x) above 100, a size regime where one expects some agreement between exact methods and geometrical optics methods. This expectation is generally borne out in a test comparison of how the sensitivity of scattering properties to the distribution of a given volume fraction of included air is represented using (i) an approximate Monte Carlo Ray Tracing (MCRT) method and (ii) a numerically exact pseudo-spectral time-domain (PSTD) method. Another distinguishing feature of the study is a close examination, using the numerically exact Invariant-Imbedding T-Matrix (II-TM) method, of how some optical properties of importance to satellite remote sensing vary as the volume fraction of inclusions and size of crystal are varied. Although such an investigation of properties in the x>100 regime faces serious computational burdens that force a large number of idealizations and simplifications in the study, the results nevertheless provide an intriguing glimpse of what is evidently a quite complex sensitivity of optical scattering properties to inclusions of air or soot as volume fraction and size parameter are varied.

Benchmarking in Thoracic Surgery. Third Edition.

PubMed

Freixinet Gilart, Jorge; Varela Simó, Gonzalo; Rodríguez Suárez, Pedro; Embún Flor, Raúl; Rivas de Andrés, Juan José; de la Torre Bravos, Mercedes; Molins López-Rodó, Laureano; Pac Ferrer, Joaquín; Izquierdo Elena, José Miguel; Baschwitz, Benno; López de Castro, Pedro E; Fibla Alfara, Juan José; Hernando Trancho, Florentino; Carvajal Carrasco, Ángel; Canalís Arrayás, Emili; Salvatierra Velázquez, Ángel; Canela Cardona, Mercedes; Torres Lanzas, Juan; Moreno Mata, Nicolás

2016-04-01

Benchmarking entails continuous comparison of efficacy and quality among products and activities, with the primary objective of achieving excellence. To analyze the results of benchmarking performed in 2013 on clinical practices undertaken in 2012 in 17 Spanish thoracic surgery units. Study data were obtained from the basic minimum data set for hospitalization, registered in 2012. Data from hospital discharge reports were submitted by the participating groups, but staff from the corresponding departments did not intervene in data collection. Study cases all involved hospital discharges recorded in the participating sites. Episodes included were respiratory surgery (Major Diagnostic Category 04, Surgery), and those of the thoracic surgery unit. Cases were labelled using codes from the International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification. The refined diagnosis-related groups classification was used to evaluate differences in severity and complexity of cases. General parameters (number of cases, mean stay, complications, readmissions, mortality, and activity) varied widely among the participating groups. Specific interventions (lobectomy, pneumonectomy, atypical resections, and treatment of pneumothorax) also varied widely. As in previous editions, practices among participating groups varied considerably. Some areas for improvement emerge: admission processes need to be standardized to avoid urgent admissions and to improve pre-operative care; hospital discharges should be streamlined and discharge reports improved by including all procedures and complications. Some units have parameters which deviate excessively from the norm, and these sites need to review their processes in depth. Coding of diagnoses and comorbidities is another area where improvement is needed. Copyright © 2015 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Analysis and selection of optimal function implementations in massively parallel computer

DOEpatents

Archer, Charles Jens [Rochester, MN; Peters, Amanda [Rochester, MN; Ratterman, Joseph D [Rochester, MN

2011-05-31

An apparatus, program product and method optimize the operation of a parallel computer system by, in part, collecting performance data for a set of implementations of a function capable of being executed on the parallel computer system based upon the execution of the set of implementations under varying input parameters in a plurality of input dimensions. The collected performance data may be used to generate selection program code that is configured to call selected implementations of the function in response to a call to the function under varying input parameters. The collected performance data may be used to perform more detailed analysis to ascertain the comparative performance of the set of implementations of the function under the varying input parameters.

Ensemble-Based Parameter Estimation in a Coupled GCM Using the Adaptive Spatial Average Method

DOE PAGES

Liu, Y.; Liu, Z.; Zhang, S.; ...

2014-05-29

Ensemble-based parameter estimation for a climate model is emerging as an important topic in climate research. And for a complex system such as a coupled ocean–atmosphere general circulation model, the sensitivity and response of a model variable to a model parameter could vary spatially and temporally. An adaptive spatial average (ASA) algorithm is proposed to increase the efficiency of parameter estimation. Refined from a previous spatial average method, the ASA uses the ensemble spread as the criterion for selecting “good” values from the spatially varying posterior estimated parameter values; these good values are then averaged to give the final globalmore » uniform posterior parameter. In comparison with existing methods, the ASA parameter estimation has a superior performance: faster convergence and enhanced signal-to-noise ratio.« less

Downdating a time-varying square root information filter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muellerschoen, Ronald J.

1990-01-01

A new method to efficiently downdate an estimate and covariance generated by a discrete time Square Root Information Filter (SRIF) is presented. The method combines the QR factor downdating algorithm of Gill and the decentralized SRIF algorithm of Bierman. Efficient removal of either measurements or a priori information is possible without loss of numerical integrity. Moreover, the method includes features for detecting potential numerical degradation. Performance on a 300 parameter system with 5800 data points shows that the method can be used in real time and hence is a promising tool for interactive data analysis. Additionally, updating a time-varying SRIF filter with either additional measurements or a priori information proceeds analogously.

Towards the mechanical characterization of abdominal wall by inverse analysis.

PubMed

Simón-Allué, R; Calvo, B; Oberai, A A; Barbone, P E

2017-02-01

The aim of this study is to characterize the passive mechanical behaviour of abdominal wall in vivo in an animal model using only external cameras and numerical analysis. The main objective lies in defining a methodology that provides in vivo information of a specific patient without altering mechanical properties. It is demonstrated in the mechanical study of abdomen for hernia purposes. Mechanical tests consisted on pneumoperitoneum tests performed on New Zealand rabbits, where inner pressure was varied from 0mmHg to 12mmHg. Changes in the external abdominal surface were recorded and several points were tracked. Based on their coordinates we reconstructed a 3D finite element model of the abdominal wall, considering an incompressible hyperelastic material model defined by two parameters. The spatial distributions of these parameters (shear modulus and non linear parameter) were calculated by inverse analysis, using two different types of regularization: Total Variation Diminishing (TVD) and Tikhonov (H 1 ). After solving the inverse problem, the distribution of the material parameters were obtained along the abdominal surface. Accuracy of the results was evaluated for the last level of pressure. Results revealed a higher value of the shear modulus in a wide stripe along the craneo-caudal direction, associated with the presence of linea alba in conjunction with fascias and rectus abdominis. Non linear parameter distribution was smoother and the location of higher values varied with the regularization type. Both regularizations proved to yield in an accurate predicted displacement field, but H 1 obtained a smoother material parameter distribution while TVD included some discontinuities. The methodology here presented was able to characterize in vivo the passive non linear mechanical response of the abdominal wall. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of seasonal water pollution based on rainfall feature at Anyang river basin in Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, J. G.; Lee, Y. K.; Kim, T. H.; Hwang, E. J.

2005-08-01

To determine selected water pollution parameters of the Anyang River (one of the biggest contributory branches of the Han River in Korea) and its main tributaries, the geological and topographical and rainfall features in its basin were investigated, and the resulting data were tabulated. Samples were collected at the upper, mid and down parts of the Anyang River and its branches and were analyzed based on biochemical and chemical methods, Korean biotic index (KBI) and Saprobien systems. Selected parameters of concern include BOD, heavy metals, nonpoint pollution and sewage discharge. The Anyang River basin has a torrential heavy rainfall; however, the rate of rainfall significantly varies from season to season. Water pollution levels in the dry season increase dramatically. The mainstream of the Anyang River is classified as fifth grade polysaprobic water according to Saprobien system. In addition, the biotic index is over 2.5 in overall. General pollution at the junction of the Anyang River and each branch stream varies. Possible countermeasures to improve the water quality of the river include intercept the non-treated waste water and sewage at the Anyang River junction and each branch stream, enforcement of water management during the rainy season, and continuous investment on environmental restoration.

Hydroponics Database and Handbook for the Advanced Life Support Test Bed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nash, Allen J.

1999-01-01

During the summer 1998, I did student assistance to Dr. Daniel J. Barta, chief plant growth expert at Johnson Space Center - NASA. We established the preliminary stages of a hydroponic crop growth database for the Advanced Life Support Systems Integration Test Bed, otherwise referred to as BIO-Plex (Biological Planetary Life Support Systems Test Complex). The database summarizes information from published technical papers by plant growth experts, and it includes bibliographical, environmental and harvest information based on plant growth under varying environmental conditions. I collected 84 lettuce entries, 14 soybean, 49 sweet potato, 16 wheat, 237 white potato, and 26 mix crop entries. The list will grow with the publication of new research. This database will be integrated with a search and systems analysis computer program that will cross-reference multiple parameters to determine optimum edible yield under varying parameters. Also, we have made preliminary effort to put together a crop handbook for BIO-Plex plant growth management. It will be a collection of information obtained from experts who provided recommendations on a particular crop's growing conditions. It includes bibliographic, environmental, nutrient solution, potential yield, harvest nutritional, and propagation procedure information. This handbook will stand as the baseline growth conditions for the first set of experiments in the BIO-Plex facility.

Performance and operational improvements made to the Waukesha AT27-GL engine

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

Reinbold, E.O.

1996-12-31

This paper presents the results of combustion and engine performance studies performed on the AT27GL lean burn engine. One study was to evaluate the effect of the pre-combustion chamber cup geometry on engine performance under several operating conditions including: Air-Fuel Ratio (AFR), ignition timing, and engine load. The study examined several combustion parameters; including IMEP, coefficient of variation of IMEP, heat release rates, and maximum combustion pressures. The study also examined engine thermal efficiency, and brake specific emissions of Oxides of Nitrogen, Carbon Monoxide, and Total Hydrocarbons (gaseous). Studies were also performed on different spark plug designs, comparing firing voltages,more » and electrode temperatures while operating under conditions of varying AFR, and ignition timing. In addition an Air-Fuel-Ratio controller was recently tested and released on the engine. The controller was tested under conditions of varying fuel quality, along with a detonation control system.« less

On-Line Identification of Simulation Examples for Forgetting Methods to Track Time Varying Parameters Using the Alternative Covariance Matrix in Matlab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vachálek, Ján

2011-12-01

The paper compares the abilities of forgetting methods to track time varying parameters of two different simulated models with different types of excitation. The observed parameters in the simulations are the integral sum of the Euclidean norm, deviation of the parameter estimates from their true values and a selected band prediction error count. As supplementary information, we observe the eigenvalues of the covariance matrix. In the paper we used a modified method of Regularized Exponential Forgetting with Alternative Covariance Matrix (REFACM) along with Directional Forgetting (DF) and three standard regularized methods.

Optimal estimation of parameters and states in stochastic time-varying systems with time delay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torkamani, Shahab; Butcher, Eric A.

2013-08-01

In this study estimation of parameters and states in stochastic linear and nonlinear delay differential systems with time-varying coefficients and constant delay is explored. The approach consists of first employing a continuous time approximation to approximate the stochastic delay differential equation with a set of stochastic ordinary differential equations. Then the problem of parameter estimation in the resulting stochastic differential system is represented as an optimal filtering problem using a state augmentation technique. By adapting the extended Kalman-Bucy filter to the resulting system, the unknown parameters of the time-delayed system are estimated from noise-corrupted, possibly incomplete measurements of the states.

The computation of dynamic fractional difference parameter for S&P500 index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, Tan Pei; Cheong, Chin Wen; Galagedera, Don U. A.

2015-10-01

This study evaluates the time-varying long memory behaviors of the S&P500 volatility index using dynamic fractional difference parameters. Time-varying fractional difference parameter shows the dynamic of long memory in volatility series for the pre and post subprime mortgage crisis triggered by U.S. The results find an increasing trend in the S&P500 long memory volatility for the pre-crisis period. However, the onset of Lehman Brothers event reduces the predictability of volatility series following by a slight fluctuation of the factional differencing parameters. After that, the U.S. financial market becomes more informationally efficient and follows a non-stationary random process.

Macromolecular refinement by model morphing using non-atomic parameterizations.

PubMed

Cowtan, Kevin; Agirre, Jon

2018-02-01

Refinement is a critical step in the determination of a model which explains the crystallographic observations and thus best accounts for the missing phase components. The scattering density is usually described in terms of atomic parameters; however, in macromolecular crystallography the resolution of the data is generally insufficient to determine the values of these parameters for individual atoms. Stereochemical and geometric restraints are used to provide additional information, but produce interrelationships between parameters which slow convergence, resulting in longer refinement times. An alternative approach is proposed in which parameters are not attached to atoms, but to regions of the electron-density map. These parameters can move the density or change the local temperature factor to better explain the structure factors. Varying the size of the region which determines the parameters at a particular position in the map allows the method to be applied at different resolutions without the use of restraints. Potential applications include initial refinement of molecular-replacement models with domain motions, and potentially the use of electron density from other sources such as electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) as the refinement model.

Sensor fault diagnosis of singular delayed LPV systems with inexact parameters: an uncertain system approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassanabadi, Amir Hossein; Shafiee, Masoud; Puig, Vicenc

2018-01-01

In this paper, sensor fault diagnosis of a singular delayed linear parameter varying (LPV) system is considered. In the considered system, the model matrices are dependent on some parameters which are real-time measurable. The case of inexact parameter measurements is considered which is close to real situations. Fault diagnosis in this system is achieved via fault estimation. For this purpose, an augmented system is created by including sensor faults as additional system states. Then, an unknown input observer (UIO) is designed which estimates both the system states and the faults in the presence of measurement noise, disturbances and uncertainty induced by inexact measured parameters. Error dynamics and the original system constitute an uncertain system due to inconsistencies between real and measured values of the parameters. Then, the robust estimation of the system states and the faults are achieved with H∞ performance and formulated with a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The designed UIO is also applicable for fault diagnosis of singular delayed LPV systems with unmeasurable scheduling variables. The efficiency of the proposed approach is illustrated with an example.

Analysis of the variation of range parameters of thermal cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bareła, Jarosław; Kastek, Mariusz; Firmanty, Krzysztof; Krupiński, Michał

2016-10-01

Measured range characteristics may vary considerably (up to several dozen percent) between different samples of the same camera type. The question is whether the manufacturing process somehow lacks repeatability or the commonly used measurement procedures themselves need improvement. The presented paper attempts to deal with the aforementioned question. The measurement method has been thoroughly analyzed as well as the measurement test bed. Camera components (such as detector and optics) have also been analyzed and their key parameters have been measured, including noise figures of the entire system. Laboratory measurements are the most precise method used to determine range parameters of a thermal camera. However, in order to obtain reliable results several important conditions have to be fulfilled. One must have the test equipment capable of measurement accuracy (uncertainty) significantly better than the magnitudes of measured quantities. The measurements must be performed in a controlled environment thus excluding the influence of varying environmental conditions. The personnel must be well-trained, experienced in testing the thermal imaging devices and familiar with the applied measurement procedures. The measurement data recorded for several dozen of cooled thermal cameras (from one of leading camera manufacturers) have been the basis of the presented analysis. The measurements were conducted in the accredited research laboratory of Institute of Optoelectronics (Military University of Technology).

[Mechanisms and applications of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in analgesia].

PubMed

Tang, Zheng-Yu; Wang, Hui-Quan; Xia, Xiao-Lei; Tang, Yi; Peng, Wei-Wei; Hu, Li

2017-06-25

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), as a non-pharmacological and non-invasive analgesic therapy with low-cost, has been widely used to relieve pain in various clinical applications, by delivering current pulses to the skin area to activate the peripheral nerve fibers. Nevertheless, analgesia induced by TENS varied in the clinical practice, which could be caused by the fact that TENS with different stimulus parameters has different biological mechanisms in relieving pain. Therefore, to advance our understanding of TENS in various basic and clinical studies, we discussed (1) neurophysiological and biochemical mechanisms of TENS-induced analgesia; (2) relevant factors that may influence analgesic effects of TENS from the perspectives of stimulus parameters, including stimulated position, pulse parameters (current intensity, frequency, and pulse width), stimulus duration and used times in each day; and (3) applications of TENS in relieving clinical pain, including post-operative pain, chronic low back pain and labor pain. Finally, we propose that TENS may involve multiple and complex psychological neurophysiological mechanisms, and suggest that different analgesic effects of TENS with different stimulus parameters should be taken into consideration in clinical applications. In addition, to optimize analgesic effect, we recommend that individual-based TENS stimulation parameters should be designed by considering individual differences among patients, e.g., adaptively adjusting the stimulation parameters based on the dynamic ratings of patients' pain.

Decorrelation Times of Photospheric Fields and Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welsch, B. T.; Kusano, K.; Yamamoto, T. T.; Muglach, K.

2012-01-01

We use autocorrelation to investigate evolution in flow fields inferred by applying Fourier Local Correlation Tracking (FLCT) to a sequence of high-resolution (0.3 "), high-cadence (approx = 2 min) line-of-sight magnetograms of NOAA active region (AR) 10930 recorded by the Narrowband Filter Imager (NFI) of the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) aboard the Hinode satellite over 12 - 13 December 2006. To baseline the timescales of flow evolution, we also autocorrelated the magnetograms, at several spatial binnings, to characterize the lifetimes of active region magnetic structures versus spatial scale. Autocorrelation of flow maps can be used to optimize tracking parameters, to understand tracking algorithms f susceptibility to noise, and to estimate flow lifetimes. Tracking parameters varied include: time interval Delta t between magnetogram pairs tracked, spatial binning applied to the magnetograms, and windowing parameter sigma used in FLCT. Flow structures vary over a range of spatial and temporal scales (including unresolved scales), so tracked flows represent a local average of the flow over a particular range of space and time. We define flow lifetime to be the flow decorrelation time, tau . For Delta t > tau, tracking results represent the average velocity over one or more flow lifetimes. We analyze lifetimes of flow components, divergences, and curls as functions of magnetic field strength and spatial scale. We find a significant trend of increasing lifetimes of flow components, divergences, and curls with field strength, consistent with Lorentz forces partially governing flows in the active photosphere, as well as strong trends of increasing flow lifetime and decreasing magnitudes with increases in both spatial scale and Delta t.

Flutter analysis of swept-wing subsonic aircraft with parameter studies of composite wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Housner, J. M.; Stein, M.

1974-01-01

A computer program is presented for the flutter analysis, including the effects of rigid-body roll, pitch, and plunge of swept-wing subsonic aircraft with a flexible fuselage and engines mounted on flexible pylons. The program utilizes a direct flutter solution in which the flutter determinant is derived by using finite differences, and the root locus branches of the determinant are searched for the lowest flutter speed. In addition, a preprocessing subroutine is included which evaluates the variable bending and twisting stiffness properties of the wing by using a laminated, balanced ply, filamentary composite plate theory. The program has been substantiated by comparisons with existing flutter solutions. The program has been applied to parameter studies which examine the effect of filament orientation upon the flutter behavior of wings belonging to the following three classes: wings having different angles of sweep, wings having different mass ratios, and wings having variable skin thicknesses. These studies demonstrated that the program can perform a complete parameter study in one computer run. The program is designed to detect abrupt changes in the lowest flutter speed and mode shape as the parameters are varied.

On the effect of model parameters on forecast objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzban, Caren; Jones, Corinne; Li, Ning; Sandgathe, Scott

2018-04-01

Many physics-based numerical models produce a gridded, spatial field of forecasts, e.g., a temperature map. The field for some quantities generally consists of spatially coherent and disconnected objects. Such objects arise in many problems, including precipitation forecasts in atmospheric models, eddy currents in ocean models, and models of forest fires. Certain features of these objects (e.g., location, size, intensity, and shape) are generally of interest. Here, a methodology is developed for assessing the impact of model parameters on the features of forecast objects. The main ingredients of the methodology include the use of (1) Latin hypercube sampling for varying the values of the model parameters, (2) statistical clustering algorithms for identifying objects, (3) multivariate multiple regression for assessing the impact of multiple model parameters on the distribution (across the forecast domain) of object features, and (4) methods for reducing the number of hypothesis tests and controlling the resulting errors. The final output of the methodology is a series of box plots and confidence intervals that visually display the sensitivities. The methodology is demonstrated on precipitation forecasts from a mesoscale numerical weather prediction model.

Fabrication and Performance of Large Format Transition Edge Sensor Microcalorimeter Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chervenak, James A.; Adams, James S.; Bandler, Simon R.; Busch, Sara E.; Eckart, M. E.; Ewin, A. E.; Finkbeiner, F. M.; Kilbourne, C. A.; Kelley, R. L.; Porst, Jan-Patrick;

Source Parameters and High Frequency Characteristics of Local Events (0.5 ≤ M L ≤ 2.9) Around Bilaspur Region of the Himachal Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vandana; Kumar, Ashwani; Gupta, S. C.; Mishra, O. P.; Kumar, Arjun; Sandeep

2017-04-01

Source parameters of 41 local events (0.5 ≤ M L ≤ 2.9) occurred around Bilaspur region of the Himachal Lesser Himalaya from May 2013 to March 2014 have been estimated adopting Brune model. The estimated source parameters include seismic moments ( M o), source radii ( r), and stress drops (Δ σ), and found to vary from 4.9 × 1019 to 7 × 1021 dyne-cm, about 187-518 m and less than 1 bar to 51 bars, respectively. The decay of high frequency acceleration spectra at frequencies above f max has been modelled using two functions: a high-cut filter and κ factor. Stress drops of 11 events, with M 0 between 1 × 1021 and 7 × 1021 dyne-cm, vary from 11 bars to 51 bars with an average of 22 bars. From the variation of the maximum stress drop with focal depth it appears that the strength of the upper crust decreases below 20 km. A scaling law M 0 = 2 × 1022 f c -3.03 between M 0, and corner frequency (f c), has been developed for the region. This law almost agrees with that for the Kameng region of the Arunachal Lesser Himalaya. f c is found to be source dependent whereas f max is source independent and seems to indicate that the size of the cohesive zone is not sensitive to the earthquake size. At four sites f max is found to vary from 14 to 23, 11 to 19, 9 to 23 and 4 to 11 Hz, respectively. The κ is found to vary from 0.01 to 0.035 s with an average of 0.02 s. This range of variation is a large compared to the κ variation between 0.023 and 0.07 s for the Garhwal and Kumaon Himalaya. For various regions of the world, the κ varies over a broad range from 0.003 to 0.08 s, and for the Bilaspur region the κ estimates are found to be consistent with other regions of the world.

Probing kinematics and fate of the Universe with linearly time-varying deceleration parameter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akarsu, Özgür; Dereli, Tekin; Kumar, Suresh; Xu, Lixin

2014-02-01

The parametrizations q = q 0+ q 1 z and q = q 0+ q 1(1 - a/ a 0) (Chevallier-Polarski-Linder parametrization) of the deceleration parameter, which are linear in cosmic redshift z and scale factor a , have been frequently utilized in the literature to study the kinematics of the Universe. In this paper, we follow a strategy that leads to these two well-known parametrizations of the deceleration parameter as well as an additional new parametrization, q = q 0+ q 1(1 - t/ t 0), which is linear in cosmic time t. We study the features of this linearly time-varying deceleration parameter in contrast with the other two linear parametrizations. We investigate in detail the kinematics of the Universe by confronting the three models with the latest observational data. We further study the dynamics of the Universe by considering the linearly time-varying deceleration parameter model in comparison with the standard ΛCDM model. We also discuss the future of the Universe in the context of the models under consideration.

Forecasts of non-Gaussian parameter spaces using Box-Cox transformations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joachimi, B.; Taylor, A. N.

2011-09-01

Forecasts of statistical constraints on model parameters using the Fisher matrix abound in many fields of astrophysics. The Fisher matrix formalism involves the assumption of Gaussianity in parameter space and hence fails to predict complex features of posterior probability distributions. Combining the standard Fisher matrix with Box-Cox transformations, we propose a novel method that accurately predicts arbitrary posterior shapes. The Box-Cox transformations are applied to parameter space to render it approximately multivariate Gaussian, performing the Fisher matrix calculation on the transformed parameters. We demonstrate that, after the Box-Cox parameters have been determined from an initial likelihood evaluation, the method correctly predicts changes in the posterior when varying various parameters of the experimental setup and the data analysis, with marginally higher computational cost than a standard Fisher matrix calculation. We apply the Box-Cox-Fisher formalism to forecast cosmological parameter constraints by future weak gravitational lensing surveys. The characteristic non-linear degeneracy between matter density parameter and normalization of matter density fluctuations is reproduced for several cases, and the capabilities of breaking this degeneracy by weak-lensing three-point statistics is investigated. Possible applications of Box-Cox transformations of posterior distributions are discussed, including the prospects for performing statistical data analysis steps in the transformed Gaussianized parameter space.

Possibility of controlling nonregulated prices in the electricity market by means of varying the parameters of a power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaskovskaya, T. A.

2014-12-01

This paper offers a new approach to the analysis of price signals from the wholesale electricity and capacity market that is based on the analysis of the influence exerted by input data used in the problem of optimization of the power system operating conditions, namely: parameters of a power grid and power-receiving equipment that might vary under the effect of control devices. It is shown that it would be possible to control nonregulated prices for electricity in the wholesale electricity market by varying the parameters of control devices and energy-receiving equipment. An increase in the effectiveness of power transmission and the cost-effective use of fuel-and-energy resources (energy saving) can become an additional effect of controlling the nonregulated prices.

Distributed activation energy model parameters of some Turkish coals

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

Gunes, M.; Gunes, S.K.

2008-07-01

A multi-reaction model based on distributed activation energy has been applied to some Turkish coals. The kinetic parameters of distributed activation energy model were calculated via computer program developed for this purpose. It was observed that the values of mean of activation energy distribution vary between 218 and 248 kJ/mol, and the values of standard deviation of activation energy distribution vary between 32 and 70 kJ/mol. The correlations between kinetic parameters of the distributed activation energy model and certain properties of coal have been investigated.

The system controlling the composition of clastic sediments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnsson, Mark J.

1993-01-01

The composition of clastic sediments and rocks is controlled by a complex suite of parameters operating during pedogenesis, erosion, transport, deposition, and burial. The principal first-order parameters include source rock composition, modification by chemical weathering, mechanical disaggregation and abrasion, authigenic inputs, hydrodynamic sorting, and diagenesis. Each of these first-order parameters is influenced to varying degrees by such factors as the tectonic settings of the source region, transportational system and depositional environment, climate, vegetation, relief, slope, and the nature and energy of transportational and depositional systems. These factors are not independent; rather a complicated web of interrelationships and feedback mechanisms causes many factors to be modulated by others. Accordingly, processes controlling the composition of clastic sediments are best viewed as constituting a system, and in evaluating compositional information the dynamics of the system must be considered as whole.

Impact of Contact Lens Material, Design, and Fitting on Discomfort.

PubMed

Stapleton, Fiona; Tan, Jacqueline

2017-01-01

To review the effect of contact lens (CL) material, design, and fitting characteristics on CL discomfort. A PubMed search identified publications describing subjective comfort and CL material, fitting, and design parameters. The review included clinical signs associated with discomfort that may be a consequence of these parameters. Reduced lens movement or more CL tightness were associated with improved comfort. Increased lens-induced paralimbal conjunctival staining and indentation, considered as quasi-indicators of CL fitting or edge design, were also associated with better comfort. No recent studies have evaluated varying CL design parameters and subjective comfort. Silicone hydrogel CLs are no different in comfort compared with hydrogel CLs. Lower equilibrium water content is associated with improved comfort in hydrogel CL wear. Coefficient of friction shows promise as a material factor potentially associated with comfort. Lid wiper epitheliopathy and lid-parallel conjunctival folds have been linked with comfort in established wearers. Recent studies have confirmed the association between more mobile CLs and more discomfort, whereas closer conformity of the CL to the bulbar conjunctiva improved subjective comfort. There is no evidence to support the perceived comfort difference between silicone hydrogel and hydrogel CL. There has been limited progress in understanding the impact of varying specific CL design parameters. Although specific clinical signs may be predictive of discomfort, their role in the natural history of discomfort remains unclear. A better understanding of the relationship between coefficient of friction and comfort and strategies to improve lubricity may hold promise for limiting CL discomfort.

CEOS Land Surface Imaging Constellation Mid-Resolution Optical Guidelines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keyes, Jennifer P.; Killough, B.

2011-01-01

The LSI community of users is large and varied. To reach all these users as well as potential instrument contributors this document has been organized by measurement parameters of interest such as Leaf Area Index and Land Surface Temperature. These measurement parameters and the data presented in this document are drawn from multiple sources, listed at the end of the document, although the two primary ones are "The Space-Based Global Observing System in 2010 (GOS-2010)" that was compiled for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) by Bizzarro Bizzarri, and the CEOS Missions, Instruments, and Measurements online database (CEOS MIM). For each measurement parameter the following topics will be discussed: (1) measurement description, (2) applications, (3) measurement spectral bands, and (4) example instruments and mission information. The description of each measurement parameter starts with a definition and includes a graphic displaying the relationships to four general land surface imaging user communities: vegetation, water, earth, and geo-hazards, since the LSI community of users is large and varied. The vegetation community uses LSI data to assess factors related to topics such as agriculture, forest management, crop type, chlorophyll, vegetation land cover, and leaf or canopy differences. The water community analyzes snow and lake cover, water properties such as clarity, and body of water delineation. The earth community focuses on minerals, soils, and sediments. The geo-hazards community is designed to address and aid in emergencies such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires, and large-scale damaging weather-related events.

Genetic Algorithm-Guided, Adaptive Model Order Reduction of Flexible Aircrafts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhu, Jin; Wang, Yi; Pant, Kapil; Suh, Peter; Brenner, Martin J.

2017-01-01

This paper presents a methodology for automated model order reduction (MOR) of flexible aircrafts to construct linear parameter-varying (LPV) reduced order models (ROM) for aeroservoelasticity (ASE) analysis and control synthesis in broad flight parameter space. The novelty includes utilization of genetic algorithms (GAs) to automatically determine the states for reduction while minimizing the trial-and-error process and heuristics requirement to perform MOR; balanced truncation for unstable systems to achieve locally optimal realization of the full model; congruence transformation for "weak" fulfillment of state consistency across the entire flight parameter space; and ROM interpolation based on adaptive grid refinement to generate a globally functional LPV ASE ROM. The methodology is applied to the X-56A MUTT model currently being tested at NASA/AFRC for flutter suppression and gust load alleviation. Our studies indicate that X-56A ROM with less than one-seventh the number of states relative to the original model is able to accurately predict system response among all input-output channels for pitch, roll, and ASE control at various flight conditions. The GA-guided approach exceeds manual and empirical state selection in terms of efficiency and accuracy. The adaptive refinement allows selective addition of the grid points in the parameter space where flight dynamics varies dramatically to enhance interpolation accuracy without over-burdening controller synthesis and onboard memory efforts downstream. The present MOR framework can be used by control engineers for robust ASE controller synthesis and novel vehicle design.

A Monte-Carlo Analysis of Organic Volatility with Aerosol Microphysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Chloe; Tsigaridis, Kostas; Bauer, Susanne E.

2017-04-01

A newly developed box model, MATRIX-VBS, includes the volatility-basis set (VBS) framework in an aerosol microphysical scheme MATRIX (Multiconfiguration Aerosol TRacker of mIXing state), which resolves aerosol mass and number concentrations and aerosol mixing state. The new scheme advanced the representation of organic aerosols in models by improving the traditional and simplistic treatment of organic aerosols as non-volatile and with a fixed size distribution. Further development includes adding the condensation of organics on coarse mode aerosols - dust and sea salt, thus making all organics in the system semi-volatile. To test and simplify the model, a Monte-Carlo analysis is performed to pin point which processes affect organics the most under varied chemical and meteorological conditions. Since the model's parameterizations have the ability to capture a very wide range of conditions, all possible scenarios on Earth across the whole parameter space, including temperature, humidity, location, emissions and oxidant levels, are examined. The Monte-Carlo simulations provide quantitative information on the sensitivity of the newly developed model and help us understand how organics are affecting the size distribution, mixing state and volatility distribution at varying levels of meteorological conditions and pollution levels. In addition, these simulations give information on which parameters play a critical role in the aerosol distribution and evolution in the atmosphere and which do not, that will facilitate the simplification of the box model, an important step in its implementation in the global model GISS ModelE as a module.

Formation of Large-Amplitude Wave Groups in an Experimental Model Basin

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-01

varying parameters, including amplitude, frequency, and signal duration. Superposition of thes finite regular waves produced repeatable wave groups at a...19 Regular Waves 20 Irregular Waves 21 Senix Wave Gages 21 GLRP 23 Instrumentation Calibration and Uncertainty 26 Senix Ultrasonic Wave Gages... signal output from sine wave superposition, two sine waves combined: x] + x2 (top) and x3 + x4 (middle), all four waves (x, + x2 + x, + xA

A combinaison of UV curing technology with ATL process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balbzioui, I.; Hasiaoui, B.; Barbier, G.; L'hostis, G.; Laurent, F.; Ibrahim, A.; Durand, B.

2017-10-01

In order to reduce the time and the cost of manufacturing composite, UV curing technology combined with automated tape placement process (ATL) based on reverse approach by working with a fixed head was studied in this article. First, a brief description of the developed head placement is presented. Mechanical properties are then evaluated by varying process parameters, including compaction force and tape placement speed. Finally, a parametric study is carried out to identify suitable materials and process parameters to manufacture a photo composite material with high mechanical performances. The obtained results show that UV curing is a very good alternative for thermal polymerization because of its fast cure speed due to less dependency on temperature.

Effect of Weld Tool Geometry on Friction Stir Welded AA2219-T87 Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Querin, Joseph A.; Schneider, Judy A.

2008-01-01

In this study, flat panels of AA2219-T87 were friction stir welded (FSWed) using weld tools with tapered pins The three pin geometries of the weld tools included: 0 (straight cylinder), 30 , and 60 angles on the frustum. For each weld tool geometry, the FSW process parameters were optimized to eliminate defects. A constant heat input was maintained while varying the process parameters of spindle rpm and travel speed. This provided a constant heat input for each FSW weld panel while altering the hot working conditions imparted to the workpiece. The resulting mechanical properties were evaluated from tensile test results of the FSW joint.

Stability of neutrino parameters and self-complementarity relation with varying SUSY breaking scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, K. Sashikanta; Roy, Subhankar; Singh, N. Nimai

2018-03-01

The scale at which supersymmetry (SUSY) breaks (ms) is still unknown. The present article, following a top-down approach, endeavors to study the effect of varying ms on the radiative stability of the observational parameters associated with the neutrino mixing. These parameters get additional contributions in the minimal supersymmetric model (MSSM). A variation in ms will influence the bounds for which the Standard Model (SM) and MSSM work and hence, will account for the different radiative contributions received from both sectors, respectively, while running the renormalization group equations (RGE). The present work establishes the invariance of the self complementarity relation among the three mixing angles, θ13+θ12≈θ23 against the radiative evolution. A similar result concerning the mass ratio, m2:m1 is also found to be valid. In addition to varying ms, the work incorporates a range of different seesaw (SS) scales and tries to see how the latter affects the parameters.

High-resolution time-frequency representation of EEG data using multi-scale wavelets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yang; Cui, Wei-Gang; Luo, Mei-Lin; Li, Ke; Wang, Lina

2017-09-01

An efficient time-varying autoregressive (TVAR) modelling scheme that expands the time-varying parameters onto the multi-scale wavelet basis functions is presented for modelling nonstationary signals and with applications to time-frequency analysis (TFA) of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. In the new parametric modelling framework, the time-dependent parameters of the TVAR model are locally represented by using a novel multi-scale wavelet decomposition scheme, which can allow the capability to capture the smooth trends as well as track the abrupt changes of time-varying parameters simultaneously. A forward orthogonal least square (FOLS) algorithm aided by mutual information criteria are then applied for sparse model term selection and parameter estimation. Two simulation examples illustrate that the performance of the proposed multi-scale wavelet basis functions outperforms the only single-scale wavelet basis functions or Kalman filter algorithm for many nonstationary processes. Furthermore, an application of the proposed method to a real EEG signal demonstrates the new approach can provide highly time-dependent spectral resolution capability.

SU-E-J-219: Quantitative Evaluation of Motion Effects On Accuracy of Image-Guided Radiotherapy with Fiducial Markers Using CT Imaging

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

Ali, I; Oyewale, S; Ahmad, S

2014-06-01

Purpose: To investigate quantitatively patient motion effects on the localization accuracy of image-guided radiation with fiducial markers using axial CT (ACT), helical CT (HCT) and cone-beam CT (CBCT) using modeling and experimental phantom studies. Methods: Markers with different lengths (2.5 mm, 5 mm, 10 mm, and 20 mm) were inserted in a mobile thorax phantom which was imaged using ACT, HCT and CBCT. The phantom moved with sinusoidal motion with amplitudes ranging 0–20 mm and a frequency of 15 cycles-per-minute. Three parameters that include: apparent marker lengths, center position and distance between the centers of the markers were measured inmore » the different CT images of the mobile phantom. A motion mathematical model was derived to predict the variations in the previous three parameters and their dependence on the motion in the different imaging modalities. Results: In CBCT, the measured marker lengths increased linearly with increase in motion amplitude. For example, the apparent length of the 10 mm marker was about 20 mm when phantom moved with amplitude of 5 mm. Although the markers have elongated, the center position and the distance between markers remained at the same position for different motion amplitudes in CBCT. These parameters were not affected by motion frequency and phase in CBCT. In HCT and ACT, the measured marker length, center and distance between markers varied irregularly with motion parameters. The apparent lengths of the markers varied with inverse of the phantom velocity which depends on motion frequency and phase. Similarly the center position and distance between markers varied inversely with phantom speed. Conclusion: Motion may lead to variations in maker length, center position and distance between markers using CT imaging. These effects should be considered in patient setup using image-guided radiation therapy based on fiducial markers matching using 2D-radiographs or volumetric CT imaging.« less

Dynamic adjustment of echolocation pulse structure of big-footed myotis (Myotis macrodactylus) in response to different habitats.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Luo, Jinhong; Wang, Hongna; Ou, Wei; Jiang, Tinglei; Liu, Ying; Lyle, Dennis; Feng, Jiang

2014-02-01

Studying relationships between characteristics of sonar pulses and habitat clutter level is important for the understanding of signal design in bat echolocation. However, most studies have focused on overall spectral and temporal parameters of such vocalizations, with focus less on potential variation in frequency modulation rates (MRs) occurring within each pulse. In the current study, frequency modulation (FM) characteristics were examined in echolocation pulses recorded from big-footed myotis (Myotis macrodactylus) bats as these animals searched for prey in five habitats differing in relative clutter level. Pulses were analyzed using ten parameters, including four structure-related characters which were derived by dividing each pulse into three elements based on two knees in the FM sweep. Results showed that overall frequency, pulse duration, and MR all varied across habitat. The strongest effects were found for MR in the body of the pulse, implying that this particular component plays a major role as M. macrodactylus, and potentially other bat species, adjust to varying clutter levels in their foraging habitats.

Non-stationary noise estimation using dictionary learning and Gaussian mixture models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, James M.; Rockmore, Daniel N.; Wang, Yang

2014-02-01

Stationarity of the noise distribution is a common assumption in image processing. This assumption greatly simplifies denoising estimators and other model parameters and consequently assuming stationarity is often a matter of convenience rather than an accurate model of noise characteristics. The problematic nature of this assumption is exacerbated in real-world contexts, where noise is often highly non-stationary and can possess time- and space-varying characteristics. Regardless of model complexity, estimating the parameters of noise dis- tributions in digital images is a difficult task, and estimates are often based on heuristic assumptions. Recently, sparse Bayesian dictionary learning methods were shown to produce accurate estimates of the level of additive white Gaussian noise in images with minimal assumptions. We show that a similar model is capable of accu- rately modeling certain kinds of non-stationary noise processes, allowing for space-varying noise in images to be estimated, detected, and removed. We apply this modeling concept to several types of non-stationary noise and demonstrate the model's effectiveness on real-world problems, including denoising and segmentation of images according to noise characteristics, which has applications in image forensics.

Improved performance of anodic titanium oxide nanotube arrays synthesized by sonoelectrochemical anodization method for dye-sensitized solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peighambardoust, Naeimeh-Sadat; Khameneh-Asl, Shahin; Azimi, Hamid

2017-05-01

With rising demand for using solar cell systems for energy and environmental applications, considerable interest in anode materials of these cells has dramatically emerged. In this work, TiO2 nanotubular electrodes of varying thicknesses as anode were fabricated using effective process in a short time by sonoelectrochemical anodizing of Ti using an organic electrolyte, containing Na2[H2EDTA]. Long TiO2 nanotubes about 30-40 μm thick containing ordered hexagonal TiO2 were achieved through manipulating anodization parameters. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with different TiO2 electrode morphologies of varying thicknesses were compared to DSSCs based on TiO2 Nanoparticle electrodes. The effect of controlling parameters of the sonoelectrochemical process including surface preparation and anodizing time was investigated. This report brings to attention the desirable properties of the structurally oriented TiO2 for dye-sensitized solar cell applications. It found that the best cell performance was achieved about 3.14% in the case of using TiO2 NT layers that were treated by TiCl4 treatment.

Non-linear dynamic analysis of geared systems, part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Rajendra; Houser, Donald R.; Kahraman, Ahmet

1990-01-01

A good understanding of the steady state dynamic behavior of a geared system is required in order to design reliable and quiet transmissions. This study focuses on a system containing a spur gear pair with backlash and periodically time-varying mesh stiffness, and rolling element bearings with clearance type non-linearities. A dynamic finite element model of the linear time-invariant (LTI) system is developed. Effects of several system parameters, such as torsional and transverse flexibilities of the shafts and prime mover/load inertias, on free and force vibration characteristics are investigated. Several reduced order LTI models are developed and validated by comparing their eigen solution with the finite element model results. Several key system parameters such as mean load and damping ratio are identified and their effects on the non-linear frequency response are evaluated quantitatively. Other fundamental issues such as the dynamic coupling between non-linear modes, dynamic interactions between component non-linearities and time-varying mesh stiffness, and the existence of subharmonic and chaotic solutions including routes to chaos have also been examined in depth.

Data pieces-based parameter identification for lithium-ion battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Wei; Zou, Yuan; Sun, Fengchun; Hu, Xiaosong; Yu, Yang; Feng, Sen

2016-10-01

Battery characteristics vary with temperature and aging, it is necessary to identify battery parameters periodically for electric vehicles to ensure reliable State-of-Charge (SoC) estimation, battery equalization and safe operation. Aiming for on-board applications, this paper proposes a data pieces-based parameter identification (DPPI) method to identify comprehensive battery parameters including capacity, OCV (open circuit voltage)-Ah relationship and impedance-Ah relationship simultaneously only based on battery operation data. First a vehicle field test was conducted and battery operation data was recorded, then the DPPI method is elaborated based on vehicle test data, parameters of all 97 cells of the battery package are identified and compared. To evaluate the adaptability of the proposed DPPI method, it is used to identify battery parameters of different aging levels and different temperatures based on battery aging experiment data. Then a concept of ;OCV-Ah aging database; is proposed, based on which battery capacity can be identified even though the battery was never fully charged or discharged. Finally, to further examine the effectiveness of the identified battery parameters, they are used to perform SoC estimation for the test vehicle with adaptive extended Kalman filter (AEKF). The result shows good accuracy and reliability.

Experimental application of simulation tools for evaluating UAV video change detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saur, Günter; Bartelsen, Jan

2015-10-01

Change detection is one of the most important tasks when unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are used for video reconnaissance and surveillance. In this paper, we address changes on short time scale, i.e. the observations are taken within time distances of a few hours. Each observation is a short video sequence corresponding to the near-nadir overflight of the UAV above the interesting area and the relevant changes are e.g. recently added or removed objects. The change detection algorithm has to distinguish between relevant and non-relevant changes. Examples for non-relevant changes are versatile objects like trees and compression or transmission artifacts. To enable the usage of an automatic change detection within an interactive workflow of an UAV video exploitation system, an evaluation and assessment procedure has to be performed. Large video data sets which contain many relevant objects with varying scene background and altering influence parameters (e.g. image quality, sensor and flight parameters) including image metadata and ground truth data are necessary for a comprehensive evaluation. Since the acquisition of real video data is limited by cost and time constraints, from our point of view, the generation of synthetic data by simulation tools has to be considered. In this paper the processing chain of Saur et al. (2014) [1] and the interactive workflow for video change detection is described. We have selected the commercial simulation environment Virtual Battle Space 3 (VBS3) to generate synthetic data. For an experimental setup, an example scenario "road monitoring" has been defined and several video clips have been produced with varying flight and sensor parameters and varying objects in the scene. Image registration and change mask extraction, both components of the processing chain, are applied to corresponding frames of different video clips. For the selected examples, the images could be registered, the modelled changes could be extracted and the artifacts of the image rendering considered as noise (slight differences of heading angles, disparity of vegetation, 3D parallax) could be suppressed. We conclude that these image data could be considered to be realistic enough to serve as evaluation data for the selected processing components. Future work will extend the evaluation to other influence parameters and may include the human operator for mission planning and sensor control.

Asymptotically exact parabolic solutions of the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation with varying parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruglov, Vladimir I.; Harvey, John D.

2006-12-01

We present exact asymptotic similariton solutions of the generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE) with gain or loss terms for a normal-dispersion fiber amplifier with dispersion, nonlinearity, and gain profiles that depend on the propagation distance. Our treatment is based on the mapping of the NLSE with varying parameters to the NLSE with constant dispersion and nonlinearity coefficients and an arbitrary varying gain function. We formulate an effective procedure that leads directly, under appropriate conditions, to a wide range of exact asymptotic similariton solutions of NLSE demonstrating self-similar propagating regimes with linear chirp.

A linear parameter-varying multiobjective control law design based on youla parametrization for a flexible blended wing body aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demourant, F.; Ferreres, G.

2013-12-01

This article presents a methodology for a linear parameter-varying (LPV) multiobjective flight control law design for a blended wing body (BWB) aircraft and results. So, the method is a direct design of a parametrized control law (with respect to some measured flight parameters) through a multimodel convex design to optimize a set of specifications on the full-flight domain and different mass cases. The methodology is based on the Youla parameterization which is very useful since closed loop specifications are affine with respect to Youla parameter. The LPV multiobjective design method is detailed and applied to the BWB flexible aircraft example.

Error propagation of partial least squares for parameters optimization in NIR modeling.

PubMed

Du, Chenzhao; Dai, Shengyun; Qiao, Yanjiang; Wu, Zhisheng

2018-03-05

A novel methodology is proposed to determine the error propagation of partial least-square (PLS) for parameters optimization in near-infrared (NIR) modeling. The parameters include spectral pretreatment, latent variables and variable selection. In this paper, an open source dataset (corn) and a complicated dataset (Gardenia) were used to establish PLS models under different modeling parameters. And error propagation of modeling parameters for water quantity in corn and geniposide quantity in Gardenia were presented by both type І and type II error. For example, when variable importance in the projection (VIP), interval partial least square (iPLS) and backward interval partial least square (BiPLS) variable selection algorithms were used for geniposide in Gardenia, compared with synergy interval partial least squares (SiPLS), the error weight varied from 5% to 65%, 55% and 15%. The results demonstrated how and what extent the different modeling parameters affect error propagation of PLS for parameters optimization in NIR modeling. The larger the error weight, the worse the model. Finally, our trials finished a powerful process in developing robust PLS models for corn and Gardenia under the optimal modeling parameters. Furthermore, it could provide a significant guidance for the selection of modeling parameters of other multivariate calibration models. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Error propagation of partial least squares for parameters optimization in NIR modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Chenzhao; Dai, Shengyun; Qiao, Yanjiang; Wu, Zhisheng

2018-03-01

A novel methodology is proposed to determine the error propagation of partial least-square (PLS) for parameters optimization in near-infrared (NIR) modeling. The parameters include spectral pretreatment, latent variables and variable selection. In this paper, an open source dataset (corn) and a complicated dataset (Gardenia) were used to establish PLS models under different modeling parameters. And error propagation of modeling parameters for water quantity in corn and geniposide quantity in Gardenia were presented by both type І and type II error. For example, when variable importance in the projection (VIP), interval partial least square (iPLS) and backward interval partial least square (BiPLS) variable selection algorithms were used for geniposide in Gardenia, compared with synergy interval partial least squares (SiPLS), the error weight varied from 5% to 65%, 55% and 15%. The results demonstrated how and what extent the different modeling parameters affect error propagation of PLS for parameters optimization in NIR modeling. The larger the error weight, the worse the model. Finally, our trials finished a powerful process in developing robust PLS models for corn and Gardenia under the optimal modeling parameters. Furthermore, it could provide a significant guidance for the selection of modeling parameters of other multivariate calibration models.

Performance characterization of a Bosch CO sub 2 reduction subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heppner, D. B.; Hallick, T. M.; Schubert, F. H.

1980-01-01

The performance of Bosch hardware at the subsystem level (up to five-person capacity) in terms of five operating parameters was investigated. The five parameters were: (1) reactor temperature, (2) recycle loop mass flow rate, (3) recycle loop gas composition (percent hydrogen), (4) recycle loop dew point and (5) catalyst density. Experiments were designed and conducted in which the five operating parameters were varied and Bosch performance recorded. A total of 12 carbon collection cartridges provided over approximately 250 hours of operating time. Generally, one cartridge was used for each parameter that was varied. The Bosch hardware was found to perform reliably and reproducibly. No startup, reaction initiation or carbon containment problems were observed. Optimum performance points/ranges were identified for the five parameters investigated. The performance curves agreed with theoretical projections.

The predictive consequences of parameterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, J.; Hughes, J. D.; Doherty, J. E.

2013-12-01

In numerical groundwater modeling, parameterization is the process of selecting the aspects of a computer model that will be allowed to vary during history matching. This selection process is dependent on professional judgment and is, therefore, inherently subjective. Ideally, a robust parameterization should be commensurate with the spatial and temporal resolution of the model and should include all uncertain aspects of the model. Limited computing resources typically require reducing the number of adjustable parameters so that only a subset of the uncertain model aspects are treated as estimable parameters; the remaining aspects are treated as fixed parameters during history matching. We use linear subspace theory to develop expressions for the predictive error incurred by fixing parameters. The predictive error is comprised of two terms. The first term arises directly from the sensitivity of a prediction to fixed parameters. The second term arises from prediction-sensitive adjustable parameters that are forced to compensate for fixed parameters during history matching. The compensation is accompanied by inappropriate adjustment of otherwise uninformed, null-space parameter components. Unwarranted adjustment of null-space components away from prior maximum likelihood values may produce bias if a prediction is sensitive to those components. The potential for subjective parameterization choices to corrupt predictions is examined using a synthetic model. Several strategies are evaluated, including use of piecewise constant zones, use of pilot points with Tikhonov regularization and use of the Karhunen-Loeve transformation. The best choice of parameterization (as defined by minimum error variance) is strongly dependent on the types of predictions to be made by the model.

Incorporating Nonstationarity into IDF Curves across CONUS from Station Records and Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, K.; Lettenmaier, D. P.

2017-12-01

Intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves are widely used for engineering design of storm-affected structures. Current practice is that IDF-curves are based on observed precipitation extremes fit to a stationary probability distribution (e.g., the extreme value family). However, there is increasing evidence of nonstationarity in station records. We apply the Mann-Kendall trend test to over 1000 stations across the CONUS at a 0.05 significance level, and find that about 30% of stations test have significant nonstationarity for at least one duration (1-, 2-, 3-, 6-, 12-, 24-, and 48-hours). We fit the stations to a GEV distribution with time-varying location and scale parameters using a Bayesian- methodology and compare the fit of stationary versus nonstationary GEV distributions to observed precipitation extremes. Within our fitted nonstationary GEV distributions, we compare distributions with a time-varying location parameter versus distributions with both time-varying location and scale parameters. For distributions with two time-varying parameters, we pay particular attention to instances where location and scale trends have opposing directions. Finally, we use the mathematical framework based on work of Koutsoyiannis to generate IDF curves based on the fitted GEV distributions and discuss the implications that using time-varying parameters may have on simple scaling relationships. We apply the above methods to evaluate how frequency statistics based on a stationary assumption compare to those that incorporate nonstationarity for both short and long term projects. Overall, we find that neglecting nonstationarity can lead to under- or over-estimates (depending on the trend for the given duration and region) of important statistics such as the design storm.

