Segmentation of vessel-like patterns using mathematical morphology and curvature evaluation.

PubMed

Zana, F; Klein, J C

2001-01-01

This paper presents an algorithm based on mathematical morphology and curvature evaluation for the detection of vessel-like patterns in a noisy environment. Such patterns are very common in medical images. Vessel detection is interesting for the computation of parameters related to blood flow. Its tree-like geometry makes it a usable feature for registration between images that can be of a different nature. In order to define vessel-like patterns, segmentation is performed with respect to a precise model. We define a vessel as a bright pattern, piece-wise connected, and locally linear, mathematical morphology is very well adapted to this description, however other patterns fit such a morphological description. In order to differentiate vessels from analogous background patterns, a cross-curvature evaluation is performed. They are separated out as they have a specific Gaussian-like profile whose curvature varies smoothly along the vessel. The detection algorithm that derives directly from this modeling is based on four steps: (1) noise reduction; (2) linear pattern with Gaussian-like profile improvement; (3) cross-curvature evaluation; (4) linear filtering. We present its theoretical background and illustrate it on real images of various natures, then evaluate its robustness and its accuracy with respect to noise.

Variable-Domain Displacement Transfer Functions for Converting Surface Strains into Deflections for Structural Deformed Shape Predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ko, William L.; Fleischer, Van Tran

2015-01-01

Variable-Domain Displacement Transfer Functions were formulated for shape predictions of complex wing structures, for which surface strain-sensing stations must be properly distributed to avoid jointed junctures, and must be increased in the high strain gradient region. Each embedded beam (depth-wise cross section of structure along a surface strain-sensing line) was discretized into small variable domains. Thus, the surface strain distribution can be described with a piecewise linear or a piecewise nonlinear function. Through discretization, the embedded beam curvature equation can be piece-wisely integrated to obtain the Variable-Domain Displacement Transfer Functions (for each embedded beam), which are expressed in terms of geometrical parameters of the embedded beam and the surface strains along the strain-sensing line. By inputting the surface strain data into the Displacement Transfer Functions, slopes and deflections along each embedded beam can be calculated for mapping out overall structural deformed shapes. A long tapered cantilever tubular beam was chosen for shape prediction analysis. The input surface strains were analytically generated from finite-element analysis. The shape prediction accuracies of the Variable- Domain Displacement Transfer Functions were then determined in light of the finite-element generated slopes and deflections, and were fofound to be comparable to the accuracies of the constant-domain Displacement Transfer Functions

Limited Characters Spell Austerity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harney, John O.

2018-01-01

This article discusses the various ways in which tweets, if connected wisely, can offer a compelling narrative of what is important in New England and how the "New England Journal of Higher Education" ("NEJHE") uses Twitter to disseminate interesting news or opinion pieces from elsewhere that are often juxtaposed with something…

Some Applications of Piece-Wise Smooth Dynamical Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janovská, Drahoslava; Hanus, Tomáš; Biák, Martin

2010-09-01

The Filippov systems theory is applied to selected problems from biology and chemical engineering, namely we explore and simulate Bazykin's ecological model, an ideal closed gas-liquid system including its dimensionless formulation. The last investigated system is a CSTR with an outfall and the CSTR with a reactor volume control.

Low-Dose N,N-Dimethylformamide Exposure and Liver Injuries in a Cohort of Chinese Leather Industry Workers.

PubMed

Qi, Cong; Gu, Yiyang; Sun, Qing; Gu, Hongliang; Xu, Bo; Gu, Qing; Xiao, Jing; Lian, Yulong

2017-05-01

We assessed the risk of liver injuries following low doses of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) below threshold limit values (20 mg/m) among leather industry workers and comparison groups. A cohort of 429 workers from a leather factory and 466 non-exposed subjects in China were followed for 4 years. Poisson regression and piece-wise linear regression were used to examine the relationship between DMF and liver injury. Workers exposed to a cumulative dose of DMF were significantly more likely than non-exposed workers to develop liver injury. A nonlinear relationship between DMF and liver injury was observed, and a threshold of the cumulative DMF dose for liver injury was 7.30 (mg/m) year. The findings indicate the importance of taking action to reduce DMF occupational exposure limits for promoting worker health.

Application of Markov Models for Analysis of Development of Psychological Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuravsky, Lev S.; Malykh, Sergey B.

2004-01-01

A technique to study combined influence of environmental and genetic factors on the base of changes in phenotype distributions is presented. Histograms are exploited as base analyzed characteristics. A continuous time, discrete state Markov process with piece-wise constant interstate transition rates is associated with evolution of each histogram.…

Integrated nursery pest management

Treesearch

R. Kasten Dumroese

2012-01-01

What is integrated pest management? Take a look at the definition of each word to better understand the concept. Two of the words (integrated and management) are relatively straightforward. Integrated means to blend pieces or concepts into a unified whole, and management is the wise use of techniques to successfully accomplish a desired outcome. A pest is any biotic (...

Finite element approximation of the radiative transport equation in a medium with piece-wise constant refractive index

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

Lehtikangas, O., E-mail: Ossi.Lehtikangas@uef.fi; Tarvainen, T.; Department of Computer Science, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT

2015-02-01

The radiative transport equation can be used as a light transport model in a medium with scattering particles, such as biological tissues. In the radiative transport equation, the refractive index is assumed to be constant within the medium. However, in biomedical media, changes in the refractive index can occur between different tissue types. In this work, light propagation in a medium with piece-wise constant refractive index is considered. Light propagation in each sub-domain with a constant refractive index is modeled using the radiative transport equation and the equations are coupled using boundary conditions describing Fresnel reflection and refraction phenomena onmore » the interfaces between the sub-domains. The resulting coupled system of radiative transport equations is numerically solved using a finite element method. The approach is tested with simulations. The results show that this coupled system describes light propagation accurately through comparison with the Monte Carlo method. It is also shown that neglecting the internal changes of the refractive index can lead to erroneous boundary measurements of scattered light.« less

Educational Investment, Family Context, and Children's Math and Reading Growth from Kindergarten through the Third Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheadle, Jacob E.

2008-01-01

Drawing on longitudinal data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999, this study used IRT modeling to operationalize a measure of parental educational investments based on Lareau's notion of concerted cultivation. It used multilevel piece-wise growth models regressing children's math and reading achievement…

Effects of cold and hot temperature on dehydration: a mechanism of cardiovascular burden.

PubMed

Lim, Youn-Hee; Park, Min-Seon; Kim, Yoonhee; Kim, Ho; Hong, Yun-Chul

2015-08-01

The association between temperature (cold or heat) and cardiovascular mortality has been well documented. However, few studies have investigated the underlying mechanism of the cold or heat effect. The main goal of this study was to examine the effect of temperature on dehydration markers and to explain the pathophysiological disturbances caused by changes of temperature. We investigated the relationship between outdoor temperature and dehydration markers (blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine ratio, urine specific gravity, plasma tonicity and haematocrit) in 43,549 adults from Seoul, South Korea, during 1995-2008. We used piece-wise linear regression to find the flexion point of apparent temperature and estimate the effects below or above the apparent temperature. Levels of dehydration markers decreased linearly with an increase in the apparent temperature until a point between 22 and 27 °C, which was regarded as the flexion point of apparent temperature, and then increased with apparent temperature. Because the associations between temperature and cardiovascular mortality are known to be U-shaped, our findings suggest that temperature-related changes in hydration status underlie the increased cardiovascular mortality and morbidity during high- or low-temperature conditions.

A real time Pegasus propulsion system model for VSTOL piloted simulation evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mihaloew, J. R.; Roth, S. P.; Creekmore, R.

1981-01-01

A real time propulsion system modeling technique suitable for use in man-in-the-loop simulator studies was developd. This technique provides the system accuracy, stability, and transient response required for integrated aircraft and propulsion control system studies. A Pegasus-Harrier propulsion system was selected as a baseline for developing mathematical modeling and simulation techniques for VSTOL. Initially, static and dynamic propulsion system characteristics were modeled in detail to form a nonlinear aerothermodynamic digital computer simulation of a Pegasus engine. From this high fidelity simulation, a real time propulsion model was formulated by applying a piece-wise linear state variable methodology. A hydromechanical and water injection control system was also simulated. The real time dynamic model includes the detail and flexibility required for the evaluation of critical control parameters and propulsion component limits over a limited flight envelope. The model was programmed for interfacing with a Harrier aircraft simulation. Typical propulsion system simulation results are presented.

A Model for Displacements Between Parallel Plates That Shows Change of Type from Hyperbolic to Elliptic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shariati, Maryam; Yortsos, Yannis; Talon, Laurent; Martin, Jerome; Rakotomalala, Nicole; Salin, Dominique

2003-11-01

We consider miscible displacement between parallel plates, where the viscosity is a function of the concentration. By selecting a piece-wise representation, the problem can be considered as ``three-phase'' flow. Assuming a lubrication-type approximation, the mathematical description is in terms of two quasi-linear hyperbolic equations. When the mobility of the middle phase is smaller than its neighbors, the system is genuinely hyperbolic and can be solved analytically. However, when it is larger, an elliptic region develops. This change-of-type behavior is for the first time proved here based on sound physical principles. Numerical solutions with a small diffusion are presented. Good agreement is obtained outside the elliptic region, but not inside, where the numerical results show unstable behavior. We conjecture that for the solution of the real problem in the mixed-type case, the full higher-dimensionality problem must be considered inside the elliptic region, in which the lubrication (parallel-flow) approximation is no longer appropriate. This is discussed in a companion presentation.

High-resolution in vivo Wistar rodent brain atlas based on T1 weighted image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Su; Lu, Zhongkang; Huang, Weimin; Seramani, Sankar; Ramasamy, Boominathan; Sekar, Sakthivel; Guan, Cuntai; Bhakoo, Kishore

2016-03-01

Image based atlases for rats brain have a significant impact on pre-clinical research. In this project we acquired T1-weighted images from Wistar rodent brains with fine 59μm isotropical resolution for generation of the atlas template image. By applying post-process procedures using a semi-automatic brain extraction method, we delineated the brain tissues from source data. Furthermore, we applied a symmetric group-wise normalization method to generate an optimized template of T1 image of rodent brain, then aligned our template to the Waxholm Space. In addition, we defined several simple and explicit landmarks to corresponding our template with the well known Paxinos stereotaxic reference system. Anchoring at the origin of the Waxholm Space, we applied piece-wise linear transformation method to map the voxels of the template into the coordinates system in Paxinos' stereotoxic coordinates to facilitate the labelling task. We also cross-referenced our data with both published rodent brain atlas and image atlases available online, methodologically labelling the template to produce a Wistar brain atlas identifying more than 130 structures. Particular attention was paid to the cortex and cerebellum, as these areas encompass the most researched aspects of brain functions. Moreover, we adopted the structure hierarchy and naming nomenclature common to various atlases, so that the names and hierarchy structure presented in the atlas are readily recognised for easy use. It is believed the atlas will present a useful tool in rodent brain functional and pharmaceutical studies.

Machine learning in infrared object classification - an all-sky selection of YSO candidates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marton, Gabor; Zahorecz, Sarolta; Toth, L. Viktor; Magnus McGehee, Peregrine; Kun, Maria

2015-08-01

Object classification is a fundamental and challenging problem in the era of big data. I will discuss up-to-date methods and their application to classify infrared point sources.We analysed the ALLWISE catalogue, the most recent public source catalogue of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) to compile a reliable list of Young Stellar Object (YSO) candidates. We tested and compared classical and up-to-date statistical methods as well, to discriminate source types like extragalactic objects, evolved stars, main sequence stars, objects related to the interstellar medium and YSO candidates by using their mid-IR WISE properties and associated near-IR 2MASS data.In the particular classification problem the Support Vector Machines (SVM), a class of supervised learning algorithm turned out to be the best tool. As a result we classify Class I and II YSOs with >90% accuracy while the fraction of contaminating extragalactic objects remains well below 1%, based on the number of known objects listed in the SIMBAD and VizieR databases. We compare our results to other classification schemes from the literature and show that the SVM outperforms methods that apply linear cuts on the colour-colour and colour-magnitude space. Our homogenous YSO candidate catalog can serve as an excellent pathfinder for future detailed observations of individual objects and a starting point of statistical studies that aim to add pieces to the big picture of star formation theory.

ICASE Semiannual Report, 1 April 1990 - 30 September 1990

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-11-01

underlies parallel simulation protocols that synchronize based on logical time (all known approaches). This framework describes a suf- ficient set of...conducted primarily by visiting scientists from universities and from industry, who have resident appointments for limited periods of time , and by consultants...wave equation with point sources and semireflecting impedance boundary conditions. For sources that are piece- wise polynomial in time we get a finite

Development of Oral Reading Fluency in Children with Speech or Language Impairments: A Growth Curve Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puranik, Cynthia S.; Petscher, Yaacov; Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Catts, Hugh W.; Lonigan, Christopher J.

2008-01-01

This longitudinal study used piece-wise growth curve analyses to examine growth patterns in oral reading fluency for 1,991 students with speech impairments (SI) or language impairments (LI) from first through third grade. The main finding of this study was that a diagnosis of SI or LI can have a detrimental and persistent effect on early reading…

Robust Nonlinear Causality Analysis of Nonstationary Multivariate Physiological Time Series.

PubMed

Schack, Tim; Muma, Michael; Feng, Mengling; Guan, Cuntai; Zoubir, Abdelhak M

2018-06-01

An important research area in biomedical signal processing is that of quantifying the relationship between simultaneously observed time series and to reveal interactions between the signals. Since biomedical signals are potentially nonstationary and the measurements may contain outliers and artifacts, we introduce a robust time-varying generalized partial directed coherence (rTV-gPDC) function. The proposed method, which is based on a robust estimator of the time-varying autoregressive (TVAR) parameters, is capable of revealing directed interactions between signals. By definition, the rTV-gPDC only displays the linear relationships between the signals. We therefore suggest to approximate the residuals of the TVAR process, which potentially carry information about the nonlinear causality by a piece-wise linear time-varying moving-average model. The performance of the proposed method is assessed via extensive simulations. To illustrate the method's applicability to real-world problems, it is applied to a neurophysiological study that involves intracranial pressure, arterial blood pressure, and brain tissue oxygenation level (PtiO2) measurements. The rTV-gPDC reveals causal patterns that are in accordance with expected cardiosudoral meachanisms and potentially provides new insights regarding traumatic brain injuries. The rTV-gPDC is not restricted to the above problem but can be useful in revealing interactions in a broad range of applications.

On a perturbed Sparre Andersen risk model with multi-layer dividend strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Hu; Zhang, Zhimin

2009-10-01

In this paper, we consider a perturbed Sparre Andersen risk model, in which the inter-claim times are generalized Erlang(n) distributed. Under the multi-layer dividend strategy, piece-wise integro-differential equations for the discounted penalty functions are derived, and a recursive approach is applied to express the solutions. A numerical example to calculate the ruin probabilities is given to illustrate the solution procedure.

Isogeometric Analysis of Boundary Integral Equations

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-21

methods, IgA relies on Non-Uniform Rational B- splines (NURBS) [43, 46], T- splines [55, 53] or subdivision surfaces [21, 48, 51] rather than piece- wise...structural dynamics [25, 26], plates and shells [15, 16, 27, 28, 37, 22, 23], phase-field models [17, 32, 33], and shape optimization [40, 41, 45, 59...polynomials for approximating the geometry and field variables. Thus, by replacing piecewise polynomials with NURBS or T- splines , one can develop

Assessing the impact of non-tidal atmospheric loading on a Kalman filter-based terrestrial reference frame

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbondanza, Claudio; Altamimi, Zuheir; Chin, Toshio; Collilieux, Xavier; Dach, Rolf; Gross, Richard; Heflin, Michael; König, Rolf; Lemoine, Frank; Macmillan, Dan; Parker, Jay; van Dam, Tonie; Wu, Xiaoping

2014-05-01

The International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) adopts a piece-wise linear model to parameterize regularized station positions and velocities. The space-geodetic (SG) solutions from VLBI, SLR, GPS and DORIS used as input in the ITRF combination process account for tidal loading deformations, but ignore the non-tidal part. As a result, the non-linear signal observed in the time series of SG-derived station positions in part reflects non-tidal loading displacements not introduced in the SG data reduction. In this analysis, we assess the impact of non-tidal atmospheric loading (NTAL) corrections on the TRF computation. Focusing on the a-posteriori approach, (i) the NTAL model derived from the National Centre for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) surface pressure is removed from the SINEX files of the SG solutions used as inputs to the TRF determinations; (ii) adopting a Kalman-filter based approach, two distinct linear TRFs are estimated combining the 4 SG solutions with (corrected TRF solution) and without the NTAL displacements (standard TRF solution). Linear fits (offset and atmospheric velocity) of the NTAL displacements removed during step (i) are estimated accounting for the station position discontinuities introduced in the SG solutions and adopting different weighting strategies. The NTAL-derived (atmospheric) velocity fields are compared to those obtained from the TRF reductions during step (ii). The consistency between the atmospheric and the TRF-derived velocity fields is examined. We show how the presence of station position discontinuities in SG solutions degrades the agreement between the velocity fields and compare the effect of different weighting structure adopted while estimating the linear fits to the NTAL displacements. Finally, we evaluate the effect of restoring the atmospheric velocities determined through the linear fits of the NTAL displacements to the single-technique linear reference frames obtained by stacking the standard SG SINEX files. Differences between the velocity fields obtained restoring the NTAL displacements and the standard stacked linear reference frames are discussed.

A Local Fast Marching-Based Diffusion Tensor Image Registration Algorithm by Simultaneously Considering Spatial Deformation and Tensor Orientation

PubMed Central

Xue, Zhong; Li, Hai; Guo, Lei; Wong, Stephen T.C.

2010-01-01

It is a key step to spatially align diffusion tensor images (DTI) to quantitatively compare neural images obtained from different subjects or the same subject at different timepoints. Different from traditional scalar or multi-channel image registration methods, tensor orientation should be considered in DTI registration. Recently, several DTI registration methods have been proposed in the literature, but deformation fields are purely dependent on the tensor features not the whole tensor information. Other methods, such as the piece-wise affine transformation and the diffeomorphic non-linear registration algorithms, use analytical gradients of the registration objective functions by simultaneously considering the reorientation and deformation of tensors during the registration. However, only relatively local tensor information such as voxel-wise tensor-similarity, is utilized. This paper proposes a new DTI image registration algorithm, called local fast marching (FM)-based simultaneous registration. The algorithm not only considers the orientation of tensors during registration but also utilizes the neighborhood tensor information of each voxel to drive the deformation, and such neighborhood tensor information is extracted from a local fast marching algorithm around the voxels of interest. These local fast marching-based tensor features efficiently reflect the diffusion patterns around each voxel within a spherical neighborhood and can capture relatively distinctive features of the anatomical structures. Using simulated and real DTI human brain data the experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is more accurate compared with the FA-based registration and is more efficient than its counterpart, the neighborhood tensor similarity-based registration. PMID:20382233

Advanced Control Considerations for Turbofan Engine Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connolly, Joseph W.; Csank, Jeffrey T.; Chicatelli, Amy

2016-01-01

This paper covers the application of a model-based engine control (MBEC) methodology featuring a self tuning on-board model for an aircraft turbofan engine simulation. The nonlinear engine model is capable of modeling realistic engine performance, allowing for a verification of the advanced control methodology over a wide range of operating points and life cycle conditions. The on-board model is a piece-wise linear model derived from the nonlinear engine model and updated using an optimal tuner Kalman Filter estimation routine, which enables the on-board model to self-tune to account for engine performance variations. MBEC is used here to show how advanced control architectures can improve efficiency during the design phase of a turbofan engine by reducing conservative operability margins. The operability margins that can be reduced, such as stall margin, can expand the engine design space and offer potential for efficiency improvements. Application of MBEC architecture to a nonlinear engine simulation is shown to reduce the thrust specific fuel consumption by approximately 1% over the baseline design, while maintaining safe operation of the engine across the flight envelope.

Random center vortex lines in continuous 3D space-time

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

Höllwieser, Roman; Institute of Atomic and Subatomic Physics, Vienna University of Technology, Operngasse 9, 1040 Vienna; Altarawneh, Derar

2016-01-22

We present a model of center vortices, represented by closed random lines in continuous 2+1-dimensional space-time. These random lines are modeled as being piece-wise linear and an ensemble is generated by Monte Carlo methods. The physical space in which the vortex lines are defined is a cuboid with periodic boundary conditions. Besides moving, growing and shrinking of the vortex configuration, also reconnections are allowed. Our ensemble therefore contains not a fixed, but a variable number of closed vortex lines. This is expected to be important for realizing the deconfining phase transition. Using the model, we study both vortex percolation andmore » the potential V(R) between quark and anti-quark as a function of distance R at different vortex densities, vortex segment lengths, reconnection conditions and at different temperatures. We have found three deconfinement phase transitions, as a function of density, as a function of vortex segment length, and as a function of temperature. The model reproduces the qualitative features of confinement physics seen in SU(2) Yang-Mills theory.« less

Chaos-Based Simultaneous Compression and Encryption for Hadoop.

PubMed

Usama, Muhammad; Zakaria, Nordin

2017-01-01

Data compression and encryption are key components of commonly deployed platforms such as Hadoop. Numerous data compression and encryption tools are presently available on such platforms and the tools are characteristically applied in sequence, i.e., compression followed by encryption or encryption followed by compression. This paper focuses on the open-source Hadoop framework and proposes a data storage method that efficiently couples data compression with encryption. A simultaneous compression and encryption scheme is introduced that addresses an important implementation issue of source coding based on Tent Map and Piece-wise Linear Chaotic Map (PWLM), which is the infinite precision of real numbers that result from their long products. The approach proposed here solves the implementation issue by removing fractional components that are generated by the long products of real numbers. Moreover, it incorporates a stealth key that performs a cyclic shift in PWLM without compromising compression capabilities. In addition, the proposed approach implements a masking pseudorandom keystream that enhances encryption quality. The proposed algorithm demonstrated a congruent fit within the Hadoop framework, providing robust encryption security and compression.

Model-Based Control of a Nonlinear Aircraft Engine Simulation using an Optimal Tuner Kalman Filter Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connolly, Joseph W.; Csank, Jeffrey Thomas; Chicatelli, Amy; Kilver, Jacob

2013-01-01

This paper covers the development of a model-based engine control (MBEC) methodology featuring a self tuning on-board model applied to an aircraft turbofan engine simulation. Here, the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation 40,000 (CMAPSS40k) serves as the MBEC application engine. CMAPSS40k is capable of modeling realistic engine performance, allowing for a verification of the MBEC over a wide range of operating points. The on-board model is a piece-wise linear model derived from CMAPSS40k and updated using an optimal tuner Kalman Filter (OTKF) estimation routine, which enables the on-board model to self-tune to account for engine performance variations. The focus here is on developing a methodology for MBEC with direct control of estimated parameters of interest such as thrust and stall margins. Investigations using the MBEC to provide a stall margin limit for the controller protection logic are presented that could provide benefits over a simple acceleration schedule that is currently used in traditional engine control architectures.

An analytical particle mover for the charge- and energy-conserving, nonlinearly implicit, electrostatic particle-in-cell algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, G.; Chacón, L.

2013-08-01

We propose a 1D analytical particle mover for the recent charge- and energy-conserving electrostatic particle-in-cell (PIC) algorithm in Ref. [G. Chen, L. Chacón, D.C. Barnes, An energy- and charge-conserving, implicit, electrostatic particle-in-cell algorithm, Journal of Computational Physics 230 (2011) 7018-7036]. The approach computes particle orbits exactly for a given piece-wise linear electric field. The resulting PIC algorithm maintains the exact charge and energy conservation properties of the original algorithm, but with improved performance (both in efficiency and robustness against the number of particles and timestep). We demonstrate the advantageous properties of the scheme with a challenging multiscale numerical test case, the ion acoustic wave. Using the analytical mover as a reference, we demonstrate that the choice of error estimator in the Crank-Nicolson mover has significant impact on the overall performance of the implicit PIC algorithm. The generalization of the approach to the multi-dimensional case is outlined, based on a novel and simple charge conserving interpolation scheme.

A Risk Management Method for the Operation of a Supply-Chain without Storage:

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Yasuhiro; Manabe, Yuuji; Nakata, Norimasa; Kusaka, Satoshi

A business risk management method has been developed for a supply-chain without a storage function under demand uncertainty. Power supply players in the deregulated power market face the need to develop the best policies for power supply from self-production and reserved purchases to balance demand, which is predictable with error. The proposed method maximizes profit from the operation of the supply-chain under probabilistic demand uncertainty on the basis of a probabilistic programming approach. Piece-wise linear functions are employed to formulate the impact of under-booked or over-booked purchases on the supply cost, and constraints on over-demand probability are introduced to limit over-demand frequency on the basis of the demand probability distribution. The developed method has been experimentally applied to the supply policy of a power-supply-chain, the operation of which is based on a 3-stage pricing purchase contract and on 28 time zones. The characteristics of the obtained optimal supply policy are successfully captured in the numerical results, which suggest the applicability of the proposed method.

Feasible Path Generation Using Bezier Curves for Car-Like Vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latip, Nor Badariyah Abdul; Omar, Rosli

2017-08-01

When planning a collision-free path for an autonomous vehicle, the main criteria that have to be considered are the shortest distance, lower computation time and completeness, i.e. a path can be found if one exists. Besides that, a feasible path for the autonomous vehicle is also crucial to guarantee that the vehicle can reach the target destination considering its kinematic constraints such as non-holonomic and minimum turning radius. In order to address these constraints, Bezier curves is applied. In this paper, Bezier curves are modeled and simulated using Matlab software and the feasibility of the resulting path is analyzed. Bezier curve is derived from a piece-wise linear pre-planned path. It is found that the Bezier curves has the capability of making the planned path feasible and could be embedded in a path planning algorithm for an autonomous vehicle with kinematic constraints. It is concluded that the length of segments of the pre-planned path have to be greater than a nominal value, derived from the vehicle wheelbase, maximum steering angle and maximum speed to ensure the path for the autonomous car is feasible.

Adaptive control of nonlinear uncertain active suspension systems with prescribed performance.

PubMed

Huang, Yingbo; Na, Jing; Wu, Xing; Liu, Xiaoqin; Guo, Yu

2015-01-01

This paper proposes adaptive control designs for vehicle active suspension systems with unknown nonlinear dynamics (e.g., nonlinear spring and piece-wise linear damper dynamics). An adaptive control is first proposed to stabilize the vertical vehicle displacement and thus to improve the ride comfort and to guarantee other suspension requirements (e.g., road holding and suspension space limitation) concerning the vehicle safety and mechanical constraints. An augmented neural network is developed to online compensate for the unknown nonlinearities, and a novel adaptive law is developed to estimate both NN weights and uncertain model parameters (e.g., sprung mass), where the parameter estimation error is used as a leakage term superimposed on the classical adaptations. To further improve the control performance and simplify the parameter tuning, a prescribed performance function (PPF) characterizing the error convergence rate, maximum overshoot and steady-state error is used to propose another adaptive control. The stability for the closed-loop system is proved and particular performance requirements are analyzed. Simulations are included to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control schemes. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chaos-Based Simultaneous Compression and Encryption for Hadoop

PubMed Central

Zakaria, Nordin

2017-01-01

Data compression and encryption are key components of commonly deployed platforms such as Hadoop. Numerous data compression and encryption tools are presently available on such platforms and the tools are characteristically applied in sequence, i.e., compression followed by encryption or encryption followed by compression. This paper focuses on the open-source Hadoop framework and proposes a data storage method that efficiently couples data compression with encryption. A simultaneous compression and encryption scheme is introduced that addresses an important implementation issue of source coding based on Tent Map and Piece-wise Linear Chaotic Map (PWLM), which is the infinite precision of real numbers that result from their long products. The approach proposed here solves the implementation issue by removing fractional components that are generated by the long products of real numbers. Moreover, it incorporates a stealth key that performs a cyclic shift in PWLM without compromising compression capabilities. In addition, the proposed approach implements a masking pseudorandom keystream that enhances encryption quality. The proposed algorithm demonstrated a congruent fit within the Hadoop framework, providing robust encryption security and compression. PMID:28072850

Multivariate detrending of fMRI signal drifts for real-time multiclass pattern classification.

PubMed

Lee, Dongha; Jang, Changwon; Park, Hae-Jeong

2015-03-01

Signal drift in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an unavoidable artifact that limits classification performance in multi-voxel pattern analysis of fMRI. As conventional methods to reduce signal drift, global demeaning or proportional scaling disregards regional variations of drift, whereas voxel-wise univariate detrending is too sensitive to noisy fluctuations. To overcome these drawbacks, we propose a multivariate real-time detrending method for multiclass classification that involves spatial demeaning at each scan and the recursive detrending of drifts in the classifier outputs driven by a multiclass linear support vector machine. Experiments using binary and multiclass data showed that the linear trend estimation of the classifier output drift for each class (a weighted sum of drifts in the class-specific voxels) was more robust against voxel-wise artifacts that lead to inconsistent spatial patterns and the effect of online processing than voxel-wise detrending. The classification performance of the proposed method was significantly better, especially for multiclass data, than that of voxel-wise linear detrending, global demeaning, and classifier output detrending without demeaning. We concluded that the multivariate approach using classifier output detrending of fMRI signals with spatial demeaning preserves spatial patterns, is less sensitive than conventional methods to sample size, and increases classification performance, which is a useful feature for real-time fMRI classification. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The three-dimensional evolution of a plane mixing layer. Part 2: Pairing and transition to turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moser, Robert D.; Rogers, Michael M.

1992-01-01

The evolution of three-dimensional temporally evolving plane mixing layers through as many as three pairings was simulated numerically. Initial conditions for all simulations consisted of a few low-wavenumber disturbances, usually derived from linear stability theory, in addition to the mean velocity. Three-dimensional perturbations were used with amplitudes ranging from infinitesimal to large enough to trigger a rapid transition to turbulence. Pairing is found both to inhibit the growth of infinitesimal three-dimensional disturbances and to trigger the transition to turbulence in highly three dimensional flows. The mechanisms responsible for the growth of three-dimensionality as well as the initial phases of the transition to turbulence are described. The transition to turbulence is accompanied by the formation of thin sheets of span wise vorticity, which undergo a secondary roll up. Transition also produces an increase in the degree of scalar mixing, in agreement with experimental observations of mixing transition. Simulations were also conducted to investigate changes in span wise length scale that may occur in response to the change in stream wise length scale during a pairing. The linear mechanism for this process was found to be very slow, requiring roughly three pairings to complete a doubling of the span wise scale. Stronger three-dimensionality can produce more rapid scale changes but is also likely to trigger transition to turbulence. No evidence was found for a change from an organized array of rib vortices at one span wise scale to a similar array at a larger span wise scale.

Magnetic tweezers with high permeability electromagnets for fast actuation of magnetic beads.

PubMed

Chen, La; Offenhäusser, Andreas; Krause, Hans-Joachim

2015-04-01

As a powerful and versatile scientific instrument, magnetic tweezers have been widely used in biophysical research areas, such as mechanical cell properties and single molecule manipulation. If one wants to steer bead position, the nonlinearity of magnetic properties and the strong position dependence of the magnetic field in most magnetic tweezers lead to quite a challenge in their control. In this article, we report multi-pole electromagnetic tweezers with high permeability cores yielding high force output, good maneuverability, and flexible design. For modeling, we adopted a piece-wise linear dependence of magnetization on field to characterize the magnetic beads. We implemented a bi-linear interpolation of magnetic field in the work space, based on a lookup table obtained from finite element simulation. The electronics and software were custom-made to achieve high performance. In addition, the effects of dimension and defect on structure of magnetic tips also were inspected. In a workspace with size of 0.1 × 0.1 mm(2), a force of up to 400 pN can be applied on a 2.8 μm superparamagnetic bead in any direction within the plane. Because the magnetic particle is always pulled towards a tip, the pulling forces from the pole tips have to be well balanced in order to achieve control of the particle's position. Active video tracking based feedback control is implemented, which is able to work at a speed of up to 1 kHz, yielding good maneuverability of the magnetic beads.

Magnetic tweezers with high permeability electromagnets for fast actuation of magnetic beads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, La; Offenhäusser, Andreas; Krause, Hans-Joachim

2015-04-01

As a powerful and versatile scientific instrument, magnetic tweezers have been widely used in biophysical research areas, such as mechanical cell properties and single molecule manipulation. If one wants to steer bead position, the nonlinearity of magnetic properties and the strong position dependence of the magnetic field in most magnetic tweezers lead to quite a challenge in their control. In this article, we report multi-pole electromagnetic tweezers with high permeability cores yielding high force output, good maneuverability, and flexible design. For modeling, we adopted a piece-wise linear dependence of magnetization on field to characterize the magnetic beads. We implemented a bi-linear interpolation of magnetic field in the work space, based on a lookup table obtained from finite element simulation. The electronics and software were custom-made to achieve high performance. In addition, the effects of dimension and defect on structure of magnetic tips also were inspected. In a workspace with size of 0.1 × 0.1 mm2, a force of up to 400 pN can be applied on a 2.8 μm superparamagnetic bead in any direction within the plane. Because the magnetic particle is always pulled towards a tip, the pulling forces from the pole tips have to be well balanced in order to achieve control of the particle's position. Active video tracking based feedback control is implemented, which is able to work at a speed of up to 1 kHz, yielding good maneuverability of the magnetic beads.

Terrain classification in navigation of an autonomous mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodds, David R.

1991-03-01

In this paper we describe a method of path planning that integrates terrain classification (by means of fractals) the certainty grid method of spatial representation Kehtarnavaz Griswold collision-zones Dubois Prade fuzzy temporal and spatial knowledge and non-point sized qualitative navigational planning. An initially planned (" end-to-end" ) path is piece-wise modified to accommodate known and inferred moving obstacles and includes attention to time-varying multiple subgoals which may influence a section of path at a time after the robot has begun traversing that planned path.

Fixed Pattern Noise pixel-wise linear correction for crime scene imaging CMOS sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jie; Messinger, David W.; Dube, Roger R.; Ientilucci, Emmett J.

2017-05-01

Filtered multispectral imaging technique might be a potential method for crime scene documentation and evidence detection due to its abundant spectral information as well as non-contact and non-destructive nature. Low-cost and portable multispectral crime scene imaging device would be highly useful and efficient. The second generation crime scene imaging system uses CMOS imaging sensor to capture spatial scene and bandpass Interference Filters (IFs) to capture spectral information. Unfortunately CMOS sensors suffer from severe spatial non-uniformity compared to CCD sensors and the major cause is Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN). IFs suffer from "blue shift" effect and introduce spatial-spectral correlated errors. Therefore, Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN) correction is critical to enhance crime scene image quality and is also helpful for spatial-spectral noise de-correlation. In this paper, a pixel-wise linear radiance to Digital Count (DC) conversion model is constructed for crime scene imaging CMOS sensor. Pixel-wise conversion gain Gi,j and Dark Signal Non-Uniformity (DSNU) Zi,j are calculated. Also, conversion gain is divided into four components: FPN row component, FPN column component, defects component and effective photo response signal component. Conversion gain is then corrected to average FPN column and row components and defects component so that the sensor conversion gain is uniform. Based on corrected conversion gain and estimated image incident radiance from the reverse of pixel-wise linear radiance to DC model, corrected image spatial uniformity can be enhanced to 7 times as raw image, and the bigger the image DC value within its dynamic range, the better the enhancement.

On the pth moment estimates of solutions to stochastic functional differential equations in the G-framework.

PubMed

Faizullah, Faiz

2016-01-01

The aim of the current paper is to present the path-wise and moment estimates for solutions to stochastic functional differential equations with non-linear growth condition in the framework of G-expectation and G-Brownian motion. Under the nonlinear growth condition, the pth moment estimates for solutions to SFDEs driven by G-Brownian motion are proved. The properties of G-expectations, Hölder's inequality, Bihari's inequality, Gronwall's inequality and Burkholder-Davis-Gundy inequalities are used to develop the above mentioned theory. In addition, the path-wise asymptotic estimates and continuity of pth moment for the solutions to SFDEs in the G-framework, with non-linear growth condition are shown.

On the mechanism of energy transduction in myosin subfragment 1.

PubMed Central

Botts, J; Takashi, R; Torgerson, P; Hozumi, T; Muhlrad, A; Mornet, D; Morales, M F

1984-01-01

It is proposed that the myosin subfragment 1 moiety of the muscle contractile apparatus is a self-contained "engine" whose operational plan is based on the interactive nature of ATP (or degradation intermediate) binding and actin binding, made possible by an intersite communication system. It is suggested that the spatial information required for examining this engine can, at least provisionally, be derived from fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements interpreted by the Förster equation and that the existence of an intersite communication system can be deduced from piece-wise detection of interacting pairs of points. PMID:6585786

Estimation of Phase in Fringe Projection Technique Using High-order Instantaneous Moments Based Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorthi, Sai Siva; Rajshekhar, G.; Rastogi, Pramod

2010-04-01

For three-dimensional (3D) shape measurement using fringe projection techniques, the information about the 3D shape of an object is encoded in the phase of a recorded fringe pattern. The paper proposes a high-order instantaneous moments based method to estimate phase from a single fringe pattern in fringe projection. The proposed method works by approximating the phase as a piece-wise polynomial and subsequently determining the polynomial coefficients using high-order instantaneous moments to construct the polynomial phase. Simulation results are presented to show the method's potential.

Orbital Wall Reconstruction with Two-Piece Puzzle 3D Printed Implants: Technical Note

PubMed Central

Mommaerts, Maurice Y.; Büttner, Michael; Vercruysse, Herman; Wauters, Lauri; Beerens, Maikel

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe a technique for secondary reconstruction of traumatic orbital wall defects using titanium implants that act as three-dimensional (3D) puzzle pieces. We present three cases of large defect reconstruction using implants produced by Xilloc Medical B.V. (Maastricht, the Netherlands) with a 3D printer manufactured by LayerWise (3D Systems; Heverlee, Belgium), and designed using the biomedical engineering software programs ProPlan and 3-Matic (Materialise, Heverlee, Belgium). The smaller size of the implants allowed sequential implantation for the reconstruction of extensive two-wall defects via a limited transconjunctival incision. The precise fit of the implants with regard to the surrounding ledges and each other was confirmed by intraoperative 3D imaging (Mobile C-arm Systems B.V. Pulsera, Philips Medical Systems, Eindhoven, the Netherlands). The patients showed near-complete restoration of orbital volume and ocular motility. However, challenges remain, including traumatic fat atrophy and fibrosis. PMID:26889349

Vastly accelerated linear least-squares fitting with numerical optimization for dual-input delay-compensated quantitative liver perfusion mapping.

PubMed

Jafari, Ramin; Chhabra, Shalini; Prince, Martin R; Wang, Yi; Spincemaille, Pascal

2018-04-01

To propose an efficient algorithm to perform dual input compartment modeling for generating perfusion maps in the liver. We implemented whole field-of-view linear least squares (LLS) to fit a delay-compensated dual-input single-compartment model to very high temporal resolution (four frames per second) contrast-enhanced 3D liver data, to calculate kinetic parameter maps. Using simulated data and experimental data in healthy subjects and patients, whole-field LLS was compared with the conventional voxel-wise nonlinear least-squares (NLLS) approach in terms of accuracy, performance, and computation time. Simulations showed good agreement between LLS and NLLS for a range of kinetic parameters. The whole-field LLS method allowed generating liver perfusion maps approximately 160-fold faster than voxel-wise NLLS, while obtaining similar perfusion parameters. Delay-compensated dual-input liver perfusion analysis using whole-field LLS allows generating perfusion maps with a considerable speedup compared with conventional voxel-wise NLLS fitting. Magn Reson Med 79:2415-2421, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Equivalent model construction for a non-linear dynamic system based on an element-wise stiffness evaluation procedure and reduced analysis of the equivalent system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Euiyoung; Cho, Maenghyo

2017-11-01

In most non-linear analyses, the construction of a system matrix uses a large amount of computation time, comparable to the computation time required by the solving process. If the process for computing non-linear internal force matrices is substituted with an effective equivalent model that enables the bypass of numerical integrations and assembly processes used in matrix construction, efficiency can be greatly enhanced. A stiffness evaluation procedure (STEP) establishes non-linear internal force models using polynomial formulations of displacements. To efficiently identify an equivalent model, the method has evolved such that it is based on a reduced-order system. The reduction process, however, makes the equivalent model difficult to parameterize, which significantly affects the efficiency of the optimization process. In this paper, therefore, a new STEP, E-STEP, is proposed. Based on the element-wise nature of the finite element model, the stiffness evaluation is carried out element-by-element in the full domain. Since the unit of computation for the stiffness evaluation is restricted by element size, and since the computation is independent, the equivalent model can be constructed efficiently in parallel, even in the full domain. Due to the element-wise nature of the construction procedure, the equivalent E-STEP model is easily characterized by design parameters. Various reduced-order modeling techniques can be applied to the equivalent system in a manner similar to how they are applied in the original system. The reduced-order model based on E-STEP is successfully demonstrated for the dynamic analyses of non-linear structural finite element systems under varying design parameters.

Projection-Based Reduced Order Modeling for Spacecraft Thermal Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Qian, Jing; Wang, Yi; Song, Hongjun; Pant, Kapil; Peabody, Hume; Ku, Jentung; Butler, Charles D.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a mathematically rigorous, subspace projection-based reduced order modeling (ROM) methodology and an integrated framework to automatically generate reduced order models for spacecraft thermal analysis. Two key steps in the reduced order modeling procedure are described: (1) the acquisition of a full-scale spacecraft model in the ordinary differential equation (ODE) and differential algebraic equation (DAE) form to resolve its dynamic thermal behavior; and (2) the ROM to markedly reduce the dimension of the full-scale model. Specifically, proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) in conjunction with discrete empirical interpolation method (DEIM) and trajectory piece-wise linear (TPWL) methods are developed to address the strong nonlinear thermal effects due to coupled conductive and radiative heat transfer in the spacecraft environment. Case studies using NASA-relevant satellite models are undertaken to verify the capability and to assess the computational performance of the ROM technique in terms of speed-up and error relative to the full-scale model. ROM exhibits excellent agreement in spatiotemporal thermal profiles (<0.5% relative error in pertinent time scales) along with salient computational acceleration (up to two orders of magnitude speed-up) over the full-scale analysis. These findings establish the feasibility of ROM to perform rational and computationally affordable thermal analysis, develop reliable thermal control strategies for spacecraft, and greatly reduce the development cycle times and costs.

Selection of optimal oligonucleotide probes for microarrays usingmultiple criteria, global alignment and parameter estimation.

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

Li, Xingyuan; He, Zhili; Zhou, Jizhong

2005-10-30

The oligonucleotide specificity for microarray hybridizationcan be predicted by its sequence identity to non-targets, continuousstretch to non-targets, and/or binding free energy to non-targets. Mostcurrently available programs only use one or two of these criteria, whichmay choose 'false' specific oligonucleotides or miss 'true' optimalprobes in a considerable proportion. We have developed a software tool,called CommOligo using new algorithms and all three criteria forselection of optimal oligonucleotide probes. A series of filters,including sequence identity, free energy, continuous stretch, GC content,self-annealing, distance to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) andmelting temperature (Tm), are used to check each possibleoligonucleotide. A sequence identity is calculated based onmore » gapped globalalignments. A traversal algorithm is used to generate alignments for freeenergy calculation. The optimal Tm interval is determined based on probecandidates that have passed all other filters. Final probes are pickedusing a combination of user-configurable piece-wise linear functions andan iterative process. The thresholds for identity, stretch and freeenergy filters are automatically determined from experimental data by anaccessory software tool, CommOligo_PE (CommOligo Parameter Estimator).The program was used to design probes for both whole-genome and highlyhomologous sequence data. CommOligo and CommOligo_PE are freely availableto academic users upon request.« less

Studies in Astronomical Time Series Analysis. VI. Bayesian Block Representations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scargle, Jeffrey D.; Norris, Jay P.; Jackson, Brad; Chiang, James

2013-01-01

This paper addresses the problem of detecting and characterizing local variability in time series and other forms of sequential data. The goal is to identify and characterize statistically significant variations, at the same time suppressing the inevitable corrupting observational errors. We present a simple nonparametric modeling technique and an algorithm implementing it-an improved and generalized version of Bayesian Blocks [Scargle 1998]-that finds the optimal segmentation of the data in the observation interval. The structure of the algorithm allows it to be used in either a real-time trigger mode, or a retrospective mode. Maximum likelihood or marginal posterior functions to measure model fitness are presented for events, binned counts, and measurements at arbitrary times with known error distributions. Problems addressed include those connected with data gaps, variable exposure, extension to piece- wise linear and piecewise exponential representations, multivariate time series data, analysis of variance, data on the circle, other data modes, and dispersed data. Simulations provide evidence that the detection efficiency for weak signals is close to a theoretical asymptotic limit derived by [Arias-Castro, Donoho and Huo 2003]. In the spirit of Reproducible Research [Donoho et al. (2008)] all of the code and data necessary to reproduce all of the figures in this paper are included as auxiliary material.

BeiDou Geostationary Satellite Code Bias Modeling Using Fengyun-3C Onboard Measurements.

PubMed

Jiang, Kecai; Li, Min; Zhao, Qile; Li, Wenwen; Guo, Xiang

2017-10-27

This study validated and investigated elevation- and frequency-dependent systematic biases observed in ground-based code measurements of the Chinese BeiDou navigation satellite system, using the onboard BeiDou code measurement data from the Chinese meteorological satellite Fengyun-3C. Particularly for geostationary earth orbit satellites, sky-view coverage can be achieved over the entire elevation and azimuth angle ranges with the available onboard tracking data, which is more favorable to modeling code biases. Apart from the BeiDou-satellite-induced biases, the onboard BeiDou code multipath effects also indicate pronounced near-field systematic biases that depend only on signal frequency and the line-of-sight directions. To correct these biases, we developed a proposed code correction model by estimating the BeiDou-satellite-induced biases as linear piece-wise functions in different satellite groups and the near-field systematic biases in a grid approach. To validate the code bias model, we carried out orbit determination using single-frequency BeiDou data with and without code bias corrections applied. Orbit precision statistics indicate that those code biases can seriously degrade single-frequency orbit determination. After the correction model was applied, the orbit position errors, 3D root mean square, were reduced from 150.6 to 56.3 cm.

BeiDou Geostationary Satellite Code Bias Modeling Using Fengyun-3C Onboard Measurements

PubMed Central

Jiang, Kecai; Li, Min; Zhao, Qile; Li, Wenwen; Guo, Xiang

2017-01-01

This study validated and investigated elevation- and frequency-dependent systematic biases observed in ground-based code measurements of the Chinese BeiDou navigation satellite system, using the onboard BeiDou code measurement data from the Chinese meteorological satellite Fengyun-3C. Particularly for geostationary earth orbit satellites, sky-view coverage can be achieved over the entire elevation and azimuth angle ranges with the available onboard tracking data, which is more favorable to modeling code biases. Apart from the BeiDou-satellite-induced biases, the onboard BeiDou code multipath effects also indicate pronounced near-field systematic biases that depend only on signal frequency and the line-of-sight directions. To correct these biases, we developed a proposed code correction model by estimating the BeiDou-satellite-induced biases as linear piece-wise functions in different satellite groups and the near-field systematic biases in a grid approach. To validate the code bias model, we carried out orbit determination using single-frequency BeiDou data with and without code bias corrections applied. Orbit precision statistics indicate that those code biases can seriously degrade single-frequency orbit determination. After the correction model was applied, the orbit position errors, 3D root mean square, were reduced from 150.6 to 56.3 cm. PMID:29076998

An exploratory analysis of Indiana and Illinois biotic ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA recognizes the importance of nutrient criteria in protecting designated uses from eutrophication effects associated with elevated phosphorus and nitrogen in streams and has worked with states over the past 12 years to assist them in developing nutrient criteria. Towards that end, EPA has provided states and tribes with technical guidance to assess nutrient impacts and to develop criteria. EPA published recommendations in 2000 on scientifically defensible empirical approaches for setting numeric criteria. EPA also published eco-regional criteria recommendations in 2000-2001 based on a frequency distribution approach meant to approximate reference condition concentrations. In 2010, EPA elaborated on one of these empirical approaches (i.e., stressor-response relationships) for developing nutrient criteria. The purpose of this report was to conduct exploratory analyses of state datasets from Illinois and Indiana to determine threshold values for nutrients and chlorophyll a that could guide Indiana and Illinois criteria development. Box and whisker plots were used to compare nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations between Illinois and Indiana. Stressor response analyses, using piece-wise linear regression and change-point analysis (Illinois only) were conducted to determine thresholds of change in relationships between nutrients and biotic assemblages. Impact stmt: The purpose of this report was to conduct exploratory analyses of state datasets from Illinois

Magnetic properties of Mn3-xFexSn compounds with tuneable Curie temperature by Fe content for thermomagnetic motors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felez, Marissol R.; Coelho, Adelino A.; Gama, Sergio

2017-12-01

Mn3-xFexSn system (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 3.00 with Δx = 0.25) alloys present the Curie temperature (TC) or transition temperature (TT) tuneable by the Fe content. A piece-wise linear profile for TC,T as a function of x is observed in a two wide temperature ranges, between 155 K up to 759 K and 259 K up to 155 K. Their equations are TC,T = (59 ± 15) + (240 ± 7)·x and TC,T = (257 ± 1) - (206 ± 4)·x, respectively. The alloys are low cost and easy manufacturing, rare earth free, with second order magnetic transition (SOMT), and have good magnetic properties. These features suggest an immediate application of the material in cascade thermomagnetic motors that operate with a large temperature range between hot and cold sources. Furthermore, SOMT Mn-Fe-Sn system materials are also reported with advantages that could make alloys of the Mn3-xFexSn system, (0.88 ≤ x ≤ 1.20), promising candidate for magnetic refrigeration. The typical ferromagnetic behaviour is achieved only by samples with x ≥ 1. The samples with x between 0.00 and 0.75 do not show the saturation magnetization even using fields up to 13 T.

Trajectories of age-related cognitive decline and potential associated factors of cognitive function in senior citizens of Beijing.

PubMed

Li, He; Lv, Chenlong; Zhang, Ting; Chen, Kewei; Chen, Chuansheng; Gai, Guozhong; Hu, Liangping; Wang, Yongyan; Zhang, Zhanjun

2014-01-01

With a longer life expectancy and an increased prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, investigations on trajectories of cognitive aging have become exciting and promising. This study aimed to estimate the patterns of age-related cognitive decline and the potential associated factors of cognitive function in community-dwelling residents of Beijing, China. In this study, 1248 older adults aged 52-88 years [including 175 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects] completed a battery of neuropsychological scales. The personal information, including demographic information, medical history, eating habits, lifestyle regularity and leisure activities, was also collected. All cognitive function exhibited an agerelated decline in normal volunteers. Piece-wise linear fitting results suggested that performance on the Auditory Verbal Learning Test remained stable until 58 years of age and continued to decline thereafter. The decline in processing speed and executive function began during the early 50's. Scores on visual-spatial and language tests declined after 66 years of age. The decline stage of the general mental status ranged from 63 to 70 years of age. However, the MCI group did not exhibit an obvious age-related decline in most cognitive tests. Multivariate linear regression analyses indicated that education, gender, leisure activities, diabetes and eating habits were associated with cognitive abilities. These results indicated various trajectories of age-related decline across multiple cognitive domains. We also found different patterns of agerelated cognitive decline between MCI and normal elderly. These findings could help improve the guidance of cognitive intervention program and have implications for public policy issues.

Magnetic tweezers with high permeability electromagnets for fast actuation of magnetic beads

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

Chen, La; Offenhäusser, Andreas; Krause, Hans-Joachim

2015-04-15

As a powerful and versatile scientific instrument, magnetic tweezers have been widely used in biophysical research areas, such as mechanical cell properties and single molecule manipulation. If one wants to steer bead position, the nonlinearity of magnetic properties and the strong position dependence of the magnetic field in most magnetic tweezers lead to quite a challenge in their control. In this article, we report multi-pole electromagnetic tweezers with high permeability cores yielding high force output, good maneuverability, and flexible design. For modeling, we adopted a piece-wise linear dependence of magnetization on field to characterize the magnetic beads. We implemented amore » bi-linear interpolation of magnetic field in the work space, based on a lookup table obtained from finite element simulation. The electronics and software were custom-made to achieve high performance. In addition, the effects of dimension and defect on structure of magnetic tips also were inspected. In a workspace with size of 0.1 × 0.1 mm{sup 2}, a force of up to 400 pN can be applied on a 2.8 μm superparamagnetic bead in any direction within the plane. Because the magnetic particle is always pulled towards a tip, the pulling forces from the pole tips have to be well balanced in order to achieve control of the particle’s position. Active video tracking based feedback control is implemented, which is able to work at a speed of up to 1 kHz, yielding good maneuverability of the magnetic beads.« less

A method to characterize average cervical spine ligament response based on raw data sets for implementation into injury biomechanics models.

PubMed

Mattucci, Stephen F E; Cronin, Duane S

2015-01-01

Experimental testing on cervical spine ligaments provides important data for advanced numerical modeling and injury prediction; however, accurate characterization of individual ligament response and determination of average mechanical properties for specific ligaments has not been adequately addressed in the literature. Existing methods are limited by a number of arbitrary choices made during the curve fits that often misrepresent the characteristic shape response of the ligaments, which is important for incorporation into numerical models to produce a biofidelic response. A method was developed to represent the mechanical properties of individual ligaments using a piece-wise curve fit with first derivative continuity between adjacent regions. The method was applied to published data for cervical spine ligaments and preserved the shape response (toe, linear, and traumatic regions) up to failure, for strain rates of 0.5s(-1), 20s(-1), and 150-250s(-1), to determine the average force-displacement curves. Individual ligament coefficients of determination were 0.989 to 1.000 demonstrating excellent fit. This study produced a novel method in which a set of experimental ligament material property data exhibiting scatter was fit using a characteristic curve approach with a toe, linear, and traumatic region, as often observed in ligaments and tendons, and could be applied to other biological material data with a similar characteristic shape. The resultant average cervical spine ligament curves provide an accurate representation of the raw test data and the expected material property effects corresponding to varying deformation rates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controlled loading of cryoprotectants (CPAs) to oocyte with linear and complex CPA profiles on a microfluidic platform.

PubMed

Heo, Yun Seok; Lee, Ho-Joon; Hassell, Bryan A; Irimia, Daniel; Toth, Thomas L; Elmoazzen, Heidi; Toner, Mehmet

2011-10-21

Oocyte cryopreservation has become an essential tool in the treatment of infertility by preserving oocytes for women undergoing chemotherapy. However, despite recent advances, pregnancy rates from all cryopreserved oocytes remain low. The inevitable use of the cryoprotectants (CPAs) during preservation affects the viability of the preserved oocytes and pregnancy rates either through CPA toxicity or osmotic injury. Current protocols attempt to reduce CPA toxicity by minimizing CPA concentrations, or by minimizing the volume changes via the step-wise addition of CPAs to the cells. Although the step-wise addition decreases osmotic shock to oocytes, it unfortunately increases toxic injuries due to the long exposure times to CPAs. To address limitations of current protocols and to rationally design protocols that minimize the exposure to CPAs, we developed a microfluidic device for the quantitative measurements of oocyte volume during various CPA loading protocols. We spatially secured a single oocyte on the microfluidic device, created precisely controlled continuous CPA profiles (step-wise, linear and complex) for the addition of CPAs to the oocyte and measured the oocyte volumetric response to each profile. With both linear and complex profiles, we were able to load 1.5 M propanediol to oocytes in less than 15 min and with a volumetric change of less than 10%. Thus, we believe this single oocyte analysis technology will eventually help future advances in assisted reproductive technologies and fertility preservation.

Adaptive data-driven models for estimating carbon fluxes in the Northern Great Plains

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wylie, B.K.; Fosnight, E.A.; Gilmanov, T.G.; Frank, A.B.; Morgan, J.A.; Haferkamp, Marshall R.; Meyers, T.P.