Photometry, polarimetry, spectroscopy, and spectropolarimetry of the enigmatic Wolf-Rayet star EZ Canis Majoris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robert, Carmelle; Moffat, Anthony F. J.; Drissen, Laurent; Lamontagne, Robert; Seggewiss, Wilhelm; Niemela, Virpi S.; Cerruti, Miguel A.; Barrett, Paul; Bailey, Jeremy; Garcia, Jorge

1992-01-01

New observations of the peculiar Wolf-Rayet star EZ Canis Majoris collected since 1987 are presented, and photometric, polarimetric, spectroscopic, and spectropolarimetric data are discussed. Linear polarization data are well fitted with an eccentric binary model where an additional free parameter is included to allow for epoch-dependent changes of the geometrical electron distribution in the W-R envelope. This yields a set of basic parameters, including an eccentricity e = 0.39 +/- 0.02 and an orbital inclination i = 114 deg +/- 3 deg. The spectroscopic data show global profile variations for all three observed strong emission lines He II 5412 A, C IV 5807 A, and He I 5876 A. Radial velocities of the lines vary with the 3.766-day period. Radially expanding inhomogeneities are superposed on the line profiles and variable polarization in the lines is observed.

Titanium-doped sapphire laser research and design study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moulton, Peter F.

1987-01-01

Three main topics were considered in this study: the fundamental laser parameters of titanium-doped sapphire, characterization of commercially grown material, and design of a tunable, narrow-linewidth laser. Fundamental parameters investigated included the gain cross section, upper-state lifetime as a function of temperature and the surface-damage threshold. Commercial material was found to vary widely in the level of absorption of the laser wavelength with the highest absorption in Czochralski-grown crystals. Several Yi:sapphire lasers were constructed, including a multimode laser with greater than 50mJ of output energy and a single-transverse-mode ring laser, whose spectral and temporal characteristics were completely characterized. A design for a narrow-linewidth (single-frequency) Ti:sapphire laser was developed, based on the results of the experimental work. The design involves the use of a single-frequency, quasi-cw master oscillator, employed as an injection source for a pulsed ring laser.

User manual of the CATSS system (version 1.0) communication analysis tool for space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsang, C. S.; Su, Y. T.; Lindsey, W. C.

1983-01-01

The Communication Analysis Tool for the Space Station (CATSS) is a FORTRAN language software package capable of predicting the communications links performance for the Space Station (SS) communication and tracking (C & T) system. An interactive software package was currently developed to run on the DEC/VAX computers. The CATSS models and evaluates the various C & T links of the SS, which includes the modulation schemes such as Binary-Phase-Shift-Keying (BPSK), BPSK with Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (PN/BPSK), and M-ary Frequency-Shift-Keying with Frequency Hopping (FH/MFSK). Optical Space Communication link is also included. CATSS is a C & T system engineering tool used to predict and analyze the system performance for different link environment. Identification of system weaknesses is achieved through evaluation of performance with varying system parameters. System tradeoff for different values of system parameters are made based on the performance prediction.

Facial anthropometry of Hong Kong Chinese babies.

PubMed

Fok, T F; Hon, K L; So, H K; Wong, E; Ng, P C; Lee, A K Y; Chang, A

2003-08-01

To provide a database of the craniofacial measurements of Chinese infants born in Hong Kong. Prospective cross-sectional study. A total of 2371 healthy singleton, born consecutively at the Prince of Wales Hospital and the Union Hospital from June 1998 to June 2000, were included in the study. The range of gestation was 33-42 weeks. Measurements included facial width (FW), facial height (FH), nasal length (NL), nasal width (NW), and length of the philtrum (PhilL). The facial, nasal, nasofacial and nasozygomatic indices were derived. The data show generally higher values for males in the parameters measured. The various indices remained remarkably constant and did not vary significantly between the two genders or with gestation. When compared with previously published data for white people term babies, Chinese babies have similar NW but shorter philtrum length. The human face appears to grow in a remarkably constant fashion as defined by the various indices of facial proportions. This study establishes the first set of gestational age-specific standard of such craniofacial parameters for Chinese new-borns, potentially enabling early syndromal diagnosis. There are significant inter-racial differences in these craniofacial parameters.

TU-F-12A-05: Sensitivity of Textural Features to 3D Vs. 4D FDG-PET/CT Imaging in NSCLC Patients

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

Yang, F; Nyflot, M; Bowen, S

2014-06-15

Purpose: Neighborhood Gray-level difference matrices (NGLDM) based texture parameters extracted from conventional (3D) 18F-FDG PET scans in patients with NSCLC have been previously shown to associate with response to chemoradiation and poorer patient outcome. However, the change in these parameters when utilizing respiratory-correlated (4D) FDG-PET scans has not yet been characterized for NSCLC. The Objectives: of this study was to assess the extent to which NGLDM-based texture parameters on 4D PET images vary with reference to values derived from 3D scans in NSCLC. Methods: Eight patients with newly diagnosed NSCLC treated with concomitant chemoradiotherapy were included in this study. 4Dmore » PET scans were reconstructed with OSEM-IR in 5 respiratory phase-binned images and corresponding CT data of each phase were employed for attenuation correction. NGLDM-based texture features, consisting of coarseness, contrast, busyness, complexity and strength, were evaluated for gross tumor volumes defined on 3D/4D PET scans by radiation oncologists. Variation of the obtained texture parameters over the respiratory cycle were examined with respect to values extracted from 3D scans. Results: Differences between texture parameters derived from 4D scans at different respiratory phases and those extracted from 3D scans ranged from −30% to 13% for coarseness, −12% to 40% for contrast, −5% to 50% for busyness, −7% to 38% for complexity, and −43% to 20% for strength. Furthermore, no evident correlations were observed between respiratory phase and 4D scan texture parameters. Conclusion: Results of the current study showed that NGLDM-based texture parameters varied considerably based on choice of 3D PET and 4D PET reconstruction of NSCLC patient images, indicating that standardized image acquisition and analysis protocols need to be established for clinical studies, especially multicenter clinical trials, intending to validate prognostic values of texture features for NSCLC.« less

Tibiofemoral wear in standard and non-standard squat: implication for total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Fekete, Gusztáv; Sun, Dong; Gu, Yaodong; Neis, Patric Daniel; Ferreira, Ney Francisco; Innocenti, Bernardo; Csizmadia, Béla M

2017-01-01

Due to the more resilient biomaterials, problems related to wear in total knee replacements (TKRs) have decreased but not disappeared. In the design-related factors, wear is still the second most important mechanical factor that limits the lifetime of TKRs and it is also highly influenced by the local kinematics of the knee. During wear experiments, constant load and slide-roll ratio is frequently applied in tribo-tests beside other important parameters. Nevertheless, numerous studies demonstrated that constant slide-roll ratio is not accurate approach if TKR wear is modelled, while instead of a constant load, a flexion-angle dependent tibiofemoral force should be involved into the wear model to obtain realistic results. A new analytical wear model, based upon Archard's law, is introduced, which can determine the effect of the tibiofemoral force and the varying slide-roll on wear between the tibiofemoral connection under standard and non-standard squat movement. The calculated total wear with constant slide-roll during standard squat was 5.5 times higher compared to the reference value, while if total wear includes varying slide-roll during standard squat, the calculated wear was approximately 6.25 times higher. With regard to non-standard squat, total wear with constant slide-roll during standard squat was 4.16 times higher than the reference value. If total wear included varying slide-roll, the calculated wear was approximately 4.75 times higher. It was demonstrated that the augmented force parameter solely caused 65% higher wear volume while the slide-roll ratio itself increased wear volume by 15% higher compared to the reference value. These results state that the force component has the major effect on wear propagation while non-standard squat should be proposed for TKR patients as rehabilitation exercise.

Tibiofemoral wear in standard and non-standard squat: implication for total knee arthroplasty

PubMed Central

Sun, Dong; Gu, Yaodong; Neis, Patric Daniel; Ferreira, Ney Francisco; Innocenti, Bernardo; Csizmadia, Béla M.

2017-01-01

Summary Introduction Due to the more resilient biomaterials, problems related to wear in total knee replacements (TKRs) have decreased but not disappeared. In the design-related factors, wear is still the second most important mechanical factor that limits the lifetime of TKRs and it is also highly influenced by the local kinematics of the knee. During wear experiments, constant load and slide-roll ratio is frequently applied in tribo-tests beside other important parameters. Nevertheless, numerous studies demonstrated that constant slide-roll ratio is not accurate approach if TKR wear is modelled, while instead of a constant load, a flexion-angle dependent tibiofemoral force should be involved into the wear model to obtain realistic results. Methods A new analytical wear model, based upon Archard’s law, is introduced, which can determine the effect of the tibiofemoral force and the varying slide-roll on wear between the tibiofemoral connection under standard and non-standard squat movement. Results The calculated total wear with constant slide-roll during standard squat was 5.5 times higher compared to the reference value, while if total wear includes varying slide-roll during standard squat, the calculated wear was approximately 6.25 times higher. With regard to non-standard squat, total wear with constant slide-roll during standard squat was 4.16 times higher than the reference value. If total wear included varying slide-roll, the calculated wear was approximately 4.75 times higher. Conclusions It was demonstrated that the augmented force parameter solely caused 65% higher wear volume while the slide-roll ratio itself increased wear volume by 15% higher compared to the reference value. These results state that the force component has the major effect on wear propagation while non-standard squat should be proposed for TKR patients as rehabilitation exercise. PMID:29721453

[Influence of dissolved gases on highly diluted aqueous media].

PubMed

Belovolova, L V; Glushkov, M V; Vinogradov, E A

2014-01-01

In the experiments on redox potential measurement for a series of identical samples of purified and presettled water it was found that the response to ultraviolet irradiation varies appreciably within a few days after treatment, including stepwise changes. In a few hours after exposure, leading to a higher content of reactive oxygen species as compared with the equilibrium values, long-term changes including variations in redox potential and optical system parameters are recorded in water and diluted aqueous media. We propose a heuristic organization model of the water-gas system with an increased content of reactive oxygen species.

Feedback enhanced plasma spray tool

DOEpatents

Gevelber, Michael Alan; Wroblewski, Donald Edward; Fincke, James Russell; Swank, William David; Haggard, Delon C.; Bewley, Randy Lee

2005-11-22

An improved automatic feedback control scheme enhances plasma spraying of powdered material through reduction of process variability and providing better ability to engineer coating structure. The present inventors discovered that controlling centroid position of the spatial distribution along with other output parameters, such as particle temperature, particle velocity, and molten mass flux rate, vastly increases control over the sprayed coating structure, including vertical and horizontal cracks, voids, and porosity. It also allows improved control over graded layers or compositionally varying layers of material, reduces variations, including variation in coating thickness, and allows increasing deposition rate. Various measurement and system control schemes are provided.

Giant gain from spontaneously generated coherence in Y-type double quantum dot structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Nashy, B.; Razzaghi, Sonia; Al-Musawi, Muwaffaq Abdullah; Rasooli Saghai, H.; Al-Khursan, Amin H.

A theoretical model was presented for linear susceptibility using density matrix theory for Y-configuration of double quantum dots (QDs) system including spontaneously generated coherence (SGC). Two SGC components are included for this system: V, and Λ subsystems. It is shown that at high V-component, the system have a giga gain. At low Λ-system component; it is possible to controls the light speed between superluminal and subluminal using one parameter by increasing SGC component of the V-system. This have applications in quantum information storage and spatially-varying temporal clock.

Resource use associated with type 2 diabetes in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Eurasia and Turkey: results from the International Diabetes Management Practice Study (IDMPS).

PubMed

Gagliardino, Juan J; Atanasov, Petar K; Chan, Juliana C N; Mbanya, Jean C; Shestakova, Marina V; Leguet-Dinville, Prisca; Annemans, Lieven

2017-01-01

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its complications form a global healthcare burden but the exact impact in some geographical regions is still not well documented. We describe the healthcare resource usage (HRU) associated with T2D in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Eurasia and Turkey. In the fifth wave of the International Diabetes Management Practices Study (IDMPS; 2011-2012), we collected self-reported and physician-reported cross-sectional data from 8156 patients from 18 countries across 5 regions, including different types of HRU in the previous 3-6 months. Negative binomial regression was used to identify parameters associated with HRU, using incidence rate ratios (IRRs) to express associations. Patients in Africa (n=2220), the Middle East (n=2065), Eurasia (n=1843), South Asia (n=1195) and Turkey (n=842) experienced an annual hospitalization rate (mean±SD) of 0.6±1.9, 0.3±1.2, 1.7±4.1, 0.4±1.5 and 1.3±2.7, respectively. The annual number of diabetes-related inpatient days (mean±SD) was 4.7±22.7, 1.1±6.1, 16.0±30.0, 1.5±6.8 and 10.8±34.3, respectively. Despite some inter-regional heterogeneity, macrovascular complications (IRRs varying between 1.4 and 8.9), microvascular complications (IRRs varying between 3.4 and 4.3) and, to a large extent, inadequate glycemic control (IRRs varying between 1.89 and 10.1), were independent parameters associated with hospitalization in these respective regions. In non-Western countries, macrovascular/microvascular complications and inadequate glycemic control were common and important parameters associated with increased HRU.

Influence of Thrust Level on the Architecture and Optimal Working Process Parameters of a Small-scale Turbojet for UAV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuz`michev, V. S.; Filinov, E. P.; Ostapyuk, Ya A.

2018-01-01

This article describes how the thrust level influences the turbojet architecture (types of turbomachines that provide the maximum efficiency) and its working process parameters (turbine inlet temperature (TIT) and overall pressure ratio (OPR)). Functional gasdynamic and strength constraints were included, total mass of fuel and the engine required for mission and the specific fuel consumption (SFC) were considered optimization criteria. Radial and axial turbines and compressors were considered. The results show that as the engine thrust decreases, optimal values of working process parameters decrease too, and the regions of compromise shrink. Optimal engine architecture and values of working process parameters are suggested for turbojets with thrust varying from 100N to 100kN. The results show that for the thrust below 25kN the engine scale factor should be taken into the account, as the low flow rates begin to influence the efficiency of engine elements substantially.

Piezoceramic devices and artificial intelligence time varying concepts in smart structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanagud, S.; Calise, A. J.; Glass, B. J.

1990-01-01

The problem of development of smart structures and their vibration control by the use of piezoceramic sensors and actuators have been discussed. In particular, these structures are assumed to have time varying model form and parameters. The model form may change significantly and suddenly. Combined identification of the model from parameters of these structures and model adaptive control of these structures are discussed in this paper.

A global search inversion for earthquake kinematic rupture history: Application to the 2000 western Tottori, Japan earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Piatanesi, A.; Cirella, A.; Spudich, P.; Cocco, M.

2007-01-01

We present a two-stage nonlinear technique to invert strong motions records and geodetic data to retrieve the rupture history of an earthquake on a finite fault. To account for the actual rupture complexity, the fault parameters are spatially variable peak slip velocity, slip direction, rupture time and risetime. The unknown parameters are given at the nodes of the subfaults, whereas the parameters within a subfault are allowed to vary through a bilinear interpolation of the nodal values. The forward modeling is performed with a discrete wave number technique, whose Green's functions include the complete response of the vertically varying Earth structure. During the first stage, an algorithm based on the heat-bath simulated annealing generates an ensemble of models that efficiently sample the good data-fitting regions of parameter space. In the second stage (appraisal), the algorithm performs a statistical analysis of the model ensemble and computes a weighted mean model and its standard deviation. This technique, rather than simply looking at the best model, extracts the most stable features of the earthquake rupture that are consistent with the data and gives an estimate of the variability of each model parameter. We present some synthetic tests to show the effectiveness of the method and its robustness to uncertainty of the adopted crustal model. Finally, we apply this inverse technique to the well recorded 2000 western Tottori, Japan, earthquake (Mw 6.6); we confirm that the rupture process is characterized by large slip (3-4 m) at very shallow depths but, differently from previous studies, we imaged a new slip patch (2-2.5 m) located deeper, between 14 and 18 km depth. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

Charging of the Van Allen Probes: Theory and Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delzanno, G. L.; Meierbachtol, C.; Svyatskiy, D.; Denton, M.

2017-12-01

The electrical charging of spacecraft has been a known problem since the beginning of the space age. Its consequences can vary from moderate (single event upsets) to catastrophic (total loss of the spacecraft) depending on a variety of causes, some of which could be related to the surrounding plasma environment, including emission processes from the spacecraft surface. Because of its complexity and cost, this problem is typically studied using numerical simulations. However, inherent unknowns in both plasma parameters and spacecraft material properties can lead to inaccurate predictions of overall spacecraft charging levels. The goal of this work is to identify and study the driving causes and necessary parameters for particular spacecraft charging events on the Van Allen Probes (VAP) spacecraft. This is achieved by making use of plasma theory, numerical simulations, and on-board data. First, we present a simple theoretical spacecraft charging model, which assumes a spherical spacecraft geometry and is based upon the classical orbital-motion-limited approximation. Some input parameters to the model (such as the warm plasma distribution function) are taken directly from on-board VAP data, while other parameters are either varied parametrically to assess their impact on the spacecraft potential, or constrained through spacecraft charging data and statistical techniques. Second, a fully self-consistent numerical simulation is performed by supplying these parameters to CPIC, a particle-in-cell code specifically designed for studying plasma-material interactions. CPIC simulations remove some of the assumptions of the theoretical model and also capture the influence of the full geometry of the spacecraft. The CPIC numerical simulation results will be presented and compared with on-board VAP data. This work will set the foundation for our eventual goal of importing the full plasma environment from the LANL-developed SHIELDS framework into CPIC, in order to more accurately predict spacecraft charging.

Time-varying output performances of piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting under nonstationary random vibrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Heonjun; Kim, Miso; Park, Choon-Su; Youn, Byeng D.

2018-01-01

Piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting (PVEH) has received much attention as a potential solution that could ultimately realize self-powered wireless sensor networks. Since most ambient vibrations in nature are inherently random and nonstationary, the output performances of PVEH devices also randomly change with time. However, little attention has been paid to investigating the randomly time-varying electroelastic behaviors of PVEH systems both analytically and experimentally. The objective of this study is thus to make a step forward towards a deep understanding of the time-varying performances of PVEH devices under nonstationary random vibrations. Two typical cases of nonstationary random vibration signals are considered: (1) randomly-varying amplitude (amplitude modulation; AM) and (2) randomly-varying amplitude with randomly-varying instantaneous frequency (amplitude and frequency modulation; AM-FM). In both cases, this study pursues well-balanced correlations of analytical predictions and experimental observations to deduce the relationships between the time-varying output performances of the PVEH device and two primary input parameters, such as a central frequency and an external electrical resistance. We introduce three correlation metrics to quantitatively compare analytical prediction and experimental observation, including the normalized root mean square error, the correlation coefficient, and the weighted integrated factor. Analytical predictions are in an excellent agreement with experimental observations both mechanically and electrically. This study provides insightful guidelines for designing PVEH devices to reliably generate electric power under nonstationary random vibrations.

Linear Parameter Varying Control for Actuator Failure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shin, Jong-Yeob; Wu, N. Eva; Belcastro, Christine; Bushnell, Dennis M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A robust linear parameter varying (LPV) control synthesis is carried out for an HiMAT vehicle subject to loss of control effectiveness. The scheduling parameter is selected to be a function of the estimates of the control effectiveness factors. The estimates are provided on-line by a two-stage Kalman estimator. The inherent conservatism of the LPV design is reducing through the use of a scaling factor on the uncertainty block that represents the estimation errors of the effectiveness factors. Simulations of the controlled system with the on-line estimator show that a superior fault-tolerance can be achieved.

Method for depositing layers of high quality semiconductor material

DOEpatents

Guha, Subhendu; Yang, Chi C.

2001-08-14

Plasma deposition of substantially amorphous semiconductor materials is carried out under a set of deposition parameters which are selected so that the process operates near the amorphous/microcrystalline threshold. This threshold varies as a function of the thickness of the depositing semiconductor layer; and, deposition parameters, such as diluent gas concentrations, must be adjusted as a function of layer thickness. Also, this threshold varies as a function of the composition of the depositing layer, and in those instances where the layer composition is profiled throughout its thickness, deposition parameters must be adjusted accordingly so as to maintain the amorphous/microcrystalline threshold.

Identification of Time-Varying Pilot Control Behavior in Multi-Axis Control Tasks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaal, Peter M. T.; Sweet, Barbara T.

2012-01-01

Recent developments in fly-by-wire control architectures for rotorcraft have introduced new interest in the identification of time-varying pilot control behavior in multi-axis control tasks. In this paper a maximum likelihood estimation method is used to estimate the parameters of a pilot model with time-dependent sigmoid functions to characterize time-varying human control behavior. An experiment was performed by 9 general aviation pilots who had to perform a simultaneous roll and pitch control task with time-varying aircraft dynamics. In 8 different conditions, the axis containing the time-varying dynamics and the growth factor of the dynamics were varied, allowing for an analysis of the performance of the estimation method when estimating time-dependent parameter functions. In addition, a detailed analysis of pilots adaptation to the time-varying aircraft dynamics in both the roll and pitch axes could be performed. Pilot control behavior in both axes was significantly affected by the time-varying aircraft dynamics in roll and pitch, and by the growth factor. The main effect was found in the axis that contained the time-varying dynamics. However, pilot control behavior also changed over time in the axis not containing the time-varying aircraft dynamics. This indicates that some cross coupling exists in the perception and control processes between the roll and pitch axes.

Launch Vehicle Propulsion Design with Multiple Selection Criteria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shelton, Joey D.; Frederick, Robert A.; Wilhite, Alan W.

2005-01-01

The approach and techniques described herein define an optimization and evaluation approach for a liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen single-stage-to-orbit system. The method uses Monte Carlo simulations, genetic algorithm solvers, a propulsion thermo-chemical code, power series regression curves for historical data, and statistical models in order to optimize a vehicle system. The system, including parameters for engine chamber pressure, area ratio, and oxidizer/fuel ratio, was modeled and optimized to determine the best design for seven separate design weight and cost cases by varying design and technology parameters. Significant model results show that a 53% increase in Design, Development, Test and Evaluation cost results in a 67% reduction in Gross Liftoff Weight. Other key findings show the sensitivity of propulsion parameters, technology factors, and cost factors and how these parameters differ when cost and weight are optimized separately. Each of the three key propulsion parameters; chamber pressure, area ratio, and oxidizer/fuel ratio, are optimized in the seven design cases and results are plotted to show impacts to engine mass and overall vehicle mass.

Histologic analyses on the response of the skin to 1,927-nm fractional thulium fiber laser treatment.

PubMed

Kwon, In Ho; Bae, Youin; Yeo, Un-Cheol; Lee, Jin Yong; Kwon, Hyuck Hoon; Choi, Young Hee; Park, Gyeong-Hun

2018-02-01

The histologic responses to varied parameters of 1,927-nm fractional thulium fiber laser treatment have not yet been sufficiently elucidated. This study sought to evaluate histologic changes immediately after 1,927-nm fractional thulium fiber laser session at various parameters. The dorsal skin of Yucatan mini-pig was treated with 1,927-nm fractional thulium fiber laser at varied parameters, with or without skin drying. The immediate histologic changes were evaluated to determine the effects of varying laser parameters on the width and the depth of treated zones. The increase in the level of pulse energy widened the area of epidermal changes in the low power level, but increased the dermal penetration depth in the high power level. As the pulse energy level increased, the increase in the power level under the given pulse energy level more evidently made dermal penetration deeper and the treatment area smaller. Skin drying did not show significant effects on epidermal changes, but evidently increased the depth of dermal denaturation under both high and low levels of pulse energy. These results may provide important information to establish treatment parameters of the 1,927-nm fractional thulium fiber laser for various skin conditions.

A Theoretical Approach to Analyze the Parametric Influence on Spatial Patterns of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Populations.

PubMed

Garcia, A G; Godoy, W A C

2017-06-01

Studies of the influence of biological parameters on the spatial distribution of lepidopteran insects can provide useful information for managing agricultural pests, since the larvae of many species cause serious impacts on crops. Computational models to simulate the spatial dynamics of insect populations are increasingly used, because of their efficiency in representing insect movement. In this study, we used a cellular automata model to explore different patterns of population distribution of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), when the values of two biological parameters that are able to influence the spatial pattern (larval viability and adult longevity) are varied. We mapped the spatial patterns observed as the parameters varied. Additionally, by using population data for S. frugiperda obtained in different hosts under laboratory conditions, we were able to describe the expected spatial patterns occurring in corn, cotton, millet, and soybean crops based on the parameters varied. The results are discussed from the perspective of insect ecology and pest management. We concluded that computational approaches can be important tools to study the relationship between the biological parameters and spatial distributions of lepidopteran insect pests.

The effect of uphill and downhill walking on gait parameters: A self-paced treadmill study.

PubMed

Kimel-Naor, Shani; Gottlieb, Amihai; Plotnik, Meir

2017-07-26

It has been shown that gait parameters vary systematically with the slope of the surface when walking uphill (UH) or downhill (DH) (Andriacchi et al., 1977; Crowe et al., 1996; Kawamura et al., 1991; Kirtley et al., 1985; McIntosh et al., 2006; Sun et al., 1996). However, gait trials performed on inclined surfaces have been subject to certain technical limitations including using fixed speed treadmills (TMs) or, alternatively, sampling only a few gait cycles on inclined ramps. Further, prior work has not analyzed upper body kinematics. This study aims to investigate effects of slope on gait parameters using a self-paced TM (SPTM) which facilitates more natural walking, including measuring upper body kinematics and gait coordination parameters. Gait of 11 young healthy participants was sampled during walking in steady state speed. Measurements were made at slopes of +10°, 0° and -10°. Force plates and a motion capture system were used to reconstruct twenty spatiotemporal gait parameters. For validation, previously described parameters were compared with the literature, and novel parameters measuring upper body kinematics and bilateral gait coordination were also analyzed. Results showed that most lower and upper body gait parameters were affected by walking slope angle. Specifically, UH walking had a higher impact on gait kinematics than DH walking. However, gait coordination parameters were not affected by walking slope, suggesting that gait asymmetry, left-right coordination and gait variability are robust characteristics of walking. The findings of the study are discussed in reference to a potential combined effect of slope and gait speed. Follow-up studies are needed to explore the relative effects of each of these factors. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Indicators of Arctic Sea Ice Bistability in Climate Model Simulations and Observations

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

ultimately developed a novel mathematical method to solve the system of equations involving the addition of a numerical “ ghost ” layer, as described in the...balance models ( EBMs ) and (ii) seasonally-varying single-column models (SCMs). As described in Approach item #1, we developed an idealized model that...includes both latitudinal and seasonal variations (Fig. 1). The model reduces to a standard EBM or SCM as limiting cases in the parameter space, thus

Distorted neutrino oscillations from time varying cosmic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krnjaic, Gordan; Machado, Pedro A. N.; Necib, Lina

2018-04-01

Cold, ultralight (≪eV ) bosonic fields can induce fast temporal variation in neutrino couplings, thereby distorting neutrino oscillations. In this paper, we exploit this effect to introduce a novel probe of neutrino time variation and dark matter at long-baseline experiments. We study several representative observables and find that current and future experiments, including DUNE and JUNO, are sensitive to a wide range of model parameters over many decades in mass reach and time-variation periodicity.

Theoretical frameworks for testing relativistic gravity: A review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thorne, K. S.; Will, C. M.; Ni, W.

1971-01-01

Metric theories of gravity are presented, including the definition of metric theory, evidence for its existence, and response of matter to gravity with test body trajectories, gravitational red shift, and stressed matter responses. Parametrized post-Newtonian framework and interpretations are reviewed. Gamma, beta and gamma, and varied other parameters were measured. Deflection of electromagnetic waves, radar time delay, geodetic gyroscope precession, perihelion shifts, and periodic effects in orbits are among various studies carried out for metric theory experimentation.

The parameters effect on the structural performance of damaged steel box beam using Taguchi method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-taly, Boshra A.; Abd El Hameed, Mohamed F.

2018-03-01

In the current study, the influence of notch or opening parameters and the positions of the applied load on the structural performance of steel box beams up to failure was investigated using Finite Element analysis program, ANSYS. The Taguchi-based design of experiments technique was used to plan the current study. The plan included 12 box steel beams; three intact beams, and nine damaged beams (with opening) in the beams web. The numerical studies were conducted under varying the spacing between the two concentrated point loads (location of applied loads), the notch (opening) position, and the ratio between depth and width of the notch with a constant notch area. According to Taguchi analysis, factor X (location of the applied loads) was found the highest contributing parameters for the variation of the ultimate load, vertical deformation, shear stresses, and the compressive normal stresses.

Using frequency analysis to improve the precision of human body posture algorithms based on Kalman filters.

PubMed

Olivares, Alberto; Górriz, J M; Ramírez, J; Olivares, G

2016-05-01

With the advent of miniaturized inertial sensors many systems have been developed within the last decade to study and analyze human motion and posture, specially in the medical field. Data measured by the sensors are usually processed by algorithms based on Kalman Filters in order to estimate the orientation of the body parts under study. These filters traditionally include fixed parameters, such as the process and observation noise variances, whose value has large influence in the overall performance. It has been demonstrated that the optimal value of these parameters differs considerably for different motion intensities. Therefore, in this work, we show that, by applying frequency analysis to determine motion intensity, and varying the formerly fixed parameters accordingly, the overall precision of orientation estimation algorithms can be improved, therefore providing physicians with reliable objective data they can use in their daily practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring multielectron beam imaging fidelity with a signal-to-noise ratio analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhtar, Maseeh; Bunday, Benjamin D.; Quoi, Kathy; Malloy, Matt; Thiel, Brad

2016-07-01

Java Monte Carlo Simulator for Secondary Electrons (JMONSEL) simulations are used to generate expected imaging responses of chosen test cases of patterns and defects with the ability to vary parameters for beam energy, spot size, pixel size, and/or defect material and form factor. The patterns are representative of the design rules for an aggressively scaled FinFET-type design. With these simulated images and resulting shot noise, a signal-to-noise framework is developed, which relates to defect detection probabilities. Additionally, with this infrastructure, the effect of detection chain noise and frequency-dependent system response can be made, allowing for targeting of best recipe parameters for multielectron beam inspection validation experiments. Ultimately, these results should lead to insights into how such parameters will impact tool design, including necessary doses for defect detection and estimations of scanning speeds for achieving high throughput for high-volume manufacturing.

Characteristics of buoyancy force on stagnation point flow with magneto-nanoparticles and zero mass flux condition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uddin, Iftikhar; Khan, Muhammad Altaf; Ullah, Saif; Islam, Saeed; Israr, Muhammad; Hussain, Fawad

2018-03-01

This attempt dedicated to the solution of buoyancy effect over a stretching sheet in existence of MHD stagnation point flow with convective boundary conditions. Thermophoresis and Brownian motion aspects are included. Incompressible fluid is electrically conducted in the presence of varying magnetic field. Boundary layer analysis is used to develop the mathematical formulation. Zero mass flux condition is considered at the boundary. Non-linear ordinary differential system of equations is constructed by means of proper transformations. Interval of convergence via numerical data and plots are developed. Characteristics of involved variables on the velocity, temperature and concentration distributions are sketched and discussed. Features of correlated parameters on Cf and Nu are examined by means of tables. It is found that buoyancy ratio and magnetic parameters increase and reduce the velocity field. Further opposite feature is noticed for higher values of thermophoresis and Brownian motion parameters on concentration distribution.

Quantifying uncertainty in soot volume fraction estimates using Bayesian inference of auto-correlated laser-induced incandescence measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadwin, Paul J.; Sipkens, T. A.; Thomson, K. A.; Liu, F.; Daun, K. J.

2016-01-01

Auto-correlated laser-induced incandescence (AC-LII) infers the soot volume fraction (SVF) of soot particles by comparing the spectral incandescence from laser-energized particles to the pyrometrically inferred peak soot temperature. This calculation requires detailed knowledge of model parameters such as the absorption function of soot, which may vary with combustion chemistry, soot age, and the internal structure of the soot. This work presents a Bayesian methodology to quantify such uncertainties. This technique treats the additional "nuisance" model parameters, including the soot absorption function, as stochastic variables and incorporates the current state of knowledge of these parameters into the inference process through maximum entropy priors. While standard AC-LII analysis provides a point estimate of the SVF, Bayesian techniques infer the posterior probability density, which will allow scientists and engineers to better assess the reliability of AC-LII inferred SVFs in the context of environmental regulations and competing diagnostics.

Microbubble Sizing and Shell Characterization Using Flow Cytometry

PubMed Central

Tu, Juan; Swalwell, Jarred E.; Giraud, David; Cui, Weicheng; Chen, Weizhong; Matula, Thomas J.

2015-01-01

Experiments were performed to size, count, and obtain shell parameters for individual ultrasound contrast microbubbles using a modified flow cytometer. Light scattering was modeled using Mie theory, and applied to calibration beads to calibrate the system. The size distribution and population were measured directly from the flow cytometer. The shell parameters (shear modulus and shear viscosity) were quantified at different acoustic pressures (from 95 to 333 kPa) by fitting microbubble response data to a bubble dynamics model. The size distribution of the contrast agent microbubbles is consistent with manufacturer specifications. The shell shear viscosity increases with increasing equilibrium microbubble size, and decreases with increasing shear rate. The observed trends are independent of driving pressure amplitude. The shell elasticity does not vary with microbubble size. The results suggest that a modified flow cytometer can be an effective tool to characterize the physical properties of microbubbles, including size distribution, population, and shell parameters. PMID:21622051

Photovoltaic array: Power conditioner interface characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzalez, C. C.; Hill, G. M.; Ross, R. G., Jr.

1982-01-01

The electrical output (power, current, and voltage) of flat plate solar arrays changes constantly, due primarily to changes in cell temperature and irradiance level. As a result, array loads such as dc-to-ac power conditioners must be capable of accommodating widely varying input levels while maintaining operation at or near the maximum power point of the array. The array operating characteristics and extreme output limits necessary for the systematic design of array load interfaces under a wide variety of climatic conditions are studied. A number of interface parameters are examined, including optimum operating voltage, voltage energy, maximum power and current limits, and maximum open circuit voltage. The effect of array degradation and I-V curve fill factor or the array power conditioner interface is also discussed. Results are presented as normalized ratios of power conditioner parameters to array parameters, making the results universally applicable to a wide variety of system sizes, sites, and operating modes.

Financial gains and risks in pay-for-performance bonus algorithms.

PubMed

Cromwell, Jerry; Drozd, Edward M; Smith, Kevin; Trisolini, Michael

2007-01-01

Considerable attention has been given to evidence-based process indicators associated with quality of care, while much less attention has been given to the structure and key parameters of the various pay-for-performance (P4P) bonus and penalty arrangements using such measures. In this article we develop a general model of quality payment arrangements and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the key parameters. We then conduct simulation analyses of four general P4P payment algorithms by varying seven parameters, including indicator weights, indicator intercorrelation, degree of uncertainty regarding intervention effectiveness, and initial baseline rates. Bonuses averaged over several indicators appear insensitive to weighting, correlation, and the number of indicators. The bonuses are sensitive to disease manager perceptions of intervention effectiveness, facing challenging targets, and the use of actual-to-target quality levels versus rates of improvement over baseline.

Efficient extraction strategies of tea (Camellia sinensis) biomolecules.

PubMed

Banerjee, Satarupa; Chatterjee, Jyotirmoy

2015-06-01

Tea is a popular daily beverage worldwide. Modulation and modifications of its basic components like catechins, alkaloids, proteins and carbohydrate during fermentation or extraction process changes organoleptic, gustatory and medicinal properties of tea. Through these processes increase or decrease in yield of desired components are evident. Considering the varied impacts of parameters in tea production, storage and processes that affect the yield, extraction of tea biomolecules at optimized condition is thought to be challenging. Implementation of technological advancements in green chemistry approaches can minimize the deviation retaining maximum qualitative properties in environment friendly way. Existed extraction processes with optimization parameters of tea have been discussed in this paper including its prospects and limitations. This exhaustive review of various extraction parameters, decaffeination process of tea and large scale cost effective isolation of tea components with aid of modern technology can assist people to choose extraction condition of tea according to necessity.

Genomic effects on advertisement call structure in diploid and triploid hybrid waterfrogs (Anura, Pelophylax esculentus).

PubMed

Hoffmann, Alexandra; Reyer, Heinz-Ulrich

2013-12-04

In anurans, differences in male mating calls have intensively been studied with respect to taxonomic classification, phylogeographic comparisons among different populations and sexual selection. Although overall successful, there is often much unexplained variation in these studies. Potential causes for such variation include differences among genotypes and breeding systems, as well as differences between populations. We investigated how these three factors affect call properties in male water frogs of Pelophylax lessonae (genotype LL), P. ridibundus (RR) and their interspecific hybrid P. esculentus which comes in diploid (LR) and triploid types (LLR, LRR). We investigated five call parameters that all showed a genomic dosage effect, i.e. they either decreased or increased with the L/R ratio in the order LL-LLR-LR-LRR-RR. Not all parameters differentiated equally well between the five genotypes, but combined they provided a good separation. Two of the five call parameters were also affected by the breeding system. Calls of diploid LR males varied, depending on whether these males mated with one or both of the parental species (diploid systems) or triploid hybrids (mixed ploidy systems). With the exception of the northernmost mixed-ploidy population, call differences were not related to the geographic location of the population and they were not correlated with genetic distances in the R and L genomes. We found an influence of all three tested factors on call parameters, with the effect size decreasing from genotype through breeding system to geographic location of the population. Overall, results were in line with predictions from a dosage effect in L/R ratios, but in three call parameters all three hybrid types were more similar to one or the other parental species. Also calls of diploid hybrids varied between breeding systems in agreement with the sexual host required for successful reproduction. The lack of hybrid call differences in a mixed-ploidy population at the northern edge of the water frog distribution is likely to be associated with genetic particularities, including a) low genetic variability and/or b) a local loss of genes coding for genotype-dependent call differentiation under conditions where female discrimination between diploid and triploid males is not beneficial.

State Space Modeling of Time-Varying Contemporaneous and Lagged Relations in Connectivity Maps

PubMed Central

Molenaar, Peter C. M.; Beltz, Adriene M.; Gates, Kathleen M.; Wilson, Stephen J.

2017-01-01

Most connectivity mapping techniques for neuroimaging data assume stationarity (i.e., network parameters are constant across time), but this assumption does not always hold true. The authors provide a description of a new approach for simultaneously detecting time-varying (or dynamic) contemporaneous and lagged relations in brain connectivity maps. Specifically, they use a novel raw data likelihood estimation technique (involving a second-order extended Kalman filter/smoother embedded in a nonlinear optimizer) to determine the variances of the random walks associated with state space model parameters and their autoregressive components. The authors illustrate their approach with simulated and blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 30 daily cigarette smokers performing a verbal working memory task, focusing on seven regions of interest (ROIs). Twelve participants had dynamic directed functional connectivity maps: Eleven had one or more time-varying contemporaneous ROI state loadings, and one had a time-varying autoregressive parameter. Compared to smokers without dynamic maps, smokers with dynamic maps performed the task with greater accuracy. Thus, accurate detection of dynamic brain processes is meaningfully related to behavior in a clinical sample. PMID:26546863

Solar Radiation Patterns and Glaciers in the Western Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobreva, I. D.; Bishop, M. P.

2013-12-01

Glacier dynamics in the Himalaya are poorly understood, in part due to variations in topography and climate. It is well known that solar radiation is the dominant surface-energy component governing ablation, although the spatio-temporal patterns of surface irradiance have not been thoroughly investigated given modeling limitations and topographic variations including altitude, relief, and topographic shielding. Glaciation and topographic conditions may greatly influence supraglacial characteristics and glacial dynamics. Consequently, our research objectives were to develop a GIS-based solar radiation model that accounts for Earth's orbital, spectral, atmospheric and topographic dependencies, in order to examine the spatio-temporal surface irradiance patterns on glaciers in the western Himalaya. We specifically compared irradiance patterns to supraglacial characteristics and ice-flow velocity fields. Shuttle Radar Mapping Mission (SRTM) 90 m data were used to compute geomorphometric parameters that were input into the solar radiation model. Simulations results for 2013 were produced for the summer ablation season. Direct irradiance, diffuse-skylight, and total irradiance variations were compared and related to glacier altitude profiles of ice velocity and land-surface topographic parameters. Velocity and surface information were derived from analyses of ASTER satellite data. Results indicate that the direct irradiance significantly varies across the surface of glaciers given local topography and meso-scale relief conditions. Furthermore, the magnitude of the diffuse-skylight irradiance varies with altitude and as a result, glaciers in different topographic settings receive different amounts of surface irradiance. Spatio-temporal irradiance patterns appear to be related to glacier surface conditions including supraglacial lakes, and are spatially coincident with ice-flow velocity conditions on some glaciers. Collectively, our results demonstrate that glacier sensitivity to climate change is also locally controlled by numerous multi-scale topographic parameters.

Dynamic model including piping acoustics of a centrifugal compression system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Helvoirt, Jan; de Jager, Bram

2007-04-01

This paper deals with low-frequency pulsation phenomena in full-scale centrifugal compression systems associated with compressor surge. The Greitzer lumped parameter model is applied to describe the dynamic behavior of an industrial compressor test rig and experimental evidence is provided for the presence of acoustic pulsations in the compression system under study. It is argued that these acoustic phenomena are common for full-scale compression systems where pipe system dynamics have a significant influence on the overall system behavior. The main objective of this paper is to extend the basic compressor model in order to include the relevant pipe system dynamics. For this purpose a pipeline model is proposed, based on previous developments for fluid transmission lines. The connection of this model to the lumped parameter model is accomplished via the selection of appropriate boundary conditions. Validation results will be presented, showing a good agreement between simulation and measurement data. The results indicate that the damping of piping transients depends on the nominal, time-varying pressure and flow velocity. Therefore, model parameters are made dependent on the momentary pressure and a switching nonlinearity is introduced into the model to vary the acoustic damping as a function of flow velocity. These modifications have limited success and the results indicate that a more sophisticated model is required to fully describe all (nonlinear) acoustic effects. However, the very good qualitative results show that the model adequately combines compressor and pipe system dynamics. Therefore, the proposed model forms a step forward in the analysis and modeling of surge in full-scale centrifugal compression systems and opens the path for further developments in this field.

A systematic study of multiple minerals precipitation modelling in wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Kazadi Mbamba, Christian; Tait, Stephan; Flores-Alsina, Xavier; Batstone, Damien J

2015-11-15

Mineral solids precipitation is important in wastewater treatment. However approaches to minerals precipitation modelling are varied, often empirical, and mostly focused on single precipitate classes. A common approach, applicable to multi-species precipitates, is needed to integrate into existing wastewater treatment models. The present study systematically tested a semi-mechanistic modelling approach, using various experimental platforms with multiple minerals precipitation. Experiments included dynamic titration with addition of sodium hydroxide to synthetic wastewater, and aeration to progressively increase pH and induce precipitation in real piggery digestate and sewage sludge digestate. The model approach consisted of an equilibrium part for aqueous phase reactions and a kinetic part for minerals precipitation. The model was fitted to dissolved calcium, magnesium, total inorganic carbon and phosphate. Results indicated that precipitation was dominated by the mineral struvite, forming together with varied and minor amounts of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. The model approach was noted to have the advantage of requiring a minimal number of fitted parameters, so the model was readily identifiable. Kinetic rate coefficients, which were statistically fitted, were generally in the range 0.35-11.6 h(-1) with confidence intervals of 10-80% relative. Confidence regions for the kinetic rate coefficients were often asymmetric with model-data residuals increasing more gradually with larger coefficient values. This suggests that a large kinetic coefficient could be used when actual measured data is lacking for a particular precipitate-matrix combination. Correlation between the kinetic rate coefficients of different minerals was low, indicating that parameter values for individual minerals could be independently fitted (keeping all other model parameters constant). Implementation was therefore relatively flexible, and would be readily expandable to include other minerals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Local sensitivity analysis for inverse problems solved by singular value decomposition

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hill, M.C.; Nolan, B.T.

2010-01-01

Local sensitivity analysis provides computationally frugal ways to evaluate models commonly used for resource management, risk assessment, and so on. This includes diagnosing inverse model convergence problems caused by parameter insensitivity and(or) parameter interdependence (correlation), understanding what aspects of the model and data contribute to measures of uncertainty, and identifying new data likely to reduce model uncertainty. Here, we consider sensitivity statistics relevant to models in which the process model parameters are transformed using singular value decomposition (SVD) to create SVD parameters for model calibration. The statistics considered include the PEST identifiability statistic, and combined use of the process-model parameter statistics composite scaled sensitivities and parameter correlation coefficients (CSS and PCC). The statistics are complimentary in that the identifiability statistic integrates the effects of parameter sensitivity and interdependence, while CSS and PCC provide individual measures of sensitivity and interdependence. PCC quantifies correlations between pairs or larger sets of parameters; when a set of parameters is intercorrelated, the absolute value of PCC is close to 1.00 for all pairs in the set. The number of singular vectors to include in the calculation of the identifiability statistic is somewhat subjective and influences the statistic. To demonstrate the statistics, we use the USDA’s Root Zone Water Quality Model to simulate nitrogen fate and transport in the unsaturated zone of the Merced River Basin, CA. There are 16 log-transformed process-model parameters, including water content at field capacity (WFC) and bulk density (BD) for each of five soil layers. Calibration data consisted of 1,670 observations comprising soil moisture, soil water tension, aqueous nitrate and bromide concentrations, soil nitrate concentration, and organic matter content. All 16 of the SVD parameters could be estimated by regression based on the range of singular values. Identifiability statistic results varied based on the number of SVD parameters included. Identifiability statistics calculated for four SVD parameters indicate the same three most important process-model parameters as CSS/PCC (WFC1, WFC2, and BD2), but the order differed. Additionally, the identifiability statistic showed that BD1 was almost as dominant as WFC1. The CSS/PCC analysis showed that this results from its high correlation with WCF1 (-0.94), and not its individual sensitivity. Such distinctions, combined with analysis of how high correlations and(or) sensitivities result from the constructed model, can produce important insights into, for example, the use of sensitivity analysis to design monitoring networks. In conclusion, the statistics considered identified similar important parameters. They differ because (1) with CSS/PCC can be more awkward because sensitivity and interdependence are considered separately and (2) identifiability requires consideration of how many SVD parameters to include. A continuing challenge is to understand how these computationally efficient methods compare with computationally demanding global methods like Markov-Chain Monte Carlo given common nonlinear processes and the often even more nonlinear models.

Low-pressure chemical vapor deposition of low in situ phosphorus doped silicon thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarret, M.; Liba, A.; Bonnaud, O.

1991-09-01

In situ low phosphorus doped silicon films are deposited onto glass substrates by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition method. The deposition parameters, temperature, total pressure, and pure silane gas flow are, respectively, fixed at 550 °C, 0.08 Torr, and 50 sccm. The varying deposition parameter is phosphine/silane mole ratio; when this ratio varies from 2×10-6 to 4×10-4, the phosphorus concentration and the resistivity after annealing, respectively, vary from 2×1018 to 3×1020 atoms cm-3 and from 1.5 Ω cm to 2.5×10-3 Ω cm.

Evaluation of Smartphone Inertial Sensor Performance for Cross-Platform Mobile Applications

PubMed Central

Kos, Anton; Tomažič, Sašo; Umek, Anton

2016-01-01

Smartphone sensors are being increasingly used in mobile applications. The performance of sensors varies considerably among different smartphone models and the development of a cross-platform mobile application might be a very complex and demanding task. A publicly accessible resource containing real-life-situation smartphone sensor parameters could be of great help for cross-platform developers. To address this issue we have designed and implemented a pilot participatory sensing application for measuring, gathering, and analyzing smartphone sensor parameters. We start with smartphone accelerometer and gyroscope bias and noise parameters. The application database presently includes sensor parameters of more than 60 different smartphone models of different platforms. It is a modest, but important start, offering information on several statistical parameters of the measured smartphone sensors and insights into their performance. The next step, a large-scale cloud-based version of the application, is already planned. The large database of smartphone sensor parameters may prove particularly useful for cross-platform developers. It may also be interesting for individual participants who would be able to check-up and compare their smartphone sensors against a large number of similar or identical models. PMID:27049391

Impulsive Effects on Quasi-Synchronization of Neural Networks With Parameter Mismatches and Time-Varying Delay.

PubMed

Tang, Ze; Park, Ju H; Feng, Jianwen

2018-04-01

This paper is concerned with the exponential synchronization issue of nonidentically coupled neural networks with time-varying delay. Due to the parameter mismatch phenomena existed in neural networks, the problem of quasi-synchronization is thus discussed by applying some impulsive control strategies. Based on the definition of average impulsive interval and the extended comparison principle for impulsive systems, some criteria for achieving the quasi-synchronization of neural networks are derived. More extensive ranges of impulsive effects are discussed so that impulse could either play an effective role or play an adverse role in the final network synchronization. In addition, according to the extended formula for the variation of parameters with time-varying delay, precisely exponential convergence rates and quasi-synchronization errors are obtained, respectively, in view of different types impulsive effects. Finally, some numerical simulations with different types of impulsive effects are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of theoretical analysis.

ADVANCED WAVEFORM SIMULATION FOR SEISMIC MONITORING EVENTS

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

Helmberger, Donald V.; Tromp, Jeroen; Rodgers, Arthur J.

Earthquake source parameters underpin several aspects of nuclear explosion monitoring. Such aspects are: calibration of moment magnitudes (including coda magnitudes) and magnitude and distance amplitude corrections (MDAC); source depths; discrimination by isotropic moment tensor components; and waveform modeling for structure (including waveform tomography). This project seeks to improve methods for and broaden the applicability of estimating source parameters from broadband waveforms using the Cut-and-Paste (CAP) methodology. The CAP method uses a library of Green’s functions for a one-dimensional (1D, depth-varying) seismic velocity model. The method separates the main arrivals of the regional waveform into 5 windows: Pnl (vertical and radialmore » components), Rayleigh (vertical and radial components) and Love (transverse component). Source parameters are estimated by grid search over strike, dip, rake and depth and seismic moment or equivalently moment magnitude, MW, are adjusted to fit the amplitudes. Key to the CAP method is allowing the synthetic seismograms to shift in time relative to the data in order to account for path-propagation errors (delays) in the 1D seismic velocity model used to compute the Green’s functions. The CAP method has been shown to improve estimates of source parameters, especially when delay and amplitude biases are calibrated using high signal-to-noise data from moderate earthquakes, CAP+.« less

Ocular biometric parameters among 3-year-old Chinese children: testability, distribution and association with anthropometric parameters

PubMed Central

Huang, Dan; Chen, Xuejuan; Gong, Qi; Yuan, Chaoqun; Ding, Hui; Bai, Jing; Zhu, Hui; Fu, Zhujun; Yu, Rongbin; Liu, Hu

2016-01-01

This survey was conducted to determine the testability, distribution and associations of ocular biometric parameters in Chinese preschool children. Ocular biometric examinations, including the axial length (AL) and corneal radius of curvature (CR), were conducted on 1,688 3-year-old subjects by using an IOLMaster in August 2015. Anthropometric parameters, including height and weight, were measured according to a standardized protocol, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The testability was 93.7% for the AL and 78.6% for the CR overall, and both measures improved with age. Girls performed slightly better in AL measurements (P = 0.08), and the difference in CR was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The AL distribution was normal in girls (P = 0.12), whereas it was not in boys (P < 0.05). For CR1, all subgroups presented normal distributions (P = 0.16 for boys; P = 0.20 for girls), but the distribution varied when the subgroups were combined (P < 0.05). CR2 presented a normal distribution (P = 0.11), whereas the AL/CR ratio was abnormal (P < 0.001). Boys exhibited a significantly longer AL, a greater CR and a greater AL/CR ratio than girls (all P < 0.001). PMID:27384307

Robust sensor fault detection and isolation of gas turbine engines subjected to time-varying parameter uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pourbabaee, Bahareh; Meskin, Nader; Khorasani, Khashayar

2016-08-01

In this paper, a novel robust sensor fault detection and isolation (FDI) strategy using the multiple model-based (MM) approach is proposed that remains robust with respect to both time-varying parameter uncertainties and process and measurement noise in all the channels. The scheme is composed of robust Kalman filters (RKF) that are constructed for multiple piecewise linear (PWL) models that are constructed at various operating points of an uncertain nonlinear system. The parameter uncertainty is modeled by using a time-varying norm bounded admissible structure that affects all the PWL state space matrices. The robust Kalman filter gain matrices are designed by solving two algebraic Riccati equations (AREs) that are expressed as two linear matrix inequality (LMI) feasibility conditions. The proposed multiple RKF-based FDI scheme is simulated for a single spool gas turbine engine to diagnose various sensor faults despite the presence of parameter uncertainties, process and measurement noise. Our comparative studies confirm the superiority of our proposed FDI method when compared to the methods that are available in the literature.

Population Synthesis of Radio and Y-ray Normal, Isolated Pulsars Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Billman, Caleb; Gonthier, P. L.; Harding, A. K.

2013-04-01

We present preliminary results of a population statistics study of normal pulsars (NP) from the Galactic disk using Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques optimized according to two different methods. The first method compares the detected and simulated cumulative distributions of series of pulsar characteristics, varying the model parameters to maximize the overall agreement. The advantage of this method is that the distributions do not have to be binned. The other method varies the model parameters to maximize the log of the maximum likelihood obtained from the comparisons of four-two dimensional distributions of radio and γ-ray pulsar characteristics. The advantage of this method is that it provides a confidence region of the model parameter space. The computer code simulates neutron stars at birth using Monte Carlo procedures and evolves them to the present assuming initial spatial, kick velocity, magnetic field, and period distributions. Pulsars are spun down to the present and given radio and γ-ray emission characteristics, implementing an empirical γ-ray luminosity model. A comparison group of radio NPs detected in ten-radio surveys is used to normalize the simulation, adjusting the model radio luminosity to match a birth rate. We include the Fermi pulsars in the forthcoming second pulsar catalog. We present preliminary results comparing the simulated and detected distributions of radio and γ-ray NPs along with a confidence region in the parameter space of the assumed models. We express our gratitude for the generous support of the National Science Foundation (REU and RUI), Fermi Guest Investigator Program and the NASA Astrophysics Theory and Fundamental Program.

How certain are the process parameterizations in our models?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gharari, Shervan; Hrachowitz, Markus; Fenicia, Fabrizio; Matgen, Patrick; Razavi, Saman; Savenije, Hubert; Gupta, Hoshin; Wheater, Howard

2016-04-01

Environmental models are abstract simplifications of real systems. As a result, the elements of these models, including system architecture (structure), process parameterization and parameters inherit a high level of approximation and simplification. In a conventional model building exercise the parameter values are the only elements of a model which can vary while the rest of the modeling elements are often fixed a priori and therefore not subjected to change. Once chosen the process parametrization and model structure usually remains the same throughout the modeling process. The only flexibility comes from the changing parameter values, thereby enabling these models to reproduce the desired observation. This part of modeling practice, parameter identification and uncertainty, has attracted a significant attention in the literature during the last years. However what remains unexplored in our point of view is to what extent the process parameterization and system architecture (model structure) can support each other. In other words "Does a specific form of process parameterization emerge for a specific model given its system architecture and data while no or little assumption has been made about the process parameterization itself? In this study we relax the assumption regarding a specific pre-determined form for the process parameterizations of a rainfall/runoff model and examine how varying the complexity of the system architecture can lead to different or possibly contradictory parameterization forms than what would have been decided otherwise. This comparison implicitly and explicitly provides us with an assessment of how uncertain is our perception of model process parameterization in respect to the extent the data can support.

Charts Depicting Kinematic and Heating Parameters for a Ballistic Reentry at Speeds of 26,000 to 45,000 Feet Per Second

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovelace, Uriel M.

1961-01-01

Reentry trajectories, including computations of convective and radiative stagnation-point heat transfer, have been calculated by using equations for a point-mass reentry vehicle entering the atmosphere of a rotating, oblate earth. Velocity was varied from 26,000 to 45,000 feet per second; reentry angle, from the skip limit to -20 deg; ballistic drag parameter, from 50 to 200. Initial altitude was 400,000 feet. Explicit results are presented in charts which were computed for an initial latitude of 38 deg N and an azimuth of 90 deg from north. A method is presented whereby these results may be made valid for a range of initial latitude and azimuth angles.

Thermal modeling of a cryogenic turbopump for space shuttle applications.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knowles, P. J.

1971-01-01

Thermal modeling of a cryogenic pump and a hot-gas turbine in a turbopump assembly proposed for the Space Shuttle is described in this paper. A model, developed by identifying the heat-transfer regimes and incorporating their dependencies into a turbopump system model, included heat transfer for two-phase cryogen, hot-gas (200 R) impingement on turbine blades, gas impingement on rotating disks and parallel plate fluid flow. The ?thermal analyzer' program employed to develop this model was the TRW Systems Improved Numerical Differencing Analyzer (SINDA). This program uses finite differencing with lumped parameter representation for each node. Also discussed are model development, simulations of turbopump startup/shutdown operations, and the effects of varying turbopump parameters on the thermal performance.

Measurement of the static and dynamic coefficients of a cross-type parachute in subsonic flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shpund, Zalman; Levin, Daniel

1991-01-01

An experimental parametric investigation of the aerodynamic qualities of cross-type parachutes was performed in a subsonic wind tunnel, using a new experimental technique. This investigation included the measurement of the static and dynamic aerodynamic coefficients, utilizing the measuring apparatus modified specifically for this type of testing. It is shown that the static aerodynamic coefficients of several configurations are in good agreement with available data, and assisted in validating the experimental technique employed. Two configuration parameters were varied in the static tests, the cord length and the canopy aspect ratio, with both parameters having a similar effect on the drag measurement, i.e., any increase in either of them increased the effective blocking area, and therefore the axial force.

Updated reduced CMB data and constraints on cosmological parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Rong-Gen; Guo, Zong-Kuan; Tang, Bo

2015-07-01

We obtain the reduced CMB data {lA, R, z∗} from WMAP9, WMAP9+BKP, Planck+WP and Planck+WP+BKP for the ΛCDM and wCDM models with or without spatial curvature. We then use these reduced CMB data in combination with low-redshift observations to put constraints on cosmological parameters. We find that including BKP results in a higher value of the Hubble constant especially when the equation of state (EOS) of dark energy and curvature are allowed to vary. For the ΛCDM model with curvature, the estimate of the Hubble constant with Planck+WP+Lensing is inconsistent with the one derived from Planck+WP+BKP at about 1.2σ confidence level (CL).

Correlation of Electric Field and Critical Design Parameters for Ferroelectric Tunable Microwave Filters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Subramanyam, Guru; VanKeuls, Fred W.; Miranda, Felix A.; Canedy, Chadwick L.; Aggarwal, Sanjeev; Venkatesan, Thirumalai; Ramesh, Ramamoorthy

2000-01-01

The correlation of electric field and critical design parameters such as the insertion loss, frequency ability return loss, and bandwidth of conductor/ferroelectric/dielectric microstrip tunable K-band microwave filters is discussed in this work. This work is based primarily on barium strontium titanate (BSTO) ferroelectric thin film based tunable microstrip filters for room temperature applications. Two new parameters which we believe will simplify the evaluation of ferroelectric thin films for tunable microwave filters, are defined. The first of these, called the sensitivity parameter, is defined as the incremental change in center frequency with incremental change in maximum applied electric field (EPEAK) in the filter. The other, the loss parameter, is defined as the incremental or decremental change in insertion loss of the filter with incremental change in maximum applied electric field. At room temperature, the Au/BSTO/LAO microstrip filters exhibited a sensitivity parameter value between 15 and 5 MHz/cm/kV. The loss parameter varied for different bias configurations used for electrically tuning the filter. The loss parameter varied from 0.05 to 0.01 dB/cm/kV at room temperature.

Summary of water-quality data for City of Albuquerque drinking-water supply wells, 1988-97

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bexfield, Laura M.; Lindberg, William E.; Anderholm, Scott K.

1999-01-01

The City of Albuquerque has collected and analyzed more than 5,000 water-quality samples from 113 water-supply wells in the Albuquerque area, including many drinking-water supply wells, since May of 1988. As a result, a large water-quality data base has been compiled that includes data for major ions, nutrients, trace elements, carbon, volatile organic compounds, radiological constituents, and bacteria. These data are intended to improve the understanding and management of the ground-water resources of the region, rather than demonstrate compliance with Federal and State drinking-water standards. This report gives summary statistics for selected physical properties and chemical constituents for ground water from wells used by the City of Albuquerque for drinking-water supply between 1988 and 1997. Maps are provided to show the general spatial distribution of selected parameters and water types around the region. Although the values of some parameters vary substantially across the city, median values for all parameters included in this report are less than their respective maximum contaminant levels in each drinking-water supply well. The dominant water types are sodium plus potassium / carbonate plus bicarbonate in the western part of the city and calcium / carbonate plus bicarbonate in the eastern part of the city.

Direct optimization, affine gap costs, and node stability.

PubMed

Aagesen, Lone

2005-09-01

The outcome of a phylogenetic analysis based on DNA sequence data is highly dependent on the homology-assignment step and may vary with alignment parameter costs. Robustness to changes in parameter costs is therefore a desired quality of a data set because the final conclusions will be less dependent on selecting a precise optimal cost set. Here, node stability is explored in relationship to separate versus combined analysis in three different data sets, all including several data partitions. Robustness to changes in cost sets is measured as number of successive changes that can be made in a given cost set before a specific clade is lost. The changes are in all cases base change cost, gap penalties, and adding/removing/changing affine gap costs. When combining data partitions, the number of clades that appear in the entire parameter space is not remarkably increased, in some cases this number even decreased. However, when combining data partitions the trees from cost sets including affine gap costs were always more similar than the trees were from cost sets without affine gap costs. This was not the case when the data partitions were analyzed independently. When data sets were combined approximately 80% of the clades found under cost sets including affine gap costs resisted at least one change to the cost set.

RELATING ACCUMULATOR MODEL PARAMETERS AND NEURAL DYNAMICS

PubMed Central

Purcell, Braden A.; Palmeri, Thomas J.

2016-01-01

Accumulator models explain decision-making as an accumulation of evidence to a response threshold. Specific model parameters are associated with specific model mechanisms, such as the time when accumulation begins, the average rate of evidence accumulation, and the threshold. These mechanisms determine both the within-trial dynamics of evidence accumulation and the predicted behavior. Cognitive modelers usually infer what mechanisms vary during decision-making by seeing what parameters vary when a model is fitted to observed behavior. The recent identification of neural activity with evidence accumulation suggests that it may be possible to directly infer what mechanisms vary from an analysis of how neural dynamics vary. However, evidence accumulation is often noisy, and noise complicates the relationship between accumulator dynamics and the underlying mechanisms leading to those dynamics. To understand what kinds of inferences can be made about decision-making mechanisms based on measures of neural dynamics, we measured simulated accumulator model dynamics while systematically varying model parameters. In some cases, decision- making mechanisms can be directly inferred from dynamics, allowing us to distinguish between models that make identical behavioral predictions. In other cases, however, different parameterized mechanisms produce surprisingly similar dynamics, limiting the inferences that can be made based on measuring dynamics alone. Analyzing neural dynamics can provide a powerful tool to resolve model mimicry at the behavioral level, but we caution against drawing inferences based solely on neural analyses. Instead, simultaneous modeling of behavior and neural dynamics provides the most powerful approach to understand decision-making and likely other aspects of cognition and perception. PMID:28392584

Positional glow curve simulation for thermoluminescent detector (TLD) system design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branch, C. J.; Kearfott, K. J.

1999-02-01

Multi- and thin element dosimeters, variable heating rate schemes, and glow-curve analysis have been employed to improve environmental and personnel dosimetry using thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs). Detailed analysis of the effects of errors and optimization of techniques would be highly desirable. However, an understanding of the relationship between TL light production, light attenuation, and precise heating schemes is made difficult because of experimental challenges involved in measuring positional TL light production and temperature variations as a function of time. This work reports the development of a general-purpose computer code, thermoluminescent detector simulator, TLD-SIM, to simulate the heating of any TLD type using a variety of conventional and experimental heating methods including pulsed focused or unfocused lasers with Gaussian or uniform cross sections, planchet, hot gas, hot finger, optical, infrared, or electrical heating. TLD-SIM has been used to study the impact on the TL light production of varying the input parameters which include: detector composition, heat capacity, heat conductivity, physical size, and density; trapped electron density, the frequency factor of oscillation of electrons in the traps, and trap-conduction band potential energy difference; heating scheme source terms and heat transfer boundary conditions; and TL light scatter and attenuation coefficients. Temperature profiles and glow curves as a function of position time, as well as the corresponding temporally and/or spatially integrated glow values, may be plotted while varying any of the input parameters. Examples illustrating TLD system functions, including glow curve variability, will be presented. The flexible capabilities of TLD-SIM promises to enable improved TLD system design.

Temperature, stress, and corrosive sensing apparatus utilizing harmonic response of magnetically soft sensor element (s)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grimes, Craig A. (Inventor); Ong, Keat Ghee (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A temperature sensing apparatus including a sensor element made of a magnetically soft material operatively arranged within a first and second time-varying interrogation magnetic field, the first time-varying magnetic field being generated at a frequency higher than that for the second magnetic field. A receiver, remote from the sensor element, is engaged to measure intensity of electromagnetic emissions from the sensor element to identify a relative maximum amplitude value for each of a plurality of higher-order harmonic frequency amplitudes so measured. A unit then determines a value for temperature (or other parameter of interst) using the relative maximum harmonic amplitude values identified. In other aspects of the invention, the focus is on an apparatus and technique for determining a value for of stress condition of a solid analyte and for determining a value for corrosion, using the relative maximum harmonic amplitude values identified. A magnetically hard element supporting a biasing field adjacent the magnetically soft sensor element can be included.

Aircraft noise synthesis system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccurdy, David A.; Grandle, Robert E.

1987-01-01

A second-generation Aircraft Noise Synthesis System has been developed to provide test stimuli for studies of community annoyance to aircraft flyover noise. The computer-based system generates realistic, time-varying, audio simulations of aircraft flyover noise at a specified observer location on the ground. The synthesis takes into account the time-varying aircraft position relative to the observer; specified reference spectra consisting of broadband, narrowband, and pure-tone components; directivity patterns; Doppler shift; atmospheric effects; and ground effects. These parameters can be specified and controlled in such a way as to generate stimuli in which certain noise characteristics, such as duration or tonal content, are independently varied, while the remaining characteristics, such as broadband content, are held constant. The system can also generate simulations of the predicted noise characteristics of future aircraft. A description of the synthesis system and a discussion of the algorithms and methods used to generate the simulations are provided. An appendix describing the input data and providing user instructions is also included.

Laser Trimming of CuAlMo Thin-Film Resistors: Effect of Laser Processing Parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkett, Martin; Penlington, Roger

2012-08-01

This paper reports the effect of varying laser trimming process parameters on the electrical performance of a novel CuAlMo thin-film resistor material. The films were prepared on Al2O3 substrates by direct-current (DC) magnetron sputtering, before being laser trimmed to target resistance value. The effect of varying key laser parameters of power, Q-rate, and bite size on the resistor stability and tolerance accuracy were systematically investigated. By reducing laser power and bite size and balancing this with Q-rate setting, significant improvements in resistor stability and resistor tolerance accuracies of less than ±0.5% were achieved.

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

Dolly, S; University of Missouri, Columbia, MO; Chen, H

Purpose: Local noise power spectrum (NPS) properties are significantly affected by calculation variables and CT acquisition and reconstruction parameters, but a thoughtful analysis of these effects is absent. In this study, we performed a complete analysis of the effects of calculation and imaging parameters on the NPS. Methods: The uniformity module of a Catphan phantom was scanned with a Philips Brilliance 64-slice CT simulator using various scanning protocols. Images were reconstructed using both FBP and iDose4 reconstruction algorithms. From these images, local NPS were calculated for regions of interest (ROI) of varying locations and sizes, using four image background removalmore » methods. Additionally, using a predetermined ground truth, NPS calculation accuracy for various calculation parameters was compared for computer simulated ROIs. A complete analysis of the effects of calculation, acquisition, and reconstruction parameters on the NPS was conducted. Results: The local NPS varied with ROI size and image background removal method, particularly at low spatial frequencies. The image subtraction method was the most accurate according to the computer simulation study, and was also the most effective at removing low frequency background components in the acquired data. However, first-order polynomial fitting using residual sum of squares and principle component analysis provided comparable accuracy under certain situations. Similar general trends were observed when comparing the NPS for FBP to that of iDose4 while varying other calculation and scanning parameters. However, while iDose4 reduces the noise magnitude compared to FBP, this reduction is spatial-frequency dependent, further affecting NPS variations at low spatial frequencies. Conclusion: The local NPS varies significantly depending on calculation parameters, image acquisition parameters, and reconstruction techniques. Appropriate local NPS calculation should be performed to capture spatial variations of noise; calculation methodology should be selected with consideration of image reconstruction effects and the desired purpose of CT simulation for radiotherapy tasks.« less

Investigating the effects of the fixed and varying dispersion parameters of Poisson-gamma models on empirical Bayes estimates.

PubMed

Lord, Dominique; Park, Peter Young-Jin

2008-07-01

Traditionally, transportation safety analysts have used the empirical Bayes (EB) method to improve the estimate of the long-term mean of individual sites; to correct for the regression-to-the-mean (RTM) bias in before-after studies; and to identify hotspots or high risk locations. The EB method combines two different sources of information: (1) the expected number of crashes estimated via crash prediction models, and (2) the observed number of crashes at individual sites. Crash prediction models have traditionally been estimated using a negative binomial (NB) (or Poisson-gamma) modeling framework due to the over-dispersion commonly found in crash data. A weight factor is used to assign the relative influence of each source of information on the EB estimate. This factor is estimated using the mean and variance functions of the NB model. With recent trends that illustrated the dispersion parameter to be dependent upon the covariates of NB models, especially for traffic flow-only models, as well as varying as a function of different time-periods, there is a need to determine how these models may affect EB estimates. The objectives of this study are to examine how commonly used functional forms as well as fixed and time-varying dispersion parameters affect the EB estimates. To accomplish the study objectives, several traffic flow-only crash prediction models were estimated using a sample of rural three-legged intersections located in California. Two types of aggregated and time-specific models were produced: (1) the traditional NB model with a fixed dispersion parameter and (2) the generalized NB model (GNB) with a time-varying dispersion parameter, which is also dependent upon the covariates of the model. Several statistical methods were used to compare the fitting performance of the various functional forms. The results of the study show that the selection of the functional form of NB models has an important effect on EB estimates both in terms of estimated values, weight factors, and dispersion parameters. Time-specific models with a varying dispersion parameter provide better statistical performance in terms of goodness-of-fit (GOF) than aggregated multi-year models. Furthermore, the identification of hazardous sites, using the EB method, can be significantly affected when a GNB model with a time-varying dispersion parameter is used. Thus, erroneously selecting a functional form may lead to select the wrong sites for treatment. The study concludes that transportation safety analysts should not automatically use an existing functional form for modeling motor vehicle crashes without conducting rigorous analyses to estimate the most appropriate functional form linking crashes with traffic flow.

Deriving adaptive operating rules of hydropower reservoirs using time-varying parameters generated by the EnKF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Maoyuan; Liu, Pan; Guo, Shenglian; Shi, Liangsheng; Deng, Chao; Ming, Bo

2017-08-01

Operating rules have been used widely to decide reservoir operations because of their capacity for coping with uncertain inflow. However, stationary operating rules lack adaptability; thus, under changing environmental conditions, they cause inefficient reservoir operation. This paper derives adaptive operating rules based on time-varying parameters generated using the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF). A deterministic optimization model is established to obtain optimal water releases, which are further taken as observations of the reservoir simulation model. The EnKF is formulated to update the operating rules sequentially, providing a series of time-varying parameters. To identify the index that dominates the variations of the operating rules, three hydrologic factors are selected: the reservoir inflow, ratio of future inflow to current available water, and available water. Finally, adaptive operating rules are derived by fitting the time-varying parameters with the identified dominant hydrologic factor. China's Three Gorges Reservoir was selected as a case study. Results show that (1) the EnKF has the capability of capturing the variations of the operating rules, (2) reservoir inflow is the factor that dominates the variations of the operating rules, and (3) the derived adaptive operating rules are effective in improving hydropower benefits compared with stationary operating rules. The insightful findings of this study could be used to help adapt reservoir operations to mitigate the effects of changing environmental conditions.

Photodegradation of Paracetamol in Nitrate Solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Cui; Qu, Ruijuan; Liang, Jinyan; Yang, Xi

2010-11-01

The photodegradation of paracetamol in nitrate solution under simulated solar irradiation has been investigated. The degradation rates were compared by varying environmental parameters including concentrations of nitrate ion, humic substance and pH values. The quantifications of paracetamol were conducted by HPLC method. The results demonstrate that the photodegradation of paracetamol followed first-order kinetics. The photoproducts and intermediates of paracetamol in the presence of nitrate ions were identified by extensive GC-MS method. The photodegradation pathways involving. OH radicals as reactive species were proposed.

Distorted neutrino oscillations from time varying cosmic fields

DOE PAGES

Krnjaic, Gordan; Machado, Pedro A. N.; Necib, Lina

2018-04-16

Cold, ultralight (more » $$\\ll$$ eV) bosonic fields can induce fast temporal variation in neutrino couplings, thereby distorting neutrino oscillations. In this paper, we exploit this effect to introduce a novel probe of neutrino time variation and dark matter at long-baseline experiments. We study several representative observables and find that current and future experiments, including DUNE and JUNO, are sensitive to a wide range of model parameters over many decades in mass reach and time-variation periodicity.« less

Distorted neutrino oscillations from time varying cosmic fields

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

Krnjaic, Gordan; Machado, Pedro A. N.; Necib, Lina

Cold, ultralight (more » $$\\ll$$ eV) bosonic fields can induce fast temporal variation in neutrino couplings, thereby distorting neutrino oscillations. In this paper, we exploit this effect to introduce a novel probe of neutrino time variation and dark matter at long-baseline experiments. We study several representative observables and find that current and future experiments, including DUNE and JUNO, are sensitive to a wide range of model parameters over many decades in mass reach and time-variation periodicity.« less

The flight of a balsa glider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waltham, Chris

1999-07-01

A simple analysis is performed on the flight of a small balsa toy glider. All the basic features of flight have to be included in the calculation. Key differences between the flight of small objects like the glider, and full-sized aircraft, are examined. Good agreement with experimental data is obtained when only one parameter, the drag coefficient, is allowed to vary. The experimental drag coefficient is found to be within a factor of 2 of that obtained using the theory of ideal flat plates.

Modelling of volatility in monetary transmission mechanism

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

Dobešová, Anna; Klepáč, Václav; Kolman, Pavel

2015-03-10

The aim of this paper is to compare different approaches to modeling of volatility in monetary transmission mechanism. For this purpose we built time-varying parameter VAR (TVP-VAR) model with stochastic volatility and VAR-DCC-GARCH model with conditional variance. The data from three European countries are included in the analysis: the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia. Results show that VAR-DCC-GARCH system captures higher volatility of observed variables but main trends and detected breaks are generally identical in both approaches.

Cylinder To Cylinder Balancing Using Intake Valve Actuation

DOEpatents

Duffy, Kevin P.; Kieser, Andrew J.; Kilkenny, Jonathan P.

2005-01-18

A method and apparatus for balancing a combustion phasing between a plurality of cylinders located in an engine. The method and apparatus includes a determining a combustion timing in each cylinder, establishing a baseline parameter for a desired combustion timing, and varying actuation of at least one of a plurality of intake valves, each intake valve being in fluid communication with a corresponding cylinder, such that the combustion timing in each cylinder is substantially equal to the desired combustion timing.

Photodegradation of Paracetamol in Nitrate Solution

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

Meng Cui; Qu Ruijuan; Liang Jinyan

2010-11-24

The photodegradation of paracetamol in nitrate solution under simulated solar irradiation has been investigated. The degradation rates were compared by varying environmental parameters including concentrations of nitrate ion, humic substance and pH values. The quantifications of paracetamol were conducted by HPLC method. The results demonstrate that the photodegradation of paracetamol followed first-order kinetics. The photoproducts and intermediates of paracetamol in the presence of nitrate ions were identified by extensive GC-MS method. The photodegradation pathways involving. OH radicals as reactive species were proposed.

1DTempPro V2: new features for inferring groundwater/surface-water exchange

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koch, Franklin W.; Voytek, Emily B.; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Healy, Richard W.; Briggs, Martin A.; Lane, John W.; Werkema, Dale D.

2016-01-01

A new version of the computer program 1DTempPro extends the original code to include new capabilities for (1) automated parameter estimation, (2) layer heterogeneity, and (3) time-varying specific discharge. The code serves as an interface to the U.S. Geological Survey model VS2DH and supports analysis of vertical one-dimensional temperature profiles under saturated flow conditions to assess groundwater/surface-water exchange and estimate hydraulic conductivity for cases where hydraulic head is known.

Ecology of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus in the Coastal and Estuarine Waters of Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, and Washington (United States)

PubMed Central

Bowers, John C.; Griffitt, Kimberly J.; Molina, Vanessa; Clostio, Rachel W.; Pei, Shaofeng; Laws, Edward; Paranjpye, Rohinee N.; Strom, Mark S.; Chen, Arlene; Hasan, Nur A.; Huq, Anwar; Noriea, Nicholas F.; Grimes, D. Jay; Colwell, Rita R.

2012-01-01

Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus, which are native to estuaries globally, are agents of seafood-borne or wound infections, both potentially fatal. Like all vibrios autochthonous to coastal regions, their abundance varies with changes in environmental parameters. Sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface height (SSH), and chlorophyll have been shown to be predictors of zooplankton and thus factors linked to vibrio populations. The contribution of salinity, conductivity, turbidity, and dissolved organic carbon to the incidence and distribution of Vibrio spp. has also been reported. Here, a multicoastal, 21-month study was conducted to determine relationships between environmental parameters and V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus populations in water, oysters, and sediment in three coastal areas of the United States. Because ecologically unique sites were included in the study, it was possible to analyze individual parameters over wide ranges. Molecular methods were used to detect genes for thermolabile hemolysin (tlh), thermostable direct hemolysin (tdh), and tdh-related hemolysin (trh) as indicators of V. parahaemolyticus and the hemolysin gene vvhA for V. vulnificus. SST and suspended particulate matter were found to be strong predictors of total and potentially pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus. Other predictors included chlorophyll a, salinity, and dissolved organic carbon. For the ecologically unique sites included in the study, SST was confirmed as an effective predictor of annual variation in vibrio abundance, with other parameters explaining a portion of the variation not attributable to SST. PMID:22865080

Evaluation of powertrain solutions for future tactical truck vehicle systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisu, Pierluigi; Cantemir, Codrin-Gruie; Dembski, Nicholas; Rizzoni, Giorgio; Serrao, Lorenzo; Josephson, John R.; Russell, James

2006-05-01

The article presents the results of a large scale design space exploration for the hybridization of two off-road vehicles, part of the Future Tactical Truck System (FTTS) family: Maneuver Sustainment Vehicle (MSV) and Utility Vehicle (UV). Series hybrid architectures are examined. The objective of the paper is to illustrate a novel design methodology that allows for the choice of the optimal values of several vehicle parameters. The methodology consists in an extensive design space exploration, which involves running a large number of computer simulations with systematically varied vehicle design parameters, where each variant is paced through several different mission profiles, and multiple attributes of performance are measured. The resulting designs are filtered to choose the design tradeoffs that better satisfy the performance and fuel economy requirements. At the end, few promising vehicle configuration designs will be selected that will need additional detailed investigation including neglected metrics like ride and drivability. Several powertrain architectures have been simulated. The design parameters include the number of axles in the vehicle (2 or 3), the number of electric motors per axle (1 or 2), the type of internal combustion engine, the type and quantity of energy storage system devices (batteries, electrochemical capacitors or both together). An energy management control strategy has also been developed to provide efficiency and performance. The control parameters are tunable and have been included into the design space exploration. The results show that the internal combustion engine and the energy storage system devices are extremely important for the vehicle performance.

Observational constraint on the interacting dark energy models including the Sandage-Loeb test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ming-Jian; Liu, Wen-Biao

2014-05-01

Two types of interacting dark energy models are investigated using the type Ia supernova (SNIa), observational data (OHD), cosmic microwave background shift parameter, and the secular Sandage-Loeb (SL) test. In the investigation, we have used two sets of parameter priors including WMAP-9 and Planck 2013. They have shown some interesting differences. We find that the inclusion of SL test can obviously provide a more stringent constraint on the parameters in both models. For the constant coupling model, the interaction term has been improved to be only a half of the original scale on corresponding errors. Comparing with only SNIa and OHD, we find that the inclusion of the SL test almost reduces the best-fit interaction to zero, which indicates that the higher-redshift observation including the SL test is necessary to track the evolution of the interaction. For the varying coupling model, data with the inclusion of the SL test show that the parameter at C.L. in Planck priors is , where the constant is characteristic for the severity of the coincidence problem. This indicates that the coincidence problem will be less severe. We then reconstruct the interaction , and we find that the best-fit interaction is also negative, similar to the constant coupling model. However, for a high redshift, the interaction generally vanishes at infinity. We also find that the phantom-like dark energy with is favored over the CDM model.

Diagnosing holographic type dark energy models with the Statefinder hierarchy, composite null diagnostic and w- w' pair

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ze; Wang, Shuang

2018-03-01

The main purpose of this work is to distinguish various holographic type dark energy (DE) models, including the ΛHDE, HDE, NADE, and RDE model, by using various diagnostic tools. The first diagnostic tool is the Statefinder hierarchy, in which the evolution of Statefinder hierarchy parmeter S (1) 3( z) and S (1) 4( z) are studied. The second is composite null diagnostic (CND), in which the trajectories of { S (1) 3, ɛ} and { S (1) 4, ɛ} are investigated, where ɛ is the fractional growth parameter. The last is w-w' analysis, where w is the equation of state for DE and the prime denotes derivative with respect to ln a. In the analysis we consider two cases: varying current fractional DE density Ω de0 and varying DE model parameter C. We find that: (1) both the Statefinder hierarchy and the CND have qualitative impact on ΛHDE, but only have quantitative impact on HDE. (2) S (1) 4 can lead to larger differences than S (1) 3, while the CND pair has a stronger ability to distinguish different models than the Statefinder hierarchy. (3) For the case of varying C, the { w,w'} pair has qualitative impact on ΛHDE; for the case of varying Ω de0, the { w, w'} pair only has quantitative impact; these results are different from the cases of HDE, RDE, and NADE, in which the {w,w'} pair only has quantitative impact on these models. In conclusion, compared with HDE, RDE, and NADE, the ΛHDE model can be easily distinguished by using these diagnostic tools.

A robust fractional-order PID controller design based on active queue management for TCP network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamidian, Hamideh; Beheshti, Mohammad T. H.

2018-01-01

In this paper, a robust fractional-order controller is designed to control the congestion in transmission control protocol (TCP) networks with time-varying parameters. Fractional controllers can increase the stability and robustness. Regardless of advantages of fractional controllers, they are still not common in congestion control in TCP networks. The network parameters are time-varying, so the robust stability is important in congestion controller design. Therefore, we focused on the robust controller design. The fractional PID controller is developed based on active queue management (AQM). D-partition technique is used. The most important property of designed controller is the robustness to the time-varying parameters of the TCP network. The vertex quasi-polynomials of the closed-loop characteristic equation are obtained, and the stability boundaries are calculated for each vertex quasi-polynomial. The intersection of all stability regions is insensitive to network parameter variations, and results in robust stability of TCP/AQM system. NS-2 simulations show that the proposed algorithm provides a stable queue length. Moreover, simulations show smaller oscillations of the queue length and less packet drop probability for FPID compared to PI and PID controllers. We can conclude from NS-2 simulations that the average packet loss probability variations are negligible when the network parameters change.

Effect of correlated observation error on parameters, predictions, and uncertainty

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tiedeman, Claire; Green, Christopher T.

2013-01-01

Correlations among observation errors are typically omitted when calculating observation weights for model calibration by inverse methods. We explore the effects of omitting these correlations on estimates of parameters, predictions, and uncertainties. First, we develop a new analytical expression for the difference in parameter variance estimated with and without error correlations for a simple one-parameter two-observation inverse model. Results indicate that omitting error correlations from both the weight matrix and the variance calculation can either increase or decrease the parameter variance, depending on the values of error correlation (ρ) and the ratio of dimensionless scaled sensitivities (rdss). For small ρ, the difference in variance is always small, but for large ρ, the difference varies widely depending on the sign and magnitude of rdss. Next, we consider a groundwater reactive transport model of denitrification with four parameters and correlated geochemical observation errors that are computed by an error-propagation approach that is new for hydrogeologic studies. We compare parameter estimates, predictions, and uncertainties obtained with and without the error correlations. Omitting the correlations modestly to substantially changes parameter estimates, and causes both increases and decreases of parameter variances, consistent with the analytical expression. Differences in predictions for the models calibrated with and without error correlations can be greater than parameter differences when both are considered relative to their respective confidence intervals. These results indicate that including observation error correlations in weighting for nonlinear regression can have important effects on parameter estimates, predictions, and their respective uncertainties.

Identification of hydrological model parameter variation using ensemble Kalman filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Chao; Liu, Pan; Guo, Shenglian; Li, Zejun; Wang, Dingbao

2016-12-01

Hydrological model parameters play an important role in the ability of model prediction. In a stationary context, parameters of hydrological models are treated as constants; however, model parameters may vary with time under climate change and anthropogenic activities. The technique of ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) is proposed to identify the temporal variation of parameters for a two-parameter monthly water balance model (TWBM) by assimilating the runoff observations. Through a synthetic experiment, the proposed method is evaluated with time-invariant (i.e., constant) parameters and different types of parameter variations, including trend, abrupt change and periodicity. Various levels of observation uncertainty are designed to examine the performance of the EnKF. The results show that the EnKF can successfully capture the temporal variations of the model parameters. The application to the Wudinghe basin shows that the water storage capacity (SC) of the TWBM model has an apparent increasing trend during the period from 1958 to 2000. The identified temporal variation of SC is explained by land use and land cover changes due to soil and water conservation measures. In contrast, the application to the Tongtianhe basin shows that the estimated SC has no significant variation during the simulation period of 1982-2013, corresponding to the relatively stationary catchment properties. The evapotranspiration parameter (C) has temporal variations while no obvious change patterns exist. The proposed method provides an effective tool for quantifying the temporal variations of the model parameters, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of model simulations and forecasts.

Multiple-orifice liquid injection into hypersonic airstreams and applications to ram C-3 flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weaver, W. L.

1972-01-01

Experimental data are presented for the oblique injection of water and three electrophilic liquids (fluorocarbon compounds) through multiple-orifice nozzles from a flat plate and the sides of a hemisphere-cone (0.375 scale of RAM C spacecraft) into hypersonic airstreams. The nozzle patterns included single and multiple orifices, single rows of nozzles, and duplicates of the RAM C-III nozzles. The flat-plate tests were made at Mach 8. Total pressure was varied from 3.45 MN/m2 to 10.34 MN/m2, Reynolds number was varied form 9,840,000 per meter to 19,700,000 per meter, and liquid injection pressure was varied from 0.69 MN/m2 to 3.5 MN/m2. The hemisphere-cone tests were made at Mach 7.3. Total pressure was varied from 1.38 MN/m2, to 6.89 MN/m2, Reynolds number was varied from 3,540,000 per meter to 17,700,000 per meter, and liquid-injection pressure was varied from 0.34 MN/m2 to 4.14 MN/m2. Photographs of the tests and plots of liquid-penetration and spray cross-section area are presented. Maximum penetration was found to vary as the square root of the dynamic-pressure ratio and the square root of the total injection nozzle area. Spray cross-section area was linear with maximum penetration. The test results are used to compute injection parameters for the RAM C-3 flight injection experiment.

An integrative time-varying frequency detection and channel sounding method for dynamic plasma sheath

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Lei; Yao, Bo; Zhao, Lei; Liu, Xiaotong; Yang, Min; Liu, Yanming

2018-01-01

The plasma sheath-surrounded hypersonic vehicle is a dynamic and time-varying medium and it is almost impossible to calculate time-varying physical parameters directly. The in-fight detection of the time-varying degree is important to understand the dynamic nature of the physical parameters and their effect on re-entry communication. In this paper, a constant envelope zero autocorrelation (CAZAC) sequence based on time-varying frequency detection and channel sounding method is proposed to detect the plasma sheath electronic density time-varying property and wireless channel characteristic. The proposed method utilizes the CAZAC sequence, which has excellent autocorrelation and spread gain characteristics, to realize dynamic time-varying detection/channel sounding under low signal-to-noise ratio in the plasma sheath environment. Theoretical simulation under a typical time-varying radio channel shows that the proposed method is capable of detecting time-variation frequency up to 200 kHz and can trace the channel amplitude and phase in the time domain well under -10 dB. Experimental results conducted in the RF modulation discharge plasma device verified the time variation detection ability in practical dynamic plasma sheath. Meanwhile, nonlinear phenomenon of dynamic plasma sheath on communication signal is observed thorough channel sounding result.

Description and availability of the SMARTS spectral model for photovoltaic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, Daryl R.; Gueymard, Christian A.

2004-11-01

Limited spectral response range of photocoltaic (PV) devices requires device performance be characterized with respect to widely varying terrestrial solar spectra. The FORTRAN code "Simple Model for Atmospheric Transmission of Sunshine" (SMARTS) was developed for various clear-sky solar renewable energy applications. The model is partly based on parameterizations of transmittance functions in the MODTRAN/LOWTRAN band model family of radiative transfer codes. SMARTS computes spectra with a resolution of 0.5 nanometers (nm) below 400 nm, 1.0 nm from 400 nm to 1700 nm, and 5 nm from 1700 nm to 4000 nm. Fewer than 20 input parameters are required to compute spectral irradiance distributions including spectral direct beam, total, and diffuse hemispherical radiation, and up to 30 other spectral parameters. A spreadsheet-based graphical user interface can be used to simplify the construction of input files for the model. The model is the basis for new terrestrial reference spectra developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) for photovoltaic and materials degradation applications. We describe the model accuracy, functionality, and the availability of source and executable code. Applications to PV rating and efficiency and the combined effects of spectral selectivity and varying atmospheric conditions are briefly discussed.

Hierarchical models and Bayesian analysis of bird survey information

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sauer, J.R.; Link, W.A.; Royle, J. Andrew; Ralph, C. John; Rich, Terrell D.

2005-01-01

Summary of bird survey information is a critical component of conservation activities, but often our summaries rely on statistical methods that do not accommodate the limitations of the information. Prioritization of species requires ranking and analysis of species by magnitude of population trend, but often magnitude of trend is a misleading measure of actual decline when trend is poorly estimated. Aggregation of population information among regions is also complicated by varying quality of estimates among regions. Hierarchical models provide a reasonable means of accommodating concerns about aggregation and ranking of quantities of varying precision. In these models the need to consider multiple scales is accommodated by placing distributional assumptions on collections of parameters. For collections of species trends, this allows probability statements to be made about the collections of species-specific parameters, rather than about the estimates. We define and illustrate hierarchical models for two commonly encountered situations in bird conservation: (1) Estimating attributes of collections of species estimates, including ranking of trends, estimating number of species with increasing populations, and assessing population stability with regard to predefined trend magnitudes; and (2) estimation of regional population change, aggregating information from bird surveys over strata. User-friendly computer software makes hierarchical models readily accessible to scientists.

Ideal MHD Stability and Characteristics of Edge Localized Modes on CFETR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zeyu; Chan, Vincent; Xu, Xueqiao; Wang, Xiaogang; Cfetr Physics Team

2017-10-01

Investigation on the equilibrium operation regime, its ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) stability and edge localized modes (ELM) characteristics is performed for China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR). The CFETR operation regime study starts with a baseline scenario derived from multi-code integrated modeling, with key parameters varied to build a systematic database. These parameters, under profile and pedestal constraints, provide the foundation for engineering design. The linear stabilities of low-n and intermediate-n peeling-ballooning modes for CFETR baseline scenario are analyzed. Multi-code benchmarking, including GATO, ELITE, BOUT + + and NIMROD, demonstrated good agreement in predicting instabilities. Nonlinear behavior of ELMs for the baseline scenario is simulated using BOUT + + . Instabilities are found both at the pedestal top and inside the pedestal region, which lead to a mix of grassy and type I ELMs. Pedestal structures extending inward beyond the pedestal top are also varied to study the influence on ELM characteristic. Preliminary results on the dependence of the Type-I ELM divertor heat load scaling on machine size and pedestal pressure will also be presented. Prepared by LLNL under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344 and National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Research Program of China (Grant No. 2014GB110003 and 2014GB107004).

Analysis, optimization, and implementation of a hybrid DS/FFH spread-spectrum technique for smart grid communications

DOE PAGES

Olama, Mohammed M.; Ma, Xiao; Killough, Stephen M.; ...

2015-03-12

In recent years, there has been great interest in using hybrid spread-spectrum (HSS) techniques for commercial applications, particularly in the Smart Grid, in addition to their inherent uses in military communications. This is because HSS can accommodate high data rates with high link integrity, even in the presence of significant multipath effects and interfering signals. A highly useful form of this transmission technique for many types of command, control, and sensing applications is the specific code-related combination of standard direct sequence modulation with fast frequency hopping, denoted hybrid DS/FFH, wherein multiple frequency hops occur within a single data-bit time. Inmore » this paper, error-probability analyses are performed for a hybrid DS/FFH system over standard Gaussian and fading-type channels, progressively including the effects from wide- and partial-band jamming, multi-user interference, and varying degrees of Rayleigh and Rician fading. In addition, an optimization approach is formulated that minimizes the bit-error performance of a hybrid DS/FFH communication system and solves for the resulting system design parameters. The optimization objective function is non-convex and can be solved by applying the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions. We also present our efforts toward exploring the design, implementation, and evaluation of a hybrid DS/FFH radio transceiver using a single FPGA. Numerical and experimental results are presented under widely varying design parameters to demonstrate the adaptability of the waveform for varied harsh smart grid RF signal environments.« less

State space modeling of time-varying contemporaneous and lagged relations in connectivity maps.

PubMed

Molenaar, Peter C M; Beltz, Adriene M; Gates, Kathleen M; Wilson, Stephen J

2016-01-15

Most connectivity mapping techniques for neuroimaging data assume stationarity (i.e., network parameters are constant across time), but this assumption does not always hold true. The authors provide a description of a new approach for simultaneously detecting time-varying (or dynamic) contemporaneous and lagged relations in brain connectivity maps. Specifically, they use a novel raw data likelihood estimation technique (involving a second-order extended Kalman filter/smoother embedded in a nonlinear optimizer) to determine the variances of the random walks associated with state space model parameters and their autoregressive components. The authors illustrate their approach with simulated and blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 30 daily cigarette smokers performing a verbal working memory task, focusing on seven regions of interest (ROIs). Twelve participants had dynamic directed functional connectivity maps: Eleven had one or more time-varying contemporaneous ROI state loadings, and one had a time-varying autoregressive parameter. Compared to smokers without dynamic maps, smokers with dynamic maps performed the task with greater accuracy. Thus, accurate detection of dynamic brain processes is meaningfully related to behavior in a clinical sample. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Spectral estimation of received phase in the presence of amplitude scintillation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vilnrotter, V. A.; Brown, D. H.; Hurd, W. J.

1988-01-01

A technique is demonstrated for obtaining the spectral parameters of the received carrier phase in the presence of carrier amplitude scintillation, by means of a digital phased locked loop. Since the random amplitude fluctuations generate time-varying loop characteristics, straightforward processing of the phase detector output does not provide accurate results. The method developed here performs a time-varying inverse filtering operation on the corrupted observables, thus recovering the original phase process and enabling accurate estimation of its underlying parameters.

SODA Repuslive Function Shaping

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-16

SODA, Swarm Orbital Dynamics Advisor, a tool that provides the orbital maneuvers required to achieve a desired type of relative swarm motion. The SODA algorithm uses a repulsive potential that is a function of the distances between each pair of satellites. Choosing the parameters of the function is a swarm design choice, as different values can yield very different maneuvers and thus impact fuel use and mission life. This is an animation illustrating how the peaks of the repulsive potential function vary when varying certain parameters.

In-medium effects via nuclear stopping in asymmetric colliding nuclei

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

Kaur, Mandeep

2016-05-06

The nuclear stopping is studied using isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics (IQMD) model in asymmetric colliding nuclei by varying mass asymmetry. The calculations have been done at incident energies varying between 50 and 400 MeV/nucleon for different impact parameters. We investigate the relative role of constant scaled and density-dependent scaled cross-sections. Our study reveals that nuclear stopping depends on the mass asymmetry, incident energy and impact parameter, however, it is independent of the way of scaling the cross-section.

Acoustic Characterization of a Multi-Rotor Unmanned Aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feight, Jordan; Gaeta, Richard; Jacob, Jamey

2017-11-01

In this study, the noise produced by a small multi-rotor rotary wing aircraft, or drone, is measured and characterized. The aircraft is tested in different configurations and environments to investigate specific parameters and how they affect the acoustic signature of the system. The parameters include rotor RPM, the number of rotors, distance and angle of microphone array from the noise source, and the ambient environment. The testing environments include an anechoic chamber for an idealized setting and both indoor and outdoor settings to represent real world conditions. PIV measurements are conducted to link the downwash and vortical flow structures from the rotors with the noise generation. The significant factors that arise from this study are the operational state of the aircraft and the microphone location (or the directivity of the noise source). The directivity in the rotor plane was shown to be omni-directional, regardless of the varying parameters. The tonal noise dominates the low to mid frequencies while the broadband noise dominates the higher frequencies. The fundamental characteristics of the acoustic signature appear to be invariant to the number of rotors. Flight maneuvers of the aircraft also significantly impact the tonal content in the acoustic signature.

A pattern recognition approach to transistor array parameter variance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da F. Costa, Luciano; Silva, Filipi N.; Comin, Cesar H.

2018-06-01

The properties of semiconductor devices, including bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), are known to vary substantially in terms of their parameters. In this work, an experimental approach, including pattern recognition concepts and methods such as principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), was used to experimentally investigate the variation among BJTs belonging to integrated circuits known as transistor arrays. It was shown that a good deal of the devices variance can be captured using only two PCA axes. It was also verified that, though substantially small variation of parameters is observed for BJT from the same array, larger variation arises between BJTs from distinct arrays, suggesting the consideration of device characteristics in more critical analog designs. As a consequence of its supervised nature, LDA was able to provide a substantial separation of the BJT into clusters, corresponding to each transistor array. In addition, the LDA mapping into two dimensions revealed a clear relationship between the considered measurements. Interestingly, a specific mapping suggested by the PCA, involving the total harmonic distortion variation expressed in terms of the average voltage gain, yielded an even better separation between the transistor array clusters. All in all, this work yielded interesting results from both semiconductor engineering and pattern recognition perspectives.

Dependence of EMIC wave parameters during quiet, geomagnetic storm, and geomagnetic storm phase times

DOE PAGES

Halford, Alexa J.; Fraser, Brian J; Morley, Steven Karl; ...

2016-06-08

As electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves may play an important role in radiation belt dynamics, there has been a push to better include them into global simulations. How to best include EMIC wave effects is still an open question. Recently many studies have attempted to parameterize EMIC waves and their characteristics by geomagnetic indices. However, this does not fully take into account important physics related to the phase of a geomagnetic storm. In this paper we first consider how EMIC wave occurrence varies with the phase of a geomagnetic storm and the SYM-H, AE, and Kp indices. Here we showmore » that the storm phase plays an important role in the occurrence probability of EMIC waves. The occurrence rates for a given value of a geomagnetic index change based on the geomagnetic condition. Then in this study we also describe the typical plasma and wave parameters observed in L and magnetic local time for quiet, storm, and storm phase. These results are given in a tabular format in the supporting information so that more accurate statistics of EMIC wave parameters can be incorporated into modeling efforts.« less

Novel techniques for a wireless motion capture system for the monitoring and rehabilitation of disabled persons for application in smart buildings.

PubMed

Banach, Marzena; Wasilewska, Agnieszka; Dlugosz, Rafal; Pauk, Jolanta

2018-05-18

Due to the problem of aging societies, there is a need for smart buildings to monitor and support people with various disabilities, including rheumatoid arthritis. The aim of this paper is to elaborate on novel techniques for wireless motion capture systems for the monitoring and rehabilitation of disabled people for application in smart buildings. The proposed techniques are based on cross-verification of distance measurements between markers and transponders in an environment with highly variable parameters. To their verification, algorithms that enable comprehensive investigation of a system with different numbers of transponders and varying ambient parameters (temperature and noise) were developed. In the estimation of the real positions of markers, various linear and nonlinear filters were used. Several thousand tests were carried out for various system parameters and different marker locations. The results show that localization error may be reduced by as much as 90%. It was observed that repetition of measurement reduces localization error by as much as one order of magnitude. The proposed system, based on wireless techniques, offers a high commercial potential. However, it requires extensive cooperation between teams, including hardware and software design, system modelling, and architectural design.

Dependence of EMIC wave parameters during quiet, geomagnetic storm, and geomagnetic storm phase times

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

Halford, Alexa J.; Fraser, Brian J; Morley, Steven Karl

As electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves may play an important role in radiation belt dynamics, there has been a push to better include them into global simulations. How to best include EMIC wave effects is still an open question. Recently many studies have attempted to parameterize EMIC waves and their characteristics by geomagnetic indices. However, this does not fully take into account important physics related to the phase of a geomagnetic storm. In this paper we first consider how EMIC wave occurrence varies with the phase of a geomagnetic storm and the SYM-H, AE, and Kp indices. Here we showmore » that the storm phase plays an important role in the occurrence probability of EMIC waves. The occurrence rates for a given value of a geomagnetic index change based on the geomagnetic condition. Then in this study we also describe the typical plasma and wave parameters observed in L and magnetic local time for quiet, storm, and storm phase. These results are given in a tabular format in the supporting information so that more accurate statistics of EMIC wave parameters can be incorporated into modeling efforts.« less

Tunable Collagen I Hydrogels for Engineered Physiological Tissue Micro-Environments

PubMed Central

Antoine, Elizabeth E.; Vlachos, Pavlos P.; Rylander, Marissa N.