2007-01-01

Rangeland carbon fluxes are highly variable in both space and time. Given the expansive areas of rangelands, how rangelands respond to climatic variation, management, and soil potential is important to understanding carbon dynamics. Rangeland carbon fluxes associated with Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) were measured from multiple year data sets at five flux tower locations in the Northern Great Plains. These flux tower measurements were combined with 1-km2 spatial data sets of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), temperature, precipitation, seasonal NDVI metrics, and soil characteristics. Flux tower measurements were used to train and select variables for a rule-based piece-wise regression model. The accuracy and stability of the model were assessed through random cross-validation and cross-validation by site and year. Estimates of NEE were produced for each 10-day period during each growing season from 1998 to 2001. Growing season carbon flux estimates were combined with winter flux estimates to derive and map annual estimates of NEE. The rule-based piece-wise regression model is a dynamic, adaptive model that captures the relationships of the spatial data to NEE as conditions evolve throughout the growing season. The carbon dynamics in the Northern Great Plains proved to be in near equilibrium, serving as a small carbon sink in 1999 and as a small carbon source in 1998, 2000, and 2001. Patterns of carbon sinks and sources are very complex, with the carbon dynamics tilting toward sources in the drier west and toward sinks in the east and near the mountains in the extreme west. Significant local variability exists, which initial investigations suggest are likely related to local climate variability, soil properties, and management.

Improved estimation of parametric images of cerebral glucose metabolic rate from dynamic FDG-PET using volume-wise principle component analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Xiaoqian; Tian, Jie; Chen, Zhe

2010-03-01

Parametric images can represent both spatial distribution and quantification of the biological and physiological parameters of tracer kinetics. The linear least square (LLS) method is a well-estimated linear regression method for generating parametric images by fitting compartment models with good computational efficiency. However, bias exists in LLS-based parameter estimates, owing to the noise present in tissue time activity curves (TTACs) that propagates as correlated error in the LLS linearized equations. To address this problem, a volume-wise principal component analysis (PCA) based method is proposed. In this method, firstly dynamic PET data are properly pre-transformed to standardize noise variance as PCA is a data driven technique and can not itself separate signals from noise. Secondly, the volume-wise PCA is applied on PET data. The signals can be mostly represented by the first few principle components (PC) and the noise is left in the subsequent PCs. Then the noise-reduced data are obtained using the first few PCs by applying 'inverse PCA'. It should also be transformed back according to the pre-transformation method used in the first step to maintain the scale of the original data set. Finally, the obtained new data set is used to generate parametric images using the linear least squares (LLS) estimation method. Compared with other noise-removal method, the proposed method can achieve high statistical reliability in the generated parametric images. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated both with computer simulation and with clinical dynamic FDG PET study.

Autonomous replication and addition of telomerelike sequences to DNA microinjected into Paramecium tetraurelia macronuclei.

PubMed Central

Gilley, D; Preer, J R; Aufderheide, K J; Polisky, B

1988-01-01

Paramecium tetraurelia can be transformed by microinjection of cloned serotype A gene sequences into the macronucleus. Transformants are detected by their ability to express serotype A surface antigen from the injected templates. After injection, the DNA is converted from a supercoiled form to a linear form by cleavage at nonrandom sites. The linear form appears to replicate autonomously as a unit-length molecule and is present in transformants at high copy number. The injected DNA is further processed by the addition of paramecium-type telomeric sequences to the termini of the linear DNA. To examine the fate of injected linear DNA molecules, plasmid pSA14SB DNA containing the A gene was cleaved into two linear pieces, a 14-kilobase (kb) piece containing the A gene and flanking sequences and a 2.2-kb piece consisting of the procaryotic vector. In transformants expressing the A gene, we observed that two linear DNA species were present which correspond to the two species injected. Both species had Paramecium telomerelike sequences added to their termini. For the 2.2-kb DNA, we show that the site of addition of the telomerelike sequences is directly at one terminus and within one nucleotide of the other terminus. These results indicate that injected procaryotic DNA is capable of autonomous replication in Paramecium macronuclei and that telomeric addition in the macronucleus does not require specific recognition sequences. Images PMID:3211128

Formed photovoltaic module busbars

DOEpatents

Rose, Douglas; Daroczi, Shan; Phu, Thomas

2015-11-10

A cell connection piece for a photovoltaic module is disclosed herein. The cell connection piece includes an interconnect bus, a plurality of bus tabs unitarily formed with the interconnect bus, and a terminal bus coupled with the interconnect bus. The plurality of bus tabs extend from the interconnect bus. The terminal bus includes a non-linear portion.

On spectral synthesis on element-wise compact Abelian groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Platonov, S. S.

2015-08-01

Let G be an arbitrary locally compact Abelian group and let C(G) be the space of all continuous complex-valued functions on G. A closed linear subspace \\mathscr H\\subseteq C(G) is referred to as an invariant subspace if it is invariant with respect to the shifts τ_y\\colon f(x)\\mapsto f(xy), y\\in G. By definition, an invariant subspace \\mathscr H\\subseteq C(G) admits strict spectral synthesis if \\mathscr H coincides with the closure in C(G) of the linear span of all characters of G belonging to \\mathscr H. We say that strict spectral synthesis holds in the space C(G) on G if every invariant subspace \\mathscr H\\subseteq C(G) admits strict spectral synthesis. An element x of a topological group G is said to be compact if x is contained in some compact subgroup of G. A group G is said to be element-wise compact if all elements of G are compact. The main result of the paper is the proof of the fact that strict spectral synthesis holds in C(G) for a locally compact Abelian group G if and only if G is element-wise compact. Bibliography: 14 titles.

A method for digital image registration using a mathematical programming technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yao, S. S.

1973-01-01

A new algorithm based on a nonlinear programming technique to correct the geometrical distortions of one digital image with respect to another is discussed. This algorithm promises to be superior to existing ones in that it is capable of treating localized differential scaling, translational and rotational errors over the whole image plane. A series of piece-wise 'rubber-sheet' approximations are used, constrained in such a manner that a smooth approximation over the entire image can be obtained. The theoretical derivation is included. The result of using the algorithm to register four channel S065 Apollo IX digitized photography over Imperial Valley, California, is discussed in detail.

Kernel abortion in maize : I. Carbohydrate concentration patterns and Acid invertase activity of maize kernels induced to abort in vitro.

PubMed

Hanft, J M; Jones, R J

1986-06-01

Kernels cultured in vitro were induced to abort by high temperature (35 degrees C) and by culturing six kernels/cob piece. Aborting kernels failed to enter a linear phase of dry mass accumulation and had a final mass that was less than 6% of nonaborting field-grown kernels. Kernels induced to abort by high temperature failed to synthesize starch in the endosperm and had elevated sucrose concentrations and low fructose and glucose concentrations in the pedicel during early growth compared to nonaborting kernels. Kernels induced to abort by high temperature also had much lower pedicel soluble acid invertase activities than did nonaborting kernels. These results suggest that high temperature during the lag phase of kernel growth may impair the process of sucrose unloading in the pedicel by indirectly inhibiting soluble acid invertase activity and prevent starch synthesis in the endosperm. Kernels induced to abort by culturing six kernels/cob piece had reduced pedicel fructose, glucose, and sucrose concentrations compared to kernels from field-grown ears. These aborting kernels also had a lower pedicel soluble acid invertase activity compared to nonaborting kernels from the same cob piece and from field-grown ears. The low invertase activity in pedicel tissue of the aborting kernels was probably caused by a lack of substrate (sucrose) for the invertase to cleave due to the intense competition for available assimilates. In contrast to kernels cultured at 35 degrees C, aborting kernels from cob pieces containing all six kernels accumulated starch in a linear fashion. These results indicate that kernels cultured six/cob piece abort because of an inadequate supply of sugar and are similar to apical kernels from field-grown ears that often abort prior to the onset of linear growth.

Kernel Abortion in Maize 1

PubMed Central

Hanft, Jonathan M.; Jones, Robert J.

1986-01-01

Kernels cultured in vitro were induced to abort by high temperature (35°C) and by culturing six kernels/cob piece. Aborting kernels failed to enter a linear phase of dry mass accumulation and had a final mass that was less than 6% of nonaborting field-grown kernels. Kernels induced to abort by high temperature failed to synthesize starch in the endosperm and had elevated sucrose concentrations and low fructose and glucose concentrations in the pedicel during early growth compared to nonaborting kernels. Kernels induced to abort by high temperature also had much lower pedicel soluble acid invertase activities than did nonaborting kernels. These results suggest that high temperature during the lag phase of kernel growth may impair the process of sucrose unloading in the pedicel by indirectly inhibiting soluble acid invertase activity and prevent starch synthesis in the endosperm. Kernels induced to abort by culturing six kernels/cob piece had reduced pedicel fructose, glucose, and sucrose concentrations compared to kernels from field-grown ears. These aborting kernels also had a lower pedicel soluble acid invertase activity compared to nonaborting kernels from the same cob piece and from field-grown ears. The low invertase activity in pedicel tissue of the aborting kernels was probably caused by a lack of substrate (sucrose) for the invertase to cleave due to the intense competition for available assimilates. In contrast to kernels cultured at 35°C, aborting kernels from cob pieces containing all six kernels accumulated starch in a linear fashion. These results indicate that kernels cultured six/cob piece abort because of an inadequate supply of sugar and are similar to apical kernels from field-grown ears that often abort prior to the onset of linear growth. PMID:16664846

DNA fragment sizing and sorting by laser-induced fluorescence

DOEpatents

Hammond, Mark L.; Jett, James H.; Keller, Richard A.; Marrone, Babetta L.; Martin, John C.

1996-01-01

A method is provided for sizing DNA fragments using high speed detection systems, such as flow cytometry to determine unique characteristics of DNA pieces from a sample. In one characterization the DNA piece is fragmented at preselected sites to produce a plurality of DNA fragments. The DNA piece or the resulting DNA fragments are treated with a dye effective to stain stoichiometrically the DNA piece or the DNA fragments. The fluorescence from the dye in the stained fragments is then examined to generate an output functionally related to the number of nucleotides in each one of the DNA fragments. In one embodiment, the intensity of the fluorescence emissions from each fragment is linearly related to the fragment length. The distribution of DNA fragment sizes forms a characterization of the DNA piece for use in forensic and research applications.

A Simple Piece of Apparatus to Aid the Understanding of the Relationship between Angular Velocity and Linear Velocity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unsal, Yasin

2011-01-01

One of the subjects that is confusing and difficult for students to fully comprehend is the concept of angular velocity and linear velocity. It is the relationship between linear and angular velocity that students find difficult; most students understand linear motion in isolation. In this article, we detail the design, construction and…

Supplier Selection Using Weighted Utility Additive Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karande, Prasad; Chakraborty, Shankar

2015-10-01

Supplier selection is a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem which mainly involves evaluating a number of available suppliers according to a set of common criteria for choosing the best one to meet the organizational needs. For any manufacturing or service organization, selecting the right upstream suppliers is a key success factor that will significantly reduce purchasing cost, increase downstream customer satisfaction and improve competitive ability. The past researchers have attempted to solve the supplier selection problem employing different MCDM techniques which involve active participation of the decision makers in the decision-making process. This paper deals with the application of weighted utility additive (WUTA) method for solving supplier selection problems. The WUTA method, an extension of utility additive approach, is based on ordinal regression and consists of building a piece-wise linear additive decision model from a preference structure using linear programming (LP). It adopts preference disaggregation principle and addresses the decision-making activities through operational models which need implicit preferences in the form of a preorder of reference alternatives or a subset of these alternatives present in the process. The preferential preorder provided by the decision maker is used as a restriction of a LP problem, which has its own objective function, minimization of the sum of the errors associated with the ranking of each alternative. Based on a given reference ranking of alternatives, one or more additive utility functions are derived. Using these utility functions, the weighted utilities for individual criterion values are combined into an overall weighted utility for a given alternative. It is observed that WUTA method, having a sound mathematical background, can provide accurate ranking to the candidate suppliers and choose the best one to fulfill the organizational requirements. Two real time examples are illustrated to prove its applicability and appropriateness in solving supplier selection problems.

Solar shutter arrangement

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

Fulkerson, P.L.

1988-02-02

In a structure having a roof with a skylight including a glass panel which transmits solar energy, a shutter arrangement supported on the roof is described comprising an insulative flat one-piece solid shutter in the form of a panel selectively and linearly slidable on tracks which conceal the side edges thereof from a position blocking transmittal of solar energy through the glass panel of the skylight into an area within the structure to a position permitting transmittal of solar energy through the glass panel of the skylight into the area within the structure. The skylight presents a space between themore » glass panel and the selectively and linearly slidable insulative flat one-piece solid shutter, where the latter serves as the selective inner wall of the space contiguous with the area within the structure and the glass panel serves as the fixed outer wall of the space, where temperature responsive means is disposed within the space and in direct engagement with the inner surface of the glass panel, where the temperature responsive means is a black thermocouple operating a motor in a driving relationship with the insulative flat one-piece solid shutter. The insulative flat one-piece solid shutter is supported by a cable secured to a rotatable shaft controlled by the motor, where bi-directional movement of the rotatable shaft achieves raising and lowering of the insulative flat one-piece solid shutter to each of the solar energy blocking and transmittal positions, and where the insulative flat one-piece solid shutter includes a reflective surface facing the skylight and a decorative surface facing the area within the structure.« less

Sparse representation and Bayesian detection of genome copy number alterations from microarray data.

PubMed

Pique-Regi, Roger; Monso-Varona, Jordi; Ortega, Antonio; Seeger, Robert C; Triche, Timothy J; Asgharzadeh, Shahab

2008-02-01

Genomic instability in cancer leads to abnormal genome copy number alterations (CNA) that are associated with the development and behavior of tumors. Advances in microarray technology have allowed for greater resolution in detection of DNA copy number changes (amplifications or deletions) across the genome. However, the increase in number of measured signals and accompanying noise from the array probes present a challenge in accurate and fast identification of breakpoints that define CNA. This article proposes a novel detection technique that exploits the use of piece wise constant (PWC) vectors to represent genome copy number and sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) to detect CNA breakpoints. First, a compact linear algebra representation for the genome copy number is developed from normalized probe intensities. Second, SBL is applied and optimized to infer locations where copy number changes occur. Third, a backward elimination (BE) procedure is used to rank the inferred breakpoints; and a cut-off point can be efficiently adjusted in this procedure to control for the false discovery rate (FDR). The performance of our algorithm is evaluated using simulated and real genome datasets and compared to other existing techniques. Our approach achieves the highest accuracy and lowest FDR while improving computational speed by several orders of magnitude. The proposed algorithm has been developed into a free standing software application (GADA, Genome Alteration Detection Algorithm). http://biron.usc.edu/~piquereg/GADA

Nonlinear solar cycle forecasting: theory and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baranovski, A. L.; Clette, F.; Nollau, V.

2008-02-01

In this paper we develop a modern approach to solar cycle forecasting, based on the mathematical theory of nonlinear dynamics. We start from the design of a static curve fitting model for the experimental yearly sunspot number series, over a time scale of 306 years, starting from year 1700 and we establish a least-squares optimal pulse shape of a solar cycle. The cycle-to-cycle evolution of the parameters of the cycle shape displays different patterns, such as a Gleissberg cycle and a strong anomaly in the cycle evolution during the Dalton minimum. In a second step, we extract a chaotic mapping for the successive values of one of the key model parameters - the rate of the exponential growth-decrease of the solar activity during the n-th cycle. We examine piece-wise linear techniques for the approximation of the derived mapping and we provide its probabilistic analysis: calculation of the invariant distribution and autocorrelation function. We find analytical relationships for the sunspot maxima and minima, as well as their occurrence times, as functions of chaotic values of the above parameter. Based on a Lyapunov spectrum analysis of the embedded mapping, we finally establish a horizon of predictability for the method, which allows us to give the most probable forecasting of the upcoming solar cycle 24, with an expected peak height of 93±21 occurring in 2011/2012.

Improved quantification of important beer quality parameters based on nonlinear calibration methods applied to FT-MIR spectra.

PubMed

Cernuda, Carlos; Lughofer, Edwin; Klein, Helmut; Forster, Clemens; Pawliczek, Marcin; Brandstetter, Markus

2017-01-01

During the production process of beer, it is of utmost importance to guarantee a high consistency of the beer quality. For instance, the bitterness is an essential quality parameter which has to be controlled within the specifications at the beginning of the production process in the unfermented beer (wort) as well as in final products such as beer and beer mix beverages. Nowadays, analytical techniques for quality control in beer production are mainly based on manual supervision, i.e., samples are taken from the process and analyzed in the laboratory. This typically requires significant lab technicians efforts for only a small fraction of samples to be analyzed, which leads to significant costs for beer breweries and companies. Fourier transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy was used in combination with nonlinear multivariate calibration techniques to overcome (i) the time consuming off-line analyses in beer production and (ii) already known limitations of standard linear chemometric methods, like partial least squares (PLS), for important quality parameters Speers et al. (J I Brewing. 2003;109(3):229-235), Zhang et al. (J I Brewing. 2012;118(4):361-367) such as bitterness, citric acid, total acids, free amino nitrogen, final attenuation, or foam stability. The calibration models are established with enhanced nonlinear techniques based (i) on a new piece-wise linear version of PLS by employing fuzzy rules for local partitioning the latent variable space and (ii) on extensions of support vector regression variants (-PLSSVR and ν-PLSSVR), for overcoming high computation times in high-dimensional problems and time-intensive and inappropriate settings of the kernel parameters. Furthermore, we introduce a new model selection scheme based on bagged ensembles in order to improve robustness and thus predictive quality of the final models. The approaches are tested on real-world calibration data sets for wort and beer mix beverages, and successfully compared to linear methods, showing a clear out-performance in most cases and being able to meet the model quality requirements defined by the experts at the beer company. Figure Workflow for calibration of non-Linear model ensembles from FT-MIR spectra in beer production .

Log-normal frailty models fitted as Poisson generalized linear mixed models.

PubMed

Hirsch, Katharina; Wienke, Andreas; Kuss, Oliver

2016-12-01

The equivalence of a survival model with a piecewise constant baseline hazard function and a Poisson regression model has been known since decades. As shown in recent studies, this equivalence carries over to clustered survival data: A frailty model with a log-normal frailty term can be interpreted and estimated as a generalized linear mixed model with a binary response, a Poisson likelihood, and a specific offset. Proceeding this way, statistical theory and software for generalized linear mixed models are readily available for fitting frailty models. This gain in flexibility comes at the small price of (1) having to fix the number of pieces for the baseline hazard in advance and (2) having to "explode" the data set by the number of pieces. In this paper we extend the simulations of former studies by using a more realistic baseline hazard (Gompertz) and by comparing the model under consideration with competing models. Furthermore, the SAS macro %PCFrailty is introduced to apply the Poisson generalized linear mixed approach to frailty models. The simulations show good results for the shared frailty model. Our new %PCFrailty macro provides proper estimates, especially in case of 4 events per piece. The suggested Poisson generalized linear mixed approach for log-normal frailty models based on the %PCFrailty macro provides several advantages in the analysis of clustered survival data with respect to more flexible modelling of fixed and random effects, exact (in the sense of non-approximate) maximum likelihood estimation, and standard errors and different types of confidence intervals for all variance parameters. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Individuality in harpsichord performance: disentangling performer- and piece-specific influences on interpretive choices

PubMed Central

Gingras, Bruno; Asselin, Pierre-Yves; McAdams, Stephen

2013-01-01

Although a growing body of research has examined issues related to individuality in music performance, few studies have attempted to quantify markers of individuality that transcend pieces and musical styles. This study aims to identify such meta-markers by discriminating between influences linked to specific pieces or interpretive goals and performer-specific playing styles, using two complementary statistical approaches: linear mixed models (LMMs) to estimate fixed (piece and interpretation) and random (performer) effects, and similarity analyses to compare expressive profiles on a note-by-note basis across pieces and expressive parameters. Twelve professional harpsichordists recorded three pieces representative of the Baroque harpsichord repertoire, including three interpretations of one of these pieces, each emphasizing a different melodic line, on an instrument equipped with a MIDI console. Four expressive parameters were analyzed: articulation, note onset asynchrony, timing, and velocity. LMMs showed that piece-specific influences were much larger for articulation than for other parameters, for which performer-specific effects were predominant, and that piece-specific influences were generally larger than effects associated with interpretive goals. Some performers consistently deviated from the mean values for articulation and velocity across pieces and interpretations, suggesting that global measures of expressivity may in some cases constitute valid markers of artistic individuality. Similarity analyses detected significant associations among the magnitudes of the correlations between the expressive profiles of different performers. These associations were found both when comparing across parameters and within the same piece or interpretation, or on the same parameter and across pieces or interpretations. These findings suggest the existence of expressive meta-strategies that can manifest themselves across pieces, interpretive goals, or expressive devices. PMID:24348446

VoxelStats: A MATLAB Package for Multi-Modal Voxel-Wise Brain Image Analysis.

PubMed

Mathotaarachchi, Sulantha; Wang, Seqian; Shin, Monica; Pascoal, Tharick A; Benedet, Andrea L; Kang, Min Su; Beaudry, Thomas; Fonov, Vladimir S; Gauthier, Serge; Labbe, Aurélie; Rosa-Neto, Pedro

2016-01-01

In healthy individuals, behavioral outcomes are highly associated with the variability on brain regional structure or neurochemical phenotypes. Similarly, in the context of neurodegenerative conditions, neuroimaging reveals that cognitive decline is linked to the magnitude of atrophy, neurochemical declines, or concentrations of abnormal protein aggregates across brain regions. However, modeling the effects of multiple regional abnormalities as determinants of cognitive decline at the voxel level remains largely unexplored by multimodal imaging research, given the high computational cost of estimating regression models for every single voxel from various imaging modalities. VoxelStats is a voxel-wise computational framework to overcome these computational limitations and to perform statistical operations on multiple scalar variables and imaging modalities at the voxel level. VoxelStats package has been developed in Matlab(®) and supports imaging formats such as Nifti-1, ANALYZE, and MINC v2. Prebuilt functions in VoxelStats enable the user to perform voxel-wise general and generalized linear models and mixed effect models with multiple volumetric covariates. Importantly, VoxelStats can recognize scalar values or image volumes as response variables and can accommodate volumetric statistical covariates as well as their interaction effects with other variables. Furthermore, this package includes built-in functionality to perform voxel-wise receiver operating characteristic analysis and paired and unpaired group contrast analysis. Validation of VoxelStats was conducted by comparing the linear regression functionality with existing toolboxes such as glim_image and RMINC. The validation results were identical to existing methods and the additional functionality was demonstrated by generating feature case assessments (t-statistics, odds ratio, and true positive rate maps). In summary, VoxelStats expands the current methods for multimodal imaging analysis by allowing the estimation of advanced regional association metrics at the voxel level.

Raman exfoliative cytology for oral precancer diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahu, Aditi; Gera, Poonam; Pai, Venkatesh; Dubey, Abhishek; Tyagi, Gunjan; Waghmare, Mandavi; Pagare, Sandeep; Mahimkar, Manoj; Murali Krishna, C.

2017-11-01

Oral premalignant lesions (OPLs) such as leukoplakia, erythroplakia, and oral submucous fibrosis, often precede oral cancer. Screening and management of these premalignant conditions can improve prognosis. Raman spectroscopy has previously demonstrated potential in the diagnosis of oral premalignant conditions (in vivo), detected viral infection, and identified cancer in both oral and cervical exfoliated cells (ex vivo). The potential of Raman exfoliative cytology (REC) in identifying premalignant conditions was investigated. Oral exfoliated samples were collected from healthy volunteers (n=20), healthy volunteers with tobacco habits (n=20), and oral premalignant conditions (n=27, OPL) using Cytobrush. Spectra were acquired using Raman microprobe. Spectral acquisition parameters were: λex: 785 nm, laser power: 40 mW, acquisition time: 15 s, and average: 3. Postspectral acquisition, cell pellet was subjected to Pap staining. Multivariate analysis was carried out using principal component analysis and principal component-linear discriminant analysis using both spectra- and patient-wise approaches in three- and two-group models. OPLs could be identified with ˜77% (spectra-wise) and ˜70% (patient-wise) sensitivity in the three-group model while with 86% (spectra-wise) and 83% (patient-wise) in the two-group model. Use of histopathologically confirmed premalignant cases and better sampling devices may help in development of improved standard models and also enhance the sensitivity of the method. Future longitudinal studies can help validate potential of REC in screening and monitoring high-risk populations and prognosis prediction of premalignant lesions.

Investigation to realize a computationally efficient implementation of the high-order instantaneous-moments-based fringe analysis method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorthi, Sai Siva; Rajshekhar, Gannavarpu; Rastogi, Pramod

2010-06-01

Recently, a high-order instantaneous moments (HIM)-operator-based method was proposed for accurate phase estimation in digital holographic interferometry. The method relies on piece-wise polynomial approximation of phase and subsequent evaluation of the polynomial coefficients from the HIM operator using single-tone frequency estimation. The work presents a comparative analysis of the performance of different single-tone frequency estimation techniques, like Fourier transform followed by optimization, estimation of signal parameters by rotational invariance technique (ESPRIT), multiple signal classification (MUSIC), and iterative frequency estimation by interpolation on Fourier coefficients (IFEIF) in HIM-operator-based methods for phase estimation. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the potential of the IFEIF technique with respect to computational efficiency and estimation accuracy.

Efficiency-wage competition and nonlinear dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerrazzi, Marco; Sodini, Mauro

2018-05-01

In this paper we develop a nonlinear version of the efficiency-wage competition model pioneered by Hahn (1987) [27]. Under the assumption that the strategic relationship among optimal wage bids put forward by competing firms is non-monotonic, we show that market wage offers can actually display persistent fluctuations described by a piece-wise non-invertible map. Thereafter, assuming that employers are never constrained in the labour market, we give evidence that in the parameter region of chaotic dynamics, the model is able to reproduce the business cycle regularity according to which in the short-run average wages fluctuate less than aggregate employment. In addition, we show that the efficiency-wage competition among firms leads to some inefficiencies in the wage setting process.

An Algorithm for Finding Candidate Synaptic Sites in Computer Generated Networks of Neurons with Realistic Morphologies

PubMed Central

van Pelt, Jaap; Carnell, Andrew; de Ridder, Sander; Mansvelder, Huibert D.; van Ooyen, Arjen

2010-01-01

Neurons make synaptic connections at locations where axons and dendrites are sufficiently close in space. Typically the required proximity is based on the dimensions of dendritic spines and axonal boutons. Based on this principle one can search those locations in networks formed by reconstructed neurons or computer generated neurons. Candidate synapses are then located where axons and dendrites are within a given criterion distance from each other. Both experimentally reconstructed and model generated neurons are usually represented morphologically by piecewise-linear structures (line pieces or cylinders). Proximity tests are then performed on all pairs of line pieces from both axonal and dendritic branches. Applying just a test on the distance between line pieces may result in local clusters of synaptic sites when more than one pair of nearby line pieces from axonal and dendritic branches is sufficient close, and may introduce a dependency on the length scale of the individual line pieces. The present paper describes a new algorithm for defining locations of candidate synapses which is based on the crossing requirement of a line piece pair, while the length of the orthogonal distance between the line pieces is subjected to the distance criterion for testing 3D proximity. PMID:21160548

Affordable and personalized lighting using inverse modeling and virtual sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basu, Chandrayee; Chen, Benjamin; Richards, Jacob; Dhinakaran, Aparna; Agogino, Alice; Martin, Rodney

2014-03-01

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) have great potential to enable personalized intelligent lighting systems while reducing building energy use by 50%-70%. As a result WSN systems are being increasingly integrated in state-ofart intelligent lighting systems. In the future these systems will enable participation of lighting loads as ancillary services. However, such systems can be expensive to install and lack the plug-and-play quality necessary for user-friendly commissioning. In this paper we present an integrated system of wireless sensor platforms and modeling software to enable affordable and user-friendly intelligent lighting. It requires ⇠ 60% fewer sensor deployments compared to current commercial systems. Reduction in sensor deployments has been achieved by optimally replacing the actual photo-sensors with real-time discrete predictive inverse models. Spatially sparse and clustered sub-hourly photo-sensor data captured by the WSN platforms are used to develop and validate a piece-wise linear regression of indoor light distribution. This deterministic data-driven model accounts for sky conditions and solar position. The optimal placement of photo-sensors is performed iteratively to achieve the best predictability of the light field desired for indoor lighting control. Using two weeks of daylight and artificial light training data acquired at the Sustainability Base at NASA Ames, the model was able to predict the light level at seven monitored workstations with 80%-95% accuracy. We estimate that 10% adoption of this intelligent wireless sensor system in commercial buildings could save 0.2-0.25 quads BTU of energy nationwide.

Naval Research Logistics Quarterly. Volume 28. Number 3,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-09-01

denotes component-wise maximum. f has antone (isotone) differences on C x D if for cl < c2 and d, < d2, NAVAL RESEARCH LOGISTICS QUARTERLY VOL. 28...or negative correlations and linear or nonlinear regressions. Given are the mo- ments to order two and, for special cases, (he regression function and...data sets. We designate this bnb distribution as G - B - N(a, 0, v). The distribution admits only of positive correlation and linear regressions

The hidden quasar nucleus of a WISE-selected, hyperluminous, dust-obscured galaxy at z ~ 2.3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piconcelli, E.; Vignali, C.; Bianchi, S.; Zappacosta, L.; Fritz, J.; Lanzuisi, G.; Miniutti, G.; Bongiorno, A.; Feruglio, C.; Fiore, F.; Maiolino, R.

2015-02-01

We present the first X-ray spectrum of a hot dust-obscured galaxy (DOG), namely W1835+4355 at z ~ 2.3. Hot DOGs represent a very rare population of hyperluminous (≥1047 erg s-1), dust-enshrouded objects at z ≥ 2 recently discovered in the WISE All Sky Survey. The 40 ks XMM-Newton spectrum reveals a continuum as flat (Γ ~ 0.8) as typically seen in heavily obscured AGN. This, along with the presence of strong Fe Kα emission, clearly suggests a reflection-dominated spectrum due to Compton-thick absorption. In this scenario, the observed luminosity of L2-10~ 2 × 1044 erg s-1 is a fraction (<10%) of the intrinsic one, which is estimated to be ≳ 5 × 1045 erg s-1 by using several proxies. The Herschel data allow us to constrain the SED up to the sub-mm band, providing a reliable estimate of the quasar contribution (~75%) to the IR luminosity as well as the amount of star formation (~2100 M⊙ yr-1). Our results thus provide additional pieces of evidence that associate Hot DOGs with an exceptionally dusty phase during which luminous quasars and massive galaxies co-evolve and a very efficient and powerful AGN-driven feedback mechanism is predicted by models.

Fuzzy C-mean clustering on kinetic parameter estimation with generalized linear least square algorithm in SPECT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Hon-Chit; Wen, Lingfeng; Eberl, Stefan; Feng, Dagan

2006-03-01

Dynamic Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) has the potential to quantitatively estimate physiological parameters by fitting compartment models to the tracer kinetics. The generalized linear least square method (GLLS) is an efficient method to estimate unbiased kinetic parameters and parametric images. However, due to the low sensitivity of SPECT, noisy data can cause voxel-wise parameter estimation by GLLS to fail. Fuzzy C-Mean (FCM) clustering and modified FCM, which also utilizes information from the immediate neighboring voxels, are proposed to improve the voxel-wise parameter estimation of GLLS. Monte Carlo simulations were performed to generate dynamic SPECT data with different noise levels and processed by general and modified FCM clustering. Parametric images were estimated by Logan and Yokoi graphical analysis and GLLS. The influx rate (K I), volume of distribution (V d) were estimated for the cerebellum, thalamus and frontal cortex. Our results show that (1) FCM reduces the bias and improves the reliability of parameter estimates for noisy data, (2) GLLS provides estimates of micro parameters (K I-k 4) as well as macro parameters, such as volume of distribution (Vd) and binding potential (BP I & BP II) and (3) FCM clustering incorporating neighboring voxel information does not improve the parameter estimates, but improves noise in the parametric images. These findings indicated that it is desirable for pre-segmentation with traditional FCM clustering to generate voxel-wise parametric images with GLLS from dynamic SPECT data.

The global frequency-wave number spectrum of oceanic variability estimated from TOPEX/POSEIDON altimetric measurements. Volume 100, No. C12; The Journal of Geophysical Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wunsch, Carl; Stammer, Detlef

1995-01-01

Two years of altimetric data from the TOPEX/POSEIDON spacecraft have been used to produce preliminary estimates of the space and time spectra of global variability for both sea surface height and slope. The results are expressed in terms of both degree variances from spherical harmonic expansions and in along-track wavenumbers. Simple analytic approximations both in terms of piece-wise power laws and Pade fractions are provided for comparison with independent measurements and for easy use of the results. A number of uses of such spectra exist, including the possibility of combining the altimetric data with other observations, predictions of spatial coherences, and the estimation of the accuracy of apparent secular trends in sea level.

Simulating transient dynamics of the time-dependent time fractional Fokker-Planck systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Yan-Mei

2016-09-01

For a physically realistic type of time-dependent time fractional Fokker-Planck (FP) equation, derived as the continuous limit of the continuous time random walk with time-modulated Boltzmann jumping weight, a semi-analytic iteration scheme based on the truncated (generalized) Fourier series is presented to simulate the resultant transient dynamics when the external time modulation is a piece-wise constant signal. At first, the iteration scheme is demonstrated with a simple time-dependent time fractional FP equation on finite interval with two absorbing boundaries, and then it is generalized to the more general time-dependent Smoluchowski-type time fractional Fokker-Planck equation. The numerical examples verify the efficiency and accuracy of the iteration method, and some novel dynamical phenomena including polarized motion orientations and periodic response death are discussed.

Monitoring of human brain functions in risk decision-making task by diffuse optical tomography using voxel-wise general linear model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Zi-Jing; Li, Lin; Cazzell, Marry; Liu, Hanli

2013-03-01

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive imaging technique which measures the hemodynamic changes that reflect the brain activity. Diffuse optical tomography (DOT), a variant of fNIRS with multi-channel NIRS measurements, has demonstrated capability of three dimensional (3D) reconstructions of hemodynamic changes due to the brain activity. Conventional method of DOT image analysis to define the brain activation is based upon the paired t-test between two different states, such as resting-state versus task-state. However, it has limitation because the selection of activation and post-activation period is relatively subjective. General linear model (GLM) based analysis can overcome this limitation. In this study, we combine the 3D DOT image reconstruction with GLM-based analysis (i.e., voxel-wise GLM analysis) to investigate the brain activity that is associated with the risk-decision making process. Risk decision-making is an important cognitive process and thus is an essential topic in the field of neuroscience. The balloon analogue risk task (BART) is a valid experimental model and has been commonly used in behavioral measures to assess human risk taking action and tendency while facing risks. We have utilized the BART paradigm with a blocked design to investigate brain activations in the prefrontal and frontal cortical areas during decision-making. Voxel-wise GLM analysis was performed on 18human participants (10 males and 8females).In this work, we wish to demonstrate the feasibility of using voxel-wise GLM analysis to image and study cognitive functions in response to risk decision making by DOT. Results have shown significant changes in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during the active choice mode and a different hemodynamic pattern between genders, which are in good agreements with published literatures in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and fNIRS studies.

Characterizing Hypervelocity Impact (HVI)-Induced Pitting Damage Using Active Guided Ultrasonic Waves: From Linear to Nonlinear

PubMed Central

Liu, Menglong; Wang, Kai; Lissenden, Cliff J.; Wang, Qiang; Zhang, Qingming; Long, Renrong; Su, Zhongqing; Cui, Fangsen

2017-01-01

Hypervelocity impact (HVI), ubiquitous in low Earth orbit with an impacting velocity in excess of 1 km/s, poses an immense threat to the safety of orbiting spacecraft. Upon penetration of the outer shielding layer of a typical two-layer shielding system, the shattered projectile, together with the jetted materials of the outer shielding material, subsequently impinge the inner shielding layer, to which pitting damage is introduced. The pitting damage includes numerous craters and cracks disorderedly scattered over a wide region. Targeting the quantitative evaluation of this sort of damage (multitudinous damage within a singular inspection region), a characterization strategy, associating linear with nonlinear features of guided ultrasonic waves, is developed. Linear-wise, changes in the signal features in the time domain (e.g., time-of-flight and energy dissipation) are extracted, for detecting gross damage whose characteristic dimensions are comparable to the wavelength of the probing wave; nonlinear-wise, changes in the signal features in the frequency domain (e.g., second harmonic generation), which are proven to be more sensitive than their linear counterparts to small-scale damage, are explored to characterize HVI-induced pitting damage scattered in the inner layer. A numerical simulation, supplemented with experimental validation, quantitatively reveals the accumulation of nonlinearity of the guided waves when the waves traverse the pitting damage, based on which linear and nonlinear damage indices are proposed. A path-based rapid imaging algorithm, in conjunction with the use of the developed linear and nonlinear indices, is developed, whereby the HVI-induced pitting damage is characterized in images in terms of the probability of occurrence. PMID:28772908

Association of Protein Distribution and Gene Expression Revealed by PET and Post-Mortem Quantification in the Serotonergic System of the Human Brain

PubMed Central

Komorowski, A.; James, G. M.; Philippe, C.; Gryglewski, G.; Bauer, A.; Hienert, M.; Spies, M.; Kautzky, A.; Vanicek, T.; Hahn, A.; Traub-Weidinger, T.; Winkler, D.; Wadsak, W.; Mitterhauser, M.; Hacker, M.; Kasper, S.; Lanzenberger, R.

2017-01-01

Abstract Regional differences in posttranscriptional mechanisms may influence in vivo protein densities. The association of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging data from 112 healthy controls and gene expression values from the Allen Human Brain Atlas, based on post-mortem brains, was investigated for key serotonergic proteins. PET binding values and gene expression intensities were correlated for the main inhibitory (5-HT1A) and excitatory (5-HT2A) serotonin receptor, the serotonin transporter (SERT) as well as monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A), using Spearman's correlation coefficients (rs) in a voxel-wise and region-wise analysis. Correlations indicated a strong linear relationship between gene and protein expression for both the 5-HT1A (voxel-wise rs = 0.71; region-wise rs = 0.93) and the 5-HT2A receptor (rs = 0.66; 0.75), but only a weak association for MAO-A (rs = 0.26; 0.66) and no clear correlation for SERT (rs = 0.17; 0.29). Additionally, region-wise correlations were performed using mRNA expression from the HBT, yielding comparable results (5-HT1Ars = 0.82; 5-HT2Ars = 0.88; MAO-A rs = 0.50; SERT rs = −0.01). The SERT and MAO-A appear to be regulated in a region-specific manner across the whole brain. In contrast, the serotonin-1A and -2A receptors are presumably targeted by common posttranscriptional processes similar in all brain areas suggesting the applicability of mRNA expression as surrogate parameter for density of these proteins. PMID:27909009

Mercury porosimetry for comparing piece-wise hydraulic properties with full range pore characteristics of soil aggregates and porous rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turturro, Antonietta Celeste; Caputo, Maria C.; Gerke, Horst H.

2017-04-01

Unsaturated hydraulic properties are essential in the modeling of water and solute movement in the vadose zone. Since standard hydraulic techniques are limited to specific moisture ranges, maybe affected by air entrapment, wettability problems, limitations due to water vapor pressure, and are depending on the initial saturation, the continuous maximal drying curves of the complete hydraulic functions can mostly not reflect the basic pore size distribution. The aim of this work was to compare the water retention curves of soil aggregates and porous rocks with their porosity characteristics. Soil aggregates of Haplic Luvisols from Loess L (Hneveceves, Czech Republic) and glacial Till T (Holzendorf, Germany) and two lithotypes of porous rock C (Canosa) and M (Massafra), Italy, were analyzed using, suction table, evaporation, psychrometry methods, and the adopted Quasi-Steady Centrifuge method for determination of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. These various water-based techniques were applied to determine the piece-wise retention and the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity functions in the range of pore water saturations. The pore-size distribution was determined with the mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). MIP results allowed assessing the volumetric mercury content at applied pressures up to 420000 kPa. Greater intrusion and porosity values were found for the porous rocks than for the soil aggregates. Except for the aggregate samples from glacial till, maximum liquid contents were always smaller than porosity. Multimodal porosities and retention curves were observed for both porous rocks and aggregate soils. Two pore-size peaks with pore diameters of 0.135 and 27.5 µm, 1.847 and 19.7 µm, and 0.75 and 232 µm were found for C, M and T, respectively, while three peaks of 0.005, 0.392 and 222 µm were identified for L. The MIP data allowed describing the retention curve in the entire mercury saturation range as compared to water retention curves that required combining several methods for limited suction ranges. Although the soil aggregates and porous rocks differed in pore geometries and pore size distributions, MIP provided additional information for characterizing the relation between pore structure and hydraulic properties for both.

A high-order gas-kinetic Navier-Stokes flow solver

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

Li Qibing, E-mail: lqb@tsinghua.edu.c; Xu Kun, E-mail: makxu@ust.h; Fu Song, E-mail: fs-dem@tsinghua.edu.c

2010-09-20

The foundation for the development of modern compressible flow solver is based on the Riemann solution of the inviscid Euler equations. The high-order schemes are basically related to high-order spatial interpolation or reconstruction. In order to overcome the low-order wave interaction mechanism due to the Riemann solution, the temporal accuracy of the scheme can be improved through the Runge-Kutta method, where the dynamic deficiencies in the first-order Riemann solution is alleviated through the sub-step spatial reconstruction in the Runge-Kutta process. The close coupling between the spatial and temporal evolution in the original nonlinear governing equations seems weakened due to itsmore » spatial and temporal decoupling. Many recently developed high-order methods require a Navier-Stokes flux function under piece-wise discontinuous high-order initial reconstruction. However, the piece-wise discontinuous initial data and the hyperbolic-parabolic nature of the Navier-Stokes equations seem inconsistent mathematically, such as the divergence of the viscous and heat conducting terms due to initial discontinuity. In this paper, based on the Boltzmann equation, we are going to present a time-dependent flux function from a high-order discontinuous reconstruction. The theoretical basis for such an approach is due to the fact that the Boltzmann equation has no specific requirement on the smoothness of the initial data and the kinetic equation has the mechanism to construct a dissipative wave structure starting from an initially discontinuous flow condition on a time scale being larger than the particle collision time. The current high-order flux evaluation method is an extension of the second-order gas-kinetic BGK scheme for the Navier-Stokes equations (BGK-NS). The novelty for the easy extension from a second-order to a higher order is due to the simple particle transport and collision mechanism on the microscopic level. This paper will present a hierarchy to construct such a high-order method. The necessity to couple spatial and temporal evolution nonlinearly in the flux evaluation can be clearly observed through the numerical performance of the scheme for the viscous flow computations.« less

Physical Characterization of the Near-Earth Object Population

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Binzel, Richard P.

2004-01-01

Many pieces of the puzzle must be brought together in order to have a clear picture of the near-Earth object (NEO) population. Four of the pieces that can be described include: i) the taxonomic distribution of the population as measured by observational sampling, ii) the determination of albedos that can be associated with the taxonomic distribution, iii) discovery statistics for the NE0 population, and iv) the debiasing of the discovery statistics using the taxonomic and albedo information. Support from this grant enables us to address three of these four pieces. Binzel et al. (2004, submitted) presents the first piece, detailing the observations and observed characteristics of the NE0 and Mars-crossing (MC) population. For the second piece, a complementary program of albedo measurements is pursued at the Keck Observatory (Binzel, P. I.) with first results published in Delbo et al. (2003). For the third piece, the most extensive NE0 discovery statistics are provided by the LINEAR survey. Binzel has supervised the MIT Ph. D. thesis work of Stuart (2003) to bring the fourth piece, submitted for publication by Stuart and Binzel (2004). Our results provide new constraints for the NE0 population and progress for the Spaceguard Survey, illuminate asteroid and comet source regions for the NEOs, and provide new evidence for space weathering processes linking asteroids and meteorites. Further, we are identifying top priority near-Earth spacecraft mission candidates based on their spectral properties and inferred compositions.

Method and apparatus for optimizing the efficiency and quality of laser material processing

DOEpatents

Susemihl, Ingo

1990-01-01

The efficiency of laser welding and other laser material processing is optimized according to this invention by rotating the plane of polarization of a linearly polarized laser beam in relation to a work piece of the material being processed simultaneously and in synchronization with steering the laser beam over the work piece so as to keep the plane of polarization parallel to either the plane of incidence or the direction of travel of the beam in relation to the work piece. Also, depending to some extent on the particular processing being accomplished, such as welding or fusing, the angle of incidence of the laser beam on the work piece is kept at or near the polarizing or Brewster's angle. The combination of maintaining the plane of polarization parallel to plane of incidence while also maintaining the angle of incidence at or near the polarizing or Brewster's angle results in only minimal, if any, reflection losses during laser welding. Also, coordinating rotation of the plane of polarization with the translation or steering of a work piece under a laser cutting beam maximizes efficiency and kerf geometry, regardless of the direction of cut.

Method and apparatus for optimizing the efficiency and quality of laser material processing

DOEpatents

Susemihl, I.

1990-03-13

The efficiency of laser welding and other laser material processing is optimized according to this invention by rotating the plane of polarization of a linearly polarized laser beam in relation to a work piece of the material being processed simultaneously and in synchronization with steering the laser beam over the work piece so as to keep the plane of polarization parallel to either the plane of incidence or the direction of travel of the beam in relation to the work piece. Also, depending to some extent on the particular processing being accomplished, such as welding or fusing, the angle of incidence of the laser beam on the work piece is kept at or near the polarizing or Brewster's angle. The combination of maintaining the plane of polarization parallel to plane of incidence while also maintaining the angle of incidence at or near the polarizing or Brewster's angle results in only minimal, if any, reflection losses during laser welding. Also, coordinating rotation of the plane of polarization with the translation or steering of a work piece under a laser cutting beam maximizes efficiency and kerf geometry, regardless of the direction of cut. 7 figs.

A Study of Alternative Quantile Estimation Methods in Newsboy-Type Problems

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-03-01

decision maker selects to have on hand. The newsboy cost equation may be formulated as a two-piece continuous linear function in the following manner. C(S...number of observations, some approximations may be possible. Three points which are near each other can be assumed to be linear and some estimator using...respectively. Define the value r as: r = [nq + 0.5] , (6) where [X] denotes the largest integer of X. Let us consider an estimate of X as the linear

Fast and robust group-wise eQTL mapping using sparse graphical models.

PubMed

Cheng, Wei; Shi, Yu; Zhang, Xiang; Wang, Wei

2015-01-16

Genome-wide expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) studies have emerged as a powerful tool to understand the genetic basis of gene expression and complex traits. The traditional eQTL methods focus on testing the associations between individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and gene expression traits. A major drawback of this approach is that it cannot model the joint effect of a set of SNPs on a set of genes, which may correspond to hidden biological pathways. We introduce a new approach to identify novel group-wise associations between sets of SNPs and sets of genes. Such associations are captured by hidden variables connecting SNPs and genes. Our model is a linear-Gaussian model and uses two types of hidden variables. One captures the set associations between SNPs and genes, and the other captures confounders. We develop an efficient optimization procedure which makes this approach suitable for large scale studies. Extensive experimental evaluations on both simulated and real datasets demonstrate that the proposed methods can effectively capture both individual and group-wise signals that cannot be identified by the state-of-the-art eQTL mapping methods. Considering group-wise associations significantly improves the accuracy of eQTL mapping, and the successful multi-layer regression model opens a new approach to understand how multiple SNPs interact with each other to jointly affect the expression level of a group of genes.

Choosing wisely: prevalence and correlates of low-value health care services in the United States.

PubMed

Colla, Carrie H; Morden, Nancy E; Sequist, Thomas D; Schpero, William L; Rosenthal, Meredith B

2015-02-01

Specialty societies in the United States identified low-value tests and procedures that contribute to waste and poor health care quality via implementation of the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation's Choosing Wisely initiative. To develop claims-based algorithms, to use them to estimate the prevalence of select Choosing Wisely services and to examine the demographic, health and health care system correlates of low-value care at a regional level. Using Medicare data from 2006 to 2011, we created claims-based algorithms to measure the prevalence of 11 Choosing Wisely-identified low-value services and examined geographic variation across hospital referral regions (HRRs). We created a composite low-value care score for each HRR and used linear regression to identify regional characteristics associated with more intense use of low-value services. Fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries over age 65. Prevalence of selected Choosing Wisely low-value services. The national average annual prevalence of the selected Choosing Wisely low-value services ranged from 1.2% (upper urinary tract imaging in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia) to 46.5% (preoperative cardiac testing for low-risk, non-cardiac procedures). Prevalence across HRRs varied significantly. Regional characteristics associated with higher use of low-value services included greater overall per capita spending, a higher specialist to primary care ratio and higher proportion of minority beneficiaries. Identifying and measuring low-value health services is a prerequisite for improving quality and eliminating waste. Our findings suggest that the delivery of wasteful and potentially harmful services may be a fruitful area for further research and policy intervention for HRRs with higher per-capita spending. These findings should inform action by physicians, health systems, policymakers, payers and consumer educators to improve the value of health care by targeting services and areas with greater use of potentially inappropriate care.

Transient Growth Analysis of Compressible Boundary Layers with Parabolized Stability Equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paredes, Pedro; Choudhari, Meelan M.; Li, Fei; Chang, Chau-Lyan

2016-01-01

The linear form of parabolized linear stability equations (PSE) is used in a variational approach to extend the previous body of results for the optimal, non-modal disturbance growth in boundary layer flows. This methodology includes the non-parallel effects associated with the spatial development of boundary layer flows. As noted in literature, the optimal initial disturbances correspond to steady counter-rotating stream-wise vortices, which subsequently lead to the formation of stream-wise-elongated structures, i.e., streaks, via a lift-up effect. The parameter space for optimal growth is extended to the hypersonic Mach number regime without any high enthalpy effects, and the effect of wall cooling is studied with particular emphasis on the role of the initial disturbance location and the value of the span-wise wavenumber that leads to the maximum energy growth up to a specified location. Unlike previous predictions that used a basic state obtained from a self-similar solution to the boundary layer equations, mean flow solutions based on the full Navier-Stokes (NS) equations are used in select cases to help account for the viscous-inviscid interaction near the leading edge of the plate and also for the weak shock wave emanating from that region. These differences in the base flow lead to an increasing reduction with Mach number in the magnitude of optimal growth relative to the predictions based on self-similar mean-flow approximation. Finally, the maximum optimal energy gain for the favorable pressure gradient boundary layer near a planar stagnation point is found to be substantially weaker than that in a zero pressure gradient Blasius boundary layer.

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

Morrison, H; Menon, G; Sloboda, R

The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of radiochromic film calibration procedures used in external beam radiotherapy when applied to I-125 brachytherapy sources delivering higher doses, and to determine any necessary modifications to achieve similar accuracy in absolute dose measurements. GafChromic EBT3 film was used to measure radiation doses upwards of 35 Gy from 6 MV, 75 kVp and (∼28 keV) I-125 photon sources. A custom phantom was used for the I-125 irradiations to obtain a larger film area with nearly constant dose to reduce the effects of film heterogeneities on the optical density (OD) measurements. RGBmore » transmission images were obtained with an Epson 10000XL flatbed scanner, and calibration curves relating OD and dose using a rational function were determined for each colour channel and at each energy using a non-linear least square minimization method. Differences found between the 6 MV calibration curve and those for the lower energy sources are large enough that 6 MV beams should not be used to calibrate film for low-energy sources. However, differences between the 75 kVp and I-125 calibration curves were quite small; indicating that 75 kVp is a good choice. Compared with I-125 irradiation, this gives the advantages of lower type B uncertainties and markedly reduced irradiation time. To obtain high accuracy calibration for the dose range up to 35 Gy, two-segment piece-wise fitting was required. This yielded absolute dose measurement accuracy above 1 Gy of ∼2% for 75 kVp and ∼5% for I-125 seed exposures.« less

Evaluating geothermal and hydrogeologic controls on regional groundwater temperature distribution

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burns, Erick R.; Ingebritsen, Steven E.; Manga, Michael; Williams, Colin F.

2016-01-01

A one-dimensional (1-D) analytic solution is developed for heat transport through an aquifer system where the vertical temperature profile in the aquifer is nearly uniform. The general anisotropic form of the viscous heat generation term is developed for use in groundwater flow simulations. The 1-D solution is extended to more complex geometries by solving the equation for piece-wise linear or uniform properties and boundary conditions. A moderately complex example, the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP), is analyzed to demonstrate the use of the analytic solution for identifying important physical processes. For example, it is shown that viscous heating is variably important and that heat conduction to the land surface is a primary control on the distribution of aquifer and spring temperatures. Use of published values for all aquifer and thermal properties results in a reasonable match between simulated and measured groundwater temperatures over most of the 300 km length of the ESRP, except for geothermal heat flow into the base of the aquifer within 20 km of the Yellowstone hotspot. Previous basal heat flow measurements (∼110 mW/m2) made beneath the ESRP aquifer were collected at distances of >50 km from the Yellowstone Plateau, but a higher basal heat flow of 150 mW/m2 is required to match groundwater temperatures near the Plateau. The ESRP example demonstrates how the new tool can be used during preliminary analysis of a groundwater system, allowing efficient identification of the important physical processes that must be represented during more-complex 2-D and 3-D simulations of combined groundwater and heat flow.

Age, Sex, and Body Composition as Predictors of Children's Performance on Basic Motor Abilities and Health-Related Fitness Items.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pissanos, Becky W.; And Others

1983-01-01

Step-wise linear regressions were used to relate children's age, sex, and body composition to performance on basic motor abilities including balance, speed, agility, power, coordination, and reaction time, and to health-related fitness items including flexibility, muscle strength and endurance and cardiovascular functions. Eighty subjects were in…

Hydrodynamics of the Polyakov line in SU(N c) Yang-Mills

DOE PAGES

Liu, Yizhuang; Warchoł, Piotr; Zahed, Ismail

2015-12-08

We discuss a hydrodynamical description of the eigenvalues of the Polyakov line at large but finite N c for Yang-Mills theory in even and odd space-time dimensions. The hydro-static solutions for the eigenvalue densities are shown to interpolate between a uniform distribution in the confined phase and a localized distribution in the de-confined phase. The resulting critical temperatures are in overall agreement with those measured on the lattice over a broad range of N c, and are consistent with the string model results at N c = ∞. The stochastic relaxation of the eigenvalues of the Polyakov line out ofmore » equilibrium is captured by a hydrodynamical instanton. An estimate of the probability of formation of a Z(N c)bubble using a piece-wise sound wave is suggested.« less

Evaluation of trends in wheat yield models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferguson, M. C.

1982-01-01

Trend terms in models for wheat yield in the U.S. Great Plains for the years 1932 to 1976 are evaluated. The subset of meteorological variables yielding the largest adjusted R(2) is selected using the method of leaps and bounds. Latent root regression is used to eliminate multicollinearities, and generalized ridge regression is used to introduce bias to provide stability in the data matrix. The regression model used provides for two trends in each of two models: a dependent model in which the trend line is piece-wise continuous, and an independent model in which the trend line is discontinuous at the year of the slope change. It was found that the trend lines best describing the wheat yields consisted of combinations of increasing, decreasing, and constant trend: four combinations for the dependent model and seven for the independent model.

Selecting predictors for discriminant analysis of species performance: an example from an amphibious softwater plant.

PubMed

Vanderhaeghe, F; Smolders, A J P; Roelofs, J G M; Hoffmann, M

2012-03-01

Selecting an appropriate variable subset in linear multivariate methods is an important methodological issue for ecologists. Interest often exists in obtaining general predictive capacity or in finding causal inferences from predictor variables. Because of a lack of solid knowledge on a studied phenomenon, scientists explore predictor variables in order to find the most meaningful (i.e. discriminating) ones. As an example, we modelled the response of the amphibious softwater plant Eleocharis multicaulis using canonical discriminant function analysis. We asked how variables can be selected through comparison of several methods: univariate Pearson chi-square screening, principal components analysis (PCA) and step-wise analysis, as well as combinations of some methods. We expected PCA to perform best. The selected methods were evaluated through fit and stability of the resulting discriminant functions and through correlations between these functions and the predictor variables. The chi-square subset, at P < 0.05, followed by a step-wise sub-selection, gave the best results. In contrast to expectations, PCA performed poorly, as so did step-wise analysis. The different chi-square subset methods all yielded ecologically meaningful variables, while probable noise variables were also selected by PCA and step-wise analysis. We advise against the simple use of PCA or step-wise discriminant analysis to obtain an ecologically meaningful variable subset; the former because it does not take into account the response variable, the latter because noise variables are likely to be selected. We suggest that univariate screening techniques are a worthwhile alternative for variable selection in ecology. © 2011 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Tympanic ear thermometer assessment of body temperature among patients with cognitive disturbances. An acceptable and ethically desirable alternative?