2015-01-01

Collagen I hydrogels are commonly used to mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) for tissue engineering applications. However, the ability to design collagen I hydrogels similar to the properties of physiological tissues has been elusive. This is primarily due to the lack of quantitative correlations between multiple fabrication parameters and resulting material properties. This study aims to enable informed design and fabrication of collagen hydrogels in order to reliably and reproducibly mimic a variety of soft tissues. We developed empirical predictive models relating fabrication parameters with material and transport properties. These models were obtained through extensive experimental characterization of these properties, which include compression modulus, pore and fiber diameter, and diffusivity. Fabrication parameters were varied within biologically relevant ranges and included collagen concentration, polymerization pH, and polymerization temperature. The data obtained from this study elucidates previously unknown fabrication-property relationships, while the resulting equations facilitate informed a priori design of collagen hydrogels with prescribed properties. By enabling hydrogel fabrication by design, this study has the potential to greatly enhance the utility and relevance of collagen hydrogels in order to develop physiological tissue microenvironments for a wide range of tissue engineering applications. PMID:25822731

Towards adjoint-based inversion for rheological parameters in nonlinear viscous mantle flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worthen, Jennifer; Stadler, Georg; Petra, Noemi; Gurnis, Michael; Ghattas, Omar

2014-09-01

We address the problem of inferring mantle rheological parameter fields from surface velocity observations and instantaneous nonlinear mantle flow models. We formulate this inverse problem as an infinite-dimensional nonlinear least squares optimization problem governed by nonlinear Stokes equations. We provide expressions for the gradient of the cost functional of this optimization problem with respect to two spatially-varying rheological parameter fields: the viscosity prefactor and the exponent of the second invariant of the strain rate tensor. Adjoint (linearized) Stokes equations, which are characterized by a 4th order anisotropic viscosity tensor, facilitates efficient computation of the gradient. A quasi-Newton method for the solution of this optimization problem is presented, which requires the repeated solution of both nonlinear forward Stokes and linearized adjoint Stokes equations. For the solution of the nonlinear Stokes equations, we find that Newton’s method is significantly more efficient than a Picard fixed point method. Spectral analysis of the inverse operator given by the Hessian of the optimization problem reveals that the numerical eigenvalues collapse rapidly to zero, suggesting a high degree of ill-posedness of the inverse problem. To overcome this ill-posedness, we employ Tikhonov regularization (favoring smooth parameter fields) or total variation (TV) regularization (favoring piecewise-smooth parameter fields). Solution of two- and three-dimensional finite element-based model inverse problems show that a constant parameter in the constitutive law can be recovered well from surface velocity observations. Inverting for a spatially-varying parameter field leads to its reasonable recovery, in particular close to the surface. When inferring two spatially varying parameter fields, only an effective viscosity field and the total viscous dissipation are recoverable. Finally, a model of a subducting plate shows that a localized weak zone at the plate boundary can be partially recovered, especially with TV regularization.

An insight on correlations between kinematic rupture parameters from dynamic ruptures on rough faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thingbijam, Kiran Kumar; Galis, Martin; Vyas, Jagdish; Mai, P. Martin

2017-04-01

We examine the spatial interdependence between kinematic parameters of earthquake rupture, which include slip, rise-time (total duration of slip), acceleration time (time-to-peak slip velocity), peak slip velocity, and rupture velocity. These parameters were inferred from dynamic rupture models obtained by simulating spontaneous rupture on faults with varying degree of surface-roughness. We observe that the correlations between these parameters are better described by non-linear correlations (that is, on logarithm-logarithm scale) than by linear correlations. Slip and rise-time are positively correlated while these two parameters do not correlate with acceleration time, peak slip velocity, and rupture velocity. On the other hand, peak slip velocity correlates positively with rupture velocity but negatively with acceleration time. Acceleration time correlates negatively with rupture velocity. However, the observed correlations could be due to weak heterogeneity of the slip distributions given by the dynamic models. Therefore, the observed correlations may apply only to those parts of rupture plane with weak slip heterogeneity if earthquake-rupture associate highly heterogeneous slip distributions. Our findings will help to improve pseudo-dynamic rupture generators for efficient broadband ground-motion simulations for seismic hazard studies.

Regulatory Effect of Low-Intensity Optical Radiation on Oxygenation of Blood Irradiated In Vivo and Metabolic Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zalesskaya, G. A.; Laskina, O. V.

2016-03-01

For three series of blood samples, we have studied the effect of therapeutic doses of low-intensity optical radiation (LOR) on oxygenation parameters of blood irradiated in vivo, and also on the levels of some metabolites: lactate, glucose, cholesterol. The quality of blood oxygenation was assessed using three parameters: the partial pressure of oxygen pVO2, the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin SVO2, and the oxygen level in arterial and venous blood, varying under the influence of low-intensity optical radiation due to photodissociation of hemoglobin/ligand complexes. We have established that during photohemotherapy (PHT), including extracorporeal, supravascular, and intravenous blood irradiation, positive changes occur in the oxygenation parameters and the metabolite levels, while after the courses of PHT have been completed, the individual changes in such parameters in individual patients were both positive and negative. The regulatory effect of PHT was apparent in the tendency toward a decrease in high initial values and an increase in low initial values both for the oxygenation parameters and for the metabolites; but at the doses recommended for use, PHT had a regulatory but still not a normalizing effect.

Effect of Geometric Parameters on Formability and Strain Path During Tube Hydrforming Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omar, A.; Harisankar, K. R.; Tewari, Asim; Narasimhan, K.

2016-08-01

Forming limit diagram (FLD) is an important tool to measure the material's formability for metal forming processes. In order to successfully manufacture a component through tube hydroforming process it is very important to know the effect of material properties, process and geometrical parameters on the outcome of finished product. This can be obtained by running a finite element code which not only saves time and money but also gives a result with considerable accuracy. Therefore, in this paper the mutual effect of diameter as well as thickness has been studied. Firstly the finite element based prediction is carried out to assess the formability of seamless and welded tubes with varying thickness. Later on, effect of varying diameter and thickness on strain path is predicted using statistical based regression analysis. Finally, the mutual effect of varying material property alongwith varying thickness and diameter on constraint factor is studied.

Sequential Markov chain Monte Carlo filter with simultaneous model selection for electrocardiogram signal modeling.

PubMed

Edla, Shwetha; Kovvali, Narayan; Papandreou-Suppappola, Antonia

2012-01-01

Constructing statistical models of electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, whose parameters can be used for automated disease classification, is of great importance in precluding manual annotation and providing prompt diagnosis of cardiac diseases. ECG signals consist of several segments with different morphologies (namely the P wave, QRS complex and the T wave) in a single heart beat, which can vary across individuals and diseases. Also, existing statistical ECG models exhibit a reliance upon obtaining a priori information from the ECG data by using preprocessing algorithms to initialize the filter parameters, or to define the user-specified model parameters. In this paper, we propose an ECG modeling technique using the sequential Markov chain Monte Carlo (SMCMC) filter that can perform simultaneous model selection, by adaptively choosing from different representations depending upon the nature of the data. Our results demonstrate the ability of the algorithm to track various types of ECG morphologies, including intermittently occurring ECG beats. In addition, we use the estimated model parameters as the feature set to classify between ECG signals with normal sinus rhythm and four different types of arrhythmia.

Role of perisynaptic parameters in neurotransmitter homeostasis - computational study of a general synapse

PubMed Central

Pendyam, Sandeep; Mohan, Ashwin; Kalivas, Peter W.; Nair, Satish S.

2015-01-01

Extracellular neurotransmitter concentrations vary over a wide range depending on the type of neurotransmitter and location in the brain. Neurotransmitter homeostasis near a synapse is achieved by a balance of several mechanisms including vesicular release from the presynapse, diffusion, uptake by transporters, non-synaptic production, and regulation of release by autoreceptors. These mechanisms are also affected by the glia surrounding the synapse. However, the role of these mechanisms in achieving neurotransmitter homeostasis is not well understood. A biophysical modeling framework was proposed to reverse engineer glial configurations and parameters related to homeostasis for synapses that support a range of neurotransmitter gradients. Model experiments reveal that synapses with extracellular neurotransmitter concentrations in the micromolar range require non-synaptic neurotransmitter sources and tight synaptic isolation by extracellular glial formations. The model was used to identify the role of perisynaptic parameters on neurotransmitter homeostasis, and to propose glial configurations that could support different levels of extracellular neurotransmitter concentrations. Ranking the parameters based on their effect on neurotransmitter homeostasis, non-synaptic sources were found to be the most important followed by transporter concentration and diffusion coefficient. PMID:22460547

Cosmological parameter estimation from CMB and X-ray cluster after Planck

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Jian-Wei; Cai, Rong-Gen; Guo, Zong-Kuan; Hu, Bin

2014-05-01

We investigate constraints on cosmological parameters in three 8-parameter models with the summed neutrino mass as a free parameter, by a joint analysis of CCCP X-ray cluster data, the newly released Planck CMB data as well as some external data sets including baryon acoustic oscillation measurements from the 6dFGS, SDSS DR7 and BOSS DR9 surveys, and Hubble Space Telescope H0 measurement. We find that the combined data strongly favor a non-zero neutrino masses at more than 3σ confidence level in these non-vanilla models. Allowing the CMB lensing amplitude AL to vary, we find AL > 1 at 3σ confidence level. For dark energy with a constant equation of state w, we obtain w < -1 at 3σ confidence level. The estimate of the matter power spectrum amplitude σ8 is discrepant with the Planck value at 2σ confidence level, which reflects some tension between X-ray cluster data and Planck data in these non-vanilla models. The tension can be alleviated by adding a 9% systematic shift in the cluster mass function.

Neutrino oscillation parameter sampling with MonteCUBES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blennow, Mattias; Fernandez-Martinez, Enrique

2010-01-01

We present MonteCUBES ("Monte Carlo Utility Based Experiment Simulator"), a software package designed to sample the neutrino oscillation parameter space through Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms. MonteCUBES makes use of the GLoBES software so that the existing experiment definitions for GLoBES, describing long baseline and reactor experiments, can be used with MonteCUBES. MonteCUBES consists of two main parts: The first is a C library, written as a plug-in for GLoBES, implementing the Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm to sample the parameter space. The second part is a user-friendly graphical Matlab interface to easily read, analyze, plot and export the results of the parameter space sampling. Program summaryProgram title: MonteCUBES (Monte Carlo Utility Based Experiment Simulator) Catalogue identifier: AEFJ_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEFJ_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: GNU General Public Licence No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 69 634 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 3 980 776 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: C Computer: MonteCUBES builds and installs on 32 bit and 64 bit Linux systems where GLoBES is installed Operating system: 32 bit and 64 bit Linux RAM: Typically a few MBs Classification: 11.1 External routines: GLoBES [1,2] and routines/libraries used by GLoBES Subprograms used:Cat Id ADZI_v1_0, Title GLoBES, Reference CPC 177 (2007) 439 Nature of problem: Since neutrino masses do not appear in the standard model of particle physics, many models of neutrino masses also induce other types of new physics, which could affect the outcome of neutrino oscillation experiments. In general, these new physics imply high-dimensional parameter spaces that are difficult to explore using classical methods such as multi-dimensional projections and minimizations, such as those used in GLoBES [1,2]. Solution method: MonteCUBES is written as a plug-in to the GLoBES software [1,2] and provides the necessary methods to perform Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling of the parameter space. This allows an efficient sampling of the parameter space and has a complexity which does not grow exponentially with the parameter space dimension. The integration of the MonteCUBES package with the GLoBES software makes sure that the experimental definitions already in use by the community can also be used with MonteCUBES, while also lowering the learning threshold for users who already know GLoBES. Additional comments: A Matlab GUI for interpretation of results is included in the distribution. Running time: The typical running time varies depending on the dimensionality of the parameter space, the complexity of the experiment, and how well the parameter space should be sampled. The running time for our simulations [3] with 15 free parameters at a Neutrino Factory with O(10) samples varied from a few hours to tens of hours. References:P. Huber, M. Lindner, W. Winter, Comput. Phys. Comm. 167 (2005) 195, hep-ph/0407333. P. Huber, J. Kopp, M. Lindner, M. Rolinec, W. Winter, Comput. Phys. Comm. 177 (2007) 432, hep-ph/0701187. S. Antusch, M. Blennow, E. Fernandez-Martinez, J. Lopez-Pavon, arXiv:0903.3986 [hep-ph].

An Assessment of Regional Variations in Martian Modified Impact Crater Morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craddock, Robert A.; Bandeira, Lourenço.; Howard, Alan D.

2018-03-01

Impact craters on Mars have been extensively modified by ancient geologic processes that may have included rainfall and surface runoff, snow and ice, denudation by lava flows, burial by eolian material, or others. Many of these processes can leave distinct signatures on the morphometry of the modified impact crater as well as the surrounding landscape. To look for signs of potential regional differences in crater modification processes, we conducted an analysis of different morphometric parameters related to modified impact craters located in the Margaritifer Sinus, Sinus Sabaeus, Iapygia, Mare Tyrrhenum, Aeolis, and Eridania quadrangles, including depth, crater wall slope, crater floor slope, the curvature between the interior wall and the crater floor slope, and the curvature between the interior wall and surrounding landscape. A Welch's t test analysis comparing these parameters shows that fresh impact craters (Type 4) have consistent morphologies regardless of their geographic location examined in this study, which is not unexpected. Modified impact craters both in the initial (Type 3) and terminal stages (Type 1) of modification also have statistically consistent morphologies. This would suggest that the processes that operated in the late Noachian were globally ubiquitous, and that modified craters eventually reached a stable crater morphology. However, craters preserved in advanced (but not terminal) stages of modification (Type 2) have morphologies that vary across the quadrangles. It is possible that these variations reflect spatial differences in the types and intensity of geologic processes that operated during the Noachian, implying that the ancient climate also varied across regions.

Helicopter vibration suppression using simple pendulum absorbers on the rotor blade

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pierce, G. A.; Hanouva, M. N. H.

1982-01-01

A comprehensive anaytical design procedure for the installation of simple pendulums on the blades of a helicopter rotor to suppress the root reactions is presented. A frequency response anaysis is conducted of typical rotor blades excited by a harmonic variation of spanwise airload distributions as well as a concentrated load at the tip. The results presented included the effect of pendulum tuning on the minimization of the hub reactions. It is found that a properly designed flapping pendulum attenuates the root out-of-plane force and moment whereas the optimum designed lead-lag pendulum attenuates the root in-plane reactions. For optimum pendulum tuning the parameters to be determined are the pendulum uncoupled natural frequency, the pendulum spanwise location and its mass. It is found that the optimum pendulum frequency is in the vicinity of the excitation frequency. For the optimum pendulum a parametric study is conducted. The parameters varied include prepitch, pretwist, precone and pendulum hinge offset.

Identification of time-varying structural dynamic systems - An artificial intelligence approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glass, B. J.; Hanagud, S.

1992-01-01

An application of the artificial intelligence-derived methodologies of heuristic search and object-oriented programming to the problem of identifying the form of the model and the associated parameters of a time-varying structural dynamic system is presented in this paper. Possible model variations due to changes in boundary conditions or configurations of a structure are organized into a taxonomy of models, and a variant of best-first search is used to identify the model whose simulated response best matches that of the current physical structure. Simulated model responses are verified experimentally. An output-error approach is used in a discontinuous model space, and an equation-error approach is used in the parameter space. The advantages of the AI methods used, compared with conventional programming techniques for implementing knowledge structuring and inheritance, are discussed. Convergence conditions and example problems have been discussed. In the example problem, both the time-varying model and its new parameters have been identified when changes occur.

Surface wave excitation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burke, G. J.; King, R. J.; Miller, E. K.

1984-09-01

Relative communication efficiency (RCE) as defined by Fenwick and Weeks compares the field of a test antenna to that of a reference antenna at the same location for equal input plower to each antenna. Thus, RCE is similar to power gain but is definable in the presence of ground. The effectiveness of antennas in launching TM surface waves was compared. Antennas considered included the vertical dipole, monople on a ground stake, monopole on a radial-wire ground screen, Beverage antenna and vertical half rhombic. Since the performance of these antennas is strongly dependent on parameters such as the number wires in a ground screen or the length of a Beverage antenna, results are presented with parameters varying over a reasonable range. Thus, antenna performance can be weighed against the effort and limitations of construction.

Plant growth modeling at the JSC variable pressure growth chamber - An application of experimental design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Adam M.; Edeen, Marybeth; Sirko, Robert J.

1992-01-01

This paper describes the approach and results of an effort to characterize plant growth under various environmental conditions at the Johnson Space Center variable pressure growth chamber. Using a field of applied mathematics and statistics known as design of experiments (DOE), we developed a test plan for varying environmental parameters during a lettuce growth experiment. The test plan was developed using a Box-Behnken approach to DOE. As a result of the experimental runs, we have developed empirical models of both the transpiration process and carbon dioxide assimilation for Waldman's Green lettuce over specified ranges of environmental parameters including carbon dioxide concentration, light intensity, dew-point temperature, and air velocity. This model also predicts transpiration and carbon dioxide assimilation for different ages of the plant canopy.

Behavior of aircraft antiskid braking systems on dry and wet runway surfaces. A slip-velocity-controlled, pressure-bias-modulated system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stubbs, S. M.; Tanner, J. A.; Smith, E. G.

1979-01-01

The braking and cornering response of a slip velocity controlled, pressure bias modulated aircraft antiskid braking system is investigated. The investigation, conducted on dry and wet runway surfaces, utilized one main gear wheel, brake, and tire assembly of a McDonnell Douglas DC 9 series 10 airplane. The landing gear strut was replaced by a dynamometer. The parameters, which were varied, included the carriage speed, tire loading, yaw angle, tire tread condition, brake system operating pressure, and runway wetness conditions. The effects of each of these parameters on the behavior of the skid control system is presented. Comparisons between data obtained with the skid control system and data obtained from single cycle braking tests without antiskid protection are examined.

Layer-by-layer-based silica encapsulation of individual yeast with thickness control.

PubMed

Lee, Hojae; Hong, Daewha; Choi, Ji Yu; Kim, Ji Yup; Lee, Sang Hee; Kim, Ho Min; Yang, Sung Ho; Choi, Insung S

2015-01-01

In the area of cell-surface engineering with nanomaterials, the metabolic and functional activities of the encapsulated cells are manipulated and controlled by various parameters of the artificial shells that encase the cells, such as stiffness and elasticity, thickness, and porosity. The mechanical durability and physicochemical stability of inorganic shells prove superior to layer-by-layer-based organic shells with regard to cytoprotection, but it has been difficult to vary the parameters of inorganic shells including their thickness. In this work, we combine the layer-by-layer technique with a process of bioinspired silicification to control the thickness of the silica shells that encapsulate yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells individually, and investigate the thickness-dependent microbial growth. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Variability Search in GALFACTS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kania, Joseph; Wenger, Trey; Ghosh, Tapasi; Salter, Christopher J.

2015-01-01

The Galactic ALFA Continuum Transit Survey (GALFACTS) is an all-Arecibo-sky survey using the seven-beam Arecibo L-band Feed Array (ALFA). The Survey is centered at 1.375 GHz with 300-MHz bandwidth, and measures all four Stokes parameters. We are looking for compact sources that vary in intensity or polarization on timescales of about a month via intra-survey comparisons and long term variations through comparisons with the NRAO VLA Sky Survey. Data processing includes locating and rejecting radio frequency interference, recognizing sources, two-dimensional Gaussian fitting to multiple cuts through the same source, and gain corrections. Our Python code is being used on the calibrations sources observed in conjunction with the survey measurements to determine the calibration parameters that will then be applied to data for the main field.

Design of a QoS-controlled ATM-based communications system in chorus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coulson, Geoff; Campbell, Andrew; Robin, Philippe; Blair, Gordon; Papathomas, Michael; Shepherd, Doug

1995-05-01

We describe the design of an application platform able to run distributed real-time and multimedia applications alongside conventional UNIX programs. The platform is embedded in a microkernel/PC environment and supported by an ATM-based, QoS-driven communications stack. In particular, we focus on resource-management aspects of the design and deal with CPU scheduling, network resource-management and memory-management issues. An architecture is presented that guarantees QoS levels of both communications and processing with varying degrees of commitment as specified by user-level QoS parameters. The architecture uses admission tests to determine whether or not new activities can be accepted and includes modules to translate user-level QoS parameters into representations usable by the scheduling, network, and memory-management subsystems.

The Landau-de Gennes approach revisited: A minimal self-consistent microscopic theory for spatially inhomogeneous nematic liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gârlea, Ioana C.; Mulder, Bela M.

2017-12-01

We design a novel microscopic mean-field theory of inhomogeneous nematic liquid crystals formulated entirely in terms of the tensor order parameter field. It combines the virtues of the Landau-de Gennes approach in allowing both the direction and magnitude of the local order to vary, with a self-consistent treatment of the local free-energy valid beyond the small order parameter limit. As a proof of principle, we apply this theory to the well-studied problem of a colloid dispersed in a nematic liquid crystal by including a tunable wall coupling term. For the two-dimensional case, we investigate the organization of the liquid crystal and the position of the point defects as a function of the strength of the coupling constant.

Linear-parameter-varying gain-scheduled control of aerospace systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barker, Jeffrey Michael

The dynamics of many aerospace systems vary significantly as a function of flight condition. Robust control provides methods of guaranteeing performance and stability goals across flight conditions. In mu-syntthesis, changes to the dynamical system are primarily treated as uncertainty. This method has been successfully applied to many control problems, and here is applied to flutter control. More recently, two techniques for generating robust gain-scheduled controller have been developed. Linear fractional transformation (LFT) gain-scheduled control is an extension of mu-synthesis in which the plant and controller are explicit functions of parameters measurable in real-time. This LFT gain-scheduled control technique is applied to the Benchmark Active Control Technology (BACT) wing, and compared with mu-synthesis control. Linear parameter-varying (LPV) gain-scheduled control is an extension of Hinfinity control to parameter varying systems. LPV gain-scheduled control directly incorporates bounds on the rate of change of the scheduling parameters, and often reduces conservatism inherent in LFT gain-scheduled control. Gain-scheduled LPV control of the BACT wing compares very favorably with the LFT controller. Gain-scheduled LPV controllers are generated for the lateral-directional and longitudinal axes of the Innovative Control Effectors (ICE) aircraft and implemented in nonlinear simulations and real-time piloted nonlinear simulations. Cooper-Harper and pilot-induced oscillation ratings were obtained for an initial design, a reference aircraft and a redesign. Piloted simulation results for the initial LPV gain-scheduled control of the ICE aircraft are compared with results for a conventional fighter aircraft in discrete pitch and roll angle tracking tasks. The results for the redesigned controller are significantly better than both the previous LPV controller and the conventional aircraft.

Potential application of item-response theory to interpretation of medical codes in electronic patient records

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Electronic patient records are generally coded using extensive sets of codes but the significance of the utilisation of individual codes may be unclear. Item response theory (IRT) models are used to characterise the psychometric properties of items included in tests and questionnaires. This study asked whether the properties of medical codes in electronic patient records may be characterised through the application of item response theory models. Methods Data were provided by a cohort of 47,845 participants from 414 family practices in the UK General Practice Research Database (GPRD) with a first stroke between 1997 and 2006. Each eligible stroke code, out of a set of 202 OXMIS and Read codes, was coded as either recorded or not recorded for each participant. A two parameter IRT model was fitted using marginal maximum likelihood estimation. Estimated parameters from the model were considered to characterise each code with respect to the latent trait of stroke diagnosis. The location parameter is referred to as a calibration parameter, while the slope parameter is referred to as a discrimination parameter. Results There were 79,874 stroke code occurrences available for analysis. Utilisation of codes varied between family practices with intraclass correlation coefficients of up to 0.25 for the most frequently used codes. IRT analyses were restricted to 110 Read codes. Calibration and discrimination parameters were estimated for 77 (70%) codes that were endorsed for 1,942 stroke patients. Parameters were not estimated for the remaining more frequently used codes. Discrimination parameter values ranged from 0.67 to 2.78, while calibration parameters values ranged from 4.47 to 11.58. The two parameter model gave a better fit to the data than either the one- or three-parameter models. However, high chi-square values for about a fifth of the stroke codes were suggestive of poor item fit. Conclusion The application of item response theory models to coded electronic patient records might potentially contribute to identifying medical codes that offer poor discrimination or low calibration. This might indicate the need for improved coding sets or a requirement for improved clinical coding practice. However, in this study estimates were only obtained for a small proportion of participants and there was some evidence of poor model fit. There was also evidence of variation in the utilisation of codes between family practices raising the possibility that, in practice, properties of codes may vary for different coders. PMID:22176509

Instrument to average 100 data sets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tuma, G. B.; Birchenough, A. G.; Rice, W. J.

1977-01-01

An instrumentation system is currently under development which will measure many of the important parameters associated with the operation of an internal combustion engine. Some of these parameters include mass-fraction burn rate, ignition energy, and the indicated mean effective pressure. One of the characteristics of an internal combustion engine is the cycle-to-cycle variation of these parameters. A curve-averaging instrument has been produced which will generate the average curve, over 100 cycles, of any engine parameter. the average curve is described by 2048 discrete points which are displayed on an oscilloscope screen to facilitate recording and is available in real time. Input can be any parameter which is expressed as a + or - 10-volt signal. Operation of the curve-averaging instrument is defined between 100 and 6000 rpm. Provisions have also been made for averaging as many as four parameters simultaneously, with a subsequent decrease in resolution. This provides the means to correlate and perhaps interrelate the phenomena occurring in an internal combustion engine. This instrument has been used successfully on a 1975 Chevrolet V8 engine, and on a Continental 6-cylinder aircraft engine. While this instrument was designed for use on an internal combustion engine, with some modification it can be used to average any cyclically varying waveform.

The importance of flow history in mixed shear and extensional flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Caroline; McKinley, Gareth

2015-11-01

Many complex fluid flows of experimental and academic interest exhibit mixed kinematics with regions of shear and elongation. Examples include flows through planar hyperbolic contractions in microfluidic devices and through porous media or geometric arrays. Through the introduction of a ``flow-type parameter'' α which varies between 0 in pure shear and 1 in pure elongation, the local velocity fields of all such mixed flows can be concisely characterized. It is tempting to then consider the local stress field and interpret the local state of stress in a complex fluid in terms of shearing or extensional material functions. However, the material response of such fluids exhibit a fading memory of the entire deformation history. We consider a dilute solution of Hookean dumbbells and solve the Oldroyd-B model to obtain analytic expressions for the entire stress field in any arbitrary mixed flow of constant strain rate and flow-type parameter α. We then consider a more complex flow for which the shear rate is constant but the flow-type parameter α varies periodically in time (reminiscent of flow through a periodic array or through repeated contractions and expansions). We show that the flow history and kinematic sequencing (in terms of whether the flow was initialized as shearing or extensional) is extremely important in determining the ensuing stress field and rate of dissipated energy in the flow, and can only be ignored in the limit of infinitely slow flow variations.

Simulating Silicon Photomultiplier Response to Scintillation Light

PubMed Central

Jha, Abhinav K.; van Dam, Herman T.; Kupinski, Matthew A.; Clarkson, Eric

2015-01-01

The response of a Silicon Photomultiplier (SiPM) to optical signals is affected by many factors including photon-detection efficiency, recovery time, gain, optical crosstalk, afterpulsing, dark count, and detector dead time. Many of these parameters vary with overvoltage and temperature. When used to detect scintillation light, there is a complicated non-linear relationship between the incident light and the response of the SiPM. In this paper, we propose a combined discrete-time discrete-event Monte Carlo (MC) model to simulate SiPM response to scintillation light pulses. Our MC model accounts for all relevant aspects of the SiPM response, some of which were not accounted for in the previous models. We also derive and validate analytic expressions for the single-photoelectron response of the SiPM and the voltage drop across the quenching resistance in the SiPM microcell. These analytic expressions consider the effect of all the circuit elements in the SiPM and accurately simulate the time-variation in overvoltage across the microcells of the SiPM. Consequently, our MC model is able to incorporate the variation of the different SiPM parameters with varying overvoltage. The MC model is compared with measurements on SiPM-based scintillation detectors and with some cases for which the response is known a priori. The model is also used to study the variation in SiPM behavior with SiPM-circuit parameter variations and to predict the response of a SiPM-based detector to various scintillators. PMID:26236040

How good are indirect tests at detecting recombination in human mtDNA?

PubMed

White, Daniel James; Bryant, David; Gemmell, Neil John

2013-07-08

Empirical proof of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) recombination in somatic tissues was obtained in 2004; however, a lack of irrefutable evidence exists for recombination in human mtDNA at the population level. Our inability to demonstrate convincingly a signal of recombination in population data sets of human mtDNA sequence may be due, in part, to the ineffectiveness of current indirect tests. Previously, we tested some well-established indirect tests of recombination (linkage disequilibrium vs. distance using D' and r(2), Homoplasy Test, Pairwise Homoplasy Index, Neighborhood Similarity Score, and Max χ(2)) on sequence data derived from the only empirically confirmed case of human mtDNA recombination thus far and demonstrated that some methods were unable to detect recombination. Here, we assess the performance of these six well-established tests and explore what characteristics specific to human mtDNA sequence may affect their efficacy by simulating sequence under various parameters with levels of recombination (ρ) that vary around an empirically derived estimate for human mtDNA (population parameter ρ = 5.492). No test performed infallibly under any of our scenarios, and error rates varied across tests, whereas detection rates increased substantially with ρ values > 5.492. Under a model of evolution that incorporates parameters specific to human mtDNA, including rate heterogeneity, population expansion, and ρ = 5.492, successful detection rates are limited to a range of 7-70% across tests with an acceptable level of false-positive results: the neighborhood similarity score incompatibility test performed best overall under these parameters. Population growth seems to have the greatest impact on recombination detection probabilities across all models tested, likely due to its impact on sequence diversity. The implications of our findings on our current understanding of mtDNA recombination in humans are discussed.

Validation for Global Solar Wind Prediction Using Ulysses Comparison: Multiple Coronal and Heliospheric Models Installed at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jian, L. K.; MacNeice, P. J.; Mays, M. L.; Taktakishvili, A.; Odstrcil, D.; Jackson, B.; Yu, H.-S.; Riley, P.; Sokolov, I. V.

2016-01-01

The prediction of the background global solar wind is a necessary part of space weather forecasting. Several coronal and heliospheric models have been installed and/or recently upgraded at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), including the Wang-Sheely-Arge (WSA)-Enlil model, MHD-Around-a-Sphere (MAS)-Enlil model, Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF), and Heliospheric tomography using interplanetary scintillation data. Ulysses recorded the last fast latitudinal scan from southern to northern poles in 2007. By comparing the modeling results with Ulysses observations over seven Carrington rotations, we have extended our third-party validation from the previous near-Earth solar wind to middle to high latitudes, in the same late declining phase of solar cycle 23. Besides visual comparison, wehave quantitatively assessed the models capabilities in reproducing the time series, statistics, and latitudinal variations of solar wind parameters for a specific range of model parameter settings, inputs, and grid configurations available at CCMC. The WSA-Enlil model results vary with three different magnetogram inputs.The MAS-Enlil model captures the solar wind parameters well, despite its underestimation of the speed at middle to high latitudes. The new version of SWMF misses many solar wind variations probably because it uses lower grid resolution than other models. The interplanetary scintillation-tomography cannot capture the latitudinal variations of solar wind well yet. Because the model performance varies with parameter settings which are optimized for different epochs or flow states, the performance metric study provided here can serve as a template that researchers can use to validate the models for the time periods and conditions of interest to them.

Impacts of a Stochastic Ice Mass-Size Relationship on Squall Line Ensemble Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanford, M.; Varble, A.; Morrison, H.; Grabowski, W.; McFarquhar, G. M.; Wu, W.

2017-12-01

Cloud and precipitation structure, evolution, and cloud radiative forcing of simulated mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are significantly impacted by ice microphysics parameterizations. Most microphysics schemes assume power law relationships with constant parameters for ice particle mass, area, and terminal fallspeed relationships as a function of size, despite observations showing that these relationships vary in both time and space. To account for such natural variability, a stochastic representation of ice microphysical parameters was developed using the Predicted Particle Properties (P3) microphysics scheme in the Weather Research and Forecasting model, guided by in situ aircraft measurements from a number of field campaigns. Here, the stochastic framework is applied to the "a" and "b" parameters of the unrimed ice mass-size (m-D) relationship (m=aDb) with co-varying "a" and "b" values constrained by observational distributions tested over a range of spatiotemporal autocorrelation scales. Diagnostically altering a-b pairs in three-dimensional (3D) simulations of the 20 May 2011 Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) squall line suggests that these parameters impact many important characteristics of the simulated squall line, including reflectivity structure (particularly in the anvil region), surface rain rates, surface and top of atmosphere radiative fluxes, buoyancy and latent cooling distributions, and system propagation speed. The stochastic a-b P3 scheme is tested using two frameworks: (1) a large ensemble of two-dimensional idealized squall line simulations and (2) a smaller ensemble of 3D simulations of the 20 May 2011 squall line, for which simulations are evaluated using observed radar reflectivity and radial velocity at multiple wavelengths, surface meteorology, and surface and satellite measured longwave and shortwave radiative fluxes. Ensemble spreads are characterized and compared against initial condition ensemble spreads for a range of variables.

Seasonal Variations in Mortality, Clinical, and Laboratory Parameters in Hemodialysis Patients: A 5-Year Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Usvyat, Len A.; Carter, Mary; Thijssen, Stephan; Kooman, Jeroen P.; van der Sande, Frank M.; Zabetakis, Paul; Balter, Paul; Levin, Nathan W.; Kotanko, Peter

2012-01-01

Summary Background and objectives Mortality varies seasonally in the general population, but it is unknown whether this phenomenon is also present in hemodialysis patients with known higher background mortality and emphasis on cardiovascular causes of death. This study aimed to assess seasonal variations in mortality, in relation to clinical and laboratory variables in a large cohort of chronic hemodialysis patients over a 5-year period. Design, setting, participants, & measurements This study included 15,056 patients of 51 Renal Research Institute clinics from six states of varying climates in the United States. Seasonal differences were assessed by chi-squared tests and univariate and multivariate cosinor analyses. Results Mortality, both all-cause and cardiovascular, was significantly higher during winter compared with other seasons (14.2 deaths per 100 patient-years in winter, 13.1 in spring, 12.3 in autumn, and 11.9 in summer). The increase in mortality in winter was more pronounced in younger patients, as well as in whites and in men. Seasonal variations were similar across climatologically different regions. Seasonal variations were also observed in neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and serum calcium, potassium, and platelet values. Differences in mortality disappeared when adjusted for seasonally variable clinical parameters. Conclusions In a large cohort of dialysis patients, significant seasonal variations in overall and cardiovascular mortality were observed, which were consistent over different climatic regions. Other physiologic and laboratory parameters were also seasonally different. Results showed that mortality differences were related to seasonality of physiologic and laboratory parameters. Seasonal variations should be taken into account when designing and interpreting longitudinal studies in dialysis patients. PMID:22096041

Validation for global solar wind prediction using Ulysses comparison: Multiple coronal and heliospheric models installed at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jian, L. K.; MacNeice, P. J.; Mays, M. L.; Taktakishvili, A.; Odstrcil, D.; Jackson, B.; Yu, H.-S.; Riley, P.; Sokolov, I. V.

2016-08-01

The prediction of the background global solar wind is a necessary part of space weather forecasting. Several coronal and heliospheric models have been installed and/or recently upgraded at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), including the Wang-Sheely-Arge (WSA)-Enlil model, MHD-Around-a-Sphere (MAS)-Enlil model, Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF), and heliospheric tomography using interplanetary scintillation data. Ulysses recorded the last fast latitudinal scan from southern to northern poles in 2007. By comparing the modeling results with Ulysses observations over seven Carrington rotations, we have extended our third-party validation from the previous near-Earth solar wind to middle to high latitudes, in the same late declining phase of solar cycle 23. Besides visual comparison, we have quantitatively assessed the models' capabilities in reproducing the time series, statistics, and latitudinal variations of solar wind parameters for a specific range of model parameter settings, inputs, and grid configurations available at CCMC. The WSA-Enlil model results vary with three different magnetogram inputs. The MAS-Enlil model captures the solar wind parameters well, despite its underestimation of the speed at middle to high latitudes. The new version of SWMF misses many solar wind variations probably because it uses lower grid resolution than other models. The interplanetary scintillation-tomography cannot capture the latitudinal variations of solar wind well yet. Because the model performance varies with parameter settings which are optimized for different epochs or flow states, the performance metric study provided here can serve as a template that researchers can use to validate the models for the time periods and conditions of interest to them.

How Good Are Indirect Tests at Detecting Recombination in Human mtDNA?

PubMed Central

White, Daniel James; Bryant, David; Gemmell, Neil John

2013-01-01

Empirical proof of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) recombination in somatic tissues was obtained in 2004; however, a lack of irrefutable evidence exists for recombination in human mtDNA at the population level. Our inability to demonstrate convincingly a signal of recombination in population data sets of human mtDNA sequence may be due, in part, to the ineffectiveness of current indirect tests. Previously, we tested some well-established indirect tests of recombination (linkage disequilibrium vs. distance using D′ and r2, Homoplasy Test, Pairwise Homoplasy Index, Neighborhood Similarity Score, and Max χ2) on sequence data derived from the only empirically confirmed case of human mtDNA recombination thus far and demonstrated that some methods were unable to detect recombination. Here, we assess the performance of these six well-established tests and explore what characteristics specific to human mtDNA sequence may affect their efficacy by simulating sequence under various parameters with levels of recombination (ρ) that vary around an empirically derived estimate for human mtDNA (population parameter ρ = 5.492). No test performed infallibly under any of our scenarios, and error rates varied across tests, whereas detection rates increased substantially with ρ values > 5.492. Under a model of evolution that incorporates parameters specific to human mtDNA, including rate heterogeneity, population expansion, and ρ = 5.492, successful detection rates are limited to a range of 7−70% across tests with an acceptable level of false-positive results: the neighborhood similarity score incompatibility test performed best overall under these parameters. Population growth seems to have the greatest impact on recombination detection probabilities across all models tested, likely due to its impact on sequence diversity. The implications of our findings on our current understanding of mtDNA recombination in humans are discussed. PMID:23665874

Inter-annual variability of carbon fluxes in temperate forest ecosystems: effects of biotic and abiotic factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, M.; Keenan, T. F.; Hufkens, K.; Munger, J. W.; Bohrer, G.; Brzostek, E. R.; Richardson, A. D.

2014-12-01

Carbon dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems are influenced by both abiotic and biotic factors. Abiotic factors, such as variation in meteorological conditions, directly drive biophysical and biogeochemical processes; biotic factors, referring to the inherent properties of the ecosystem components, reflect the internal regulating effects including temporal dynamics and memory. The magnitude of the effect of abiotic and biotic factors on forest ecosystem carbon exchange has been suggested to vary at different time scales. In this study, we design and conduct a model-data fusion experiment to investigate the role and relative importance of the biotic and abiotic factors for inter-annual variability of the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) of temperate deciduous forest ecosystems in the Northeastern US. A process-based model (FöBAAR) is parameterized at four eddy-covariance sites using all available flux and biometric measurements. We conducted a "transplant" modeling experiment, that is, cross- site and parameter simulations with different combinations of site meteorology and parameters. Using wavelet analysis and variance partitioning techniques, analysis of model predictions identifies both spatial variant and spatially invariant parameters. Variability of NEE was primarily modulated by gross primary productivity (GPP), with relative contributions varying from hourly to yearly time scales. The inter-annual variability of GPP and NEE is more regulated by meteorological forcing, but spatial variability in certain model parameters (biotic response) has more substantial effects on the inter-annual variability of ecosystem respiration (Reco) through the effects on carbon pools. Both the biotic and abiotic factors play significant roles in modulating the spatial and temporal variability in terrestrial carbon cycling in the region. Together, our study quantifies the relative importance of both, and calls for better understanding of them to better predict regional CO2 exchanges.

Multiple Regression Analysis to Estimate the Unit Price of Hanwoo (Bos taurus coreanae) Beef

PubMed Central

Hur, Sun-Jin

2017-01-01

This study were estimated the contribution of carcass traits to unit price, to analyze the marbling score as a categorical variable rather than a numerical variable, and to develop an optimal model that also includes the holiday effect and the raising period. The data for this study were acquired from the Quality Evaluation of the Korea Institute for Animal Products, and consisted of the trading records of 1,613,699 heads at 12 wholesale markets from 2010 to 2014. The unit price of a cow was estimated from the following parameters: −52.50 Won/mm, 8.93 Won/cm2, 7.20 Won/kg, and −1.04 Won/day for backfat thickness, eye muscle area, carcass weight, and raising period, respectively. Parameters for the dummy variables of marbling scores varied from 0 to 8328.74 Won/kg, which means that each marbling score grade had a different price value. The unit price of a steer was estimated from the following parameters: −92.12 Won/mm, 20.22 Won/cm2, 1.30 Won/kg, and −1.72 Won/day for backfat thickness, eye muscle area, carcass weights, and raising period, respectively. Parameters for dummy variables of marbling scores varied from 0 to 7338.80 Won/kg, which means that the grades of each marbling score had different price values. The unit price of sales during traditional holidays was significantly higher (827.71 Won/kg for cows, and 645.15 Won/kg for steers) than during non-holidays.We conclude that the use of categorical values for marbling scores would be needed to evaluate the price of Hanwoo beef using multiple regression analysis based on carcass traits and environmental factors. PMID:29147089

Exploring Proposals for Resolving the Initial Conditions and Multiverse Problems in Inflation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panithanpaisal, Nondh; Steinhardt, Paul

2018-01-01

The theory of cosmic inflation with the plateau-like potentials for the scalar field is very successful in predicting standard cosmological parameters. However, if the quantum effects are included, the theory inherently contains serious problems, namely, the multiverse problem and the initial conditions problem. It has been suggested in Mukhanov 2015 and Deen et al. 2016 to add a potential wall to the potential, so that the field never reaches the self-reproduction point. We examine these two proposals by varying the positions of the potential wall as well as varying the initial ratios of kinetic energy, potential energy and curvature. We demonstrate that both proposals are fine-tuned, at best, as they suffer from the drift in the predictions of the spectral tilt (ns) and the tensor-to-scalar ratio (r).

Periodic and chaotic psychological stress variations as predicted by a social support buffered response model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Field, Richard J.; Gallas, Jason A. C.; Schuldberg, David

2017-08-01

Recent work has introduced social dynamic models of people's stress-related processes, some including amelioration of stress symptoms by support from others. The effects of support may be ;direct;, depending only on the level of support, or ;buffering;, depending on the product of the level of support and level of stress. We focus here on the nonlinear buffering term and use a model involving three variables (and 12 control parameters), including stress as perceived by the individual, physical and psychological symptoms, and currently active social support. This model is quantified by a set of three nonlinear differential equations governing its stationary-state stability, temporal evolution (sometimes oscillatory), and how each variable affects the others. Chaos may appear with periodic forcing of an environmental stress parameter. Here we explore this model carefully as the strength and amplitude of this forcing, and an important psychological parameter relating to self-kindling in the stress response, are varied. Three significant observations are made: 1. There exist many complex but orderly regions of periodicity and chaos, 2. there are nested regions of increasing number of peaks per cycle that may cascade to chaos, and 3. there are areas where more than one state, e.g., a period-2 oscillation and chaos, coexist for the same parameters; which one is reached depends on initial conditions.

A strain-, cow-, and herd-specific bio-economic simulation model of intramammary infections in dairy cattle herds.

PubMed

Gussmann, Maya; Kirkeby, Carsten; Græsbøll, Kaare; Farre, Michael; Halasa, Tariq

2018-07-14

Intramammary infections (IMI) in dairy cattle lead to economic losses for farmers, both through reduced milk production and disease control measures. We present the first strain-, cow- and herd-specific bio-economic simulation model of intramammary infections in a dairy cattle herd. The model can be used to investigate the cost-effectiveness of different prevention and control strategies against IMI. The objective of this study was to describe a transmission framework, which simulates spread of IMI causing pathogens through different transmission modes. These include the traditional contagious and environmental spread and a new opportunistic transmission mode. In addition, the within-herd transmission dynamics of IMI causing pathogens were studied. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to investigate the influence of input parameters on model predictions. The results show that the model is able to represent various within-herd levels of IMI prevalence, depending on the simulated pathogens and their parameter settings. The parameters can be adjusted to include different combinations of IMI causing pathogens at different prevalence levels, representing herd-specific situations. The model is most sensitive to varying the transmission rate parameters and the strain-specific recovery rates from IMI. It can be used for investigating both short term operational and long term strategic decisions for the prevention and control of IMI in dairy cattle herds. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of multimodality texture-based prediction models via optimization of PET and MR image acquisition protocols: a proof of concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallières, Martin; Laberge, Sébastien; Diamant, André; El Naqa, Issam

2017-11-01

Texture-based radiomic models constructed from medical images have the potential to support cancer treatment management via personalized assessment of tumour aggressiveness. While the identification of stable texture features under varying imaging settings is crucial for the translation of radiomics analysis into routine clinical practice, we hypothesize in this work that a complementary optimization of image acquisition parameters prior to texture feature extraction could enhance the predictive performance of texture-based radiomic models. As a proof of concept, we evaluated the possibility of enhancing a model constructed for the early prediction of lung metastases in soft-tissue sarcomas by optimizing PET and MR image acquisition protocols via computerized simulations of image acquisitions with varying parameters. Simulated PET images from 30 STS patients were acquired by varying the extent of axial data combined per slice (‘span’). Simulated T 1-weighted and T 2-weighted MR images were acquired by varying the repetition time and echo time in a spin-echo pulse sequence, respectively. We analyzed the impact of the variations of PET and MR image acquisition parameters on individual textures, and we investigated how these variations could enhance the global response and the predictive properties of a texture-based model. Our results suggest that it is feasible to identify an optimal set of image acquisition parameters to improve prediction performance. The model constructed with textures extracted from simulated images acquired with a standard clinical set of acquisition parameters reached an average AUC of 0.84 +/- 0.01 in bootstrap testing experiments. In comparison, the model performance significantly increased using an optimal set of image acquisition parameters (p = 0.04 ), with an average AUC of 0.89 +/- 0.01 . Ultimately, specific acquisition protocols optimized to generate superior radiomics measurements for a given clinical problem could be developed and standardized via dedicated computer simulations and thereafter validated using clinical scanners.

Remote Monitoring, Inorganic Monitoring

EPA Science Inventory

This chapter provides an overview of applicability, amenability, and operating parameter ranges for various inorganic parameters:this chapter will also provide a compilation of existing and new online technologies for determining inorganic compounds in water samples. A wide vari...

Estimating A Reference Standard Segmentation With Spatially Varying Performance Parameters: Local MAP STAPLE

PubMed Central

Commowick, Olivier; Akhondi-Asl, Alireza; Warfield, Simon K.

2012-01-01

We present a new algorithm, called local MAP STAPLE, to estimate from a set of multi-label segmentations both a reference standard segmentation and spatially varying performance parameters. It is based on a sliding window technique to estimate the segmentation and the segmentation performance parameters for each input segmentation. In order to allow for optimal fusion from the small amount of data in each local region, and to account for the possibility of labels not being observed in a local region of some (or all) input segmentations, we introduce prior probabilities for the local performance parameters through a new Maximum A Posteriori formulation of STAPLE. Further, we propose an expression to compute confidence intervals in the estimated local performance parameters. We carried out several experiments with local MAP STAPLE to characterize its performance and value for local segmentation evaluation. First, with simulated segmentations with known reference standard segmentation and spatially varying performance, we show that local MAP STAPLE performs better than both STAPLE and majority voting. Then we present evaluations with data sets from clinical applications. These experiments demonstrate that spatial adaptivity in segmentation performance is an important property to capture. We compared the local MAP STAPLE segmentations to STAPLE, and to previously published fusion techniques and demonstrate the superiority of local MAP STAPLE over other state-of-the- art algorithms. PMID:22562727

Assessing doses to terrestrial wildlife at a radioactive waste disposal site: inter-comparison of modelling approaches.

PubMed

Johansen, M P; Barnett, C L; Beresford, N A; Brown, J E; Černe, M; Howard, B J; Kamboj, S; Keum, D-K; Smodiš, B; Twining, J R; Vandenhove, H; Vives i Batlle, J; Wood, M D; Yu, C

2012-06-15

Radiological doses to terrestrial wildlife were examined in this model inter-comparison study that emphasised factors causing variability in dose estimation. The study participants used varying modelling approaches and information sources to estimate dose rates and tissue concentrations for a range of biota types exposed to soil contamination at a shallow radionuclide waste burial site in Australia. Results indicated that the dominant factor causing variation in dose rate estimates (up to three orders of magnitude on mean total dose rates) was the soil-to-organism transfer of radionuclides that included variation in transfer parameter values as well as transfer calculation methods. Additional variation was associated with other modelling factors including: how participants conceptualised and modelled the exposure configurations (two orders of magnitude); which progeny to include with the parent radionuclide (typically less than one order of magnitude); and dose calculation parameters, including radiation weighting factors and dose conversion coefficients (typically less than one order of magnitude). Probabilistic approaches to model parameterisation were used to encompass and describe variable model parameters and outcomes. The study confirms the need for continued evaluation of the underlying mechanisms governing soil-to-organism transfer of radionuclides to improve estimation of dose rates to terrestrial wildlife. The exposure pathways and configurations available in most current codes are limited when considering instances where organisms access subsurface contamination through rooting, burrowing, or using different localised waste areas as part of their habitual routines. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Molecular Properties on Ready Biodegradation of Aromatic Compounds in the OECD 301B CO2 Evolution Test.

PubMed

He, Mei; Mei, Cheng-Fang; Sun, Guo-Ping; Li, Hai-Bei; Liu, Lei; Xu, Mei-Ying

2016-07-01

Ready biodegradation is the primary biodegradability of a compound, which is used for discriminating whether a compound could be rapidly and readily biodegraded in the natural ecosystems in a short period and has been applied extensively in the environmental risk assessment of many chemicals. In this study, the effects of 24 molecular properties (including 2 physicochemical parameters, 10 geometrical parameters, 6 topological parameters, and 6 electronic parameters) on the ready biodegradation of 24 kinds of synthetic aromatic compounds were investigated using the OECD 301B CO2 Evolution test. The relationship between molecular properties and ready biodegradation of these aromatic compounds varied with molecular properties. A significant inverse correlation was found for the topological parameter TD, five geometrical parameters (Rad, CAA, CMA, CSEV, and N c), and the physicochemical parameter K ow, and a positive correlation for two topological parameters TC and TVC, whereas no significant correlation was observed for any of the electronic parameters. Based on the correlations between molecular properties and ready biodegradation of these aromatic compounds, the importance of molecular properties was demonstrated as follows: geometrical properties > topological properties > physicochemical properties > electronic properties. Our study first demonstrated the effects of molecular properties on ready biodegradation by a number of experiment data under the same experimental conditions, which should be taken into account to better guide the ready biodegradation tests and understand the mechanisms of the ready biodegradation of aromatic compounds.

LPV Modeling and Control for Active Flutter Suppression of a Smart Airfoil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Al-Hajjar, Ali M. H.; Al-Jiboory, Ali Khudhair; Swei, Sean Shan-Min; Zhu, Guoming

2018-01-01

In this paper, a novel technique of linear parameter varying (LPV) modeling and control of a smart airfoil for active flutter suppression is proposed, where the smart airfoil has a groove along its chord and contains a moving mass that is used to control the airfoil pitching and plunging motions. The new LPV modeling technique is proposed that uses mass position as a scheduling parameter to describe the physical constraint of the moving mass, in addition the hard constraint at the boundaries is realized by proper selection of the parameter varying function. Therefore, the position of the moving mass and the free stream airspeed are considered the scheduling parameters in the study. A state-feedback based LPV gain-scheduling controller with guaranteed H infinity performance is presented by utilizing the dynamics of the moving mass as scheduling parameter at a given airspeed. The numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed LPV control architecture by significantly improving the performance while reducing the control effort.

Computational methods for estimation of parameters in hyperbolic systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, H. T.; Ito, K.; Murphy, K. A.

1983-01-01

Approximation techniques for estimating spatially varying coefficients and unknown boundary parameters in second order hyperbolic systems are discussed. Methods for state approximation (cubic splines, tau-Legendre) and approximation of function space parameters (interpolatory splines) are outlined and numerical findings for use of the resulting schemes in model "one dimensional seismic inversion' problems are summarized.

Physico-chemical parameters and Ichthyofauna diversity of Arasalar estuary in southeast coast of India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raju, C.; Sridharan, G.; Mariappan, P.; Chelladurai, G.

2017-03-01

The physico-chemical changes may have the tendency to accumulate in the various organs of estuarine organisms, especially fish which may in turn enter into the human metabolism through consumption causing serious hazards. Hence, the present study was carried out to dete rmine the physico-chemical characteristics of water and Ichthyofauna in Arasalar estuary in southeast coast of India for the period of 1 year during September 2012-August 2013. The environmental parameters such as, temperature, pH, salinity, DO, silicate, nitrate and phosphate were observed from Department of Zoology, Rajah Serfoji Goverment College, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. During the period of study, air temperature varied from 28.8 to 35 °C. The surface water temperature also varied from 25 to 31.5 °C. The monthly mean values of hydrogen ion concentration of water varied from 7.1 to 8.2. The salinity of water varied from 5.5 ‰ to 34. Dissolved oxygen in Arasalar estuary was varied from 3.5 to 7.2 mg/l. The total phosphorus varied from 0.29 to 2.15 µg/1. The nitrate varied from 0.47 to 3.75 µg/l. The silicate content varied from 28.25 to 98.74 µg/l. Totally 866 fishes were collected belonging to 4 orders and 5 families. Mystus gulio was found to be the dominant species (25.40 %) in the study area.

IN718 Additive Manufacturing Properties and Influences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambert, Dennis M.

2015-01-01

The results of tensile, fracture, and fatigue testing of IN718 coupons produced using the selective laser melting (SLM) additive manufacturing technique are presented. The data have been "sanitized" to remove the numerical values, although certain references to material standards are provided. This document provides some knowledge of the effect of variation of controlled build parameters used in the SLM process, a snapshot of the capabilities of SLM in industry at present, and shares some of the lessons learned along the way. For the build parameter characterization, the parameters were varied over a range that was centered about the machine manufacturer's recommended value, and in each case they were varied individually, although some co-variance of those parameters would be expected. Tensile, fracture, and high-cycle fatigue properties equivalent to wrought IN718 are achievable with SLM-produced IN718. Build and post-build processes need to be determined and then controlled to established limits to accomplish this. It is recommended that a multi-variable evaluation, e.g., design-of experiment (DOE), of the build parameters be performed to better evaluate the co-variance of the parameters.

IN718 Additive Manufacturing Properties and Influences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambert, Dennis M.

2015-01-01

The results of tensile, fracture, and fatigue testing of IN718 coupons produced using the selective laser melting (SLM) additive manufacturing technique are presented. The data has been "generalized" to remove the numerical values, although certain references to material standards are provided. This document provides some knowledge of the effect of variation of controlled build parameters used in the SLM process, a snapshot of the capabilities of SLM in industry at present, and shares some of the lessons learned along the way. For the build parameter characterization, the parameters were varied over a range about the machine manufacturer's recommended value, and in each case they were varied individually, although some co-variance of those parameters would be expected. SLM-produced IN718, tensile, fracture, and high-cycle fatigue properties equivalent to wrought IN718 are achievable. Build and post-build processes need to be determined and then controlled to established limits to accomplish this. It is recommended that a multi-variable evaluation, e.g., design-of-experiment (DOE), of the build parameters be performed to better evaluate the co-variance of the parameters.

Chimera patterns in two-dimensional networks of coupled neurons.

PubMed

Schmidt, Alexander; Kasimatis, Theodoros; Hizanidis, Johanne; Provata, Astero; Hövel, Philipp

2017-03-01

We discuss synchronization patterns in networks of FitzHugh-Nagumo and leaky integrate-and-fire oscillators coupled in a two-dimensional toroidal geometry. A common feature between the two models is the presence of fast and slow dynamics, a typical characteristic of neurons. Earlier studies have demonstrated that both models when coupled nonlocally in one-dimensional ring networks produce chimera states for a large range of parameter values. In this study, we give evidence of a plethora of two-dimensional chimera patterns of various shapes, including spots, rings, stripes, and grids, observed in both models, as well as additional patterns found mainly in the FitzHugh-Nagumo system. Both systems exhibit multistability: For the same parameter values, different initial conditions give rise to different dynamical states. Transitions occur between various patterns when the parameters (coupling range, coupling strength, refractory period, and coupling phase) are varied. Many patterns observed in the two models follow similar rules. For example, the diameter of the rings grows linearly with the coupling radius.

Correlations of water quality parameters with mutagenicity of chlorinated drinking water samples.

PubMed

Schenck, Kathleen M; Sivaganesan, Mano; Rice, Glenn E

2009-01-01

Adverse health effects that may result from chronic exposure to mixtures of disinfection by-products (DBPs) present in drinking waters may be linked to both the types and concentrations of DBPs present. Depending on the characteristics of the source water and treatment processes used, both types and concentrations of DBPs found in drinking waters vary substantially. The composition of a drinking-water mixture also may change during distribution. This study evaluated the relationships between mutagenicity, using the Ames assay, and water quality parameters. The study included information on treatment, mutagenicity data, and water quality data for source waters, finished waters, and distribution samples collected from five full-scale drinking water treatment plants, which used chlorine exclusively for disinfection. Four of the plants used surface water sources and the fifth plant used groundwater. Correlations between mutagenicity and water quality parameters are presented. The highest correlation was observed between mutagenicity and the total organic halide concentrations in the treated samples.

Species differences in hematological values of captive cranes, geese, raptors, and quail

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gee, G.F.; Carpenter, J.W.; Hensler, G.L.

1981-01-01

Hematological and serum chemical constituents of blood were determined for 12 species, including 7 endangered species, of cranes, geese, raptors, and quail in captivity at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. Means, standard deviations, analysis of variance by species and sex, and a series of multiple comparisons of means were derived for each parameter investigated. Differences among some species means were observed in all blood parameters except gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Although sampled during the reproductively quiescent period, an influence of sex was noted in red blood cell count, hemoglobin, albumin, glucose, cholesterol, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, Ca, and P. Our data and values reported in literature indicate that most hematological parameters vary among species and, in some cases, according to methods used to determine them. Therefore, baseline data for captive and wild birds should be established by using standard methods, and should be made available to aid others for use in assessing physiological and pathological conditions of these species.

Analysis of light emitting diode array lighting system based on human vision: normal and abnormal uniformity condition.

PubMed

Qin, Zong; Ji, Chuangang; Wang, Kai; Liu, Sheng

2012-10-08

In this paper, condition for uniform lighting generated by light emitting diode (LED) array was systematically studied. To take human vision effect into consideration, contrast sensitivity function (CSF) was novelly adopted as critical criterion for uniform lighting instead of conventionally used Sparrow's Criterion (SC). Through CSF method, design parameters including system thickness, LED pitch, LED's spatial radiation distribution and viewing condition can be analytically combined. In a specific LED array lighting system (LALS) with foursquare LED arrangement, different types of LEDs (Lambertian and Batwing type) and given viewing condition, optimum system thicknesses and LED pitches were calculated and compared with those got through SC method. Results show that CSF method can achieve more appropriate optimum parameters than SC method. Additionally, an abnormal phenomenon that uniformity varies with structural parameters non-monotonically in LALS with non-Lambertian LEDs was found and analyzed. Based on the analysis, a design method of LALS that can bring about better practicability, lower cost and more attractive appearance was summarized.

The extended Kubelka-Munk theory and its application to colloidal systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alcaraz de la Osa, R.; Fernández, A.; Gutiérrez, Y.; Ortiz, D.; González, F.; Moreno, F.; Saiz, J. M.

2017-08-01

The use of nanoparticles is spreading in many fields and a frequent way of preparing them is in the form of colloids, whose characterization becomes increasingly important. The spectral reflectance and transmittance curves of such colloids exhibit a strong dependence with the main parameters of the system. By means of a two-flux model we have performed a colorimetric study of gold colloids varying several parameters of the system, including the radius of the particles, the particle number density, the thickness of the system and the refractive index of the surrounding medium. In all cases, trajectories in the L*a*b* color space have been obtained, as well as the evolution of the luminosity, chroma and hue, either for reflectance or transmittance. The observed colors agree well with typical colors found in the literature for colloidal gold, and could allow for a fast assessment of the parameters involved, e.g., the radius of the nanoparticle during the fabrication process.

Chimera patterns in two-dimensional networks of coupled neurons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Alexander; Kasimatis, Theodoros; Hizanidis, Johanne; Provata, Astero; Hövel, Philipp

2017-03-01

We discuss synchronization patterns in networks of FitzHugh-Nagumo and leaky integrate-and-fire oscillators coupled in a two-dimensional toroidal geometry. A common feature between the two models is the presence of fast and slow dynamics, a typical characteristic of neurons. Earlier studies have demonstrated that both models when coupled nonlocally in one-dimensional ring networks produce chimera states for a large range of parameter values. In this study, we give evidence of a plethora of two-dimensional chimera patterns of various shapes, including spots, rings, stripes, and grids, observed in both models, as well as additional patterns found mainly in the FitzHugh-Nagumo system. Both systems exhibit multistability: For the same parameter values, different initial conditions give rise to different dynamical states. Transitions occur between various patterns when the parameters (coupling range, coupling strength, refractory period, and coupling phase) are varied. Many patterns observed in the two models follow similar rules. For example, the diameter of the rings grows linearly with the coupling radius.

Satellite-derived ice data sets no. 2: Arctic monthly average microwave brightness temperatures and sea ice concentrations, 1973-1976

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parkinson, C. L.; Comiso, J. C.; Zwally, H. J.

1987-01-01

A summary data set for four years (mid 70's) of Arctic sea ice conditions is available on magnetic tape. The data include monthly and yearly averaged Nimbus 5 electrically scanning microwave radiometer (ESMR) brightness temperatures, an ice concentration parameter derived from the brightness temperatures, monthly climatological surface air temperatures, and monthly climatological sea level pressures. All data matrices are applied to 293 by 293 grids that cover a polar stereographic map enclosing the 50 deg N latitude circle. The grid size varies from about 32 X 32 km at the poles to about 28 X 28 km at 50 deg N. The ice concentration parameter is calculated assuming that the field of view contains only open water and first-year ice with an ice emissivity of 0.92. To account for the presence of multiyear ice, a nomogram is provided relating the ice concentration parameter, the total ice concentration, and the fraction of the ice cover which is multiyear ice.

Sequential weighted Wiener estimation for extraction of key tissue parameters in color imaging: a phantom study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shuo; Lin, Xiaoqian; Zhu, Caigang; Liu, Quan

2014-12-01

Key tissue parameters, e.g., total hemoglobin concentration and tissue oxygenation, are important biomarkers in clinical diagnosis for various diseases. Although point measurement techniques based on diffuse reflectance spectroscopy can accurately recover these tissue parameters, they are not suitable for the examination of a large tissue region due to slow data acquisition. The previous imaging studies have shown that hemoglobin concentration and oxygenation can be estimated from color measurements with the assumption of known scattering properties, which is impractical in clinical applications. To overcome this limitation and speed-up image processing, we propose a method of sequential weighted Wiener estimation (WE) to quickly extract key tissue parameters, including total hemoglobin concentration (CtHb), hemoglobin oxygenation (StO2), scatterer density (α), and scattering power (β), from wide-band color measurements. This method takes advantage of the fact that each parameter is sensitive to the color measurements in a different way and attempts to maximize the contribution of those color measurements likely to generate correct results in WE. The method was evaluated on skin phantoms with varying CtHb, StO2, and scattering properties. The results demonstrate excellent agreement between the estimated tissue parameters and the corresponding reference values. Compared with traditional WE, the sequential weighted WE shows significant improvement in the estimation accuracy. This method could be used to monitor tissue parameters in an imaging setup in real time.

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

Hussain, A

Purpose: Novel linac machines, TrueBeam (TB) and Elekta Versa have updated head designing and software control system, include flattening-filter-free (FFF) photon and electron beams. Later on FFF beams were also introduced on C-Series machines. In this work FFF beams for same energy 6MV but from different machine versions were studied with reference to beam data parameters. Methods: The 6MV-FFF percent depth doses, profile symmetry and flatness, dose rate tables, and multi-leaf collimator (MLC) transmission factors were measured during commissioning process of both C-series and Truebeam machines. The scanning and dosimetric data for 6MV-FFF beam from Truebeam and C-Series linacs wasmore » compared. A correlation of 6MV-FFF beam from Elekta Versa with that of Varian linacs was also found. Results: The scanning files were plotted for both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The dosimetric leaf gap (DLG) for C-Series 6MV-FFF beam is 1.1 mm. Published values for Truebeam dosimetric leaf gap is 1.16 mm. 6MV MLC transmission factor varies between 1.3 % and 1.4 % in two separate measurements and measured DLG values vary between 1.32 mm and 1.33 mm on C-Series machine. MLC transmission factor from C-Series machine varies between 1.5 % and 1.6 %. Some of the measured data values from C-Series FFF beam are compared with Truebeam representative data. 6MV-FFF beam parameter values like dmax, OP factors, beam symmetry and flatness and additional parameters for C-Series and Truebeam liancs will be presented and compared in graphical form and tabular data form if selected. Conclusion: The 6MV flattening filter (FF) beam data from C-Series & Truebeam and 6MV-FFF beam data from Truebeam has already presented. This particular analysis to compare 6MV-FFF beam from C-Series and Truebeam provides opportunity to better elaborate FFF mode on novel machines. It was found that C-Series and Truebeam 6MV-FFF dosimetric and beam data was quite similar.« less

Resource use associated with type 2 diabetes in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Eurasia and Turkey: results from the International Diabetes Management Practice Study (IDMPS)

PubMed Central

Gagliardino, Juan J; Atanasov, Petar K; Chan, Juliana C N; Mbanya, Jean C; Shestakova, Marina V; Leguet-Dinville, Prisca; Annemans, Lieven

2017-01-01

Objective Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its complications form a global healthcare burden but the exact impact in some geographical regions is still not well documented. We describe the healthcare resource usage (HRU) associated with T2D in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, Eurasia and Turkey. Research design and methods In the fifth wave of the International Diabetes Management Practices Study (IDMPS; 2011–2012), we collected self-reported and physician-reported cross-sectional data from 8156 patients from 18 countries across 5 regions, including different types of HRU in the previous 3–6 months. Negative binomial regression was used to identify parameters associated with HRU, using incidence rate ratios (IRRs) to express associations. Results Patients in Africa (n=2220), the Middle East (n=2065), Eurasia (n=1843), South Asia (n=1195) and Turkey (n=842) experienced an annual hospitalization rate (mean±SD) of 0.6±1.9, 0.3±1.2, 1.7±4.1, 0.4±1.5 and 1.3±2.7, respectively. The annual number of diabetes-related inpatient days (mean±SD) was 4.7±22.7, 1.1±6.1, 16.0±30.0, 1.5±6.8 and 10.8±34.3, respectively. Despite some inter-regional heterogeneity, macrovascular complications (IRRs varying between 1.4 and 8.9), microvascular complications (IRRs varying between 3.4 and 4.3) and, to a large extent, inadequate glycemic control (IRRs varying between 1.89 and 10.1), were independent parameters associated with hospitalization in these respective regions. Conclusions In non-Western countries, macrovascular/microvascular complications and inadequate glycemic control were common and important parameters associated with increased HRU. PMID:28123754

Hot Star Extension to the Hubble Space Telescope Stellar Spectral Library

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Islam; Worthey, Guy

2017-01-01

CCD spectra of 36 stars were obtained from the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) installed in the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) using three low resolution gratings - G230LB, G430L, and G750L, combined in processing to make single, continuous spectra from 0.2 to 1.0 micrometers. These spectra will be added to the Next Generation Stellar Library (NGSL) after completing the data analysis, reduction, and the required corrections. The stars include normal O-type stars, helium-burning stars, and post-asymptotic giant branch (PAGB) stars. Difficult steps in the data reduction process were removing the cosmic rays from the raw images and defringing of the G750L spectra using fringe flats. Most stars have detectable dust extinction. To aid in analysis, synthetic spectra were generated with various effective temperatures and surface gravities. A five parameter analytic model for the dust extinction correction was adopted. The parameters were varied in order to fit especially the ultraviolet portion of the observed and comparison synthetic spectra. Cross-correlation was used to bring the spectra to a common, final, zero velocity wavelength scale. Some star temperatures obtained from fitting synthetic versus observed spectra vary significantly from literature values. The dust extinction correction parameters also varied for several stars, mostly O stars, indicating variations in dust properties for different lines of sight. Analysis of scattered light effects showed that it was significant only for our two coolest stars.Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the data archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute. STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.Support for this work was provided by NASA through grant number HST-GO-14141 from the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.

Hydrodynamic simulations of accretion flows with time-varying viscosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Abhishek; Chakrabarti, Sandip K.

2017-12-01

X-ray outbursts of stellar-mass black hole candidates are believed to be due to a sudden rise in viscosity, which transports angular momentum efficiently and increases the accretion rates, causing higher X-ray flux. After the viscosity is reduced, the outburst subsides and the object returns back to the pre-outburst quiescence stage. In the absence of a satisfactory understanding of the physical mechanism leading to such a sharp time dependence of viscous processes, we perform numerical simulations where we include the rise and fall of a viscosity parameter at an outer injection grid, assumed to be located at the accumulation radius where matter from the companion is piled up before being released by enhanced viscosity. We use a power-law radial dependence of the viscosity parameter (α ∼ rε), but the exponent (ε) is allowed to vary with time to mimic a fast rise and decay of the viscosity parameter. Since X-ray spectra of a black hole candidate can be explained by a Keplerian disc component in the presence of a post-shock region of an advective flow, our goal here is also to understand whether the flow configurations required to explain the spectral states of an outbursting source could be obtained by a time-varying viscosity. We present the results of our simulations to prove that low-angular-momentum (sub-Keplerian) advective flows do form a Keplerian disc in the pre-shock region when the viscosity is enhanced, which disappears on a much longer time-scale after the viscosity is withdrawn. From the variation of the Keplerian disc inside an advective halo, we believe that our result, for the first time, is able to simulate the two-component advective flow dynamics during an entire X-ray outburst and explain the observed hysteresis effects in the hardness-intensity diagram.

Brain perfusion imaging using a Reconstruction-of-Difference (RoD) approach for cone-beam computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mow, M.; Zbijewski, W.; Sisniega, A.; Xu, J.; Dang, H.; Stayman, J. W.; Wang, X.; Foos, D. H.; Koliatsos, V.; Aygun, N.; Siewerdsen, J. H.

2017-03-01

Purpose: To improve the timely detection and treatment of intracranial hemorrhage or ischemic stroke, recent efforts include the development of cone-beam CT (CBCT) systems for perfusion imaging and new approaches to estimate perfusion parameters despite slow rotation speeds compared to multi-detector CT (MDCT) systems. This work describes development of a brain perfusion CBCT method using a reconstruction of difference (RoD) approach to enable perfusion imaging on a newly developed CBCT head scanner prototype. Methods: A new reconstruction approach using RoD with a penalized-likelihood framework was developed to image the temporal dynamics of vascular enhancement. A digital perfusion simulation was developed to give a realistic representation of brain anatomy, artifacts, noise, scanner characteristics, and hemo-dynamic properties. This simulation includes a digital brain phantom, time-attenuation curves and noise parameters, a novel forward projection method for improved computational efficiency, and perfusion parameter calculation. Results: Our results show the feasibility of estimating perfusion parameters from a set of images reconstructed from slow scans, sparse data sets, and arc length scans as short as 60 degrees. The RoD framework significantly reduces noise and time-varying artifacts from inconsistent projections. Proper regularization and the use of overlapping reconstructed arcs can potentially further decrease bias and increase temporal resolution, respectively. Conclusions: A digital brain perfusion simulation with RoD imaging approach has been developed and supports the feasibility of using a CBCT head scanner for perfusion imaging. Future work will include testing with data acquired using a 3D-printed perfusion phantom currently and translation to preclinical and clinical studies.

Simplex GPS and InSAR Inversion Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Donnellan, Andrea; Parker, Jay W.; Lyzenga, Gregory A.; Pierce, Marlon E.

2012-01-01

Changes in the shape of the Earth's surface can be routinely measured with precisions better than centimeters. Processes below the surface often drive these changes and as a result, investigators require models with inversion methods to characterize the sources. Simplex inverts any combination of GPS (global positioning system), UAVSAR (uninhabited aerial vehicle synthetic aperture radar), and InSAR (interferometric synthetic aperture radar) data simultaneously for elastic response from fault and fluid motions. It can be used to solve for multiple faults and parameters, all of which can be specified or allowed to vary. The software can be used to study long-term tectonic motions and the faults responsible for those motions, or can be used to invert for co-seismic slip from earthquakes. Solutions involving estimation of fault motion and changes in fluid reservoirs such as magma or water are possible. Any arbitrary number of faults or parameters can be considered. Simplex specifically solves for any of location, geometry, fault slip, and expansion/contraction of a single or multiple faults. It inverts GPS and InSAR data for elastic dislocations in a half-space. Slip parameters include strike slip, dip slip, and tensile dislocations. It includes a map interface for both setting up the models and viewing the results. Results, including faults, and observed, computed, and residual displacements, are output in text format, a map interface, and can be exported to KML. The software interfaces with the QuakeTables database allowing a user to select existing fault parameters or data. Simplex can be accessed through the QuakeSim portal graphical user interface or run from a UNIX command line.

Relative contributions from the ventricle and arterial tree to arterial pressure and its amplification: an experimental study

PubMed Central

Alastruey, Jordi; Chowienczyk, Phil; Rutten, Marcel C. M.; Segers, Patrick; Schaeffter, Tobias

2017-01-01

Arterial pressure is an important diagnostic parameter for cardiovascular disease. However, relative contributions of individual ventricular and arterial parameters in generating and augmenting pressure are not understood. Using a novel experimental arterial model, our aim was to characterize individual parameter contributions to arterial pressure and its amplification. A piston-driven ventricle provided programmable stroke profiles into various silicone arterial trees and a bovine aorta. Inotropy was varied in the ventricle, and arterial parameters modulated included wall thickness, taper and diameter, the presence of bifurcation, and a native aorta (bovine) versus silicone. Wave reflection at bifurcations was measured and compared with theory, varying parent-to-child tube diameter ratios, and branch angles. Intravascular pressure-tip wires and ultrasonic flow probes measured pressure and flow. Increasing ventricular inotropy independently augmented pressure amplification from 17% to 61% between the lower and higher systolic gradient stroke profiles in the silicone arterial network and from 10% to 32% in the bovine aorta. Amplification increased with presence of a bifurcation, decreasing wall thickness and vessel taper. Pulse pressure increased with increasing wall thickness (stiffness) and taper angle and decreasing diameter. Theoretical predictions of wave transmission through bifurcations werre similar to measurements (correlation: 0.91, R2 = 0.94) but underestimated wave reflection (correlation: 0.75, R2 = 0.94), indicating energy losses during mechanical wave reflection. This study offers the first comprehensive investigation of contributors to hypertensive pressure and its propagation throughout the arterial tree. Importantly, ventricular inotropy plays a crucial role in the amplification of peripheral pressure wave, which offers opportunity for noninvasive assessment of ventricular health. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The present study distinguishes contributions from cardiac and arterial parameters to elevated blood pressure and pressure amplification. Most importantly, it offers the first evidence that ventricular inotropy, an indicator of ventricular function, is an independent determinant of pressure amplification and could be measured with such established devices such as the SphygmoCor. PMID:28576835

Relative contributions from the ventricle and arterial tree to arterial pressure and its amplification: an experimental study.

PubMed

Gaddum, Nicholas; Alastruey, Jordi; Chowienczyk, Phil; Rutten, Marcel C M; Segers, Patrick; Schaeffter, Tobias

2017-09-01

Arterial pressure is an important diagnostic parameter for cardiovascular disease. However, relative contributions of individual ventricular and arterial parameters in generating and augmenting pressure are not understood. Using a novel experimental arterial model, our aim was to characterize individual parameter contributions to arterial pressure and its amplification. A piston-driven ventricle provided programmable stroke profiles into various silicone arterial trees and a bovine aorta. Inotropy was varied in the ventricle, and arterial parameters modulated included wall thickness, taper and diameter, the presence of bifurcation, and a native aorta (bovine) versus silicone. Wave reflection at bifurcations was measured and compared with theory, varying parent-to-child tube diameter ratios, and branch angles. Intravascular pressure-tip wires and ultrasonic flow probes measured pressure and flow. Increasing ventricular inotropy independently augmented pressure amplification from 17% to 61% between the lower and higher systolic gradient stroke profiles in the silicone arterial network and from 10% to 32% in the bovine aorta. Amplification increased with presence of a bifurcation, decreasing wall thickness and vessel taper. Pulse pressure increased with increasing wall thickness (stiffness) and taper angle and decreasing diameter. Theoretical predictions of wave transmission through bifurcations werre similar to measurements (correlation: 0.91, R 2 = 0.94) but underestimated wave reflection (correlation: 0.75, R 2 = 0.94), indicating energy losses during mechanical wave reflection. This study offers the first comprehensive investigation of contributors to hypertensive pressure and its propagation throughout the arterial tree. Importantly, ventricular inotropy plays a crucial role in the amplification of peripheral pressure wave, which offers opportunity for noninvasive assessment of ventricular health. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The present study distinguishes contributions from cardiac and arterial parameters to elevated blood pressure and pressure amplification. Most importantly, it offers the first evidence that ventricular inotropy, an indicator of ventricular function, is an independent determinant of pressure amplification and could be measured with such established devices such as the SphygmoCor. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Development of a dual-energy computed tomography quality control program: Characterization of scanner response and definition of relevant parameters for a fast-kVp switching dual-energy computed tomography system.

PubMed

Nute, Jessica L; Jacobsen, Megan C; Stefan, Wolfgang; Wei, Wei; Cody, Dianna D

2018-04-01

A prototype QC phantom system and analysis process were developed to characterize the spectral capabilities of a fast kV-switching dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) scanner. This work addresses the current lack of quantitative oversight for this technology, with the goal of identifying relevant scan parameters and test metrics instrumental to the development of a dual-energy quality control (DEQC). A prototype elliptical phantom (effective diameter: 35 cm) was designed with multiple material inserts for DECT imaging. Inserts included tissue equivalent and material rods (including iodine and calcium at varying concentrations). The phantom was scanned on a fast kV-switching DECT system using 16 dual-energy acquisitions (CTDIvol range: 10.3-62 mGy) with varying pitch, rotation time, and tube current. The circular head phantom (22 cm diameter) was scanned using a similar protocol (12 acquisitions; CTDIvol range: 36.7-132.6 mGy). All acquisitions were reconstructed at 50, 70, 110, and 140 keV and using a water-iodine material basis pair. The images were evaluated for iodine quantification accuracy, stability of monoenergetic reconstruction CT number, noise, and positional constancy. Variance component analysis was used to identify technique parameters that drove deviations in test metrics. Variances were compared to thresholds derived from manufacturer tolerances to determine technique parameters that had a nominally significant effect on test metrics. Iodine quantification error was largely unaffected by any of the technique parameters investigated. Monoenergetic HU stability was found to be affected by mAs, with a threshold under which spectral separation was unsuccessful, diminishing the utility of DECT imaging. Noise was found to be affected by CTDIvol in the DEQC body phantom, and CTDIvol and mA in the DEQC head phantom. Positional constancy was found to be affected by mAs in the DEQC body phantom and mA in the DEQC head phantom. A streamlined scan protocol was developed to further investigate the effects of CTDIvol and rotation time while limiting data collection to the DEQC body phantom. Further data collection will be pursued to determine baseline values and statistically based failure thresholds for the validation of long-term DECT scanner performance. © 2018 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Genomic effects on advertisement call structure in diploid and triploid hybrid waterfrogs (Anura, Pelophylax esculentus)

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In anurans, differences in male mating calls have intensively been studied with respect to taxonomic classification, phylogeographic comparisons among different populations and sexual selection. Although overall successful, there is often much unexplained variation in these studies. Potential causes for such variation include differences among genotypes and breeding systems, as well as differences between populations. We investigated how these three factors affect call properties in male water frogs of Pelophylax lessonae (genotype LL), P. ridibundus (RR) and their interspecific hybrid P. esculentus which comes in diploid (LR) and triploid types (LLR, LRR). Results We investigated five call parameters that all showed a genomic dosage effect, i.e. they either decreased or increased with the L/R ratio in the order LL-LLR-LR-LRR-RR. Not all parameters differentiated equally well between the five genotypes, but combined they provided a good separation. Two of the five call parameters were also affected by the breeding system. Calls of diploid LR males varied, depending on whether these males mated with one or both of the parental species (diploid systems) or triploid hybrids (mixed ploidy systems). With the exception of the northernmost mixed-ploidy population, call differences were not related to the geographic location of the population and they were not correlated with genetic distances in the R and L genomes. Conclusions We found an influence of all three tested factors on call parameters, with the effect size decreasing from genotype through breeding system to geographic location of the population. Overall, results were in line with predictions from a dosage effect in L/R ratios, but in three call parameters all three hybrid types were more similar to one or the other parental species. Also calls of diploid hybrids varied between breeding systems in agreement with the sexual host required for successful reproduction. The lack of hybrid call differences in a mixed-ploidy population at the northern edge of the water frog distribution is likely to be associated with genetic particularities, including a) low genetic variability and/or b) a local loss of genes coding for genotype-dependent call differentiation under conditions where female discrimination between diploid and triploid males is not beneficial. PMID:24304922

Parameterized LMI Based Diagonal Dominance Compensator Study for Polynomial Linear Parameter Varying System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Xiaobao; Li, Huacong; Jia, Qiusheng

2017-12-01

For dynamic decoupling of polynomial linear parameter varying(PLPV) system, a robust dominance pre-compensator design method is given. The parameterized precompensator design problem is converted into an optimal problem constrained with parameterized linear matrix inequalities(PLMI) by using the conception of parameterized Lyapunov function(PLF). To solve the PLMI constrained optimal problem, the precompensator design problem is reduced into a normal convex optimization problem with normal linear matrix inequalities (LMI) constraints on a new constructed convex polyhedron. Moreover, a parameter scheduling pre-compensator is achieved, which satisfies robust performance and decoupling performances. Finally, the feasibility and validity of the robust diagonal dominance pre-compensator design method are verified by the numerical simulation on a turbofan engine PLPV model.

Quasi-Linear Parameter Varying Representation of General Aircraft Dynamics Over Non-Trim Region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shin, Jong-Yeob

2007-01-01

For applying linear parameter varying (LPV) control synthesis and analysis to a nonlinear system, it is required that a nonlinear system be represented in the form of an LPV model. In this paper, a new representation method is developed to construct an LPV model from a nonlinear mathematical model without the restriction that an operating point must be in the neighborhood of equilibrium points. An LPV model constructed by the new method preserves local stabilities of the original nonlinear system at "frozen" scheduling parameters and also represents the original nonlinear dynamics of a system over a non-trim region. An LPV model of the motion of FASER (Free-flying Aircraft for Subscale Experimental Research) is constructed by the new method.

The performance of H2O, R134a, SES36, ethanol, and HFE7100 two-phase closed thermosyphons for varying operating parameters and geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrzejczyk, Rafał; Muszyński, Tomasz

2017-09-01

In this study, the influences of different parameters at performance two-phase closed thermosiphon (TPCT) was presented. It has been confirmed that the working fluid, as well as operating parameters and fill ratio, are very important factors in the performance of TPCT. The article shows characteristics of gravitational tube geometries, as well as the technical characteristic of the most important system components, i.e., the evaporator/condenser. The experiment's plan and the results of it for the two-phase thermosiphon for both evaluated geometries with varying thermal and fluid flow parameters are presented. Experiments were performed for the most perspective working fluids, namely: water, R134a, SES36, ethanol and HFE7100. Obtained research proves the possibility to use TPCT for heat recovery from the industrial waste water.

Cavitation Performance of a Centrifugal Pump with Water and Mercury

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hammitt, F. G.; Barton, R. K.; Cramer, V. F.; Robinson, M. J.

1961-01-01

The cavitation performance of a given centrifugal pump with water (hot and cold) and mercury is compared. It is found that there are significant scale effects with all fluids tested, with the Thoma cavitation parameter decreasing in all cases for increased pump speed or fluid Reynolds' number. The data for a fixed flow coefficient fall into a single curve when plotted against pump speed (or fluid velocity), rather than against Reynolds' number. Conversely, the Thoma parameter for a given Reynolds' number is approximately twice as large for mercury as for water. The direction of this variation is as predicted from consideration of the cavitation thermodynamic parameters which vary by a factor of 10(exp 7) between these fluids. No difference in cavitation performance between hot and cold water (approximately 160 F and 80 F) was observed, However, the thermodynamic parameters vary only by a factor of 5.

Development of a Finite-Difference Time Domain (FDTD) Model for Propagation of Transient Sounds in Very Shallow Water.

PubMed

Sprague, Mark W; Luczkovich, Joseph J

2016-01-01

This finite-difference time domain (FDTD) model for sound propagation in very shallow water uses pressure and velocity grids with both 3-dimensional Cartesian and 2-dimensional cylindrical implementations. Parameters, including water and sediment properties, can vary in each dimension. Steady-state and transient signals from discrete and distributed sources, such as the surface of a vibrating pile, can be used. The cylindrical implementation uses less computation but requires axial symmetry. The Cartesian implementation allows asymmetry. FDTD calculations compare well with those of a split-step parabolic equation. Applications include modeling the propagation of individual fish sounds, fish aggregation sounds, and distributed sources.

Bench-scale research in biomass liquefaction in support of the Albany, Oregon experimental facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, D. C.

1981-03-01

The liquefaction of solid materials (wood, newsprint, animal manure) by beating to produce useful liquid fuels was investigated. Highlights of work performed include: (1) catalyst mechanism studies; (2) analytical reports on TR8 and TR9 product oils; (3) liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy analysis of wood oil; (4) batch conversion tests on bottom material; (5) vapor pressure studies; and (6) product evaluation. It was confirmed that the key process parameters and the effects of varying operating conditions are in support of biomass liquefaction.

NanoSat Constellation Mission Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Concha, Marco; DeFazio, Robert

1998-01-01

The NanoSat constellation concept mission proposes simultaneous operation of multiple swarms of as many as 22 identical 10 kg spacecraft per swarm. The various orbits in a NanoSat swarm vary from 3x12 to 3x42 R(sub e) in geometry. In this report the unique flight dynamics issues of this constellation satellite mission design are addressed. Studies include orbit design, orbit determination, and error analysis. A preliminary survey determined the orbital parameters that would limit the maximum shadow condition while providing adequate ground station access for three ground stations.

Bayesian approach to inverse statistical mechanics.

PubMed

Habeck, Michael

2014-05-01

Inverse statistical mechanics aims to determine particle interactions from ensemble properties. This article looks at this inverse problem from a Bayesian perspective and discusses several statistical estimators to solve it. In addition, a sequential Monte Carlo algorithm is proposed that draws the interaction parameters from their posterior probability distribution. The posterior probability involves an intractable partition function that is estimated along with the interactions. The method is illustrated for inverse problems of varying complexity, including the estimation of a temperature, the inverse Ising problem, maximum entropy fitting, and the reconstruction of molecular interaction potentials.

Bayesian approach to inverse statistical mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habeck, Michael

2014-05-01

Inverse statistical mechanics aims to determine particle interactions from ensemble properties. This article looks at this inverse problem from a Bayesian perspective and discusses several statistical estimators to solve it. In addition, a sequential Monte Carlo algorithm is proposed that draws the interaction parameters from their posterior probability distribution. The posterior probability involves an intractable partition function that is estimated along with the interactions. The method is illustrated for inverse problems of varying complexity, including the estimation of a temperature, the inverse Ising problem, maximum entropy fitting, and the reconstruction of molecular interaction potentials.

Entry dynamics of space shuttle orbiter with longitudinal stability and control uncertainties at supersonic and hypersonic speeds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, H. W.; Powell, R. W.

1977-01-01

A six-degree-of-freedom simulation analysis was conducted to examine the effects of longitudinal static aerodynamic stability and control uncertainties on the performance of the space shuttle orbiter automatic (no manual inputs) entry guidance and control systems. To establish the acceptable boundaries, the static aerodynamic characteristics were varied either by applying a multiplier to the aerodynamic parameter or by adding an increment. With either of two previously identified control system modifications included, the acceptable longitudinal aerodynamic boundaries were determined.

Overview of Icing Physics Relevant to Scaling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, David N.; Tsao, Jen-Ching

2005-01-01

An understanding of icing physics is required for the development of both scaling methods and ice-accretion prediction codes. This paper gives an overview of our present understanding of the important physical processes and the associated similarity parameters that determine the shape of Appendix C ice accretions. For many years it has been recognized that ice accretion processes depend on flow effects over the model, on droplet trajectories, on the rate of water collection and time of exposure, and, for glaze ice, on a heat balance. For scaling applications, equations describing these events have been based on analyses at the stagnation line of the model and have resulted in the identification of several non-dimensional similarity parameters. The parameters include the modified inertia parameter of the water drop, the accumulation parameter and the freezing fraction. Other parameters dealing with the leading edge heat balance have also been used for convenience. By equating scale expressions for these parameters to the values to be simulated a set of equations is produced which can be solved for the scale test conditions. Studies in the past few years have shown that at least one parameter in addition to those mentioned above is needed to describe surface-water effects, and some of the traditional parameters may not be as significant as once thought. Insight into the importance of each parameter, and the physical processes it represents, can be made by viewing whether ice shapes change, and the extent of the change, when each parameter is varied. Experimental evidence is presented to establish the importance of each of the traditionally used parameters and to identify the possible form of a new similarity parameter to be used for scaling.

Longitudinal Mediation Analysis with Time-varying Mediators and Exposures, with Application to Survival Outcomes

PubMed Central

Zheng, Wenjing; van der Laan, Mark

2017-01-01

In this paper, we study the effect of a time-varying exposure mediated by a time-varying intermediate variable. We consider general longitudinal settings, including survival outcomes. At a given time point, the exposure and mediator of interest are influenced by past covariates, mediators and exposures, and affect future covariates, mediators and exposures. Right censoring, if present, occurs in response to past history. To address the challenges in mediation analysis that are unique to these settings, we propose a formulation in terms of random interventions based on conditional distributions for the mediator. This formulation, in particular, allows for well-defined natural direct and indirect effects in the survival setting, and natural decomposition of the standard total effect. Upon establishing identifiability and the corresponding statistical estimands, we derive the efficient influence curves and establish their robustness properties. Applying Targeted Maximum Likelihood Estimation, we use these efficient influence curves to construct multiply robust and efficient estimators. We also present an inverse probability weighted estimator and a nested non-targeted substitution estimator for these parameters. PMID:29387520

Galaxy Properties Across and Through the 6dFGS Fundamental Plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Springob, Chris M.; Magoulas, C.; Proctor, R.; Colless, M.; Jones, D. H.; Kobayashi, C.; Campbell, L.; Lucey, J.; Mould, J.; Merson, A.

2011-05-01

The 6dF Galaxy Survey (6dFGS) is an all southern sky galaxy survey, including 125,000 redshifts and a Fundamental Plane (FP) subsample of 10,000 peculiar velocities, making it the largest peculiar velocity sample to date. We have developed a robust procedure for fitting the FP, performing a maximum likelihood fit to a tri-variate Gaussian. We have subsequently examined the variation of a variety of properties across and through the FP, including environment, morphology, metallicity, alpha-enhancement, and stellar age. We find little variation in the FP with global environment. Some variation of morphology is found along the plane, though this is likely a consequence of selection effects. Elemental abundances are found to vary both across and through the FP. The parameter that varies most directly through the FP is stellar age. We find that galaxies with stellar populations with average ages older than 3 Gyr occupy a thinner FP than those younger than 3 Gyr. Thus, a modest improvement in distance errors is realized if one divides the sample into subsamples segregated by age, and fits the FP of each subsample independently.

Analyzing Power Supply and Demand on the ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, Justin; Pham, Tho; Halyard, Raymond; Conwell, Steve

2006-01-01

Station Power and Energy Evaluation Determiner (SPEED) is a Java application program for analyzing the supply and demand aspects of the electrical power system of the International Space Station (ISS). SPEED can be executed on any computer that supports version 1.4 or a subsequent version of the Java Runtime Environment. SPEED includes an analysis module, denoted the Simplified Battery Solar Array Model, which is a simplified engineering model of the ISS primary power system. This simplified model makes it possible to perform analyses quickly. SPEED also includes a user-friendly graphical-interface module, an input file system, a parameter-configuration module, an analysis-configuration-management subsystem, and an output subsystem. SPEED responds to input information on trajectory, shadowing, attitude, and pointing in either a state-of-charge mode or a power-availability mode. In the state-of-charge mode, SPEED calculates battery state-of-charge profiles, given a time-varying power-load profile. In the power-availability mode, SPEED determines the time-varying total available solar array and/or battery power output, given a minimum allowable battery state of charge.

A Catalog of Galaxy Clusters Observed by XMM-Newton

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snowden, S. L.; Mushotzky, R. M.; Kuntz, K. D.; Davis, David S.

2007-01-01

Images and the radial profiles of the temperature, abundance, and brightness for 70 clusters of galaxies observed by XMM-Newton are presented along with a detailed discussion of the data reduction and analysis methods, including background modeling, which were used in the processing. Proper consideration of the various background components is vital to extend the reliable determination of cluster parameters to the largest possible cluster radii. The various components of the background including the quiescent particle background, cosmic diffuse emission, soft proton contamination, and solar wind charge exchange emission are discussed along with suggested means of their identification, filtering, and/or their modeling and subtraction. Every component is spectrally variable, sometimes significantly so, and all components except the cosmic background are temporally variable as well. The distributions of the events over the FOV vary between the components, and some distributions vary with energy. The scientific results from observations of low surface brightness objects and the diffuse background itself can be strongly affected by these background components and therefore great care should be taken in their consideration.

Backward bifurcations, turning points and rich dynamics in simple disease models.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenjing; Wahl, Lindi M; Yu, Pei

2016-10-01

In this paper, dynamical systems theory and bifurcation theory are applied to investigate the rich dynamical behaviours observed in three simple disease models. The 2- and 3-dimensional models we investigate have arisen in previous investigations of epidemiology, in-host disease, and autoimmunity. These closely related models display interesting dynamical behaviors including bistability, recurrence, and regular oscillations, each of which has possible clinical or public health implications. In this contribution we elucidate the key role of backward bifurcations in the parameter regimes leading to the behaviors of interest. We demonstrate that backward bifurcations with varied positions of turning points facilitate the appearance of Hopf bifurcations, and the varied dynamical behaviors are then determined by the properties of the Hopf bifurcation(s), including their location and direction. A Maple program developed earlier is implemented to determine the stability of limit cycles bifurcating from the Hopf bifurcation. Numerical simulations are presented to illustrate phenomena of interest such as bistability, recurrence and oscillation. We also discuss the physical motivations for the models and the clinical implications of the resulting dynamics.

Landscape ecological assessment of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

PubMed

Weber, Ted

2004-06-01

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed, located in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States, is experiencing rapid habitat loss and fragmentation from sprawling low-density development. The bay itself is heavily stressed by excess sediment and nutrient runoff. Three states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government signed an agreement in 2000 to address these problems. The commitments included an assessment of the watershed's resource lands, and targeting the most valued lands for protection. As part of this task, the Resource Lands Assessment identified an ecological network comprised of large contiguous blocks (hubs) of forests, wetlands, and streams, interconnected by corridors to allow animal and plant propagule dispersal and migration. Hubs were prioritized by ecoregion, by analyzing a variety of ecological parameters, including: rare species presence, rarity and population viability; vegetation and vertebrate richness; habitat area, condition, and diversity; intactness and remoteness; connectivity potential; and the nature of the surrounding landscape. I found that much of the watershed was still fairly intact, although this varied dramatically by ecoregion. Current protection also varied, and an assessment of vulnerability will help focus protection efforts among the most valuable hubs and corridors.

Ultrasonic attenuation and phase velocity of high-density polyethylene pipe material.

PubMed

Egerton, J S; Lowe, M J S; Huthwaite, P; Halai, H V

2017-03-01

Knowledge of acoustic properties is crucial for ultrasonic or sonic imaging and signal detection in nondestructive evaluation (NDE), medical imaging, and seismology. Accurately and reliably obtaining these is particularly challenging for the NDE of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), such as is used in many water or gas pipes, because the properties vary greatly with frequency, temperature, direction and spatial location. Therefore the work reported here was undertaken in order to establish a basis for such a multiparameter description. The approach is general but the study specifically addresses HDPE and includes measured data values. Applicable to any such multiparameter acoustic properties dataset is a devised regression method that uses a neural network algorithm. This algorithm includes constraints to respect the Kramers-Kronig causality relationship between speed and attenuation of waves in a viscoelastic medium. These constrained acoustic properties are fully described in a multidimensional parameter space to vary with frequency, depth, temperature, and direction. The resulting uncertainties in acoustic properties dependence on the above variables are better than 4% and 2%, respectively, for attenuation and phase velocity and therefore can prevent major defect imaging errors.

Investigation on gas medium parameters for an ArF excimer laser through orthogonal experimental design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Xingliang; Sha, Pengfei; Fan, Yuanyuan; Jiang, R.; Zhao, Jiangshan; Zhou, Yi; Yang, Junhong; Xiong, Guangliang; Wang, Yu

2018-02-01

Due to complex kinetics of formation and loss mechanisms, such as ion-ion recombination reaction, neutral species harpoon reaction, excited state quenching and photon absorption, as well as their interactions, the performance behavior of different laser gas medium parameters for excimer laser varies greatly. Therefore, the effects of gas composition and total gas pressure on excimer laser performance attract continual research studies. In this work, orthogonal experimental design (OED) is used to investigate quantitative and qualitative correlations between output laser energy characteristics and gas medium parameters for an ArF excimer laser with plano-plano optical resonator operation. Optimized output laser energy with good pulse to pulse stability can be obtained effectively by proper selection of the gas medium parameters, which makes the most of the ArF excimer laser device. Simple and efficient method for gas medium optimization is proposed and demonstrated experimentally, which provides a global and systematic solution. By detailed statistical analysis, the significance sequence of relevant parameter factors and the optimized composition for gas medium parameters are obtained. Compared with conventional route of varying single gas parameter factor sequentially, this paper presents a more comprehensive way of considering multivariables simultaneously, which seems promising in striking an appropriate balance among various complicated parameters for power scaling study of an excimer laser.

Evaluating spatial and temporal variability in growth and mortality for recreational fisheries with limited catch data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Li, Yan; Wagner, Tyler; Jiao, Yan; Lorantas, Robert M.; Murphy, Cheryl

2018-01-01

Understanding the spatial and temporal variability in life-history traits among populations is essential for the management of recreational fisheries. However, valuable freshwater recreational fish species often suffer from a lack of catch information. In this study, we demonstrated the use of an approach to estimate the spatial and temporal variability in growth and mortality in the absence of catch data and apply the method to riverine smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) populations in Pennsylvania, USA. Our approach included a growth analysis and a length-based analysis that estimates mortality. Using a hierarchical Bayesian approach, we examined spatial variability in growth and mortality by assuming parameters vary spatially but remain constant over time and temporal variability by assuming parameters vary spatially and temporally. The estimated growth and mortality of smallmouth bass showed substantial variability over time and across rivers. We explored the relationships of the estimated growth and mortality with spring water temperature and spring flow. Growth rate was likely to be positively correlated with these two factors, while young mortality was likely to be positively correlated with spring flow. The spatially and temporally varying growth and mortality suggest that smallmouth bass populations across rivers may respond differently to management plans and disturbance such as environmental contamination and land-use change. The analytical approach can be extended to other freshwater recreational species that also lack of catch data. The approach could also be useful in developing population assessments with erroneous catch data or be used as a model sensitivity scenario to verify traditional models even when catch data are available.

The beta Burr type X distribution properties with application.

PubMed

Merovci, Faton; Khaleel, Mundher Abdullah; Ibrahim, Noor Akma; Shitan, Mahendran

2016-01-01

We develop a new continuous distribution called the beta-Burr type X distribution that extends the Burr type X distribution. The properties provide a comprehensive mathematical treatment of this distribution. Further more, various structural properties of the new distribution are derived, that includes moment generating function and the rth moment thus generalizing some results in the literature. We also obtain expressions for the density, moment generating function and rth moment of the order statistics. We consider the maximum likelihood estimation to estimate the parameters. Additionally, the asymptotic confidence intervals for the parameters are derived from the Fisher information matrix. Finally, simulation study is carried at under varying sample size to assess the performance of this model. Illustration the real dataset indicates that this new distribution can serve as a good alternative model to model positive real data in many areas.

Development of lithium diffused radiation resistant solar cells, part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Payne, P. R.; Somberg, H.

1971-01-01

The work performed to investigate the effect of various process parameters on the performance of lithium doped P/N solar cells is described. Effort was concentrated in four main areas: (1) the starting material, (2) the boron diffusion, (3) the lithium diffusion, and (4) the contact system. Investigation of starting material primarily involved comparison of crucible grown silicon (high oxygen content) and Lopex silicon (low oxygen content). In addition, the effect of varying growing parameters of crucible grown silicon on lithium cell output was also examined. The objective of the boron diffusion studies was to obtain a diffusion process which produced high efficiency cells with minimal silicon stressing and could be scaled up to process 100 or more cells per diffusion. Contact studies included investigating sintering of the TiAg contacts and evaluation of the contact integrity.

Assessing the impact of model and climate uncertainty in malaria simulations for the Kenyan Highlands.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tompkins, A. M.; Thomson, M. C.

2017-12-01

Simulations of the impact of climate variations on a vector-bornedisease such as malaria are subject to a number of sources ofuncertainty. These include the model structure and parameter settingsin addition to errors in the climate data and the neglect of theirspatial heterogeneity, especially over complex terrain. We use aconstrained genetic algorithm to confront these two sources ofuncertainty for malaria transmission in the highlands of Kenya. Thetechnique calibrates the parameter settings of a process-based,mathematical model of malaria transmission to vary within theirassessed level of uncertainty and also allows the calibration of thedriving climate data. The simulations show that in highland settingsclose to the threshold for sustained transmission, the uncertainty inclimate is more important to address than the malaria modeluncertainty. Applications of the coupled climate-malaria modelling system are briefly presented.

Prioritized Contact Transport Stream

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hunt, Walter Lee, Jr. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A detection process, contact recognition process, classification process, and identification process are applied to raw sensor data to produce an identified contact record set containing one or more identified contact records. A prioritization process is applied to the identified contact record set to assign a contact priority to each contact record in the identified contact record set. Data are removed from the contact records in the identified contact record set based on the contact priorities assigned to those contact records. A first contact stream is produced from the resulting contact records. The first contact stream is streamed in a contact transport stream. The contact transport stream may include and stream additional contact streams. The contact transport stream may be varied dynamically over time based on parameters such as available bandwidth, contact priority, presence/absence of contacts, system state, and configuration parameters.

Model approaches for estimating the influence of time-varying socio-environmental factors on macroparasite transmission in two endemic regions

PubMed Central

ZHONG, BO; CARLTON, ELIZABETH J.; SPEAR, ROBERT C.