PubMed

Aadal, Lena; Fog, Lisbet; Pedersen, Asger Roer

2016-12-01

Investigation of a possible relation between body temperature measurements by the current generation of tympanic ear and rectal thermometers. In Denmark, a national guideline recommends the rectal measurement. Subsequently, the rectal thermometers and tympanic ear devices are the most frequently used and first choice in Danish hospital wards. Cognitive changes constitute challenges with cooperating in rectal temperature assessments. With regard to diagnosing, ethics, safety and the patients' dignity, the tympanic ear thermometer might comprise a desirable alternative to rectal noninvasive measurement of body temperature during in-hospital-based neurorehabilitation. A prospective, descriptive cohort study. Consecutive inclusion of 27 patients. Linear regression models were used to analyse 284 simultaneous temperature measurements. Ethical approval for this study was granted by the Danish Data Protection Agency, and the study was completed in accordance with the Helsinki Declaration 2008. About 284 simultaneous rectal and ear temperature measurements on 27 patients were analysed. The patient-wise variability of measured temperatures was significantly higher for the ear measurements. Patient-wise linear regressions for the 25 patients with at least three pairs of simultaneous ear and rectal temperature measurements showed large interpatient variability of the association. A linear relationship between the rectal body temperature assessment and the temperature assessment employing the tympanic thermometer is weak. Both measuring methods reflect variance in temperature, but ear measurements showed larger variation. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

[Determination of six alkaloids in six types of Coptidis Rhizoma pieces by RP-HPLC and spectrum-effect relationships with anti-diabetes pharmacodynamics data].

PubMed

Lai, Xian-Rong; Zhou, Bang-Hua; Du, Ming-Sheng; Zheng, Hai-Jie; Geng, Zhi-Peng; Li, Jia-Chuan; Meng, Xian-Li; Zhang, Yi; Zhang, Jing

2016-12-01

To establish a method for determining the contents of six alkaloids (jatrorrhizine hydrochloride, columbamine hydrochloride, epiberberine hydrochloride, coptisine hydrochloride, palmatine hydrochloride, berberine hydrochloride) in six types of Coptidis Rhizoma pieces (crude pieces, ginger juice stir-fried pieces, vinegar stir-fried pieces, wine steamed pieces, wine stir-fried pieces, evodiae juice stir-fried pieces) by RP-HPLC, and explore the relationship with the curative effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and pharmacodynamics results. The chromatographic column was Welch XtimateTM C₁₈ (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm), with 0.1% triethylamine solution (adjust pH at 10 with ammonium bicarbonate and ammonia) as mobile phase A and acetonitrile as mobile phase B for gradient elution (0-15 min, 10%-25%B; 15-25 min, 25%-30%B; 25-40 min, 30%-45%B) at a rate of 1.0 mL•min⁻¹. The column temperature was set at 30 ℃, and the wavelength was set at 270 nm. The six alkaloids showed a good linear relationship within the range of 0.85-16.96 mg•L⁻¹ (r=0.999 7), 1.25-24.96 mg•L⁻¹ (r=0.999 9), 2.05-40.96 mg•L⁻¹ (r=0.999 9), 3.65-72.96 mg•L⁻¹ (r=0.999 9), 2.88-57.60 mg•L⁻¹ (r=0.999 8), and 13.25-264.96 mg•L⁻¹ (r=0.999 6) respectively. The average recoveries (n=9) of the six alkaloids were 102.4% (RSD 1.2%), 101.8% (RSD 1.3%), 100.3% (RSD 1.8%), 100.7%(RSD 1.8%), 101.2% (RSD 1.5%) and 97.90% (RSD 2.0%) respectively, and their average contents were 3.55, 4.49, 9.12, 19.17, 15.69, 62.56 mg•g⁻¹, respectively. This determination method was accurate and repeatable, which could be used for the content determination in six types of Coptidis Rhizoma pieces. Data analysis on contents determination and preliminary pharmacodynamics results was conducted by using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). The analysis results showed that three types of Coptidis Rhizoma pieces (wine steamed pieces, wine stir-fried pieces, and evodiae juice stir-fried pieces) had significant differences with crude pieces, and the wine steamed Coptidis Rhizoma pieces showed most difference with crude pieces especially, mainly related to triglyceride (TG) and fasting blood glucose levels (FBG) in serum. In addition, columbamine hydrochloride was most affected among the six alkaloids. Those three types of Coptidis Rhizoma pieces (wine steamed pieces, wine stir-fried pieces, and evodiae juice stir-fried pieces), had more advantages for "anti-diabetes" in TCM clinical application, especially in the treatment of diabetic hyperlipidemia. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Large wood transport and jam formation in a series of flume experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davidson, S. L.; MacKenzie, L. G.; Eaton, B. C.

2015-12-01

Large wood has historically been removed from streams, resulting in the depletion of in-stream wood in waterways worldwide. As wood increases morphological and hydraulic complexity, the addition of large wood is commonly employed as a means to rehabilitate in-stream habitat. At present, however, the scientific understanding of wood mobilization and transport is incomplete. This paper presents results from a series of four flume experiments in which wood was added to a reach to investigate the piece and reach characteristics that determine wood stability and transport, as well as the time scale required for newly recruited wood to self-organize into stable jams. Our results show that wood transitions from a randomly distributed newly recruited state to a self-organized, or jam-stabilized state, over the course of a single bankfull flow event. Statistical analyses of piece mobility during this transitional period indicate that piece irregularities, especially rootwads, dictate the stability of individual wood pieces; rootwad presence or absence accounts for up to 80% of the variance explained by linear regression models for transport distance. Furthermore, small pieces containing rootwads are especially stable. Large ramped pieces provide nuclei for the formation of persistent wood jams, and the frequency of these pieces in the reach impacts the travel distance of mobile wood. This research shows that the simulation of realistic wood dynamics is possible using a simplified physical model, and also has management implications, as it suggests that randomly added wood may organize into persistent, stable jams, and characterizes the time scale for this transition.

Key-Generation Algorithms for Linear Piece In Hand Matrix Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadaki, Kohtaro; Tsujii, Shigeo

The linear Piece In Hand (PH, for short) matrix method with random variables was proposed in our former work. It is a general prescription which can be applicable to any type of multivariate public-key cryptosystems for the purpose of enhancing their security. Actually, we showed, in an experimental manner, that the linear PH matrix method with random variables can certainly enhance the security of HFE against the Gröbner basis attack, where HFE is one of the major variants of multivariate public-key cryptosystems. In 1998 Patarin, Goubin, and Courtois introduced the plus method as a general prescription which aims to enhance the security of any given MPKC, just like the linear PH matrix method with random variables. In this paper we prove the equivalence between the plus method and the primitive linear PH matrix method, which is introduced by our previous work to explain the notion of the PH matrix method in general in an illustrative manner and not for a practical use to enhance the security of any given MPKC. Based on this equivalence, we show that the linear PH matrix method with random variables has the substantial advantage over the plus method with respect to the security enhancement. In the linear PH matrix method with random variables, the three matrices, including the PH matrix, play a central role in the secret-key and public-key. In this paper, we clarify how to generate these matrices and thus present two probabilistic polynomial-time algorithms to generate these matrices. In particular, the second one has a concise form, and is obtained as a byproduct of the proof of the equivalence between the plus method and the primitive linear PH matrix method.

MIDAS: Regionally linear multivariate discriminative statistical mapping.

PubMed

Varol, Erdem; Sotiras, Aristeidis; Davatzikos, Christos

2018-07-01

Statistical parametric maps formed via voxel-wise mass-univariate tests, such as the general linear model, are commonly used to test hypotheses about regionally specific effects in neuroimaging cross-sectional studies where each subject is represented by a single image. Despite being informative, these techniques remain limited as they ignore multivariate relationships in the data. Most importantly, the commonly employed local Gaussian smoothing, which is important for accounting for registration errors and making the data follow Gaussian distributions, is usually chosen in an ad hoc fashion. Thus, it is often suboptimal for the task of detecting group differences and correlations with non-imaging variables. Information mapping techniques, such as searchlight, which use pattern classifiers to exploit multivariate information and obtain more powerful statistical maps, have become increasingly popular in recent years. However, existing methods may lead to important interpretation errors in practice (i.e., misidentifying a cluster as informative, or failing to detect truly informative voxels), while often being computationally expensive. To address these issues, we introduce a novel efficient multivariate statistical framework for cross-sectional studies, termed MIDAS, seeking highly sensitive and specific voxel-wise brain maps, while leveraging the power of regional discriminant analysis. In MIDAS, locally linear discriminative learning is applied to estimate the pattern that best discriminates between two groups, or predicts a variable of interest. This pattern is equivalent to local filtering by an optimal kernel whose coefficients are the weights of the linear discriminant. By composing information from all neighborhoods that contain a given voxel, MIDAS produces a statistic that collectively reflects the contribution of the voxel to the regional classifiers as well as the discriminative power of the classifiers. Critically, MIDAS efficiently assesses the statistical significance of the derived statistic by analytically approximating its null distribution without the need for computationally expensive permutation tests. The proposed framework was extensively validated using simulated atrophy in structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and further tested using data from a task-based functional MRI study as well as a structural MRI study of cognitive performance. The performance of the proposed framework was evaluated against standard voxel-wise general linear models and other information mapping methods. The experimental results showed that MIDAS achieves relatively higher sensitivity and specificity in detecting group differences. Together, our results demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach to efficiently map effects of interest in both structural and functional data. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Atlas-guided volumetric diffuse optical tomography enhanced by generalized linear model analysis to image risk decision-making responses in young adults.

PubMed

Lin, Zi-Jing; Li, Lin; Cazzell, Mary; Liu, Hanli

2014-08-01

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is a variant of functional near infrared spectroscopy and has the capability of mapping or reconstructing three dimensional (3D) hemodynamic changes due to brain activity. Common methods used in DOT image analysis to define brain activation have limitations because the selection of activation period is relatively subjective. General linear model (GLM)-based analysis can overcome this limitation. In this study, we combine the atlas-guided 3D DOT image reconstruction with GLM-based analysis (i.e., voxel-wise GLM analysis) to investigate the brain activity that is associated with risk decision-making processes. Risk decision-making is an important cognitive process and thus is an essential topic in the field of neuroscience. The Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART) is a valid experimental model and has been commonly used to assess human risk-taking actions and tendencies while facing risks. We have used the BART paradigm with a blocked design to investigate brain activations in the prefrontal and frontal cortical areas during decision-making from 37 human participants (22 males and 15 females). Voxel-wise GLM analysis was performed after a human brain atlas template and a depth compensation algorithm were combined to form atlas-guided DOT images. In this work, we wish to demonstrate the excellence of using voxel-wise GLM analysis with DOT to image and study cognitive functions in response to risk decision-making. Results have shown significant hemodynamic changes in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during the active-choice mode and a different activation pattern between genders; these findings correlate well with published literature in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and fNIRS studies. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Biological Parametric Mapping: A Statistical Toolbox for Multi-Modality Brain Image Analysis

PubMed Central

Casanova, Ramon; Ryali, Srikanth; Baer, Aaron; Laurienti, Paul J.; Burdette, Jonathan H.; Hayasaka, Satoru; Flowers, Lynn; Wood, Frank; Maldjian, Joseph A.

2006-01-01

In recent years multiple brain MR imaging modalities have emerged; however, analysis methodologies have mainly remained modality specific. In addition, when comparing across imaging modalities, most researchers have been forced to rely on simple region-of-interest type analyses, which do not allow the voxel-by-voxel comparisons necessary to answer more sophisticated neuroscience questions. To overcome these limitations, we developed a toolbox for multimodal image analysis called biological parametric mapping (BPM), based on a voxel-wise use of the general linear model. The BPM toolbox incorporates information obtained from other modalities as regressors in a voxel-wise analysis, thereby permitting investigation of more sophisticated hypotheses. The BPM toolbox has been developed in MATLAB with a user friendly interface for performing analyses, including voxel-wise multimodal correlation, ANCOVA, and multiple regression. It has a high degree of integration with the SPM (statistical parametric mapping) software relying on it for visualization and statistical inference. Furthermore, statistical inference for a correlation field, rather than a widely-used T-field, has been implemented in the correlation analysis for more accurate results. An example with in-vivo data is presented demonstrating the potential of the BPM methodology as a tool for multimodal image analysis. PMID:17070709

Candidate genes for Alzheimer's disease are associated with individual differences in plasma levels of beta amyloid peptides in adults with Down syndrome.

PubMed

Schupf, Nicole; Lee, Annie; Park, Naeun; Dang, Lam-Ha; Pang, Deborah; Yale, Alexander; Oh, David Kyung-Taek; Krinsky-McHale, Sharon J; Jenkins, Edmund C; Luchsinger, José A; Zigman, Warren B; Silverman, Wayne; Tycko, Benjamin; Kisselev, Sergey; Clark, Lorraine; Lee, Joseph H

2015-10-01

We examined the contribution of candidates genes for Alzheimer's disease (AD) to individual differences in levels of beta amyloid peptides in adults with Down syndrom, a population at high risk for AD. Participants were 254 non-demented adults with Down syndrome, 30-78 years of age. Genomic deoxyribonucleic acid was genotyped using an Illumina GoldenGate custom array. We used linear regression to examine differences in levels of Aβ peptides associated with the number of risk alleles, adjusting for age, sex, level of intellectual disability, race and/or ethnicity, and the presence of the APOE ε4 allele. For Aβ42 levels, the strongest gene-wise association was found for a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on CAHLM1; for Aβ40 levels, the strongest gene-wise associations were found for SNPs in IDE and SOD1, while the strongest gene-wise associations with levels of the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio were found for SNPs in SORCS1. Broadly classified, variants in these genes may influence amyloid precursor protein processing (CALHM1, IDE), vesicular trafficking (SORCS1), and response to oxidative stress (SOD1). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Computer aided weld defect delineation using statistical parametric active contours in radiographic inspection.

PubMed

Goumeidane, Aicha Baya; Nacereddine, Nafaa; Khamadja, Mohammed

2015-01-01

A perfect knowledge of a defect shape is determinant for the analysis step in automatic radiographic inspection. Image segmentation is carried out on radiographic images and extract defects indications. This paper deals with weld defect delineation in radiographic images. The proposed method is based on a new statistics-based explicit active contour. An association of local and global modeling of the image pixels intensities is used to push the model to the desired boundaries. Furthermore, other strategies are proposed to accelerate its evolution and make the convergence speed depending only on the defect size as selecting a band around the active contour curve. The experimental results are very promising, since experiments on synthetic and radiographic images show the ability of the proposed model to extract a piece-wise homogenous object from very inhomogeneous background, even in a bad quality image.

In-flight alignment using H ∞ filter for strapdown INS on aircraft.

PubMed

Pei, Fu-Jun; Liu, Xuan; Zhu, Li

2014-01-01

In-flight alignment is an effective way to improve the accuracy and speed of initial alignment for strapdown inertial navigation system (INS). During the aircraft flight, strapdown INS alignment was disturbed by lineal and angular movements of the aircraft. To deal with the disturbances in dynamic initial alignment, a novel alignment method for SINS is investigated in this paper. In this method, an initial alignment error model of SINS in the inertial frame is established. The observability of the system is discussed by piece-wise constant system (PWCS) theory and observable degree is computed by the singular value decomposition (SVD) theory. It is demonstrated that the system is completely observable, and all the system state parameters can be estimated by optimal filter. Then a H ∞ filter was designed to resolve the uncertainty of measurement noise. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can reach a better accuracy under the dynamic disturbance condition.

Electrostatic forces in the Poisson-Boltzmann systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Li; Cai, Qin; Ye, Xiang; Wang, Jun; Luo, Ray

2013-09-01

Continuum modeling of electrostatic interactions based upon numerical solutions of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation has been widely used in structural and functional analyses of biomolecules. A limitation of the numerical strategies is that it is conceptually difficult to incorporate these types of models into molecular mechanics simulations, mainly because of the issue in assigning atomic forces. In this theoretical study, we first derived the Maxwell stress tensor for molecular systems obeying the full nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation. We further derived formulations of analytical electrostatic forces given the Maxwell stress tensor and discussed the relations of the formulations with those published in the literature. We showed that the formulations derived from the Maxwell stress tensor require a weaker condition for its validity, applicable to nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann systems with a finite number of singularities such as atomic point charges and the existence of discontinuous dielectric as in the widely used classical piece-wise constant dielectric models.

Multi-fractal texture features for brain tumor and edema segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reza, S.; Iftekharuddin, K. M.

2014-03-01

In this work, we propose a fully automatic brain tumor and edema segmentation technique in brain magnetic resonance (MR) images. Different brain tissues are characterized using the novel texture features such as piece-wise triangular prism surface area (PTPSA), multi-fractional Brownian motion (mBm) and Gabor-like textons, along with regular intensity and intensity difference features. Classical Random Forest (RF) classifier is used to formulate the segmentation task as classification of these features in multi-modal MRIs. The segmentation performance is compared with other state-of-art works using a publicly available dataset known as Brain Tumor Segmentation (BRATS) 2012 [1]. Quantitative evaluation is done using the online evaluation tool from Kitware/MIDAS website [2]. The results show that our segmentation performance is more consistent and, on the average, outperforms other state-of-the art works in both training and challenge cases in the BRATS competition.

Total Variation Denoising and Support Localization of the Gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambolle, A.; Duval, V.; Peyré, G.; Poon, C.

2016-10-01

This paper describes the geometrical properties of the solutions to the total variation denoising method. A folklore statement is that this method is able to restore sharp edges, but at the same time, might introduce some staircasing (i.e. “fake” edges) in flat areas. Quite surprisingly, put aside numerical evidences, almost no theoretical result are available to backup these claims. The first contribution of this paper is a precise mathematical definition of the “extended support” (associated to the noise-free image) of TV denoising. This is intuitively the region which is unstable and will suffer from the staircasing effect. Our main result shows that the TV denoising method indeed restores a piece-wise constant image outside a small tube surrounding the extended support. Furthermore, the radius of this tube shrinks toward zero as the noise level vanishes and in some cases, an upper bound on the convergence rate is given.

Outdoor dissolution of detonation residues of three insensitive munitions (IM) formulations.

PubMed

Taylor, Susan; Dontsova, Katerina; Walsh, Marianne E; Walsh, Michael R

2015-09-01

We seek to understand the environmental fate of three new insensitive munitions, explosive formulations developed to reduce the incidence of unintended detonations. To this end, we measured the size distribution of residues from low order detonations of IMX 101, IMX 104, and PAX 21-filled munitions and are studying how these three formulations weather and dissolve outdoors. The largest pieces collected from the detonations were centimeter-sized and we studied 12 of these in the outdoors test. We found that the particles break easily and that the dissolution of 2,4-dinitroanisole (DNAN) is quasi-linear as a function of water volume. DNAN is the matrix and the least soluble major constituent of the three formulations. We used DNAN's linear dissolution rate to estimate the life span of the pieces. Particles ranging in mass from 0.3 to 3.5 g will completely dissolve in 3-21 years given 100 cm y(-1) precipitation rates. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Investigating the relationship between neighborhood poverty and mortality risk: A marginal structural modeling approach

PubMed Central

Do, D. Phuong; Wang, Lu; Elliott, Michael R.

2013-01-01

Extant observational studies generally support the existence of a link between neighborhood context and health. However, estimating the causal impact of neighborhood effects from observational data has proven to be a challenge. Omission of relevant factors may lead to overestimating the effects of neighborhoods on health while inclusion of time-varying confounders that may also be mediators (e.g., income, labor force status) may lead to underestimation. Using longitudinal data from the 1990 to 2007 years of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, this study investigates the link between neighborhood poverty and overall mortality risk. A marginal structural modeling strategy is employed to appropriately adjust for simultaneous mediating and confounding factors. To address the issue of possible upward bias from the omission of key variables, sensitivity analysis to assess the robustness of results against unobserved confounding is conducted. We examine two continuous measures of neighborhood poverty – single-point and a running average. Both were specified as piece-wise linear splines with a knot at 20 percent. We found no evidence from the traditional naïve strategy that neighborhood context influences mortality risk. In contrast, for both the single-point and running average neighborhood poverty specifications, the marginal structural model estimates indicated a statistically significant increase in mortality risk with increasing neighborhood poverty above the 20 percent threshold. For example, below 20 percent neighborhood poverty, no association was found. However, after the 20 percent poverty threshold is reached, each 10 percentage point increase in running average neighborhood poverty was found to increase the odds for mortality by 89 percent [95% CI = 1.22, 2.91]. Sensitivity analysis indicated that estimates were moderately robust to omitted variable bias. PMID:23849239

White matter hyperintensities are a core feature of Alzheimer's disease: Evidence from the dominantly inherited Alzheimer network.

PubMed

Lee, Seonjoo; Viqar, Fawad; Zimmerman, Molly E; Narkhede, Atul; Tosto, Giuseppe; Benzinger, Tammie L S; Marcus, Daniel S; Fagan, Anne M; Goate, Alison; Fox, Nick C; Cairns, Nigel J; Holtzman, David M; Buckles, Virginia; Ghetti, Bernardino; McDade, Eric; Martins, Ralph N; Saykin, Andrew J; Masters, Colin L; Ringman, John M; Ryan, Natalie S; Förster, Stefan; Laske, Christoph; Schofield, Peter R; Sperling, Reisa A; Salloway, Stephen; Correia, Stephen; Jack, Clifford; Weiner, Michael; Bateman, Randall J; Morris, John C; Mayeux, Richard; Brickman, Adam M

2016-06-01

White matter hyperintensities (WMHs) are areas of increased signal on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans that most commonly reflect small vessel cerebrovascular disease. Increased WMH volume is associated with risk and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). These observations are typically interpreted as evidence that vascular abnormalities play an additive, independent role contributing to symptom presentation, but not core features of AD. We examined the severity and distribution of WMH in presymptomatic PSEN1, PSEN2, and APP mutation carriers to determine the extent to which WMH manifest in individuals genetically determined to develop AD. The study comprised participants (n = 299; age = 39.03 ± 10.13) from the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network, including 184 (61.5%) with a mutation that results in AD and 115 (38.5%) first-degree relatives who were noncarrier controls. We calculated the estimated years from expected symptom onset (EYO) by subtracting the affected parent's symptom onset age from the participant's age. Baseline MRI data were analyzed for total and regional WMH. Mixed-effects piece-wise linear regression was used to examine WMH differences between carriers and noncarriers with respect to EYO. Mutation carriers had greater total WMH volumes, which appeared to increase approximately 6 years before expected symptom onset. Effects were most prominent for the parietal and occipital lobe, which showed divergent effects as early as 22 years before estimated onset. Autosomal-dominant AD is associated with increased WMH well before expected symptom onset. The findings suggest the possibility that WMHs are a core feature of AD, a potential therapeutic target, and a factor that should be integrated into pathogenic models of the disease. Ann Neurol 2016;79:929-939. © 2016 American Neurological Association.

Increased hospital admissions associated with extreme-heat exposure in King County, Washington, 1990-2010

PubMed Central

Isaksen, Tania Busch; Yost, Michael G.; Hom, Elizabeth K.; Ren, You; Lyons, Hilary; Fenske, Richard A.

2016-01-01

Increased morbidity and mortality have been associated with extreme heat events, particularly in temperate climates. Few epidemiologic studies have considered the impact of extreme heat events on hospitalization rates in the Pacific Northwest region. This study quantifies the historical (May to September 1990-2010) heat-morbidity relationship in the most populous Pacific Northwest County -King County, Washington. A relative risk (RR) analysis was used to explore the association between heat and all non-traumatic hospitalizations on 99th percentile heat days, while a time series analysis using a piece-wise linear model approximation was used to estimate the effect that heat’s intensity has on hospitalizations, adjusted for temporal trends and day of the week. A non-statistically significant 2% [95% CI: 1.02 (0.98, 1.05)] increase in hospitalization risk, on a heat day versus a non-heat day, was noted for all-ages, all non-traumatic causes. When considering the effect heat intensity has on admissions, we found a statistically significant 1.59% (95% CI: 0.9%, 2.29%) increase in admissions per degree increase in humidex above 37.4 °C. Admissions stratified by cause and age produced statistically significant results with both relative risk and time series analyses for nephritis and nephrotic syndromes, acute renal failure and natural heat exposure hospitalizations. This study demonstrates that heat, expressed as humidex, is associated with increased hospital admissions. When stratified by age and cause of admission, the non-elderly (less than 85) age groups experience significant risk for: nephritis and nephrotic syndromes, acute renal failure, natural heat exposure, COPD and asthma hospitalizations. PMID:25719287

Toward Complete Statistics of Massive Binary Stars: Penultimate Results from the Cygnus OB2 Radial Velocity Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobulnicky, Henry A.; Kiminki, Daniel C.; Lundquist, Michael J.; Burke, Jamison; Chapman, James; Keller, Erica; Lester, Kathryn; Rolen, Emily K.; Topel, Eric; Bhattacharjee, Anirban; Smullen, Rachel A.; Vargas Álvarez, Carlos A.; Runnoe, Jessie C.; Dale, Daniel A.; Brotherton, Michael M.

2014-08-01

We analyze orbital solutions for 48 massive multiple-star systems in the Cygnus OB2 association, 23 of which are newly presented here, to find that the observed distribution of orbital periods is approximately uniform in log P for P < 45 days, but it is not scale-free. Inflections in the cumulative distribution near 6 days, 14 days, and 45 days suggest key physical scales of sime0.2, sime0.4, and sime1 A.U. where yet-to-be-identified phenomena create distinct features. No single power law provides a statistically compelling prescription, but if features are ignored, a power law with exponent β ~= -0.22 provides a crude approximation over P = 1.4-2000 days, as does a piece-wise linear function with a break near 45 days. The cumulative period distribution flattens at P > 45 days, even after correction for completeness, indicating either a lower binary fraction or a shift toward low-mass companions. A high degree of similarity (91% likelihood) between the Cyg OB2 period distribution and that of other surveys suggests that the binary properties at P <~ 25 days are determined by local physics of disk/clump fragmentation and are relatively insensitive to environmental and evolutionary factors. Fully 30% of the unbiased parent sample is a binary with period P < 45 days. Completeness corrections imply a binary fraction near 55% for P < 5000 days. The observed distribution of mass ratios 0.2 < q < 1 is consistent with uniform, while the observed distribution of eccentricities 0.1 < e < 0.6 is consistent with uniform plus an excess of e ~= 0 systems. We identify six stars, all supergiants, that exhibit aperiodic velocity variations of ~30 km s-1 attributed to atmospheric fluctuations.

Toward Real Time Neural Net Flight Controllers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jorgensen, C. C.; Mah, R. W.; Ross, J.; Lu, Henry, Jr. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

NASA Ames Research Center has an ongoing program in neural network control technology targeted toward real time flight demonstrations using a modified F-15 which permits direct inner loop control of actuators, rapid switching between alternative control designs, and substitutable processors. An important part of this program is the ACTIVE flight project which is examining the feasibility of using neural networks in the design, control, and system identification of new aircraft prototypes. This paper discusses two research applications initiated with this objective in mind: utilization of neural networks for wind tunnel aircraft model identification and rapid learning algorithms for on line reconfiguration and control. The first application involves the identification of aerodynamic flight characteristics from analysis of wind tunnel test data. This identification is important in the early stages of aircraft design because complete specification of control architecture's may not be possible even though concept models at varying scales are available for aerodynamic wind tunnel testing. Testing of this type is often a long and expensive process involving measurement of aircraft lift, drag, and moment of inertia at varying angles of attack and control surface configurations. This information in turn can be used in the design of the flight control systems by applying the derived lookup tables to generate piece wise linearized controllers. Thus, reduced costs in tunnel test times and the rapid transfer of wind tunnel insights into prototype controllers becomes an important factor in more efficient generation and testing of new flight systems. NASA Ames Research Center is successfully applying modular neural networks as one way of anticipating small scale aircraft model performances prior to testing, thus reducing the number of in tunnel test hours and potentially, the number of intermediate scaled models required for estimation of surface flow effects.

Revealing turning points in ecosystem functioning over the Northern Eurasian agricultural frontier.

PubMed

Horion, Stéphanie; Prishchepov, Alexander V; Verbesselt, Jan; de Beurs, Kirsten; Tagesson, Torbern; Fensholt, Rasmus

2016-08-01

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 has been a turning point in the World history that left a unique footprint on the Northern Eurasian ecosystems. Conducting large scale mapping of environmental change and separating between naturogenic and anthropogenic drivers is a difficult endeavor in such highly complex systems. In this research a piece-wise linear regression method was used for breakpoint detection in Rain-Use Efficiency (RUE) time series and a classification of ecosystem response types was produced. Supported by earth observation data, field data, and expert knowledge, this study provides empirical evidence regarding the occurrence of drastic changes in RUE (assessment of the timing, the direction and the significance of these changes) in Northern Eurasian ecosystems between 1982 and 2011. About 36% of the study area (3.4 million km(2) ) showed significant (P < 0.05) trends and/or turning points in RUE during the observation period. A large proportion of detected turning points in RUE occurred around the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 and in the following years which were attributed to widespread agricultural land abandonment. Our study also showed that recurrent droughts deeply affected vegetation productivity throughout the observation period, with a general worsening of the drought conditions in recent years. Moreover, recent human-induced turning points in ecosystem functioning were detected and attributed to ongoing recultivation and change in irrigation practices in the Volgograd region, and to increased salinization and increased grazing intensity around Lake Balkhash. The ecosystem-state assessment method introduced here proved to be a valuable support that highlighted hotspots of potentially altered ecosystems and allowed for disentangling human from climatic disturbances. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Increased mortality associated with extreme-heat exposure in King County, Washington, 1980-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isaksen, Tania Busch; Fenske, Richard A.; Hom, Elizabeth K.; Ren, You; Lyons, Hilary; Yost, Michael G.

2016-01-01

Extreme heat has been associated with increased mortality, particularly in temperate climates. Few epidemiologic studies have considered the Pacific Northwest region in their analyses. This study quantified the historical (May to September, 1980-2010) heat-mortality relationship in the most populous Pacific Northwest County, King County, Washington. A relative risk (RR) analysis was used to explore the relationship between heat and all-cause mortality on 99th percentile heat days, while a time series analysis, using a piece-wise linear model fit, was used to estimate the effect of heat intensity on mortality, adjusted for temporal trends. For all ages, all causes, we found a 10 % (1.10 (95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.06, 1.14)) increase in the risk of death on a heat day versus non-heat day. When considering the intensity effect of heat on all-cause mortality, we found a 1.69 % (95 % CI, 0.69, 2.70) increase in the risk of death per unit of humidex above 36.0 °C. Mortality stratified by cause and age produced statistically significant results using both types of analyses for: all-cause, non-traumatic, circulatory, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and diabetes causes of death. All-cause mortality was statistically significantly modified by the type of synoptic weather type. These results demonstrate that heat, expressed as humidex, is associated with increased mortality on heat days, and that risk increases with heat's intensity. While age was the only individual-level characteristic found to modify mortality risks, statistically significant increases in diabetes-related mortality for the 45-64 age group suggests that underlying health status may contribute to these risks.

Bone microstrain values of 1-piece and 2-piece implants subjected to mechanical loading.

PubMed

Harel, Noga; Eshkol-Yogev, Inbar; Piek, Dana; Livne, Shiri; Lavi, David; Ormianer, Zeev

2013-06-01

The purpose of this study was to measure and compare the strain levels in peri-implant bone as generated by 1-piece (1P) and 2-piece (2P) implant systems. The implants (1P and 2P) were placed into bovine bone according to the manufacturer's protocol. Four linear strain gauges were placed around each implant neck and apex. Each model was loaded in static loading by a material testing machine in ascending forces ranging from 20 to 120 N. Microstrains (μ[Latin Small Letter Open E]) generated in the surrounding bone were measured by a strain gauge and recorded. Recorded microstrains were significantly higher for 1P implants than for 2P implants. Average recorded microstrain values were significantly lower in the neck (71.6 and 17.3 µs) compared with the apical (132 and 60 µs) regions of 1P and 2P implants, respectively (P < 0.0001). Within the limitations of this study, highest microstrains were generated in apical regions regardless of implant design, but the 2P implant ap-peared to provide a stress-damping effect in both the cervical and apical regions compared with the 1P implant.

The Television Generation, Television Literacy, and Television Trends.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Jodi R.

Unlike the linear, serial process of reading books, learning to "read" television is a parallel process in which multiple pieces of information are simultaneously received. Perceiving images, only one aspect of understanding television, requires the concurrent processing of information that is compounded within a symbol system. The…

Precipitation gradient determines the tradeoff between soil moisture and soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and species richness in the Loess Plateau, China.

PubMed

Wang, Cong; Wang, Shuai; Fu, Bojie; Li, Zongshan; Wu, Xing; Tang, Qiang

2017-01-01

A tight coupling exists between biogeochemical cycles and water availability in drylands. However, studies regarding the coupling among soil moisture (SM), soil carbon/nitrogen, and plants are rare in the literature, and clarifying these relationships changing with climate gradient is challenging. Thus, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and species richness (SR) were selected as soil-plant system variables, and the tradeoff relationships between SM and these variables and their variations along the precipitation gradient were quantified in the Loess Plateau, China. Results showed these variables increased linearly along the precipitation gradient in the woodland, shrubland, and grassland, respectively, except for the SR in the woodland and grassland, and SOC in the grassland (p>0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the SM-SOC and SM-TN tradeoffs were significantly correlated with mean annual precipitation (MAP) across the three vegetation types, and SM-SR tradeoff was significantly correlated with MAP in grassland and woodland. The linear piece-wise quantile regression was applied to determine the inflection points of these tradeoffs responses to the precipitation gradient. The inflection point for the SM-SOC tradeoff was detected at MAP=570mm; no inflection point was detected for SM-TN tradeoff; SM-SR tradeoff variation trends were different in the woodland and grassland, and the inflection points were detected at MAP=380mm and MAP=570mm, respectively. Before the turning point, constraint exerted by soil moisture on SOC and SR existed in the relatively arid regions, while the constraint disappears or is lessened in the relatively humid regions in this study. The results demonstrate the tradeoff revealed obvious trends along the precipitation gradient and were affected by vegetation type. Consequently, tradeoffs could be an ecological indicator and tool for restoration management in the Loess Plateau. In further study, the mechanism of how the tradeoff is affected by the precipitation gradient and vegetation type should be clarified. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seasonal control skylight glazing panel with passive solar energy switching

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

Miller, J.V.

1983-10-25

A substantially transparent one-piece glazing panel is provided for generally horizontal mounting in a skylight. The panel is comprised of an repeated pattern of two alternating and contiguous linear optical elements; a first optical element being an upstanding generally right-triangular linear prism, and the second optical element being an upward-facing plano-cylindrical lens in which the planar surface is reflectively opaque and is generally in the same plane as the base of the triangular prism.

Predicting Retention Times of Naturally Occurring Phenolic Compounds in Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography: A Quantitative Structure-Retention Relationship (QSRR) Approach

PubMed Central

Akbar, Jamshed; Iqbal, Shahid; Batool, Fozia; Karim, Abdul; Chan, Kim Wei

2012-01-01

Quantitative structure-retention relationships (QSRRs) have successfully been developed for naturally occurring phenolic compounds in a reversed-phase liquid chromatographic (RPLC) system. A total of 1519 descriptors were calculated from the optimized structures of the molecules using MOPAC2009 and DRAGON softwares. The data set of 39 molecules was divided into training and external validation sets. For feature selection and mapping we used step-wise multiple linear regression (SMLR), unsupervised forward selection followed by step-wise multiple linear regression (UFS-SMLR) and artificial neural networks (ANN). Stable and robust models with significant predictive abilities in terms of validation statistics were obtained with negation of any chance correlation. ANN models were found better than remaining two approaches. HNar, IDM, Mp, GATS2v, DISP and 3D-MoRSE (signals 22, 28 and 32) descriptors based on van der Waals volume, electronegativity, mass and polarizability, at atomic level, were found to have significant effects on the retention times. The possible implications of these descriptors in RPLC have been discussed. All the models are proven to be quite able to predict the retention times of phenolic compounds and have shown remarkable validation, robustness, stability and predictive performance. PMID:23203132

Computer Series, 65. Bits and Pieces, 26.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, John W., Ed.

1985-01-01

Describes: (l) a microcomputer-based system for filing test questions and assembling examinations; (2) microcomputer use in practical and simulated experiments of gamma rays scattering by outer shell electrons; (3) an interactive, screen-oriented, general linear regression program; and (4) graphics drill and game programs for benzene synthesis.…

New laser power sensor using weighing method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinot, P.; Silvestri, Z.

2018-01-01

We present a set-up using a piece of pyrolytic carbon (PyC) to measure laser power in the range from a few milliwatts to a few watts. The experimental configuration consists in measuring the magnetic repulsion force acting between a piece of PyC placed on a weighing pan and in a magnetic induction generated by a magnet array in a fixed position above the PyC sheet. This involves a repulsion force on the PyC piece which is expressed in terms of mass by the balance display. The quantities affecting the measurement results have been identified. An example of metrological characterization in terms of accuracy, linearity and sensitivity is given. A relative uncertainty of optical power measurement for the first experimental set-up is around 1%. The wavelength and power density dependence on power response of this device has been demonstrated. This PyC-based device presented here in weighing configuration and the other one previously studied in levitation configuration offer a new technique for measuring optical power.

Analytical and numerical investigation of bolted steel ring flange connection for offshore wind monopile foundations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madsen, C. A.; Kragh-Poulsen, J.-C.; Thage, K. J.; Andreassen, M. J.

2017-12-01

The monopile foundation is the dominant solution for support of wind turbines in offshore wind farms. It is normally grouted to the transition piece which connects the foundation to the turbine. Currently, the bolted steel ring flange connection is investigated as an alternative. The monopile--transition piece connection has specific problems, such as out-of-verticality and installation damage from driving the MP into the seabed and it is not fully known how to design for these. This paper presents the status of the ongoing development work and an estimate of what still needs to be covered in order to use the connection in practice. This involves presentation of an analytical and non-linear FE analysis procedure for the monopile-transition piece connection composed of two L flanges connected with preloaded bolts. The connection is verified for ultimate and fatigue limit states based on an integrated load simulation carried out by the turbine manufacturer.

Local repair of stoma prolapse: Case report of an in vivo application of linear stapler devices.

PubMed

Monette, Margaret M; Harney, Rodney T; Morris, Melanie S; Chu, Daniel I

2016-11-01

One of the most common late complications following stoma construction is prolapse. Although the majority of prolapse can be managed conservatively, surgical revision is required with incarceration/strangulation and in certain cases laparotomy and/or stoma reversal are not appropriate. This report will inform surgeons on safe and effective approaches to revising prolapsed stomas using local techniques. A 58 year old female with an obstructing rectal cancer previously received a diverting transverse loop colostomy. On completion of neoadjuvant treatment, re-staging found new lung metastases. She was scheduled for further chemotherapy but incarcerated a prolapsed segment of her loop colostomy. As there was no plan to resect her primary rectal tumor at the time, a local revision was preferred. Linear staplers were applied to the prolapsed stoma in step-wise fashion to locally revise the incarcerated prolapse. Post-operative recovery was satisfactory with no complications or recurrence of prolapse. We detail in step-wise fashion a technique using linear stapler devices that can be used to locally revise prolapsed stoma segments and therefore avoid a laparotomy. The procedure is technically easy to perform with satisfactory post-operative outcomes. We additionally review all previous reports of local repairs and show the evolution of local prolapse repair to the currently reported technique. This report offers surgeons an alternative, efficient and effective option for addressing the complications of stoma prolapse. While future studies are needed to assess long-term outcomes, in the short-term, our report confirms the safety and effectiveness of this local technique.

The Challenge and Promise of Complexity Theory for Teacher Education Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochran-Smith, Marilyn; Ell, Fiona; Ludlow, Larry; Grudnoff, Lexie; Aitken, Graeme

2014-01-01

Background/Context: In many countries, there are multiple studies intended to improve initial teacher education. These have generally focused on pieces of teacher education rather than wholes, and have used an underlying linear logic. It may be, however, that what is needed are new research questions and theoretical frameworks that account for…

Modelling a Simple Mechanical System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morland, Tim

1999-01-01

Provides an example of the modeling power of Mathematics, demonstrated in a piece of A-Level student coursework which was undertaken as part of the MEI Structured Mathematics scheme. A system of two masses and two springs oscillating in one dimension is found to be accurately modeled by a system of linear differential equations. (Author/ASK)

Contrast enhancement of mail piece images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Yong-Chul; Sridhar, Ramalingam; Demjanenko, Victor; Palumbo, Paul W.; Hull, Jonathan J.

1992-08-01

A New approach to contrast enhancement of mail piece images is presented. The contrast enhancement is used as a preprocessing step in the real-time address block location (RT-ABL) system. The RT-ABL system processes a stream of mail piece images and locates destination address blocks. Most of the mail pieces (classified into letters) show high contrast between background and foreground. As an extreme case, however, the seasonal greeting cards usually use colored envelopes which results in reduced contrast osured by an error rate by using a linear distributed associative memory (DAM). The DAM is trained to recognize the spectra of three classes of images: with high, medium, and low OCR error rates. The DAM is not forced to make a classification every time. It is allowed to reject as unknown a spectrum presented that does not closely resemble any that has been stored in the DAM. The DAM was fairly accurate with noisy images but conservative (i.e., rejected several text images as unknowns) when there was little ground and foreground degradations without affecting the nondegraded images. This approach provides local enhancement which adapts to local features. In order to simplify the computation of A and (sigma) , dynamic programming technique is used. Implementation details, performance, and the results on test images are presented in this paper.

Surface treatment with linearly polarized laser beam at oblique incidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutu, I.; Petre, C.; Mihailescu, I. N.; Taca, M.; Alexandrescu, E.; Ivanov, I.

2002-07-01

An effective method for surface heat treatment with 10.6 μm linear polarized laser beam at oblique incidence is reported. A circular focused laser spot on the workpiece surface, simultaneously with 2.2-4 times increasing of the absorption are obtained in the 70-80° range of the incidence angle. The main element of the experimental setup is the astigmatic focusing head which focalize the laser beam into an elliptical spot of ellipticity ɛ>3 at normal incidence. At a proper incidence angle (obtained by the focusing head tilting) the focused laser spot on the work piece surface gets a circular form and p-state of polarization is achieved. We performed laser heat treatment (transformation hardening, surface remelting) of the uncoated surface, as well as the alloying and cladding processes by powder injection. An enhancement of the processing efficiency was obtained; in this way the investment and operation costs for surface treatment with CO 2 laser can be significantly reduced. Several technical advantages concerning the pollution of the focusing optical components, powder jet flowing and reflected radiation by the work piece surface are obtained.

An analysis of scatter decomposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicol, David M.; Saltz, Joel H.

1990-01-01

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

Untangling the Relatedness among Correlations, Part II: Inter-Subject Correlation Group Analysis through Linear Mixed-Effects Modeling

PubMed Central

Chen, Gang; Taylor, Paul A.; Shin, Yong-Wook; Reynolds, Richard C.; Cox, Robert W.

2016-01-01

It has been argued that naturalistic conditions in FMRI studies provide a useful paradigm for investigating perception and cognition through a synchronization measure, inter-subject correlation (ISC). However, one analytical stumbling block has been the fact that the ISC values associated with each single subject are not independent, and our previous paper (Chen et al., 2016) used simulations and analyses of real data to show that the methodologies adopted in the literature do not have the proper control for false positives. In the same paper, we proposed nonparametric subject-wise bootstrapping and permutation testing techniques for one and two groups, respectively, which account for the correlation structure, and these greatly outperformed the prior methods in controlling the false positive rate (FPR); that is, subject-wise bootstrapping (SWB) worked relatively well for both cases with one and two groups, and subject-wise permutation (SWP) testing was virtually ideal for group comparisons. Here we seek to explicate and adopt a parametric approach through linear mixed-effects (LME) modeling for studying the ISC values, building on the previous correlation framework, with the benefit that the LME platform offers wider adaptability, more powerful interpretations, and quality control checking capability than nonparametric methods. We describe both theoretical and practical issues involved in the modeling and the manner in which LME with crossed random effects (CRE) modeling is applied. A data-doubling step further allows us to conveniently track the subject index, and achieve easy implementations. We pit the LME approach against the best nonparametric methods, and find that the LME framework achieves proper control for false positives. The new LME methodologies are shown to be both efficient and robust, and they will be added as an additional option and settings in an existing open source program, 3dLME, in AFNI (http://afni.nimh.nih.gov). PMID:27751943

[Correlation between gaseous exchange rate, body temperature, and mitochondrial protein content in the liver of mice].

PubMed

Muradian, Kh K; Utko, N O; Mozzhukhina, T H; Pishel', I M; Litoshenko, O Ia; Bezrukov, V V; Fraĭfel'd, V E

2002-01-01

Correlative and regressive relations between the gaseous exchange, thermoregulation and mitochondrial protein content were analyzed by two- and three-dimensional statistics in mice. It has been shown that the pair wise linear methods of analysis did not reveal any significant correlation between the parameters under exploration. However, it became evident at three-dimensional and non-linear plotting for which the coefficients of multivariable correlation reached and even exceeded 0.7-0.8. The calculations based on partial differentiation of the multivariable regression equations allow to conclude that at certain values of VO2, VCO2 and body temperature negative relations between the systems of gaseous exchange and thermoregulation become dominating.

In-Flight Alignment Using H ∞ Filter for Strapdown INS on Aircraft

PubMed Central

Pei, Fu-Jun; Liu, Xuan; Zhu, Li

2014-01-01

In-flight alignment is an effective way to improve the accuracy and speed of initial alignment for strapdown inertial navigation system (INS). During the aircraft flight, strapdown INS alignment was disturbed by lineal and angular movements of the aircraft. To deal with the disturbances in dynamic initial alignment, a novel alignment method for SINS is investigated in this paper. In this method, an initial alignment error model of SINS in the inertial frame is established. The observability of the system is discussed by piece-wise constant system (PWCS) theory and observable degree is computed by the singular value decomposition (SVD) theory. It is demonstrated that the system is completely observable, and all the system state parameters can be estimated by optimal filter. Then a H ∞ filter was designed to resolve the uncertainty of measurement noise. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can reach a better accuracy under the dynamic disturbance condition. PMID:24511300

Statistical methods for investigating quiescence and other temporal seismicity patterns

USGS Publications Warehouse

Matthews, M.V.; Reasenberg, P.A.

1988-01-01

We propose a statistical model and a technique for objective recognition of one of the most commonly cited seismicity patterns:microearthquake quiescence. We use a Poisson process model for seismicity and define a process with quiescence as one with a particular type of piece-wise constant intensity function. From this model, we derive a statistic for testing stationarity against a 'quiescence' alternative. The large-sample null distribution of this statistic is approximated from simulated distributions of appropriate functionals applied to Brownian bridge processes. We point out the restrictiveness of the particular model we propose and of the quiescence idea in general. The fact that there are many point processes which have neither constant nor quiescent rate functions underscores the need to test for and describe nonuniformity thoroughly. We advocate the use of the quiescence test in conjunction with various other tests for nonuniformity and with graphical methods such as density estimation. ideally these methods may promote accurate description of temporal seismicity distributions and useful characterizations of interesting patterns. ?? 1988 Birkha??user Verlag.

Image Processing Of Images From Peripheral-Artery Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, David L.; Tarbox, Lawrence R.; Cist, David B.; Faul, David D.

1988-06-01

A system is being developed to test the possibility of doing peripheral, digital subtraction angiography (DSA) with a single contrast injection using a moving gantry system. Given repositioning errors that occur between the mask and contrast-containing images, factors affecting the success of subtractions following image registration have been investigated theoretically and experimentally. For a 1 mm gantry displacement, parallax and geometric image distortion (pin-cushion) both give subtraction errors following registration that are approximately 25% of the error resulting from no registration. Image processing techniques improve the subtractions. The geometric distortion effect is reduced using a piece-wise, 8 parameter unwarping method. Plots of image similarity measures versus pixel shift are well behaved and well fit by a parabola, leading to the development of an iterative, automatic registration algorithm that uses parabolic prediction of the new minimum. The registration algorithm converges quickly (less than 1 second on a MicroVAX) and is relatively immune to the region of interest (ROI) selected.

Robust nonlinear system identification: Bayesian mixture of experts using the t-distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldacchino, Tara; Worden, Keith; Rowson, Jennifer

2017-02-01

A novel variational Bayesian mixture of experts model for robust regression of bifurcating and piece-wise continuous processes is introduced. The mixture of experts model is a powerful model which probabilistically splits the input space allowing different models to operate in the separate regions. However, current methods have no fail-safe against outliers. In this paper, a robust mixture of experts model is proposed which consists of Student-t mixture models at the gates and Student-t distributed experts, trained via Bayesian inference. The Student-t distribution has heavier tails than the Gaussian distribution, and so it is more robust to outliers, noise and non-normality in the data. Using both simulated data and real data obtained from the Z24 bridge this robust mixture of experts performs better than its Gaussian counterpart when outliers are present. In particular, it provides robustness to outliers in two forms: unbiased parameter regression models, and robustness to overfitting/complex models.

Photoacoustic signal and noise analysis for Si thin plate: signal correction in frequency domain.

PubMed

Markushev, D D; Rabasović, M D; Todorović, D M; Galović, S; Bialkowski, S E

2015-03-01

Methods for photoacoustic signal measurement, rectification, and analysis for 85 μm thin Si samples in the 20-20 000 Hz modulation frequency range are presented. Methods for frequency-dependent amplitude and phase signal rectification in the presence of coherent and incoherent noise as well as distortion due to microphone characteristics are presented. Signal correction is accomplished using inverse system response functions deduced by comparing real to ideal signals for a sample with well-known bulk parameters and dimensions. The system response is a piece-wise construction, each component being due to a particular effect of the measurement system. Heat transfer and elastic effects are modeled using standard Rosencweig-Gersho and elastic-bending theories. Thermal diffusion, thermoelastic, and plasmaelastic signal components are calculated and compared to measurements. The differences between theory and experiment are used to detect and correct signal distortion and to determine detector and sound-card characteristics. Corrected signal analysis is found to faithfully reflect known sample parameters.

Casimir stress in an inhomogeneous medium

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

Philbin, T.G.; Xiong, C.; Leonhardt, U.

2010-03-15

The Casimir effect in an inhomogeneous dielectric is investigated using Lifshitz's theory of electromagnetic vacuum energy. A permittivity function that depends continuously on one Cartesian coordinate is chosen, bounded on each side by homogeneous dielectrics. The result for the Casimir stress is infinite everywhere inside the inhomogeneous region, a divergence that does not occur for piece-wise homogeneous dielectrics with planar boundaries. A Casimir force per unit volume can be extracted from the infinite stress but it diverges on the boundaries between the inhomogeneous medium and the homogeneous dielectrics. An alternative regularization of the vacuum stress is considered that removes themore » contribution of the inhomogeneity over small distances, where macroscopic electromagnetism is invalid. The alternative regularization yields a finite Casimir stress inside the inhomogeneous region, but the stress and force per unit volume diverge on the boundaries with the homogeneous dielectrics. The case of inhomogeneous dielectrics with planar boundaries thus falls outside the current understanding of the Casimir effect.« less

Diamond Turning - Opening a New Laser Design Door.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-18

1ŚE MICROCOP RE UIO3ET2 HR NATIONA BU EO TNADM%- UNCLASSIFIED A A* SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Is. REPORT SECURITY...linear compound axicon, also called a waxicon. This 30 cm (12") diameter optic was cut from a single piece of copper. It is composed of two axicons

The Movement of Composition: Dance and Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Kathryn

2012-01-01

This piece, created at the Digital Media and Composition Institute in June 2012, is a multimodal attempt to capture and compare both the physical and conceptual movement involved in dance and writing. The project is my first step towards exploring the non-linear nature of composition as expressed in the movement of the body and of the mind.

The Images of Our Time: Using Iconic Photographs in Developing a Modern American History Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindquist, David H.

2012-01-01

History courses based on chronological narratives in textbooks often assume a linear format through which students accumulate substantial amounts of surface-level information, with the various pieces of that information being disconnected from each other and from larger historical contexts. In addition, such narratives are often dry and lifeless,…

Bifurcation and Hysteresis Effects in Student Performance: The Signature of Complexity and Chaos in Educational Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stamovlasis, Dimitrios

2014-01-01

This paper addresses some methodological issues concerning traditional linear approaches and shows the need for a paradigm shift in education research towards the Complexity and Nonlinear Dynamical Systems (NDS) framework. It presents a quantitative piece of research aiming to test the nonlinear dynamical hypothesis in education. It applies…

Cross-correlation of WISE galaxies with the cosmic microwave background

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goto, Tomotsugu; Szapudi, István.; Granett, Benjamin R.

2012-05-01

We estimated the cross-power spectra of a galaxy sample from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) survey with the 7-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) temperature anisotropy maps. A conservatively selected galaxy sample covers ˜13 000 deg2 with a median redshift of z= 0.15. Cross-power spectra show correlations between the two data sets with no discernible dependence on the WMAPQ, V and W frequency bands. We interpret these results in terms of the integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) effect: for the |b| > 20° sample at l= 6-87, we measure the amplitude (normalized to be 1 for vanilla Λ cold dark matter expectation) of the signal to be 3.4 ± 1.1, i.e. 3.1σ detection. We discuss other possibilities, but at face value the detection of the linear ISW effect in a flat universe is caused by large-scale decaying potentials, a sign of accelerated expansion driven by dark energy.

Data Wise in Action: Stories of Schools Using Data to Improve Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boudett, Kathryn Parker, Ed.; Steele, Jennifer L., Ed.

2007-01-01

What does it look like when a school uses data wisely? "Data Wise in Action", a new companion and sequel to the bestselling "Data Wise", tells the stories of eight very different schools following the Data Wise process of using assessment results to improve teaching and learning. "Data Wise in Action" highlights the…

Physical interpretation and development of ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation techniques applied to the quantitative characterization of textile composite materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, James G.

1995-01-01

In this Progress Report, the author describes the continuing research to explore the feasibility of implementing medical linear array imaging technology as a viable ultrasonic-based nondestructive evaluation method to inspect and characterize complex materials. Images obtained using an unmodified medical ultrasonic imaging system of a bonded aluminum plate sample with a simulated disbond region are presented. The disbond region was produced by adhering a piece of plain white paper to a piece of cellophane tape and applying the paper-tape combination to one of the aluminum plates. Because the area under the paper was not adhesively bonded to the aluminum plate, this arrangement more closely simulates a disbond. Images are also presented for an aluminum plate sample with an epoxy strip adhered to one side to help provide information for the interpretation of the images of the bonded aluminum plate sample containing the disbond region. These images are compared with corresponding conventional ultrasonic contact transducer measurements in order to provide information regarding the nature of the disbonded region. The results of this on-going investigation may provide a step toward the development of a rapid, real-time, and portable method of ultrasonic inspection and characterization based on linear array technology. In Section 2 of this Progress Report, the preparation of the aluminum plate specimens is described. Section 3 describes the method of linear array imaging. Sections 4 and 5 present the linear array images and results from contact transducer measurements, respectively. A discussion of the results are presented in Section 6.

HUBBLE SEES MINI-COMET FRAGMENTS FROM COMET LINEAR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

[lower right] In one stunning Hubble picture the fate of the mysteriously vanished solid nucleus of Comet LINEAR has been settled. The Hubble picture shows that the comet nucleus has been reduced to a shower of glowing 'mini-comets' resembling the fiery fragments from an exploding aerial firework. This is the first time astronomers have ever gotten a close-up look at what may be the smallest building blocks of cometary nuclei, the icy solid pieces called 'cometesimals', which are thought to be less than 100 feet across. The farthest fragment to the left, which is now very faint, may be the remains of the parent nucleus that fragmented into the cluster of smaller pieces to the right. The comet broke apart around July 26, when it made its closest approach to the Sun. The picture was taken with Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on August 5, 2000, when the comet was at a distance of 64 million miles (102 million kilometers) from Earth. Credit: NASA, Harold Weaver (the Johns Hopkins University), and the HST Comet LINEAR Investigation Team [upper left] A ground-based telescopic view (2.2-meter telescope) of Comet LINEAR taken on August 5, at nearly the same time as the Hubble observations. The comet appears as a diffuse elongated cloud of debris without any visible nucleus. Based on these images, some astronomers had concluded that the ices in the nucleus had completely vaporized, leaving behind a loose swarm of dust. Hubble's resolution was needed to pinpoint the remaining nuclei (inset box shows HST field of view as shown in lower right). Credit: University of Hawaii

WISE Design for Knowledge Integration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linn, Marcia C.; Clark, Douglas; Slotta, James D.