2009-01-01

The environmental determinants of vector- and host-borne diseases include time-varying components that modify key transmission parameters, resulting in transient couplings between environmental phenomena and transmission processes. While some time-varying drivers are periodic in nature, some are aperiodic, such as those that involve episodic events or complex patterns of human behavior. Understanding these couplings can allow for prediction of periods of peak infection risk, and ultimately presents opportunities for optimizing intervention selection and timing. Schistosome macroparasites of humans exhibit multiple free-living stages as well as intermediate hosts, and are thus model organisms for illustrating the influence of environmental forcing on transmission. Time-varying environmental factors, termed gating functions, for schistosomes include larval response to temperature and rainfall, seasonal water contact patterns and snail population dynamics driven by weather variables. The biological bases for these modifiers are reviewed, and their values are estimated and incorporated into a transmission model that simulates a multi-year period in two schistosomiasis endemic regions. Modeling results combined with a scale dependent correlation analysis indicate the end effect of these site-specific gating functions is to strongly govern worm burden in these communities, in a manner particularly sensitive to the hydrological differences between sites. Two classes of gating functions were identified, those that act in concert to modify human infection (and determine worm acquisition late in the season), and those that act on snail infection (and determine early season worm acquisition). The importance of these factors for control programs and surveillance is discussed. PMID:20454601

Sensitivity of land surface modeling to parameters: An uncertainty quantification method applied to the Community Land Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ricciuto, D. M.; Mei, R.; Mao, J.; Hoffman, F. M.; Kumar, J.

2015-12-01

Uncertainties in land parameters could have important impacts on simulated water and energy fluxes and land surface states, which will consequently affect atmospheric and biogeochemical processes. Therefore, quantification of such parameter uncertainties using a land surface model is the first step towards better understanding of predictive uncertainty in Earth system models. In this study, we applied a random-sampling, high-dimensional model representation (RS-HDMR) method to analyze the sensitivity of simulated photosynthesis, surface energy fluxes and surface hydrological components to selected land parameters in version 4.5 of the Community Land Model (CLM4.5). Because of the large computational expense of conducting ensembles of global gridded model simulations, we used the results of a previous cluster analysis to select one thousand representative land grid cells for simulation. Plant functional type (PFT)-specific uniform prior ranges for land parameters were determined using expert opinion and literature survey, and samples were generated with a quasi-Monte Carlo approach-Sobol sequence. Preliminary analysis of 1024 simulations suggested that four PFT-dependent parameters (including slope of the conductance-photosynthesis relationship, specific leaf area at canopy top, leaf C:N ratio and fraction of leaf N in RuBisco) are the dominant sensitive parameters for photosynthesis, surface energy and water fluxes across most PFTs, but with varying importance rankings. On the other hand, for surface ans sub-surface runoff, PFT-independent parameters, such as the depth-dependent decay factors for runoff, play more important roles than the previous four PFT-dependent parameters. Further analysis by conditioning the results on different seasons and years are being conducted to provide guidance on how climate variability and change might affect such sensitivity. This is the first step toward coupled simulations including biogeochemical processes, atmospheric processes or both to determine the full range of sensitivity of Earth system modeling to land-surface parameters. This can facilitate sampling strategies in measurement campaigns targeted at reduction of climate modeling uncertainties and can also provide guidance on land parameter calibration for simulation optimization.

An adaptive bit synchronization algorithm under time-varying environment.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chow, L. R.; Owen, H. A., Jr.; Wang, P. P.

1973-01-01

This paper presents an adaptive estimation algorithm for bit synchronization, assuming that the parameters of the incoming data process are time-varying. Experiment results have proved that this synchronizer is workable either judged by the amount of data required or the speed of convergence.

Analysis and design of gain scheduled control systems. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shamma, Jeff S.

1988-01-01

Gain scheduling, as an idea, is to construct a global feedback control system for a time varying and/or nonlinear plant from a collection of local time invariant designs. However in the absence of a sound analysis, these designs come with no guarantees on the robustness, performance, or even nominal stability of the overall gain schedule design. Such an analysis is presented for three types of gain scheduling situations: (1) a linear parameter varying plant scheduling on its exogenous parameters, (2) a nonlinear plant scheduling on a prescribed reference trajectory, and (3) a nonlinear plant scheduling on the current plant output. Conditions are given which guarantee that the stability, robustness, and performance properties of the fixed operating point designs carry over to the global gain scheduled designs, such as the scheduling variable should vary slowly and capture the plants nonlinearities. Finally, an alternate design framework is proposed which removes the slowing varying restriction or gain scheduled systems. This framework addresses some fundamental feedback issues previously ignored in standard gain.

Multiple roles for executive control in belief-desire reasoning: distinct neural networks are recruited for self perspective inhibition and complexity of reasoning.

PubMed

Hartwright, Charlotte E; Apperly, Ian A; Hansen, Peter C

2012-07-16

Belief-desire reasoning is a core component of 'Theory of Mind' (ToM), which can be used to explain and predict the behaviour of agents. Neuroimaging studies reliably identify a network of brain regions comprising a 'standard' network for ToM, including temporoparietal junction and medial prefrontal cortex. Whilst considerable experimental evidence suggests that executive control (EC) may support a functioning ToM, co-ordination of neural systems for ToM and EC is poorly understood. We report here use of a novel task in which psychologically relevant ToM parameters (true versus false belief; approach versus avoidance desire) were manipulated orthogonally. The valence of these parameters not only modulated brain activity in the 'standard' ToM network but also in EC regions. Varying the valence of both beliefs and desires recruits anterior cingulate cortex, suggesting a shared inhibitory component associated with negatively valenced mental state concepts. Varying the valence of beliefs additionally draws on ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, reflecting the need to inhibit self perspective. These data provide the first evidence that separate functional and neural systems for EC may be recruited in the service of different aspects of ToM. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Resistance Training Effects on Metabolic Function Among Youth: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Bea, Jennifer W; Blew, Robert M; Howe, Carol; Hetherington-Rauth, Megan; Going, Scott B

2017-08-01

This systematic review evaluates the relationship between resistance training and metabolic function in youth. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, and ClinicalTrials. gov were searched for articles that (1): studied children (2); included resistance training (3); were randomized interventions; and (4) reported markers of metabolic function. The selected studies were analyzed using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias Tool. Thirteen articles met inclusion criteria. Mean age ranged from 12.2 to 16.9 years, but most were limited to high school (n = 11) and overweight/obese (n = 12). Sample sizes (n = 22-304), session duration (40-60min), and intervention length (8-52 wks) varied. Exercise frequency was typically 2-3 d/wk. Resistance training was metabolically beneficial compared with control or resistance plus aerobic training in 5 studies overall and 3 out of the 4 studies with the fewest threats to bias (p ≤ .05); each was accompanied by beneficial changes in body composition, but only one study adjusted for change in body composition. Limited evidence suggests that resistance training may positively affect metabolic parameters in youth. Well-controlled resistance training interventions of varying doses are needed to definitively determine whether resistance training can mitigate metabolic dysfunction in youth and whether training benefits on metabolic parameters are independent of body composition changes.

Visual detection following retinal damage: predictions of an inhomogeneous retino-cortical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnow, Thomas L.; Geisler, Wilson S.

1996-04-01

A model of human visual detection performance has been developed, based on available anatomical and physiological data for the primate visual system. The inhomogeneous retino- cortical (IRC) model computes detection thresholds by comparing simulated neural responses to target patterns with responses to a uniform background of the same luminance. The model incorporates human ganglion cell sampling distributions; macaque monkey ganglion cell receptive field properties; macaque cortical cell contrast nonlinearities; and a optical decision rule based on ideal observer theory. Spatial receptive field properties of cortical neurons were not included. Two parameters were allowed to vary while minimizing the squared error between predicted and observed thresholds. One parameter was decision efficiency, the other was the relative strength of the ganglion-cell center and surround. The latter was only allowed to vary within a small range consistent with known physiology. Contrast sensitivity was measured for sinewave gratings as a function of spatial frequency, target size and eccentricity. Contrast sensitivity was also measured for an airplane target as a function of target size, with and without artificial scotomas. The results of these experiments, as well as contrast sensitivity data from the literature were compared to predictions of the IRC model. Predictions were reasonably good for grating and airplane targets.

Modeling Mass and Thermal Transport in Thin Porous Media of PEM Fuel Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konduru, Vinaykumar

Water transport in the Porous Transport Layer (PTL) plays an important role in the efficient operation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). Excessive water content as well as dry operating conditions are unfavorable for efficient and reliable operation of the fuel cell. The effect of thermal conductivity and porosity on water management are investigated by simulating two-phase flow in the PTL of the fuel cell using a network model. In the model, the PTL consists of a pore-phase and a solid-phase. Different models of the PTLs are generated using independent Weibull distributions for the pore-phase and the solid-phase. The specific arrangement of the pores and solid elements is varied to obtain different PTL realizations for the same Weibull parameters. The properties of PTL are varied by changing the porosity and thermal conductivity. The parameters affecting operating conditions include the temperature, relative humidity in the flow channel and voltage and current density. In addition, a novel high-speed capable Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) microscope was built based on Kretschmann's configuration utilizing a collimated Kohler illumination. The SPR allows thin film characterization in a thickness of approximately 0-200nm by measuring the changes in the refractive index. Various independent experiments were run to measure film thickness during droplet coalescence during condensation.

Hierarchical modeling of bycatch rates of sea turtles in the western North Atlantic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gardner, B.; Sullivan, P.J.; Epperly, S.; Morreale, S.J.

2008-01-01

Previous studies indicate that the locations of the endangered loggerhead Caretta caretta and critically endangered leatherback Dermochelys coriacea sea turtles are influenced by water temperatures, and that incidental catch rates in the pelagic longline fishery vary by region. We present a Bayesian hierarchical model to examine the effects of environmental variables, including water temperature, on the number of sea turtles captured in the US pelagic longline fishery in the western North Atlantic. The modeling structure is highly flexible, utilizes a Bayesian model selection technique, and is fully implemented in the software program WinBUGS. The number of sea turtles captured is modeled as a zero-inflated Poisson distribution and the model incorporates fixed effects to examine region-specific differences in the parameter estimates. Results indicate that water temperature, region, bottom depth, and target species are all significant predictors of the number of loggerhead sea turtles captured. For leatherback sea turtles, the model with only target species had the most posterior model weight, though a re-parameterization of the model indicates that temperature influences the zero-inflation parameter. The relationship between the number of sea turtles captured and the variables of interest all varied by region. This suggests that management decisions aimed at reducing sea turtle bycatch may be more effective if they are spatially explicit. ?? Inter-Research 2008.

Revisiting crash spatial heterogeneity: A Bayesian spatially varying coefficients approach.

PubMed

Xu, Pengpeng; Huang, Helai; Dong, Ni; Wong, S C

2017-01-01

This study was performed to investigate the spatially varying relationships between crash frequency and related risk factors. A Bayesian spatially varying coefficients model was elaborately introduced as a methodological alternative to simultaneously account for the unstructured and spatially structured heterogeneity of the regression coefficients in predicting crash frequencies. The proposed method was appealing in that the parameters were modeled via a conditional autoregressive prior distribution, which involved a single set of random effects and a spatial correlation parameter with extreme values corresponding to pure unstructured or pure spatially correlated random effects. A case study using a three-year crash dataset from the Hillsborough County, Florida, was conducted to illustrate the proposed model. Empirical analysis confirmed the presence of both unstructured and spatially correlated variations in the effects of contributory factors on severe crash occurrences. The findings also suggested that ignoring spatially structured heterogeneity may result in biased parameter estimates and incorrect inferences, while assuming the regression coefficients to be spatially clustered only is probably subject to the issue of over-smoothness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mass and Magnetic Field Dependence of Electrostatic Particle Transport and Turbulence in LAPD-U

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crocker, N. A.; Gilmore, M.; Peebles, W. A.; Will, S.; Nguyen, X. V.; Carter, T. A.

2003-10-01

The scaling of particle transport with ion mass and magnetic field strength remains an open question in plasma research. Direct comparison of experiment with theory is often complicated by inability to significantly vary critical parameters such as ion mass, pressure gradient, ion gyro-radius, etc. The LAPD-U magnetized, linear plasma at UCLA provides the ideal platform for such studies, allowing large parameter variation. The magnetic field in LAPD-U can be varied over a range of 500 - 1500 G, while ion species can be varied to change mass by a factor of at least 10. In addition, ion gyro-radii are small compared to the plasma diameter ( 1 m). Cross-field transport in LAPD-U is thought to be caused by electrostatic turbulence, also a leading candidate for transport in fusion plasmas. It is planned, therefore, to investigate turbulence and transport characteristics as a function of parameter space. In particular, measurement of the mass and magnetic field dependence of electrostatic particle transport and turbulence characteristics in LAPD-U will be presented.

Shock Layer Radiation Modeling and Uncertainty for Mars Entry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, Christopher O.; Brandis, Aaron M.; Sutton, Kenneth

2012-01-01

A model for simulating nonequilibrium radiation from Mars entry shock layers is presented. A new chemical kinetic rate model is developed that provides good agreement with recent EAST and X2 shock tube radiation measurements. This model includes a CO dissociation rate that is a factor of 13 larger than the rate used widely in previous models. Uncertainties in the proposed rates are assessed along with uncertainties in translational-vibrational relaxation modeling parameters. The stagnation point radiative flux uncertainty due to these flowfield modeling parameter uncertainties is computed to vary from 50 to 200% for a range of free-stream conditions, with densities ranging from 5e-5 to 5e-4 kg/m3 and velocities ranging from of 6.3 to 7.7 km/s. These conditions cover the range of anticipated peak radiative heating conditions for proposed hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerators (HIADs). Modeling parameters for the radiative spectrum are compiled along with a non-Boltzmann rate model for the dominant radiating molecules, CO, CN, and C2. A method for treating non-local absorption in the non-Boltzmann model is developed, which is shown to result in up to a 50% increase in the radiative flux through absorption by the CO 4th Positive band. The sensitivity of the radiative flux to the radiation modeling parameters is presented and the uncertainty for each parameter is assessed. The stagnation point radiative flux uncertainty due to these radiation modeling parameter uncertainties is computed to vary from 18 to 167% for the considered range of free-stream conditions. The total radiative flux uncertainty is computed as the root sum square of the flowfield and radiation parametric uncertainties, which results in total uncertainties ranging from 50 to 260%. The main contributors to these significant uncertainties are the CO dissociation rate and the CO heavy-particle excitation rates. Applying the baseline flowfield and radiation models developed in this work, the radiative heating for the Mars Pathfinder probe is predicted to be nearly 20 W/cm2. In contrast to previous studies, this value is shown to be significant relative to the convective heating.

Characterization and simulation of cDNA microarray spots using a novel mathematical model

PubMed Central

Kim, Hye Young; Lee, Seo Eun; Kim, Min Jung; Han, Jin Il; Kim, Bo Kyung; Lee, Yong Sung; Lee, Young Seek; Kim, Jin Hyuk

2007-01-01

Background The quality of cDNA microarray data is crucial for expanding its application to other research areas, such as the study of gene regulatory networks. Despite the fact that a number of algorithms have been suggested to increase the accuracy of microarray gene expression data, it is necessary to obtain reliable microarray images by improving wet-lab experiments. As the first step of a cDNA microarray experiment, spotting cDNA probes is critical to determining the quality of spot images. Results We developed a governing equation of cDNA deposition during evaporation of a drop in the microarray spotting process. The governing equation included four parameters: the surface site density on the support, the extrapolated equilibrium constant for the binding of cDNA molecules with surface sites on glass slides, the macromolecular interaction factor, and the volume constant of a drop of cDNA solution. We simulated cDNA deposition from the single model equation by varying the value of the parameters. The morphology of the resulting cDNA deposit can be classified into three types: a doughnut shape, a peak shape, and a volcano shape. The spot morphology can be changed into a flat shape by varying the experimental conditions while considering the parameters of the governing equation of cDNA deposition. The four parameters were estimated by fitting the governing equation to the real microarray images. With the results of the simulation and the parameter estimation, the phenomenon of the formation of cDNA deposits in each type was investigated. Conclusion This study explains how various spot shapes can exist and suggests which parameters are to be adjusted for obtaining a good spot. This system is able to explore the cDNA microarray spotting process in a predictable, manageable and descriptive manner. We hope it can provide a way to predict the incidents that can occur during a real cDNA microarray experiment, and produce useful data for several research applications involving cDNA microarrays. PMID:18096047

Configuration complexity assessment of convergent supply chain systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modrak, Vladimir; Marton, David

2014-07-01

System designers usually generate alternative configurations of supply chains (SCs) by varying especially fixed assets to satisfy a desired production scope and rate. Such alternatives often vary in associated costs and other facets including degrees of complexity. Hence, a measure of configuration complexity can be a tool for comparison and decision-making. This paper presents three approaches to assessment of configuration complexity and their applications to designing convergent SC systems. Presented approaches are conceptually distinct ways of measuring structural complexity parameters based on different preconditions and circumstances of assembly systems which are typical representatives of convergent SCs. There are applied two similar approaches based on different preconditions that are related to demand shares. Third approach does not consider any special condition relating to character of final product demand. Subsequently, we propose a framework for modeling of assembly SC models, which are dividing to classes.

[Epidemiology of obesity in Austria].

PubMed

Dorner, Thomas E

2016-03-01

The purpose of this article was to compile all existing data regarding the prevalence of obesity in Austria in all age groups, and to perform additional analyses. Prevalence of obesity in the adult Austrian population varies between 8.3 and 19.9% in men, and 9.0 and 19.8% in women with increasing trends over time. Prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents in Austria varies between 3.1 and 9.0% in boys and between 2.2 and 7.3% in girls. Factors associated with obesity include higher age, lower educational level, profession, migration background, living in eastern parts of Austria, lack of social support, and psycho-social pressure. In women, socio-economic parameters are stronger associated with obesity compared to men. Obesity is associated with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis, and low back pain, and deteriorated quality of live, in both sexes, and in men additionally with a history of heart attack, and in women additionally with anxiety/depression.

Impact of hydraulic and carbon loading rates of constructed wetlands on contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) removal.

PubMed

Sharif, Fariya; Westerhoff, Paul; Herckes, Pierre

2014-02-01

Constructed wetlands remove trace organic contaminants via synergistic processes involving plant biomass that include hydrolysis, volatilization, sorption, biodegradation, and photolysis. Wetland design conditions, such as hydraulic loading rates (HLRs) and carbon loading rates (CLRs), influence these processes. Contaminant of emerging concern (CEC) removal by wetland plants was investigated at varying HLRs and CLRs. Rate constants and parameters obtained from batch-scale studies were used in a mechanistic model to evaluate the effect of these two loading rates on CEC removal. CLR significantly influenced CEC removal when wetlands were operated at HLR >5 cm/d. High values of CLR increased removal of estradiol and carbamazepine but lowered that of testosterone and atrazine. Without increasing the cumulative HLR, operating two wetlands in series with varying CLRs could be a way to improve CEC removal. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current-induced spin polarization in InGaAs and GaAs epilayers with varying doping densities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luengo-Kovac, M.; Huang, S.; Del Gaudio, D.; Occena, J.; Goldman, R. S.; Raimondi, R.; Sih, V.

2017-11-01

The current-induced spin polarization and momentum-dependent spin-orbit field were measured in InxGa1 -xAs epilayers with varying indium concentrations and silicon doping densities. Samples with higher indium concentrations and carrier concentrations and lower mobilities were found to have larger electrical spin generation efficiencies. Furthermore, current-induced spin polarization was detected in GaAs epilayers despite the absence of measurable spin-orbit fields, indicating that the extrinsic contributions to the spin-polarization mechanism must be considered. Theoretical calculations based on a model that includes extrinsic contributions to the spin dephasing and the spin Hall effect, in addition to the intrinsic Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling, are found to reproduce the experimental finding that the crystal direction with the smaller net spin-orbit field has larger electrical spin generation efficiency and are used to predict how sample parameters affect the magnitude of the current-induced spin polarization.

Counts of galaxy clusters as cosmological probes: the impact of baryonic physics

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

Balaguera-Antolínez, Andrés; Porciani, Cristiano, E-mail: abalan@astro.uni-bonn.de, E-mail: porciani@astro.uni-bonn.de

2013-04-01

The halo mass function from N-body simulations of collisionless matter is generally used to retrieve cosmological parameters from observed counts of galaxy clusters. This neglects the observational fact that the baryonic mass fraction in clusters is a random variable that, on average, increases with the total mass (within an overdensity of 500). Considering a mock catalog that includes tens of thousands of galaxy clusters, as expected from the forthcoming generation of surveys, we show that the effect of a varying baryonic mass fraction will be observable with high statistical significance. The net effect is a change in the overall normalizationmore » of the cluster mass function and a milder modification of its shape. Our results indicate the necessity of taking into account baryonic corrections to the mass function if one wants to obtain unbiased estimates of the cosmological parameters from data of this quality. We introduce the formalism necessary to accomplish this goal. Our discussion is based on the conditional probability of finding a given value of the baryonic mass fraction for clusters of fixed total mass. Finally, we show that combining information from the cluster counts with measurements of the baryonic mass fraction in a small subsample of clusters (including only a few tens of objects) will nearly optimally constrain the cosmological parameters.« less

Experimental study on the shear behavior of the interface between cushion materials and the concrete raft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yaokun; Han, Xiaolei; Galal, Khaled; Ji, Jing

2018-01-01

Cushion is a layer of granular materials between the raft and the ground. The shear behavior of the interface between the cushion and the raft may influence the seismic performance of the superstructure. In order to quantify such influences, horizontal shear tests on the interfaces between different cushion materials and concrete raft under monotonic and cyclic loading were carried out. The vertical pressure P v, material type and cushion thickness h c were taken as variables. Conclusions include: 1) under monotonic loading, P v is the most significant factor; the shear resistance P hmax increases as P v increases, but the normalized factor of resistance μ n has an opposite tendency; 2) for the materials used in this study, μ n varies from 0.40 to 0.70, the interface friction angle δ s varies from 20° to 35°, while u max varies from 3 mm to 15 mm; 3) under cyclic loading, the interface behavior can be abstracted as a "three-segment" back-bone curve, the main parameters include μ n, the displacement u 1 and stiffness K 1 of the elastic stage, the displacement u 2 and stiffness K 2 of the plastic stage; 4) by observation and statistical analysis, the significance of different factors, together with values of K 1, K 2 and μ n have been obtained.

Nonlinear Local Bending Response and Bulging Factors for Longitudinal and Circumferential Cracks in Pressurized Cylindrical Shells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Richard D.; Rose, Cheryl A.; Starnes, James H., Jr.

2000-01-01

Results of a geometrically nonlinear finite element parametric study to determine curvature correction factors or bulging factors that account for increased stresses due to curvature for longitudinal and circumferential cracks in unstiffened pressurized cylindrical shells are presented. Geometric parameters varied in the study include the shell radius, the shell wall thickness, and the crack length. The major results are presented in the form of contour plots of the bulging factor as a function of two nondimensional parameters: the shell curvature parameter, lambda, which is a function of the shell geometry, Poisson's ratio, and the crack length; and a loading parameter, eta, which is a function of the shell geometry, material properties, and the applied internal pressure. These plots identify the ranges of the shell curvature and loading parameters for which the effects of geometric nonlinearity are significant. Simple empirical expressions for the bulging factor are then derived from the numerical results and shown to predict accurately the nonlinear response of shells with longitudinal and circumferential cracks. The numerical results are also compared with analytical solutions based on linear shallow shell theory for thin shells, and with some other semi-empirical solutions from the literature, and limitations on the use of these other expressions are suggested.

Variability in ambient noise levels and call parameters of North Atlantic right whales in three habitat areas.

PubMed

Parks, Susan E; Urazghildiiev, Ildar; Clark, Christopher W

2009-02-01

The North Atlantic right whale inhabits the coastal waters off the east coasts of the United States and Canada, areas characterized by high levels of shipping and fishing activities. Acoustic communication plays an important role in the social behavior of these whales and increases in low-frequency noise may be leading to changes in their calling behavior. This study characterizes the ambient noise levels, including both natural and anthropogenic sources, and right whale upcall parameters in three right whale habitat areas. Continuous recordings were made seasonally using autonomous bottom-mounted recorders in the Bay of Fundy, Canada (2004, 2005), Cape Cod Bay, (2005, 2006), and off the coast of Georgia (2004-2005, 2006-2007). Consistent interannual trends in noise parameters were found for each habitat area, with both the band level and spectrum level measurements higher in the Bay of Fundy than in the other areas. Measured call parameters varied between habitats and between years within the same habitat area, indicating that habitat area and noise levels alone are not sufficient to predict variability in call parameters. These results suggest that right whales may be responding to the peak frequency of noise, rather than the absolute noise level in their environment.

Fem Simulation of Triple Diffusive Natural Convection Along Inclined Plate in Porous Medium: Prescribed Surface Heat, Solute and Nanoparticles Flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goyal, M.; Goyal, R.; Bhargava, R.

2017-12-01

In this paper, triple diffusive natural convection under Darcy flow over an inclined plate embedded in a porous medium saturated with a binary base fluid containing nanoparticles and two salts is studied. The model used for the nanofluid is the one which incorporates the effects of Brownian motion and thermophoresis. In addition, the thermal energy equations include regular diffusion and cross-diffusion terms. The vertical surface has the heat, mass and nanoparticle fluxes each prescribed as a power law function of the distance along the wall. The boundary layer equations are transformed into a set of ordinary differential equations with the help of group theory transformations. A wide range of parameter values are chosen to bring out the effect of buoyancy ratio, regular Lewis number and modified Dufour parameters of both salts and nanofluid parameters with varying angle of inclinations. The effects of parameters on the velocity, temperature, solutal and nanoparticles volume fraction profiles, as well as on the important parameters of heat and mass transfer, i.e., the reduced Nusselt, regular and nanofluid Sherwood numbers, are discussed. Such problems find application in extrusion of metals, polymers and ceramics, production of plastic films, insulation of wires and liquid packaging.

Prediction of Tensile Strength of Friction Stir Weld Joints with Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) and Neural Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dewan, Mohammad W.; Huggett, Daniel J.; Liao, T. Warren; Wahab, Muhammad A.; Okeil, Ayman M.

2015-01-01

Friction-stir-welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process where joint properties are dependent on welding process parameters. In the current study three critical process parameters including spindle speed (??), plunge force (????), and welding speed (??) are considered key factors in the determination of ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of welded aluminum alloy joints. A total of 73 weld schedules were welded and tensile properties were subsequently obtained experimentally. It is observed that all three process parameters have direct influence on UTS of the welded joints. Utilizing experimental data, an optimized adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) model has been developed to predict UTS of FSW joints. A total of 1200 models were developed by varying the number of membership functions (MFs), type of MFs, and combination of four input variables (??,??,????,??????) utilizing a MATLAB platform. Note EFI denotes an empirical force index derived from the three process parameters. For comparison, optimized artificial neural network (ANN) models were also developed to predict UTS from FSW process parameters. By comparing ANFIS and ANN predicted results, it was found that optimized ANFIS models provide better results than ANN. This newly developed best ANFIS model could be utilized for prediction of UTS of FSW joints.

Parametric study of waste chicken fat catalytic chemical vapour deposition for controlled synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suriani, A. B.; Dalila, A. R.; Mohamed, A.; Rosmi, M. S.; Mamat, M. H.; Malek, M. F.; Ahmad, M. K.; Hashim, N.; Isa, I. M.; Soga, T.; Tanemura, M.

2016-12-01

High-quality vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) were synthesised using ferrocene-chicken oil mixture utilising a thermal chemical vapour deposition (TCVD) method. Reaction parameters including vaporisation temperature, catalyst concentration and synthesis time were examined for the first time to investigate their influence on the growth of VACNTs. Analysis via field emission scanning electron microscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy revealed that the growth rate, diameter and crystallinity of VACNTs depend on the varied synthesis parameters. Vaporisation temperature of 570°C, catalyst concentration of 5.33 wt% and synthesis time of 60 min were considered as optimum parameters for the production of VACNTs from waste chicken fat. These parameters are able to produce VACNTs with small diameters in the range of 15-30 nm and good quality (ID/IG 0.39 and purity 76%) which were comparable to those synthesised using conventional carbon precursor. The low turn on and threshold fields of VACNTs synthesised using optimum parameters indicated that the VACNTs synthesised using waste chicken fat are good candidate for field electron emitter. The result of this study therefore can be used to optimise the growth and production of VACNTs from waste chicken fat in a large scale for field emission application.

An introduction to the 'Psycho-Physiological-Stress-Test' (PPST)-A standardized instrument for evaluating stress reactions.

PubMed

Neureiter, Elisabeth; Hajfani, Loreen; Ahnis, Anne; Mierke, Annett; Rose, Matthias; Danzer, Gerhard; Klapp, Burghard F

2017-01-01

Using a standardized instrument to evaluate patients' stress reactions has become more important in daily clinical routines. Different signs or symptoms of stress are often unilaterally explored: the physiological, psychological or social aspects of stress disorders are each viewed on a single dimension. However, all dimensions afflict patients who have persistent health problems due to chronic stress. Therefore, it is important to use a multidimensional approach to acquire data. The 'Psycho-Physiological-Stress-Test' (PPST) was established to achieve a comprehensive understanding of stress and was further developed at the Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin in collaboration with the Psychological Department of Freie Universität Berlin. The PPST includes a series of varying stress phases, embedded in two periods of rest. Physiological and psychological parameters are simultaneously measured throughout the test session. Specifically, the PPST activates the sympathetic stress axis, which is measured by heart rate, blood pressure, respiration depth and rate, electro dermal activation and muscle tension (frontalis, masseter, trapezius). Psychological data are simultaneously collected, and include performance, motivation, emotion and behavior. After conducting this diagnostic test, it is possible to identify individual stress patterns that can be discussed with the individual patient to develop and recommend (outpatient) treatment strategies. This paper introduces the PPST as a standardized way to evaluate stress reactions by presenting the results from a sample of psychosomatic inpatients (n = 139) who were treated in Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. We observed that the varying testing conditions provoked adjusted changes in the different physiological parameters and psychological levels.

Multi-Objective Trajectory Optimization of a Hypersonic Reconnaissance Vehicle with Temperature Constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masternak, Tadeusz J.

This research determines temperature-constrained optimal trajectories for a scramjet-based hypersonic reconnaissance vehicle by developing an optimal control formulation and solving it using a variable order Gauss-Radau quadrature collocation method with a Non-Linear Programming (NLP) solver. The vehicle is assumed to be an air-breathing reconnaissance aircraft that has specified takeoff/landing locations, airborne refueling constraints, specified no-fly zones, and specified targets for sensor data collections. A three degree of freedom scramjet aircraft model is adapted from previous work and includes flight dynamics, aerodynamics, and thermal constraints. Vehicle control is accomplished by controlling angle of attack, roll angle, and propellant mass flow rate. This model is incorporated into an optimal control formulation that includes constraints on both the vehicle and mission parameters, such as avoidance of no-fly zones and coverage of high-value targets. To solve the optimal control formulation, a MATLAB-based package called General Pseudospectral Optimal Control Software (GPOPS-II) is used, which transcribes continuous time optimal control problems into an NLP problem. In addition, since a mission profile can have varying vehicle dynamics and en-route imposed constraints, the optimal control problem formulation can be broken up into several "phases" with differing dynamics and/or varying initial/final constraints. Optimal trajectories are developed using several different performance costs in the optimal control formulation: minimum time, minimum time with control penalties, and maximum range. The resulting analysis demonstrates that optimal trajectories that meet specified mission parameters and constraints can be quickly determined and used for larger-scale operational and campaign planning and execution.

Dealing with Non-stationarity in Intensity-Frequency-Duration Curve

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rengaraju, S.; Rajendran, V.; C T, D.

2017-12-01

Extremes like flood and drought are becoming frequent and more vulnerable in recent times, generally attributed to the recent revelation of climate change. One of the main concerns is that whether the present infrastructures like dams, storm water drainage networks, etc., which were designed following the so called `stationary' assumption, are capable of withstanding the expected severe extremes. Stationary assumption considers that extremes are not changing with respect to time. However, recent studies proved that climate change has altered the climate extremes both temporally and spatially. Traditionally, the observed non-stationary in the extreme precipitation is incorporated in the extreme value distributions in terms of changing parameters. Nevertheless, this raises a question which parameter needs to be changed, i.e. location or scale or shape, since either one or more of these parameters vary at a given location. Hence, this study aims to detect the changing parameters to reduce the complexity involved in the development of non-stationary IDF curve and to provide the uncertainty bound of estimated return level using Bayesian Differential Evolutionary Monte Carlo (DE-MC) algorithm. Firstly, the extreme precipitation series is extracted using Peak Over Threshold. Then, the time varying parameter(s) is(are) detected for the extracted series using Generalized Additive Models for Location Scale and Shape (GAMLSS). Then, the IDF curve is constructed using Generalized Pareto Distribution incorporating non-stationarity only if the parameter(s) is(are) changing with respect to time, otherwise IDF curve will follow stationary assumption. Finally, the posterior probability intervals of estimated return revel are computed through Bayesian DE-MC approach and the non-stationary based IDF curve is compared with the stationary based IDF curve. The results of this study emphasize that the time varying parameters also change spatially and the IDF curves should incorporate non-stationarity only if there is change in the parameters, though there may be significant change in the extreme rainfall series. Our results evoke the importance of updating the infrastructure design strategies for the changing climate, by adopting the non-stationary based IDF curves.

Robust shrinking ellipsoid model predictive control for linear parameter varying system

PubMed Central

Yan, Yan

2017-01-01

In this paper, a new off-line model predictive control strategy is presented for a kind of linear parameter varying system with polytopic uncertainty. A nest of shrinking ellipsoids is constructed by solving linear matrix inequality. By splitting the objective function into two parts, the proposed strategy moves most computations off-line. The on-line computation is only calculating the current control to assure the system shrinking into the smaller ellipsoid. With the proposed formulation, the stability of the closed system is proved, followed with two numerical examples to demonstrate the proposed method’s effectiveness in the end. PMID:28575028

Percolative effects on noise in pentacene transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conrad, B. R.; Cullen, W. G.; Yan, W.; Williams, E. D.

2007-12-01

Noise in pentacene thin film transistors has been measured as a function of device thickness from well above the effective conduction channel thickness to only two conducting layers. Over the entire thickness range, the spectral noise form is 1/f, and the noise parameter varies inversely with gate voltage, confirming that the noise is due to mobility fluctuations, even in the thinnest films. Hooge's parameter varies as an inverse power law with conductivity for all film thicknesses. The magnitude and transport characteristics of the spectral noise are well explained in terms of percolative effects arising from the grain boundary structure.

[Investigation of Elekta linac characteristics for VMAT].

PubMed

Luo, Guangwen; Zhang, Kunyi

2012-01-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics of Elekta delivery system for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Five VMAT plans were delivered in service mode and dose rates, and speed of gantry and MLC leaves were analyzed by log files. Results showed that dose rates varied between 6 dose rates. Gantry and MLC leaf speed dynamically varied during delivery. The technique of VMAT requires linac to dynamically control more parameters, and these key dynamic variables during VMAT delivery can be checked by log files. Quality assurance procedure should be carried out for VMAT related parameter.

Complex structures of different CaFe2As2 samples

PubMed Central

Saparov, Bayrammurad; Cantoni, Claudia; Pan, Minghu; Hogan, Thomas C.; II, William Ratcliff; Wilson, Stephen D.; Fritsch, Katharina; Gaulin, Bruce D.; Sefat, Athena S.

2014-01-01

The interplay between magnetism and crystal structures in three CaFe2As2 samples is studied. For the nonmagnetic quenched crystals, different crystalline domains with varying lattice parameters are found, and three phases (orthorhombic, tetragonal, and collapsed tetragonal) coexist between TS = 95 K and 45 K. Annealing of the quenched crystals at 350°C leads to a strain relief through a large (~1.3%) expansion of the c-parameter and a small (~0.2%) contraction of the a-parameter, and to local ~0.2 Å displacements at the atomic-level. This annealing procedure results in the most homogeneous crystals for which the antiferromagnetic and orthorhombic phase transitions occur at TN/TS = 168(1) K. In the 700°C-annealed crystal, an intermediate strain regime takes place, with tetragonal and orthorhombic structural phases coexisting between 80 to 120 K. The origin of such strong shifts in the transition temperatures are tied to structural parameters. Importantly, with annealing, an increase in the Fe-As length leads to more localized Fe electrons and higher local magnetic moments on Fe ions. Synergistic contribution of other structural parameters, including a decrease in the Fe-Fe distance, and a dramatic increase of the c-parameter, which enhances the Fermi surface nesting in CaFe2As2, are also discussed. PMID:24844399

Crop Damage by Primates: Quantifying the Key Parameters of Crop-Raiding Events

PubMed Central

Wallace, Graham E.; Hill, Catherine M.

2012-01-01

Human-wildlife conflict often arises from crop-raiding, and insights regarding which aspects of raiding events determine crop loss are essential when developing and evaluating deterrents. However, because accounts of crop-raiding behaviour are frequently indirect, these parameters are rarely quantified or explicitly linked to crop damage. Using systematic observations of the behaviour of non-human primates on farms in western Uganda, this research identifies number of individuals raiding and duration of raid as the primary parameters determining crop loss. Secondary factors include distance travelled onto farm, age composition of the raiding group, and whether raids are in series. Regression models accounted for greater proportions of variation in crop loss when increasingly crop and species specific. Parameter values varied across primate species, probably reflecting differences in raiding tactics or perceptions of risk, and thereby providing indices of how comfortable primates are on-farm. Median raiding-group sizes were markedly smaller than the typical sizes of social groups. The research suggests that key parameters of raiding events can be used to measure the behavioural impacts of deterrents to raiding. Furthermore, farmers will benefit most from methods that discourage raiding by multiple individuals, reduce the size of raiding groups, or decrease the amount of time primates are on-farm. This study demonstrates the importance of directly relating crop loss to the parameters of raiding events, using systematic observations of the behaviour of multiple primate species. PMID:23056378

Simulating the behavior of volatiles belonging to the C-O-H-S system in silicate melts under magmatic conditions with the software D-Compress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgisser, Alain; Alletti, Marina; Scaillet, Bruno

2015-06-01

Modeling magmatic degassing, or how the volatile distribution between gas and melt changes at pressure varies, is a complex task that involves a large number of thermodynamical relationships and that requires dedicated software. This article presents the software D-Compress, which computes the gas and melt volatile composition of five element sets in magmatic systems (O-H, S-O-H, C-S-O-H, C-S-O-H-Fe, and C-O-H). It has been calibrated so as to simulate the volatiles coexisting with three common types of silicate melts (basalt, phonolite, and rhyolite). Operational temperatures depend on melt composition and range from 790 to 1400 °C. A specificity of D-Compress is the calculation of volatile composition as pressure varies along a (de)compression path between atmospheric and 3000 bars. This software was prepared so as to maximize versatility by proposing different sets of input parameters. In particular, whenever new solubility laws on specific melt compositions are available, the model parameters can be easily tuned to run the code on that composition. Parameter gaps were minimized by including sets of chemical species for which calibration data were available over a wide range of pressure, temperature, and melt composition. A brief description of the model rationale is followed by the presentation of the software capabilities. Examples of use are then presented with outputs comparisons between D-Compress and other currently available thermodynamical models. The compiled software and the source code are available as electronic supplementary materials.

Effect of method of euthanasia on sperm motility of mature Sprague-Dawley rats.

PubMed

Stutler, Shannon A; Johnson, Eric W; Still, Kenneth R; Schaeffer, David J; Hess, Rex A; Arfsten, Darryl P

2007-03-01

Euthanasia is one of the most commonly performed procedures in laboratory animal settings. The method of euthanasia may affect experimental results in studies using animals and must be compatible with research objectives including subsequent tissue analyses. Our present study was performed to evaluate the effects of 7 euthanasia methods on sperm motility in mature rats. Rats were euthanized using CO2, 2 commercially available euthanasia solutions (Beuthanasia-D and Sleepaway), and 4 volatile anesthetics (enflurane, halothane, isoflurane, and sevoflurane). Rats euthanized by rapid decapitation alone served as negative controls, and a-chlorohydrin-treated rats euthanized by rapid decapitation were positive controls for sperm impairment. For 5 of these methods, we also measured time to ataxia, recumbency, respiratory arrest, and no auscultable heartbeat. Immediately after euthanasia of each rat, distal caudal epididymides were removed; 1 was processed for automated sperm motility analysis, and the other was frozen for subsequent concentration analysis. Time to all measured parameters was less for volatile anesthetics than for Beuthanasia-D. Times to last respiration and no heartbeat were less for halothane and isoflurane than for enflurane and sevoflurane. Percentage motile sperm did not differ significantly between methods. Percentage progressively motile sperm did not vary significantly between methods except for Beuthanasia-D, for which it was significantly less than the negative control value. Specific sperm motion parameters for each euthanasia method except CO2 and Sleepaway varied significantly from the negative control. Our results indicate that the method of euthanasia is an important consideration when rat sperm motility parameters must be evaluated.

Municipality Level Simulations of Dengue Fever Incidence in Puerto Rico Using Ground Based and Remotely Sensed Climate Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, Dale A.; Morin, Cory

2015-01-01

Dengue fever (DF) is caused by a virus transmitted between humans and Aedes genus mosquitoes through blood feeding. In recent decades incidence of the disease has drastically increased in the tropical Americas, culminating with the Pan American outbreak in 2010 which resulted in 1.7 million reported cases. In Puerto Rico dengue is endemic, however, there is significant inter-annual, intraannual, and spatial variability in case loads. Variability in climate and the environment, herd immunity and virus genetics, and demographic characteristics may all contribute to differing patterns of transmission both spatially and temporally. Knowledge of climate influences on dengue incidence could facilitate development of early warning systems allowing public health workers to implement appropriate transmission intervention strategies. In this study, we simulate dengue incidence in several municipalities in Puerto Rico using population and meteorological data derived from ground based stations and remote sensing instruments. This data was used to drive a process based model of vector population development and virus transmission. Model parameter values for container composition, vector characteristics, and incubation period were chosen by employing a Monte Carlo approach. Multiple simulations were performed for each municipality and the results were compared with reported dengue cases. The best performing simulations were retained and their parameter values and meteorological input were compared between years and municipalities. Parameter values varied by municipality and year illustrating the complexity and sensitivity of the disease system. Local characteristics including the natural and built environment impact transmission dynamics and produce varying responses to meteorological conditions.

Estimation of Pulse Transit Time as a Function of Blood Pressure Using a Nonlinear Arterial Tube-Load Model.

PubMed

Gao, Mingwu; Cheng, Hao-Min; Sung, Shih-Hsien; Chen, Chen-Huan; Olivier, Nicholas Bari; Mukkamala, Ramakrishna

2017-07-01

pulse transit time (PTT) varies with blood pressure (BP) throughout the cardiac cycle, yet, because of wave reflection, only one PTT value at the diastolic BP level is conventionally estimated from proximal and distal BP waveforms. The objective was to establish a technique to estimate multiple PTT values at different BP levels in the cardiac cycle. a technique was developed for estimating PTT as a function of BP (to indicate the PTT value for every BP level) from proximal and distal BP waveforms. First, a mathematical transformation from one waveform to the other is defined in terms of the parameters of a nonlinear arterial tube-load model accounting for BP-dependent arterial compliance and wave reflection. Then, the parameters are estimated by optimally fitting the waveforms to each other via the model-based transformation. Finally, PTT as a function of BP is specified by the parameters. The technique was assessed in animals and patients in several ways including the ability of its estimated PTT-BP function to serve as a subject-specific curve for calibrating PTT to BP. the calibration curve derived by the technique during a baseline period yielded bias and precision errors in mean BP of 5.1 ± 0.9 and 6.6 ± 1.0 mmHg, respectively, during hemodynamic interventions that varied mean BP widely. the new technique may permit, for the first time, estimation of PTT values throughout the cardiac cycle from proximal and distal waveforms. the technique could potentially be applied to improve arterial stiffness monitoring and help realize cuff-less BP monitoring.

Learning Effects in the Block Design Task: A Stimulus Parameter-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Joseph C.; Ruthig, Joelle C.; Bradley, April R.; Wise, Richard A.; Pedersen, Heather A.; Ellison, Jo M.

2009-01-01

Learning effects were assessed for the block design (BD) task, on the basis of variation in 2 stimulus parameters: perceptual cohesiveness (PC) and set size uncertainty (U). Thirty-one nonclinical undergraduate students (19 female) each completed 3 designs for each of 4 varied sets of the stimulus parameters (high-PC/high-U, high-PC/low-U,…

Cavity parameters identification for TESLA control system development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czarski, Tomasz; Pozniak, Krysztof T.; Romaniuk, Ryszard S.; Simrock, Stefan

2005-08-01

Aim of the control system development for TESLA cavity is a more efficient stabilization of the pulsed, accelerating EM field inside resonator. Cavity parameters identification is an essential task for the comprehensive control algorithm. TESLA cavity simulator has been successfully implemented using high-speed FPGA technology. Electromechanical model of the cavity resonator includes Lorentz force detuning and beam loading. The parameters identification is based on the electrical model of the cavity. The model is represented by state space equation for envelope of the cavity voltage driven by current generator and beam loading. For a given model structure, the over-determined matrix equation is created covering long enough measurement range with the solution according to the least-squares method. A low-degree polynomial approximation is applied to estimate the time-varying cavity detuning during the pulse. The measurement channel distortion is considered, leading to the external cavity model seen by the controller. The comprehensive algorithm of the cavity parameters identification was implemented in the Matlab system with different modes of operation. Some experimental results were presented for different cavity operational conditions. The following considerations have lead to the synthesis of the efficient algorithm for the cavity control system predicted for the potential FPGA technology implementation.

Cosmological parameter estimation from CMB and X-ray cluster after Planck

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

Hu, Jian-Wei; Cai, Rong-Gen; Guo, Zong-Kuan

We investigate constraints on cosmological parameters in three 8-parameter models with the summed neutrino mass as a free parameter, by a joint analysis of CCCP X-ray cluster data, the newly released Planck CMB data as well as some external data sets including baryon acoustic oscillation measurements from the 6dFGS, SDSS DR7 and BOSS DR9 surveys, and Hubble Space Telescope H{sub 0} measurement. We find that the combined data strongly favor a non-zero neutrino masses at more than 3σ confidence level in these non-vanilla models. Allowing the CMB lensing amplitude A{sub L} to vary, we find A{sub L} > 1 atmore » 3σ confidence level. For dark energy with a constant equation of state w, we obtain w < −1 at 3σ confidence level. The estimate of the matter power spectrum amplitude σ{sub 8} is discrepant with the Planck value at 2σ confidence level, which reflects some tension between X-ray cluster data and Planck data in these non-vanilla models. The tension can be alleviated by adding a 9% systematic shift in the cluster mass function.« less

Theoretical results for fully flooded, elliptical hydrodynamic contacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamrock, B. J.; Dowson, D.

1982-01-01

The influence of the ellipticity parameter and the dimensionless speed, load, and materials parameters on minimum film thickness was investigated. The ellipticity parameter was varied from 1 (a ball-on-plate configuration) to 8 (a configuration approaching a line contact). The dimensionless speed parameter was varied over a range of nearly two orders of magnitude. Conditions corresponding to the use of solid materials of bronze, steel, and silicon nitride and lubricants of praffinic and naphthemic mineral oils were considered in obtaining the exponent in the dimensionless materials parameter. Thirty-four different cases were used in obtaining the minimum film thickness formula H min = 3.63U to the 0.68 power G to the 0.49 power W to the -0.073 power 1-e to the 0.68K power). A simplified expression for the ellipticity parameter was found where k = 1.03 (r(y)/r(x)) to the 0.64 power. Contour plots were also shown which indicate in detail the pressure spike and two side lobes in which the minimum film thickness occurs. These theoretical solutions of film thickness have all the essential features of the previously reported experimental observations based upon optical interferometry.

Sensitivity of Space Station alpha joint robust controller to structural modal parameter variations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kumar, Renjith R.; Cooper, Paul A.; Lim, Tae W.

1991-01-01

The photovoltaic array sun tracking control system of Space Station Freedom is described. A synthesis procedure for determining optimized values of the design variables of the control system is developed using a constrained optimization technique. The synthesis is performed to provide a given level of stability margin, to achieve the most responsive tracking performance, and to meet other design requirements. Performance of the baseline design, which is synthesized using predicted structural characteristics, is discussed and the sensitivity of the stability margin is examined for variations of the frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios of dominant structural modes. The design provides enough robustness to tolerate a sizeable error in the predicted modal parameters. A study was made of the sensitivity of performance indicators as the modal parameters of the dominant modes vary. The design variables are resynthesized for varying modal parameters in order to achieve the most responsive tracking performance while satisfying the design requirements. This procedure of reoptimization design parameters would be useful in improving the control system performance if accurate model data are provided.

Parametrization of free ion levels of four isoelectronic 4f2 systems: Insights into configuration interaction parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeung, Yau Yuen; Tanner, Peter A.

2013-12-01

The experimental free ion 4f2 energy level data sets comprising 12 or 13 J-multiplets of La+, Ce2+, Pr3+ and Nd4+ have been fitted by a semiempirical atomic Hamiltonian comprising 8, 10, or 12 freely-varying parameters. The root mean square errors were 16.1, 1.3, 0.3 and 0.3 cm-1, respectively for fits with 10 parameters. The fitted inter-electronic repulsion and magnetic parameters vary linearly with ionic charge, i, but better linear fits are obtained with (4-i)2, although the reason is unclear at present. The two-body configuration interaction parameters α and β exhibit a linear relation with [ΔE(bc)]-1, where ΔE(bc) is the energy difference between the 4f2 barycentre and that of the interacting configuration, namely 4f6p for La+, Ce2+, and Pr3+, and 5p54f3 for Nd4+. The linear fit provides the rationale for the negative value of α for the case of La+, where the interacting configuration is located below 4f2.

Scanning the parameter space of collapsing rotating thin shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocha, Jorge V.; Santarelli, Raphael

2018-06-01

We present results of a comprehensive study of collapsing and bouncing thin shells with rotation, framing it in the context of the weak cosmic censorship conjecture. The analysis is based on a formalism developed specifically for higher odd dimensions that is able to describe the dynamics of collapsing rotating shells exactly. We analyse and classify a plethora of shell trajectories in asymptotically flat spacetimes. The parameters varied include the shell’s mass and angular momentum, its radial velocity at infinity, the (linear) equation-of-state parameter and the spacetime dimensionality. We find that plunges of rotating shells into black holes never produce naked singularities, as long as the matter shell obeys the weak energy condition, and so respects cosmic censorship. This applies to collapses of dust shells starting from rest or with a finite velocity at infinity. Not even shells with a negative isotropic pressure component (i.e. tension) lead to the formation of naked singularities, as long as the weak energy condition is satisfied. Endowing the shells with a positive isotropic pressure component allows for the existence of bouncing trajectories satisfying the dominant energy condition and fully contained outside rotating black holes. Otherwise any turning point occurs always inside the horizon. These results are based on strong numerical evidence from scans of numerous sections in the large parameter space available to these collapsing shells. The generalisation of the radial equation of motion to a polytropic equation-of-state for the matter shell is also included in an appendix.

Adaptive fuzzy dynamic surface control of nonlinear systems with input saturation and time-varying output constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edalati, L.; Khaki Sedigh, A.; Aliyari Shooredeli, M.; Moarefianpour, A.