2003-01-01

Examines the implementation of Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE), which can incorporate modeling tools and hand-held devices. Describes WISE design team practices, features of the WISE learning environment, and patterns of feature use in WISE library projects. (SOE)

Selected contribution: redistribution of pulmonary perfusion during weightlessness and increased gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glenny, R. W.; Lamm, W. J.; Bernard, S. L.; An, D.; Chornuk, M.; Pool, S. L.; Wagner, W. W. Jr; Hlastala, M. P.; Robertson, H. T.

2000-01-01

To compare the relative contributions of gravity and vascular structure to the distribution of pulmonary blood flow, we flew with pigs on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration KC-135 aircraft. A series of parabolas created alternating weightlessness and 1.8-G conditions. Fluorescent microspheres of varying colors were injected into the pulmonary circulation to mark regional blood flow during different postural and gravitational conditions. The lungs were subsequently removed, air dried, and sectioned into approximately 2 cm(3) pieces. Flow to each piece was determined for the different conditions. Perfusion heterogeneity did not change significantly during weightlessness compared with normal and increased gravitational forces. Regional blood flow to each lung piece changed little despite alterations in posture and gravitational forces. With the use of multiple stepwise linear regression, the contributions of gravity and vascular structure to regional perfusion were separated. We conclude that both gravity and the geometry of the pulmonary vascular tree influence regional pulmonary blood flow. However, the structure of the vascular tree is the primary determinant of regional perfusion in these animals.

Large time-step stability of explicit one-dimensional advection schemes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leonard, B. P.

1993-01-01

There is a wide-spread belief that most explicit one-dimensional advection schemes need to satisfy the so-called 'CFL condition' - that the Courant number, c = udelta(t)/delta(x), must be less than or equal to one, for stability in the von Neumann sense. This puts severe limitations on the time-step in high-speed, fine-grid calculations and is an impetus for the development of implicit schemes, which often require less restrictive time-step conditions for stability, but are more expensive per time-step. However, it turns out that, at least in one dimension, if explicit schemes are formulated in a consistent flux-based conservative finite-volume form, von Neumann stability analysis does not place any restriction on the allowable Courant number. Any explicit scheme that is stable for c is less than 1, with a complex amplitude ratio, G(c), can be easily extended to arbitrarily large c. The complex amplitude ratio is then given by exp(- (Iota)(Nu)(Theta)) G(delta(c)), where N is the integer part of c, and delta(c) = c - N (less than 1); this is clearly stable. The CFL condition is, in fact, not a stability condition at all, but, rather, a 'range restriction' on the 'pieces' in a piece-wise polynomial interpolation. When a global view is taken of the interpolation, the need for a CFL condition evaporates. A number of well-known explicit advection schemes are considered and thus extended to large delta(t). The analysis also includes a simple interpretation of (large delta(t)) total-variation-diminishing (TVD) constraints.

Students' Perspective (Age Wise, Gender Wise and Year Wise) of Parameters Affecting the Undergraduate Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumari, Neeraj

2014-01-01

The objective of the study is to examine the students' perspective (age wise, gender wise and year wise) of parameters affecting the undergraduate engineering education system present in a private technical institution in NCR [National Capital Region], Haryana. It is a descriptive type of research in nature. The data has been collected with the…

Decoding and optimized implementation of SECDED codes over GF(q)

DOEpatents

Ward, H. Lee; Ganti, Anand; Resnick, David R

2013-10-22

A plurality of columns for a check matrix that implements a distance d linear error correcting code are populated by providing a set of vectors from which to populate the columns, and applying to the set of vectors a filter operation that reduces the set by eliminating therefrom all vectors that would, if used to populate the columns, prevent the check matrix from satisfying a column-wise linear independence requirement associated with check matrices of distance d linear codes. One of the vectors from the reduced set may then be selected to populate one of the columns. The filtering and selecting repeats iteratively until either all of the columns are populated or the number of currently unpopulated columns exceeds the number of vectors in the reduced set. Columns for the check matrix may be processed to reduce the amount of logic needed to implement the check matrix in circuit logic.

Design, decoding and optimized implementation of SECDED codes over GF(q)

DOEpatents

Ward, H Lee; Ganti, Anand; Resnick, David R

2014-06-17

A plurality of columns for a check matrix that implements a distance d linear error correcting code are populated by providing a set of vectors from which to populate the columns, and applying to the set of vectors a filter operation that reduces the set by eliminating therefrom all vectors that would, if used to populate the columns, prevent the check matrix from satisfying a column-wise linear independence requirement associated with check matrices of distance d linear codes. One of the vectors from the reduced set may then be selected to populate one of the columns. The filtering and selecting repeats iteratively until either all of the columns are populated or the number of currently unpopulated columns exceeds the number of vectors in the reduced set. Columns for the check matrix may be processed to reduce the amount of logic needed to implement the check matrix in circuit logic.

Decoding and optimized implementation of SECDED codes over GF(q)

DOEpatents

Ward, H Lee; Ganti, Anand; Resnick, David R

2014-11-18

A plurality of columns for a check matrix that implements a distance d linear error correcting code are populated by providing a set of vectors from which to populate the columns, and applying to the set of vectors a filter operation that reduces the set by eliminating therefrom all vectors that would, if used to populate the columns, prevent the check matrix from satisfying a column-wise linear independence requirement associated with check matrices of distance d linear codes. One of the vectors from the reduced set may then be selected to populate one of the columns. The filtering and selecting repeats iteratively until either all of the columns are populated or the number of currently unpopulated columns exceeds the number of vectors in the reduced set. Columns for the check matrix may be processed to reduce the amount of logic needed to implement the check matrix in circuit logic.

High-Speed Linear Raman Spectroscopy for Instability Analysis of a Bluff Body Flame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kojima, Jun; Fischer, David

2013-01-01

We report a high-speed laser diagnostics technique based on point-wise linear Raman spectroscopy for measuring the frequency content of a CH4-air premixed flame stabilized behind a circular bluff body. The technique, which primarily employs a Nd:YLF pulsed laser and a fast image-intensified CCD camera, successfully measures the time evolution of scalar parameters (N2, O2, CH4, and H2O) in the vortex-induced flame instability at a data rate of 1 kHz. Oscillation of the V-shaped flame front is quantified through frequency analysis of the combustion species data and their correlations. This technique promises to be a useful diagnostics tool for combustion instability studies.

Monotonic non-linear transformations as a tool to investigate age-related effects on brain white matter integrity: A Box-Cox investigation.

PubMed

Morozova, Maria; Koschutnig, Karl; Klein, Elise; Wood, Guilherme

2016-01-15

Non-linear effects of age on white matter integrity are ubiquitous in the brain and indicate that these effects are more pronounced in certain brain regions at specific ages. Box-Cox analysis is a technique to increase the log-likelihood of linear relationships between variables by means of monotonic non-linear transformations. Here we employ Box-Cox transformations to flexibly and parsimoniously determine the degree of non-linearity of age-related effects on white matter integrity by means of model comparisons using a voxel-wise approach. Analysis of white matter integrity in a sample of adults between 20 and 89years of age (n=88) revealed that considerable portions of the white matter in the corpus callosum, cerebellum, pallidum, brainstem, superior occipito-frontal fascicle and optic radiation show non-linear effects of age. Global analyses revealed an increase in the average non-linearity from fractional anisotropy to radial diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and mean diffusivity. These results suggest that Box-Cox transformations are a useful and flexible tool to investigate more complex non-linear effects of age on white matter integrity and extend the functionality of the Box-Cox analysis in neuroimaging. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of wise protein and its molecular mechanism to interact with both Wnt and BMP signals.

PubMed

Lintern, Katherine B; Guidato, Sonia; Rowe, Alison; Saldanha, José W; Itasaki, Nobue

2009-08-21

Cross-talk of BMP and Wnt signaling pathways has been implicated in many aspects of biological events during embryogenesis and in adulthood. A secreted protein Wise and its orthologs (Sostdc1, USAG-1, and Ectodin) have been shown to modulate Wnt signaling and also inhibit BMP signals. Modulation of Wnt signaling activity by Wise is brought about by an interaction with the Wnt co-receptor LRP6, whereas BMP inhibition is by binding to BMP ligands. Here we have investigated the mode of action of Wise on Wnt and BMP signals. It was found that Wise binds LRP6 through one of three loops formed by the cystine knot. The Wise deletion construct lacking the LRP6-interacting loop domain nevertheless binds BMP4 and inhibits BMP signals. Moreover, BMP4 does not interfere with Wise-LRP6 binding, suggesting separate domains for the physical interaction. Functional assays also show that the ability of Wise to block Wnt1 activity through LRP6 is not impeded by BMP4. In contrast, the ability of Wise to inhibit BMP4 is prevented by additional LRP6, implying a preference of Wise in binding LRP6 over BMP4. In addition to the interaction of Wise with BMP4 and LRP6, the molecular characteristics of Wise, such as glycosylation and association with heparan sulfate proteoglycans on the cell surface, are suggested. This study helps to understand the multiple functions of Wise at the molecular level and suggests a possible role for Wise in balancing Wnt and BMP signals.

Direct AUC optimization of regulatory motifs.

PubMed

Zhu, Lin; Zhang, Hong-Bo; Huang, De-Shuang

2017-07-15

The discovery of transcription factor binding site (TFBS) motifs is essential for untangling the complex mechanism of genetic variation under different developmental and environmental conditions. Among the huge amount of computational approaches for de novo identification of TFBS motifs, discriminative motif learning (DML) methods have been proven to be promising for harnessing the discovery power of accumulated huge amount of high-throughput binding data. However, they have to sacrifice accuracy for speed and could fail to fully utilize the information of the input sequences. We propose a novel algorithm called CDAUC for optimizing DML-learned motifs based on the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) criterion, which has been widely used in the literature to evaluate the significance of extracted motifs. We show that when the considered AUC loss function is optimized in a coordinate-wise manner, the cost function of each resultant sub-problem is a piece-wise constant function, whose optimal value can be found exactly and efficiently. Further, a key step of each iteration of CDAUC can be efficiently solved as a computational geometry problem. Experimental results on real world high-throughput datasets illustrate that CDAUC outperforms competing methods for refining DML motifs, while being one order of magnitude faster. Meanwhile, preliminary results also show that CDAUC may also be useful for improving the interpretability of convolutional kernels generated by the emerging deep learning approaches for predicting TF sequences specificities. CDAUC is available at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BxOW5MtIZbJjNFpCeHlBVWJHeW8 . dshuang@tongji.edu.cn. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Wise, a context-dependent activator and inhibitor of Wnt signalling.

PubMed

Itasaki, Nobue; Jones, C Michael; Mercurio, Sara; Rowe, Alison; Domingos, Pedro M; Smith, James C; Krumlauf, Robb

2003-09-01

We have isolated a novel secreted molecule, Wise, by a functional screen for activities that alter the anteroposterior character of neuralised Xenopus animal caps. Wise encodes a secreted protein capable of inducing posterior neural markers at a distance. Phenotypes arising from ectopic expression or depletion of Wise resemble those obtained when Wnt signalling is altered. In animal cap assays, posterior neural markers can be induced by Wnt family members, and induction of these markers by Wise requires components of the canonical Wnt pathway. This indicates that in this context Wise activates the Wnt signalling cascade by mimicking some of the effects of Wnt ligands. Activation of the pathway was further confirmed by nuclear accumulation of beta-catenin driven by Wise. By contrast, in an assay for secondary axis induction, extracellularly Wise antagonises the axis-inducing ability of Wnt8. Thus, Wise can activate or inhibit Wnt signalling in a context-dependent manner. The Wise protein physically interacts with the Wnt co-receptor, lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6), and is able to compete with Wnt8 for binding to LRP6. These activities of Wise provide a new mechanism for integrating inputs through the Wnt coreceptor complex to modulate the balance of Wnt signalling.

Explanatory Supplement to the AllWISE Data Release Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutri, R. M.; Wright, E. L.; Conrow, T.; Fowler, J. W.; Eisenhardt, P. R. M.; Grillmair, C.; Kirkpatrick, J. D.; Masci, F.; McCallon, H. L.; Wheelock, S. L.; Fajardo-Acosta, S.; Yan, L.; Benford, D.; Harbut, M.; Jarrett, T.; Lake, S.; Leisawitz, D.; Ressler, M. E.; Stanford, S. A.; Tsai, C. W.; Liu, F.; Helou, G.; Mainzer, A.; Gettings, D.; Gonzalez, A.; Hoffman, D.; Marsh, K. A.; Padgett, D.; Skrutskie, M. F.; Beck, R. P.; Papin, M.; Wittman, M.

2013-11-01

The AllWISE program builds upon the successful Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE; Wright et al. 2010) mission by combining data from all WISE and NEOWISE (Mainzer et al. 2011) survey phases to form the most comprehensive view of the mid-infrared sky currently available. By combining the data from two complete sky coverage epochs in an advanced data processing system, AllWISE has generated new products that have enhanced photometric sensitivity and accuracy, and improved astrometric precision compared with the earlier WISE All-Sky Data Release. Exploiting the 6 month baseline between the WISE sky coverage epochs enables AllWISE to measure source motions for the first time, and to compute improved flux variability statistics. AllWISE data release products include: a Source Catalog that contains 4-band fluxes, positions, apparent motion measurements, and flux variability statistics for over 747 million objects detected at SNR>5 in the combined exposures; a Multiepoch Photometry Database containing over 42 billion time-tagged, single-exposure fluxes for each object detected on the combined exposures; and an Image Atlas of 18,240 4-band calibrated FITS images, depth-of-coverage and noise maps that cover the sky produced by coadding nearly 7.9 million single-exposure images from the cryogenic and post-cryogenic survey phases. The Explanatory Supplement to the AllWISE Data Release Products is a general guide for users of the AllWISE data. The Supplement contains detailed descriptions of the format and characteristics of the AllWISE data products, as well as a summary of cautionary notes that describe known limitations. The Supplement is an on-line document that is updated frequently to provide the most current information for users of the AllWISE data products. The Explanatory Supplement is maintained at: http://wise2.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/release/allwise/expsup/index.html AllWISE makes use of data from WISE, which is a joint project of the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, and NEOWISE, which is a project of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology. WISE and NEOWISE are funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

3D Geometrical Inspection of Complex Geometry Parts Using a Novel Laser Triangulation Sensor and a Robot

PubMed Central

Brosed, Francisco Javier; Aguilar, Juan José; Guillomía, David; Santolaria, Jorge

2011-01-01

This article discusses different non contact 3D measuring strategies and presents a model for measuring complex geometry parts, manipulated through a robot arm, using a novel vision system consisting of a laser triangulation sensor and a motorized linear stage. First, the geometric model incorporating an automatic simple module for long term stability improvement will be outlined in the article. The new method used in the automatic module allows the sensor set up, including the motorized linear stage, for the scanning avoiding external measurement devices. In the measurement model the robot is just a positioning of parts with high repeatability. Its position and orientation data are not used for the measurement and therefore it is not directly “coupled” as an active component in the model. The function of the robot is to present the various surfaces of the workpiece along the measurement range of the vision system, which is responsible for the measurement. Thus, the whole system is not affected by the robot own errors following a trajectory, except those due to the lack of static repeatability. For the indirect link between the vision system and the robot, the original model developed needs only one first piece measuring as a “zero” or master piece, known by its accurate measurement using, for example, a Coordinate Measurement Machine. The strategy proposed presents a different approach to traditional laser triangulation systems on board the robot in order to improve the measurement accuracy, and several important cues for self-recalibration are explored using only a master piece. Experimental results are also presented to demonstrate the technique and the final 3D measurement accuracy. PMID:22346569

IRAC Photometry of the Coldest CatWISE-selected Brown Dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meisner, Aaron; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Eisenhardt, Peter; Marocco, Federico; Faherty, Jacqueline; Cushing, Michael; Wright, Edward

2018-05-01

We will obtain IRAC [3.6] and [4.5] photometry of 250 extremely cool brown dwarfs newly revealed by the powerful combination of WISE and NEOWISE imaging at 4.6 microns. Our CatWISE effort, which is an archival data analysis program using WISE and NEOWISE data, will improve upon the motion selection of AllWISE by enabling a >10x time baseline enhancement, from 0.5 years (AllWISE) to 6.5 years (CatWISE). As a result, CatWISE motion selection is expected to yield a dramatic 8-fold increase in the sample of known brown dwarfs at spectral types T5 and later (T < 1,200 K). Many of the coolest such CatWISE discoveries will be detected exclusively in the WISE 4.6 micron (W2) channel. WISE W1 (3.4 micron) nondetections, which we expect for the majority of our most interesting sources, will provide only limits on mid-infrared color. Spitzer can supply this critical datum by measuring accurate [3.6]-[4.5] colors of our discoveries. These Spitzer color measurements will permit photometric spectral type estimates, which in turn yield estimates for critical parameters including luminosity, distance, and near-infrared flux. Using large [3.6]-[4.5] color to pinpoint the coldest late T and Y dwarfs among our CatWISE sample will enable us to prioritize these objects for spectroscopic follow-up, better understand the bottom of the substellar mass function, and identify nearby giant planet analogs suitable for future atmospheric studies with JWST.

WISE Photometry for 400 million SDSS sources

DOE PAGES

Lang, Dustin; Hogg, David W.; Schlegel, David J.

2016-01-28

Here, we present photometry of images from the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) of over 400 million sources detected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We also use a "forced photometry" technique, using measured SDSS source positions, star-galaxy classification, and galaxy profiles to define the sources whose fluxes are to be measured in the WISE images. We perform photometry with The Tractor image modeling code, working on our "unWISE" coaddds and taking account of the WISE point-spread function and a noise model. The result is a measurement of the flux of each SDSS source in each WISE band. Manymore » sources have little flux in the WISE bands, so often the measurements we report are consistent with zero given our uncertainties. But, for many sources we get 3σ or 4σ measurements; these sources would not be reported by the "official" WISE pipeline and will not appear in the WISE catalog, yet they can be highly informative for some scientific questions. In addition, these small-signal measurements can be used in stacking analyses at the catalog level. The forced photometry approach has the advantage that we measure a consistent set of sources between SDSS and WISE, taking advantage of the resolution and depth of the SDSS images to interpret the WISE images; objects that are resolved in SDSS but blended together in WISE still have accurate measurements in our photometry. Our results, and the code used to produce them, are publicly available at http://unwise.me.« less

Resolving precipitation-induced water content profiles through inversion of dispersive GPR data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mangel, A. R.; Moysey, S. M.; Van Der Kruk, J.

2015-12-01

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has become a popular tool for monitoring hydrologic processes. When monitoring infiltration, the thin wetted zone that occurs near the ground surface at early times may act as a dispersive waveguide. This low-velocity layer traps the GPR waves, causing specific frequencies of the signal to travel at different phase velocities, confounding standard traveltime analysis. In a previous numerical study we demonstrated the potential of dispersion analysis for estimating the depth distribution of waveguide water contents. Here, we evaluate the effectiveness of the methodology when applying it to experimental time-lapse dispersive GPR data collected during a laboratory infiltration experiment in a relatively homogenous soil. A large sand-filled tank is equipped with an automated gantry to independently control the position of 1000 MHz source and receiver antennas. The system was programmed to repeatedly collect a common mid-point (CMP) profile at the center of the tank followed by two constant offset profiles (COP) in the x and y direction. Each collection was completed in 30 s and repeated 50 times during a 28 min experiment. Two minutes after the start of measurements, the surface of the sand was irrigated at a constant flux rate of 0.006 cm/sec for 23 minutes. Time-lapse COPs show increases in traveltime to reflectors in the tank associated with increasing water content, as well as the development of a wetting front reflection. From 4-10 min, the CMPs show a distinct shingling characteristic that is indicative of waveguide dispersion. Forward models where the waveguide is conceptualized as discrete layers and a piece-wise linear function were used to invert picked dispersion curves for waveguide properties. We show the results from both inversion approaches for multiple dispersive CMPs and show how the single layer model fails to represent the gradational nature of the wetting front.

A mathematical model for filtration and macromolecule transport across capillary walls.

PubMed

Facchini, L; Bellin, A; Toro, E F

2014-07-01

Metabolic substrates, such as oxygen and glucose, are rapidly delivered to the cells of large organisms through filtration across microvessels walls. Modelling this important process is complicated by the strong coupling between flow and transport equations, which are linked through the osmotic pressure induced by the colloidal plasma proteins. The microvessel wall is a composite media with the internal glycocalyx layer exerting a strong sieving effect on macromolecules, with respect to the external layer composed by the endothelial cells. The physiological structure of the microvessel is represented as the superimposition of two membranes with different properties; the inner membrane represents the glycocalyx, while the outer membrane represents the surrounding endothelial cells. Application of the mass conservation principle and thermodynamic considerations lead to a model composed of two coupled second-order ordinary differential equations for the hydrostatic and osmotic pressures, one, expressing volumetric mass conservation and the other, which is non-linear in the unknown osmotic pressure, expressing macromolecules mass conservation. Despite the complexity of the system, the assumption that the properties of the layers are piece-wise constant allows us to obtain analytical solutions for the two pressures. This solution is in agreement with experimental observations, which contrary to common belief, show that flow reversal cannot occur in steady-state conditions unless the hydrostatic pressure in the lumen drops below physiologically plausible values. The observed variations of the volumetric flux and the solute mass flux in case of a significant reduction of the hydrostatic pressure at the lumen are in qualitative agreement with observed variations during detailed experiments reported in the literature. On the other hand, homogenising the microvessel wall into a single-layer membrane with equivalent properties leads to a very different distribution of pressure across the microvessel walls, not consistent with observations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wise Detections of Known QSOS at Redshifts Greater Than Six

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blain, Andrew W.; Assef, Roberto; Stern, Daniel; Tsai, Chao-Wei; Eisenhardt, Peter; Bridge, Carrie; Benford, Dominic; Jarrett, Tom; Cutri, Roc; Petty, Sara;

Wise retained in the endoplasmic reticulum inhibits Wnt signaling by reducing cell surface LRP6.

PubMed

Guidato, Sonia; Itasaki, Nobue

2007-10-15

The Wnt signaling pathway is tightly regulated by extracellular and intracellular modulators. Wise was isolated as a secreted protein capable of interacting with the Wnt co-receptor LRP6. Studies in Xenopus embryos revealed that Wise either enhances or inhibits the Wnt pathway depending on the cellular context. Here we show that the cellular localization of Wise has distinct effects on the Wnt pathway readout. While secreted Wise either synergizes or inhibits the Wnt signals depending on the partner ligand, ER-retained Wise consistently blocks the Wnt pathway. ER-retained Wise reduces LRP6 on the cell surface, making cells less susceptible to the Wnt signal. This study provides a cellular mechanism for the action of Wise and introduces the modulation of cellular susceptibility to Wnt signals as a novel mechanism of the regulation of the Wnt pathway.

Linear response of mutans streptococci to increasing frequency of xylitol chewing gum use: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN43479664].

PubMed

Ly, Kiet A; Milgrom, Peter; Roberts, Marilyn C; Yamaguchi, David K; Rothen, Marilynn; Mueller, Greg

2006-03-24

Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar substitute that has been shown to reduce the level of mutans streptococci in plaque and saliva and to reduce tooth decay. It has been suggested that the degree of reduction is dependent on both the amount and the frequency of xylitol consumption. For xylitol to be successfully and cost-effectively used in public health prevention strategies dosing and frequency guidelines should be established. This study determined the reduction in mutans streptococci levels in plaque and unstimulated saliva to increasing frequency of xylitol gum use at a fixed total daily dose of 10.32 g over five weeks. Participants (n = 132) were randomized to either active groups (10.32 g xylitol/day) or a placebo control (9.828 g sorbitol and 0.7 g maltitol/day). All groups chewed 12 pieces of gum per day. The control group chewed 4 times/day and active groups chewed xylitol gum at a frequency of 2 times/day, 3 times/day, or 4 times/day. The 12 gum pieces were evenly divided into the frequency assigned to each group. Plaque and unstimulated saliva samples were taken at baseline and five-weeks and were cultured on modified Mitis Salivarius agar for mutans streptococci enumeration. There were no significant differences in mutans streptococci level among the groups at baseline. At five-weeks, mutans streptococci levels in plaque and unstimulated saliva showed a linear reduction with increasing frequency of xylitol chewing gum use at the constant daily dose. Although the difference observed for the group that chewed xylitol 2 times/day was consistent with the linear model, the difference was not significant. There was a linear reduction in mutans streptococci levels in plaque and saliva with increasing frequency of xylitol gum use at a constant daily dose. Reduction at a consumption frequency of 2 times per day was small and consistent with the linear-response line but was not statistically significant.

WiseView: Visualizing motion and variability of faint WISE sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caselden, Dan; Westin, Paul, III; Meisner, Aaron; Kuchner, Marc; Colin, Guillaume

2018-06-01

WiseView renders image blinks of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) coadds spanning a multi-year time baseline in a browser. The software allows for easy visual identification of motion and variability for sources far beyond the single-frame detection limit, a key threshold not surmounted by many studies. WiseView transparently gathers small image cutouts drawn from many terabytes of unWISE coadds, facilitating access to this large and unique dataset. Users need only input the coordinates of interest and can interactively tune parameters including the image stretch, colormap and blink rate. WiseView was developed in the context of the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 citizen science project, and has enabled hundreds of brown dwarf candidate discoveries by citizen scientists and professional astronomers.

Accounting for Non-Gaussian Sources of Spatial Correlation in Parametric Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Paradigms I: Revisiting Cluster-Based Inferences.

PubMed

Gopinath, Kaundinya; Krishnamurthy, Venkatagiri; Sathian, K

2018-02-01

In a recent study, Eklund et al. employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data as a surrogate for null functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) datasets and posited that cluster-wise family-wise error (FWE) rate-corrected inferences made by using parametric statistical methods in fMRI studies over the past two decades may have been invalid, particularly for cluster defining thresholds less stringent than p < 0.001; this was principally because the spatial autocorrelation functions (sACF) of fMRI data had been modeled incorrectly to follow a Gaussian form, whereas empirical data suggested otherwise. Here, we show that accounting for non-Gaussian signal components such as those arising from resting-state neural activity as well as physiological responses and motion artifacts in the null fMRI datasets yields first- and second-level general linear model analysis residuals with nearly uniform and Gaussian sACF. Further comparison with nonparametric permutation tests indicates that cluster-based FWE corrected inferences made with Gaussian spatial noise approximations are valid.

Adaptive nonlinear robust relative pose control of spacecraft autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations.

PubMed

Sun, Liang; Huo, Wei; Jiao, Zongxia

2017-03-01

This paper studies relative pose control for a rigid spacecraft with parametric uncertainties approaching to an unknown tumbling target in disturbed space environment. State feedback controllers for relative translation and relative rotation are designed in an adaptive nonlinear robust control framework. The element-wise and norm-wise adaptive laws are utilized to compensate the parametric uncertainties of chaser and target spacecraft, respectively. External disturbances acting on two spacecraft are treated as a lumped and bounded perturbation input for system. To achieve the prescribed disturbance attenuation performance index, feedback gains of controllers are designed by solving linear matrix inequality problems so that lumped disturbance attenuation with respect to the controlled output is ensured in the L 2 -gain sense. Moreover, in the absence of lumped disturbance input, asymptotical convergence of relative pose are proved by using the Lyapunov method. Numerical simulations are performed to show that position tracking and attitude synchronization are accomplished in spite of the presence of couplings and uncertainties. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhanced eumelanin emission by stepwise three-photon excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerimo, Josef; Rajadhyaksha, Milind; DiMarzio, Charles A.

2011-03-01

Eumelanin fluorescence from Sepia officinalis and black human hair was activated with near-infrared radiation and multiphoton excitation. A third order multiphoton absorption by a step-wise process appears to be the underlying mechanism. The activation was caused by a photochemical process since it could not be reproduced by simple heating. Both fluorescence and brightfield imaging indicate the near-infrared irradiation caused photodamage to the eumelanin and the activated emission originated from the photodamaged region. At least two different components with about thousand-fold enhanced fluorescence were activated and could be distinguished by their excitation properties. One component was excited with wavelengths in the visible region and exhibited linear absorption dependence. The second component could be excited with near-infrared wavelengths and had a third order dependence on the laser power. The third order dependence is explained by a step-wise excited state absorption (ESA) process since it could be observed equally with the CW and femtosecond lasers. The new method for photoactivating the eumelanin fluorescence was used to map the melanin content in human hair.

Design and analysis of a field modulated magnetic screw for artificial heart

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ling, Zhijian; Ji, Jinghua; Wang, Fangqun; Bian, Fangfang

2017-05-01

This paper proposes a new electromechanical energy conversion system, called Field Modulated Magnetic Screw (FMMS) as a high force density linear actuator for artificial heart. This device is based on the concept of magnetic screw and linear magnetic gear. The proposed FMMS consists of three parts with the outer and inner carrying the radially magnetized helically permanent-magnet (PM), and the intermediate having a set of helically ferromagnetic pole pieces, which modulate the magnetic fields produced by the PMs. The configuration of the newly designed FMMS is presented and its electromagnetic performances are analyzed by using the finite-element analysis, verifying the advantages of the proposed structure.

Spacewatch Survey for Asteroids and Comets

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-11-01

radar images. Relationship of Spacewatch to the WISE spacecraft mission: E. L. Wright of the UCLA Astronomy Dept. is the PI of the Wide-field Infrared ...Survey Explorer (WISE) MIDEX spacecraft mission. WISE will map the whole sky at thermal infrared wavelengths with 500 times more sensitivity than the...elongations. WISE=s detections in the thermal infrared will also provide a size-limited sample of asteroids instead of the brightness-limited surveys

Spin-Based Lattice-Gas Quantum Computers in Solids Using Optical Addressing

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-30

excitation spectra recorded while changing step wise the applied electric field from zero to 0.3 MVm 1. The resulting spectral trails give an overview of...optics (Wiley, New York, 1984). 24 to a few MVm ’, the Stark shift of the optical resonance is well fitted by linear and quadratic dependences, Av= aF+bF2...effect with a = - 6.3 GHz/ MVm n which corresponds to Ag = 1.3 D (I Debye = 3.33 1030 Cm). This value is very similar to values found in other cases

Application of ERTS-1 imagery to the study of caribou movements and winter dispersal in relation to prevailing snowcover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lent, P. C. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Step-wise discriminate analysis has demonstrated the feasibility of feature identification using linear discriminate functions of ERTS-1 MSS band densities and their ratios. The analysis indicated that features such as small streams can be detected even when they are in dark mountain shadow. The potential utility of this and similar analytic techniques appears considerable, and the limits it can be applied to analysis of ERTS-1 imagery are not yet fully known.

A variational method for analyzing limit cycle oscillations in stochastic hybrid systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bressloff, Paul C.; MacLaurin, James

2018-06-01

Many systems in biology can be modeled through ordinary differential equations, which are piece-wise continuous, and switch between different states according to a Markov jump process known as a stochastic hybrid system or piecewise deterministic Markov process (PDMP). In the fast switching limit, the dynamics converges to a deterministic ODE. In this paper, we develop a phase reduction method for stochastic hybrid systems that support a stable limit cycle in the deterministic limit. A classic example is the Morris-Lecar model of a neuron, where the switching Markov process is the number of open ion channels and the continuous process is the membrane voltage. We outline a variational principle for the phase reduction, yielding an exact analytic expression for the resulting phase dynamics. We demonstrate that this decomposition is accurate over timescales that are exponential in the switching rate ɛ-1 . That is, we show that for a constant C, the probability that the expected time to leave an O(a) neighborhood of the limit cycle is less than T scales as T exp (-C a /ɛ ) .

Alcohol Outcome Expectancies as Socially Shared and Socialized Beliefs

PubMed Central

Donovan, John E.; Molina, Brooke S. G.; Kelly, Thomas M.

2008-01-01

Alcohol expectancies are important predictors of alcohol involvement in both adolescents and adults, yet little research has examined the social origins and transmission of these beliefs. This paper examined alcohol outcome expectancies collected in a cohort-sequential longitudinal study of 452 families with children followed over seven waves. Children completed interviews every six months, and parents completed interviews annually. Eighteen of 27 alcohol expectancies were highly consensual, being endorsed by significantly more than 67% of the mothers and fathers. These consensual expectancies were also highly stable over a 3-year period. Over the same period, children increased their adoption of both the positive and negative consensual alcohol expectancies. Unconditional latent growth modeling showed that piece-wise growth models with a transition at age 12 fit the data best. Both the positive and negative consensual expectancies were adopted at a faster rate between ages 8.5 and 11.5 than between ages 12 and 13.5. For negative expectancies, there was no further growth between ages 12 and 13.5. Taken together, these findings support the conceptualization of alcohol outcome expectancies as socially-shared and transmitted beliefs. PMID:19586141

Ultrahigh-Temperature Regeneration of Long Period Gratings (LPGs) in Boron-Codoped Germanosilicate Optical Fibre

PubMed Central

Liu, Wen; Cook, Kevin; Canning, John

2015-01-01

The regeneration of UV-written long period gratings (LPG) in boron-codoped germanosilicate “W” fibre is demonstrated and studied. They survive temperatures over 1000 °C. Compared with regenerated FBGs fabricated in the same type of fibre, the evolution curves of LPGs during regeneration and post-annealing reveal even more detail of glass relaxation. Piece-wise temperature dependence is observed, indicating the onset of a phase transition of glass in the core and inner cladding at ~500 °C and ~250 °C, and the melting of inner cladding between 860 °C and 900 °C. An asymmetric spectral response with increasing and decreasing annealing temperature points to the complex process dependent material system response. Resonant wavelength tuning by adjusting the dwell temperature at which regeneration is undertaken is demonstrated, showing a shorter resonant wavelength and shorter time for stabilisation with higher dwell temperatures. All the regenerated LPGs are nearly strain-insensitive and cannot be tuned by applying loads during annealing as done for regenerated FBGs. PMID:26307991

A novel scatter-matrix eigenvalues-based total variation (SMETV) regularization for medical image restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Zhenghua; Zhang, Tianxu; Deng, Lihua; Fang, Hao; Li, Qian

2015-12-01

Total variation(TV) based on regularization has been proven as a popular and effective model for image restoration, because of its ability of edge preserved. However, as the TV favors a piece-wise constant solution, the processing results in the flat regions of the image are easily produced "staircase effects", and the amplitude of the edges will be underestimated; the underlying cause of the problem is that the regularization parameter can not be changeable with spatial local information of image. In this paper, we propose a novel Scatter-matrix eigenvalues-based TV(SMETV) regularization with image blind restoration algorithm for deblurring medical images. The spatial information in different image regions is incorporated into regularization by using the edge indicator called difference eigenvalue to distinguish edges from flat areas. The proposed algorithm can effectively reduce the noise in flat regions as well as preserve the edge and detailed information. Moreover, it becomes more robust with the change of the regularization parameter. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed approach produces results superior to most methods in both visual image quality and quantitative measures.

Tri-linear color multi-linescan sensor with 200 kHz line rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrey, Olaf; Brockherde, Werner; Nitta, Christian; Bechen, Benjamin; Bodenstorfer, Ernst; Brodersen, Jörg; Mayer, Konrad J.

2016-11-01

In this paper we present a newly developed linear CMOS high-speed line-scanning sensor realized in a 0.35 μm CMOS OPTO process for line-scan with 200 kHz true RGB and 600 kHz monochrome line rate, respectively. In total, 60 lines are integrated in the sensor allowing for electronic position adjustment. The lines are read out in rolling shutter manner. The high readout speed is achieved by a column-wise organization of the readout chain. At full speed, the sensor provides RGB color images with a spatial resolution down to 50 μm. This feature enables a variety of applications like quality assurance in print inspection, real-time surveillance of railroad tracks, in-line monitoring in flat panel fabrication lines and many more. The sensor has a fill-factor close to 100%, preventing aliasing and color artefacts. Hence the tri-linear technology is robust against aliasing ensuring better inspection quality and thus less waste in production lines.

Cool Astronomy: Education and Public Outreach for the WISE mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendez, Bryan J.

2011-01-01

The Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) aims to educate and engage students, teachers, and the general public in the endeavor of science. We bring a collection of accomplished professionals in formal and informal astronomy education from around the nation to create learning materials and experiences that appeal to broad audiences. Our E/PO program trains teachers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics related to WISE; creates standards-based classroom resources and lessons using WISE data and WISE-related STEM topics; develops interactive programming for museums and science centers; and inspires the public with WISE science and images.

A compositional framework for Markov processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baez, John C.; Fong, Brendan; Pollard, Blake S.

2016-03-01

We define the concept of an "open" Markov process, or more precisely, continuous-time Markov chain, which is one where probability can flow in or out of certain states called "inputs" and "outputs." One can build up a Markov process from smaller open pieces. This process is formalized by making open Markov processes into the morphisms of a dagger compact category. We show that the behavior of a detailed balanced open Markov process is determined by a principle of minimum dissipation, closely related to Prigogine's principle of minimum entropy production. Using this fact, we set up a functor mapping open detailed balanced Markov processes to open circuits made of linear resistors. We also describe how to "black box" an open Markov process, obtaining the linear relation between input and output data that holds in any steady state, including nonequilibrium steady states with a nonzero flow of probability through the system. We prove that black boxing gives a symmetric monoidal dagger functor sending open detailed balanced Markov processes to Lagrangian relations between symplectic vector spaces. This allows us to compute the steady state behavior of an open detailed balanced Markov process from the behaviors of smaller pieces from which it is built. We relate this black box functor to a previously constructed black box functor for circuits.

Reuse of solid petroleum waste in the manufacture of porcelain stoneware tile.

PubMed

Pinheiro, B C A; Holanda, J N F

2013-03-30

This study investigates the incorporation of solid petroleum waste as raw material into a porcelain stoneware tile body, in replacement to natural kaolin material by up to 5 wt.%. Tile formulations containing solid petroleum waste were pressed and fired at 1240 °C by using a fast-firing cycle. The tile pieces were tested to determine their properties (linear shrinkage, water absorption, apparent density, and flexural strength), sintered microstructure, and leaching toxicity. The results therefore indicated that the growing addition of solid petroleum waste into tile formulations leads to a decrease of linear shrinkage, apparent density, and flexural strength, and to an increase of water absorption of the produced tile materials. It was also found that the replacement of kaolin with solid petroleum waste, in the range up to 2.5 wt.%, allows the production of porcelain stoneware tile (group BIa, ISO 13006 standard). All concentrations of Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Cr (total), Hg, and Pb of the fired porcelain stoneware tile pieces in the leachate comply with the current regulatory limits. These results indicate that the solid petroleum waste could be used for high-quality porcelain stoneware tile production, thus giving rise to a new possibility for an environmentally friendly management of this abundant waste. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Public awareness and misunderstanding about DrinkWise Australia: a cross-sectional survey of Australian adults.

PubMed

Brennan, Emily; Wakefield, Melanie A; Durkin, Sarah J; Jernigan, David H; Dixon, Helen G; Pettigrew, Simone

2017-08-01

DrinkWise Australia is an alcohol industry Social Aspects/Public Relations Organisation (SAPRO). We assessed the Australian public's awareness of DrinkWise, beliefs about its funding source, and associations between funding beliefs and perceptions of DrinkWise. A total of 467 adult weekly drinkers completed an online cross-sectional survey in February 2016. Half the sample had heard of DrinkWise (48.6%); of these, the proportion aware that DrinkWise is industry funded (37.0%) was much smaller than the proportion believing it receives government funding (84.1%). Respondents who incorrectly believed DrinkWise receives government funding were more likely to hold a favourable perception of the organisation's credibility, trustworthiness and respectability than those who did not believe it receives government funding (75.9% vs. 58.3%; p=0.032). The drinking population is vulnerable to believing that alcohol industry public relations organisations such as DrinkWise are government funded, which in turn is associated with more favourable perceptions of the organisation's credibility, trustworthiness, and respectability. Implications for public health: Favourable perceptions of DrinkWise may enhance the industry's ability to delay or dilute potentially effective alcohol control policies. Future research should investigate whether educating the public about DrinkWise's alcohol industry funding alters the public's perception of how credible, trustworthy and respectable the organisation is. © 2017 The Authors.

Expression of Wise in chick embryos.

PubMed

Shigetani, Y; Itasaki, N

2007-08-01

We have performed in situ hybridization to study the expression of Wise in early chick embryos. Wise expression is first detectable in the ectoderm at posterior levels of late neurula. As development proceeds, Wise expression is seen in specific patterns in the ectoderm of the trunk region, pharyngeal arches, limb buds, and feather buds. In addition to these areas, particular cartilages such as the ones in the maxillary process and limbs start to express Wise at the late pharyngula stage, and the expression in these cartilages becomes stronger than that in epidermal components at later stages. Importantly, Wise is expressed in regions where other signaling molecules such as Wnt, Bmp, and Shh are known to function in morphogenesis and differentiation. Direct comparisons of the expression of Wise and these genes are also demonstrated. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

WISE PHOTOMETRY FOR 400 MILLION SDSS SOURCES

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

Lang, Dustin; Hogg, David W.; Schlegel, David J., E-mail: dstndstn@gmail.com

2016-02-15

We present photometry of images from the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) of over 400 million sources detected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We use a “forced photometry” technique, using measured SDSS source positions, star–galaxy classification, and galaxy profiles to define the sources whose fluxes are to be measured in the WISE images. We perform photometry with The Tractor image modeling code, working on our “unWISE” coaddds and taking account of the WISE point-spread function and a noise model. The result is a measurement of the flux of each SDSS source in each WISE band. Many sources havemore » little flux in the WISE bands, so often the measurements we report are consistent with zero given our uncertainties. However, for many sources we get 3σ or 4σ measurements; these sources would not be reported by the “official” WISE pipeline and will not appear in the WISE catalog, yet they can be highly informative for some scientific questions. In addition, these small-signal measurements can be used in stacking analyses at the catalog level. The forced photometry approach has the advantage that we measure a consistent set of sources between SDSS and WISE, taking advantage of the resolution and depth of the SDSS images to interpret the WISE images; objects that are resolved in SDSS but blended together in WISE still have accurate measurements in our photometry. Our results, and the code used to produce them, are publicly available at http://unwise.me.« less

Enzyme Architecture: Self-Assembly of Enzyme and Substrate Pieces of Glycerol-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase into a Robust Catalyst of Hydride Transfer.

PubMed

Reyes, Archie C; Amyes, Tina L; Richard, John P

2016-11-23

The stabilization of the transition state for hlGPDH-catalyzed reduction of DHAP due to the action of the phosphodianion of DHAP and the cationic side chain of R269 is between 12.4 and 17 kcal/mol. The R269A mutation of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (hlGPDH) results in a 9.1 kcal/mol destabilization of the transition state for enzyme-catalyzed reduction of dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) by NADH, and there is a 6.7 kcal/mol stabilization of this transition state by 1.0 M guanidine cation (Gua + ) [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 5312-5315]. The R269A mutant shows no detectable activity toward reduction of glycolaldehyde (GA), or activation of this reaction by 30 mM HPO 3 2- . We report the unprecedented self-assembly of R269A hlGPDH, dianions (X 2- = FPO 3 2- , HPO 3 2- , or SO 4 2- ), Gua + and GA into a functioning catalyst of the reduction of GA, and fourth-order reaction rate constants k cat /K GA K X K Gua . The linear logarithmic correlation (slope = 1.0) between values of k cat /K GA K X for dianion activation of wildtype hlGPDH-catalyzed reduction of GA and k cat /K GA K X K Gua shows that the electrostatic interaction between exogenous dianions and the side chain of R269 is not significantly perturbed by cutting hlGPDH into R269A and Gua + pieces. The advantage for connection of hlGPDH (R269A mutant + Gua + ) and substrate pieces (GA + HP i ) pieces, (ΔG S ‡ ) HPi+E+Gua = 5.6 kcal/mol, is nearly equal to the sum of the advantage to connection of the substrate pieces, (ΔG S ‡ ) GA+HPi = 3.3 kcal/mol, for wildtype hlGPDH-catalyzed reaction of GA + HP i , and for connection of the enzyme pieces, (ΔG S ‡ ) E+Gua = 2.4 kcal/mol, for Gua + activation of the R269A hlGPDH-catalyzed reaction of DHAP.

Stimulus-related independent component and voxel-wise analysis of human brain activity during free viewing of a feature film.

PubMed

Lahnakoski, Juha M; Salmi, Juha; Jääskeläinen, Iiro P; Lampinen, Jouko; Glerean, Enrico; Tikka, Pia; Sams, Mikko

2012-01-01

Understanding how the brain processes stimuli in a rich natural environment is a fundamental goal of neuroscience. Here, we showed a feature film to 10 healthy volunteers during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of hemodynamic brain activity. We then annotated auditory and visual features of the motion picture to inform analysis of the hemodynamic data. The annotations were fitted to both voxel-wise data and brain network time courses extracted by independent component analysis (ICA). Auditory annotations correlated with two independent components (IC) disclosing two functional networks, one responding to variety of auditory stimulation and another responding preferentially to speech but parts of the network also responding to non-verbal communication. Visual feature annotations correlated with four ICs delineating visual areas according to their sensitivity to different visual stimulus features. In comparison, a separate voxel-wise general linear model based analysis disclosed brain areas preferentially responding to sound energy, speech, music, visual contrast edges, body motion and hand motion which largely overlapped the results revealed by ICA. Differences between the results of IC- and voxel-based analyses demonstrate that thorough analysis of voxel time courses is important for understanding the activity of specific sub-areas of the functional networks, while ICA is a valuable tool for revealing novel information about functional connectivity which need not be explained by the predefined model. Our results encourage the use of naturalistic stimuli and tasks in cognitive neuroimaging to study how the brain processes stimuli in rich natural environments.

Statistical assessment of bi-exponential diffusion weighted imaging signal characteristics induced by intravoxel incoherent motion in malignant breast tumors

PubMed Central

Wong, Oi Lei; Lo, Gladys G.; Chan, Helen H. L.; Wong, Ting Ting; Cheung, Polly S. Y.

2016-01-01

Background The purpose of this study is to statistically assess whether bi-exponential intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) model better characterizes diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) signal of malignant breast tumor than mono-exponential Gaussian diffusion model. Methods 3 T DWI data of 29 malignant breast tumors were retrospectively included. Linear least-square mono-exponential fitting and segmented least-square bi-exponential fitting were used for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and IVIM parameter quantification, respectively. F-test and Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) were used to statistically assess the preference of mono-exponential and bi-exponential model using region-of-interests (ROI)-averaged and voxel-wise analysis. Results For ROI-averaged analysis, 15 tumors were significantly better fitted by bi-exponential function and 14 tumors exhibited mono-exponential behavior. The calculated ADC, D (true diffusion coefficient) and f (pseudo-diffusion fraction) showed no significant differences between mono-exponential and bi-exponential preferable tumors. Voxel-wise analysis revealed that 27 tumors contained more voxels exhibiting mono-exponential DWI decay while only 2 tumors presented more bi-exponential decay voxels. ADC was consistently and significantly larger than D for both ROI-averaged and voxel-wise analysis. Conclusions Although the presence of IVIM effect in malignant breast tumors could be suggested, statistical assessment shows that bi-exponential fitting does not necessarily better represent the DWI signal decay in breast cancer under clinically typical acquisition protocol and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Our study indicates the importance to statistically examine the breast cancer DWI signal characteristics in practice. PMID:27709078

Evaluation of interpolation techniques for the creation of gridded daily precipitation (1 × 1 km2); Cyprus, 1980-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camera, Corrado; Bruggeman, Adriana; Hadjinicolaou, Panos; Pashiardis, Stelios; Lange, Manfred A.

2014-01-01

High-resolution gridded daily data sets are essential for natural resource management and the analyses of climate changes and their effects. This study aims to evaluate the performance of 15 simple or complex interpolation techniques in reproducing daily precipitation at a resolution of 1 km2 over topographically complex areas. Methods are tested considering two different sets of observation densities and different rainfall amounts. We used rainfall data that were recorded at 74 and 145 observational stations, respectively, spread over the 5760 km2 of the Republic of Cyprus, in the Eastern Mediterranean. Regression analyses utilizing geographical copredictors and neighboring interpolation techniques were evaluated both in isolation and combined. Linear multiple regression (LMR) and geographically weighted regression methods (GWR) were tested. These included a step-wise selection of covariables, as well as inverse distance weighting (IDW), kriging, and 3D-thin plate splines (TPS). The relative rank of the different techniques changes with different station density and rainfall amounts. Our results indicate that TPS performs well for low station density and large-scale events and also when coupled with regression models. It performs poorly for high station density. The opposite is observed when using IDW. Simple IDW performs best for local events, while a combination of step-wise GWR and IDW proves to be the best method for large-scale events and high station density. This study indicates that the use of step-wise regression with a variable set of geographic parameters can improve the interpolation of large-scale events because it facilitates the representation of local climate dynamics.

Stimulus-Related Independent Component and Voxel-Wise Analysis of Human Brain Activity during Free Viewing of a Feature Film

PubMed Central

Lahnakoski, Juha M.; Salmi, Juha; Jääskeläinen, Iiro P.; Lampinen, Jouko; Glerean, Enrico; Tikka, Pia; Sams, Mikko

2012-01-01

Understanding how the brain processes stimuli in a rich natural environment is a fundamental goal of neuroscience. Here, we showed a feature film to 10 healthy volunteers during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of hemodynamic brain activity. We then annotated auditory and visual features of the motion picture to inform analysis of the hemodynamic data. The annotations were fitted to both voxel-wise data and brain network time courses extracted by independent component analysis (ICA). Auditory annotations correlated with two independent components (IC) disclosing two functional networks, one responding to variety of auditory stimulation and another responding preferentially to speech but parts of the network also responding to non-verbal communication. Visual feature annotations correlated with four ICs delineating visual areas according to their sensitivity to different visual stimulus features. In comparison, a separate voxel-wise general linear model based analysis disclosed brain areas preferentially responding to sound energy, speech, music, visual contrast edges, body motion and hand motion which largely overlapped the results revealed by ICA. Differences between the results of IC- and voxel-based analyses demonstrate that thorough analysis of voxel time courses is important for understanding the activity of specific sub-areas of the functional networks, while ICA is a valuable tool for revealing novel information about functional connectivity which need not be explained by the predefined model. Our results encourage the use of naturalistic stimuli and tasks in cognitive neuroimaging to study how the brain processes stimuli in rich natural environments. PMID:22496909

Recent trends of groundwater temperatures in Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benz, Susanne A.; Bayer, Peter; Winkler, Gerfried; Blum, Philipp

2018-06-01

Climate change is one of if not the most pressing challenge modern society faces. Increasing temperatures are observed all over the planet and the impact of climate change on the hydrogeological cycle has long been shown. However, so far we have insufficient knowledge on the influence of atmospheric warming on shallow groundwater temperatures. While some studies analyse the implication climate change has for selected wells, large-scale studies are so far lacking. Here we focus on the combined impact of climate change in the atmosphere and local hydrogeological conditions on groundwater temperatures in 227 wells in Austria, which have in part been observed since 1964. A linear analysis finds a temperature change of +0.7 ± 0.8 K in the years from 1994 to 2013. In the same timeframe surface air temperatures in Austria increased by 0.5 ± 0.3 K, displaying a much smaller variety. However, most of the extreme changes in groundwater temperatures can be linked to local hydrogeological conditions. Correlation between groundwater temperatures and nearby surface air temperatures was additionally analysed. They vary greatly, with correlation coefficients of -0.3 in central Linz to 0.8 outside of Graz. In contrast, the correlation of nationwide groundwater temperatures and surface air temperatures is high, with a correlation coefficient of 0.83. All of these findings indicate that while atmospheric climate change can be observed in nationwide groundwater temperatures, individual wells are often primarily dominated by local hydrogeological conditions. In addition to the linear temperature trend, a step-wise model was also applied that identifies climate regime shifts, which were observed globally in the late 70s, 80s, and 90s. Hinting again at the influence of local conditions, at most 22 % of all wells show these climate regime shifts. However, we were able to identify an additional shift in 2007, which was observed by 37 % of all wells. Overall, the step-wise representation provides a slightly more accurate picture of observed temperatures than the linear trend.

Design and implementation of a non-linear symphonic soundtrack of a video game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sporka, Adam J.; Valta, Jan

2017-10-01

The music in the contemporary video games is often interactive. The music playback is based on transitions between pieces of available music material. These transitions happen in response to evolving gameplay. This paradigm is referred to as the adaptive music. Our challenge was to design, create, and implement the soundtrack of the upcoming video game Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Our soundtrack is a collection of compositions with symphonic orchestration. Per our design decision, our intention was to implement the adaptive music in a way which respected the nature of the orchestral film score. We created our own adaptive music middleware, called Sequence Music Engine, implementing a high-level music logic as well as the low-level playback infrastructure. Our system can handle hours of video game music, helps maintain the relevance of the music throughout the video game, and minimises the repetitiveness of the individual pieces.

Identifying musical pieces from fMRI data using encoding and decoding models.

PubMed

Hoefle, Sebastian; Engel, Annerose; Basilio, Rodrigo; Alluri, Vinoo; Toiviainen, Petri; Cagy, Maurício; Moll, Jorge

2018-02-02

Encoding models can reveal and decode neural representations in the visual and semantic domains. However, a thorough understanding of how distributed information in auditory cortices and temporal evolution of music contribute to model performance is still lacking in the musical domain. We measured fMRI responses during naturalistic music listening and constructed a two-stage approach that first mapped musical features in auditory cortices and then decoded novel musical pieces. We then probed the influence of stimuli duration (number of time points) and spatial extent (number of voxels) on decoding accuracy. Our approach revealed a linear increase in accuracy with duration and a point of optimal model performance for the spatial extent. We further showed that Shannon entropy is a driving factor, boosting accuracy up to 95% for music with highest information content. These findings provide key insights for future decoding and reconstruction algorithms and open new venues for possible clinical applications.

Near-infrared Polarimetry of the Outflow Source AFGL 6366S: Detection of Circular Polarization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, Jungmi; Nakagawa, Takao; Tamura, Motohide; Hough, James H.; Kandori, Ryo; Choi, Minho; Kang, Miju; Cho, Jungyeon; Nakajima, Yasushi; Nagata, Tetsuya

2018-07-01

We have carried out near-infrared circular and linear imaging polarimetry of the AFGL 6366S region. There is one large infrared reflection nebula associated with the AFGL 6366S cluster and one small infrared reflection nebula associated with AFGL 6366S NE. Prominent and extended polarized nebulosities over the AFGL 6366S cluster field are found to be composed of several components and local nebula peaks, and those nebulosities are illuminated by at least three sources, which is roughly consistent with a previous study. However, the detailed linear polarization patterns and their degrees differ from the earlier study. The brightest regions of the nebulae are illuminated by the IRAS/WISE source. In addition, we report the first detection of circular polarization (CP) in the reflection nebula associated with AFGL 6366S. The CP is as large as approximately 4% in the K s band, and the maximum CP extent is approximately 0.45 pc, which is comparable to that for the largest CP regions known to date, such as Orion and Mon R2, although the CP degrees are much smaller. The CP pattern is mostly quadrupolar, and its morphology resembles the shape of the C18O dense core. Therefore, the CP region is probably illuminated by the IRAS/WISE source and its polarization is amplified by the dichroic absorption of the dense core associated with the cluster. This is the ninth source whose degrees of CPs are measured to be greater than 3%, suggesting that large and extended infrared CP regions are common among mid- to high-mass young stellar objects.

Assessment of linear and nonlinear/complex heartbeat dynamics in subclinical depression (dysphoria).