2018-02-01

This paper deals with the design of adaptive fuzzy dynamic surface control for uncertain strict-feedback nonlinear systems with asymmetric time-varying output constraints in the presence of input saturation. To approximate the unknown nonlinear functions and overcome the problem of explosion of complexity, a Fuzzy logic system is combined with the dynamic surface control in the backstepping design technique. To ensure the output constraints satisfaction, an asymmetric time-varying Barrier Lyapunov Function (BLF) is used. Moreover, by applying the minimal learning parameter technique, the number of the online parameters update for each subsystem is reduced to 2. Hence, the semi-globally uniformly ultimately boundedness (SGUUB) of all the closed-loop signals with appropriate tracking error convergence is guaranteed. The effectiveness of the proposed control is demonstrated by two simulation examples.

Regularized Semiparametric Estimation for Ordinary Differential Equations

PubMed Central

Li, Yun; Zhu, Ji; Wang, Naisyin

2015-01-01

Ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are widely used in modeling dynamic systems and have ample applications in the fields of physics, engineering, economics and biological sciences. The ODE parameters often possess physiological meanings and can help scientists gain better understanding of the system. One key interest is thus to well estimate these parameters. Ideally, constant parameters are preferred due to their easy interpretation. In reality, however, constant parameters can be too restrictive such that even after incorporating error terms, there could still be unknown sources of disturbance that lead to poor agreement between observed data and the estimated ODE system. In this paper, we address this issue and accommodate short-term interferences by allowing parameters to vary with time. We propose a new regularized estimation procedure on the time-varying parameters of an ODE system so that these parameters could change with time during transitions but remain constants within stable stages. We found, through simulation studies, that the proposed method performs well and tends to have less variation in comparison to the non-regularized approach. On the theoretical front, we derive finite-sample estimation error bounds for the proposed method. Applications of the proposed method to modeling the hare-lynx relationship and the measles incidence dynamic in Ontario, Canada lead to satisfactory and meaningful results. PMID:26392639

Influence of processing conditions on the optical properties of chemically deposited zinc sulphide (ZnS) thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Igweoko, A. E.; Augustine, C.; Idenyi, N. E.; Okorie, B. A.; Anyaegbunam, F. N. C.

2018-03-01

In this paper, we present the influence of post deposition annealing and varying concentration on the optical properties of ZnS thin films fabricated by chemical bath deposition (CBD) at 65 °C from chemical baths comprising NH3/SC(NH2)2/ZnSO4 solutions at pH of about 10. The film samples were annealed at temperatures ranging from 373 K–473 K and the concentration of the film samples vary from 0.1 M–0.7 M. Post deposition annealing and concentration played an important role on the optical parameters investigated which includes absorbance, transmittance, reflectance, absorption coefficient, band gap, refractive index and extinction coefficient. The optical parameters were found to vary with post deposition annealing in one direction and concentration of Zn2+ in the reverse direction. For instance, post deposition annealing increases the band gap from 3.65 eV for as-deposited to 3.70 eV, 3.75 eV and 3.85 eV for annealed at 373 K, 423 K and 473 K respectively whereas concentration of Zn2+ decreases the band gap from 3.95 eV at 0.1 M to 3.90 eV, 3.85 eV and 3.80 eV at 0.3 M, 0.5 M and 0.7 M respectively. The fundamental absorption edge of ZnS thin films shifted toward the highest photon energies (blue shift) after annealing and shifted toward the lowest photon energies (red shift) with increasing Zn ions concentration. A linear relation between band gap energy and Urbach energy was found. After annealing, the Urbach energy increases form 3.10 eV to 3.50 eV and decreases from 3.40 eV to 3.10 eV at varying Zn2+ concentration. The property of wide band gap makes ZnS suitable for buffer layer of film solar cells, permitting more light especially the short wavelength light into absorber layer.

Rainfall or parameter uncertainty? The power of sensitivity analysis on grouped factors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nossent, Jiri; Pereira, Fernando; Bauwens, Willy

2017-04-01

Hydrological models are typically used to study and represent (a part of) the hydrological cycle. In general, the output of these models mostly depends on their input rainfall and parameter values. Both model parameters and input precipitation however, are characterized by uncertainties and, therefore, lead to uncertainty on the model output. Sensitivity analysis (SA) allows to assess and compare the importance of the different factors for this output uncertainty. Hereto, the rainfall uncertainty can be incorporated in the SA by representing it as a probabilistic multiplier. Such multiplier can be defined for the entire time series, or several of these factors can be determined for every recorded rainfall pulse or for hydrological independent storm events. As a consequence, the number of parameters included in the SA related to the rainfall uncertainty can be (much) lower or (much) higher than the number of model parameters. Although such analyses can yield interesting results, it remains challenging to determine which type of uncertainty will affect the model output most due to the different weight both types will have within the SA. In this study, we apply the variance based Sobol' sensitivity analysis method to two different hydrological simulators (NAM and HyMod) for four diverse watersheds. Besides the different number of model parameters (NAM: 11 parameters; HyMod: 5 parameters), the setup of our sensitivity and uncertainty analysis-combination is also varied by defining a variety of scenarios including diverse numbers of rainfall multipliers. To overcome the issue of the different number of factors and, thus, the different weights of the two types of uncertainty, we build on one of the advantageous properties of the Sobol' SA, i.e. treating grouped parameters as a single parameter. The latter results in a setup with a single factor for each uncertainty type and allows for a straightforward comparison of their importance. In general, the results show a clear influence of the weights in the different SA scenarios. However, working with grouped factors resolves this issue and leads to clear importance results.

Exploring the evolution of color-luminosity parameter β and its effects on parameter estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shuang; Li, Yun-He; Zhang, Xin

2014-03-01

It has been found in previous studies that, for the Supernova Legacy Survey three-year (SNLS3) data, there is strong evidence for the redshift evolution of color-luminosity parameter β. In this paper, using the three simplest dark energy models, i.e., the Λ-cold-dark-matter (ΛCDM) model, the wCDM model, and the Chevallier-Polarski-Linder model, we further explore the evolution of β and its effects on parameter estimation. In addition to the SNLS3 data, we also take into account the Planck distance priors data of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), as well as the latest galaxy clustering (GC) data extracted from SDSS DR7 and BOSS. We find that, for all the models, adding a parameter of β can reduce χmin2 by ˜36, indicating that β1=0 is ruled out at 6σ confidence levels. In other words, β deviates from a constant at 6σ confidence levels. This conclusion is insensitive to the dark energy models considered, showing the importance of considering the evolution of β in the cosmology fits. Furthermore, it is found that varying β can significantly change the fitting results of various cosmological parameters: using the SNLS3 data alone, varying β yields a larger Ωm for the ΛCDM model; using the SNLS3+CMB +GC data, varying β yields a larger Ωm and a smaller h for all the models. Moreover, we find that these results are much closer to those given by the CMB +GC data compared to the cases of treating β as a constant. This indicates that considering the evolution of β is very helpful for reducing the tension between supernova and other cosmological observations.

Ensemble Kalman filter inference of spatially-varying Manning's n coefficients in the coastal ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siripatana, Adil; Mayo, Talea; Knio, Omar; Dawson, Clint; Maître, Olivier Le; Hoteit, Ibrahim

2018-07-01

Ensemble Kalman (EnKF) filtering is an established framework for large scale state estimation problems. EnKFs can also be used for state-parameter estimation, using the so-called "Joint-EnKF" approach. The idea is simply to augment the state vector with the parameters to be estimated and assign invariant dynamics for the time evolution of the parameters. In this contribution, we investigate the efficiency of the Joint-EnKF for estimating spatially-varying Manning's n coefficients used to define the bottom roughness in the Shallow Water Equations (SWEs) of a coastal ocean model. Observation System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) are conducted using the ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) model, which solves a modified form of the Shallow Water Equations. A deterministic EnKF, the Singular Evolutive Interpolated Kalman (SEIK) filter, is used to estimate a vector of Manning's n coefficients defined at the model nodal points by assimilating synthetic water elevation data. It is found that with reasonable ensemble size (O (10)) , the filter's estimate converges to the reference Manning's field. To enhance performance, we have further reduced the dimension of the parameter search space through a Karhunen-Loéve (KL) expansion. We have also iterated on the filter update step to better account for the nonlinearity of the parameter estimation problem. We study the sensitivity of the system to the ensemble size, localization scale, dimension of retained KL modes, and number of iterations. The performance of the proposed framework in term of estimation accuracy suggests that a well-tuned Joint-EnKF provides a promising robust approach to infer spatially varying seabed roughness parameters in the context of coastal ocean modeling.

Effects of reaction-kinetic parameters on modeling reaction pathways in GaN MOVPE growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hong; Zuo, Ran; Zhang, Guoyi

2017-11-01

In the modeling of the reaction-transport process in GaN MOVPE growth, the selections of kinetic parameters (activation energy Ea and pre-exponential factor A) for gas reactions are quite uncertain, which cause uncertainties in both gas reaction path and growth rate. In this study, numerical modeling of the reaction-transport process for GaN MOVPE growth in a vertical rotating disk reactor is conducted with varying kinetic parameters for main reaction paths. By comparisons of the molar concentrations of major Ga-containing species and the growth rates, the effects of kinetic parameters on gas reaction paths are determined. The results show that, depending on the values of the kinetic parameters, the gas reaction path may be dominated either by adduct/amide formation path, or by TMG pyrolysis path, or by both. Although the reaction path varies with different kinetic parameters, the predicted growth rates change only slightly because the total transport rate of Ga-containing species to the substrate changes slightly with reaction paths. This explains why previous authors using different chemical models predicted growth rates close to the experiment values. By varying the pre-exponential factor for the amide trimerization, it is found that the more trimers are formed, the lower the growth rates are than the experimental value, which indicates that trimers are poor growth precursors, because of thermal diffusion effect caused by high temperature gradient. The effective order for the contribution of major species to growth rate is found as: pyrolysis species > amides > trimers. The study also shows that radical reactions have little effect on gas reaction path because of the generation and depletion of H radicals in the chain reactions when NH2 is considered as the end species.

Comparative Analysis of Alternative Spectral Bands of CO2 and O2 for the Sensing of CO2 Mixing Ratios

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pliutau, Denis; Prasad, Narasimha S.

2013-01-01

We performed comparative studies to establish favorable spectral regions and measurement wavelength combinations in alternative bands of CO2 and O2, for the sensing of CO2 mixing ratios (XCO2) in missions such as ASCENDS. The analysis employed several simulation approaches including separate layers calculations based on pre-analyzed atmospheric data from the modern-era retrospective analysis for research and applications (MERRA), and the line-byline radiative transfer model (LBLRTM) to obtain achievable accuracy estimates as a function of altitude and for the total path over an annual span of variations in atmospheric parameters. Separate layer error estimates also allowed investigation of the uncertainties in the weighting functions at varying altitudes and atmospheric conditions. The parameters influencing the measurement accuracy were analyzed independently and included temperature sensitivity, water vapor interferences, selection of favorable weighting functions, excitations wavelength stabilities and other factors. The results were used to identify favorable spectral regions and combinations of on / off line wavelengths leading to reductions in interferences and the improved total accuracy.

Using of material-technological modelling for designing production of closed die forgings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, K.; Vorel, I.; Jeníček, Š.; Káňa, J.; Aišman, D.; Kotěšovec, V.

2017-02-01

Production of forgings is a complex and demanding process which consists of a number of forging operations and, in many cases, includes post-forge heat treatment. An optimized manufacturing line is a prerequisite for obtaining prime-quality products which in turn are essential to profitable operation of a forging company. Problems may, however, arise from modifications to the manufacturing route due to changing customer needs. As a result, the production may have to be suspended temporarily to enable changeover and optimization. Using material-technological modelling, the required modifications can be tested and optimized under laboratory conditions outside the plant without disrupting the production. Thanks to material-technological modelling, the process parameters can be varied rapidly in response to changes in market requirements. Outcomes of the modelling runs include optimum parameters for the forging part’s manufacturing route, values of mechanical properties, and results of microstructure analysis. This article describes the use of material-technological modelling for exploring the impact of the amount of deformation and the rate of cooling of a particular forged part from the finish-forging temperature on its microstructure and related mechanical properties.

The variations of oxygen emissions in corresponding to Earth's aurora in low latitude region under influence of solar wind dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamlongkul, P.; Wannawichian, S.

2017-12-01

Earth's aurora in low latitude region was studied via time variations of oxygen emission spectra, simultaneously with solar wind data. The behavior of spectrum intensity, in corresponding with solar wind condition, could be a trace of aurora in low latitude region including some effects of high energetic auroral particles. Oxygen emission spectral lines were observed by Medium Resolution Echelle Spectrograph (MRES) at 2.4-m diameter telescope at Thai National Observatory, Inthanon Mountain, Chiang Mai, Thailand, during 1-5 LT on 5 and 6 February 2017. The observed spectral lines were calibrated via Dech95 - 2D image processing program and Dech-Fits spectra processing program for spectrum image processing and spectrum wavelength calibration, respectively. The variations of observed intensities each day were compared with solar wind parameters, which are magnitude of IMF (|BIMF|) including IMF in RTN coordinate (BR, BT, BN), ion density (ρ), plasma flow pressure (P), and speed (v). The correlation coefficients between oxygen spectral emissions and different solar wind parameters were found to vary in both positive and negative behaviors.

An Experimental Study of the Effects of External Physiological Parameters on the Photoplethysmography Signals in the Context of Local Blood Pressure (Hydrostatic Pressure Changes).

PubMed

Yuan, Hongwei; Poeggel, Sven; Newe, Thomas; Lewis, Elfed; Viphavakit, Charusluk; Leen, Gabriel

2017-03-10

A comprehensive study of the effect of a wide range of controlled human subject motion on Photoplethysmographic signals is reported. The investigation includes testing of two separate groups of 5 and 18 subjects who were asked to undertake set exercises whilst simultaneously monitoring a wide range of physiological parameters including Breathing Rate, Heart Rate and Localised Blood Pressure using commercial clinical sensing systems. The unique finger mounted PPG probe equipped with miniature three axis accelerometers for undertaking this investigation was a purpose built in-house version which is designed to facilitate reproducible application to a wide range of human subjects and the study of motion. The subjects were required to undertake several motion based exercises including standing, sitting and lying down and transitions between these states. They were also required to undertake set arm movements including arm-swinging and wrist rotation. A comprehensive set of experimental results corresponding to all motion inducing exercises have been recorded and analysed including the baseline (BL) value (DC component) and the amplitude of the oscillation of the PPG. All physiological parameters were also recorded as a simultaneous time varying waveform. The effects of the motion and specifically the localised Blood Pressure (BP) have been studied and related to possible influences of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and hemodynamic pressure variations. It is envisaged that a comprehensive study of the effect of motion and the localised pressure fluctuations will provide valuable information for the future minimisation of motion artefact effect on the PPG signals of this probe and allow the accurate assessment of total haemoglobin concentration which is the primary function of the probe.

Convergence properties of simple genetic algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bethke, A. D.; Zeigler, B. P.; Strauss, D. M.

1974-01-01

The essential parameters determining the behaviour of genetic algorithms were investigated. Computer runs were made while systematically varying the parameter values. Results based on the progress curves obtained from these runs are presented along with results based on the variability of the population as the run progresses.

Characterization of gloss properties of differently treated polymer coating surfaces by surface clarity measurement methodology.

PubMed

Gruber, Dieter P; Buder-Stroisznigg, Michael; Wallner, Gernot; Strauß, Bernhard; Jandel, Lothar; Lang, Reinhold W

2012-07-10

With one measurement configuration, existing gloss measurement methodologies are generally restricted to specific gloss levels. A newly developed image-analytical gloss parameter called "clarity" provides the possibility to describe the perceptual result of a broad range of different gloss levels with one setup. In order to analyze and finally monitor the perceived gloss of products, a fast and flexible method also for the automated inspection is highly demanded. The clarity parameter is very fast to calculate and therefore usable for fast in-line surface inspection. Coated metal specimens were deformed by varying degree and polished afterwards in order to study the clarity parameter regarding the quantification of varying surface gloss types and levels. In order to analyze the correlation with the human gloss perception a study was carried out in which experts were asked to assess gloss properties of a series of surface samples under standardized conditions. The study confirmed clarity to exhibit considerably better correlation to the human perception than alternative gloss parameters.

Penalized Nonlinear Least Squares Estimation of Time-Varying Parameters in Ordinary Differential Equations

PubMed Central

Cao, Jiguo; Huang, Jianhua Z.; Wu, Hulin

2012-01-01

Ordinary differential equations (ODEs) are widely used in biomedical research and other scientific areas to model complex dynamic systems. It is an important statistical problem to estimate parameters in ODEs from noisy observations. In this article we propose a method for estimating the time-varying coefficients in an ODE. Our method is a variation of the nonlinear least squares where penalized splines are used to model the functional parameters and the ODE solutions are approximated also using splines. We resort to the implicit function theorem to deal with the nonlinear least squares objective function that is only defined implicitly. The proposed penalized nonlinear least squares method is applied to estimate a HIV dynamic model from a real dataset. Monte Carlo simulations show that the new method can provide much more accurate estimates of functional parameters than the existing two-step local polynomial method which relies on estimation of the derivatives of the state function. Supplemental materials for the article are available online. PMID:23155351

Holographic dark energy in higher derivative gravity with time varying model parameter c2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borah, B.; Ansari, M.

2015-01-01

Purpose of this paper is to study holographic dark energy in higher derivative gravity assuming the model parameter c2 as a slowly time varying function. Since dark energy emerges as combined effect of linear as well as non-linear terms of curvature, therefore it is important to see holographic dark energy at higher derivative gravity, where action contains both linear as well as non-linear terms of Ricci curvature R. We consider non-interacting scenario of the holographic dark energy with dark matter in spatially flat universe and obtain evolution of the equation of state parameter. Also, we determine deceleration parameter as well as the evolution of dark energy density to explain expansion of the universe. Further, we investigate validity of generalized second law of thermodynamics in this scenario. Finally, we find out a cosmological application of our work by evaluating a relation for the equation of state of holographic dark energy for low red-shifts containing c2 correction.

Nonlocal continuum electrostatic theory predicts surprisingly small energetic penalties for charge burial in proteins.

PubMed

Bardhan, Jaydeep P

2011-09-14

We study the energetics of burying charges, ion pairs, and ionizable groups in a simple protein model using nonlocal continuum electrostatics. Our primary finding is that the nonlocal response leads to markedly reduced solvent screening, comparable to the use of application-specific protein dielectric constants. Employing the same parameters as used in other nonlocal studies, we find that for a sphere of radius 13.4 Å containing a single +1e charge, the nonlocal solvation free energy varies less than 18 kcal/mol as the charge moves from the surface to the center, whereas the difference in the local Poisson model is ∼35 kcal/mol. Because an ion pair (salt bridge) generates a comparatively more rapidly varying Coulomb potential, energetics for salt bridges are even more significantly reduced in the nonlocal model. By varying the central parameter in nonlocal theory, which is an effective length scale associated with correlations between solvent molecules, nonlocal-model energetics can be varied from the standard local results to essentially zero; however, the existence of the reduction in charge-burial penalties is quite robust to variations in the protein dielectric constant and the correlation length. Finally, as a simple exploratory test of the implications of nonlocal response, we calculate glutamate pK(a) shifts and find that using standard protein parameters (ε(protein) = 2-4), nonlocal results match local-model predictions with much higher dielectric constants. Nonlocality may, therefore, be one factor in resolving discrepancies between measured protein dielectric constants and the model parameters often used to match titration experiments. Nonlocal models may hold significant promise to deepen our understanding of macromolecular electrostatics without substantially increasing computational complexity. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Nonlinear mathematical modeling and sensitivity analysis of hydraulic drive unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Xiangdong; Yu, Bin; Quan, Lingxiao; Ba, Kaixian; Wu, Liujie

2015-09-01

The previous sensitivity analysis researches are not accurate enough and also have the limited reference value, because those mathematical models are relatively simple and the change of the load and the initial displacement changes of the piston are ignored, even experiment verification is not conducted. Therefore, in view of deficiencies above, a nonlinear mathematical model is established in this paper, including dynamic characteristics of servo valve, nonlinear characteristics of pressure-flow, initial displacement of servo cylinder piston and friction nonlinearity. The transfer function block diagram is built for the hydraulic drive unit closed loop position control, as well as the state equations. Through deriving the time-varying coefficient items matrix and time-varying free items matrix of sensitivity equations respectively, the expression of sensitivity equations based on the nonlinear mathematical model are obtained. According to structure parameters of hydraulic drive unit, working parameters, fluid transmission characteristics and measured friction-velocity curves, the simulation analysis of hydraulic drive unit is completed on the MATLAB/Simulink simulation platform with the displacement step 2 mm, 5 mm and 10 mm, respectively. The simulation results indicate that the developed nonlinear mathematical model is sufficient by comparing the characteristic curves of experimental step response and simulation step response under different constant load. Then, the sensitivity function time-history curves of seventeen parameters are obtained, basing on each state vector time-history curve of step response characteristic. The maximum value of displacement variation percentage and the sum of displacement variation absolute values in the sampling time are both taken as sensitivity indexes. The sensitivity indexes values above are calculated and shown visually in histograms under different working conditions, and change rules are analyzed. Then the sensitivity indexes values of four measurable parameters, such as supply pressure, proportional gain, initial position of servo cylinder piston and load force, are verified experimentally on test platform of hydraulic drive unit, and the experimental research shows that the sensitivity analysis results obtained through simulation are approximate to the test results. This research indicates each parameter sensitivity characteristics of hydraulic drive unit, the performance-affected main parameters and secondary parameters are got under different working conditions, which will provide the theoretical foundation for the control compensation and structure optimization of hydraulic drive unit.

The MHD simulation of interplanetary space and heliosphere by using the boundary conditions of time-varying magnetic field and IPS-based plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, K.; Tokumaru, M.; Kojima, M.; Fujiki, K.

2008-12-01

We present our new boundary treatment to introduce the temporal variation of the observation-based magnetic field and plasma parameters on the inner boundary sphere (at 30 to 50 Rs) to the MHD simulation of the interplanetary space and the simulation results. The boundary treatment to induce the time-variation of the magnetic field including the radial component is essentially same as shown in our previous AGU meetings and newly modified so that the model can also include the variation of the plasma variables detected by IPS (interplanetary scintillation) observation, a ground-based remote sensing technique for the solar wind plasma. We used the WSO (Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford University) for the solar magnetic field input. By using the time-varying boundary condition, smooth variations of heliospheric MHD variables during the several Carrington solar rotation period are obtained. The simulation movie will show how the changes in the inner heliosphere observable by the ground-based instrument propagate outward and affects the outer heliosphere. The simulated MHD variables are compared with the Ulysses in-situ measurement data including ones made during its travel from the Earth to Jupiter for validation, and we obtain better agreements than with the simulation with fixed boundary conditions.

Use of active video gaming in children with neuromotor dysfunction: a systematic review.

PubMed

Hickman, Robbin; Popescu, Lisa; Manzanares, Robert; Morris, Brendan; Lee, Szu-Ping; Dufek, Janet S

2017-09-01

To examine current evidence on use of active video gaming (AVG) to improve motor function in children with movement disorders including cerebral palsy, developmental coordination disorder, and Down syndrome. Scopus, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and CINAHL were searched. Included papers studied the use of AVG for improving movement-related outcomes in these populations. Parameters studied included health condition, strength of evidence, AVG delivery methods, capacity for individualizing play, outcomes addressed, effectiveness for achieving outcomes, and challenges/limitations. The 20 extracted articles varied in quality. Studies involved children with six different conditions using AVG in clinical, home, or school settings for 49 different motor outcomes. Dosage varied in frequency and duration. Choice of games played and difficulty level were therapist determined (n=6) or child controlled (n=14). The most common study limitations were small sample sizes and difficulty individualizing treatment. All articles showed improvement in outcomes with AVG, although differences were not consistently significant compared with conventional therapy. Heterogeneity of measurement tools and target outcomes prevented meta-analysis or development of formal recommendations. However, AVG is feasible and shows potential for improving outcomes in this population. Additional investigations of dosing variables, utility as a home supplement to clinical care, and outcomes with larger sample sizes are merited. © 2017 Mac Keith Press.

Finding Top-kappa Unexplained Activities in Video

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-09

parameters that define an UAP instance affect the running time by varying the values of each parameter while keeping the others fixed to a default...value. Runtime of Top-k TUA. Table 1 reports the values we considered for each parameter along with the corresponding default value. Parameter Values...Default value k 1, 2, 5, All All τ 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 0.6 L 160, 200, 240, 280 200 # worlds 7 E+04, 4 E+05, 2 E+07 2 E+07 TABLE 1: Parameter values used in

Regional climate simulations with COSMO-CLM over MENA-CORDEX domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galluccio, Salvatore; Bucchignani, Edoardo; Mercogliano, Paola; Montesarchio, Myriam

2014-05-01

In the frame of WCRP Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX), a set of common Regional Climate Downscaling (RCD) domains has been defined, as a prerequisite for the development of model evaluation and climate projection frameworks. CORDEX domains encompass the majority of land areas of the world. In this work, climate simulations have been performed over MENA-CORDEX domain, which includes North-Africa, southern Europe and the whole Arabian peninsula. The non-hydrostatic regional climate model COSMO-CLM has been used. At CMCC, regional climate modelling is a part of an integrated simulation system and it has been used in different European and African projects to provide qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the hydrogeological and public health risks. A series of simulations has been conducted over the MENA-CORDEX area at spatial resolution of 0.44°. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to adjust the model configuration to better reproduce the observed climate data. The numerical simulations were driven by ERA-Interim reanalysis (horizontal resolution of 0.703°) for the period 1979-1984; the first year, was considered as a spin up period. The validation was performed by using several data sets: CRU data set was used to validate temperature, precipitation and cloud cover; MERRA data set was used to validate temperature and precipitation and GPCP for precipitation. The model sensitivity to the external parameters was tested considering two different configurations for the surface albedo. In the first one, albedo is only function of soil-type whereas in the second configuration it is prescribed by two external fields for dry and saturated soil based on MODIS data. Moreover, we tested two aerosol distributions as well, namely the default Tanre aerosol distribution and aerosol maps according to Tegen (NASA/GISS). We found, as expected, a significant sensitivity, in particular on the African region. We also varied tuning and physical parameters, such as the scaling factor for the thickness of the laminar boundary layer for heat, which defines the layer with non-turbulent characteristics, mean entrainment rate for shallow convection, cloud ice threshold for autoconversion, radiation and clouds. We choose such parameters following several literature works, which showed that these parameters mostly affect the fields simulated by the model. However, it is known that the sensitivity of a RCM with respect to parameter variations depends, in general, on the model domain, the temporal and spatial scales and the model variables considered. We made a first set of simulations varying one parameter at a time, using Taylor's diagrams, as well as seasonal cycles and bias maps to take tracking changes in the model performance. Successively, we run a second set of simulations in which we varied two or three parameters at a time to get an optimal configuration. The selected configuration is being used to carry out simulations on a 30-years past period, starting from 1979, for three horizontal resolutions, namely 0.44°, 0.22° and 0.11°.

Effect of various methods for rectum delineation on relative and absolute dose-volume histograms for prostate IMRT treatment planning

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

Kusumoto, Chiaki; Ohira, Shingo; Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita

2016-07-01

Several reports have dealt with correlations of late rectal toxicity with rectal dose-volume histograms (DVHs) for high dose levels. There are 2 techniques to assess rectal volume for reception of a specific dose: relative-DVH (R-DVH, %) that indicates relative volume for a vertical axis, and absolute-DVH (A-DVH, cc) with its vertical axis showing absolute volume of the rectum. The parameters of DVH vary depending on the rectum delineation method, but the literature does not present any standardization of such methods. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of different delineation methods on rectal DVHs. The enrollmentmore » for this study comprised 28 patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer, who had undergone intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with the prescription dose of 78 Gy. The rectum was contoured with 4 different methods using 2 lengths, short (Sh) and long (Lg), and 2 cross sections, rectum (Rec) and rectal wall (Rw). Sh means the length from 1 cm above the seminal vesicles to 1 cm below the prostate and Lg the length from the rectosigmoid junction to the anus. Rec represents the entire rectal volume including the rectal contents and Rw the rectal volume of the area with a wall thickness of 4 mm. We compared dose-volume parameters by using 4 rectal contour methods for the same plan with the R-DVHs as well as the A-DVHs. For the high dose levels, the R-DVH parameters varied widely. The mean of V{sub 70} for Sh-Rw was the highest (19.4%) and nearly twice as high as that for Lg-Rec (10.4%). On the contrary, only small variations were observed in the A-DVH parameters (4.3, 4.3, 5.5, and 5.5 cc for Sh-Rw, Lg-Rw, Sh-Rec, and Lg-Rec, respectively). As for R-DVHs, the parameters of V{sub 70} varied depending on the rectal lengths (Sh-Rec vs Lg-Rec: R = 0.76; Sh-Rw vs Lg-Rw: R = 0.85) and cross sections (Sh-Rec vs Sh-Rw: R = 0.49; Lg-Rec vs Lg-Rw: R = 0.65). For A-DVHs, however, the parameters of Sh rectal A-DVHs hardly changed regardless of differences in rectal length at all dose levels. Moreover, at high dose levels (V{sub 70}), the parameters of A-DVHs showed less dependence on rectal cross sections (Sh-Rec vs Sh-Rw: R = 0.66; Lg-Rec vs Lg-Rw: R = 0.59). This study showed that A-DVHs were less dependent on the delineation methods than R-DVHs, especially for evaluating the rectal dose at higher dose levels. It can therefore be assumed that, in addition to R-DVHs, A-DVHs can be used for evaluating rectal toxicity.« less

Search Parameter Optimization for Discrete, Bayesian, and Continuous Search Algorithms

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS SEARCH PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION FOR DISCRETE , BAYESIAN, AND CONTINUOUS SEARCH ALGORITHMS by...to 09-22-2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE SEARCH PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION FOR DISCRETE , BAYESIAN, AND CON- TINUOUS SEARCH ALGORITHMS 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6...simple search and rescue acts to prosecuting aerial/surface/submersible targets on mission. This research looks at varying the known discrete and

Control of Distributed Parameter Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-08-01

vari- ant of the general Lotka - Volterra model for interspecific competition. The variant described the emergence of one subpopulation from another as a...distribut ion unlimited. I&. ARSTRACT (MAUMUnw2O1 A unified arioroximation framework for Parameter estimation In general linear POE models has been completed...unified approximation framework for parameter estimation in general linear PDE models. This framework has provided the theoretical basis for a number of

Parameterization of water vapor using high-resolution GPS data and empirical models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ningombam, Shantikumar S.; Jade, Sridevi; Shrungeshwara, T. S.

2018-03-01

The present work evaluates eleven existing empirical models to estimate Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) over a high-altitude (4500 m amsl), cold-desert environment. These models are tested extensively and used globally to estimate PWV for low altitude sites (below 1000 m amsl). The moist parameters used in the model are: water vapor scale height (Hc), dew point temperature (Td) and water vapor pressure (Es 0). These moist parameters are derived from surface air temperature and relative humidity measured at high temporal resolution from automated weather station. The performance of these models are examined statistically with observed high-resolution GPS (GPSPWV) data over the region (2005-2012). The correlation coefficient (R) between the observed GPSPWV and Model PWV is 0.98 at daily data and varies diurnally from 0.93 to 0.97. Parameterization of moisture parameters were studied in-depth (i.e., 2 h to monthly time scales) using GPSPWV , Td , and Es 0 . The slope of the linear relationships between GPSPWV and Td varies from 0.073°C-1 to 0.106°C-1 (R: 0.83 to 0.97) while GPSPWV and Es 0 varied from 1.688 to 2.209 (R: 0.95 to 0.99) at daily, monthly and diurnal time scales. In addition, the moist parameters for the cold desert, high-altitude environment are examined in-depth at various time scales during 2005-2012.

Analyses of ACPL thermal/fluid conditioning system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephen, L. A.; Usher, L. H.

1976-01-01

Results of engineering analyses are reported. Initial computations were made using a modified control transfer function where the systems performance was characterized parametrically using an analytical model. The analytical model was revised to represent the latest expansion chamber fluid manifold design, and systems performance predictions were made. Parameters which were independently varied in these computations are listed. Systems predictions which were used to characterize performance are primarily transient computer plots comparing the deviation between average chamber temperature and the chamber temperature requirement. Additional computer plots were prepared. Results of parametric computations with the latest fluid manifold design are included.

Full system engineering design and operation of an oxygen plant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colvin, James; Schallhorn, Paul; Ramonhalli, Kumar

1992-01-01

The production of oxygen from the indigenous resources on Mars is described. After discussing briefly the project's background and the experimental system design, specific experimental results of the electrolytic cell are presented. At the heart of the oxygen production system is a tubular solid zirconia electrolyte cell that will electrochemically separate oxygen from a high-temperature stream of Coleman grade carbon dioxide. Experimental results are discussed and certain system efficiencies are defined. The parameters varied include (1) the cell operating temperature; (2) the carbon dioxide flow rate; and (3) the voltage applied across the cell. The results confirm our theoretical expectations.

An improved computer program for calculating the theoretical performance parameters of a propeller type wind turbine. An appendix to the final report on feasibility of using wind power to pump irrigation water (Texas). [PROP Code

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

Barieau, R.E.

1977-03-01

The PROP Program of Wilson and Lissaman has been modified by adding the Newton-Raphson Method and a Step Wise Search Method, as options for the method of solution. In addition, an optimization method is included. Twist angles, tip speed ratio and the pitch angle may be varied to produce maximum power coefficient. The computer program listing is presented along with sample input and output data. Further improvements to the program are discussed.

Use of optimization to predict the effect of selected parameters on commuter aircraft performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, V. L.; Shevell, R. S.

1982-01-01

An optimizing computer program determined the turboprop aircraft with lowest direct operating cost for various sets of cruise speed and field length constraints. External variables included wing area, wing aspect ratio and engine sea level static horsepower; tail sizes, climb speed and cruise altitude were varied within the function evaluation program. Direct operating cost was minimized for a 150 n.mi typical mission. Generally, DOC increased with increasing speed and decreasing field length but not by a large amount. Ride roughness, however, increased considerably as speed became higher and field length became shorter.

Quantum Computing Architectural Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, Jacob; Simms, Geoffrey; Gyure, Mark

2006-03-01

Large scale quantum computers will invariably require scalable architectures in addition to high fidelity gate operations. Quantum computing architectural design (QCAD) addresses the problems of actually implementing fault-tolerant algorithms given physical and architectural constraints beyond those of basic gate-level fidelity. Here we introduce a unified framework for QCAD that enables the scientist to study the impact of varying error correction schemes, architectural parameters including layout and scheduling, and physical operations native to a given architecture. Our software package, aptly named QCAD, provides compilation, manipulation/transformation, multi-paradigm simulation, and visualization tools. We demonstrate various features of the QCAD software package through several examples.

Multi-objective control of nonlinear boiler-turbine dynamics with actuator magnitude and rate constraints.

PubMed

Chen, Pang-Chia

2013-01-01

This paper investigates multi-objective controller design approaches for nonlinear boiler-turbine dynamics subject to actuator magnitude and rate constraints. System nonlinearity is handled by a suitable linear parameter varying system representation with drum pressure as the system varying parameter. Variation of the drum pressure is represented by suitable norm-bounded uncertainty and affine dependence on system matrices. Based on linear matrix inequality algorithms, the magnitude and rate constraints on the actuator and the deviations of fluid density and water level are formulated while the tracking abilities on the drum pressure and power output are optimized. Variation ranges of drum pressure and magnitude tracking commands are used as controller design parameters, determined according to the boiler-turbine's operation range. Copyright © 2012 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bayesian estimation of dynamic matching function for U-V analysis in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyo, Koki; Noda, Hideo; Kitagawa, Genshiro

2012-05-01

In this paper we propose a Bayesian method for analyzing unemployment dynamics. We derive a Beveridge curve for unemployment and vacancy (U-V) analysis from a Bayesian model based on a labor market matching function. In our framework, the efficiency of matching and the elasticities of new hiring with respect to unemployment and vacancy are regarded as time varying parameters. To construct a flexible model and obtain reasonable estimates in an underdetermined estimation problem, we treat the time varying parameters as random variables and introduce smoothness priors. The model is then described in a state space representation, enabling the parameter estimation to be carried out using Kalman filter and fixed interval smoothing. In such a representation, dynamic features of the cyclic unemployment rate and the structural-frictional unemployment rate can be accurately captured.

Environmental and Occupational Pesticide Exposure and Human Sperm Parameters: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Martenies, Sheena E.; Perry, Melissa J.

2013-01-01

Of continuing concern are the associations between environmental or occupational exposures to pesticides and semen quality parameters. Prior research has indicated that there may be associations between exposure to pesticides of a variety of classes and decreased sperm health. The intent of this review was to summarize the most recent evidence related to pesticide exposures and commonly used semen quality parameters, including concentration, motility and morphology. The recent literature was searched for studies published between January, 2007 and August, 2012 that focused on environmental or occupational pesticide exposures. Included in the review are 17 studies, 15 of which reported significant associations between exposure to pesticides and semen quality indicators. Two studies also investigated the roles genetic polymorphisms may play in the strength or directions of these associations. Specific pesticides targeted for study included dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), and abamectin. Pyrethroids and organophosphates were analyzed as classes of pesticides rather than as individual compounds, primarily due to the limitations of exposure assessment techniques. Overall, a majority of the studies reported significant associations between pesticide exposure and sperm parameters. A decrease in sperm concentration was the most commonly reported finding among all of the pesticide classes investigated. Decreased motility was also associated with exposures to each of the pesticide classes, although these findings were less frequent across studies. An association between pesticide exposure and sperm morphology was less clear, with only two studies reporting an association. The evidence presented in this review continues to support the hypothesis that exposures to pesticides at environmentally or occupationally relevant levels may be associated with decreased sperm health. Future work in this area should focus on associations between specific pesticides or metabolic products and sperm quality parameters. Analysis of effects of varying genetic characteristics, especially in genes related to pesticide metabolism, also needs further attention. PMID:23438386

Micropropagation of Prunus species relevant to cherry fruit production.

PubMed

Druart, Philippe

2013-01-01

Cherry tree micropropagation is limited to the production of healthy cultivars of Prunus avium and Prunus cerasus, and their rootstocks; mainly the dwarfing ones. By using meristem-tip (0.1 mm long) or healthy shoot tips/nodes, four successive steps are needed to obtain whole plants capable of growing in the nursery: multiplication by axillary branching, shoot elongation, rooting, and plantlet acclimation. Along this process, several parameters have to be adjusted for each phase of the culture, including media composition, environmental culture conditions and plant handling. These parameters vary depending on genotypic response and specific vulnerability to physiological disorders such as hyperhydricity, apex necrosis, unstable propagation, and rooting rates. Based on a 40 year-long experience of study and application of culture conditions to large-scale plant production, this document summarizes the main problems (variability of the propagation rate, hyperhydricity, apex necrosis, plant re-growth) and solutions encountered to solve them, with means validated on many mericlones.

Understanding Lymphatic Valve Function via Computational Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, Ki; Nepiyushchikh, Zhanna; Razavi, Mohammad; Dixon, Brandon; Alexeev, Alexander

2017-11-01

The lymphatic system is a crucial part to the circulatory system with many important functions, such as transport of interstitial fluid, fatty acid, and immune cells. Lymphatic vessels' contractile walls and valves allow lymph flow against adverse pressure gradients and prevent back flow. Yet, the effect of lymphatic valves' geometric and mechanical properties to pumping performance and lymphatic dysfunctions like lymphedema is not well understood. Our coupled fluid-solid computational model based on lattice Boltzmann model and lattice spring model investigates the dynamics and effectiveness of lymphatic valves in resistance minimization, backflow prevention, and viscoelastic response under different geometric and mechanical properties, suggesting the range of lymphatic valve parameters with effective pumping performance. Our model also provides more physiologically relevant relations of the valve response under varied conditions to a lumped parameter model of the lymphatic system giving an integrative insight into lymphatic system performance, including its failure due to diseases. NSF CMMI-1635133.

Modal analysis and control of flexible manipulator arms. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neto, O. M.

1974-01-01

The possibility of modeling and controlling flexible manipulator arms was examined. A modal approach was used for obtaining the mathematical model and control techniques. The arm model was represented mathematically by a state space description defined in terms of joint angles and mode amplitudes obtained from truncation on the distributed systems, and included the motion of a two link two joint arm. Three basic techniques were used for controlling the system: pole allocation with gains obtained from the rigid system with interjoint feedbacks, Simon-Mitter algorithm for pole allocation, and sensitivity analysis with respect to parameter variations. An improvement in arm bandwidth was obtained. Optimization of some geometric parameters was undertaken to maximize bandwidth for various payload sizes and programmed tasks. The controlled system is examined under constant gains and using the nonlinear model for simulations following a time varying state trajectory.

Light propagation in gas-filled kagomé hollow core photonic crystal fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, Sílvia M. G.; Facão, Margarida; Ferreira, Mário F. S.

2018-04-01

We study the propagation of light in kagomé hollow core photonic crystal fibres (HC-PCFs) filled with three different noble gases, namely, helium, xenon and argon. Various properties, including the guided modes, the group-velocity dispersion, and the nonlinear parameter were determined. The zero dispersion wavelength and the nonlinear parameter vary with the gas pressure which may be used to tune the generation of new frequencies using the same pump laser and the same fibre. In the case of the kagomé HC-PCF filled with xenon, the zero dispersion wavelength shifts from 693 to 1973 nm when the pressure is increased from 1 to 150bar, while the effective Kerr nonlinearity becomes comparable to that of silica. We have simulated the propagation of femtosecond pulses launched at 790 nm in order to study the generation of supercontinuum and UV light in kagomé HC-PCFs filled with the noble gases.

Prediction of binary nanoparticle superlattices from soft potentials

DOE PAGES

Horst, Nathan; Travesset, Alex

2016-01-07

Driven by the hypothesis that a sufficiently continuous short-ranged potential is able to account for shell flexibility and phonon modes and therefore provides a more realistic description of nanoparticle interactions than a hard sphere model, we compute the solid phase diagram of particles of different radii interacting with an inverse power law potential. From a pool of 24 candidate lattices, the free energy is optimized with respect to additional internal parameters and the p-exponent, determining the short-range properties of the potential, is varied between p = 12 and p = 6. The phase diagrams contain the phases found in ongoingmore » self-assembly experiments, including DNA programmable self-assembly and nanoparticles with capping ligands assembled by evaporation from an organic solvent. Thus, the resulting phase diagrams can be mapped quantitatively to existing experiments as a function of only two parameters: Nanoparticle radius ratio (γ) and softness asymmetry.« less

Scaling of membrane-type locally resonant acoustic metamaterial arrays.

PubMed

Naify, Christina J; Chang, Chia-Ming; McKnight, Geoffrey; Nutt, Steven R

2012-10-01

Metamaterials have emerged as promising solutions for manipulation of sound waves in a variety of applications. Locally resonant acoustic materials (LRAM) decrease sound transmission by 500% over acoustic mass law predictions at peak transmission loss (TL) frequencies with minimal added mass, making them appealing for weight-critical applications such as aerospace structures. In this study, potential issues associated with scale-up of the structure are addressed. TL of single-celled and multi-celled LRAM was measured using an impedance tube setup with systematic variation in geometric parameters to understand the effects of each parameter on acoustic response. Finite element analysis was performed to predict TL as a function of frequency for structures with varying complexity, including stacked structures and multi-celled arrays. Dynamic response of the array structures under discrete frequency excitation was investigated using laser vibrometry to verify negative dynamic mass behavior.

Ferrets as Models for Influenza Virus Transmission Studies and Pandemic Risk Assessments

PubMed Central

Barclay, Wendy; Barr, Ian; Fouchier, Ron A.M.; Matsuyama, Ryota; Nishiura, Hiroshi; Peiris, Malik; Russell, Charles J.; Subbarao, Kanta; Zhu, Huachen

2018-01-01

The ferret transmission model is extensively used to assess the pandemic potential of emerging influenza viruses, yet experimental conditions and reported results vary among laboratories. Such variation can be a critical consideration when contextualizing results from independent risk-assessment studies of novel and emerging influenza viruses. To streamline interpretation of data generated in different laboratories, we provide a consensus on experimental parameters that define risk-assessment experiments of influenza virus transmissibility, including disclosure of variables known or suspected to contribute to experimental variability in this model, and advocate adoption of more standardized practices. We also discuss current limitations of the ferret transmission model and highlight continued refinements and advances to this model ongoing in laboratories. Understanding, disclosing, and standardizing the critical parameters of ferret transmission studies will improve the comparability and reproducibility of pandemic influenza risk assessment and increase the statistical power and, perhaps, accuracy of this model. PMID:29774862

A Framework for Cloudy Model Optimization and Database Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvén, Emilia; Helton, Andrew; Sankrit, Ravi

2018-01-01

We present a framework for producing Cloudy photoionization models of the nebular emission from novae ejecta and storing a subset of the results in SQL database format for later usage. The database can be searched for models best fitting observed spectral line ratios. Additionally, the framework includes an optimization feature that can be used in tandem with the database to search for and improve on models by creating new Cloudy models while, varying the parameters. The database search and optimization can be used to explore the structures of nebulae by deriving their properties from the best-fit models. The goal is to provide the community with a large database of Cloudy photoionization models, generated from parameters reflecting conditions within novae ejecta, that can be easily fitted to observed spectral lines; either by directly accessing the database using the framework code or by usage of a website specifically made for this purpose.

Mathematical model of an air-filled alpha stirling refrigerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McFarlane, Patrick; Semperlotti, Fabio; Sen, Mihir

2013-10-01

This work develops a mathematical model for an alpha Stirling refrigerator with air as the working fluid and will be useful in optimizing the mechanical design of these machines. Two pistons cyclically compress and expand air while moving sinusoidally in separate chambers connected by a regenerator, thus creating a temperature difference across the system. A complete non-linear mathematical model of the machine, including air thermodynamics, and heat transfer from the walls, as well as heat transfer and fluid resistance in the regenerator, is developed. Non-dimensional groups are derived, and the mathematical model is numerically solved. The heat transfer and work are found for both chambers, and the coefficient of performance of each chamber is calculated. Important design parameters are varied and their effect on refrigerator performance determined. This sensitivity analysis, which shows what the significant parameters are, is a useful tool for the design of practical Stirling refrigeration systems.

Prediction of Binary Nanoparticle Superlattices from Soft Potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horst, Nathan; Travesset, Alex

Driven by the hypothesis that a sufficiently continuous short-ranged potential is able to account for shell flexibility and phonon modes and therefore provides a more realistic description of nanoparticle interactions than a hard sphere model, we compute the solid phase diagram of particles of different radii interacting with an inverse power law potential. We explore 24 candidate lattices where the p-exponent, determining the short-range properties of the potential, is varied between p=12 and p=6, and optimize the free energy with respect to additional internal parameters. The phase diagrams contain the phases found in ongoing self-assembly experiments, including DNA programmable self-assembly and nanoparticles with capping ligands assembled by evaporation from an organic solvent. The resulting phase diagrams can be mapped quantitatively to existing experiments as a function of only two parameters: nanoparticle radius ratio (γ) and softness asymmetry (SA). Supported by DOE under Contract Number DE-AC02-07CH11358.

A hybrid Jaya algorithm for reliability-redundancy allocation problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghavidel, Sahand; Azizivahed, Ali; Li, Li

2018-04-01

This article proposes an efficient improved hybrid Jaya algorithm based on time-varying acceleration coefficients (TVACs) and the learning phase introduced in teaching-learning-based optimization (TLBO), named the LJaya-TVAC algorithm, for solving various types of nonlinear mixed-integer reliability-redundancy allocation problems (RRAPs) and standard real-parameter test functions. RRAPs include series, series-parallel, complex (bridge) and overspeed protection systems. The search power of the proposed LJaya-TVAC algorithm for finding the optimal solutions is first tested on the standard real-parameter unimodal and multi-modal functions with dimensions of 30-100, and then tested on various types of nonlinear mixed-integer RRAPs. The results are compared with the original Jaya algorithm and the best results reported in the recent literature. The optimal results obtained with the proposed LJaya-TVAC algorithm provide evidence for its better and acceptable optimization performance compared to the original Jaya algorithm and other reported optimal results.

Robustness Analysis of Integrated LPV-FDI Filters and LTI-FTC System for a Transport Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khong, Thuan H.; Shin, Jong-Yeob

2007-01-01

This paper proposes an analysis framework for robustness analysis of a nonlinear dynamics system that can be represented by a polynomial linear parameter varying (PLPV) system with constant bounded uncertainty. The proposed analysis framework contains three key tools: 1) a function substitution method which can convert a nonlinear system in polynomial form into a PLPV system, 2) a matrix-based linear fractional transformation (LFT) modeling approach, which can convert a PLPV system into an LFT system with the delta block that includes key uncertainty and scheduling parameters, 3) micro-analysis, which is a well known robust analysis tool for linear systems. The proposed analysis framework is applied to evaluating the performance of the LPV-fault detection and isolation (FDI) filters of the closed-loop system of a transport aircraft in the presence of unmodeled actuator dynamics and sensor gain uncertainty. The robustness analysis results are compared with nonlinear time simulations.

Prediction of binary nanoparticle superlattices from soft potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horst, Nathan; Travesset, Alex

2016-01-01

Driven by the hypothesis that a sufficiently continuous short-ranged potential is able to account for shell flexibility and phonon modes and therefore provides a more realistic description of nanoparticle interactions than a hard sphere model, we compute the solid phase diagram of particles of different radii interacting with an inverse power law potential. From a pool of 24 candidate lattices, the free energy is optimized with respect to additional internal parameters and the p-exponent, determining the short-range properties of the potential, is varied between p = 12 and p = 6. The phase diagrams contain the phases found in ongoing self-assembly experiments, including DNA programmable self-assembly and nanoparticles with capping ligands assembled by evaporation from an organic solvent. The resulting phase diagrams can be mapped quantitatively to existing experiments as a function of only two parameters: Nanoparticle radius ratio (γ) and softness asymmetry.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): A Beginner's Guide for Design and Implementation

PubMed Central

Thair, Hayley; Holloway, Amy L.; Newport, Roger; Smith, Alastair D.

2017-01-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a popular brain stimulation method that is used to modulate cortical excitability, producing facilitatory or inhibitory effects upon a variety of behaviors. There is, however, a current lack of consensus between studies, with many results suggesting that polarity-specific effects are difficult to obtain. This article explores some of these differences and highlights the experimental parameters that may underlie their occurrence. We provide a general, practical snapshot of tDCS methodology, including what it is used for, how to use it, and considerations for designing an effective and safe experiment. Our aim is to equip researchers who are new to tDCS with the essential knowledge so that they can make informed and well-rounded decisions when designing and running successful experiments. By summarizing the varied approaches, stimulation parameters, and outcomes, this article should help inform future tDCS research in a variety of fields. PMID:29213226

A Modelling Study for Predicting Life of Downhole Tubes Considering Service Environmental Parameters and Stress

PubMed Central

Zhao, Tianliang; Liu, Zhiyong; Du, Cuiwei; Hu, Jianpeng; Li, Xiaogang

2016-01-01

A modelling effort was made to try to predict the life of downhole tubes or casings, synthetically considering the effect of service influencing factors on corrosion rate. Based on the discussed corrosion mechanism and corrosion processes of downhole tubes, a mathematic model was established. For downhole tubes, the influencing factors are environmental parameters and stress, which vary with service duration. Stress and the environmental parameters including water content, partial pressure of H2S and CO2, pH value, total pressure and temperature, were considered to be time-dependent. Based on the model, life-span of an L80 downhole tube in oilfield Halfaya, an oilfield in Iraq, was predicted. The results show that life-span of the L80 downhole tube in Halfaya is 247 months (approximately 20 years) under initial stress of 0.1 yield strength and 641 months (approximately 53 years) under no initial stress, which indicates that an initial stress of 0.1 yield strength will reduce the life-span by more than half. PMID:28773872

Modelling lamb carcase pH and temperature decline parameters: relationship to shear force and abattoir variation.