PubMed

Greco, Alberto; Messerotti Benvenuti, Simone; Gentili, Claudio; Palomba, Daniela; Scilingo, Enzo Pasquale; Valenza, Gaetano

2018-03-29

Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Most previous studies have focused on major depression, and studies on subclinical depression, such as those on so-called dysphoria, have been overlooked. Indeed, dysphoria is associated with a high prevalence of somatic disorders, and a reduction of quality of life and life expectancy. In current clinical practice, dysphoria is assessed using psychometric questionnaires and structured interviews only, without taking into account objective pathophysiological indices. To address this problem, in this study we investigated heartbeat linear and nonlinear dynamics to derive objective autonomic nervous system biomarkers of dysphoria. Sixty undergraduate students participated in the study: according to clinical evaluation, 24 of them were dysphoric. Extensive group-wise statistics was performed to characterize the pathological and control groups. Moreover, a recursive feature elimination algorithm based on a K-NN classifier was carried out for the automatic recognition of dysphoria at a single-subject level. The results showed that the most significant group-wise differences referred to increased heartbeat complexity (particularly for fractal dimension, sample entropy and recurrence plot analysis) with regards to the healthy controls, confirming dysfunctional nonlinear sympatho-vagal dynamics in mood disorders. Furthermore, a balanced accuracy of 79.17% was achieved in automatically distinguishing dysphoric patients from controls, with the most informative power attributed to nonlinear, spectral and polyspectral quantifiers of cardiovascular variability. This study experimentally supports the assessment of dysphoria as a defined clinical condition with specific characteristics which are different both from healthy, fully euthymic controls and from full-blown major depression.

Inhibition of WISE preserves renal allograft function.

PubMed

Qian, Xueming; Yuan, Xiaodong; Vonderfecht, Steven; Ge, Xupeng; Lee, Jae; Jurisch, Anke; Zhang, Li; You, Andrew; Fitzpatrick, Vincent D; Williams, Alexia; Valente, Eliane G; Pretorius, Jim; Stevens, Jennitte L; Tipton, Barbara; Winters, Aaron G; Graham, Kevin; Harriss, Lindsey; Baker, Daniel M; Damore, Michael; Salimi-Moosavi, Hossein; Gao, Yongming; Elkhal, Abdallah; Paszty, Chris; Simonet, W Scott; Richards, William G; Tullius, Stefan G

2013-01-01

Wnt-modulator in surface ectoderm (WISE) is a secreted modulator of Wnt signaling expressed in the adult kidney. Activation of Wnt signaling has been observed in renal transplants developing interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy; however, whether WISE contributes to chronic changes is not well understood. Here, we found moderate to high expression of WISE mRNA in a rat model of renal transplantation and in kidneys from normal rats. Treatment with a neutralizing antibody against WISE improved proteinuria and graft function, which correlated with higher levels of β-catenin protein in kidney allografts. In addition, treatment with the anti-WISE antibody reduced infiltration of CD68(+) macrophages and CD8(+) T cells, attenuated glomerular and interstitial injury, and decreased biomarkers of renal injury. This treatment reduced expression of genes involved in immune responses and in fibrogenic pathways. In summary, WISE contributes to renal dysfunction by promoting tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis.

DriveWise: an interdisciplinary hospital-based driving assessment program.

PubMed

O'Connor, Margaret G; Kapust, Lissa R; Hollis, Ann M

2008-01-01

Health care professionals working with the elderly have opportunities through research and clinical practice to shape public policy affecting the older driver. This article describes DriveWise, an interdisciplinary hospital-based driving assessment program developed in response to clinical concerns about the driving safety of individuals with medical conditions. DriveWise clinicians use evidence-based, functional assessments to determine driving competence. In addition, the program was designed to meet the emotional needs of individuals whose driving safety has been called into question. To date, approximately 380 participants have been assessed through DriveWise. The following report details the DriveWise mission, DriveWise team members, and road test results. We continue to refine the assessment process to promote safety and support the dignity and independence of all participants. The DriveWise interdisciplinary approach to practice is a concrete example of how gerontological education across professions can have direct benefits to the older adult.

Measuring the Test-Wiseness of Medical Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harvill, Leo M.

The objectives for this study were to: (1) develop a valid, reliable measure of test-wiseness with equivalent forms for use with students in the health sciences; and (2) determine the level of test-wiseness of entering medical students. The test-wiseness areas included in this study were: similar options, umbrella term, item give-away, convergence…

The Faintest WISE Debris Disks: Enhanced Methods for Detection and Verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Rahul I.; Metchev, Stanimir A.; Heinze, Aren; Trollo, Joseph

2017-02-01

In an earlier study, we reported nearly 100 previously unknown dusty debris disks around Hipparcos main-sequence stars within 75 pc by selecting stars with excesses in individual WISE colors. Here, we further scrutinize the Hipparcos 75 pc sample to (1) gain sensitivity to previously undetected, fainter mid-IR excesses and (2) remove spurious excesses contaminated by previously unidentified blended sources. We improve on our previous method by adopting a more accurate measure of the confidence threshold for excess detection and by adding an optimally weighted color average that incorporates all shorter-wavelength WISE photometry, rather than using only individual WISE colors. The latter is equivalent to spectral energy distribution fitting, but only over WISE bandpasses. In addition, we leverage the higher-resolution WISE images available through the unWISE.me image service to identify contaminated WISE excesses based on photocenter offsets among the W3- and W4-band images. Altogether, we identify 19 previously unreported candidate debris disks. Combined with the results from our earlier study, we have found a total of 107 new debris disks around 75 pc Hipparcos main-sequence stars using precisely calibrated WISE photometry. This expands the 75 pc debris disk sample by 22% around Hipparcos main-sequence stars and by 20% overall (including non-main-sequence and non-Hipparcos stars).

Wise regulates bone deposition through genetic interactions with Lrp5.

PubMed

Ellies, Debra L; Economou, Androulla; Viviano, Beth; Rey, Jean-Philippe; Paine-Saunders, Stephenie; Krumlauf, Robb; Saunders, Scott

2014-01-01

In this study using genetic approaches in mouse we demonstrate that the secreted protein Wise plays essential roles in regulating early bone formation through its ability to modulate Wnt signaling via interactions with the Lrp5 co-receptor. In Wise-/- mutant mice we find an increase in the rate of osteoblast proliferation and a transient increase in bone mineral density. This change in proliferation is dependent upon Lrp5, as Wise;Lrp5 double mutants have normal bone mass. This suggests that Wise serves as a negative modulator of Wnt signaling in active osteoblasts. Wise and the closely related protein Sclerostin (Sost) are expressed in osteoblast cells during temporally distinct early and late phases in a manner consistent with the temporal onset of their respective increased bone density phenotypes. These data suggest that Wise and Sost may have common roles in regulating bone development through their ability to control the balance of Wnt signaling. We find that Wise is also required to potentiate proliferation in chondrocytes, serving as a potential positive modulator of Wnt activity. Our analyses demonstrate that Wise plays a key role in processes that control the number of osteoblasts and chondrocytes during bone homeostasis and provide important insight into mechanisms regulating the Wnt pathway during skeletal development.

Identification of coffee bean varieties using hyperspectral imaging: influence of preprocessing methods and pixel-wise spectra analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Chu; Liu, Fei; He, Yong

2018-02-01

Hyperspectral imaging was used to identify and to visualize the coffee bean varieties. Spectral preprocessing of pixel-wise spectra was conducted by different methods, including moving average smoothing (MA), wavelet transform (WT) and empirical mode decomposition (EMD). Meanwhile, spatial preprocessing of the gray-scale image at each wavelength was conducted by median filter (MF). Support vector machine (SVM) models using full sample average spectra and pixel-wise spectra, and the selected optimal wavelengths by second derivative spectra all achieved classification accuracy over 80%. Primarily, the SVM models using pixel-wise spectra were used to predict the sample average spectra, and these models obtained over 80% of the classification accuracy. Secondly, the SVM models using sample average spectra were used to predict pixel-wise spectra, but achieved with lower than 50% of classification accuracy. The results indicated that WT and EMD were suitable for pixel-wise spectra preprocessing. The use of pixel-wise spectra could extend the calibration set, and resulted in the good prediction results for pixel-wise spectra and sample average spectra. The overall results indicated the effectiveness of using spectral preprocessing and the adoption of pixel-wise spectra. The results provided an alternative way of data processing for applications of hyperspectral imaging in food industry.

More Than a Pretty Picture: Making WISE Data Accessible to the Public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Nancy; Mendez, B.; Fricke, K.; Wright, E. L.; Eisenhardt, P. R.; Cutri, R. M.; Hurt, R.; WISE Team

2011-01-01

NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has surveyed the sky in four bands of infrared light, creating a treasure trove of data. This data is of interest not only to the professional astronomical community, but also to educators, students and the general public. The Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program for WISE is creating opportunities to make WISE data accessible to these audiences through the Internet as well as through teacher professional development programs. Shortly after WISE took its first light image in January 2010, images have been featured weekly on the WISE website. These images serve to engage the general public through "pretty pictures” that are accompanied by educational captions. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter are used to further engage the public with the images. For a more comprehensive view of WISE images, we are creating a guided tour of the infrared sky on the WorldWide Telescope. The public will be able to use the free WorldWide Telescope software to interact with WISE images and listen to narration that describes features of the Universe as seen in infrared light. We are also developing resources for teachers and students to access WISE data when in becomes public in 2011 to learn about astronomical imaging and to conduct authentic scientific investigations.

Three new cool brown dwarfs discovered with the wide-field infrared survey explorer (WISE) and an improved spectrum of the Y0 dwarf wise J041022.71+150248.4

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

Cushing, Michael C.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Gelino, Christopher R.

2014-05-01

As part of a larger search of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) data for cool brown dwarfs with effective temperatures less than 1000 K, we present the discovery of three new cool brown dwarfs with spectral types later than T7. Using low-resolution, near-infrared spectra obtained with the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility and the Hubble Space Telescope, we derive spectral types of T9.5 for WISE J094305.98+360723.5, T8 for WISE J200050.19+362950.1, and Y0: for WISE J220905.73+271143.9. The identification of WISE J220905.73+271143.9 as a Y dwarf brings the total number of spectroscopically confirmed Y dwarfs to 17. In addition, we present an improvedmore » spectrum (i.e., higher signal-to-noise ratio) of the Y0 dwarf WISE J041022.71+150248.4 that confirms the Cushing et al. classification of Y0. Spectrophotometric distance estimates place all three new brown dwarfs at distances less than 12 pc, with WISE J200050.19+362950.1 lying at a distance of only 3.9-8.0 pc. Finally, we note that brown dwarfs like WISE J200050.19+362950.1 that lie in or near the Galactic plane offer an exciting opportunity to directly measure the mass of a brown dwarf via astrometric microlensing.« less

Thermal expansion coefficient determination of polylactic acid using digital image correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botean, Adrian-Ioan

2018-02-01

This paper aims determining the linear thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) of polylactic acid (PLA) using an optical method for measuring deformations called digital image correlation method (DIC). Because PLA is often used in making many pieces with 3D printing technology, it is opportune to know this coefficient to obtain a higher degree of precision in the construction of parts and to monitor deformations when these parts are subjected to a thermal gradient. Are used two PLA discs with 20 and 40% degree of filling. In parallel with this approach was determined the linear thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) for the copper cylinder on the surface of which are placed the two discs of PLA.

Drop-wise and film-wise water condensation processes occurring on metallic micro-scaled surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starostin, Anton; Valtsifer, Viktor; Barkay, Zahava; Legchenkova, Irina; Danchuk, Viktor; Bormashenko, Edward

2018-06-01

Water condensation was studied on silanized (superhydrophobic) and fluorinated (superoleophobic) micro-rough aluminum surfaces of the same topography. Condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces occurred via film-wise mechanism, whereas on superoleophobic surfaces it was drop-wise. The difference in the pathways of condensation was attributed to the various energy barriers separating the Cassie and Wenzel wetting states on the investigated surfaces. The higher barriers inherent for superoleophobic surfaces promoted the drop-wise condensation. Triple-stage kinetics of growth of droplets condensed on superoleophobic surfaces is reported and discussed.

Cognitive-Developmental Learning for a Humanoid Robot: A Caregiver’s Gift

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-05-01

system . We propose a real- time algorithm to infer depth and build 3-dimensional coarse maps for objects through the analysis of cues provided by an... system is well defined at the boundary of these regions (although the derivatives are not). A time domain analysis is presented for a piece-linear... Analysis of Multivariable Systems ......................... 266 D.3.1 Networks of Multiple Neural Oscillators ................. 266 D.3.2 Networks of

Seaworthy Quantum Key Distribution Design and Validation (SEAKEY)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-26

shot noise limited performance for the homodyne receiver, which includes the stable CW local oscillator and balanced detector. TECHNICAL RESULTS...each piece of equipment that limited the performance of the receiver from achieving the shot noise limit. • Balanced detector: Thorlabs PDB450C o...Issue: This detector had specification for linearity to 5 mW of laser power on each detector of the pair. Upon calling the company, we were informed

Wise promotes coalescence of cells of neural crest and placode origins in the trigeminal region during head development.

PubMed

Shigetani, Yasuyo; Howard, Sara; Guidato, Sonia; Furushima, Kenryo; Abe, Takaya; Itasaki, Nobue

2008-07-15

While most cranial ganglia contain neurons of either neural crest or placodal origin, neurons of the trigeminal ganglion derive from both populations. The Wnt signaling pathway is known to be required for the development of neural crest cells and for trigeminal ganglion formation, however, migrating neural crest cells do not express any known Wnt ligands. Here we demonstrate that Wise, a Wnt modulator expressed in the surface ectoderm overlying the trigeminal ganglion, play a role in promoting the assembly of placodal and neural crest cells. When overexpressed in chick, Wise causes delamination of ectodermal cells and attracts migrating neural crest cells. Overexpression of Wise is thus sufficient to ectopically induce ganglion-like structures consisting of both origins. The function of Wise is likely synergized with Wnt6, expressed in an overlapping manner with Wise in the surface ectoderm. Electroporation of morpholino antisense oligonucleotides against Wise and Wnt6 causes decrease in the contact of neural crest cells with the delaminated placode-derived cells. In addition, targeted deletion of Wise in mouse causes phenotypes that can be explained by a decrease in the contribution of neural crest cells to the ophthalmic lobe of the trigeminal ganglion. These data suggest that Wise is able to function cell non-autonomously on neural crest cells and promote trigeminal ganglion formation.

Prediction of health levels by remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rush, M.; Vernon, S.

1975-01-01

Measures of the environment derived from remote sensing were compared to census population/housing measures in their ability to discriminate among health status areas in two urban communities. Three hypotheses were developed to explore the relationships between environmental and health data. Univariate and multiple step-wise linear regression analyses were performed on data from two sample areas in Houston and Galveston, Texas. Environmental data gathered by remote sensing were found to equal or surpass census data in predicting rates of health outcomes. Remote sensing offers the advantages of data collection for any chosen area or time interval, flexibilities not allowed by the decennial census.

Consistency and similarity of MEG- and fMRI-signal time courses during movie viewing.

PubMed

Lankinen, Kaisu; Saari, Jukka; Hlushchuk, Yevhen; Tikka, Pia; Parkkonen, Lauri; Hari, Riitta; Koskinen, Miika

2018-06-01

Movie viewing allows human perception and cognition to be studied in complex, real-life-like situations in a brain-imaging laboratory. Previous studies with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and with magneto- and electroencephalography (MEG and EEG) have demonstrated consistent temporal dynamics of brain activity across movie viewers. However, little is known about the similarities and differences of fMRI and MEG or EEG dynamics during such naturalistic situations. We thus compared MEG and fMRI responses to the same 15-min black-and-white movie in the same eight subjects who watched the movie twice during both MEG and fMRI recordings. We analyzed intra- and intersubject voxel-wise correlations within each imaging modality as well as the correlation of the MEG envelopes and fMRI signals. The fMRI signals showed voxel-wise within- and between-subjects correlations up to r = 0.66 and r = 0.37, respectively, whereas these correlations were clearly weaker for the envelopes of band-pass filtered (7 frequency bands below 100 Hz) MEG signals (within-subjects correlation r < 0.14 and between-subjects r < 0.05). Direct MEG-fMRI voxel-wise correlations were unreliable. Notably, applying a spatial-filtering approach to the MEG data uncovered consistent canonical variates that showed considerably stronger (up to r = 0.25) between-subjects correlations than the univariate voxel-wise analysis. Furthermore, the envelopes of the time courses of these variates up to about 10 Hz showed association with fMRI signals in a general linear model. Similarities between envelopes of MEG canonical variates and fMRI voxel time-courses were seen mostly in occipital, but also in temporal and frontal brain regions, whereas intra- and intersubject correlations for MEG and fMRI separately were strongest only in the occipital areas. In contrast to the conventional univariate analysis, the spatial-filtering approach was able to uncover associations between the MEG envelopes and fMRI time courses, shedding light on the similarities of hemodynamic and electromagnetic brain activities during movie viewing. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Explanatory Supplement to the WISE All-Sky Release Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2012-01-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE; Wright et al. 2010) surveyed the entire sky at 3.4, 4.6, 12 and 22 microns in 2010, achieving 5-sigma point source sensitivities per band better than 0.08, 0.11, 1 and 6 mJy in unconfused regions on the ecliptic. The WISE All-Sky Data Release, conducted on March 14, 2012, incorporates all data taken during the full cryogenic mission phase, 7 January 2010 to 6 August 20l0,that were processed with improved calibrations and reduction algorithms. Release data products include: (1) an Atlas of 18,240 match-filtered, calibrated and coadded image sets; (2) a Source Catalog containing positions and four-band photometry for over 563 million objects, and (3) an Explanatory Supplement. Ancillary products include a Reject Table that contains 284 million detections that were not selected for the Source Catalog because they are low signal-to-noise ratio or spurious detections of image artifacts, an archive of over 1.5 million sets of calibrated WISE Single-exposure images, and a database of 9.4 billion source extractions from those single images, and moving object tracklets identified by the NEOWISE program (Mainzer et aI. 2011). The WISE All-Sky Data Release products supersede those from the WISE Preliminary Data Release (Cutri et al. 2011). The Explanatory Supplement to the WISE All-Sky Data Release Products is a general guide for users of the WISE data. The Supplement contains an overview of the WISE mission, facilities, and operations, a detailed description of WISE data processing algorithms, a guide to the content and formals of the image and tabular data products, and cautionary notes that describe known limitations of the All-Sky Release products. Instructions for accessing the WISE data products via the services of the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive are provided. The Supplement also provides analyses of the achieved sky coverage, photometric and astrometric characteristics and completeness and reliability of the All-Sky Release data products. The WISE All-Sky Release Explanatory Supplement is an on-line document that is updated frequently to provide the most current information for users of the WISE data products. The Explanatory Supplement is maintained at: http://wise2.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/release/allsky/expsup/index.html WISE is a joint project of the University of California, Los Angeles and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NEOWISE is a project of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, funded by the Planetary Science Division of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Teachers and Technology Use in Secondary Science Classrooms: Investigating the Experiences of Middle School Science Teachers Implementing the Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, Rachel Corinne

This study investigated the intended teacher use of a technology-enhanced learning tool, Web-based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE), and the first experiences of teachers new to using it and untrained in its use. The purpose of the study was to learn more about the factors embedded into the design of the technology that enabled it or hindered it from being used as intended. The qualitative research design applied grounded theory methods. Using theoretical sampling and a constant comparative analysis, a document review of WISE website led to a model of intended teacher use. The experiences of four middle school science teachers as they enacted WISE for the first time were investigated through ethnographic field observations, surveys and interviews using thematic analysis to construct narratives of each teachers use. These narratives were compared to the model of intended teacher use of WISE. This study found two levels of intended teacher uses for WISE. A basic intended use involved having student running the project to completion while the teacher provides feedback and assesses student learning. A more optimal description of intended use involved the supplementing the core curriculum with WISE as well as enhancing the core scope and sequence of instruction and aligning assessment with the goals of instruction through WISE. Moreover, WISE projects were optimally intended to be facilitated through student-centered teaching practices and inquiry-based instruction in a collaborative learning environment. It is also optimally intended for these projects to be shared with other colleagues for feedback and iterative development towards improving the Knowledge Integration of students. Of the four teachers who participated in this study, only one demonstrated the use of WISE as intended in the most basic way. This teacher also demonstrated the use of WISE in a number of optimal ways. Teacher confusion with certain tools available within WISE suggests that there may be a way to develop the user experience through these touch points and help teachers learn how to use the technology as they are selecting and setting up a project run. Further research may study whether improving these touch points can improve the teachers' use of WISE as intended both basically and optimally. It may also study whether or not teacher in basic and optimal ways directly impact student learning results.

Delineating chalk sand distribution of Ekofisk formation using probabilistic neural network (PNN) and stepwise regression (SWR): Case study Danish North Sea field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haris, A.; Nafian, M.; Riyanto, A.

2017-07-01

Danish North Sea Fields consist of several formations (Ekofisk, Tor, and Cromer Knoll) that was started from the age of Paleocene to Miocene. In this study, the integration of seismic and well log data set is carried out to determine the chalk sand distribution in the Danish North Sea field. The integration of seismic and well log data set is performed by using the seismic inversion analysis and seismic multi-attribute. The seismic inversion algorithm, which is used to derive acoustic impedance (AI), is model-based technique. The derived AI is then used as external attributes for the input of multi-attribute analysis. Moreover, the multi-attribute analysis is used to generate the linear and non-linear transformation of among well log properties. In the case of the linear model, selected transformation is conducted by weighting step-wise linear regression (SWR), while for the non-linear model is performed by using probabilistic neural networks (PNN). The estimated porosity, which is resulted by PNN shows better suited to the well log data compared with the results of SWR. This result can be understood since PNN perform non-linear regression so that the relationship between the attribute data and predicted log data can be optimized. The distribution of chalk sand has been successfully identified and characterized by porosity value ranging from 23% up to 30%.

Role of Loop-Clamping Side Chains in Catalysis by Triosephosphate Isomerase.

PubMed

Zhai, Xiang; Amyes, Tina L; Richard, John P

2015-12-09

The side chains of Y208 and S211 from loop 7 of triosephosphate isomerase (TIM) form hydrogen bonds to backbone amides and carbonyls from loop 6 to stabilize the caged enzyme-substrate complex. The effect of seven mutations [Y208T, Y208S, Y208A, Y208F, S211G, S211A, Y208T/S211G] on the kinetic parameters for TIM catalyzed reactions of the whole substrates dihydroxyacetone phosphate and d-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate [(k(cat)/K(m))(GAP) and (k(cat)/K(m))DHAP] and of the substrate pieces glycolaldehyde and phosphite dianion (k(cat)/K(HPi)K(GA)) are reported. The linear logarithmic correlation between these kinetic parameters, with slope of 1.04 ± 0.03, shows that most mutations of TIM result in an identical change in the activation barriers for the catalyzed reactions of whole substrate and substrate pieces, so that the transition states for these reactions are stabilized by similar interactions with the protein catalyst. The second linear logarithmic correlation [slope = 0.53 ± 0.16] between k(cat) for isomerization of GAP and K(d)(⧧) for phosphite dianion binding to the transition state for wildtype and many mutant TIM-catalyzed reactions of substrate pieces shows that ca. 50% of the wildtype TIM dianion binding energy, eliminated by these mutations, is expressed at the wildtype Michaelis complex, and ca. 50% is only expressed at the wildtype transition state. Negative deviations from this correlation are observed when the mutation results in a decrease in enzyme reactivity at the catalytic site. The main effect of Y208T, Y208S, and Y208A mutations is to cause a reduction in the total intrinsic dianion binding energy, but the effect of Y208F extends to the catalytic site.

WISE Choices? Understanding Occupational Decision-Making in a Climate of Equal Opportunities for Women in Science and Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henwood, Flis

1996-01-01

Examines Women into Science and Engineering (WISE) discourse and explains why WISE has had limited success. It argues the WISE discourse limits the space women have to speak of the conflicts and contradictions they experience, and suggests the need for a greater understanding of how subjective experiences of gender and sexuality impinge upon work…

The Windy Island Soliton Experiment (WISE): Shallow Water and Basin Experiment Configuration and Preliminary Observations

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-19

Virginia 22203-1995 The Windy Island Soliton Experiment (WISE): Shallow Water and Basin Experiment Configuration and Preliminary Observations...case letters) The Windy Island Soliton Experiment (WISE): Shallow water and Basin Experiment Configuration and Preliminary Observations 5. FUNDING...release; distribution is unlimited 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) The Windy Islands Soliton Experiment (WISE) was

Automatic Video Analysis for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Diagnosis.

PubMed

Abad, Jorge; Muñoz-Ferrer, Aida; Cervantes, Miguel Ángel; Esquinas, Cristina; Marin, Alicia; Martínez, Carlos; Morera, Josep; Ruiz, Juan

2016-08-01

We investigated the diagnostic accuracy for the identification of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its severity of a noninvasive technology based on image processing (SleepWise). This is an observational, prospective study to evaluate the degree of agreement between polysomnography (PSG) and SleepWise. We recruited 56 consecutive subjects with suspected OSA who were referred as outpatients to the Sleep Unit of the Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol (HUGTiP) from January 2013 to January 2014. All patients underwent laboratory PSG and image processing with SleepWise simultaneously the same night. Both PSG and SleepWise analyses were carried independently and blindly. We analyzed 50 of the 56 patients recruited. OSA was diagnosed through PSG in a total of 44 patients (88%) with a median apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 25.35 (24.9). According to SleepWise, 45 patients (90%) met the criteria for a diagnosis of OSA, with a median AHI of 22.8 (22.03). An analysis of the ability of PSG and SleepWise to classify patients by severity on the basis of their AHI shows that the two diagnostic systems distribute the different groups similarly. According to PSG, 23 patients (46%) had a diagnosis of severe OSA, 11 patients (22%) moderate OSA, and 10 patients (20%) mild OSA. According to SleepWise, 20, 13, and 12 patients (40%, 26%, and 24%, respectively) had a diagnosis of severe, moderate, and mild OSA respectively. For OSA diagnosis, SleepWise was found to have sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 83% in relation to PSG. The positive predictive value was 97% and the negative predictive value was 100%. The Bland-Altman plot comparing the mean AHI values obtained through PSG and SleepWise shows very good agreement between the two diagnostic techniques, with a bias of -3.85, a standard error of 12.18, and a confidence interval of -0.39 to -7.31. SleepWise was reasonably accurate for noninvasive and automatic diagnosis of OSA in outpatients. SleepWise determined the severity of OSA with high reliability. The current study including simultaneous laboratory PSG and SleepWise processing image is proposed as a reasonable validation standard. © 2016 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

Continental-Scale View of Bankfull Width Versus Drainage Area Relationship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkerson, G. V.

2012-12-01

While recognizing that there are multiple variables that influence bankfull channel width (Wbf), this study explores the relationship between Wbf and drainage area (Ada) across a range of geologic, terrestrial, climatic, and botanical environments. The study aims to develop a foundational model that will facilitate developing a comprehensive multivariate model for predicting channel width. Data for this study was compiled from independent regional curve studies (i.e., studies in which Wbf vs. Ada relationships are developed). The data represent 1,018 sites that span 12 states in the continental U.S. The channels are alluvial and are such that 1 m ≤ Wbf ≤ 110 m and 0.50 km2 ≤ Ada ≤ 22,000 km2. For developing regional curves, the Wbf vs. Ada relationship is generally assumed to be log-linear. Also, past studies have indicated that the Wbf vs. Ada relationship differs for small basins (i.e., 10 to 100 km2) and large basins due to the effects of vegetation. Linear and nonlinear (i.e., sigmoidal) models were considered for this study. The best model relates ln(Wbf ) and ln(Ada) using a three-piece linear model (Figure 1). The value of dWbf /dAda is significantly greater (p < 0.001) for mid-size basins (5 km2 ≤ Ada ≤ 350 km2) than either small or large basins. The noted change in dWbf /dAda is likely in response to vegetation. Also, the change in dWbf /dAda is so abrupt that the three-piece linear model, fits the data better than any of the sigmoidal functions explored in this study. For every model evaluated in this study, the residuals were bi-modal (Figure 2). For the residuals to begin converging on a normal distribution, at least one other factor (probably precipitation) needs to be included in the model.

SU-F-T-668: Irradiating Mouse Brain with a Clinical Linear Accelerator

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

Perez-Torres, C

Purpose: To design and construct a “mouse jig” device that would allow for irradiation of the mouse brain with a clinical Varian 6 MeV Linear Accelerator. This device must serve as a head immobilizer, gaseous anesthesia delivery, and radiation bolus concurrently. Methods: The mouse jig was machined out of nylon given that it is inexpensive, easy to machine, and has similar electron density to water. A cylindrical opening with diameter of 16 mm and 40 mm depth was drilled into a nylon block sized 56×56×50 mm (width, length, depth). Additional slots were included in the block for ear bars andmore » a tooth bar to serve as a three-point immobilization device as well as for anesthesia delivery and scavenging. For ease of access when loading the mouse into the holder, there is a removable piece at the top of the block that is 15 mm in depth. This serves a dual purpose, as with the proper extra shielding, the mouse jig could be used with lower linear energy transfer photons with this piece removed. A baseplate was then constructed with five square slots where the mouse jig can securely be inserted plus additional slots that would allow the baseplate to be mounted on a standard lock bar in the treatment couch. This maximizes the reproducibility of placement between imaging and treatment and between treatment sessions. Results: CT imaging and radiation treatment planning was performed that showed acceptable coverage and uniformity of radiation dose in the mouse brain while sparing the throat and eyes. Conclusion: We have designed and manufactured a device that fulfills our criteria allowing us to selectively irradiate the mouse brain with a clinical linear accelerator. This setup will be used for generating mouse models of radiation-induced brain injury.« less

WISE J233237.05-505643.5: A Double-Peaked Broad-Lined AGN with Spiral-Shaped Radio Morphology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsai, Chao Wei; Jarrett, Thomas H.; Stern, Daniel; Emonts, Bjorn; Barrows, R. Scott; Assef, Roberto J.; Norris, Ray P.; Eisenhardt, Peter R. M.; Lonsdale, Carol; Blain, Andrew W.;

Analysis of the “naming game” with learning errors in communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lou, Yang; Chen, Guanrong

2015-07-01

Naming game simulates the process of naming an objective by a population of agents organized in a certain communication network. By pair-wise iterative interactions, the population reaches consensus asymptotically. We study naming game with communication errors during pair-wise conversations, with error rates in a uniform probability distribution. First, a model of naming game with learning errors in communications (NGLE) is proposed. Then, a strategy for agents to prevent learning errors is suggested. To that end, three typical topologies of communication networks, namely random-graph, small-world and scale-free networks, are employed to investigate the effects of various learning errors. Simulation results on these models show that 1) learning errors slightly affect the convergence speed but distinctively increase the requirement for memory of each agent during lexicon propagation; 2) the maximum number of different words held by the population increases linearly as the error rate increases; 3) without applying any strategy to eliminate learning errors, there is a threshold of the learning errors which impairs the convergence. The new findings may help to better understand the role of learning errors in naming game as well as in human language development from a network science perspective.

Analysis of the "naming game" with learning errors in communications.

PubMed

Lou, Yang; Chen, Guanrong

2015-07-16

Naming game simulates the process of naming an objective by a population of agents organized in a certain communication network. By pair-wise iterative interactions, the population reaches consensus asymptotically. We study naming game with communication errors during pair-wise conversations, with error rates in a uniform probability distribution. First, a model of naming game with learning errors in communications (NGLE) is proposed. Then, a strategy for agents to prevent learning errors is suggested. To that end, three typical topologies of communication networks, namely random-graph, small-world and scale-free networks, are employed to investigate the effects of various learning errors. Simulation results on these models show that 1) learning errors slightly affect the convergence speed but distinctively increase the requirement for memory of each agent during lexicon propagation; 2) the maximum number of different words held by the population increases linearly as the error rate increases; 3) without applying any strategy to eliminate learning errors, there is a threshold of the learning errors which impairs the convergence. The new findings may help to better understand the role of learning errors in naming game as well as in human language development from a network science perspective.

Update on the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mainzer, Amanda K.; Eisenhardt, Peter; Wright, Edward L.; Liu, Feng-Chuan; Irace, William; Heinrichsen, Ingolf; Cutri, Roc; Duval, Valerie

2006-01-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), a NASA MIDEX mission, will survey the entire sky in four bands from 3.3 to 23 microns with a sensitivity 1000 times greater than the IRAS survey. The WISE survey will extend the Two Micron All Sky Survey into the thermal infrared and will provide an important catalog for the James Webb Space Telescope. Using 1024(sup 2) HgCdTe and Si:As arrays at 3.3, 4.7, 12 and 23 microns, WISE will find the most luminous galaxies in the universe, the closest stars to the Sun, and it will detect most of the main belt asteroids larger than 3 km. The single WISE instrument consists of a 40 cm diamond-turned aluminum afocal telescope, a two-stage solid hydrogen cryostat, a scan mirror mechanism, and reimaging optics giving 5 resolution (full-width-half-maximum). The use of dichroics and beamsplitters allows four color images of a 47' x47' field of view to be taken every 8.8 seconds, synchronized with the orbital motion to provide total sky coverage with overlap between revolutions. WISE will be placed into a Sun-synchronous polar orbit on a Delta 7320-10 launch vehicle. The WISE survey approach is simple and efficient. The three-axis-stabilized spacecraft rotates at a constant rate while the scan mirror freezes the telescope line of sight during each exposure. WISE has completed its mission Preliminary Design Review and its NASA Confirmation Review, and the project is awaiting confirmation from NASA to proceed to the Critical Design phase. Much of the payload hardware is now complete, and assembly of the payload will occur over the next year. WISE is scheduled to launch in late 2009; the project web site can be found at www.wise.ssl.berkeley.edu.

Consistency-based rectification of nonrigid registrations

PubMed Central

Gass, Tobias; Székely, Gábor; Goksel, Orcun

2015-01-01

Abstract. We present a technique to rectify nonrigid registrations by improving their group-wise consistency, which is a widely used unsupervised measure to assess pair-wise registration quality. While pair-wise registration methods cannot guarantee any group-wise consistency, group-wise approaches typically enforce perfect consistency by registering all images to a common reference. However, errors in individual registrations to the reference then propagate, distorting the mean and accumulating in the pair-wise registrations inferred via the reference. Furthermore, the assumption that perfect correspondences exist is not always true, e.g., for interpatient registration. The proposed consistency-based registration rectification (CBRR) method addresses these issues by minimizing the group-wise inconsistency of all pair-wise registrations using a regularized least-squares algorithm. The regularization controls the adherence to the original registration, which is additionally weighted by the local postregistration similarity. This allows CBRR to adaptively improve consistency while locally preserving accurate pair-wise registrations. We show that the resulting registrations are not only more consistent, but also have lower average transformation error when compared to known transformations in simulated data. On clinical data, we show improvements of up to 50% target registration error in breathing motion estimation from four-dimensional MRI and improvements in atlas-based segmentation quality of up to 65% in terms of mean surface distance in three-dimensional (3-D) CT. Such improvement was observed consistently using different registration algorithms, dimensionality (two-dimensional/3-D), and modalities (MRI/CT). PMID:26158083

Linear response of mutans streptococci to increasing frequency of xylitol chewing gum use: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN43479664

PubMed Central

Ly, Kiet A; Milgrom, Peter; Roberts, Marilyn C; Yamaguchi, David K; Rothen, Marilynn; Mueller, Greg

2006-01-01

Background Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar substitute that has been shown to reduce the level of mutans streptococci in plaque and saliva and to reduce tooth decay. It has been suggested that the degree of reduction is dependent on both the amount and the frequency of xylitol consumption. For xylitol to be successfully and cost-effectively used in public health prevention strategies dosing and frequency guidelines should be established. This study determined the reduction in mutans streptococci levels in plaque and unstimulated saliva to increasing frequency of xylitol gum use at a fixed total daily dose of 10.32 g over five weeks. Methods Participants (n = 132) were randomized to either active groups (10.32 g xylitol/day) or a placebo control (9.828 g sorbitol and 0.7 g maltitol/day). All groups chewed 12 pieces of gum per day. The control group chewed 4 times/day and active groups chewed xylitol gum at a frequency of 2 times/day, 3 times/day, or 4 times/day. The 12 gum pieces were evenly divided into the frequency assigned to each group. Plaque and unstimulated saliva samples were taken at baseline and five-weeks and were cultured on modified Mitis Salivarius agar for mutans streptococci enumeration. Results There were no significant differences in mutans streptococci level among the groups at baseline. At five-weeks, mutans streptococci levels in plaque and unstimulated saliva showed a linear reduction with increasing frequency of xylitol chewing gum use at the constant daily dose. Although the difference observed for the group that chewed xylitol 2 times/day was consistent with the linear model, the difference was not significant. Conclusion There was a linear reduction in mutans streptococci levels in plaque and saliva with increasing frequency of xylitol gum use at a constant daily dose. Reduction at a consumption frequency of 2 times per day was small and consistent with the linear-response line but was not statistically significant. PMID:16556326

Nanoscale swimmers: hydrodynamic interactions and propulsion of molecular machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakaue, T.; Kapral, R.; Mikhailov, A. S.

2010-06-01

Molecular machines execute nearly regular cyclic conformational changes as a result of ligand binding and product release. This cyclic conformational dynamics is generally non-reciprocal so that under time reversal a different sequence of machine conformations is visited. Since such changes occur in a solvent, coupling to solvent hydrodynamic modes will generally result in self-propulsion of the molecular machine. These effects are investigated for a class of coarse grained models of protein machines consisting of a set of beads interacting through pair-wise additive potentials. Hydrodynamic effects are incorporated through a configuration-dependent mobility tensor, and expressions for the propulsion linear and angular velocities, as well as the stall force, are obtained. In the limit where conformational changes are small so that linear response theory is applicable, it is shown that propulsion is exponentially small; thus, propulsion is nonlinear phenomenon. The results are illustrated by computations on a simple model molecular machine.

Aerobic Fitness Does Not Contribute to Prediction of Orthostatic Intolerance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Convertino, Victor A.; Sather, Tom M.; Goldwater, Danielle J.; Alford, William R.

1986-01-01

Several investigations have suggested that orthostatic tolerance may be inversely related to aerobic fitness (VO (sub 2max)). To test this hypothesis, 18 males (age 29 to 51 yr) underwent both treadmill VO(sub 2max) determination and graded lower body negative pressures (LBNP) exposure to tolerance. VO(2max) was measured during the last minute of a Bruce treadmill protocol. LBNP was terminated based on pre-syncopal symptoms and LBNP tolerance (peak LBNP) was expressed as the cumulative product of LBNP and time (torr-min). Changes in heart rate, stroke volume cardiac output, blood pressure and impedance rheographic indices of mid-thigh-leg initial accumulation were measured at rest and during the final minute of LBNP. For all 18 subjects, mean (plus or minus SE) fluid accumulation index and leg venous compliance index at peak LBNP were 139 plus or minus 3.9 plus or minus 0.4 ml-torr-min(exp -2) x 10(exp 3), respectively. Pearson product-moment correlations and step-wise linear regression were used to investigate relationships with peak LBNP. Variables associated with endurance training, such as VO(sub 2max) and percent body fat were not found to correlate significantly (P is less than 0.05) with peak LBNP and did not add sufficiently to the prediction of peak LBNP to be included in the step-wise regression model. The step-wise regression model included only fluid accumulation index leg venous compliance index, and blood volume and resulted in a squared multiple correlation coefficient of 0.978. These data do not support the hypothesis that orthostatic tolerance as measured by LBNP is lower in individuals with high aerobic fitness.

The Infrared Properties of Sources Matched in the Wise All-Sky and Herschel ATLAS Surveys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bond, Nicholas A.; Benford, Dominic J.; Gardner, Jonathan P.; Amblard, Alexandre; Fleuren, Simone; Blain, Andrew W.; Dunne, Loretta; Smith, Daniel J. B.; Maddox, Steve J.; Hoyos, Carlos;

The Infrared Properties of Sources Matched in the WISE All-Sky and Herschel Atlas Surveys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bond, Nicholas A.; Benford, Dominic J.; Gardner, Jonathan P.; Eisenhardt, Peter; Amblard, Alexandre; Temi, Pasquale; Fleuren, Simone; Blain, Andrew W.; Dunne, Loretta; Smith, Daniel J.;

HIGH EFFICIENCY STRUCTURAL FLOWTHROUGH ROTOR WITH ACTIVE FLAP CONTROL: VOLUME THREE: MARKET & TEAM

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

Zuteck, Michael D.; Jackson, Kevin L.; Santos, Richard A.

The Zimitar one-piece rotor primary structure is integrated, so balanced thrust and gravity loads flow through the hub region without transferring out of its composite material. Large inner rotor geometry is used since there is no need to neck down to a blade root region and pitch bearing. Rotor control is provided by a highly redundant, five flap system on each blade, sized so that easily handled standard electric linear actuators are sufficient.

The WISE Satellite Development: Managing the Risks and the Opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duval, Valerie G.; Elwell, John D.; Howard, Joan F.; Irace, William R.; Liu, Feng-Chuan

2010-01-01

NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) MIDEX mission is surveying the entire sky in four infrared bands from 3.4 to 22 micrometers. The WISE instrument consists of a 40 cm telescope, a solid hydrogen cryostat, a scan mirror mechanism, and four 1K x1K infrared detectors. The WISE spacecraft bus provides communication, data handling, and avionics including instrument pointing. A Delta 7920 successfully launched WISE into a Sun-synchronous polar orbit on December 14, 2009. WISE was competitively selected by NASA as a Medium cost Explorer mission (MIDEX) in 2002. MIDEX missions are led by the Principal Investigator who delegates day-to-day management to the Project Manager. Given the tight cost cap and relatively short development schedule, NASA chose to extend the development period one year with an option to cancel the mission if certain criteria were not met. To meet this and other challenges, the WISE management team had to learn to work seamlessly across institutional lines and to recognize risks and opportunities in order to develop the flight hardware within the project resources. In spite of significant technical issues, the WISE satellite was delivered on budget and on schedule. This paper describes our management approach and risk posture, technical issues, and critical decisions made.

Wise Regulates Bone Deposition through Genetic Interactions with Lrp5

PubMed Central

Ellies, Debra L.; Economou, Androulla; Viviano, Beth; Rey, Jean-Philippe; Paine-Saunders, Stephenie; Krumlauf, Robb; Saunders, Scott

2014-01-01

In this study using genetic approaches in mouse we demonstrate that the secreted protein Wise plays essential roles in regulating early bone formation through its ability to modulate Wnt signaling via interactions with the Lrp5 co-receptor. In Wise−/− mutant mice we find an increase in the rate of osteoblast proliferation and a transient increase in bone mineral density. This change in proliferation is dependent upon Lrp5, as Wise;Lrp5 double mutants have normal bone mass. This suggests that Wise serves as a negative modulator of Wnt signaling in active osteoblasts. Wise and the closely related protein Sclerostin (Sost) are expressed in osteoblast cells during temporally distinct early and late phases in a manner consistent with the temporal onset of their respective increased bone density phenotypes. These data suggest that Wise and Sost may have common roles in regulating bone development through their ability to control the balance of Wnt signaling. We find that Wise is also required to potentiate proliferation in chondrocytes, serving as a potential positive modulator of Wnt activity. Our analyses demonstrate that Wise plays a key role in processes that control the number of osteoblasts and chondrocytes during bone homeostasis and provide important insight into mechanisms regulating the Wnt pathway during skeletal development. PMID:24789067

Inhibition of Wnt signaling by Wise (Sostdc1) and negative feedback from Shh controls tooth number and patterning.

PubMed

Ahn, Youngwook; Sanderson, Brian W; Klein, Ophir D; Krumlauf, Robb

2010-10-01

Mice carrying mutations in Wise (Sostdc1) display defects in many aspects of tooth development, including tooth number, size and cusp pattern. To understand the basis of these defects, we have investigated the pathways modulated by Wise in tooth development. We present evidence that, in tooth development, Wise suppresses survival of the diastema or incisor vestigial buds by serving as an inhibitor of Lrp5- and Lrp6-dependent Wnt signaling. Reducing the dosage of the Wnt co-receptor genes Lrp5 and Lrp6 rescues the Wise-null tooth phenotypes. Inactivation of Wise leads to elevated Wnt signaling and, as a consequence, vestigial tooth buds in the normally toothless diastema region display increased proliferation and continuous development to form supernumerary teeth. Conversely, gain-of-function studies show that ectopic Wise reduces Wnt signaling and tooth number. Our analyses demonstrate that the Fgf and Shh pathways are major downstream targets of Wise-regulated Wnt signaling. Furthermore, our experiments revealed that Shh acts as a negative-feedback regulator of Wnt signaling and thus determines the fate of the vestigial buds and later tooth patterning. These data provide insight into the mechanisms that control Wnt signaling in tooth development and into how crosstalk among signaling pathways controls tooth number and morphogenesis.

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

Patel, Rahul I.; Metchev, Stanimir A.; Trollo, Joseph

In an earlier study, we reported nearly 100 previously unknown dusty debris disks around Hipparcos main-sequence stars within 75 pc by selecting stars with excesses in individual WISE colors. Here, we further scrutinize the Hipparcos  75 pc sample to (1) gain sensitivity to previously undetected, fainter mid-IR excesses and (2) remove spurious excesses contaminated by previously unidentified blended sources. We improve on our previous method by adopting a more accurate measure of the confidence threshold for excess detection and by adding an optimally weighted color average that incorporates all shorter-wavelength WISE photometry, rather than using only individual WISE colors. Themore » latter is equivalent to spectral energy distribution fitting, but only over WISE bandpasses. In addition, we leverage the higher-resolution WISE images available through the unWISE.me image service to identify contaminated WISE excesses based on photocenter offsets among the W 3- and W 4-band images. Altogether, we identify 19 previously unreported candidate debris disks. Combined with the results from our earlier study, we have found a total of 107 new debris disks around 75 pc Hipparcos main-sequence stars using precisely calibrated WISE photometry. This expands the 75 pc debris disk sample by 22% around Hipparcos main-sequence stars and by 20% overall (including non-main-sequence and non- Hipparcos stars).« less

Axial displacement of external and internal implant-abutment connection evaluated by linear mixed model analysis.

PubMed

Seol, Hyon-Woo; Heo, Seong-Joo; Koak, Jai-Young; Kim, Seong-Kyun; Kim, Shin-Koo

2015-01-01

To analyze the axial displacement of external and internal implant-abutment connection after cyclic loading. Three groups of external abutments (Ext group), an internal tapered one-piece-type abutment (Int-1 group), and an internal tapered two-piece-type abutment (Int-2 group) were prepared. Cyclic loading was applied to implant-abutment assemblies at 150 N with a frequency of 3 Hz. The amount of axial displacement, the Periotest values (PTVs), and the removal torque values(RTVs) were measured. Both a repeated measures analysis of variance and pattern analysis based on the linear mixed model were used for statistical analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to evaluate the surface of the implant-abutment connection. The mean axial displacements after 1,000,000 cycles were 0.6 μm in the Ext group, 3.7 μm in the Int-1 group, and 9.0 μm in the Int-2 group. Pattern analysis revealed a breakpoint at 171 cycles. The Ext group showed no declining pattern, and the Int-1 group showed no declining pattern after the breakpoint (171 cycles). However, the Int-2 group experienced continuous axial displacement. After cyclic loading, the PTV decreased in the Int-2 group, and the RTV decreased in all groups. SEM imaging revealed surface wear in all groups. Axial displacement and surface wear occurred in all groups. The PTVs remained stable, but the RTVs decreased after cyclic loading. Based on linear mixed model analysis, the Ext and Int-1 groups' axial displacements plateaued after little cyclic loading. The Int-2 group's rate of axial displacement slowed after 100,000 cycles.

Mechanical Design of Innovative Electromagnetic Linear Actuators for Marine Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muscia, Roberto

2017-11-01

We describe an engineering solution to manufacture electromagnetic linear actuators for moving rudders and fin stabilizers of military shipsItalian Ministry of Defence, General Direction of Naval Equipments (NAVARM), Projects ISO (2012-2014) and EDDA (2015-2017). . The solution defines the transition from the conceptual design of the device initially studied from an electromagnetic point of view to mechanical configurations that really work. The structural problems that have been resolved with the proposed configuration are described. In order to validate the design choices discussed we illustrate some results of the numerical simulations performed by the structural finite elements method. These results quantitatively justify the suggested mechanical solution by evaluating stresses and deformations in a virtual prototype of the structure during its functioning. The parts of the device that have been studied are the most critical because in cases of excessive deformation/stress, they can irreparably compromise the actuator operation. These parts are the pole piece-base set and the retention cages of the permanent magnets. The FEM analysis has allowed us to identify the most stressed areas of the previous elements whose shape has been appropriately designed so as to reduce the maximum stresses and deformations. Moreover, the FEM analysis helped to find the most convenient solution to join the pole pieces to the respective bases. The good results obtained by the suggested engineering solution have been experimentally confirmed by tests on a small prototype actuator purposely manufactured. Finally, a qualitative analysis of the engineering problems that have to be considered to design electromagnetic linear actuators bigger than the one already manufactured is illustrated.

WISE Observations of Comets, Centaurs, & Scattered Disk Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, J.; Walker, R.; Mainzer, A.; Masiero, J.; Grav, T.; Cutri, R.; Dailey, J.; McMillan, R.; Lisse, C. M.; Fernandez, Y. R.;

Educational Materials - Burn Wise

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Burn Wise outreach material. Burn Wise is a partnership program of that emphasizes the importance of burning the right wood, the right way, in the right wood-burning appliance to protect your home, health, and the air we breathe.

Tracing and separating plasma components causing matrix effects in hydrophilic interaction chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Ekdahl, Anja; Johansson, Maria C; Ahnoff, Martin

2013-04-01

Matrix effects on electrospray ionization were investigated for plasma samples analysed by hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) in gradient elution mode, and HILIC columns of different chemistries were tested for separation of plasma components and model analytes. By combining mass spectral data with post-column infusion traces, the following components of protein-precipitated plasma were identified and found to have significant effect on ionization: urea, creatinine, phosphocholine, lysophosphocholine, sphingomyelin, sodium ion, chloride ion, choline and proline betaine. The observed effect on ionization was both matrix-component and analyte dependent. The separation of identified plasma components and model analytes on eight columns was compared, using pair-wise linear correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). Large changes in selectivity could be obtained by change of column, while smaller changes were seen when the mobile phase buffer was changed from ammonium formate pH 3.0 to ammonium acetate pH 4.5. While results from PCA and linear correlation analysis were largely in accord, linear correlation analysis was judged to be more straight-forward in terms of conduction and interpretation.

Burn Wise Educational Materials for Businesses

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Burn Wise outreach material. Burn Wise is a partnership program of that emphasizes the importance of burning the right wood, the right way, in the right wood-burning appliance to protect your home, health, and the air we breathe.

Characteristics of a Linearly Tapered Slot Antenna (LTSA) Conformed Longitudinally Around a Cylinder

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, Jennifer L.; Ponchak, George E.; Tavassolian, Negar; Tentzeris, Manos M.

2007-01-01

The family of tapered slot antennas (TSA s) is suitable for numerous applications. Their ease of fabrication, wide bandwidth, and high gain make them desirable for military and commercial systems. Fabrication on thin, flexible substrates allows the TSA to be conformed over a given body, such as an aircraft wing or a piece of clothing for wearable networks. Previously, a Double Exponentially Tapered Slot Antenna (DETSA) was conformed around an exponential curvature, which showed that the main beam skewed towards the direction of curvature. This paper presents a Linearly Tapered Slot Antenna (LTSA) conformed longitudinally around a cylinder. Measured and simulated radiation patterns and the direction of maximum H co-polarization (Hco) as a function of the cylinder radius are presented.

Structure based alignment and clustering of proteins (STRALCP)

DOEpatents

Zemla, Adam T.; Zhou, Carol E.; Smith, Jason R.; Lam, Marisa W.

2013-06-18

Disclosed are computational methods of clustering a set of protein structures based on local and pair-wise global similarity values. Pair-wise local and global similarity values are generated based on pair-wise structural alignments for each protein in the set of protein structures. Initially, the protein structures are clustered based on pair-wise local similarity values. The protein structures are then clustered based on pair-wise global similarity values. For each given cluster both a representative structure and spans of conserved residues are identified. The representative protein structure is used to assign newly-solved protein structures to a group. The spans are used to characterize conservation and assign a "structural footprint" to the cluster.

Multi-frequency Phase Unwrap from Noisy Data: Adaptive Least Squares Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katkovnik, Vladimir; Bioucas-Dias, José

2010-04-01

Multiple frequency interferometry is, basically, a phase acquisition strategy aimed at reducing or eliminating the ambiguity of the wrapped phase observations or, equivalently, reducing or eliminating the fringe ambiguity order. In multiple frequency interferometry, the phase measurements are acquired at different frequencies (or wavelengths) and recorded using the corresponding sensors (measurement channels). Assuming that the absolute phase to be reconstructed is piece-wise smooth, we use a nonparametric regression technique for the phase reconstruction. The nonparametric estimates are derived from a local least squares criterion, which, when applied to the multifrequency data, yields denoised (filtered) phase estimates with extended ambiguity (periodized), compared with the phase ambiguities inherent to each measurement frequency. The filtering algorithm is based on local polynomial (LPA) approximation for design of nonlinear filters (estimators) and adaptation of these filters to unknown smoothness of the spatially varying absolute phase [9]. For phase unwrapping, from filtered periodized data, we apply the recently introduced robust (in the sense of discontinuity preserving) PUMA unwrapping algorithm [1]. Simulations give evidence that the proposed algorithm yields state-of-the-art performance for continuous as well as for discontinues phase surfaces, enabling phase unwrapping in extraordinary difficult situations when all other algorithms fail.

Scene-aware joint global and local homographic video coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Xiulian; Xu, Jizheng; Sullivan, Gary J.

2016-09-01

Perspective motion is commonly represented in video content that is captured and compressed for various applications including cloud gaming, vehicle and aerial monitoring, etc. Existing approaches based on an eight-parameter homography motion model cannot deal with this efficiently, either due to low prediction accuracy or excessive bit rate overhead. In this paper, we consider the camera motion model and scene structure in such video content and propose a joint global and local homography motion coding approach for video with perspective motion. The camera motion is estimated by a computer vision approach, and camera intrinsic and extrinsic parameters are globally coded at the frame level. The scene is modeled as piece-wise planes, and three plane parameters are coded at the block level. Fast gradient-based approaches are employed to search for the plane parameters for each block region. In this way, improved prediction accuracy and low bit costs are achieved. Experimental results based on the HEVC test model show that up to 9.1% bit rate savings can be achieved (with equal PSNR quality) on test video content with perspective motion. Test sequences for the example applications showed a bit rate savings ranging from 3.7 to 9.1%.

Solar radiation - to - power generation models for one-axis tracking PV system with on-site measurements from Eskisehir, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filik, Tansu; Başaran Filik, Ümmühan; Nezih Gerek, Ömer

2017-11-01

In this study, new analytic models are proposed for mapping on-site global solar radiation values to electrical power output values in solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. The model extraction is achieved by simultaneously recording solar radiation and generated power from fixed and tracking panels, each with capacity of 3 kW, in Eskisehir (Turkey) region. It is shown that the relation between the solar radiation and the corresponding electric power is not only nonlinear, but it also exhibits an interesting time-varying characteristic in the form of a hysteresis function. This observed radiation-to-power relation is, then, analytically modelled with three piece-wise function parts (corresponding to morning, noon and evening times), which is another novel contribution of this work. The model is determined for both fixed panels and panels with a tracking system. Especially the panel system with a dynamic tracker produces a harmonically richer (with higher values in general) characteristic, so higher order polynomial models are necessary for the construction of analytical solar radiation models. The presented models, characteristics of the hysteresis functions, and differences in the fixed versus solar-tracking panels are expected to provide valuable insight for further model based researches.

Camera pose estimation for augmented reality in a small indoor dynamic scene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frikha, Rawia; Ejbali, Ridha; Zaied, Mourad

2017-09-01

Camera pose estimation remains a challenging task for augmented reality (AR) applications. Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)-based methods are able to estimate the six degrees of freedom camera motion while constructing a map of an unknown environment. However, these methods do not provide any reference for where to insert virtual objects since they do not have any information about scene structure and may fail in cases of occlusion of three-dimensional (3-D) map points or dynamic objects. This paper presents a real-time monocular piece wise planar SLAM method using the planar scene assumption. Using planar structures in the mapping process allows rendering virtual objects in a meaningful way on the one hand and improving the precision of the camera pose and the quality of 3-D reconstruction of the environment by adding constraints on 3-D points and poses in the optimization process on the other hand. We proposed to benefit from the 3-D planes rigidity motion in the tracking process to enhance the system robustness in the case of dynamic scenes. Experimental results show that using a constrained planar scene improves our system accuracy and robustness compared with the classical SLAM systems.