PubMed

Hopkins, David L; Holman, Benjamin W B; van de Ven, Remy J

2015-02-01

Carcase pH and temperature decline rates influence lamb tenderness; therefore pH decline parameters are beneficial when modelling tenderness. These include pH at temperature 18 °C (pH@Temp18), temperature when pH is 6 (Temp@pH6), and pH at 24 h post-mortem (pH24). This study aimed to establish a relationship between shear force (SF) as a proxy for tenderness and carcase pH decline parameters estimated using both linear and spline estimation models for the m. longissimus lumborum (LL). The study also compared abattoirs regarding their achievement of ideal pH decline, indicative of optimal tenderness. Based on SF measurements of LL and m. semimembranosus collected as part of the Information Nucleus slaughter programme (CRC for Sheep Industry Innovation) this study found significant relationships between tenderness and pH24LL, consistent across the meat cuts and ageing periods examined. Achievement of ideal pH decline was shown not to have significantly differed across abattoirs, although rates of pH decline varied significantly across years within abattoirs.

Improved Strength and Damage Modeling of Geologic Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Sarah; Senft, Laurel

2007-06-01

Collisions and impact cratering events are important processes in the evolution of planetary bodies. The time and length scales of planetary collisions, however, are inaccessible in the laboratory and require the use of shock physics codes. We present the results from a new rheological model for geological materials implemented in the CTH code [1]. The `ROCK' model includes pressure, temperature, and damage effects on strength, as well as acoustic fluidization during impact crater collapse. We demonstrate that the model accurately reproduces final crater shapes, tensile cracking, and damaged zones from laboratory to planetary scales. The strength model requires basic material properties; hence, the input parameters may be benchmarked to laboratory results and extended to planetary collision events. We show the effects of varying material strength parameters, which are dependent on both scale and strain rate, and discuss choosing appropriate parameters for laboratory and planetary situations. The results are a significant improvement in models of continuum rock deformation during large scale impact events. [1] Senft, L. E., Stewart, S. T. Modeling Impact Cratering in Layered Surfaces, J. Geophys. Res., submitted.

Measuring positive and negative affect in older adults over 56 days: comparing trait level scoring methods using the partial credit model.

PubMed

Erbacher, Monica K; Schmidt, Karen M; Boker, Steven M; Bergeman, Cindy S

2012-01-01

Positive (PA) and negative affect (NA) are important constructs in health and well-being research. Good longitudinal measurement is crucial to conducting meaningful research on relationships between affect, health, and well-being across the lifespan. One common affect measure, the PANAS, has been evaluated thoroughly with factor analysis, but not with Racsh-based latent trait models (RLTMs) such as the Partial Credit Model (PCM), and not longitudinally. Current longitudinal RLTMs can computationally handle few occasions of data. The present study compares four methods of anchoring PCMs across 56 occasions to longitudinally evaluate the psychometric properties of the PANAS plus additional items. Anchoring item parameters on mean parameter values across occasions produced more desirable results than using no anchor, using first occasion parameters as anchors, or allowing anchor values to vary across occasions. Results indicated problems with NA items, including poor category utilization, gaps in the item distribution, and a lack of easy-to-endorse items. PA items had much more desirable psychometric qualities.

Topographic modelling of haptic properties of tissue products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosen, B.-G.; Fall, A.; Rosen, S.; Farbrot, A.; Bergström, P.

2014-03-01

The way a product or material feels when touched, haptics, has been shown to be a property that plays an important role when consumers determine the quality of products For tissue products in constant touch with the skin, softness" becomes a primary quality parameter. In the present work, the relationship between topography and the feeling of the surface has been investigated for commercial tissues with varying degree of texture from the low textured crepe tissue to the highly textured embossed- and air-dried tissue products. A trained sensory panel at was used to grade perceived haptic "roughness". The technique used to characterize the topography was Digital light projection (DLP) technique, By the use of multivariate statistics, strong correlations between perceived roughness and topography were found with predictability of above 90 percent even though highly textured products were included. Characterization was made using areal ISO 25178-2 topography parameters in combination with non-contacting topography measurement. The best prediction ability was obtained when combining haptic properties with the topography parameters auto-correlation length (Sal), peak material volume (Vmp), core roughness depth (Sk) and the maximum height of the surface (Sz).

Non-imaging Optics of multi-LED light source for hyperspectral imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, Kashif; Gosnell, Martin E.; Ploschner, Martin; Anwer, Ayad G.; Goldys, Ewa M.

2016-12-01

The main objective of our work was to design a light source which should be capable to collect and illuminate light of LEDs at the smaller aperture of cone (9mm) which could be either coupled with secondary optics of a microscope or utilized independently for hyperspectral studies. Optimized performance of cone was assessed for different substrates (diffused glass silica, Alumina, Zerodur glass, acrylic plastic) and coating surfaces (white diffused, flat white paint, standard mirror) using a simulation software. The parameters optimized for truncated cone include slanting length and Top Major R (Larger diameter of cone) which were also varied from 10 to 350 mm and 10 to 80 mm respectively. In order to see affect of LED positions on cone efficiency, the positions of LED were varied from central axis to off-axis. Similarly, interLED distance was varied from 2 mm to 6 mm to reckon its effect on the performance of cone. The optimized Slant length (80 mm) and Top Major R (50 mm) were determined for substrates (glass zerodur or acrylic plastic) and coating surface (standard mirror). The output profile of truncated source was found non uniform, which is a typical presentation of non imaging optics problem. The maximum efficiency of cone has been found for LED at the centre and it was found decreasing as LED moves away from the central axis. Moreover, shorter the interLED distance, better is the performance of cone. The primary optics of cone shaped light source is capable to lit visible and UV LEDs in practical design. The optimum parameters obtained through simulations could be implemented in the fabrication procedure if the reflectance of source would have been maintained upto finish level of a standard mirror.

Monitoring survival rates of Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus at multiple spatial scales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenberg, D.K.; DeSante, D.F.; McKelvey, K.S.; Hines, J.E.

1999-01-01

We estimated survival rates of Swainson's Thrush, a common, neotropical, migratory landbird, at multiple spatial scales, using data collected in the western USA from the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship Programme. We evaluated statistical power to detect spatially heterogeneous survival rates and exponentially declining survival rates among spatial scales with simulated populations parameterized from results of the Swainson's Thrush analyses. Models describing survival rates as constant across large spatial scales did not fit the data. The model we chose as most appropriate to describe survival rates of Swainson's Thrush allowed survival rates to vary among Physiographic Provinces, included a separate parameter for the probability that a newly captured bird is a resident individual in the study population, and constrained capture probability to be constant across all stations. Estimated annual survival rates under this model varied from 0.42 to 0.75 among Provinces. The coefficient of variation of survival estimates ranged from 5.8 to 20% among Physiographic Provinces. Statistical power to detect exponentially declining trends was fairly low for small spatial scales, although large annual declines (3% of previous year's rate) were likely to be detected when monitoring was conducted for long periods of time (e.g. 20 years). Although our simulations and field results are based on only four years of data from a limited number and distribution of stations, it is likely that they illustrate genuine difficulties inherent to broadscale efforts to monitor survival rates of territorial landbirds. In particular, our results suggest that more attention needs to be paid to sampling schemes of monitoring programmes, particularly regarding the trade-off between precision and potential bias of parameter estimates at varying spatial scales.

Monitoring survival rates of Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus at multiple spatial scales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosenberg, D.K.; DeSante, D.F.; McKelvey, K.S.; Hines, J.E.

1999-01-01

We estimated survival rates of Swainson's Thrush, a common, neotropical, migratory landbird, at multiple spatial scales, using data collected in the western USA from the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship Programme. We evaluated statistical power to detect spatially heterogeneous survival rates and exponentially declining survival rates among spatial scales with simulated populations parameterized from results of the Swainson's Thrush analyses. Models describing survival rates as constant across large spatial scales did not fit the data. The model we chose as most appropriate to describe survival rates of Swainson's Thrush allowed survival rates to vary among Physiographic Provinces, included a separate parameter for the probability that a newly captured bird is a resident individual in the study population, and constrained capture probability to be constant across all stations. Estimated annual survival rates under this model varied from 0.42 to 0.75 among Provinces. The coefficient of variation of survival estimates ranged from 5.8 to 20% among Physiographic Provinces. Statistical power to detect exponentially declining trends was fairly low for small spatial scales, although large annual declines (3% of previous year's rate) were likely to be detected when monitoring was conducted for long periods of time (e.g. 20 years). Although our simulations and field results are based on only four years of date from a limited number and distribution of stations, it is likely that they illustrate genuine difficulties inherent to broadscale efforts to monitor survival rates of territorial landbirds. In particular, our results suggest that more attention needs to be paid to sampling schemes of monitoring programmes particularly regarding the trade-off between precison and potential bias o parameter estimates at varying spatial scales.

New Passivity Criteria for Fuzzy Bam Neural Networks with Markovian Jumping Parameters and Time-Varying Delays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vadivel, P.; Sakthivel, R.; Mathiyalagan, K.; Thangaraj, P.

2013-02-01

This paper addresses the problem of passivity analysis issue for a class of fuzzy bidirectional associative memory (BAM) neural networks with Markovian jumping parameters and time varying delays. A set of sufficient conditions for the passiveness of the considered fuzzy BAM neural network model is derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities by using the delay fractioning technique together with the Lyapunov function approach. In addition, the uncertainties are inevitable in neural networks because of the existence of modeling errors and external disturbance. Further, this result is extended to study the robust passivity criteria for uncertain fuzzy BAM neural networks with time varying delays and uncertainties. These criteria are expressed in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), which can be efficiently solved via standard numerical software. Two numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the obtained results.

Role of switching-on and -off effects in the vacuum instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adorno, T. C.; Ferreira, R.; Gavrilov, S. P.; Gitman, D. M.

2018-04-01

We find exact differential mean numbers of fermions and bosons created from the vacuum due to a composite electric field of special configuration. This configuration imitates a finite switching-on and -off regime and consists of fields that switch on exponentially from the infinitely remote past, remains constant during a certain interval T and switch off exponentially to the infinitely remote future. We show that calculations in the slowly varying field approximation are completely predictable in the framework of a locally constant field approximation. Beyond the slowly varying field approximation, we study effects of fast switching on and off in a number of cases when the size of the dimensionless parameter eET is either close or exceeds the threshold value that determines the transition from a regime sensitive to on-off parameters to the slowly varying regime for which these effects are secondary.

Linear parameter varying identification of ankle joint intrinsic stiffness during imposed walking movements.

PubMed

Sobhani Tehrani, Ehsan; Jalaleddini, Kian; Kearney, Robert E

2013-01-01

This paper describes a novel model structure and identification method for the time-varying, intrinsic stiffness of human ankle joint during imposed walking (IW) movements. The model structure is based on the superposition of a large signal, linear, time-invariant (LTI) model and a small signal linear-parameter varying (LPV) model. The methodology is based on a two-step algorithm; the LTI model is first estimated using data from an unperturbed IW trial. Then, the LPV model is identified using data from a perturbed IW trial with the output predictions of the LTI model removed from the measured torque. Experimental results demonstrate that the method accurately tracks the continuous-time variation of normal ankle intrinsic stiffness when the joint position changes during the IW movement. Intrinsic stiffness gain decreases from full plantarflexion to near the mid-point of plantarflexion and then increases substantially as the ankle is dosriflexed.

WSN system design by using an innovative neural network model to perform thermals forecasting in a urban canyon scenario

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giuseppina, Nicolosi; Salvatore, Tirrito

2015-12-01

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) were studied by researchers in order to manage Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) indoor systems. WSN can be useful specially to regulate indoor confort in a urban canyon scenario, where the thermal parameters vary rapidly, influenced by outdoor climate changing. This paper shows an innovative neural network approach, by using WSN data collected, in order to forecast the indoor temperature to varying the outdoor conditions based on climate parameters and boundary conditions typically of urban canyon. In this work more attention will be done to influence of traffic jam and number of vehicles in queue.

Musical sound analysis/synthesis using vector-quantized time-varying spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehmann, Andreas F.; Beauchamp, James W.

2002-11-01

A fundamental goal of computer music sound synthesis is accurate, yet efficient resynthesis of musical sounds, with the possibility of extending the synthesis into new territories using control of perceptually intuitive parameters. A data clustering technique known as vector quantization (VQ) is used to extract a globally optimum set of representative spectra from phase vocoder analyses of instrument tones. This set of spectra, called a Codebook, is used for sinusoidal additive synthesis or, more efficiently, for wavetable synthesis. Instantaneous spectra are synthesized by first determining the Codebook indices corresponding to the best least-squares matches to the original time-varying spectrum. Spectral index versus time functions are then smoothed, and interpolation is employed to provide smooth transitions between Codebook spectra. Furthermore, spectral frames are pre-flattened and their slope, or tilt, extracted before clustering is applied. This allows spectral tilt, closely related to the perceptual parameter ''brightness,'' to be independently controlled during synthesis. The result is a highly compressed format consisting of the Codebook spectra and time-varying tilt, amplitude, and Codebook index parameters. This technique has been applied to a variety of harmonic musical instrument sounds with the resulting resynthesized tones providing good matches to the originals.

Stochastic and Perturbed Parameter Representations of Model Uncertainty in Convection Parameterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen, H. M.; Moroz, I.; Palmer, T.

2015-12-01

It is now acknowledged that representing model uncertainty in atmospheric simulators is essential for the production of reliable probabilistic ensemble forecasts, and a number of different techniques have been proposed for this purpose. Stochastic convection parameterization schemes use random numbers to represent the difference between a deterministic parameterization scheme and the true atmosphere, accounting for the unresolved sub grid-scale variability associated with convective clouds. An alternative approach varies the values of poorly constrained physical parameters in the model to represent the uncertainty in these parameters. This study presents new perturbed parameter schemes for use in the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) convection scheme. Two types of scheme are developed and implemented. Both schemes represent the joint uncertainty in four of the parameters in the convection parametrisation scheme, which was estimated using the Ensemble Prediction and Parameter Estimation System (EPPES). The first scheme developed is a fixed perturbed parameter scheme, where the values of uncertain parameters are changed between ensemble members, but held constant over the duration of the forecast. The second is a stochastically varying perturbed parameter scheme. The performance of these schemes was compared to the ECMWF operational stochastic scheme, Stochastically Perturbed Parametrisation Tendencies (SPPT), and to a model which does not represent uncertainty in convection. The skill of probabilistic forecasts made using the different models was evaluated. While the perturbed parameter schemes improve on the stochastic parametrisation in some regards, the SPPT scheme outperforms the perturbed parameter approaches when considering forecast variables that are particularly sensitive to convection. Overall, SPPT schemes are the most skilful representations of model uncertainty due to convection parametrisation. Reference: H. M. Christensen, I. M. Moroz, and T. N. Palmer, 2015: Stochastic and Perturbed Parameter Representations of Model Uncertainty in Convection Parameterization. J. Atmos. Sci., 72, 2525-2544.

Track structure model of microscopic energy deposition by protons and heavy ions in segments of neuronal cell dendrites represented by cylinders or spheres

PubMed Central

Alp, Murat; Cucinotta, Francis A.

2017-01-01

Changes to cognition, including memory, following radiation exposure are a concern for cosmic ray exposures to astronauts and in Hadron therapy with proton and heavy ion beams. The purpose of the present work is to develop computational methods to evaluate microscopic energy deposition (ED) in volumes representative of neuron cell structures, including segments of dendrites and spines, using a stochastic track structure model. A challenge for biophysical models of neuronal damage is the large sizes (>100 μm) and variability in volumes of possible dendritic segments and pre-synaptic elements (spines and filopodia). We consider cylindrical and spherical microscopic volumes of varying geometric parameters and aspect ratios from 0.5 to 5 irradiated by protons, and 3He and 12C particles at energies corresponding to a distance of 1 cm to the Bragg peak, which represent particles of interest in Hadron therapy as well as space radiation exposure. We investigate the optimal axis length of dendritic segments to evaluate microscopic ED and hit probabilities along the dendritic branches at a given macroscopic dose. Because of large computation times to analyze ED in volumes of varying sizes, we developed an analytical method to find the mean primary dose in spheres that can guide numerical methods to find the primary dose distribution for cylinders. Considering cylindrical segments of varying aspect ratio at constant volume, we assess the chord length distribution, mean number of hits and ED profiles by primary particles and secondary electrons (δ-rays). For biophysical modeling applications, segments on dendritic branches are proposed to have equal diameters and axes lengths along the varying diameter of a dendritic branch. PMID:28554507

Track structure model of microscopic energy deposition by protons and heavy ions in segments of neuronal cell dendrites represented by cylinders or spheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alp, Murat; Cucinotta, Francis A.

2017-05-01

Changes to cognition, including memory, following radiation exposure are a concern for cosmic ray exposures to astronauts and in Hadron therapy with proton and heavy ion beams. The purpose of the present work is to develop computational methods to evaluate microscopic energy deposition (ED) in volumes representative of neuron cell structures, including segments of dendrites and spines, using a stochastic track structure model. A challenge for biophysical models of neuronal damage is the large sizes (> 100 μm) and variability in volumes of possible dendritic segments and pre-synaptic elements (spines and filopodia). We consider cylindrical and spherical microscopic volumes of varying geometric parameters and aspect ratios from 0.5 to 5 irradiated by protons, and 3He and 12C particles at energies corresponding to a distance of 1 cm to the Bragg peak, which represent particles of interest in Hadron therapy as well as space radiation exposure. We investigate the optimal axis length of dendritic segments to evaluate microscopic ED and hit probabilities along the dendritic branches at a given macroscopic dose. Because of large computation times to analyze ED in volumes of varying sizes, we developed an analytical method to find the mean primary dose in spheres that can guide numerical methods to find the primary dose distribution for cylinders. Considering cylindrical segments of varying aspect ratio at constant volume, we assess the chord length distribution, mean number of hits and ED profiles by primary particles and secondary electrons (δ-rays). For biophysical modeling applications, segments on dendritic branches are proposed to have equal diameters and axes lengths along the varying diameter of a dendritic branch.

Track structure model of microscopic energy deposition by protons and heavy ions in segments of neuronal cell dendrites represented by cylinders or spheres.

PubMed

Alp, Murat; Cucinotta, Francis A

2017-05-01

Changes to cognition, including memory, following radiation exposure are a concern for cosmic ray exposures to astronauts and in Hadron therapy with proton and heavy ion beams. The purpose of the present work is to develop computational methods to evaluate microscopic energy deposition (ED) in volumes representative of neuron cell structures, including segments of dendrites and spines, using a stochastic track structure model. A challenge for biophysical models of neuronal damage is the large sizes (> 100µm) and variability in volumes of possible dendritic segments and pre-synaptic elements (spines and filopodia). We consider cylindrical and spherical microscopic volumes of varying geometric parameters and aspect ratios from 0.5 to 5 irradiated by protons, and 3 He and 12 C particles at energies corresponding to a distance of 1cm to the Bragg peak, which represent particles of interest in Hadron therapy as well as space radiation exposure. We investigate the optimal axis length of dendritic segments to evaluate microscopic ED and hit probabilities along the dendritic branches at a given macroscopic dose. Because of large computation times to analyze ED in volumes of varying sizes, we developed an analytical method to find the mean primary dose in spheres that can guide numerical methods to find the primary dose distribution for cylinders. Considering cylindrical segments of varying aspect ratio at constant volume, we assess the chord length distribution, mean number of hits and ED profiles by primary particles and secondary electrons (δ-rays). For biophysical modeling applications, segments on dendritic branches are proposed to have equal diameters and axes lengths along the varying diameter of a dendritic branch. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Analysis of stationary and dynamic factors affecting highway accident occurrence: A dynamic correlated grouped random parameters binary logit approach.

PubMed

Fountas, Grigorios; Sarwar, Md Tawfiq; Anastasopoulos, Panagiotis Ch; Blatt, Alan; Majka, Kevin

2018-04-01

Traditional accident analysis typically explores non-time-varying (stationary) factors that affect accident occurrence on roadway segments. However, the impact of time-varying (dynamic) factors is not thoroughly investigated. This paper seeks to simultaneously identify pre-crash stationary and dynamic factors of accident occurrence, while accounting for unobserved heterogeneity. Using highly disaggregate information for the potential dynamic factors, and aggregate data for the traditional stationary elements, a dynamic binary random parameters (mixed) logit framework is employed. With this approach, the dynamic nature of weather-related, and driving- and pavement-condition information is jointly investigated with traditional roadway geometric and traffic characteristics. To additionally account for the combined effect of the dynamic and stationary factors on the accident occurrence, the developed random parameters logit framework allows for possible correlations among the random parameters. The analysis is based on crash and non-crash observations between 2011 and 2013, drawn from urban and rural highway segments in the state of Washington. The findings show that the proposed methodological framework can account for both stationary and dynamic factors affecting accident occurrence probabilities, for panel effects, for unobserved heterogeneity through the use of random parameters, and for possible correlation among the latter. The comparative evaluation among the correlated grouped random parameters, the uncorrelated random parameters logit models, and their fixed parameters logit counterpart, demonstrate the potential of the random parameters modeling, in general, and the benefits of the correlated grouped random parameters approach, specifically, in terms of statistical fit and explanatory power. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A statistical approach for optimizing parameters for electrodeposition of indium (III) sulfide (In2S3) films, potential low-hazard buffer layers for photovoltaic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mughal, Maqsood Ali

Clean and environmentally friendly technologies are centralizing industry focus towards obtaining long term solutions to many large-scale problems such as energy demand, pollution, and environmental safety. Thin film solar cell (TFSC) technology has emerged as an impressive photovoltaic (PV) technology to create clean energy from fast production lines with capabilities to reduce material usage and energy required to manufacture large area panels, hence, lowering the costs. Today, cost ($/kWh) and toxicity are the primary challenges for all PV technologies. In that respect, electrodeposited indium sulfide (In2S3) films are proposed as an alternate to hazardous cadmium sulfide (CdS) films, commonly used as buffer layers in solar cells. This dissertation focuses upon the optimization of electrodeposition parameters to synthesize In2S3 films of PV quality. The work describe herein has the potential to reduce the hazardous impact of cadmium (Cd) upon the environment, while reducing the manufacturing cost of TFSCs through efficient utilization of materials. Optimization was performed through use of a statistical approach to study the effect of varying electrodeposition parameters upon the properties of the films. A robust design method referred-to as the "Taguchi Method" helped in engineering the properties of the films, and improved the PV characteristics including optical bandgap, absorption coefficient, stoichiometry, morphology, crystalline structure, thickness, etc. Current density (also a function of deposition voltage) had the most significant impact upon the stoichiometry and morphology of In2S3 films, whereas, deposition temperature and composition of the solution had the least significant impact. The dissertation discusses the film growth mechanism and provides understanding of the regions of low quality (for example, cracks) in films. In2S3 films were systematically and quantitatively investigated by varying electrodeposition parameters including bath composition, current density, deposition time and temperature, stir rate, and electrode potential. These parameters individually and collectively exhibited significant correlation with the properties of the films. Digital imaging analysis (using fracture and buckling analysis software) of scanning electron microscope (SEM) images helped to quantify the cracks and study the defects in films. In addition, the effects of different annealing treatments (200 oC, 300 oC, and 400 oC in air) and coated-glass substrates (Mo, ITO, FTO) upon the properties of the In2S3 films were analyzed.

Methods for the identification of material parameters in distributed models for flexible structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, H. T.; Crowley, J. M.; Rosen, I. G.

1986-01-01

Theoretical and numerical results are presented for inverse problems involving estimation of spatially varying parameters such as stiffness and damping in distributed models for elastic structures such as Euler-Bernoulli beams. An outline of algorithms used and a summary of computational experiences are presented.

Statistical classifiers on multifractal parameters for optical diagnosis of cervical cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhopadhyay, Sabyasachi; Pratiher, Sawon; Kumar, Rajeev; Krishnamoorthy, Vigneshram; Pradhan, Asima; Ghosh, Nirmalya; Panigrahi, Prasanta K.

2017-06-01

An augmented set of multifractal parameters with physical interpretations have been proposed to quantify the varying distribution and shape of the multifractal spectrum. The statistical classifier with accuracy of 84.17% validates the adequacy of multi-feature MFDFA characterization of elastic scattering spectroscopy for optical diagnosis of cancer.

Frozen Orbits-Near Constant or Beneficially Varying Orbital Parameters.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-15

89 6.3 Equatorial Near-Circular Orbits ............................... 92 6.4 Stable and Unstable Equilibrium Points ...Angle Libration Period......................................... 78 5-2 Lunar Gravitational Effect on Near-Circular Orbits .................... 80 5-3...6-1 Period of Oscillation about the Stable Equilibrium Point ............... 102 FIGURES Figure 2.1 Orbital Parameters

Estimating effective soil properties of heterogeneous areas for modeling infiltration and redistribution

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Field scale water infiltration and soil-water and solute transport models require spatially-averaged “effective” soil hydraulic parameters to represent the average flux and storage. The values of these effective parameters vary for different conditions, processes, and component soils in a field. For...

Stirling Engine Dynamic System Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakis, Christopher G.

2004-01-01

The Thermo-Mechanical systems branch at the Glenn Research Center focuses a large amount time on Stirling engines. These engines will be used on missions where solar power is inefficient, especially in deep space. I work with Tim Regan and Ed Lewandowski who are currently developing and validating a mathematical model for the Stirling engines. This model incorporates all aspects of the system including, mechanical, electrical and thermodynamic components. Modeling is done through Simplorer, a program capable of running simulations of the model. Once created and then proven to be accurate, a model is used for developing new ideas for engine design. My largest specific project involves varying key parameters in the model and quantifying the results. This can all be done relatively trouble-free with the help of Simplorer. Once the model is complete, Simplorer will do all the necessary calculations. The more complicated part of this project is determining which parameters to vary. Finding key parameters depends on the potential for a value to be independently altered in the design. For example, a change in one dimension may lead to a proportional change to the rest of the model, and no real progress is made. Also, the ability for a changed value to have a substantial impact on the outputs of the system is important. Results will be condensed into graphs and tables with the purpose of better communication and understanding of the data. With the changing of these parameters, a more optimal design can be created without having to purchase or build any models. Also, hours and hours of results can be simulated in minutes. In the long run, using mathematical models can save time and money. Along with this project, I have many other smaller assignments throughout the summer. My main goal is to assist in the processes of model development, validation and testing.

A tuning algorithm for model predictive controllers based on genetic algorithms and fuzzy decision making.

PubMed

van der Lee, J H; Svrcek, W Y; Young, B R

2008-01-01

Model Predictive Control is a valuable tool for the process control engineer in a wide variety of applications. Because of this the structure of an MPC can vary dramatically from application to application. There have been a number of works dedicated to MPC tuning for specific cases. Since MPCs can differ significantly, this means that these tuning methods become inapplicable and a trial and error tuning approach must be used. This can be quite time consuming and can result in non-optimum tuning. In an attempt to resolve this, a generalized automated tuning algorithm for MPCs was developed. This approach is numerically based and combines a genetic algorithm with multi-objective fuzzy decision-making. The key advantages to this approach are that genetic algorithms are not problem specific and only need to be adapted to account for the number and ranges of tuning parameters for a given MPC. As well, multi-objective fuzzy decision-making can handle qualitative statements of what optimum control is, in addition to being able to use multiple inputs to determine tuning parameters that best match the desired results. This is particularly useful for multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) cases where the definition of "optimum" control is subject to the opinion of the control engineer tuning the system. A case study will be presented in order to illustrate the use of the tuning algorithm. This will include how different definitions of "optimum" control can arise, and how they are accounted for in the multi-objective decision making algorithm. The resulting tuning parameters from each of the definition sets will be compared, and in doing so show that the tuning parameters vary in order to meet each definition of optimum control, thus showing the generalized automated tuning algorithm approach for tuning MPCs is feasible.

Sensitivity of DIVWAG to Variations in Weather Parameters

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-04-01

1 18. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 1 19. KEY WORDS (Continue on reverse aide if necessary and Identify by block number) DIVWAG WAR GAME SIMULATION...simulation of a Division Level War Game , to determine the signif- icance of varying battlefield parameters; i.e., artillery parameters, troop and...The only Red artillery weapons doing better in bad weather are the 130MM guns , but this statistic is tempered by the few casualties occuring in

Parameters and Scales Used to Assess and Report Findings From Stroboscopy: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Bonilha, Heather Shaw; Desjardins, Maude; Garand, Kendrea L; Martin-Harris, Bonnie

2017-11-02

Laryngeal endoscopy with stroboscopy, a critical component of the assessment of voice disorders, is rarely used as a treatment outcome measure in the scientific literature. We hypothesized that this is because of the lack of a widely used standardized, validated, and reliable method to assess and report laryngeal anatomy and physiology, and undertook a systematic literature review to determine the extent of the inconsistencies of the parameters and scales used in voice treatment outcome studies. Systematic literature review. We searched PubMed, Ovid, and Cochrane for studies where laryngeal endoscopy with stroboscopy was used as a treatment outcome measure with search terms representing "stroboscopy" and "treatment" guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement standards. In the 62 included articles, we identified 141 terms representing 49 different parameters, which were further classified into 20 broad categories. The six most common parameters were magnitude of glottal gap, mucosal wave amplitude, location or shape of glottal gap, regularity of vibration, phase symmetry, and presence and size of specific lesions. Parameters were assessed on scales ranging from binary to 100 points. The number of scales used for each parameter varied from 1 to 24, with an average of four different scales per parameter. There is a lack of agreement in the scientific literature regarding which parameters should be assessed to measure voice treatment outcomes and which terms and scales should be used for each parameter. This greatly diminishes comparison and clinical implementation of the results of treatment outcomes research in voice disorders. We highlight a previously published tool and recommend it for future use in research and clinical settings. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Influence of dose calculation algorithms on the predicted dose distribution and NTCP values for NSCLC patients.

PubMed

Nielsen, Tine B; Wieslander, Elinore; Fogliata, Antonella; Nielsen, Morten; Hansen, Olfred; Brink, Carsten

2011-05-01

To investigate differences in calculated doses and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) values between different dose algorithms. Six dose algorithms from four different treatment planning systems were investigated: Eclipse AAA, Oncentra MasterPlan Collapsed Cone and Pencil Beam, Pinnacle Collapsed Cone and XiO Multigrid Superposition, and Fast Fourier Transform Convolution. Twenty NSCLC patients treated in the period 2001-2006 at the same accelerator were included and the accelerator used for treatments were modeled in the different systems. The treatment plans were recalculated with the same number of monitor units and beam arrangements across the dose algorithms. Dose volume histograms of the GTV, PTV, combined lungs (excluding the GTV), and heart were exported and evaluated. NTCP values for heart and lungs were calculated using the relative seriality model and the LKB model, respectively. Furthermore, NTCP for the lungs were calculated from two different model parameter sets. Calculations and evaluations were performed both including and excluding density corrections. There are found statistical significant differences between the calculated dose to heart, lung, and targets across the algorithms. Mean lung dose and V20 are not very sensitive to change between the investigated dose calculation algorithms. However, the different dose levels for the PTV averaged over the patient population are varying up to 11%. The predicted NTCP values for pneumonitis vary between 0.20 and 0.24 or 0.35 and 0.48 across the investigated dose algorithms depending on the chosen model parameter set. The influence of the use of density correction in the dose calculation on the predicted NTCP values depends on the specific dose calculation algorithm and the model parameter set. For fixed values of these, the changes in NTCP can be up to 45%. Calculated NTCP values for pneumonitis are more sensitive to the choice of algorithm than mean lung dose and V20 which are also commonly used for plan evaluation. The NTCP values for heart complication are, in this study, not very sensitive to the choice of algorithm. Dose calculations based on density corrections result in quite different NTCP values than calculations without density corrections. It is therefore important when working with NTCP planning to use NTCP parameter values based on calculations and treatments similar to those for which the NTCP is of interest.

Motor Task Variation Induces Structural Learning

PubMed Central

Braun, Daniel A.; Aertsen, Ad; Wolpert, Daniel M.; Mehring, Carsten

2009-01-01

Summary When we have learned a motor skill, such as cycling or ice-skating, we can rapidly generalize to novel tasks, such as motorcycling or rollerblading [1–8]. Such facilitation of learning could arise through two distinct mechanisms by which the motor system might adjust its control parameters. First, fast learning could simply be a consequence of the proximity of the original and final settings of the control parameters. Second, by structural learning [9–14], the motor system could constrain the parameter adjustments to conform to the control parameters' covariance structure. Thus, facilitation of learning would rely on the novel task parameters' lying on the structure of a lower-dimensional subspace that can be explored more efficiently. To test between these two hypotheses, we exposed subjects to randomly varying visuomotor tasks of fixed structure. Although such randomly varying tasks are thought to prevent learning, we show that when subsequently presented with novel tasks, subjects exhibit three key features of structural learning: facilitated learning of tasks with the same structure, strong reduction in interference normally observed when switching between tasks that require opposite control strategies, and preferential exploration along the learned structure. These results suggest that skill generalization relies on task variation and structural learning. PMID:19217296

Motor task variation induces structural learning.

PubMed

Braun, Daniel A; Aertsen, Ad; Wolpert, Daniel M; Mehring, Carsten

2009-02-24

When we have learned a motor skill, such as cycling or ice-skating, we can rapidly generalize to novel tasks, such as motorcycling or rollerblading [1-8]. Such facilitation of learning could arise through two distinct mechanisms by which the motor system might adjust its control parameters. First, fast learning could simply be a consequence of the proximity of the original and final settings of the control parameters. Second, by structural learning [9-14], the motor system could constrain the parameter adjustments to conform to the control parameters' covariance structure. Thus, facilitation of learning would rely on the novel task parameters' lying on the structure of a lower-dimensional subspace that can be explored more efficiently. To test between these two hypotheses, we exposed subjects to randomly varying visuomotor tasks of fixed structure. Although such randomly varying tasks are thought to prevent learning, we show that when subsequently presented with novel tasks, subjects exhibit three key features of structural learning: facilitated learning of tasks with the same structure, strong reduction in interference normally observed when switching between tasks that require opposite control strategies, and preferential exploration along the learned structure. These results suggest that skill generalization relies on task variation and structural learning.

Uncertainty and the Social Cost of Methane Using Bayesian Constrained Climate Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Errickson, F. C.; Anthoff, D.; Keller, K.

2016-12-01

Social cost estimates of greenhouse gases are important for the design of sound climate policies and are also plagued by uncertainty. One major source of uncertainty stems from the simplified representation of the climate system used in the integrated assessment models that provide these social cost estimates. We explore how uncertainty over the social cost of methane varies with the way physical processes and feedbacks in the methane cycle are modeled by (i) coupling three different methane models to a simple climate model, (ii) using MCMC to perform a Bayesian calibration of the three coupled climate models that simulates direct sampling from the joint posterior probability density function (pdf) of model parameters, and (iii) producing probabilistic climate projections that are then used to calculate the Social Cost of Methane (SCM) with the DICE and FUND integrated assessment models. We find that including a temperature feedback in the methane cycle acts as an additional constraint during the calibration process and results in a correlation between the tropospheric lifetime of methane and several climate model parameters. This correlation is not seen in the models lacking this feedback. Several of the estimated marginal pdfs of the model parameters also exhibit different distributional shapes and expected values depending on the methane model used. As a result, probabilistic projections of the climate system out to the year 2300 exhibit different levels of uncertainty and magnitudes of warming for each of the three models under an RCP8.5 scenario. We find these differences in climate projections result in differences in the distributions and expected values for our estimates of the SCM. We also examine uncertainty about the SCM by performing a Monte Carlo analysis using a distribution for the climate sensitivity while holding all other climate model parameters constant. Our SCM estimates using the Bayesian calibration are lower and exhibit less uncertainty about extremely high values in the right tail of the distribution compared to the Monte Carlo approach. This finding has important climate policy implications and suggests previous work that accounts for climate model uncertainty by only varying the climate sensitivity parameter may overestimate the SCM.

Evaluation of the biophysical limitations on photosynthesis of four varietals of Brassica rapa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pleban, J. R.; Mackay, D. S.; Aston, T.; Ewers, B.; Weinig, C.

2014-12-01

Evaluating performance of agricultural varietals can support the identification of genotypes that will increase yield and can inform management practices. The biophysical limitations of photosynthesis are amongst the key factors that necessitate evaluation. This study evaluated how four biophysical limitations on photosynthesis, stomatal response to vapor pressure deficit, maximum carboxylation rate by Rubisco (Ac), rate of photosynthetic electron transport (Aj) and triose phosphate use (At) vary between four Brassica rapa genotypes. Leaf gas exchange data was used in an ecophysiological process model to conduct this evaluation. The Terrestrial Regional Ecosystem Exchange Simulator (TREES) integrates the carbon uptake and utilization rate limiting factors for plant growth. A Bayesian framework integrated in TREES here used net A as the target to estimate the four limiting factors for each genotype. As a first step the Bayesian framework was used for outlier detection, with data points outside the 95% confidence interval of model estimation eliminated. Next parameter estimation facilitated the evaluation of how the limiting factors on A different between genotypes. Parameters evaluated included maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax), quantum yield (ϕJ), the ratio between Vc-max and electron transport rate (J), and trios phosphate utilization (TPU). Finally, as trios phosphate utilization has been shown to not play major role in the limiting A in many plants, the inclusion of At in models was evaluated using deviance information criteria (DIC). The outlier detection resulted in a narrowing in the estimated parameter distributions allowing for greater differentiation of genotypes. Results show genotypes vary in the how limitations shape assimilation. The range in Vc-max , a key parameter in Ac, was 203.2 - 223.9 umol m-2 s-1 while the range in ϕJ, a key parameter in AJ, was 0.463 - 0.497 umol m-2 s-1. The added complexity of the TPU limitation did not improve model performance in the genotypes assessed based on DIC. By identifying how varietals differ in their biophysical limitations on photosynthesis genotype selection can be informed for agricultural goals. Further work aims at applying this approach to a fifth limiting factor on photosynthesis, mesophyll conductance.

Discrete Snaking: Multiple Cavity Solitons in Saturable Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yulin, A. V.; Champneys, A. R.

2010-01-01

A one-dimensional lattice equation is studied that models the light field in an optical system comprised of a periodic array of optical cavities pumped by a coherent light source. The model includes effects of linear detuning, linear and nonlinear dissipation, and saturable nonlinearity. A wide variety of different parameter regions are studied in which there is bistability between low-power and high-power spatially homogeneous steady states. By posing the steady problem as a time-reversible four-dimensional discrete map, it is shown that temporal stability of these states is a necessary condition for the existence of spatially localized modes. Numerical path-following is used to find both so-called bright solitons (whose core is at a higher intensity than the tails) and grey solitons (with nonzero lower intensity tails), whose temporal stability is also computed. Starting from the case of focusing nonlinearity in the continuum limit and with energy conservation, the effects of dissipation and spatial discreteness are studied both separately and in combination. The presence of Maxwell points, where heteroclinic connections exist between different homogeneous states, is found to lead to snaking bifurcation diagrams where the width of the soliton grows via a process of successive increase and decrease of a parameter representing the pump strength. These structures are found to cause parameter intervals where there are infinitely many distinct stable solitons, both bright and grey. Mechanisms are revealed by which the snakes can be created and destroyed as a second parameter is varied. In particular, the bright solitons reach the boundary of the bistability region where the homogeneous state in the soliton's tail undergoes a fold, whereupon the snake splits into many separate loops. More complex mechanisms underlie the morphogenesis of the grey soliton branches, for example, due to a fold of the homogeneous state that forms the core of the snaking soliton. Further snaking diagrams are found for both defocusing and purely dissipative nonlinearities, and yet further mechanisms are unraveled by which the snakes are created or destroyed as the two parameters vary.

On the plasmonic properties of a symmetry-breaking silver nanoring structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Bozhi; Sun, Cheng

2018-07-01

This work reports on a study regarding the plasmonic properties of a symmetry-breaking silver nanoring structure, in the wavelength range of 0.6-4.5 μm. A broken silver ring with a certain angle, as well as a full ring composed of silver and other metallic/dielectric materials, are proposed. The extinction efficiencies of the nanostructure are numerically calculated with several parameters being varied, including the broken angle, the inner and outer radii, and the thickness of the broken ring, as well as the material in the composite full ring. Multiple plasmonic resonances are observed in the extinction efficiency curves, which are attributed to the quadrupolar, octupolar, and hexadecapolar resonance modes that are revealed by the electric field distributions. The results demonstrate that the high-order modes can be altered, by varying the value of the broken angle of the ring. It is also illustrated that the resonance wavelength and the full width at half maximum of certain high-order plasmonic resonance peaks can be tuned in the wavelength range studied, by adjusting the values of the geometrical parameters of the nanoring. The plasmonic characteristics of the symmetry-breaking nanoring structure revealed in this study, provide a great platform for the designs of plasmonic devices utilizing the high-order plasmonic resonances. Besides, it is also proposed a scheme to switch the device between the multi-wavelength and single-wavelength modes.

Global sensitivity analysis of a local water balance model predicting evaporation, water yield and drought

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speich, Matthias; Zappa, Massimiliano; Lischke, Heike

2017-04-01

Evaporation and transpiration affect both catchment water yield and the growing conditions for vegetation. They are driven by climate, but also depend on vegetation, soil and land surface properties. In hydrological and land surface models, these properties may be included as constant parameters, or as state variables. Often, little is known about the effect of these variables on model outputs. In the present study, the effect of surface properties on evaporation was assessed in a global sensitivity analysis. To this effect, we developed a simple local water balance model combining state-of-the-art process formulations for evaporation, transpiration and soil water balance. The model is vertically one-dimensional, and the relative simplicity of its process formulations makes it suitable for integration in a spatially distributed model at regional scale. The main model outputs are annual total evaporation (TE, i.e. the sum of transpiration, soil evaporation and interception), and a drought index (DI), which is based on the ratio of actual and potential transpiration. This index represents the growing conditions for forest trees. The sensitivity analysis was conducted in two steps. First, a screening analysis was applied to identify unimportant parameters out of an initial set of 19 parameters. In a second step, a statistical meta-model was applied to a sample of 800 model runs, in which the values of the important parameters were varied. Parameter effect and interactions were analyzed with effects plots. The model was driven with forcing data from ten meteorological stations in Switzerland, representing a wide range of precipitation regimes across a strong temperature gradient. Of the 19 original parameters, eight were identified as important in the screening analysis. Both steps highlighted the importance of Plant Available Water Capacity (AWC) and Leaf Area Index (LAI). However, their effect varies greatly across stations. For example, while a transition from a sparse to a closed forest canopy has almost no effect on annual TE at warm and dry sites, it increases TE by up to 100 mm/year at cold-humid and warm-humid sites. Further parameters of importance describe infiltration, as well as canopy resistance and its response to environmental variables. This study offers insights for future development of hydrological and ecohydrological models. First, it shows that although local water balance is primarily controlled by climate, the vegetation and soil parameters may have a large impact on the outputs. Second, it indicates that modeling studies should prioritize a realistic parameterization of LAI and AWC, while other parameters may be set to fixed values. Third, it illustrates to which extent parameter effect and interactions depend on local climate.

Variation in White Stork ( Ciconia ciconia) diet along a climatic gradient and across rural-to-urban landscapes in North Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chenchouni, Haroun

2017-03-01

Assessing diet composition of White Storks ( Ciconia ciconia) breeding under North African conditions provides key information to understanding its trophic niche for conservation purpose. Since, climate controls productivities of foraging habitats and thus food availability for predators, this study examines how Storks' diet parameters varied following a climate gradient along with rural-to-urban landscapes in north-eastern Algeria. Feeding strategies to cope with severe conditions were discussed in light of climate aridity and urbanization and how these influence reproduction, population dynamics and distribution. While invertebrate prey accounted for 94 % of ingested individuals, the biomass intake was dominated by chicken remains scavenged from rubbish dumps (67 %) and small mammals (14 %). Generalized linear models revealed that prey numbers varied significantly between climatic regions and landscapes types, but no significant differences were observed for other dietary parameters, including prey biomass. The study showed high dietary similarity between study climates and landscapes, mainly among rural and urban colonies located in semi-arid and sub-humid areas, which differed from those in suburban and arid climate. Rarefaction and extrapolation curves indicated that prey species richness in White Stork diets was expected to be higher in urban colonies located in sub-humid climate. Despite low prey species diversity in arid regions, the White Stork demonstrates a broad trophic niche, which could be due to supplementary feeding from human refuse. This study suggests that regardless of the climate or landscape, White Storks ensure a constant food intake, despite prey biomass fluctuations, by adapting their diet. Foraging in diverse habitats, including trash dumps, ensures a sufficiently balanced diet to meet nutritional requirements.

Protein expression pattern of PAWP in bull spermatozoa is associated with sperm quality and fertility following artificial insemination.

PubMed

Kennedy, Chelsey E; Krieger, Kari Beth; Sutovsky, Miriam; Xu, Wei; Vargovič, Peter; Didion, Bradley A; Ellersieck, Mark R; Hennessy, Madison E; Verstegen, John; Oko, Richard; Sutovsky, Peter

2014-05-01

Post-acrosomal WW-domain binding protein (PAWP) is a signaling molecule located in the post-acrosomal sheath (PAS) of mammalian spermatozoa. We hypothesized that the proper integration of PAWP in the sperm PAS is reflective of bull-sperm quality and fertility. Cryopreserved semen samples from 298 sires of acceptable, but varied, fertility used in artificial insemination services were analyzed using immunofluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry for PAWP protein. In normal spermatozoa, PAWP fluorescence formed a regular band around the proximal PAS. Anomalies of PAWP labeling in defective spermatozoa were reflected in flow cytometry by varied intensities of PAWP-induced fluorescence. Distinct sperm phenotypes were also identified, including morphologically normal and some defective spermatozoa with moderate levels of PAWP; grossly defective spermatozoa with low/no PAWP; and defective spermatozoa with high PAWP. Analysis by ImageStream flow cytometry confirmed the prevalence of abnormal sperm phenotypes in the spermatozoa with abnormal PAWP content. Live/dead staining and video recording showed that some abnormal spermatozoa are viable and capable of progressive motility. Conventional flow-cytometric measurements of PAWP correlated significantly with semen quality and fertility parameters that reflect the sires' artificial insemination fertility, including secondary sperm morphology, conception rate, non-return rate, and residual value. A multiplex, flow-cytometric test detecting PAWP, aggresomes (ubiquitinated protein aggregates), and acrosomal integrity (peanut-agglutinin-lectin labeling) had a predictive value for conception rate, as demonstrated by step-wise regression analysis. We conclude that PAWP correlates with semen/fertility parameters used in the cattle artificial insemination industry, making PAWP a potential biomarker of bull fertility. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Variation in White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) diet along a climatic gradient and across rural-to-urban landscapes in North Africa.

PubMed

Chenchouni, Haroun

2017-03-01

Assessing diet composition of White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) breeding under North African conditions provides key information to understanding its trophic niche for conservation purpose. Since, climate controls productivities of foraging habitats and thus food availability for predators, this study examines how Storks' diet parameters varied following a climate gradient along with rural-to-urban landscapes in north-eastern Algeria. Feeding strategies to cope with severe conditions were discussed in light of climate aridity and urbanization and how these influence reproduction, population dynamics and distribution. While invertebrate prey accounted for 94 % of ingested individuals, the biomass intake was dominated by chicken remains scavenged from rubbish dumps (67 %) and small mammals (14 %). Generalized linear models revealed that prey numbers varied significantly between climatic regions and landscapes types, but no significant differences were observed for other dietary parameters, including prey biomass. The study showed high dietary similarity between study climates and landscapes, mainly among rural and urban colonies located in semi-arid and sub-humid areas, which differed from those in suburban and arid climate. Rarefaction and extrapolation curves indicated that prey species richness in White Stork diets was expected to be higher in urban colonies located in sub-humid climate. Despite low prey species diversity in arid regions, the White Stork demonstrates a broad trophic niche, which could be due to supplementary feeding from human refuse. This study suggests that regardless of the climate or landscape, White Storks ensure a constant food intake, despite prey biomass fluctuations, by adapting their diet. Foraging in diverse habitats, including trash dumps, ensures a sufficiently balanced diet to meet nutritional requirements.

Prospective regularization design in prior-image-based reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dang, Hao; Siewerdsen, Jeffrey H.; Webster Stayman, J.

2015-12-01

Prior-image-based reconstruction (PIBR) methods leveraging patient-specific anatomical information from previous imaging studies and/or sequences have demonstrated dramatic improvements in dose utilization and image quality for low-fidelity data. However, a proper balance of information from the prior images and information from the measurements is required (e.g. through careful tuning of regularization parameters). Inappropriate selection of reconstruction parameters can lead to detrimental effects including false structures and failure to improve image quality. Traditional methods based on heuristics are subject to error and sub-optimal solutions, while exhaustive searches require a large number of computationally intensive image reconstructions. In this work, we propose a novel method that prospectively estimates the optimal amount of prior image information for accurate admission of specific anatomical changes in PIBR without performing full image reconstructions. This method leverages an analytical approximation to the implicitly defined PIBR estimator, and introduces a predictive performance metric leveraging this analytical form and knowledge of a particular presumed anatomical change whose accurate reconstruction is sought. Additionally, since model-based PIBR approaches tend to be space-variant, a spatially varying prior image strength map is proposed to optimally admit changes everywhere in the image (eliminating the need to know change locations a priori). Studies were conducted in both an ellipse phantom and a realistic thorax phantom emulating a lung nodule surveillance scenario. The proposed method demonstrated accurate estimation of the optimal prior image strength while achieving a substantial computational speedup (about a factor of 20) compared to traditional exhaustive search. Moreover, the use of the proposed prior strength map in PIBR demonstrated accurate reconstruction of anatomical changes without foreknowledge of change locations in phantoms where the optimal parameters vary spatially by an order of magnitude or more. In a series of studies designed to explore potential unknowns associated with accurate PIBR, optimal prior image strength was found to vary with attenuation differences associated with anatomical change but exhibited only small variations as a function of the shape and size of the change. The results suggest that, given a target change attenuation, prospective patient-, change-, and data-specific customization of the prior image strength can be performed to ensure reliable reconstruction of specific anatomical changes.

Using Perturbed Physics Ensembles and Machine Learning to Select Parameters for Reducing Regional Biases in a Global Climate Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, S.; Rupp, D. E.; Hawkins, L.; Mote, P.; McNeall, D. J.; Sarah, S.; Wallom, D.; Betts, R. A.

2017-12-01

This study investigates the potential to reduce known summer hot/dry biases over Pacific Northwest in the UK Met Office's atmospheric model (HadAM3P) by simultaneously varying multiple model parameters. The bias-reduction process is done through a series of steps: 1) Generation of perturbed physics ensemble (PPE) through the volunteer computing network weather@home; 2) Using machine learning to train "cheap" and fast statistical emulators of climate model, to rule out regions of parameter spaces that lead to model variants that do not satisfy observational constraints, where the observational constraints (e.g., top-of-atmosphere energy flux, magnitude of annual temperature cycle, summer/winter temperature and precipitation) are introduced sequentially; 3) Designing a new PPE by "pre-filtering" using the emulator results. Steps 1) through 3) are repeated until results are considered to be satisfactory (3 times in our case). The process includes a sensitivity analysis to find dominant parameters for various model output metrics, which reduces the number of parameters to be perturbed with each new PPE. Relative to observational uncertainty, we achieve regional improvements without introducing large biases in other parts of the globe. Our results illustrate the potential of using machine learning to train cheap and fast statistical emulators of climate model, in combination with PPEs in systematic model improvement.