Trajectories of teacher-student warmth and conflict at the transition to middle school: Effects on academic engagement and achievement.

PubMed

Hughes, Jan N; Cao, Qian

2018-04-01

Using piece-wise longitudinal trajectory analysis, this study investigated trajectories of teacher-reported warmth and conflict in their relationships with students 4years prior to and 3years following the transition to middle school in a sample of 550 academically at-risk and ethnically diverse adolescents. At the transition to middle school, teacher reports of warmth showed a significant drop (shift in intercept), above age-related declines. Both warmth and conflict declined across the middle school years. Structural equation modeling (SEM) tested effects of the shifts in intercept and the post-transition slopes on reading and math achievement, teacher-rated engagement, and student-reported school belonging 3years post-transition, above pre-transition levels of the outcome. For warmth, a drop in intercept predicted lower math scores and engagement, and a more positive slope predicted higher engagement. For conflict, an increase in intercept and a negative slope predicted lower engagement. Implications of findings for reducing normative declines in academic engagement in middle school are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Image Based Mango Fruit Detection, Localisation and Yield Estimation Using Multiple View Geometry

PubMed Central

Stein, Madeleine; Bargoti, Suchet; Underwood, James

2016-01-01

This paper presents a novel multi-sensor framework to efficiently identify, track, localise and map every piece of fruit in a commercial mango orchard. A multiple viewpoint approach is used to solve the problem of occlusion, thus avoiding the need for labour-intensive field calibration to estimate actual yield. Fruit are detected in images using a state-of-the-art faster R-CNN detector, and pair-wise correspondences are established between images using trajectory data provided by a navigation system. A novel LiDAR component automatically generates image masks for each canopy, allowing each fruit to be associated with the corresponding tree. The tracked fruit are triangulated to locate them in 3D, enabling a number of spatial statistics per tree, row or orchard block. A total of 522 trees and 71,609 mangoes were scanned on a Calypso mango orchard near Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia, with 16 trees counted by hand for validation, both on the tree and after harvest. The results show that single, dual and multi-view methods can all provide precise yield estimates, but only the proposed multi-view approach can do so without calibration, with an error rate of only 1.36% for individual trees. PMID:27854271

Experimental and theoretical investigation of an impact vibration harvester with triboelectric transduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, Alwathiqbellah; Ramini, Abdallah; Towfighian, Shahrzad

2018-03-01

There has been remarkable interest in triboelectric mechanisms because of their high efficiency, wide availability, and low-cost generation of sustainable power. Using impact vibrations, we introduce piece-wise stiffness to the system to enlarge frequency bandwidth. The triboelectric layers consist of Aluminum, which also serves as an electrode, and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with micro semi-cylindrical patterns. At the bottom of the PDMS layer, there is another Al electrode. The layers are sandwiched between the center mass of a clamped-clamped beam and its base. The center mass enhances the impact force on the triboelectric layers subjected to external vibrations. Upon impact, alternating current, caused by the contact electrification and electrostatic induction, flows between the Al electrodes. Because of the impact, the equivalent stiffness of the structure increases and as a result, the frequency bandwidth gets wider. The output voltage and power reach as large as 5.5 V, 15 μW, respectively at 0.8 g vibrational amplitude. In addition, we report how the surface charge density increases with the excitation levels. The analysis delineates the interactions between impact vibrations and triboelectric transductions. The ability of the system to achieve wider bandwidth paves the way for efficient triboelectric vibrational energy harvesters.

On the Role of Mentalizing Processes in Aesthetic Appreciation: An ERP Study.

PubMed

Beudt, Susan; Jacobsen, Thomas

2015-01-01

We used event-related brain potentials to explore the impact of mental perspective taking on processes of aesthetic appreciation of visual art. Participants (non-experts) were first presented with information about the life and attitudes of a fictitious artist. Subsequently, they were cued trial-wise to make an aesthetic judgment regarding an image depicting a piece of abstract art either from their own perspective or from the imagined perspective of the fictitious artist [i.e., theory of mind (ToM) condition]. Positive self-referential judgments were made more quickly and negative self-referential judgments were made more slowly than the corresponding judgments from the imagined perspective. Event-related potential analyses revealed significant differences between the two tasks both within the preparation period (i.e., during the cue-stimulus interval) and within the stimulus presentation period. For the ToM condition we observed a relative centro-parietal negativity during the preparation period (700-330 ms preceding picture onset) and a relative centro-parietal positivity during the stimulus presentation period (700-1100 ms after stimulus onset). These findings suggest that different subprocesses are involved in aesthetic appreciation and judgment of visual abstract art from one's own vs. from another person's perspective.

Finite Element Simulation of Temperature and Strain Distribution during Friction Stir Welding of AA2024 Aluminum Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Rahul; Pal, Surjya Kanta; Singh, Shiv Brat

2017-02-01

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid state joining process and is handy for welding aluminum alloys. Finite Element Method (FEM) is an important tool to predict state variables of the process but numerical simulation of FSW is highly complex due to non-linear contact interactions between tool and work piece and interdependency of displacement and temperature. In the present work, a three dimensional coupled thermo-mechanical method based on Lagrangian implicit method is proposed to study the thermal history, strain distribution and thermo-mechanical process in butt welding of Aluminum alloy 2024 using DEFORM-3D software. Workpiece is defined as rigid-visco plastic material and sticking condition between tool and work piece is defined. Adaptive re-meshing is used to tackle high mesh distortion. Effect of tool rotational and welding speed on plastic strain is studied and insight is given on asymmetric nature of FSW process. Temperature distribution on the workpiece and tool is predicted and maximum temperature is found in workpiece top surface.

Mechanics dictate where and how freshwater planarians fission.

PubMed

Malinowski, Paul T; Cochet-Escartin, Olivier; Kaj, Kelson J; Ronan, Edward; Groisman, Alexander; Diamond, Patrick H; Collins, Eva-Maria S

2017-10-10

Asexual freshwater planarians reproduce by tearing themselves into two pieces by a process called binary fission. The resulting head and tail pieces regenerate within about a week, forming two new worms. Understanding this process of ripping oneself into two parts poses a challenging biomechanical problem. Because planarians stop "doing it" at the slightest disturbance, this remained a centuries-old puzzle. We focus on Dugesia japonica fission and show that it proceeds in three stages: a local constriction ("waist formation"), pulsation-which increases waist longitudinal stresses-and transverse rupture. We developed a linear mechanical model with a planarian represented by a thin shell. The model fully captures the pulsation dynamics leading to rupture and reproduces empirical time scales and stresses. It asserts that fission execution is a mechanical process. Furthermore, we show that the location of waist formation, and thus fission, is determined by physical constraints. Together, our results demonstrate that where and how a planarian rips itself apart during asexual reproduction can be fully explained through biomechanics.

Mechanics dictate where and how freshwater planarians fission

PubMed Central

Malinowski, Paul T.; Cochet-Escartin, Olivier; Kaj, Kelson J.; Ronan, Edward; Groisman, Alexander; Diamond, Patrick H.; Collins, Eva-Maria S.

2017-01-01

Asexual freshwater planarians reproduce by tearing themselves into two pieces by a process called binary fission. The resulting head and tail pieces regenerate within about a week, forming two new worms. Understanding this process of ripping oneself into two parts poses a challenging biomechanical problem. Because planarians stop “doing it” at the slightest disturbance, this remained a centuries-old puzzle. We focus on Dugesia japonica fission and show that it proceeds in three stages: a local constriction (“waist formation”), pulsation—which increases waist longitudinal stresses—and transverse rupture. We developed a linear mechanical model with a planarian represented by a thin shell. The model fully captures the pulsation dynamics leading to rupture and reproduces empirical time scales and stresses. It asserts that fission execution is a mechanical process. Furthermore, we show that the location of waist formation, and thus fission, is determined by physical constraints. Together, our results demonstrate that where and how a planarian rips itself apart during asexual reproduction can be fully explained through biomechanics. PMID:28973880

HIGH EFFICIENCY STRUCTURAL FLOWTHROUGH ROTOR WITH ACTIVE FLAP CONTROL: VOLUME TWO: INNOVATION & COST OF ENERGY

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

Zuteck, Michael D.; Jackson, Kevin L.; Santos, Richard A.

The Zimitar one-piece rotor primary structure is integrated, so balanced thrust and gravity loads flow through the hub region without transferring out of its composite material. Large inner rotor geometry is used since there is no need to neck down to a blade root region and pitch bearing. Rotor control is provided by a highly redundant, five flap system on each blade, sized so that easily handled standard electric linear actuators are sufficient.

HIGH EFFICIENCY STRUCTURAL FLOWTHROUGH ROTOR WITH ACTIVE FLAP CONTROL: VOLUME ONE: PRELIMINARY DESIGN REPORT

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

Zuteck, Michael D.; Jackson, Kevin L.; Santos, Richard A.

The Zimitar one-piece rotor primary structure is integrated, so balanced thrust and gravity loads flow through the hub region without transferring out of its composite material. Large inner rotor geometry is used since there is no need to neck down to a blade root region and pitch bearing. Rotor control is provided by a highly redundant, five flap system on each blade, sized so that easily handled standard electric linear actuators are sufficient.

HIGH EFFICIENCY STRUCTURAL FLOWTHROUGH ROTOR WITH ACTIVE FLAP CONTROL: VOLUME ZERO: OVERVIEW AND COMMERCIAL PATH

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

Zuteck, Michael D.; Jackson, Kevin L.; Santos, Richard A.

The Zimitar one-piece rotor primary structure is integrated, so balanced thrust and gravity loads flow through the hub region without transferring out of its composite material. Large inner rotor geometry is used since there is no need to neck down to a blade root region and pitch bearing. Rotor control is provided by a highly redundant, five flap system on each blade, sized so that easily handled standard electric linear actuators are sufficient.

Physics experiments with Nintendo Wii controllers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wheeler, Martyn D.

2011-01-01

This article provides a detailed description of the use of Nintendo Wii game controllers in physics demonstrations. The main features of the controller relevant to physics are outlined and the procedure for communicating with a PC is described. A piece of software written by the author is applied to gathering data from a controller suspended from a spring undergoing simple harmonic motion, a pair of controllers mounted on colliding gliders on a linear air track, and a person jumping from a balance board.

MM&T for Linear Resonant Cooler. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-02-16

Tesla *Magnet Material Samarium Cobalt Radially Magnetized Inner Diameter = 1.25" Length = 0.79" Coil Assembly Number of Turns/Section = 90 Outside...Diameter = 1.22" Inside Diameter = 0.86" Inner Iron Material 2 V Permendur Inside Diameter = 0.38" Length 1.84" Design Max. Flux Density = 2.4 Tesla 0 3-12...suspended with rubber bands 60 inches above the floor of the semi -anechoic room. A six foot square piece of 2 inch thick foam was centered on the floor

LARC-TPI: A multi-purpose thermoplastic polyimide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

St.clair, A. K.; St.clair, T. L.

1982-01-01

A linear thermoplastic polyimide, LARC-TPI, was characterized and developed for a variety of high temperature applications. In its fully imidized form, this material can be used as an adhesive for bonding metals such as titanium, aluminum, copper, brass, and stainless steel. LARC-TPI was evaluated as a thermoplastic for bonding large pieces of polyimide film to produce flexible, 100 void-free laminates for flexible circuit applications. The development of LARC-TPI as a potential molding powder, composite matrix resin, high temperature film and fiber is also discussed.

Institutionalizing Sex Education in Diverse U.S. School Districts.

PubMed

Saul Butler, Rebekah; Sorace, Danene; Hentz Beach, Kathleen

2018-02-01

This paper describes the Working to Institutionalize Sex Education (WISE) Initiative, a privately funded effort to support ready public school districts to advance and sustain comprehensive sexuality programs, and examines the degree to which WISE has been successful in increasing access to sex education, removing barriers, and highlighting best practices. The data for this study come from a set of performance indicators, guidance documents, and tools designed for the WISE Initiative to capture changes in sex education institutionalization at WISE school districts. The evaluation includes the analysis of 186 school districts across 12 states in the U.S. As a result of the WISE Initiative, 788,865 unique students received new or enhanced sex education in school classrooms and 88 school districts reached their sex education institutionalization goals. In addition to these school district successes, WISE codified the WISE Method and toolkit-a practical guide to help schools implement sex education. Barriers to implementing sexuality education can be overcome with administrative support and focused technical assistance and training, resulting in significant student reach in diverse school districts nationwide. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lrp4 and Wise interplay controls the formation and patterning of mammary and other skin appendage placodes by modulating Wnt signaling.

PubMed

Ahn, Youngwook; Sims, Carrie; Logue, Jennifer M; Weatherbee, Scott D; Krumlauf, Robb

2013-02-01

The future site of skin appendage development is marked by a placode during embryogenesis. Although Wnt/β-catenin signaling is known to be essential for skin appendage development, it is unclear which cellular processes are controlled by the signaling and how the precise level of the signaling activity is achieved during placode formation. We have investigated roles for Lrp4 and its potential ligand Wise (Sostdc1) in mammary and other skin appendage placodes. Lrp4 mutant mice displayed a delay in placode initiation and changes in distribution and number of mammary precursor cells leading to abnormal morphology, number and position of mammary placodes. These Lrp4 mammary defects, as well as limb defects, were associated with elevated Wnt/β-catenin signaling and were rescued by reducing the dose of the Wnt co-receptor genes Lrp5 and Lrp6, or by inactivating the gene encoding β-catenin. Wise-null mice phenocopied a subset of the Lrp4 mammary defects and Wise overexpression reduced the number of mammary precursor cells. Genetic epistasis analyses suggest that Wise requires Lrp4 to exert its function and that, together, they have a role in limiting mammary fate, but Lrp4 has an early Wise-independent role in facilitating placode formation. Lrp4 and Wise mutants also share defects in vibrissa and hair follicle development, suggesting that the roles played by Lrp4 and Wise are common to skin appendages. Our study presents genetic evidence for interplay between Lrp4 and Wise in inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling and provides an insight into how modulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling controls cellular processes important for skin placode formation.

Quasar probabilities and redshifts from WISE mid-IR through GALEX UV photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DiPompeo, M. A.; Bovy, J.; Myers, A. D.; Lang, D.

2015-09-01

Extreme deconvolution (XD) of broad-band photometric data can both separate stars from quasars and generate probability density functions for quasar redshifts, while incorporating flux uncertainties and missing data. Mid-infrared photometric colours are now widely used to identify hot dust intrinsic to quasars, and the release of all-sky WISE data has led to a dramatic increase in the number of IR-selected quasars. Using forced photometry on public WISE data at the locations of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) point sources, we incorporate this all-sky data into the training of the XDQSOz models originally developed to select quasars from optical photometry. The combination of WISE and SDSS information is far more powerful than SDSS alone, particularly at z > 2. The use of SDSS+WISE photometry is comparable to the use of SDSS+ultraviolet+near-IR data. We release a new public catalogue of 5537 436 (total; 3874 639 weighted by probability) potential quasars with probability PQSO > 0.2. The catalogue includes redshift probabilities for all objects. We also release an updated version of the publicly available set of codes to calculate quasar and redshift probabilities for various combinations of data. Finally, we demonstrate that this method of selecting quasars using WISE data is both more complete and efficient than simple WISE colour-cuts, especially at high redshift. Our fits verify that above z ˜ 3 WISE colours become bluer than the standard cuts applied to select quasars. Currently, the analysis is limited to quasars with optical counterparts, and thus cannot be used to find highly obscured quasars that WISE colour-cuts identify in significant numbers.

Basic Pressure Measurements at Transonic Speeds on a Thin 45 deg Sweptback Highly Tapered Wing With Systematic Spanwise Twist Variations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mugler, John P., Jr.

1959-01-01

Pressure distributions obtained in the Langley 8-foot transonic pressure tunnel on a thin, highly tapered, twisted, 45 deg sweptback wing in combination with a body are presented. The wing has a linear span-wise twist variation from 0 deg at 10 percent of the semispan to 6 deg at the tip. The tip is at a lower angle of attack than the root. Tests were made at stagnation pressures of 1.0 and 0.5 atmosphere, at Mach numbers from 0.800 to 1.200, and at angles of attack from -4 to 12 deg.

Adaptive wavelet collocation methods for initial value boundary problems of nonlinear PDE's

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cai, Wei; Wang, Jian-Zhong

1993-01-01

We have designed a cubic spline wavelet decomposition for the Sobolev space H(sup 2)(sub 0)(I) where I is a bounded interval. Based on a special 'point-wise orthogonality' of the wavelet basis functions, a fast Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is constructed. This DWT transform will map discrete samples of a function to its wavelet expansion coefficients in O(N log N) operations. Using this transform, we propose a collocation method for the initial value boundary problem of nonlinear PDE's. Then, we test the efficiency of the DWT transform and apply the collocation method to solve linear and nonlinear PDE's.

Large-Deformation Displacement Transfer Functions for Shape Predictions of Highly Flexible Slender Aerospace Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ko, William L.; Fleischer, Van Tran

2013-01-01

Large deformation displacement transfer functions were formulated for deformed shape predictions of highly flexible slender structures like aircraft wings. In the formulation, the embedded beam (depth wise cross section of structure along the surface strain sensing line) was first evenly discretized into multiple small domains, with surface strain sensing stations located at the domain junctures. Thus, the surface strain (bending strains) variation within each domain could be expressed with linear of nonlinear function. Such piecewise approach enabled piecewise integrations of the embedded beam curvature equations [classical (Eulerian), physical (Lagrangian), and shifted curvature equations] to yield closed form slope and deflection equations in recursive forms.

Unified nonlinear approach to both weak and strong-interaction problems. [heat transfer in hypersonic flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gupta, R. N.; Rodkiewicz, C. M.

1975-01-01

The numerical results are obtained for heat transfer, skin-friction, and viscous interaction induced pressure for a step-wise accelerated flat plate in hypersonic flow. In the unified approach here the results are presented for both weak and strong-interaction problems without employing any linearization scheme. With the help of the numerical method used in this work an accurate prediction of wall shear can be made for the problems with plate velocity changes of 1% or larger. The obtained results indicate that the transient contribution to the induced pressure for helium is greater than that for air.

WISE TF: A MID-INFRARED, 3.4 {mu}m EXTENSION OF THE TULLY-FISHER RELATION USING WISE PHOTOMETRY

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

Lagattuta, David J.; Mould, Jeremy R.; Staveley-Smith, Lister

2013-07-10

We present a mid-infrared Tully-Fisher (TF) relation using photometry from the 3.4 {mu}m W1 band of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) satellite. The WISE TF relation is formed from 568 galaxies taken from the all-sky 2MASS Tully-Fisher (2MTF) galaxy catalog, spanning a range of environments including field, group, and cluster galaxies. This constitutes the largest mid-infrared TF relation constructed to date. After applying a number of corrections to galaxy magnitudes and line widths, we measure a master TF relation given by M{sub corr} = -22.24 - 10.05[log (W{sub corr}) - 2.5], with an average dispersion of {sigma}{sub WISE} =more » 0.686 mag. There is some tension between WISE TF and a preliminary 3.6 {mu}m relation, which has a shallower slope and almost no intrinsic dispersion. However, our results agree well with a more recent relation constructed from a large sample of cluster galaxies. We additionally compare WISE TF to the near-infrared 2MTF template relations, finding a good agreement between the TF parameters and total dispersions of WISE TF and the 2MTF K-band template. This fact, coupled with typical galaxy colors of (K - W1) {approx} 0, suggests that these two bands are tracing similar stellar populations, including the older, centrally-located stars in the galactic bulge which can (for galaxies with a prominent bulge) dominate the light profile.« less

WashWise cleans up the Northwest: Lessons learned from the Northwest high-efficiency clothes washer initiative

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

Gordon, L.M.; Banks, D.L.; Brenneke, M.E.

1998-07-01

WashWise is a regional market transformation program designed to promote the sale and acceptance or resource-efficient clothes washers (RECWs) in the Northwest through financial incentives, education, and marketing. The Program is sponsored by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (the Alliance), a non-profit regional consortium of utilities, government, public interest groups, and private sector organizations. WashWise started in May 1997 and will continue through the end of 1999. WashWise works to transform the clothes washer market primarily at the retail level through an in-store instant rebate and a retailer bonus. In addition to financial incentives, WashWise has undertaken a collaborative marketingmore » and promotional campaign to educate consumers about the financial savings and other benefits of RECWs. The program promotes only RECWs that meet strict energy and water savings criteria. WashWise has far exceeded initial expectations; annual program sales goals were met in the first three months. As of June 1998, 30,000 RECWs have been sold through the program (representing approximately 13 percent of the Northwest residential clothes washer market). In addition, over 540 retailers, including national and regional chains, are participating in the program. Preliminary survey results also have also provided evidence of broad customer satisfaction. This paper reviews the key elements that have contributed to the success of the WashWise program. In addition, the paper provides program results and indicates future directions for WashWise and the RECW market.« less

Water Clouds in the Atmosphere of a Jupiter-Like Brown Dwarf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-07-01

Lying a mere 7.2 light-years away, WISE 0855 is the nearest known planetary-mass object. This brown dwarf, a failed star just slightly more massive than Jupiter, is also the coldest known compact body outside of our solar system and new observations have now provided us with a first look at its atmosphere.Temperaturepressure profiles of Jupiter, WISE 0855, and what was previously the coldest extrasolar object with a 5-m spectrum, Gl 570D. Thicker lines show the location of each objects 5-m photospheres. WISE 0855s and Jupiters photospheres are near the point where water starts to condense out into clouds (dashed line). [Skemer et al. 2016]Challenging ObservationsWith a chilly temperature of 250 K, the brown dwarf WISE 0855 is the closest thing weve been able to observe to a body resembling Jupiters ~130 K. WISE 0855 therefore presents an intriguing opportunity to directly study the atmosphere of an object whose physical characteristics are similar to our own gas giants.But studying the atmospheric characteristics of such a body is tricky. WISE 0855 is too cold and faint to be able to obtain traditional optical or near-infrared ( 2.5 m) spectroscopy of it. Luckily, like Jupiter, the opacity of its gas allows thermal emission from its deep atmosphere to escape through an atmospheric window around ~5 m.A team of scientists led by Andrew Skemer (UC Santa Cruz) set out to observe WISE 0855 in this window with the Gemini-North telescope and the Gemini Near-Infrared Spectrograph. Though WISE 0855 is five times fainter than the faintest object previously detected with ground-based 5-m spectroscopy, the dry air of Mauna Kea (and a lot of patience!) allowed the team to obtain unprecedented spectra of this object.WISE 0855s spectrum shows absorption features consistent with water vapor, and its best fit by a cloudy brown-dwarf model. [Skemer et al. 2016]Water Clouds FoundExoplanets and brown dwarfs cooler than ~350 K are expected to form water ice clouds in upper atmosphere and these clouds should be thick enough to alter the emergent spectrum that we observe. Does WISE 0855 fit this picture?Yes! By modeling the spectrum of WISE 0855, Skemer and collaborators demonstrate that its completely dominated by water absorption lines. This represents the first evidence of water clouds in a body outside of our solar system.Atmospheric TurbulenceWISE 0855s water absorption profile bears a striking resemblance to Jupiters. Where the spectra differ, however, is in the lower-wavelength end of observations: Jupiter also shows absorption by a molecule called phosphine, whereas WISE 0855 doesnt.Jupiters spectrum is strikingly similar to WISE 0855s from 4.8 to 5.2 m, where both objects are dominated by water absorption. But from 4.5 to 4.8 m, Jupiters spectrum is dominated by phosphine absorption, indicating a turbulent atmosphere, while WISE 0855s is not. [Skemer et al. 2016]Interestingly, if the bodies were both in equilibrium, neither WISE 0855 nor Jupiter should contain detectable phosphine in their photospheres. The reason Jupiter does is because theres a significant amount of turbulent mixing in its atmosphere that dredges up phosphine from the planets hot interior. The fact that WISE 0855 has no sign of phosphine suggests its atmosphere may be much less turbulent than Jupiters.These observations represent an important step as we attempt to understand the atmospheres of extrasolar bodies that are similar to our own gas-giant planets. Observations of other such bodies in the future especially using new technology like the James Webb Space Telescope will allow us to learn more about the dynamical and chemical processes that occur in cold atmospheres.CitationAndrew J. Skemer et al 2016 ApJ 826 L17. doi:10.3847/2041-8205/826/2/L17

Analytical and multivariate study of roman age architectural terracotta from northeast of Spain.

PubMed

Giménez, Rosario García; Villa, Raquel Vigil de la; Rosa, Paloma Recio de la; Domínguez, María Dolores Petit; Rucandio, María Isabel

2005-02-28

Roman culture employed architectural terracotta made from baked clay as original material to manufacture ceramic pieces. It was often used as a basis for construction of functional and/or decorative elements in roofs, such as plane and curve tiles as well as antefixes with their corresponding "imbrexes". Some of them are conserved nowadays. They were collected in Roman quarries discovered in old cities and villages sited in the Hispania Citerior (northeast of Spain in Roman age). A study of the origin and manufacturing process (moulding, baking, touching up and painting) of these terracotta pieces has been made on the basis of the data obtained from a physicochemical characterization of samples. The used techniques were mainly flame absorption and emission spectrometry for the elemental analysis (major and minor elements), dilatometry for the study of thermal behaviour, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for observation of thin layers and X-ray diffraction spectrometry (XRD) for mineralogical composition. In addition, a supervised pattern recognition programme was applied to the results for a selected group of 85 samples and five variables (chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc contents). Dilatometry and SEM results showed baking temperatures of these materials below 900 degrees C and the existence of zones with very different porosity in the same ceramic piece. Results obtained from multielemental analysis and multivariate statistical study by linear discriminant analysis lead us to the following conclusions: (i) the high content of lead found in a large number of antefixes demonstrates the use of lead oxide as an additive in the lime grout treatment, (ii) different contents of Cu, Zn, Cr, and Ni were indicative of the use of varied clay types in the manufacture process (even in the same production centre) as well as of the existence of a pigmentation process, although this last affirmation is not corroborated by the presence of remains of evident painting in the ceramic pieces, (iii) samples can be classified according to the places where these pieces came from and (iv) more variety in their composition was found in Roman age terracotta production centres.

From Vivaldi to Beatles and back: predicting lateralized brain responses to music.

PubMed

Alluri, Vinoo; Toiviainen, Petri; Lund, Torben E; Wallentin, Mikkel; Vuust, Peter; Nandi, Asoke K; Ristaniemi, Tapani; Brattico, Elvira

2013-12-01

We aimed at predicting the temporal evolution of brain activity in naturalistic music listening conditions using a combination of neuroimaging and acoustic feature extraction. Participants were scanned using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) while listening to two musical medleys, including pieces from various genres with and without lyrics. Regression models were built to predict voxel-wise brain activations which were then tested in a cross-validation setting in order to evaluate the robustness of the hence created models across stimuli. To further assess the generalizability of the models we extended the cross-validation procedure by including another dataset, which comprised continuous fMRI responses of musically trained participants to an Argentinean tango. Individual models for the two musical medleys revealed that activations in several areas in the brain belonging to the auditory, limbic, and motor regions could be predicted. Notably, activations in the medial orbitofrontal region and the anterior cingulate cortex, relevant for self-referential appraisal and aesthetic judgments, could be predicted successfully. Cross-validation across musical stimuli and participant pools helped identify a region of the right superior temporal gyrus, encompassing the planum polare and the Heschl's gyrus, as the core structure that processed complex acoustic features of musical pieces from various genres, with or without lyrics. Models based on purely instrumental music were able to predict activation in the bilateral auditory cortices, parietal, somatosensory, and left hemispheric primary and supplementary motor areas. The presence of lyrics on the other hand weakened the prediction of activations in the left superior temporal gyrus. Our results suggest spontaneous emotion-related processing during naturalistic listening to music and provide supportive evidence for the hemispheric specialization for categorical sounds with realistic stimuli. We herewith introduce a powerful means to predict brain responses to music, speech, or soundscapes across a large variety of contexts. © 2013.

Airplane Mesh Development with Grid Density Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cliff, Susan E.; Baker, Timothy J.; Thomas, Scott D.; Lawrence, Scott L.; Rimlinger, Mark J.

1999-01-01

Automatic Grid Generation Wish List Geometry handling, including CAD clean up and mesh generation, remains a major bottleneck in the application of CFD methods. There is a pressing need for greater automation in several aspects of the geometry preparation in order to reduce set up time and eliminate user intervention as much as possible. Starting from the CAD representation of a configuration, there may be holes or overlapping surfaces which require an intensive effort to establish cleanly abutting surface patches, and collections of many patches may need to be combined for more efficient use of the geometrical representation. Obtaining an accurate and suitable body conforming grid with an adequate distribution of points throughout the flow-field, for the flow conditions of interest, is often the most time consuming task for complex CFD applications. There is a need for a clean unambiguous definition of the CAD geometry. Ideally this would be carried out automatically by smart CAD clean up software. One could also define a standard piece-wise smooth surface representation suitable for use by computational methods and then create software to translate between the various CAD descriptions and the standard representation. Surface meshing remains a time consuming, user intensive procedure. There is a need for automated surface meshing, requiring only minimal user intervention to define the overall density of mesh points. The surface mesher should produce well shaped elements (triangles or quadrilaterals) whose size is determined initially according to the surface curvature with a minimum size for flat pieces, and later refined by the user in other regions if necessary. Present techniques for volume meshing all require some degree of user intervention. There is a need for fully automated and reliable volume mesh generation. In addition, it should be possible to create both surface and volume meshes that meet guaranteed measures of mesh quality (e.g. minimum and maximum angle, stretching ratios, etc.).

US pediatric population-level associations of DXA-measured percentage of body fat with four BMI metrics with cutoffs

PubMed Central

Heo, Moonseong; Wylie-Rosett, Judith; Pietrobelli, Angelo; Kabat, Geoffrey C.; Rohan, Thomas E.; Faith, Myles S.

2013-01-01

Objective Four body mass index (BMI) metrics—BMI, BMI z-score, BMI percentile, and BMI%—are commonly used as proxy measures for children's adiposity. We sought to determine a BMI metric that is most strongly associated with measured percentage of body fat (%BF) in the US pediatric population stratified by sex, age and race/ethnicity, and to determine cutoffs that maximize the association for each BMI metric. Subjects, Design and Methods %BF was measured by DXA among N=6120 US boys and girls aged 8.0 to 17.9 years old from NHANES 1999-2004. We fit piece-wise linear regression models with cutoffs to %BF data using each BMI metric as the predictor stratified by sex, race/ethnicity and age. The slopes were modeled differently before and after the cutoffs which were determined based on grid searches. Results BMI z-score was in general most strongly associated with %BF for both boys and girls. The associations of the four BMI metrics were lowest for boys aged 12-13.9 years and girls aged 16-17.9 years, and strongest for Mexican-American boys and for non-Hispanic black girls. Overall, the associations were stronger for girls than for boys. In boys, BMI had the lowest association with %BF (R2=0.39) for all ages combined. The fold changes in slopes before and after cutoffs were greatest in general for BMI percentiles regardless of age, sex and race/ethnicity. BMI z-score cutoffs were 0.4 for both boys and girls for all ages combined. Except for BMI, the slopes after the cutoffs were in general greater than those before. Conclusions All BMI metrics were strongly associated with %BF when stratified by age and race/ethnicity except that BMI was the least associated with %BF in boys for all ages combined. Overall, BMI z-score was superior for evaluation of %BF, and its cutoff of 0.4 can also serve as a threshold for careful monitoring of weight status. PMID:23887060

The linkage between stratospheric water vapor and surface temperature in an observation-constrained coupled general circulation model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuan; Su, Hui; Jiang, Jonathan H.; Livesey, Nathaniel J.; Santee, Michelle L.; Froidevaux, Lucien; Read, William G.; Anderson, John

2017-04-01

We assess the interactions between stratospheric water vapor (SWV) and surface temperature during the past two decades using satellite observations and the Community Earth System Model (CESM). From 1992 to 2013, to first order, the observed SWV exhibited three distinct piece-wise trends: a steady increase from 1992 to 2000, an abrupt drop from 2000 to 2004, and a gradual recovery after 2004, while the global-mean surface temperature experienced a strong increase until 2000 and a warming hiatus after 2000. The atmosphere-only CESM shows that the seasonal variation of tropical-mean (30°S-30°N) SWV is anticorrelated with that of the tropical-mean sea surface temperature (SST), while the correlation between the tropical SWV and SST anomalies on the interannual time scale is rather weak. By nudging the modeled SWV to prescribed profiles in coupled atmosphere-slab ocean experiments, we investigate the impact of SWV variations on surface temperature change. We find that a uniform 1 ppmv (0.5 ppmv) SWV increase (decrease) leads to an equilibrium global mean surface warming (cooling) of 0.12 ± 0.05 °C (-0.07 ± 0.05 °C). Sensitivity experiments show that the equilibrium response of global mean surface temperature to SWV perturbations over the extratropics is larger than that over the tropics. The observed sudden drop of SWV from 2000 to 2004 produces a global mean surface cooling of about -0.048 ± 0.041 °C, which suggests that a persistent change in SWV would make an imprint on long-term variations of global-mean surface temperature. A constant linear increase in SWV based on the satellite-observed rate of SWV change yields a global mean surface warming of 0.03 ± 0.01 °C/decade over a 50-year period, which accounts for about 19 % of the observed surface temperature increase prior to the warming hiatus. In the same experiment, trend analyses during different periods reveal a multi-year adjustment of surface temperature before the response to SWV forcing becomes strong relative to the internal variability in the model.

Systematic Determination of Replication Activity Type Highlights Interconnections between Replication, Chromatin Structure and Nuclear Localization

PubMed Central

Polten, Andreas; Hezroni, Hadas; Eldar, Yonina C.; Meshorer, Eran; Yakhini, Zohar; Simon, Itamar

2012-01-01

DNA replication is a highly regulated process, with each genomic locus replicating at a distinct time of replication (ToR). Advances in ToR measurement technology enabled several genome-wide profiling studies that revealed tight associations between ToR and general genomic features and a remarkable ToR conservation in mammals. Genome wide studies further showed that at the hundreds kb-to-megabase scale the genome can be divided into constant ToR regions (CTRs) in which the replication process propagates at a faster pace due to the activation of multiple origins and temporal transition regions (TTRs) in which the replication process propagates at a slower pace. We developed a computational tool that assigns a ToR to every measured locus and determines its replication activity type (CTR versus TTR). Our algorithm, ARTO (Analysis of Replication Timing and Organization), uses signal processing methods to fit a constant piece-wise linear curve to the measured raw data. We tested our algorithm and provide performance and usability results. A Matlab implementation of ARTO is available at http://bioinfo.cs.technion.ac.il/people/zohar/ARTO/. Applying our algorithm to ToR data measured in multiple mouse and human samples allowed precise genome-wide ToR determination and replication activity type characterization. Analysis of the results highlighted the plasticity of the replication program. For example, we observed significant ToR differences in 10–25% of the genome when comparing different tissue types. Our analyses also provide evidence for activity type differences in up to 30% of the probes. Integration of the ToR data with multiple aspects of chromosome organization characteristics suggests that ToR plays a role in shaping the regional chromatin structure. Namely, repressive chromatin marks, are associated with late ToR both in TTRs and CTRs. Finally, characterization of the differences between TTRs and CTRs, with matching ToR, revealed that TTRs are associated with compact chromatin and are located significantly closer to the nuclear envelope. Supplementary material is available. Raw and processed data were deposited in Geo (GSE17236). PMID:23145042

Step-wise refolding of recombinant proteins.

PubMed

Tsumoto, Kouhei; Arakawa, Tsutomu; Chen, Linda

2010-04-01

Protein refolding is still on trial-and-error basis. Here we describe step-wise dialysis refolding, in which denaturant concentration is altered in step-wise fashion. This technology controls the folding pathway by adjusting the concentrations of the denaturant and other solvent additives to induce sequential folding or disulfide formation.

Parenting Interventions Implementation Science: How Delivery Format Impacts the Parenting Wisely Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cotter, Katie L.; Bacallao, Martica; Smokowski, Paul R.; Robertson, Caroline I. B.

2013-01-01

Objectives: This study examines the implementation and effectiveness of Parenting Wisely, an Internet-based parenting skills intervention. The study assesses whether parents benefit from Parenting Wisely participation and whether the delivery format influences program effectiveness. Method: This study uses a quasi-experimental design.…

Spending Money Wisely.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wentworth, Donald R.; And Others

1982-01-01

The theme article of this issue, "Spending Money Wisely," by Donald R. Wentworth, begins with an explanation of basic strategies which aid wise spending. The article goes on to provide an introduction to economic reasoning related to consumer purchases and focusing on the role of incentives, scarcity, and alternatives. Four teaching units follow…

Choosing Wisely When It Comes to Eye Care: Punctal Plugs for Dry Eye

MedlinePlus

... Wisely campaign is available at Choosing Wisely . Related Stories Solar Eclipse Inflicts Damage in the Shape of the Eclipse Itself Dec 08, 2017 Eye Injuries from Laundry Packets On the Rise Jun 30, 2017 New Technology Helps the Legally Blind Be More Independent Oct ...

Constructing a WISE High Resolution Galaxy Atlas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jarrett, T. H.; Masci, F.; Tsai, C. W.; Petty, S.; Cluver, M.; Assef, Roberto J.; Benford, D.; Blain, A.; Bridge, C.; Donoso, E.;

Impact of HealthWise South Africa on polydrug use and high-risk sexual behavior.

PubMed

Tibbits, Melissa K; Smith, Edward A; Caldwell, Linda L; Flisher, Alan J

2011-08-01

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of the HealthWise South Africa HIV and substance abuse prevention program at impacting adolescents' polydrug use and sexual risk behaviors. HealthWise is a school-based intervention designed to promote social-emotional skills, increase knowledge and refusal skills relevant to substance use and sexual behaviors, and encourage healthy free time activities. Four intervention schools in one township near Cape Town, South Africa were matched to five comparison schools (N = 4040). The sample included equal numbers of male and female participants (Mean age = 14.0). Multiple regression was used to assess the impact of HealthWise on the outcomes of interest. Findings suggest that among virgins at baseline (beginning of eighth grade) who had sex by Wave 5 (beginning of 10th grade), HealthWise youth were less likely than comparison youth to engage in two or more risk behaviors at last sex. Additionally, HealthWise was effective at slowing the onset of frequent polydrug use among non-users at baseline and slowing the increase in this outcome among all participants. Program effects were not found for lifetime sexual activity, condomless sex refusal and past-month polydrug use. These findings suggest that HealthWise is a promising approach to HIV and substance abuse prevention.

Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) WasteWise Data

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA??s WasteWise encourages organizations and businesses to achieve sustainability in their practices and reduce select industrial wastes. WasteWise is part of EPA??s sustainable materials management efforts, which promote the use and reuse of materials more productively over their entire lifecycles. All U.S. businesses, governments and nonprofit organizations can join WasteWise as a partner, endorser or both. Current participants range from small local governments and nonprofit organizations to large multinational corporations. Partners demonstrate how they reduce waste, practice environmental stewardship and incorporate sustainable materials management into their waste-handling processes. Endorsers promote enrollment in WasteWise as part of a comprehensive approach to help their stakeholders realize the economic benefits to reducing waste. WasteWise helps organizations reduce their impact on global climate change through waste reduction. Every stage of a product's life cycle??extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal??indirectly or directly contributes to the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere and affects the global climate. WasteWise is part of EPA's larger SMM program (https://www.epa.gov/smm). Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) is a systemic approach to using and reusing materials more productively over their entire lifecycles. It represents a change in how our society thinks about the use of natural resources

Multiobjective Optimization Combining BMP Technology and Land Preservation for Watershed-based Stormwater Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGarity, A. E.

2009-12-01

Recent progress has been made developing decision-support models for optimal deployment of best management practices (BMP’s) in an urban watershed to achieve water quality goals. One example is the high-level screening model StormWISE, developed by the author (McGarity, 2006) that uses linear and nonlinear programming to narrow the search for optimal solutions to certain land use categories and drainage zones. Another example is the model SUSTAIN developed by USEPA and Tetra Tech (Lai, et al., 2006), which builds on the work of Yu, et al., 2002), that uses a detailed, computationally intensive simulation model driven by a genetic solver to select optimal BMP sites. However, a model that deals only with best management practice (BMP) site selections may fail to consider solutions that avoid future nonpoint pollutant loadings by preserving undeveloped land. This paper presents results of a recently completed research project in which water resource engineers partnered with experienced professionals at a land conservation trust to develop a multiobjective model for watershed management. The result is a revised version of StormWISE that can be used to identify optimal, cost-effective combinations of easements and similar land preservation tools for undeveloped sites along with low impact development (LID) and BMP technologies for developed sites. The goal is to achieve the watershed-wide limits on runoff volume and pollutant loads that are necessary to meet water quality goals as well as ecological benefits associated with habitat preservation and enhancement. A nonlinear programming formulation is presented for the extended StormWISE model that achieves desired levels of environmental benefits at minimum cost. Tradeoffs between different environmental benefits are generated by multiple runs of the model while varying the levels of each environmental benefit obtained. The model is solved using piecewise linearization of environmental benefit functions where each linear segment of represents a different option for reducing stormwater runoff volumes and pollutant loadings. The solutions space is comprised of optimal levels of expenditure for categories of BMP's by land use category and optimal land preservation expenditures by drainage zone. To demonstrate the usefulness of the model, results from its application to the Little Crum Creek watershed in suburban Philadelphia are presented. The model has been used to assist a watershed association and four municipalities to develop an action plan for restoration of water quality on this impaired stream. References Lai, F., J. Zhen, J. Riverson, and L. Shoemaker (2006). "SUSTAIN - An Evaluation and Cost-Optimization Tool for Placement of BMPs," ASCE World Environmental and Water Resource Congress 2006. McGarity, A.E. (2006). A Cost Minimization Model to Priortize Urban Catchments for Stormwater BMP Implementation Projects. American Water Resources Association National Meeting, Baltimore, MD, November, 2006. Yu, S., J. X. Zhen, and S.Y. Zhai, (2002). Development of Stormwater Best Management Practice Placement Strategy for the Virginia Department of Transportation. Final Contract Report, VTRC 04-CR9, Virginia Transportation Research Council.

Mitigated-force carriage for high magnetic field environments

DOEpatents

Ludtka, Gerard M; Ludtka, Gail M; Wilgen, John B; Murphy, Bart L

2014-05-20

A carriage for high magnetic field environments includes a first work-piece holding means for holding a first work-piece, the first work-piece holding means being disposed in an operable relationship with a work-piece processing magnet having a magnetic field strength of at least 1 Tesla. The first work-piece holding means is further disposed in operable connection with a second work-piece holding means for holding a second work-piece so that, as the first work-piece is inserted into the magnetic field, the second work-piece is simultaneously withdrawn from the magnetic field, so that an attractive magnetic force imparted on the first work-piece offsets a resistive magnetic force imparted on the second work-piece.

Improved selection criteria for H II regions, based on IRAS sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Qing-Zeng; Xu, Ye; Walsh, A. J.; Macquart, J. P.; MacLeod, G. C.; Zhang, Bo; Hancock, P. J.; Chen, Xi; Tang, Zheng-Hong

2018-05-01

We present new criteria for selecting H II regions from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) Point Source Catalogue (PSC), based on an H II region catalogue derived manually from the all-sky Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The criteria are used to augment the number of H II region candidates in the Milky Way. The criteria are defined by the linear decision boundary of two samples: IRAS point sources associated with known H II regions, which serve as the H II region sample, and IRAS point sources at high Galactic latitudes, which serve as the non-H II region sample. A machine learning classifier, specifically a support vector machine, is used to determine the decision boundary. We investigate all combinations of four IRAS bands and suggest that the optimal criterion is log(F_{60}/F_{12})≥ ( -0.19 × log(F_{100}/F_{25})+ 1.52), with detections at 60 and 100 {μ}m. This selects 3041 H II region candidates from the IRAS PSC. We find that IRAS H II region candidates show evidence of evolution on the two-colour diagram. Merging the WISE H II catalogue with IRAS H II region candidates, we estimate a lower limit of approximately 10 200 for the number of H II regions in the Milky Way.

TREATMENT INTENSIFICATION WITH INSULIN DEGLUDEC/INSULIN ASPART TWICE DAILY: RANDOMIZED STUDY TO COMPARE SIMPLE AND STEP-WISE TITRATION ALGORITHMS.

PubMed

Gerety, Gregg; Bebakar, Wan Mohamad Wan; Chaykin, Louis; Ozkaya, Mesut; Macura, Stanislava; Hersløv, Malene Lundgren; Behnke, Thomas

2016-05-01

This 26-week, multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-group, treat-to-target trial in adults with type 2 diabetes compared the efficacy and safety of treatment intensification algorithms with twice-daily (BID) insulin degludec/insulin aspart (IDegAsp). Patients randomized 1:1 to IDegAsp BID used either a 'Simple' algorithm (twice-weekly dose adjustments based on a single prebreakfast and pre-evening meal self-monitored plasma glucose [SMPG] measurement; IDegAsp[BIDSimple], n = 136) or a 'Stepwise' algorithm (once-weekly dose adjustments based on the lowest of 3 pre-breakfast and 3 pre-evening meal SMPG values; IDegAsp[BIDStep-wise], n = 136). After 26 weeks, mean change from baseline in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) with IDegAsp[BIDSimple] was noninferior to IDegAsp[BIDStep-wise] (-15 mmol/mol versus -14 mmol/mol; 95% confidence interval [CI] upper limit, <4 mmol/mol) (baseline HbA1c: 66.3 mmol/mol IDegAsp[BIDSimple] and 66.6 mmol/mol IDegAsp[BIDStep-wise]). The proportion of patients who achieved HbA1c <7.0% (<53 mmol/mol) at the end of the trial was 66.9% with IDegAsp[BIDSimple] and 62.5% with IDegAsp[BIDStep-wise]. Fasting plasma glucose levels were reduced with each titration algorithm (-1.51 mmol/L IDegAsp[BIDSimple] versus -1.95 mmol/L IDegAsp[BIDStep-wise]). Weight gain was 3.8 kg IDegAsp[BIDSimple] versus 2.6 kg IDegAsp[BIDStep-wise], and rates of overall confirmed hypoglycemia (5.16 episodes per patient-year of exposure [PYE] versus 8.93 PYE) and nocturnal confirmed hypoglycemia (0.78 PYE versus 1.33 PYE) were significantly lower with IDegAsp[BIDStep-wise] versus IDegAsp[BIDSimple]. There were no significant differences in insulin dose increments between groups. Treatment intensification with IDegAsp[BIDSimple] was noninferior to IDegAsp[BIDStep-wise]. Both titration algorithms were well tolerated; however, the more conservative step-wise algorithm led to less weight gain and fewer hypoglycemic episodes. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01680341.

Choosing Wisely in Emergency Medicine: A National Survey of Emergency Medicine Academic Chairs and Division Chiefs.

PubMed

Maughan, Brandon C; Baren, Jill M; Shea, Judy A; Merchant, Raina M

2015-12-01

The Choosing Wisely campaign was launched in 2011 to promote stewardship of medical resources by encouraging patients and physicians to speak with each other regarding the appropriateness of common tests and procedures. Medical societies including the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) have developed lists of potentially low-value practices for their members to address with patients. No research has described the awareness or attitudes of emergency physicians (EPs) regarding the Choosing Wisely campaign. The study objective was to assess these beliefs among leaders of academic departments of emergency medicine (EM). This was a Web-based survey of emergency department (ED) chairs and division chiefs at institutions with allopathic EM residency programs. The survey examined awareness of Choosing Wisely, anticipated effects of the program, and discussions of Choosing Wisely with patients and professional colleagues. Participants also identified factors they associated with the use of potentially low-value services in the ED. Questions and answer scales were refined using iterative pilot testing with EPs and health services researchers. Seventy-eight percent (105/134) of invited participants responded to the survey. Eighty percent of respondents were aware of Choosing Wisely. A majority of participants anticipate the program will decrease costs of care (72% of respondents) and use of ED diagnostic imaging (69%) but will have no effect on EP salaries (94%) or medical-legal risks (65%). Only 45% of chairs have ever addressed Choosing Wisely with patients, in contrast to 88 and 82% who have discussed it with faculty and residents, respectively. Consultant-requested tests were identified by 97% of residents as a potential contributor to low-value services in the ED. A substantial majority of academic EM leaders in our study were aware of Choosing Wisely, but only slightly more than half could recall any ACEP recommendations for the program. Respondents familiar with Choosing Wisely anticipated generally positive effects, but chairs reported only infrequently discussing Choosing Wisely with patients. Future research should identify potentially low-value tests requested by consultants and objectively measure the utility and cost of these tests among ED patient populations. © 2015 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Power, effects, confidence, and significance: an investigation of statistical practices in nursing research.

PubMed

Gaskin, Cadeyrn J; Happell, Brenda

2014-05-01

To (a) assess the statistical power of nursing research to detect small, medium, and large effect sizes; (b) estimate the experiment-wise Type I error rate in these studies; and (c) assess the extent to which (i) a priori power analyses, (ii) effect sizes (and interpretations thereof), and (iii) confidence intervals were reported. Statistical review. Papers published in the 2011 volumes of the 10 highest ranked nursing journals, based on their 5-year impact factors. Papers were assessed for statistical power, control of experiment-wise Type I error, reporting of a priori power analyses, reporting and interpretation of effect sizes, and reporting of confidence intervals. The analyses were based on 333 papers, from which 10,337 inferential statistics were identified. The median power to detect small, medium, and large effect sizes was .40 (interquartile range [IQR]=.24-.71), .98 (IQR=.85-1.00), and 1.00 (IQR=1.00-1.00), respectively. The median experiment-wise Type I error rate was .54 (IQR=.26-.80). A priori power analyses were reported in 28% of papers. Effect sizes were routinely reported for Spearman's rank correlations (100% of papers in which this test was used), Poisson regressions (100%), odds ratios (100%), Kendall's tau correlations (100%), Pearson's correlations (99%), logistic regressions (98%), structural equation modelling/confirmatory factor analyses/path analyses (97%), and linear regressions (83%), but were reported less often for two-proportion z tests (50%), analyses of variance/analyses of covariance/multivariate analyses of variance (18%), t tests (8%), Wilcoxon's tests (8%), Chi-squared tests (8%), and Fisher's exact tests (7%), and not reported for sign tests, Friedman's tests, McNemar's tests, multi-level models, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Effect sizes were infrequently interpreted. Confidence intervals were reported in 28% of papers. The use, reporting, and interpretation of inferential statistics in nursing research need substantial improvement. Most importantly, researchers should abandon the misleading practice of interpreting the results from inferential tests based solely on whether they are statistically significant (or not) and, instead, focus on reporting and interpreting effect sizes, confidence intervals, and significance levels. Nursing researchers also need to conduct and report a priori power analyses, and to address the issue of Type I experiment-wise error inflation in their studies. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

WISE Science: Web-based Inquiry in the Classroom. Technology, Education--Connections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slotta, James D.; Linn, Marcia C.

2009-01-01

This book shares the lessons learned by a large community of educational researchers and science teachers as they designed, developed, and investigated a new technology-enhanced learning environment known as WISE: The Web-Based Inquiry Science Environment. WISE offers a collection of free, customizable curriculum projects on topics central to the…

Evaluation of the Wise Guys Male Responsibility Curriculum: Participant-Control Comparisons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gruchow, Harvey William; Brown, Roger K.

2011-01-01

Background: Although males are often the initiators of teen sexual activity, pregnancy prevention programs generally target females. To address this deficiency, the Wise Guys Male Responsibility Curriculum was developed to be delivered to adolescent males in weekly classroom sessions. Methods: Seventh grade participants (n = 124) in the Wise Guys…

Brain-Wise Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Carole; Ozturgut, Osman; French, Joan

2013-01-01

The purpose of this article is to help leaders do their jobs more effectively by examining the components of brain-wise leadership. The article is divided into five parts: Part I is a general overview, defining brain-wise leadership, its traits, attributes and some of the styles of effective leadership. Part II begins with the strategies for…

Viewing Violence, Mental Illness and Addiction through a Wise Practices Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wesley-Esquimaux, Cynthia C.; Snowball, Andrew

2010-01-01

The progressive approaches First Nations, Metis, and Inuit communities use to address health and wellness concerns are rarely written about or acknowledged in a positive manner. This paper speaks to a concept introduced through the Canadian Aboriginal Aids Network (CAAN) entitled "wise practices". CAAN saw a "wise practices"…

R-WISE: A Computerized Environment for Tutoring Critical Literacy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, P.; Crevoisier, M.

This paper describes a computerized environment for teaching the conceptual patterns of critical literacy. While the full implementation of the software covers both reading and writing, this paper covers only the writing aspects of R-WISE (Reading and Writing in a Supportive Environment). R-WISE consists of a suite of computerized…

Social class and wise reasoning about interpersonal conflicts across regions, persons and situations

PubMed Central

Brienza, Justin P.

2017-01-01

We propose that class is inversely related to a propensity for using wise reasoning (recognizing limits of their knowledge, consider world in flux and change, acknowledges and integrate different perspectives) in interpersonal situations, contrary to established class advantage in abstract cognition. Two studies—an online survey from regions differing in economic affluence (n = 2 145) and a representative in-lab study with stratified sampling of adults from working and middle-class backgrounds (n = 299)—tested this proposition, indicating that higher social class consistently related to lower levels of wise reasoning across different levels of analysis, including regional and individual differences, and subjective construal of specific situations. The results held across personal and standardized hypothetical situations, across self-reported and observed wise reasoning, and when controlling for fluid and crystallized cognitive abilities. Consistent with an ecological framework, class differences in wise reasoning were specific to interpersonal (versus societal) conflicts. These findings suggest that higher social class weighs individuals down by providing the ecological constraints that undermine wise reasoning about interpersonal affairs. PMID:29263284

Social class and wise reasoning about interpersonal conflicts across regions, persons and situations.

PubMed

Brienza, Justin P; Grossmann, Igor

2017-12-20

We propose that class is inversely related to a propensity for using wise reasoning (recognizing limits of their knowledge, consider world in flux and change, acknowledges and integrate different perspectives) in interpersonal situations, contrary to established class advantage in abstract cognition. Two studies-an online survey from regions differing in economic affluence ( n = 2 145) and a representative in-lab study with stratified sampling of adults from working and middle-class backgrounds ( n = 299)-tested this proposition, indicating that higher social class consistently related to lower levels of wise reasoning across different levels of analysis, including regional and individual differences, and subjective construal of specific situations. The results held across personal and standardized hypothetical situations, across self-reported and observed wise reasoning, and when controlling for fluid and crystallized cognitive abilities. Consistent with an ecological framework, class differences in wise reasoning were specific to interpersonal (versus societal) conflicts. These findings suggest that higher social class weighs individuals down by providing the ecological constraints that undermine wise reasoning about interpersonal affairs. © 2017 The Authors.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: WISE Preliminary Data Release (Cutri+ 2011)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutri, R. M.; et al.

2012-01-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE; see Wright et al. 2010AJ....140.1868W) is a NASA Medium Class Explorer mission that conducted a digital imaging survey of the entire sky in the 3.4, 4.6, 12 and 22um mid-infrared bandpasses (hereafter W1, W2, W3 and W4). WISE will produce and release to the world astronomical and educational communities and general public a digital Image Atlas covering the sky in the four survey bands, and a reliable Source Catalog containing accurate photometry and astrometry for over 300 million objects. The WISE Catalog and Atlas will enable a broad variety of research efforts ranging from the search for the closest stars and brown dwarfs to the most luminous galaxies in the Universe. WISE science data products will serve as an important reference data set for planning observations and interpreting data obtained with future ground and space-borne observatories, such as JWST. WISE was launched on 2009-12-14 from Vandenberg SLC2W. (1 data file).

VizieR Online Data Catalog: WISE All-Sky Data Release (Cutri+ 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutri, R. M.; et al.

2012-04-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE; see Wright et al. 2010AJ....140.1868W) is a NASA Medium Class Explorer mission that conducted a digital imaging survey of the entire sky in the 3.4, 4.6, 12 and 22um mid-infrared bandpasses (hereafter W1, W2, W3 and W4). WISE will produce and release to the world astronomical and educational communities and general public a digital Image Atlas covering the sky in the four survey bands, and a reliable Source Catalog containing accurate photometry and astrometry for over 300 million objects. The WISE Catalog and Atlas will enable a broad variety of research efforts ranging from the search for the closest stars and brown dwarfs to the most luminous galaxies in the Universe. WISE science data products will serve as an important reference data set for planning observations and interpreting data obtained with future ground and space-borne observatories, such as JWST. WISE was launched on 2009-12-14 from Vandenberg SLC2W. (1 data file).

[Effect of spatial location on the generality of block-wise conflict adaptation between different types of scripts].

PubMed

Watanabe, Yurina; Yoshizaki, Kazuhito

2014-10-01

This study aimed to investigate the generality of conflict adaptation associated with block-wise conflict frequency between two types of stimulus scripts (Kanji and Hiragana). To this end, we examined whether the modulation of the compatibility effect with one type of script depending on block-wise conflict frequency (75% versus 25% generalized to the other type of script whose block-wise conflict frequency was kept constant (50%), using the Spatial Stroop task. In Experiment 1, 16 participants were required to identify the target orientation (up or down) presented in the upper or lower visual-field. The results showed that block-wise conflict adaptation with one type of stimulus script generalized to the other. The procedure in Experiment 2 was the same as that in Experiment 1, except that the presentation location differed between the two types of stimulus scripts. We did not find a generalization from one script to the other. These results suggest that presentation location is a critical factor contributing to the generality of block-wise conflict adaptation.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: WISE W1/W2 Tully-Fisher relation calibrator data (Neill+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neill, J. D.; Seibert, M.; Tully, R. B.; Courtois, H.; Sorce, J. G.; Jarrett, T. H.; Scowcroft, V.; Masci, F. J.

2017-04-01

We have instigated a separate project to provide high-quality surface photometry of all WISE galaxies larger than 0.8' on the sky. The WISE Nearby Galaxy Atlas (WNGA; M. Seibert et al., in preparation) will provide photometry that is quality controlled for over 20000 galaxies. This photometry, optimized for extended sources, significantly reduces the resulting scatter in the Tully-Fisher relation (here after TFR) calibration and thus improves the resulting distances. Having an accurate calibration of the TFR for these two WISE passbands will allow the use of this large sample to explore the structure and dynamics of local galaxy bulk flows. With the current tally, there are 310 cluster calibrators with WISE W1 and W2 photometry, compared with 213 available to Sorce et al. (2013, J/ApJ/765/94) for the Spitzer calibration, and 291 of the 310 WISE calibrators have I-band photometry, compared with the 267 available to Tully & Courtois (2012ApJ...749...78T) for the previous I-band calibration. (1 data file).

Very high frequency (beyond 100 MHz) PZT kerfless linear arrays.

PubMed

Wu, Da-Wei; Zhou, Qifa; Geng, Xuecang; Liu, Chang-Geng; Djuth, Frank; Shung, K Kirk

2009-10-01

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and measurements of very high frequency kerfless linear arrays prepared from PZT film and PZT bulk material. A 12-microm PZT thick film fabricated from PZT-5H powder/solution composite and a piece of 15-microm PZT-5H sheet were used to fabricate 32-element kerfless high-frequency linear arrays with photolithography. The PZT thick film was prepared by spin-coating of PZT sol-gel composite solution. The thin PZT-5H sheet sample was prepared by lapping a PZT-5H ceramic with a precision lapping machine. The measured results of the 2 arrays were compared. The PZT film array had a center frequency of 120 MHz, a bandwidth of 60% with a parylene matching layer, and an insertion loss of 41 dB. The PZT ceramic sheet array was found to have a center frequency of 128 MHz with a poorer bandwidth (40% with a parylene matching layer) but a better sensitivity (28 dB insertion loss).

Very High Frequency (Beyond 100 MHz) PZT Kerfless Linear Arrays

PubMed Central

Wu, Da-Wei; Zhou, Qifa; Geng, Xuecang; Liu, Chang-Geng; Djuth, Frank; Shung, K. Kirk

2010-01-01

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and measurements of very high frequency kerfless linear arrays prepared from PZT film and PZT bulk material. A 12-µm PZT thick film fabricated from PZT-5H powder/solution composite and a piece of 15-µm PZT-5H sheet were used to fabricate 32-element kerfless high-frequency linear arrays with photolithography. The PZT thick film was prepared by spin-coating of PZT sol-gel composite solution. The thin PZT-5H sheet sample was prepared by lapping a PZT-5H ceramic with a precision lapping machine. The measured results of the 2 arrays were compared. The PZT film array had a center frequency of 120 MHz, a bandwidth of 60% with a parylene matching layer, and an insertion loss of 41 dB. The PZT ceramic sheet array was found to have a center frequency of 128 MHz with a poorer bandwidth (40% with a parylene matching layer) but a better sensitivity (28 dB insertion loss). PMID:19942516

Infrared Astronomy and Education: Linking Infrared Whole Sky Mapping with Teacher and Student Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borders, Kareen; Mendez, Bryan; Thaller, Michelle; Gorjian, Varoujan; Borders, Kyla; Pitman, Peter; Pereira, Vincent; Sepulveda, Babs; Stark, Ron; Knisely, Cindy; Dandrea, Amy; Winglee, Robert; Plecki, Marge; Goebel, Jeri; Condit, Matt; Kelly, Susan

The Spitzer Space Telescope and the recently launched WISE (Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer) observe the sky in infrared light. Among the objects WISE will study are asteroids, the coolest and dimmest stars, and the most luminous galaxies. Secondary students can do authentic research using infrared data. For example, students will use WISE data to mea-sure physical properties of asteroids. In order to prepare students and teachers at this level with a high level of rigor and scientific understanding, the WISE and the Spitzer Space Tele-scope Education programs provided an immersive teacher professional development workshop in infrared astronomy.The lessons learned from the Spitzer and WISE teacher and student pro-grams can be applied to other programs engaging them in authentic research experiences using data from space-borne observatories such as Herschel and Planck. Recently, WISE Educator Ambassadors and NASA Explorer School teachers developed and led an infrared astronomy workshop at Arecibo Observatory in PuertoRico. As many common misconceptions involve scale and distance, teachers worked with Moon/Earth scale, solar system scale, and distance and age of objects in the Universe. Teachers built and used basic telescopes, learned about the history of telescopes, explored ground and satellite based telescopes, and explored and worked on models of WISE Telescope. An in-depth explanation of WISE and the Spitzer telescopes gave participants background knowledge for infrared astronomy observations. We taught the electromagnetic spectrum through interactive stations. We will outline specific steps for sec-ondary astronomy professional development, detail student involvement in infrared telescope data analysis, provide data demonstrating the impact of the above professional development on educator understanding and classroom use, and detail future plans for additional secondary professional development and student involvement in infrared astronomy. Funding was provided by NASA, WISE Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Starbucks, and Washington Space Grant Consortium.

Boosting wisdom: distance from the self enhances wise reasoning, attitudes, and behavior.

PubMed

Kross, Ethan; Grossmann, Igor

2012-02-01

Although humans strive to be wise, they often fail to do so when reasoning over issues that have profound personal implications. Here we examine whether psychological distance enhances wise reasoning, attitudes and behavior under such circumstances. Two experiments demonstrate that cueing people to reason about personally meaningful issues (Study 1: Career prospects for the unemployed during an economic recession; Study 2: Anticipated societal changes associated with one's chosen candidate losing the 2008 U.S. Presidential election) from a distanced perspective enhances wise reasoning (dialecticism; intellectual humility), attitudes (cooperation-related attitude assimilation), and behavior (willingness to join a bipartisan group).

Quantum description of light propagation in generalized media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Häyrynen, Teppo; Oksanen, Jani

2016-02-01

Linear quantum input-output relation based models are widely applied to describe the light propagation in a lossy medium. The details of the interaction and the associated added noise depend on whether the device is configured to operate as an amplifier or an attenuator. Using the traveling wave (TW) approach, we generalize the linear material model to simultaneously account for both the emission and absorption processes and to have point-wise defined noise field statistics and intensity dependent interaction strengths. Thus, our approach describes the quantum input-output relations of linear media with net attenuation, amplification or transparency without pre-selection of the operation point. The TW approach is then applied to investigate materials at thermal equilibrium, inverted materials, the transparency limit where losses are compensated, and the saturating amplifiers. We also apply the approach to investigate media in nonuniform states which can be e.g. consequences of a temperature gradient over the medium or a position dependent inversion of the amplifier. Furthermore, by using the generalized model we investigate devices with intensity dependent interactions and show how an initial thermal field transforms to a field having coherent statistics due to gain saturation.

Cryopreservation and xenografting of human ovarian fragments: medulla decreases the phosphatidylserine translocation rate.

PubMed

Isachenko, Vladimir; Todorov, Plamen; Isachenko, Evgenia; Rahimi, Gohar; Hanstein, Bettina; Salama, Mahmoud; Mallmann, Peter; Tchorbanov, Andrey; Hardiman, Paul; Getreu, Natalie; Merzenich, Markus

2016-11-10

Phosphatidylserine is the phospholipid component which plays a key role in cell cycle signaling, specifically in regards to necrosis and apoptosis. When a cell affected by some negative factors, phosphatidylserine is no longer restricted to the intracellular side of membrane and can be translocated to the extracellular surface of the cell. Cryopreservation can induce translocation of phosphatidylserine in response to hypoxia, increasing intracellular Ca 2+ , osmotic disruption of cellular membranes, generation of reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation. As such the aim of this study was to test the level of phosphatidylserine translocation in frozen human medulla-contained and medulla-free ovarian tissue fragments. Ovarian fragments from twelve patients were divided into small pieces of two types, medulla-free cortex (Group 1, n = 42, 1.5-3.0 × 1.5-3.0 × 0.5-0.8 mm) and cortex with medulla (Group 2, n = 42, 1.5-3.0 × 1.5-3.0 × 1.5-2.0 mm), pre-cooled after operative removal to 5 °C for 24 h and then conventionally frozen with 6 % dimethyl sulfoxide, 6 % ethylene glycol and 0.15 M sucrose in standard 5-ml cryo-vials. After thawing at +100 °C and step-wise removal of cryoprotectants in 0.5 M sucrose, ovarian pieces were xenografted to SCID mice for 45 days. The efficacy of tissues cryopreservation, taking into account the presence or absence of medulla, was evaluated by the development of follicles (histology with hematoxylin-eosin) and through the intensity of translocation of phosphatidylserine (FACS with FITC-Annexin V and Propidium Iodide). For Groups 1 and 2, the mean densities of follicles per 1 mm 3 were 9.8, and 9.0, respectively. In these groups, 90 and 90 % preantral follicles appeared morphologically normal. However, FACS analysis showed a significantly decreased intensity of translocation of phosphatidylserine (FITC-Annexin V positive) after cryopreservation of tissue with medulla (Group 2, 59.6 %), in contrast with tissue frozen without medulla (Group 1, 78.0 %, P < 0.05). In Groups 1 and 2 it was detected that 21.6 and 40.0 % cells were viable (FITC-Annexin V negative, Propidium Iodide negative). The presence of medulla in ovarian pieces is beneficial for post-thaw development of cryopreserved human ovarian tissue.

Continuum-wise expansiveness for generic diffeomorphisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Manseob

2018-06-01

Let M be a closed smooth manifold and let be a diffeomorphism. C 1-generically, a continuum-wise expansive satisfies Axiom A without cycles. Let and let . There are a C 1 neighborhood of and a residual set such that for any , g is not continuum-wise expansive, where is the set of all robustly transitive diffeomorphisms on

Impact of HealthWise South Africa on Polydrug Use and High-Risk Sexual Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tibbits, Melissa K.; Smith, Edward A.; Caldwell, Linda L.; Flisher, Alan J.

2011-01-01

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of the HealthWise South Africa HIV and substance abuse prevention program at impacting adolescents' polydrug use and sexual risk behaviors. HealthWise is a school-based intervention designed to promote social-emotional skills, increase knowledge and refusal skills relevant to substance use and…

A Closer Look at Chinese EFL Learners' Test-Wiseness Strategies in Reading Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haiyan, Miao; Rilong, Liu

2016-01-01

This paper reports on an investigation into the relationship of test-takers' use of test-wiseness strategies to Chinese EFL learners' reading test performance. A test-wiseness questionnaire was administered immediately after the final achievement test to probe into how learners thought while completing the reading section of the test. It was found…

Test-Wiseness Cues in the Options of Mathematics Items.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuntz, Patricia

The quality of mathematics multiple choice items and their susceptibility to test wiseness were examined. Test wiseness was defined as "a subject's capacity to utilize the characteristics and formats of the test and/or test taking situation to receive a high score." The study used results of the Graduate Record Examinations Aptitude Test (GRE) and…

A Case Study Showing Parameters Affecting the Quality of Education: Faculty Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumari, Neeraj

2014-01-01

The study aims to examine the faculty members' perspective (age Wise, Gender Wise and Work Experience wise) of parameters affecting the quality of education in an affiliated Undergraduate Engineering Institution in Haryana. It is a descriptive type of research. The data has been collected with the help of 'Questionnaire Based Survey'. The sample…

The SunWise School Program Guide: A School Program that Radiates Good Ideas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Environmental Protection Agency, 2003

2003-01-01

To help educators raise sun safety awareness, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed the SunWise School Program, a national education program for children in grades K through 8. SunWise Partner Schools sponsor classroom and schoolwide activities that raise children's awareness of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation,…

Differential Benefits of Memory Training for Minority Older Adults in the SeniorWISE Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDougall, Graham J., Jr.; Becker, Heather; Pituch, Keenan; Acee, Taylor W.; Vaughan, Phillip W.; Delville, Carol L.

2010-01-01

Purpose: Cognitive training improves mental abilities in older adults, but the benefit to minority elders is unclear. We conducted a subgroup analysis of subjects in the SeniorWISE (Wisdom Is Simply Exploration) trial to examine this issue. Design and Methods: SeniorWISE was a Phase 3 randomized trial that enrolled 265 nondemented…

Key Elements of Observing Practice: A Data Wise DVD and Facilitator's Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boudett, Kathryn Parker; City, Elizabeth A.; Russell, Marcia K.

2010-01-01

Based on the bestselling book "Data Wise: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Assessment Results to Improve Teaching and Learning", and its companion volume, "Data Wise in Action", this DVD and Facilitator's Guide offer insight into one of the most challenging steps in capturing data about school performance: observing and analyzing instructional…

[Influence of autoclave sterilization on dimensional stability and detail reproduction of 5 additional silicone impression materials].

PubMed

Xu, Tong-kai; Sun, Zhi-hui; Jiang, Yong

2012-03-01

To evaluate the dimensional stability and detail reproduction of five additional silicone impression materials after autoclave sterilization. Impressions were made on the ISO 4823 standard mold containing several marking lines, in five kinds of additional silicone. All the impressions were sterilized by high temperature and pressure (135 °C, 212.8 kPa) for 25 min. Linear measurements of pre-sterilization and post-sterilization were made with a measuring microscope. Statistical analysis utilized single-factor analysis with pair-wise comparison of mean values when appropriate. Hypothesis testing was conducted at alpha = 0.05. No significant difference was found between the pre-sterilization and post-sterilization conditions for all locations, and all the absolute valuse of linear rate of change less than 8%. All the sterilization by the autoclave did not affect the surfuce detail reproduction of the 5 impression materials. The dimensional stability and detail reproduction of the five additional silicone impression materials in the study was unaffected by autoclave sterilization.

Determination of unknown coefficient in a non-linear elliptic problem related to the elastoplastic torsion of a bar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasanov, Alemdar; Erdem, Arzu

2008-08-01

The inverse problem of determining the unknown coefficient of the non-linear differential equation of torsional creep is studied. The unknown coefficient g = g({xi}2) depends on the gradient{xi} : = |{nabla}u| of the solution u(x), x [isin] {Omega} [sub] Rn, of the direct problem. It is proved that this gradient is bounded in C-norm. This permits one to choose the natural class of admissible coefficients for the considered inverse problem. The continuity in the norm of the Sobolev space H1({Omega}) of the solution u(x;g) of the direct problem with respect to the unknown coefficient g = g({xi}2) is obtained in the following sense: ||u(x;g) - u(x;gm)||1 [->] 0 when gm({eta}) [->] g({eta}) point-wise as m [->] {infty}. Based on these results, the existence of a quasi-solution of the inverse problem in the considered class of admissible coefficients is obtained. Numerical examples related to determination of the unknown coefficient are presented.

Med Wise: A theory-based program to improve older adults' communication with pharmacists about their medicines.

PubMed

Martin, B A; Chewning, B A; Margolis, A R; Wilson, D A; Renken, J

2016-01-01

The health and economic toll of medication errors by older adults is well documented. Poor communication and medication coordination problems increase the likelihood of adverse drug events (ADEs). Older adults have difficulty communicating with health care professionals, including pharmacists. As such, the theory-based Med Wise program was designed. Building on the Self-efficacy Framework and the Chronic Care Model, this program was tested with community-dwelling older adults. This study and its resultant paper: (1) describe the theory-based design of the Med Wise program; (2) describe the collaboration of multiple community partners to develop a sustainable model for implementing Med Wise; and (3) present findings from the Med Wise course evaluation. Med Wise was designed to be a sustainable, skill-based educational and behavior change program consisting of two, 2-h interactive classes to enhance participants' medication communication skills and self-efficacy. To explore the potential to disseminate Med Wise throughout the state, a partnership was formed between the pharmacy team and the statewide Aging & Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs), as well as the Community-Academic Aging Research Network (CAARN). Over 30 lay volunteer leaders in 8 Wisconsin (U.S. State) counties were trained, and they delivered Med Wise through ADRC community centers. The CAARN staff evaluated the fidelity of the course delivery by leaders. To evaluate Med Wise, a quasi-experimental design using pre/post surveys assessed knowledge, worry and self-efficacy. A telephone follow-up three months later assessed self-efficacy and translation of medication management skills and behaviors. Med Wise programs were presented to 198 community-dwelling older adults while maintaining program fidelity. This evaluation found significant increases in older adults' knowledge about pharmacists' roles and responsibilities, likelihood of talking with a pharmacist about medication concerns, and self-efficacy for communicating with pharmacists. At the 3 month follow-up, participants reported increased interactions with pharmacists, with 29.2% of participants reported seeking medication reviews and 28.5% medication schedule reviews. The two-class Med Wise program showed sustained impact at 3 months on key outcomes. Further, the community partners successfully implemented the program with fidelity across 8 counties suggesting its ability to be disseminated and sustained. Future directions include expanding the program to examine wider adoption, and measuring program impact on regimen safety and health outcomes linked to increases in patient engagement. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Method and apparatus for holding two separate metal pieces together for welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcclure, S. R. (Inventor)

1980-01-01

A method of holding two separate metal pieces together for welding is described including the steps of overlapping a portion of one of the metal pieces on a portion of the other metal piece, encasing the overlapping metal piece in a compressible device, drawing the compressible device into an enclosure, and compressing a portion of the compressible device around the overlapping portions of the metal pieces for holding the metal pieces under constant and equal pressure during welding. The preferred apparatus for performing the method utilizes a support mechanism to support the two separate metal pieces in an overlapping configuration; a compressible device surrounding the support mechanism and at least one of the metal pieces, and a compressing device surrounding the compressible device for compressing the compressible device around the overlapping portions of the metal pieces, thus providing constant and equal pressure at all points on the overlapping portions of the metal pieces.

Diffractive laser beam homogenizer including a photo-active material and method of fabricating the same

DOEpatents

Bayramian, Andy J; Ebbers, Christopher A; Chen, Diana C

2014-05-20

A method of manufacturing a plurality of diffractive optical elements includes providing a partially transmissive slide, providing a first piece of PTR glass, and directing first UV radiation through the partially transmissive slide to impinge on the first piece of PTR glass. The method also includes exposing predetermined portions of the first piece of PTR glass to the first UV radiation and thermally treating the exposed first piece of PTR glass. The method further includes providing a second piece of PTR glass and directing second UV radiation through the thermally treated first piece of PTR glass to impinge on the second piece of PTR glass. The method additionally includes exposing predetermined portions of the second piece of PTR glass to the second UV radiation, thermally treating the exposed second piece of PTR glass, and repeating providing and processing of the second piece of PTR glass using additional pieces of PTR glass.

Revisiting the Gamma-Ray Source 2FGL J1823.8+4312

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stern, Daniel; Assef, Roberto J.

2013-02-01

One of the great challenges of gamma-ray astronomy is identifying the lower energy counterparts to these high-energy sources. Recently, in this journal, Massaro et al. attempted to find the counterpart of 2FGL J1823.8+4312, a gamma-ray active galactic nucleus (AGN) of uncertain type from the Second Fermi Large Area Telescope catalog. After considering mid-infrared data in the field from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), those authors conclude that the preferred identification of 2FGL J1823.8+4312 is WISE J182352.33+431452.5, despite the fact that the mid-infrared source is undetected at radio energies. They claim that WISE J182352.33+431452.5 constitutes the discovery of a new class of extragalactic X-ray source, either a radio-faint blazar or the prototype of a new class of active galaxy with an enigmatic spectral energy distribution. This conclusion is claimed to be independent of whether or not the WISE source is the actual counterpart to 2FGL J1823.8+4312. Based on a re-analysis of public data in this field and new spectroscopy from Palomar, we conclude that WISE J182352.33+431452.5 is a dust-reddened quasar at z = 0.560, a representative example of a very common extragalactic AGN class. Were WISE J182352.33+431452.5 to be associated with the gamma-ray emission, this would be an unusual and exciting discovery. However, we argue that 2FGL J1823.8+4312 is more likely associated with either WISE J182409.25+431404.7 or, more likely, WISE J182419.04+430949.6, two radio-loud sources in the field. The former is a radio-loud quasar and the latter is an optically variable source with a featureless blue spectrum.

Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Body Weight, Image and Self-Esteem Evaluation Questionnaire in patients with severe mental disorders.

PubMed

Al-Halabi, Susana; Garcia-Portilla, Maria Paz; Saiz, Pilar Alejandra; Fonseca, Eduardo; Bobes-Bascaran, Maria Teresa; Galván, Gonzalo; Iglesias, Celso; Arrojo, Manuel; Benabarre, Antoni; Goikolea, José Manuel; Sanchez, Emilio; Sarramea, Fernando; Bobes, Julio

2012-11-01

Clinicians need brief and valid instruments to monitor the psychosocial impact of weight gain in persons with psychiatric disorders. We examined the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Body Weight, Image and Self-Esteem Evaluation (B-WISE) questionnaire in patients with severe mental disorders. The data come from a naturalistic, cross-sectional, validation study conducted at 6 centres in Spain. A total of 211 outpatients with severe mental disorders, 118 with schizophrenia and 93 with bipolar disorder, were evaluated using the B-WISE, the Visual Analogue Scale for Weight and Body Image, and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S). The body mass index was also obtained. The principal component analysis confirms 3 components explaining 50.93% of the variance. The Cronbach α values for B-WISE scales ranged between .55 and .73. Significant Pearson correlations were found between B-WISE total score and CGI-S (r = -0.25; P < .001) and Visual Analogue Scale for Weight and Body Image (r = 0.47; P < .001). The B-WISE discriminates among patients with mild, moderate, and severe mental disorders according to CGI-S scores (F = 6.52; P < .005). Body mass index categorization significantly influenced total B-WISE scores (F = 3.586, P < .050). The B-WISE score corresponding to the 5th and 10th percentiles was 22. We were able to demonstrate that the Spanish version of the B-WISE is a valid instrument for assessing psychosocial impact of weight gain in patients with severe mental disorders in daily clinical practice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A New Flow-Diverter (the FloWise): In-Vivo Evaluation in an Elastase-Induced Rabbit Aneurysm Model.

PubMed

Kim, Byung Moon; Kim, Dong Joon; Kim, Dong Ik

2016-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a newly developed, partially retrievable flow-diverter (the FloWise) in an elastase-induced rabbit aneurysm model. We developed a partially retrievable flow diverter composed of 48 strands of Nitinol and platinum wire. The FloWise is compatible with any microcatheter of 0.027-inch inner diameter, and is retrievable up to 70% deployment. The efficacy and safety of the FloWise were evaluated in the elastase-induced rabbit aneurysm model. The rate of technical success (full coverage of aneurysm neck) and assessment of aneurysm occlusion and stent patency was conducted by angiograms and histologic examinations at the 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up. The patency of small arterial branches (intercostal or lumbar arteries) covered by the FloWise were also assessed in the 5 subjects. We attempted FloWise insertion in a total of 32 aneurysm models. FloWise placement was successful in 31 subjects (96.9%). Two stents (6.2%) were occluded at the 3-month follow-up, but there was no evidence of in-stent stenosis in other subjects. All stented aneurysms showed progressive occlusion: grade I (complete aneurysm occlusion) in 44.4% and grade II (aneurysm occlusion > 90%) in 55.6% at 1 month; grade I in 90% and II in 10% at 3 months; and grade I in 90% and II in 10% at 6 months. All small arterial branches covered by the FloWise remained patent. A newly developed, partially retrievable flow-diverter seems to be a safe and effective tool of aneurysm occlusion, as evaluated in the rabbit aneurysm model.

Detection of longitudinal visual field progression in glaucoma using machine learning.

PubMed

Yousefi, Siamak; Kiwaki, Taichi; Zheng, Yuhui; Suigara, Hiroki; Asaoka, Ryo; Murata, Hiroshi; Lemij, Hans; Yamanishi, Kenji

2018-06-16

Global indices of standard automated perimerty are insensitive to localized losses, while point-wise indices are sensitive but highly variable. Region-wise indices sit in between. This study introduces a machine-learning-based index for glaucoma progression detection that outperforms global, region-wise, and point-wise indices. Development and comparison of a prognostic index. Visual fields from 2085 eyes of 1214 subjects were used to identify glaucoma progression patterns using machine learning. Visual fields from 133 eyes of 71 glaucoma patients were collected 10 times over 10 weeks to provide a no-change, test-retest dataset. The parameters of all methods were identified using visual field sequences in the test-retest dataset to meet fixed 95% specificity. An independent dataset of 270 eyes of 136 glaucoma patients and survival analysis were utilized to compare methods. The time to detect progression in 25% of the eyes in the longitudinal dataset using global mean deviation (MD) was 5.2 years (95% confidence interval, 4.1 - 6.5 years); 4.5 years (4.0 - 5.5) using region-wise, 3.9 years (3.5 - 4.6) using point-wise, and 3.5 years (3.1 - 4.0) using machine learning analysis. The time until 25% of eyes showed subsequently confirmed progression after two additional visits were included were 6.6 years (5.6 - 7.4 years), 5.7 years (4.8 - 6.7), 5.6 years (4.7 - 6.5), and 5.1 years (4.5 - 6.0) for global, region-wise, point-wise, and machine learning analyses, respectively. Machine learning analysis detects progressing eyes earlier than other methods consistently, with or without confirmation visits. In particular, machine learning detects more slowly progressing eyes than other methods. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Birefringence in anisotropic optical fibres studied by polarised light Brillouin reflectometry

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

Smirnov, A S; Burdin, V V; Konstantinov, Yu A

2015-01-31

Modal birefringence (the difference between the effective refractive indices of orthogonal polarisation modes) is one of the key parameters of anisotropic single-mode fibres, characterising their ability to preserve a linearly polarised state of input light. This parameter is commonly measured using short pieces of fibre, but such procedures are destructive and allow the birefringence to be determined only at the ends of long fibres. In this study, polarised light Brillouin reflectometry is used to assess birefringence uniformity throughout the length of an anisotropic fibre. (optical fibres)

TEAMBLOCKS: HYBRID ABSTRACTIONS FOR PROVABLE MULTI-AGENT AUTONOMY

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-28

Raspberry Pi 23 can easily satisfy control loop periods on the order of 10−3s. Thus, we assume that the time to execute a piece of control code, ∆t...Release; Distribution Unlimited. 23 State Space The state space of the aircraft is X = R3 × SO(3) × R3 × R3; states consist of • pI ∈ R3, the...the tbdemo_ghaexecution script uses this operation to make feedback system out of the product of the linear system and PI controller. tbread

Studies on Muon Induction Acceleration and an Objective Lens Design for Transmission Muon Microscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artikova, Sayyora; Yoshida, Mitsuhiro; Naito, Fujio

Muon acceleration will be accomplished by a set of induction cells, where each increases the energy of the muon beam by an increment of up to 30 kV. The cells are arranged in a linear way resulting in total accelerating voltage of 300 kV. Acceleration time in the linac is about hundred nanoseconds. Induction field calculation is based on an electrostatic approximation. Beam dynamics in the induction accelerator is investigated and final beam focusing on specimen is realized by designing a pole piece lens.

Wisdom in Context.

PubMed

Grossmann, Igor

2017-03-01

Philosophers and psychological scientists have converged on the idea that wisdom involves certain aspects of thinking (e.g., intellectual humility, recognition of uncertainty and change), enabling application of knowledge to life challenges. Empirical evidence indicates that people's ability to think wisely varies dramatically across experiential contexts that they encounter over the life span. Moreover, wise thinking varies from one situation to another, with self-focused contexts inhibiting wise thinking. Experiments can show ways to buffer thinking against bias in cases in which self-interests are unavoidable. Specifically, an ego-decentering cognitive mind-set enables wise thinking about personally meaningful issues. It appears that experiential, situational, and cultural factors are even more powerful in shaping wisdom than previously imagined. Focus on such contextual factors sheds new light on the processes underlying wise thought and its development, helps to integrate different approaches to studying wisdom, and has implications for measurement and development of wisdom-enhancing interventions.

Software Project Management and Measurement on the World-Wide-Web (WWW)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callahan, John; Ramakrishnan, Sudhaka

1996-01-01

We briefly describe a system for forms-based, work-flow management that helps members of a software development team overcome geographical barriers to collaboration. Our system, called the Web Integrated Software Environment (WISE), is implemented as a World-Wide-Web service that allows for management and measurement of software development projects based on dynamic analysis of change activity in the workflow. WISE tracks issues in a software development process, provides informal communication between the users with different roles, supports to-do lists, and helps in software process improvement. WISE minimizes the time devoted to metrics collection and analysis by providing implicit delivery of messages between users based on the content of project documents. The use of a database in WISE is hidden from the users who view WISE as maintaining a personal 'to-do list' of tasks related to the many projects on which they may play different roles.

Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Padgett, Deborah

2012-01-01

We present WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mid-infrared photometry of young stellar object candidates in the Canis Majoris clouds at a distance of 1 kpc. WISE has identified 682 objects with apparent 12 and 22 micron excess emission in a 7 deg x 10 deg field around the CMa Rl cloud . While a substantial fraction of these candidates are likely galaxies, AGB stars, and artifacts from confusion along the galactic plane, others are part of a spectacular cluster of YSOs imaged by WISE along a dark filament in the R1 cloud. Palomar Double Spectrograph observations of several sources in this cluster confirm their identity as young A and B stars with strong emission lines. In this contribution, we plot the optical -mid-infrared spectral energy distribution for the WISE YSO candidates and discuss potential contaminants to the sample . The data demonstrate the utility of WISE in performing wide-area surveys for young stellar objects.

Sintering behavior and mechanical properties of zirconia compacts fabricated by uniaxial press forming.

PubMed

Oh, Gye-Jeong; Yun, Kwi-Dug; Lee, Kwang-Min; Lim, Hyun-Pil; Park, Sang-Won

2010-09-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the linear sintering behavior of presintered zirconia blocks of various densities. The mechanical properties of the resulting sintered zirconia blocks were then analyzed. Three experimental groups of dental zirconia blocks, with a different presintering density each, were designed in the present study. Kavo Everest® ZS blanks (Kavo, Biberach, Germany) were used as a control group. The experimental group blocks were fabricated from commercial yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia powder (KZ-3YF (SD) Type A, KCM. Corporation, Nagoya, Japan). The biaxial flexural strengths, microhardnesses, and microstructures of the sintered blocks were then investigated. The linear sintering shrinkages of blocks were calculated and compared. Despite their different presintered densities, the sintered blocks of the control and experimental groups showed similar mechanical properties. However, the sintered block had different linear sintering shrinkage rate depending on the density of the presintered block. As the density of the presintered block increased, the linear sintering shrinkage decreased. In the experimental blocks, the three sectioned pieces of each block showed the different linear shrinkage depending on the area. The tops of the experimental blocks showed the lowest linear sintering shrinkage, whereas the bottoms of the experimental blocks showed the highest linear sintering shrinkage. Within the limitations of this study, the density difference of the presintered zirconia block did not affect the mechanical properties of the sintered zirconia block, but affected the linear sintering shrinkage of the zirconia block.

Sintering behavior and mechanical properties of zirconia compacts fabricated by uniaxial press forming

PubMed Central

Oh, Gye-Jeong; Yun, Kwi-Dug; Lee, Kwang-Min; Lim, Hyun-Pil

2010-01-01

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare the linear sintering behavior of presintered zirconia blocks of various densities. The mechanical properties of the resulting sintered zirconia blocks were then analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three experimental groups of dental zirconia blocks, with a different presintering density each, were designed in the present study. Kavo Everest® ZS blanks (Kavo, Biberach, Germany) were used as a control group. The experimental group blocks were fabricated from commercial yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia powder (KZ-3YF (SD) Type A, KCM. Corporation, Nagoya, Japan). The biaxial flexural strengths, microhardnesses, and microstructures of the sintered blocks were then investigated. The linear sintering shrinkages of blocks were calculated and compared. RESULTS Despite their different presintered densities, the sintered blocks of the control and experimental groups showed similar mechanical properties. However, the sintered block had different linear sintering shrinkage rate depending on the density of the presintered block. As the density of the presintered block increased, the linear sintering shrinkage decreased. In the experimental blocks, the three sectioned pieces of each block showed the different linear shrinkage depending on the area. The tops of the experimental blocks showed the lowest linear sintering shrinkage, whereas the bottoms of the experimental blocks showed the highest linear sintering shrinkage. CONCLUSION Within the limitations of this study, the density difference of the presintered zirconia block did not affect the mechanical properties of the sintered zirconia block, but affected the linear sintering shrinkage of the zirconia block. PMID:21165274

Army Logistician. Volume 38, Issue 1, January-February 2006

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-02-01

BRENT D. CORYELL Legend: ABN = Airborne ACR = Armored Cavalry Regiment AD = Armor Division BCT = Brigade Combat Team CAV = Cavalry Division ID = Infantry...Division MTN = Mountain Division USAREUR = U.S. Army Europe 3d ID 2,039 pieces Complete 101st ABN 1,170 pieces Complete 1st AD , 3d BCT 326 pieces...Corps 138 pieces Complete 1st AD 155 pieces Complete 1st ID, 1st BCT 247 pieces Complete 25th ID 273 pieces 71% 1st CAV 760 pieces 66% 1st ID USAREUR

A note on the accuracy of spectral method applied to nonlinear conservation laws

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shu, Chi-Wang; Wong, Peter S.

1994-01-01

Fourier spectral method can achieve exponential accuracy both on the approximation level and for solving partial differential equations if the solutions are analytic. For a linear partial differential equation with a discontinuous solution, Fourier spectral method produces poor point-wise accuracy without post-processing, but still maintains exponential accuracy for all moments against analytic functions. In this note we assess the accuracy of Fourier spectral method applied to nonlinear conservation laws through a numerical case study. We find that the moments with respect to analytic functions are no longer very accurate. However the numerical solution does contain accurate information which can be extracted by a post-processing based on Gegenbauer polynomials.

Asymptotic solution of the turbulent mixing layer for velocity ratio close to unity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Higuera, F. J.; Jimenez, J.; Linan, A.

1996-01-01

The equations describing the first two terms of an asymptotic expansion of the solution of the planar turbulent mixing layer for values of the velocity ratio close to one are obtained. The first term of this expansion is the solution of the well-known time-evolving problem and the second, which includes the effects of the increase of the turbulence scales in the stream-wise direction, obeys a linear system of equations. Numerical solutions of these equations for a two-dimensional reacting mixing layer show that the correction to the time-evolving solution may explain the asymmetry of the entrainment and the differences in product generation observed in flip experiments.

THE SPITZER-WISE SURVEY OF THE ECLIPTIC POLES

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

Jarrett, T. H.; Masci, F.; Cutri, R. M.

2011-07-10

We have carried out a survey of the north and south ecliptic poles, EP-N and EP-S, respectively, with the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The primary objective was to cross-calibrate WISE with the Spitzer and Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) photometric systems by developing a set of calibration stars that are common to these infrared missions. The ecliptic poles were continuous viewing zones for WISE due to its polar-crossing orbit, making these areas ideal for both absolute and internal calibrations. The Spitzer IRAC and MIPS imaging survey covers a complete area of 0.40 deg{sup 2} formore » the EP-N and 1.28 deg{sup 2} for the EP-S. WISE observed the whole sky in four mid-infrared bands, 3.4, 4.6, 12, and 22 {mu}m, during its eight-month cryogenic mission, including several hundred ecliptic polar passages; here we report on the highest coverage depths achieved by WISE, an area of {approx}1.5 deg{sup 2} for both poles. Located close to the center of the EP-N, the Sy-2 galaxy NGC 6552 conveniently functions as a standard calibrator to measure the red response of the 22 {mu}m channel of WISE. Observations from Spitzer-IRAC/MIPS/IRS-LL and WISE show that the galaxy has a strong red color in the mid-infrared due to star-formation and the presence of an active galactic nucleus (AGN), while over a baseline >1 year the mid-IR photometry of NGC 6552 is shown to vary at a level less than 2%. Combining NGC 6552 with the standard calibrator stars, the achieved photometric accuracy of the WISE calibration, relative to the Spitzer and MSX systems, is 2.4%, 2.8%, 4.5%, and 5.7% for W1 (3.4 {mu}m), W2 (4.6 {mu}m), W3 (12 {mu}m), and W4 (22 {mu}m), respectively. The WISE photometry is internally stable to better than 0.1% over the cryogenic lifetime of the mission. The secondary objective of the Spitzer-WISE Survey was to explore the poles at greater flux-level depths, exploiting the higher angular resolution Spitzer observations and the exceptionally deep (in total coverage) WISE observations that potentially reach down to the confusion limit of the survey. The rich Spitzer and WISE data sets were used to study the Galactic and extragalactic populations through source counts, color-magnitude and color-color diagrams. As an example of what the data sets facilitate, we have separated stars from galaxies, delineated normal galaxies from power-law-dominated AGNs, and reported on the different fractions of extragalactic populations. In the EP-N, we find an AGN source density of {approx}260 deg{sup -2} to a 12 {mu}m depth of 115 {mu}Jy, representing 15% of the total extragalactic population to this depth, similar to what has been observed for low-luminosity AGNs in other fields.« less

A constitutive model for the warp-weft coupled non-linear behavior of knitted biomedical textiles.

PubMed

Yeoman, Mark S; Reddy, Daya; Bowles, Hellmut C; Bezuidenhout, Deon; Zilla, Peter; Franz, Thomas

2010-11-01

Knitted textiles have been used in medical applications due to their high flexibility and low tendency to fray. Their mechanics have, however, received limited attention. A constitutive model for soft tissue using a strain energy function was extended, by including shear and increasing the number and order of coefficients, to represent the non-linear warp-weft coupled mechanics of coarse textile knits under uniaxial tension. The constitutive relationship was implemented in a commercial finite element package. The model and its implementation were verified and validated for uniaxial tension and simple shear using patch tests and physical test data of uniaxial tensile tests of four very different knitted fabric structures. A genetic algorithm with step-wise increase in resolution and linear reduction in range of the search space was developed for the optimization of the fabric model coefficients. The numerically predicted stress-strain curves exhibited non-linear stiffening characteristic for fabrics. For three fabrics, the predicted mechanics correlated well with physical data, at least in one principal direction (warp or weft), and moderately in the other direction. The model exhibited limitations in approximating the linear elastic behavior of the fourth fabric. With proposals to address this limitation and to incorporate time-dependent changes in the fabric mechanics associated with tissue ingrowth, the constitutive model offers a tool for the design of tissue regenerative knit textile implants. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing High Order Thinking of Students Participating in the "WISE" Project in Israel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tal, Revital; Hochberg, Nurit

2003-01-01

Studied the higher order thinking of 53 Israeli ninth graders in 3 schools using the Web-Based Inquiry Science Environment (WISE) learning environment to study about malaria. Findings show that all students used higher order thinking skills and that their English was good enough to use the WISE learning environment in the Israeli setting. (SLD)

A survey of ground operations tools developed to simulate the pointing of space telescopes and the design for WISE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fabinsky, Beth

2006-01-01

WISE, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer, is scheduled for launch in June 2010. The mission operations system for WISE requires a software modeling tool to help plan, integrate and simulate all spacecraft pointing and verify that no attitude constraints are violated. In the course of developing the requirements for this tool, an investigation was conducted into the design of similar tools for other space-based telescopes. This paper summarizes the ground software and processes used to plan and validate pointing for a selection of space telescopes; with this information as background, the design for WISE is presented.

Investigation of deformation mechanisms of staggered nanocomposites using molecular dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathiazhagan, S.; Anup, S.

2016-08-01

Biological materials with nanostructure of regularly or stair-wise staggered arrangements of hard platelets reinforced in a soft protein matrix have superior mechanical properties. Applications of these nanostructures to ceramic matrix composites could enhance their toughness. Using molecular dynamics simulations, mechanical behaviour of the bio-inspired nanocomposites is studied. Regularly staggered model shows better flow behaviour compared to stair-wise staggered model due to the symmetrical crack propagation along the interface. Though higher stiffness and strength are obtained for stair-wise staggered models, rapid crack propagation reduces the toughness. Arresting this crack propagation could lead to superior mechanical properties in stair-wise staggered models.

Is there a step-wise migration in Nigeria? A case study of the migrational histories of migrants in Lagos.

PubMed

Afolayan, A A

1985-09-01

"The paper sets out to test whether or not the movement pattern of people in Nigeria is step-wise. It examines the spatial order in the country and the movement pattern of people. It then analyzes the survey data and tests for the validity of step-wise migration in the country. The findings show that step-wise migration cannot adequately describe all the patterns observed." The presence of large-scale circulatory migration between rural and urban areas is noted. Ways to decrease the pressure on Lagos by developing intermediate urban areas are considered. excerpt

WISE and the Dusty Universe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benford, Dominic J.

2010-01-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey is a medium class Explorer mission that was launched onl4Dec 2009. WISE should detect hundreds of millions of stars and galaxies, including millions of ULIRGS and QSOs; hundreds of thousands of asteroids; and hundreds of cold brown dwarfs. The telescope cover was ejected on 29 Dec 2009 and the all-sky survey started on 14 Jan 2010. WISE takes more the 7000 framesets per day, with each frameset covering 0.6 square degrees in four bands centered at 3.4, 4.6, 12 and 22 microns. WISE is well-suited to the discovery of brown dwarfs, ultraluminous infrared galaxies, and near-Earth objects. With an angular resolution of 6 arcsecouds at 12 microns, a 5(sigma) point-source sensitivity of around 1 mJy at 12 microns and 6 mJy at 22 microns, and coverage of over 99% of the sky, WISE also provides a powerful database for the study of the dusty ISM in our own galaxy. A preliminary release of WISE data will be made available to the community 6 months after the end of the cryogenic survey, or about May 2011. The final data release will be 11 months later, about April 2012.

The First Brown Dwarf Discovered by the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 Citizen Science Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuchner, Marc J.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Schneider, Adam C.; Meisner, Aaron M.; Filippazzo, Joseph C.; Gagne, Jonathan; Trouille, Laura; Silverberg, Steven M.; Castro, Rosa; Fletcher, Bob;

The Aging Well through Interaction and Scientific Education (AgeWISE) Program.

PubMed

O'Connor, Maureen K; Kraft, Malissa L; Daley, Ryan; Sugarman, Michael A; Clark, Erika L; Scoglio, Arielle A J; Shirk, Steven D

2017-12-08

We conducted a randomized controlled trial of the Aging Well through Interaction and Scientific Education (AgeWISE) program, a 12-week manualized cognitive rehabilitation program designed to provide psychoeducation to older adults about the aging brain, lifestyle factors associated with successful brain aging, and strategies to compensate for age related cognitive decline. Forty-nine cognitively intact participants ≥ 60 years old were randomly assigned to the AgeWISE program (n = 25) or a no-treatment control group (n = 24). Questionnaire data were collected prior to group assignment and post intervention. Two-factor repeated-measures analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) were used to compare group outcomes. Upon completion, participants in the AgeWISE program reported increases in memory contentment and their sense of control in improving memory; no significant changes were observed in the control group. Surprisingly, participation in the group was not associated with significant changes in knowledge of memory aging, perception of memory ability, or greater use of strategies. The AgeWISE program was successfully implemented and increased participants' memory contentment and their sense of control in improving memory in advancing age. This study supports the use of AgeWISE to improve perspectives on healthy cognitive aging.

Do Puzzle Pieces and Autism Puzzle Piece Logos Evoke Negative Associations?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gernsbacher, Morton Ann; Raimond, Adam R.; Stevenson, Jennifer L.; Boston, Jilana S.; Harp, Bev

2018-01-01

Puzzle pieces have become ubiquitous symbols for autism. However, puzzle-piece imagery stirs debate between those who support and those who object to its use because they believe puzzle-piece imagery evokes negative associations. Our study empirically investigated whether puzzle pieces evoke negative associations in the general public.…

Development of Gradient Compression Garments for Protection Against Post Flight Orthostatic Intolerance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stenger, M. B.; Lee, S. M. C.; Westby, C. M.; Platts, S. H.

2010-01-01

Orthostatic intolerance after space flight is still an issue for astronaut health. No in-flight countermeasure has been 100% effective to date. NASA currently uses an inflatable anti-gravity suit (AGS) during reentry, but this device is uncomfortable and loses effectiveness upon egress from the Shuttle. The Russian Space Agency currently uses a mechanical counter-pressure garment (Kentavr) that is difficult to adjust alone, and prolonged use may result in painful swelling at points where the garment is not continuous (feet, knees, and groin). To improve comfort, reduce upmass and stowage requirements, and control fabrication and maintenance costs, we have been evaluating a variety of gradient compression, mechanical counter-pressure garments, constructed from spandex and nylon, as a possible replacement for the current AGS. We have examined comfort and cardiovascular responses to knee-high garments in normovolemic subjects; thigh-high garments in hypovolemic subjects and in astronauts after space flight; and 1-piece, breast-high garments in hypovolemic subjects. These gradient compression garments provide 55 mmHg of compression over the ankle, decreasing linearly to 35 mmHg at the knee. In thigh-high versions the compression continues to decrease to 20 mmHg at the top of the leg, and for breast-high versions, to 15 mmHg over the abdomen. Measures of efficacy include increased tilt survival time, elevated blood pressure and stroke volume, and lower heart-rate response to orthostatic stress. Results from these studies indicate that the greater the magnitude of compression and the greater the area of coverage, the more effective the compression garment becomes. Therefore, we are currently testing a 3-piece breast-high compression garment on astronauts after short-duration flight. We chose a 3-piece garment consisting of thigh-high stockings and shorts, because it is easy to don and comfortable to wear, and should provide the same level of protection as the 1-piece breast-high garments evaluated in hypovolemic test subjects.

Analysis of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar Phase Data at Brady Hot Springs, Nevada, USA Using Prior Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinisch, E. C.; Ali, S. T.; Cardiff, M. A.; Morency, C.; Kreemer, C.; Feigl, K. L.; Team, P.

2016-12-01

Time-dependent deformation has been observed at Brady Hot Springs using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) [Ali et al. 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2016.01.008]. Our goal is to evaluate multiple competing hypotheses to explain the observed deformation at Brady. To do so requires statistical tests that account for uncertainty. Graph theory is useful for such an analysis of InSAR data [Reinisch, et al. 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00190-016-0934-5]. In particular, the normalized edge Laplacian matrix calculated from the edge-vertex incidence matrix of the graph of the pair-wise data set represents its correlation and leads to a full data covariance matrix in the weighted least squares problem. This formulation also leads to the covariance matrix of the epoch-wise measurements, representing their relative uncertainties. While the formulation in terms of incidence graphs applies to any quantity derived from pair-wise differences, the modulo-2π ambiguity of wrapped phase renders the problem non-linear. The conventional practice is to unwrap InSAR phase before modeling, which can introduce mistakes without increasing the corresponding measurement uncertainty. To address this issue, we are applying Bayesian inference. To build the likelihood, we use three different observables: (a) wrapped phase [e.g., Feigl and Thurber 2009, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2008.03881.x]; (b) range gradients, as defined by Ali and Feigl [2012, http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2012GC004112]; and (c) unwrapped phase, i.e. range change in mm, which we validate using GPS data. We apply our method to InSAR data taken over Brady Hot Springs geothermal field in Nevada as part of a project entitled "Poroelastic Tomography by Adjoint Inverse Modeling of Data from Seismology, Geodesy, and Hydrology" (PoroTomo) [ http://geoscience.wisc.edu/feigl/porotomo].

A campylobacter outbreak associated with stir-fried food.

PubMed Central

Evans, M. R.; Lane, W.; Frost, J. A.; Nylen, G.

1998-01-01

An outbreak of gastrointestinal illness affecting 12 of 29 customers of a 'Hawaiian' theme restaurant specializing in stir-fried food occurred in Cardiff, Wales in February 1997. Campylobacter jejuni serotype HS50 phage type 49 (PT49) was isolated from 5 cases. A total of 47 isolates of C. jejuni HS50 PT49 were identified from Wales during 1997, of which 11 were isolated in late February or early March and from the Cardiff area. In the outbreak, illness was associated with eating stir-fried chicken pieces (relative risk 4.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.76-30.44, P=0.03) and a dose-response relationship between risk of illness and amount of chicken consumed was observed (chi2-test for linear trend 3.96, P=0.047). Undercooking of chicken was probably due to a combination of inadequate cooking time and use of large chicken pieces. This is the first time that stir-fried food has been associated with a campylobacter outbreak. The incident also illustrates the value of routine campylobacter subtyping in supporting outbreak investigation. PMID:9825777

Fit Point-Wise AB Initio Calculation Potential Energies to a Multi-Dimension Long-Range Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Yu; Li, Hui; Le Roy, Robert J.

2016-06-01

A potential energy surface (PES) is a fundamental tool and source of understanding for theoretical spectroscopy and for dynamical simulations. Making correct assignments for high-resolution rovibrational spectra of floppy polyatomic and van der Waals molecules often relies heavily on predictions generated from a high quality ab initio potential energy surface. Moreover, having an effective analytic model to represent such surfaces can be as important as the ab initio results themselves. For the one-dimensional potentials of diatomic molecules, the most successful such model to date is arguably the ``Morse/Long-Range'' (MLR) function developed by R. J. Le Roy and coworkers. It is very flexible, is everywhere differentiable to all orders. It incorporates correct predicted long-range behaviour, extrapolates sensibly at both large and small distances, and two of its defining parameters are always the physically meaningful well depth {D}_e and equilibrium distance r_e. Extensions of this model, called the Multi-Dimension Morse/Long-Range (MD-MLR) function, linear molecule-linear molecule systems and atom-non-linear molecule system. have been applied successfully to atom-plus-linear molecule, linear molecule-linear molecule and atom-non-linear molecule systems. However, there are several technical challenges faced in modelling the interactions of general molecule-molecule systems, such as the absence of radial minima for some relative alignments, difficulties in fitting short-range potential energies, and challenges in determining relative-orientation dependent long-range coefficients. This talk will illustrate some of these challenges and describe our ongoing work in addressing them. Mol. Phys. 105, 663 (2007); J. Chem. Phys. 131, 204309 (2009); Mol. Phys. 109, 435 (2011). Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 10, 4128 (2008); J. Chem. Phys. 130, 144305 (2009) J. Chem. Phys. 132, 214309 (2010) J. Chem. Phys. 140, 214309 (2010)

unWISE: Unblurred Coadds of the WISE Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Dustin

2014-05-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) satellite observed the full sky in four mid-infrared bands in the 2.8-28 μm range. The primary mission was completed in 2010. The WISE team has done a superb job of producing a series of high-quality, well-documented, complete data releases in a timely manner. However, the "Atlas Image" coadds that are part of the recent AllWISE and previous data releases were intentionally blurred. Convolving the images by the point-spread function while coadding results in "matched-filtered" images that are close to optimal for detecting isolated point sources. But these matched-filtered images are sub-optimal or inappropriate for other purposes. For example, we are photometering the WISE images at the locations of sources detected in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey through forward modeling, and this blurring decreases the available signal-to-noise by effectively broadening the point-spread function. This paper presents a new set of coadds of the WISE images that have not been blurred. These images retain the intrinsic resolution of the data and are appropriate for photometry preserving the available signal-to-noise. Users should be cautioned, however, that the W3- and W4-band coadds contain artifacts around large, bright structures (large galaxies, dusty nebulae, etc.); eliminating these artifacts is the subject of ongoing work. These new coadds, and the code used to produce them, are publicly available at http://unwise.me.

Surface dimpling on rotating work piece using rotation cutting tool

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

Bhapkar, Rohit Arun; Larsen, Eric Richard

A combined method of machining and applying a surface texture to a work piece and a tool assembly that is capable of machining and applying a surface texture to a work piece are disclosed. The disclosed method includes machining portions of an outer or inner surface of a work piece. The method also includes rotating the work piece in front of a rotating cutting tool and engaging the outer surface of the work piece with the rotating cutting tool to cut dimples in the outer surface of the work piece. The disclosed tool assembly includes a rotating cutting tool coupledmore » to an end of a rotational machining device, such as a lathe. The same tool assembly can be used to both machine the work piece and apply a surface texture to the work piece without unloading the work piece from the tool assembly.« less

Photon mass attenuation coefficients, effective atomic numbers and electron densities of some thermoluminescent dosimetric compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gowda, Shivalinge; Krishnaveni, S.; Yashoda, T.; Umesh, T. K.; Gowda, Ramakrishna

2004-09-01

Photon mass attenuation coefficients of some thermoluminescent dosimetric (TLD) compounds, such as LiF, CaCO_3, CaSO_4, CaSO_4\\cdot2H_2O, SrSO_4, CdSO_4, BaSO_4, C_4H_6BaO_4 and 3CdSO_4\\cdot8H_2O were determined at 279.2, 320.07, 514.0, 661.6, 1115.5, 1173.2 and 1332.5 keV in a well-collimated narrow beam good geometry set-up using a high resolution, hyper pure germanium detector. The attenuation coefficient data were then used to compute the effective atomic number and the electron density of TLD compounds. The interpolation of total attenuation cross-sections of photons of energy E in elements of atomic number Z was performed using the logarithmic regression analysis of the data measured by the authors and reported earlier. The best-fit coefficients so obtained in the photon energy range of 279.2 to 320.07 keV, 514.0 to 661.6 keV and 1115.5 to 1332.5 keV by a piece-wise interpolation method were then used to find the effective atomic number and electron density of the compounds. These values are found to be in agreement with other available published values.

Why Are There Developmental Stages in Language Learning? A Developmental Robotics Model of Language Development.

PubMed

Morse, Anthony F; Cangelosi, Angelo

2017-02-01

Most theories of learning would predict a gradual acquisition and refinement of skills as learning progresses, and while some highlight exponential growth, this fails to explain why natural cognitive development typically progresses in stages. Models that do span multiple developmental stages typically have parameters to "switch" between stages. We argue that by taking an embodied view, the interaction between learning mechanisms, the resulting behavior of the agent, and the opportunities for learning that the environment provides can account for the stage-wise development of cognitive abilities. We summarize work relevant to this hypothesis and suggest two simple mechanisms that account for some developmental transitions: neural readiness focuses on changes in the neural substrate resulting from ongoing learning, and perceptual readiness focuses on the perceptual requirements for learning new tasks. Previous work has demonstrated these mechanisms in replications of a wide variety of infant language experiments, spanning multiple developmental stages. Here we piece this work together as a single model of ongoing learning with no parameter changes at all. The model, an instance of the Epigenetic Robotics Architecture (Morse et al 2010) embodied on the iCub humanoid robot, exhibits ongoing multi-stage development while learning pre-linguistic and then basic language skills. Copyright © 2016 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

On the Origin of a Maximum Peak Pressure on the Target Outside of the Stagnation Point upon Normal Impact of a Blunt Projectile and with Underwater Explosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonor, Alexander; Hooton, Irene

2006-07-01

Impact of a rigid projectile (impactor), against a metal target and a condensed explosive surface considered as the important process accompanying the normal entry of a rigid projectile into a target, was overlooked in the preceding studies. Within the framework of accurate shock wave theory, the flow-field, behind the shock wave attached to the perimeter of the adjoined surface, was defined. An important result is the peak pressure rises at points along the target surface away from the stagnation point. The maximum values of the peak pressure are 2.2 to 3.2 times higher for the metallic and soft targets (nitromethane, PBX 9502), than peak pressure values at the stagnation point. This effect changes the commonly held notion that the maximum peak pressure is reached at the projectile stagnation point. In the present study the interaction of a spherical decaying blast wave, caused by an underwater explosion, with a piece-wise plane target, having corner configurations, is investigated. The numerical calculation results in the determination of the vulnerable spots on the target, where the maximum peak overpressure surpassed that for the head-on shock wave reflection by a factor of 4.

Do sewn up singularities falsify the Palatini cosmology?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szydłowski, Marek; Stachowski, Aleksander; Borowiec, Andrzej; Wojnar, Aneta

2016-10-01

We investigate further (cf. Borowiec et al. JCAP 1601(01):040, 2016) the Starobinsky cosmological model R+γ R^2 in the Palatini formalism with a Chaplygin gas and baryonic matter as a source in the context of singularities. The dynamics reduces to the 2D sewn dynamical system of a Newtonian type (a piece-wise-smooth dynamical system). We demonstrate that the presence of a sewn up freeze singularity (glued freeze type singularities) for the positive γ is, in this case, a generic feature of the early evolution of the universe. It is demonstrated that γ equal zero is a bifurcation parameter and the dynamics qualitatively changes as the γ sign is changing. On the other side for the case of negative γ instead of the big bang the sudden bounce singularity of a finite scale factor does appear and there is a generic class of bouncing solutions. While the Ω _{γ } > 0 is favored by data only very small values of Ω _{γ } parameter are allowed if we require agreement with the Λ CDM model. From the statistical analysis of astronomical observations, we deduce that the case of only very small negative values of Ω _γ cannot be rejected. Therefore, observation data favor the universe without the ghost states (f'(hat{R})>0) and tachyons (f''(hat{R})>0).

An extinction/reignition dynamic method for turbulent combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knaus, Robert; Pantano, Carlos

2011-11-01

Quasi-randomly distributed locations of high strain in turbulent combustion can cause a nonpremixed or partially premixed flame to develop local regions of extinction called ``flame holes''. The presence and extent of these holes can increase certain pollutants and reduce the amount of fuel burned. Accurately modeling the dynamics of these interacting regions can improve the accuracy of combustion simulations by effectively incorporating finite-rate chemistry effects. In the proposed method, the flame hole state is characterized by a progress variable that nominally exists on the stoichiometric surface. The evolution of this field is governed by a partial-differential equation embedded in the time-dependent two-manifold of the flame surface. This equation includes advection, propagation, and flame hole formation (flame hole healing or collapse is accounted by propagation naturally). We present a computational algorithm that solves this equation by embedding it in the usual three-dimensional space. A piece-wise parabolic WENO scheme combined with a compression algorithm are used to evolve the flame hole progress variable. A key aspect of the method is the extension of the surface data to the three-dimensional space in an efficient manner. We present results of this method applied to canonical turbulent combusting flows where the flame holes interact and describe their statistics.

A unified analytical drain current model for Double-Gate Junctionless Field-Effect Transistors including short channel effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raksharam; Dutta, Aloke K.

2017-04-01

In this paper, a unified analytical model for the drain current of a symmetric Double-Gate Junctionless Field-Effect Transistor (DG-JLFET) is presented. The operation of the device has been classified into four modes: subthreshold, semi-depleted, accumulation, and hybrid; with the main focus of this work being on the accumulation mode, which has not been dealt with in detail so far in the literature. A physics-based model, using a simplified one-dimensional approach, has been developed for this mode, and it has been successfully integrated with the model for the hybrid mode. It also includes the effect of carrier mobility degradation due to the transverse electric field, which was hitherto missing in the earlier models reported in the literature. The piece-wise models have been unified using suitable interpolation functions. In addition, the model includes two most important short-channel effects pertaining to DG-JLFETs, namely the Drain Induced Barrier Lowering (DIBL) and the Subthreshold Swing (SS) degradation. The model is completely analytical, and is thus computationally highly efficient. The results of our model have shown an excellent match with those obtained from TCAD simulations for both long- and short-channel devices, as well as with the experimental data reported in the literature.

3D Reconstruction in the Presence of Glass and Mirrors by Acoustic and Visual Fusion.

PubMed

Zhang, Yu; Ye, Mao; Manocha, Dinesh; Yang, Ruigang

2017-07-06

We present a practical and inexpensive method to reconstruct 3D scenes that include transparent and mirror objects. Our work is motivated by the need for automatically generating 3D models of interior scenes, which commonly include glass. These large structures are often invisible to cameras. Existing 3D reconstruction methods for transparent objects are usually not applicable in such a room-sized reconstruction setting. Our simple hardware setup augments a regular depth camera with a single ultrasonic sensor, which is able to measure the distance to any object, including transparent surfaces. The key technical challenge is the sparse sampling rate from the acoustic sensor, which only takes one point measurement per frame. To address this challenge, we take advantage of the fact that the large scale glass structures in indoor environments are usually either piece-wise planar or simple parametric surfaces. Based on these assumptions, we have developed a novel sensor fusion algorithm that first segments the (hybrid) depth map into different categories such as opaque/transparent/infinity (e.g., too far to measure) and then updates the depth map based on the segmentation outcome. We validated our algorithms with a number of challenging cases, including multiple panes of glass, mirrors, and even a curved glass cabinet.

Battlespace awareness and the Australian Army battlefield command support system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaertner, Paul S.; Slade, Mark; Bowden, Fred; Stagg, Bradley; Huf, Samuel

2000-08-01

Effective battlespace awareness is essential for any defence operation; this is especially true in the increasingly complex and dynamic land component of the military environment. Because of its relatively small force size dispersed piece-wise across a large and largely vacant landmass, the Defence of Australia presents a somewhat unique challenge for the development of systems that support command decision-making. The intent of this paper is to first examine the digitisation effort under way in Australia and describe the Army Battlefield Command Support System (BCSS) being developed for use in the tactical arena. BCSS is essentially a suite of commercial-off-the-shelf and government-off-the-shelf software components provided via a standard operating environment to aid decision-making. Then, we present the development of a Tactical Land C4I Assessment Capability (TLCAC) synthetic environment which is being used to undertake controlled performance evaluations of the various elements of the BCSS suite and provide impact assessments of new technological advances. The TLCAC provides a capacity to assess in near real-time Brigade and below level command post exercise activities. That is, when deployed it provides a mechanism to automatically collect command and control and manoeuvre data, which can aid in the after action review process.

Spectral Diffusion: An Algorithm for Robust Material Decomposition of Spectral CT Data

PubMed Central

Clark, Darin P.; Badea, Cristian T.

2014-01-01

Clinical successes with dual energy CT, aggressive development of energy discriminating x-ray detectors, and novel, target-specific, nanoparticle contrast agents promise to establish spectral CT as a powerful functional imaging modality. Common to all of these applications is the need for a material decomposition algorithm which is robust in the presence of noise. Here, we develop such an algorithm which uses spectrally joint, piece-wise constant kernel regression and the split Bregman method to iteratively solve for a material decomposition which is gradient sparse, quantitatively accurate, and minimally biased. We call this algorithm spectral diffusion because it integrates structural information from multiple spectral channels and their corresponding material decompositions within the framework of diffusion-like denoising algorithms (e.g. anisotropic diffusion, total variation, bilateral filtration). Using a 3D, digital bar phantom and a material sensitivity matrix calibrated for use with a polychromatic x-ray source, we quantify the limits of detectability (CNR = 5) afforded by spectral diffusion in the triple-energy material decomposition of iodine (3.1 mg/mL), gold (0.9 mg/mL), and gadolinium (2.9 mg/mL) concentrations. We then apply spectral diffusion to the in vivo separation of these three materials in the mouse kidneys, liver, and spleen. PMID:25296173

On the Role of Mentalizing Processes in Aesthetic Appreciation: An ERP Study

PubMed Central

Beudt, Susan; Jacobsen, Thomas

2015-01-01

We used event-related brain potentials to explore the impact of mental perspective taking on processes of aesthetic appreciation of visual art. Participants (non-experts) were first presented with information about the life and attitudes of a fictitious artist. Subsequently, they were cued trial-wise to make an aesthetic judgment regarding an image depicting a piece of abstract art either from their own perspective or from the imagined perspective of the fictitious artist [i.e., theory of mind (ToM) condition]. Positive self-referential judgments were made more quickly and negative self-referential judgments were made more slowly than the corresponding judgments from the imagined perspective. Event-related potential analyses revealed significant differences between the two tasks both within the preparation period (i.e., during the cue-stimulus interval) and within the stimulus presentation period. For the ToM condition we observed a relative centro-parietal negativity during the preparation period (700–330 ms preceding picture onset) and a relative centro-parietal positivity during the stimulus presentation period (700–1100 ms after stimulus onset). These findings suggest that different subprocesses are involved in aesthetic appreciation and judgment of visual abstract art from one’s own vs. from another person’s perspective. PMID:26617506

Systems Engineering and Integration for Technology Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, Kruss J.

2006-01-01

The Architecture, Habitability & Integration group (AH&I) is a system engineering and integration test team within the NASA Crew and Thermal Systems Division (CTSD) at Johnson Space Center. AH&I identifies and resolves system-level integration issues within the research and technology development community. The timely resolution of these integration issues is fundamental to the development of human system requirements and exploration capability. The integration of the many individual components necessary to construct an artificial environment is difficult. The necessary interactions between individual components and systems must be approached in a piece-wise fashion to achieve repeatable results. A formal systems engineering (SE) approach to define, develop, and integrate quality systems within the life support community has been developed. This approach will allow a Research & Technology Program to systematically approach the development, management, and quality of technology deliverables to the various exploration missions. A tiered system engineering structure has been proposed to implement best systems engineering practices across all development levels from basic research to working assemblies. These practices will be implemented through a management plan across all applicable programs, projects, elements and teams. While many of the engineering practices are common to other industries, the implementation is specific to technology development. An accounting of the systems engineering management philosophy will be discussed and the associated programmatic processes will be presented.

Method of forming magnesium alloy sheets

DOEpatents

Mualidharan, Govindarajan; Muth, Thomas R.; Harper, David C.

2015-12-22

A machine for asymmetric rolling of a work-piece includes pair of rollers disposed in an arrangement to apply opposing, asymmetric rolling forces to roll a work-piece therebetween, wherein a surface of the work-piece is rolled faster than an opposite surface of the work-piece; and an exit constraint die rigidly disposed adjacent an exit side of the pair of rollers so that, as the work-piece exits the pair of rollers, the work-piece contacts the exit constraint die to constrain curling of the work-piece.

Two Stochastic Phases of Tick-wise Price Fluctuation and the Price Prediction Generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka-Yamawaki, Mieko; Tokuoka, Seiji

2007-07-01

We report in this paper the existence of two different stochastic phases in the tick-wise price fluctuations. Based on this observation, we improve our old method of developing the evolutional strategy to predict the direction of the tick-wise price movements. We obtain a stable predictive power even in the region where the old method had a difficulty.

Sun Savvy Students: Free Teaching Resources from EPA's SunWise Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall-Jordan, Luke

2008-01-01

With summer in full swing and the sun is naturally on our minds, what better time to take advantage of a host of free materials provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Sun Wise program. Sun Wise aims to teach students and teachers about the stratospheric ozone layer, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and how to be safe while in the Sun.…

The Waste Wise Schools Program: Evidence of Educational, Environmental, Social and Economic Outcomes at the School and Community Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Patricia; Sharpley, Brian; Malcolm, Stephen

2004-01-01

The Waste Wise Schools Program was established by EcoRecycle Victoria to implement waste and litter education in Victorian schools. It is now operating in over 900 schools in Victoria and 300 schools in other Australian states / territories. This paper provides detailed case studies of two active schools in the Waste Wise Schools Program and…

Double Arm Linkage precision Linear motion (DALL) Carriage, a simplified, rugged, high performance linear motion stage for the moving mirror of an Fourier Transform Spectrometer or other system requiring precision linear motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Kendall B.; Hopkins, Greg

2017-08-01

The Double Arm Linkage precision Linear motion (DALL) carriage has been developed as a simplified, rugged, high performance linear motion stage. Initially conceived as a moving mirror stage for the moving mirror of a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS), it is applicable to any system requiring high performance linear motion. It is based on rigid double arm linkages connecting a base to a moving carriage through flexures. It is a monolithic design. The system is fabricated from one piece of material including the flexural elements, using high precision machining. The monolithic design has many advantages. There are no joints to slip or creep and there are no CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) issues. This provides a stable, robust design, both mechanically and thermally and is expected to provide a wide operating temperature range, including cryogenic temperatures, and high tolerance to vibration and shock. Furthermore, it provides simplicity and ease of implementation, as there is no assembly or alignment of the mechanism. It comes out of the machining operation aligned and there are no adjustments. A prototype has been fabricated and tested, showing superb shear performance and very promising tilt performance. This makes it applicable to both corner cube and flat mirror FTS systems respectively.

29 CFR 1910.177 - Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... rim wheel onto a vehicle axle hub. Removing means the opposite of installing. Mounting a tire means... 29 Labor 5 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels. 1910.177... § 1910.177 Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels. (a) Scope. (1) This section applies to the...

29 CFR 1910.177 - Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... means the transfer and attachment of an assembled rim wheel onto a vehicle axle hub. Removing means the... 29 Labor 5 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels. 1910.177... § 1910.177 Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels. (a) Scope. (1) This section applies to the...

29 CFR 1910.177 - Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... rim wheel onto a vehicle axle hub. Removing means the opposite of installing. Mounting a tire means... 29 Labor 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels. 1910.177... § 1910.177 Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels. (a) Scope. (1) This section applies to the...

29 CFR 1910.177 - Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... means the transfer and attachment of an assembled rim wheel onto a vehicle axle hub. Removing means the... 29 Labor 5 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels. 1910.177... § 1910.177 Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels. (a) Scope. (1) This section applies to the...

29 CFR 1910.177 - Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... means the transfer and attachment of an assembled rim wheel onto a vehicle axle hub. Removing means the... 29 Labor 5 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels. 1910.177... § 1910.177 Servicing multi-piece and single piece rim wheels. (a) Scope. (1) This section applies to the...

Linearization of an annular image by using a diffractive optic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matthys, Donald R.

1996-01-01

The goal for this project is to develop the algorithms for fracturing the zones defined by the mapping transformation, and to actually produce the binary optic in an appropriate setup. In 1984 a side-viewing panoramic viewing system was patented, consisting of a single piece of glass with spherical surfaces which produces a 360 degree view of the region surrounding the lens which extends about 25 degrees in front of and 20 degrees behind the lens. The system not only produces images of good quality, it is also afocal, i.e., images stay in focus for objects located right next to the lens as well as those located far from the lens. The lens produced a panoramic view in an annular shaped image, and so the lens was called a PAL (panoramic annular lens). When applying traditional measurements to PAL images, it is found advantageous to linearize the annular image. This can easily be done with a computer and such a linearized image can be produced within about 40 seconds on current microcomputers. However, this process requires a frame-grabber and a computer, and is not real-time. Therefore, it was decided to try to perform this linearization optically by using a diffractive optic.

Synergy of WISE and SDSS in Stripe 82

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musin, Marat; Yan, Haojing

2018-06-01

We report the current results from our effort to synergize WISE and SDSS in the ~ 300 sq. degree Stripe 82 region. Using the SDSS images as the prior, we fit the SDSS-detected objects to the WISE W1/W2 images to obtain consistent optical-to-IR SEDs. The major outcome will consist of two catalogs: (1) one is the "SDSS-WISE" photometric catalog on ~ 22 million SDSS-detected sources, and (2) the other one is the "WoDrop" catalog that are optical-dropouts detected on the residual W1/W2 images that do not have SDSS counterparts. The applications and the implications of our results will be briefly discussed.

GridWise Standards Mapping Overview

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

Bosquet, Mia L.

''GridWise'' is a concept of how advanced communications, information and controls technology can transform the nation's energy system--across the spectrum of large scale, central generation to common consumer appliances and equipment--into a collaborative network, rich in the exchange of decision making information and an abundance of market-based opportunities (Widergren and Bosquet 2003) accompanying the electric transmission and distribution system fully into the information and telecommunication age. This report summarizes a broad review of standards efforts which are related to GridWise--those which could ultimately contribute significantly to advancements toward the GridWise vision, or those which represent today's current technological basis uponmore » which this vision must build.« less

Unified continuum damage model for matrix cracking in composite rotor blades

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

Pollayi, Hemaraju; Harursampath, Dineshkumar

This paper deals with modeling of the first damage mode, matrix micro-cracking, in helicopter rotor/wind turbine blades and how this effects the overall cross-sectional stiffness. The helicopter/wind turbine rotor system operates in a highly dynamic and unsteady environment leading to severe vibratory loads present in the system. Repeated exposure to this loading condition can induce damage in the composite rotor blades. These rotor/turbine blades are generally made of fiber-reinforced laminated composites and exhibit various competing modes of damage such as matrix micro-cracking, delamination, and fiber breakage. There is a need to study the behavior of the composite rotor system undermore » various key damage modes in composite materials for developing Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system. Each blade is modeled as a beam based on geometrically non-linear 3-D elasticity theory. Each blade thus splits into 2-D analyzes of cross-sections and non-linear 1-D analyzes along the beam reference curves. Two different tools are used here for complete 3-D analysis: VABS for 2-D cross-sectional analysis and GEBT for 1-D beam analysis. The physically-based failure models for matrix in compression and tension loading are used in the present work. Matrix cracking is detected using two failure criterion: Matrix Failure in Compression and Matrix Failure in Tension which are based on the recovered field. A strain variable is set which drives the damage variable for matrix cracking and this damage variable is used to estimate the reduced cross-sectional stiffness. The matrix micro-cracking is performed in two different approaches: (i) Element-wise, and (ii) Node-wise. The procedure presented in this paper is implemented in VABS as matrix micro-cracking modeling module. Three examples are presented to investigate the matrix failure model which illustrate the effect of matrix cracking on cross-sectional stiffness by varying the applied cyclic load.« less

Abnormal Intrinsic Functional Hubs in Severe Male Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Evidence from a Voxel-Wise Degree Centrality Analysis.

PubMed

Li, Haijun; Li, Lan; Shao, Yi; Gong, Honghan; Zhang, Wei; Zeng, Xianjun; Ye, Chenglong; Nie, Si; Chen, Liting; Peng, Dechang

2016-01-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with changes in brain structure and regional function in certain brain areas. However, the functional features of network organization in the whole brain remain largely uncertain. The purpose of this study was to identify the OSA-related spatial centrality distribution of the whole brain functional network and to investigate the potential altered intrinsic functional hubs. Forty male patients with newly confirmed severe OSA on polysomnography, and well-matched good sleepers, participated in this study. All participants underwent a resting-state functional MRI scan and clinical and cognitive evaluation. Voxel-wise degree centrality (DC) was measured across the whole brain, and group difference in DC was compared. The relationship between the abnormal DC value and clinical variables was assessed using a linear correlation analysis. Remarkably similar spatial distributions of the functional hubs (high DC) were found in both groups. However, OSA patients exhibited a pattern of significantly reduced regional DC in the left middle occipital gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, left superior frontal gyrus, and bilateral inferior parietal lobule, and DC was increased in the right orbital frontal cortex, bilateral cerebellum posterior lobes, and bilateral lentiform nucleus, including the putamen, extending to the hippocampus, and the inferior temporal gyrus, which overlapped with the functional hubs. Furthermore, a linear correlation analysis revealed that the DC value in the posterior cingulate cortex and left superior frontal gyrus were positively correlated with Montreal cognitive assessment scores, The DC value in the left middle occipital gyrus and bilateral inferior parietal lobule were negatively correlated with apnea-hypopnea index and arousal index in OSA patients. Our findings suggest that OSA patients exhibited specific abnormal intrinsic functional hubs including relatively reduced and increased DC. This expands our understanding of the functional characteristics of OSA, which may provide new insights into understanding the dysfunction and pathophysiology of OSA patients.

A Route to Well-being: Intelligence vs. Wise Reasoning

PubMed Central

Grossmann, Igor; Na, Jinkyung; Varnum, Michael E.W.; Kitayama, Shinobu; Nisbett, Richard E.

2012-01-01

Laypeople and many social scientists assume that superior reasoning abilities lead to greater well-being. However, previous research has been inconclusive. This may be because prior investigators used operationalizations of reasoning that favored analytic as opposed to wise thinking. We assessed wisdom in terms of the degree to which people use various pragmatic schemas to deal with social conflicts. With a random sample of Americans we found that wise reasoning is associated with greater life satisfaction, less negative affect, better social relationships, less depressive rumination, more positive vs. negative words used in speech, and greater longevity. The relationship between wise reasoning and well-being held even when controlling for socio-economic factors, verbal abilities, and several personality traits. As in prior work there was no association between intelligence and well-being. Further, wise reasoning mediated age-related differences in well-being, particularly among the middle-aged and older adults. Implications for research on reasoning, well-being and aging are discussed. PMID:22866683

Pair-Wise Trajectory Management-Oceanic (PTM-O) . [Concept of Operations—Version 3.9

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Kenneth M.

2014-01-01

This document describes the Pair-wise Trajectory Management-Oceanic (PTM-O) Concept of Operations (ConOps). Pair-wise Trajectory Management (PTM) is a concept that includes airborne and ground-based capabilities designed to enable and to benefit from, airborne pair-wise distance-monitoring capability. PTM includes the capabilities needed for the controller to issue a PTM clearance that resolves a conflict for a specific pair of aircraft. PTM avionics include the capabilities needed for the flight crew to manage their trajectory relative to specific designated aircraft. Pair-wise Trajectory Management PTM-Oceanic (PTM-O) is a regional specific application of the PTM concept. PTM is sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Concept and Technology Development Project (part of NASA's Airspace Systems Program). The goal of PTM is to use enhanced and distributed communications and surveillance along with airborne tools to permit reduced separation standards for given aircraft pairs, thereby increasing the capacity and efficiency of aircraft operations at a given altitude or volume of airspace.

GEO Collisional Risk Assessment Based on Analysis of NASA-WISE Data and Modeling

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-18

GEO Collisional Risk Assessment Based on Analysis of NASA -WISE Data and Modeling Jeremy Murray Krezan1, Samantha Howard1, Phan D. Dao1, Derek...Surka2 1AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate,2Applied Technology Associates Incorporated From December 2009 through 2011 the NASA Wide-Field Infrared...of known debris. The NASA -WISE GEO belt debris population adds potentially thousands previously uncataloged objects. This paper describes

The Level of Test-Wiseness for the Students of Arts and Science Faculty at Sharourah and Its Relationship with Some Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otoum, Abedalqader; Khalaf, Hisham Bani; Bajbeer, Abedalqader; Hamad, Hassan Bani

2015-01-01

This study aimed to identify the level of using Test-wiseness strategies for the students of arts and sciences Faculty at Sharourah and its relationship with some variables. a questionnaire was designed which consisted of (29) items measuring three domains of Test-wiseness strategies. It was applied on a sample which consisted of (299) students.…

Simulating (log(c) n)-wise Independence in NC

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-05-01

independent) distribution. However, Xk (A) = (1x(I))k = Z Z y (i,)...X(ik). iEA ijEAi 2 EA IkEA So Lemma 2.4 applies to show that any k-wise independent...AEA AEAi1EA ikEA So henceforth we want an X such that F(X) >_ E[F(X)]. 2.5 Generating k-Wise Independent Variables It still remains to demonstrate a k

The First Brown Dwarf Discovered by the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 Citizen Science Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuchner, Marc J.; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Schneider, Adam C.; Meisner, Aaron M.; Filippazzo, Joseph C.; Gagné, Jonathan; Trouille, Laura; Silverberg, Steven M.; Castro, Rosa; Fletcher, Bob; Mokaev, Khasan; Stajic, Tamara

2017-06-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) is a powerful tool for finding nearby brown dwarfs and searching for new planets in the outer solar system, especially with the incorporation of NEOWISE and NEOWISE-Reactivation data. However, so far, searches for brown dwarfs in WISE data have yet to take advantage of the full depth of the WISE images. To efficiently search this unexplored space via visual inspection, we have launched a new citizen science project, called “Backyard Worlds: Planet 9,” which asks volunteers to examine short animations composed of difference images constructed from time-resolved WISE coadds. We report the first new substellar object discovered by this project, WISEA J110125.95+540052.8, a T5.5 brown dwarf located approximately 34 pc from the Sun with a total proper motion of ˜0.″7 {{yr}}-1. WISEA J110125.95+540052.8 has a WISE W2 magnitude of W2=15.37+/- 0.09; our sensitivity to this source demonstrates the ability of citizen scientists to identify moving objects via visual inspection that are 0.9 mag fainter than the W2 single-exposure sensitivity, a threshold that has limited prior motion-based brown dwarf searches with WISE.

Do choosing wisely tools meet criteria for patient decision aids? A descriptive analysis of patient materials

PubMed Central

Légaré, France; Hébert, Jessica; Goh, Larissa; Lewis, Krystina B; Leiva Portocarrero, Maria Ester; Robitaille, Hubert; Stacey, Dawn

2016-01-01

Objectives Choosing Wisely is a remarkable physician-led campaign to reduce unnecessary or harmful health services. Some of the literature identifies Choosing Wisely as a shared decision-making approach. We evaluated the patient materials developed by Choosing Wisely Canada to determine whether they meet the criteria for shared decision-making tools known as patient decision aids. Design Descriptive analysis of all Choosing Wisely Canada patient materials. Data source In May 2015, we selected all Choosing Wisely Canada patient materials from its official website. Main outcomes and measures Four team members independently extracted characteristics of the English materials using the International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS) modified 16-item minimum criteria for qualifying and certifying patient decision aids. The research team discussed discrepancies between data extractors and reached a consensus. Descriptive analysis was conducted. Results Of the 24 patient materials assessed, 12 were about treatments, 11 were about screening and 1 was about prevention. The median score for patient materials using IPDAS criteria was 10/16 (range: 8–11) for screening topics and 6/12 (range: 6–9) for prevention and treatment topics. Commonly missed criteria were stating the decision (21/24 did not), providing balanced information on option benefits/harms (24/24 did not), citing evidence (24/24 did not) and updating policy (24/24 did not). Out of 24 patient materials, only 2 met the 6 IPDAS criteria to qualify as patient decision aids, and neither of these 2 met the 6 certifying criteria. Conclusions Patient materials developed by Choosing Wisely Canada do not meet the IPDAS minimal qualifying or certifying criteria for patient decision aids. Modifications to the Choosing Wisely Canada patient materials would help to ensure that they qualify as patient decision aids and thus as more effective shared decision-making tools. PMID:27566638

Do puzzle pieces and autism puzzle piece logos evoke negative associations?

PubMed

Gernsbacher, Morton Ann; Raimond, Adam R; Stevenson, Jennifer L; Boston, Jilana S; Harp, Bev

2018-02-01

Puzzle pieces have become ubiquitous symbols for autism. However, puzzle-piece imagery stirs debate between those who support and those who object to its use because they believe puzzle-piece imagery evokes negative associations. Our study empirically investigated whether puzzle pieces evoke negative associations in the general public. Participants' ( N = 400) implicit negative associations were measured with an Implicit Association Task, which is a speeded categorization task, and participants' explicit associations were measured with an Explicit Association Task, which is a standard task for assessing consumers' explicit associations with brands (and images of those brands). Puzzle pieces, both those used as autism logos and those used more generically, evoked negative implicit associations ( t(399) = -5.357, p < 0.001) and negative explicit associations ( z = 4.693, p < 0.001, d = 0.491). Participants explicitly associated puzzle pieces, even generic puzzle pieces, with incompleteness, imperfection, and oddity. Our results bear public policy implications. If an organization's intention for using puzzle-piece imagery is to evoke negative associations, our results suggest the organization's use of puzzle-piece imagery is apt. However, if the organization's intention is to evoke positive associations, our results suggest that puzzle-piece imagery should probably be avoided.

Testing process predictions of models of risky choice: a quantitative model comparison approach

PubMed Central

Pachur, Thorsten; Hertwig, Ralph; Gigerenzer, Gerd; Brandstätter, Eduard

2013-01-01

This article presents a quantitative model comparison contrasting the process predictions of two prominent views on risky choice. One view assumes a trade-off between probabilities and outcomes (or non-linear functions thereof) and the separate evaluation of risky options (expectation models). Another view assumes that risky choice is based on comparative evaluation, limited search, aspiration levels, and the forgoing of trade-offs (heuristic models). We derived quantitative process predictions for a generic expectation model and for a specific heuristic model, namely the priority heuristic (Brandstätter et al., 2006), and tested them in two experiments. The focus was on two key features of the cognitive process: acquisition frequencies (i.e., how frequently individual reasons are looked up) and direction of search (i.e., gamble-wise vs. reason-wise). In Experiment 1, the priority heuristic predicted direction of search better than the expectation model (although neither model predicted the acquisition process perfectly); acquisition frequencies, however, were inconsistent with both models. Additional analyses revealed that these frequencies were primarily a function of what Rubinstein (1988) called “similarity.” In Experiment 2, the quantitative model comparison approach showed that people seemed to rely more on the priority heuristic in difficult problems, but to make more trade-offs in easy problems. This finding suggests that risky choice may be based on a mental toolbox of strategies. PMID:24151472

Testing AGN unification via inference from large catalogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikutta, Robert; Ivezic, Zeljko; Elitzur, Moshe; Nenkova, Maia

2018-01-01

Source orientation and clumpiness of the central dust are the main factors in AGN classification. Type-1 QSOs are easy to observe and large samples are available (e.g. in SDSS), but obscured type-2 AGN are dimmer and redder as our line of sight is more obscured, making it difficult to obtain a complete sample. WISE has found up to a million QSOs. With only 4 bands and a relatively small aperture the analysis of individual sources is challenging, but the large sample allows inference of bulk properties at a very significant level.CLUMPY (www.clumpy.org) is arguably the most popular database of AGN torus SEDs. We model the ensemble properties of the entire WISE AGN content using regularized linear regression, with orientation-dependent CLUMPY color-color-magnitude (CCM) tracks as basis functions. We can reproduce the observed number counts per CCM bin with percent-level accuracy, and simultaneously infer the probability distributions of all torus parameters, redshifts, additional SED components, and identify type-1/2 AGN populations through their IR properties alone. We increase the statistical power of our AGN unification tests even further, by adding other datasets as axes in the regression problem. To this end, we make use of the NOAO Data Lab (datalab.noao.edu), which hosts several high-level large datasets and provides very powerful tools for handling large data, e.g. cross-matched catalogs, fast remote queries, etc.

SCUSS u- BAND EMISSION AS A STAR-FORMATION-RATE INDICATOR

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

Zhou, Zhimin; Zhou, Xu; Wu, Hong

2017-01-20

We present and analyze the possibility of using optical u- band luminosities to estimate star-formation rates (SFRs) of galaxies based on the data from the South Galactic Cap u band Sky Survey (SCUSS), which provides a deep u -band photometric survey covering about 5000 deg{sup 2} of the South Galactic Cap. Based on two samples of normal star-forming galaxies selected by the BPT diagram, we explore the correlations between u -band, H α , and IR luminosities by combing SCUSS data with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer ( WISE ). The attenuation-corrected u -band luminositiesmore » are tightly correlated with the Balmer decrement-corrected H α luminosities with an rms scatter of ∼0.17 dex. The IR-corrected u luminosities are derived based on the correlations between the attenuation of u- band luminosities and WISE 12 (or 22) μ m luminosities, and then calibrated with the Balmer-corrected H α luminosities. The systematic residuals of these calibrations are tested against the physical properties over the ranges covered by our sample objects. We find that the best-fitting nonlinear relations are better than the linear ones and recommended to be applied in the measurement of SFRs. The systematic deviations mainly come from the pollution of old stellar population and the effect of dust extinction; therefore, a more detailed analysis is needed in future work.« less

Age Differences in Prefrontal Surface Area and Thickness in Middle Aged to Older Adults.

PubMed

Dotson, Vonetta M; Szymkowicz, Sarah M; Sozda, Christopher N; Kirton, Joshua W; Green, Mackenzie L; O'Shea, Andrew; McLaren, Molly E; Anton, Stephen D; Manini, Todd M; Woods, Adam J

2015-01-01

Age is associated with reductions in surface area and cortical thickness, particularly in prefrontal regions. There is also evidence of greater thickness in some regions at older ages. Non-linear age effects in some studies suggest that age may continue to impact brain structure in later decades of life, but relatively few studies have examined the impact of age on brain structure within middle-aged to older adults. We investigated age differences in prefrontal surface area and cortical thickness in healthy adults between the ages of 51 and 81 years. Participants received a structural 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scan. Based on a priori hypotheses, primary analyses focused on surface area and cortical thickness in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and orbitofrontal cortex. We also performed exploratory vertex-wise analyses of surface area and cortical thickness across the entire cortex. We found that older age was associated with smaller surface area in the dorsolateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices but greater cortical thickness in the dorsolateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices. Vertex-wise analyses revealed smaller surface area in primarily frontal regions at older ages, but no age effects were found for cortical thickness. Results suggest age is associated with reduced surface area but greater cortical thickness in prefrontal regions during later decades of life, and highlight the differential effects age has on regional surface area and cortical thickness.

Scuss u-Band Emission as a Star-Formation-Rate Indicator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhimin; Zhou, Xu; Wu, Hong; Fan, Xiao-Hui; Fan, Zhou; Jiang, Zhao-Ji; Jing, Yi-Peng; Li, Cheng; Lesser, Michael; Jiang, Lin-Hua; Ma, Jun; Nie, Jun-Dan; Shen, Shi-Yin; Wang, Jia-Li; Wu, Zhen-Yu; Zhang, Tian-Meng; Zou, Hu

2017-01-01

We present and analyze the possibility of using optical u-band luminosities to estimate star-formation rates (SFRs) of galaxies based on the data from the South Galactic Cap u band Sky Survey (SCUSS), which provides a deep u-band photometric survey covering about 5000 deg2 of the South Galactic Cap. Based on two samples of normal star-forming galaxies selected by the BPT diagram, we explore the correlations between u-band, Hα, and IR luminosities by combing SCUSS data with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The attenuation-corrected u-band luminosities are tightly correlated with the Balmer decrement-corrected Hα luminosities with an rms scatter of ˜0.17 dex. The IR-corrected u luminosities are derived based on the correlations between the attenuation of u-band luminosities and WISE 12 (or 22) μm luminosities, and then calibrated with the Balmer-corrected Hα luminosities. The systematic residuals of these calibrations are tested against the physical properties over the ranges covered by our sample objects. We find that the best-fitting nonlinear relations are better than the linear ones and recommended to be applied in the measurement of SFRs. The systematic deviations mainly come from the pollution of old stellar population and the effect of dust extinction; therefore, a more detailed analysis is needed in future work.

What Do Differences Between Multi-voxel and Univariate Analysis Mean? How Subject-, Voxel-, and Trial-level Variance Impact fMRI Analysis

PubMed Central

Davis, Tyler; LaRocque, Karen F.; Mumford, Jeanette; Norman, Kenneth A.; Wagner, Anthony D.; Poldrack, Russell A.

2014-01-01

Multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) has led to major changes in how fMRI data are analyzed and interpreted. Many studies now report both MVPA results and results from standard univariate voxel-wise analysis, often with the goal of drawing different conclusions from each. Because MVPA results can be sensitive to latent multidimensional representations and processes whereas univariate voxel-wise analysis cannot, one conclusion that is often drawn when MVPA and univariate results differ is that the activation patterns underlying MVPA results contain a multidimensional code. In the current study, we conducted simulations to formally test this assumption. Our findings reveal that MVPA tests are sensitive to the magnitude of voxel-level variability in the effect of a condition within subjects, even when the same linear relationship is coded in all voxels. We also find that MVPA is insensitive to subject-level variability in mean activation across an ROI, which is the primary variance component of interest in many standard univariate tests. Together, these results illustrate that differences between MVPA and univariate tests do not afford conclusions about the nature or dimensionality of the neural code. Instead, targeted tests of the informational content and/or dimensionality of activation patterns are critical for drawing strong conclusions about the representational codes that are indicated by significant MVPA results. PMID:24768930

Mitigated-force carriage for high magnetic field environments

DOEpatents

Ludtka, Gerard M.; Ludtka, Gail M.; Wilgen, John B.; Murphy, Bart L.

2015-05-19

A carriage for high magnetic field environments includes a plurality of work-piece separators disposed in an operable relationship with a work-piece processing magnet having a magnetic field strength of at least 1 Tesla for supporting and separating a plurality of work-pieces by a preselected, essentially equal spacing, so that, as a first work-piece is inserted into the magnetic field, a second work-piece is simultaneously withdrawn from the magnetic field, so that an attractive magnetic force imparted on the first work-piece offsets a resistive magnetic force imparted on the second work-piece.

KSC-2009-6554

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-10-20

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - The logo for NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, mission. WISE will survey the entire sky at infrared wavelengths, creating a cosmic clearinghouse of hundreds of millions of objects which will be catalogued and provide a vast storehouse of knowledge about the solar system, the Milky Way, and the universe. Launch is scheduled for Dec. 9. For additional information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/wise. Photo credit: NASA/Doug Kulkow, VAFB

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Luminosity and redshift of galaxies from WISE/SDSS (Toba+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toba, Y.; Oyabu, S.; Matsuhara, H.; Malkan, M. A.; Gandhi, P.; Nakagawa, T.; Isobe, N.; Shirahata, M.; Oi, N.; Ohyama, Y.; Takita, S.; Yamauchi, C.; Yano, K.

2017-07-01

We selected 12 and 22 um flux-limited galaxies based on the WISE (Cat. II/311) and SDSS (Cat. II/294) catalogs, and these galaxies were then classified into five types according to their optical spectroscopic information in the SDSS catalog. For spectroscopically classified galaxies, we constructed the luminosity functions using the 1/Vmax method, considering the detection limit of the WISE and SDSS catalogs. (1 data file).

Radiographic techniques in the explosive component facility at Sandia National Labs.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanoue, John C.

1997-05-01

The Explosive Component Facility at Sandia National Laboratory is a state of the art facility for the design and testing of energetic materials and components. Two key elements of these capabilities are the flash x-ray machines. One is a six head, 150 KeV and the other is a six head, 300 KeV instrument. One of the more interesting uses of the 150 KeV system has been to study the action and reaction of a linear shaped charge (LSC) while submerged in water. The submerged samples were viewed from the top to capture the interaction of one piece of LSC with another piece nearby. Each LSC was covered by separate rubber coverings and affixed to a composite-plate. Three heads, delayed by a specified time, were used to capture the time sequence of events in stop action. Side views of the LSC were done with and without the rubber coverings to examine the dampening effects of the cover. An end-on perspective was also captured by x-ray using one head and several time delays. The debris scatter produced from a larger device has also been examined. The explosive used was a pellet form initiated by a detonator and a timing lead. The x-ray radiographs show the particles from this device as they expand outward. Three x-ray source tubes were used in a large horizontal array, apertured to expose individual pieces of film. Another x-ray source was placed overhead and simultaneously exposed a film under the object.

Electromagnetically actuated micromanipulator using an acoustically oscillating bubble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kwon, J. O.; Yang, J. S.; Lee, S. J.; Rhee, K.; Chung, S. K.

2011-11-01

A novel non-invasive micromanipulation technique has been developed where a microrobot swimming in an aqueous medium manipulates micro-objects, through electromagnetic actuation using an acoustically oscillating bubble attached to the microrobot as a grasping tool. This micromanipulation concept was experimentally verified; an investigation of electromagnetic actuation and acoustic excitation was also performed. Two-dimensional propulsion of a magnetic piece was demonstrated through electromagnetic actuation, using three pairs of electric coils surrounding the water chamber, and confirming that the propulsion speed of the magnetic piece was linearly proportional to the applied current intensity. Micro-object manipulation was separately demonstrated using an air bubble with glass beads (80 µm diameter) and a steel ball (800 µm diameter) in an aqueous medium. Upon acoustic excitation of the bubble by a piezo-actuator around its resonant frequency, the generated radiation force attracted and captured the neighboring glass beads and steel ball. The grasping force was indirectly measured by exposing the glass beads captured by the oscillating bubble to a stream generated by an auto-syringe pump in a mini-channel. By measuring the maximum speed of the streaming flow when the glass beads detached from the oscillating bubble and flowed downstream, the grasping force was calculated as 50 nN, based on Stokes' drag approximation. Finally, a fish egg was successfully manipulated with the integration of electromagnetic actuation and acoustic excitation, using a mini-robot consisting of a millimeter-sized magnetic piece with a bubble attached to its bottom. This novel micromanipulation may be an efficient tool for both micro device assembly and single-cell manipulation.

A Superstrong Adjustable Permanent Magnet for the Final Focus Quadrupole in a Linear Collider

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

Mihara, T.

A super strong permanent magnet quadrupole (PMQ) was fabricated and tested. It has an integrated strength of 28.5T with overall length of 10 cm and a 7mm bore radius. The final focus quadrupole of a linear collider needs a variable focal length. This can be obtained by slicing the magnet into pieces along the beamline direction and rotating these slices. But this technique may lead to movement of the magnetic center and introduction of a skew quadrupole component when the strength is varied. A ''double ring structure'' can ease these effects. A second prototype PMQ, containing thermal compensation materials andmore » with a double ring structure, has been fabricated. Worm gear is selected as the mechanical rotating scheme because the double ring structure needs a large torque to rotate magnets. The structure of the second prototype PMQ is shown.« less

Experimental investigation of broadband energy harvesting of a bi-stable composite piezoelectric plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Diankun; Ma, Benbiao; Dai, Fuhong

2017-03-01

In this work, a bi-stable vibration energy harvester is presented to scavenge energy from ambient vibrations over a wide frequency range. This bi-stable harvester consists of a bi-stable hybrid composite plate as host structure and several pieces of piezoelectric ceramics. Three linear harvesters with the same geometry were employed as the control samples to illustrate the advantages of this bi-stable harvester. The voltage-frequency responses were measured with different g-level excitations, and the output powers across various resistances were measured at different frequencies and accelerations. Unlike the linear harvesters which are effective only near their natural frequencies, the obvious nonlinearities of this bi-stable harvester broaden its working bandwidth. Additionally, the characteristics of this bi-stable host structure contribute to the output power. Under the same condition, when this bi-stable harvester is under cross-well oscillation pattern the maximum output powers are several times higher than those of the linear harvesters. The measured highest output power of this bi-stable harvester is 36.2 mW with 38 Hz frequency and 5g acceleration (g = 9.8 m s-2).

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

Clancey, P.; Logg, C.

DEPOT has been developed to provide tracking for the Stanford Linear Collider (SLC) control system equipment. For each piece of equipment entered into the database, complete location, service, maintenance, modification, certification, and radiation exposure histories can be maintained. To facilitate data entry accuracy, efficiency, and consistency, barcoding technology has been used extensively. DEPOT has been an important tool in improving the reliability of the microsystems controlling SLC. This document describes the components of the DEPOT database, the elements in the database records, and the use of the supporting programs for entering data, searching the database, and producing reports from themore » information.« less

[Development and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine processing discipline and Chinese herbal pieces industry].

PubMed

Xiao, Yong-Qing; Li, Li; Liu, Ying; Ma, Yin-Lian; Yu, Ding-Rong

2016-01-01

To elucidate the key issues in the development and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine processing discipline and Chinese herbal pieces industry Chinese herbal pieces industry. According to the author's accumulated experience over years and demand of the development of the Chinese herbal pieces industry, the key issues in the development and innovation on the Chinese herbal pieces industry were summarized. According to the author, the traditional Chinese medicine processing discipline shall focus on a application basis research. The development of this discipline should be closely related to the development of Chinese herbal pieces. The traditional Chinese medicine processing discipline can be improved and its results can be transformed only if this discipline were correlated with the Chinese herbal pieces industry, matched with the development of the Chinese herbal pieces industry, and solved the problems in the development on the Chinese herbal pieces industry. The development of traditional Chinese medicine processing discipline and the Chinese herbal pieces industry also requires scientific researchers to make constant innovations, realize the specialty of the researches, and innovate based on inheritance. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

THE FIRST HUNDRED BROWN DWARFS DISCOVERED BY THE WIDE-FIELD INFRARED SURVEY EXPLORER (WISE)

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

Davy Kirkpatrick, J.; Gelino, Christopher R.; Griffith, Roger L.

2011-12-01

We present ground-based spectroscopic verification of 6 Y dwarfs (see also Cushing et al.), 89 T dwarfs, 8 L dwarfs, and 1 M dwarf identified by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Eighty of these are cold brown dwarfs with spectral types {>=}T6, six of which have been announced earlier by Mainzer et al. and Burgasser et al. We present color-color and color-type diagrams showing the locus of M, L, T, and Y dwarfs in WISE color space. Near-infrared and, in a few cases, optical spectra are presented for these discoveries. Near-infrared classifications as late as early Y are presentedmore » and objects with peculiar spectra are discussed. Using these new discoveries, we are also able to extend the optical T dwarf classification scheme from T8 to T9. After deriving an absolute WISE 4.6 {mu}m (W2) magnitude versus spectral type relation, we estimate spectrophotometric distances to our discoveries. We also use available astrometric measurements to provide preliminary trigonometric parallaxes to four of our discoveries, which have types of L9 pec (red), T8, T9, and Y0; all of these lie within 10 pc of the Sun. The Y0 dwarf, WISE 1541-2250, is the closest at 2.8{sup +1.3}{sub -0.6} pc; if this 2.8 pc value persists after continued monitoring, WISE 1541-2250 will become the seventh closest stellar system to the Sun. Another 10 objects, with types between T6 and >Y0, have spectrophotometric distance estimates also placing them within 10 pc. The closest of these, the T6 dwarf WISE 1506+7027, is believed to fall at a distance of {approx}4.9 pc. WISE multi-epoch positions supplemented with positional info primarily from the Spitzer/Infrared Array Camera allow us to calculate proper motions and tangential velocities for roughly one-half of the new discoveries. This work represents the first step by WISE to complete a full-sky, volume-limited census of late-T and Y dwarfs. Using early results from this census, we present preliminary, lower limits to the space density of these objects and discuss constraints on both the functional form of the mass function and the low-mass limit of star formation.« less

The 'wise list'- a comprehensive concept to select, communicate and achieve adherence to recommendations of essential drugs in ambulatory care in Stockholm.

PubMed

Gustafsson, Lars L; Wettermark, Björn; Godman, Brian; Andersén-Karlsson, Eva; Bergman, Ulf; Hasselström, Jan; Hensjö, Lars-Olof; Hjemdahl, Paul; Jägre, Ingrid; Julander, Margaretha; Ringertz, Bo; Schmidt, Daniel; Sjöberg, Susan; Sjöqvist, Folke; Stiller, Carl-Olav; Törnqvist, Elisabeth; Tryselius, Rolf; Vitols, Sigurd; von Bahr, Christer

2011-04-01

The aim was to present and evaluate the impact of a comprehensive strategy over 10 years to select, communicate and achieve adherence to essential drug recommendations (EDR) in ambulatory care in a metropolitan healthcare region. EDRs were issued and launched as a 'Wise List' by the regional Drug and Therapeutics Committee in Stockholm. This study presents the concept by: (i) documenting the process for selecting, communicating and monitoring the impact of the 'Wise List'; (ii) analysing the variation in the number of drug substances recommended between 2000 and 2010; (iii) assessing the attitudes to the 'Wise List' among prescribers and the public; (iv) evaluating the adherence to recommendations between 2003 and 2009. The 'Wise List' consistently contained 200 drug substances for treating common diseases. The drugs were selected based on their efficacy, safety, suitability and cost-effectiveness. The 'Wise List' was known among one-third of a surveyed sample of the public in 2002 after initial marketing campaigns. All surveyed prescribers knew about the concept and 81% found the recommendations trustworthy in 2005. Adherence to recommendations increased from 69% in 1999 to 77% in 2009. In primary care, adherence increased from 83% to 87% from 2003 to 2009. The coefficient of variation (CV%) decreased from 6.1% to 3.8% for 156 healthcare centres between these years. The acceptance of the 'Wise List' in terms of trust among physicians and among the public and increased adherence may be explained by clear criteria for drug recommendations, a comprehensive communication strategy, electronic access to recommendations, continuous medical education and involvement of professional networks and patients.

The WIRED Survey. 2; Infrared Excesses in the SDSS DR7 White Dwarf Catalog

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Debes, John H.; Hoard, D. W.; Wachter, Stefanie; Leisawitz, David T.; Cohen, Martin

2011-01-01

With the launch of the Wide-field Infrar.ed Survey Explorer (WISE), a new era of detecting planetary debris and brown dwarfs (BDs) around white dwarfs (WDs) has begun with the WISE InfraRed Excesses around Degenerates (WIRED) Survey. The WIRED Survey is sensitive to substellar objects and dusty debris around WDs out to distances exceeding 100 pc, well beyond the completeness level of local WDs. In this paper, we present a cross-correlation of the preliminary Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7 (DR7) WD catalog between the WISE, Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS), and SDSS DR7 photometric catalogs. From -18,000 input targets, there are WISE detections comprising 344 "naked" WDs (detection of the WD photosphere only), 1020 candidate WD+M dwarf binaries, 42 candidate WD+BD systems, 52 candidate WD+dust disk systems, and 69 targets with indeterminate infrared excess. We classified all of the detected targets through spectral energy distribution model fitting of the merged optical, near-IR, and WISE photometry. Some of these detections could be the result of contaminating sources within the large (approx. 6") WISE point-spread function; we make a preliminary estimate for the rates of contamination for our WD+BD and WD+disk candidates and provide notes for each target of interest. Each candidate presented here should be confirmed with higher angular resolution infrared imaging or infrared spectroscopy. We also present an overview of the observational characteristics of the detected WDs in the WISE photometric bands, including the relative frequencies of candidate WD+M, WD+BD, and WD+disk systems.

Combination of GRACE monthly gravity field solutions from different processing strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jean, Yoomin; Meyer, Ulrich; Jäggi, Adrian

2018-02-01

We combine the publicly available GRACE monthly gravity field time series to produce gravity fields with reduced systematic errors. We first compare the monthly gravity fields in the spatial domain in terms of signal and noise. Then, we combine the individual gravity fields with comparable signal content, but diverse noise characteristics. We test five different weighting schemes: equal weights, non-iterative coefficient-wise, order-wise, or field-wise weights, and iterative field-wise weights applying variance component estimation (VCE). The combined solutions are evaluated in terms of signal and noise in the spectral and spatial domains. Compared to the individual contributions, they in general show lower noise. In case the noise characteristics of the individual solutions differ significantly, the weighted means are less noisy, compared to the arithmetic mean: The non-seasonal variability over the oceans is reduced by up to 7.7% and the root mean square (RMS) of the residuals of mass change estimates within Antarctic drainage basins is reduced by 18.1% on average. The field-wise weighting schemes in general show better performance, compared to the order- or coefficient-wise weighting schemes. The combination of the full set of considered time series results in lower noise levels, compared to the combination of a subset consisting of the official GRACE Science Data System gravity fields only: The RMS of coefficient-wise anomalies is smaller by up to 22.4% and the non-seasonal variability over the oceans by 25.4%. This study was performed in the frame of the European Gravity Service for Improved Emergency Management (EGSIEM; http://www.egsiem.eu) project. The gravity fields provided by the EGSIEM scientific combination service (ftp://ftp.aiub.unibe.ch/EGSIEM/) are combined, based on the weights derived by VCE as described in this article.

A new scale for assessing wisdom based on common domains and a neurobiological model: The San Diego Wisdom Scale (SD-WISE).

PubMed

Thomas, Michael L; Bangen, Katherine J; Palmer, Barton W; Sirkin Martin, Averria; Avanzino, Julie A; Depp, Colin A; Glorioso, Danielle; Daly, Rebecca E; Jeste, Dilip V

2017-09-08

Wisdom is an ancient concept that has gained new interest among clinical researchers as a complex trait relevant to well-being and healthy aging. As the empirical data regarding wisdom have grown, several measures have been used to assess an individual's level of wisdom. However, none of these measures has been based on a construct of wisdom with neurobiological underpinnings. We sought to develop a new scale, the San Diego Wisdom Scale (SD-WISE), which builds upon recent gains in the understanding of psychological and neurobiological models of the trait. Data were collected from 524 community-dwelling adults age 25-104 years as part of a structured multi-cohort study of adult lifespan. Participants were administered the SD-WISE along with two existing measures of wisdom that have been shown to have good psychometric properties. Factor analyses confirmed the hypothesized measurement model. SD-WISE total scores were reliable, demonstrated convergent and discriminant validity, and correlated, as hypothesized, negatively with emotional distress, but positively with well-being. However, the magnitudes of these associations were small, suggesting that the SD-WISE is not just a global measure of mental state. The results support the reliability and validity of SD-WISE scores. Study limitations are discussed. The SD-WISE, with good psychometric properties, a brief administration time, and a measurement model that is consistent with commonly cited content domains of wisdom based on a putative neurobiological model, may be useful in clinical practice as well as in bio-psycho-social research, especially investigations into the neurobiology of wisdom and experimental interventions to enhance wisdom. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Full-Depth Coadds of the WISE and First-Year NEOWISE-Reactivation Images

DOE PAGES

Meisner, Aaron M.; Lang, Dustin; Schlegel, David J.

2017-01-03

The Near Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) Reactivation mission released data from its first full year of observations in 2015. This data set includes ~2.5 million exposures in each of W1 and W2, effectively doubling the amount of WISE imaging available at 3.4 μm and 4.6 μm relative to the AllWISE release. In this paper, we have created the first ever full-sky set of coadds combining all publicly available W1 and W2 exposures from both the AllWISE and NEOWISE-Reactivation (NEOWISER) mission phases. We employ an adaptation of the unWISE image coaddition framework, which preserves the native WISE angularmore » resolution and is optimized for forced photometry. By incorporating two additional scans of the entire sky, we not only improve the W1/W2 depths, but also largely eliminate time-dependent artifacts such as off-axis scattered moonlight. We anticipate that our new coadds will have a broad range of applications, including target selection for upcoming spectroscopic cosmology surveys, identification of distant/massive galaxy clusters, and discovery of high-redshift quasars. In particular, our full-depth AllWISE+NEOWISER coadds will be an important input for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument selection of luminous red galaxy and quasar targets. Our full-depth W1/W2 coadds are already in use within the DECam Legacy Survey (DECaLS) and Mayall z-band Legacy Survey (MzLS) reduction pipelines. Finally, much more work still remains in order to fully leverage NEOWISER imaging for astrophysical applications beyond the solar system.« less

On the nature and correction of the spurious S-wise spiral galaxy winding bias in Galaxy Zoo 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, Wayne B.; Davis, Darren; Silva, Pedro

2017-04-01

The Galaxy Zoo 1 catalogue displays a bias towards the S-wise winding direction in spiral galaxies, which has yet to be explained. The lack of an explanation confounds our attempts to verify the Cosmological Principle, and has spurred some debate as to whether a bias exists in the real Universe. The bias manifests not only in the obvious case of trying to decide if the universe as a whole has a winding bias, but also in the more insidious case of selecting which Galaxies to include in a winding direction survey. While the former bias has been accounted for in a previous image-mirroring study, the latter has not. Furthermore, the bias has never been corrected in the GZ1 catalogue, as only a small sample of the GZ1 catalogue was reexamined during the mirror study. We show that the existing bias is a human selection effect rather than a human chirality bias. In effect, the excess S-wise votes are spuriously 'stolen' from the elliptical and edge-on-disc categories, not the Z-wise category. Thus, when selecting a set of spiral galaxies by imposing a threshold T so that max (PS, PZ) > T or PS + PZ > T, we spuriously select more S-wise than Z-wise galaxies. We show that when a provably unbiased machine selects which galaxies are spirals independent of their chirality, the S-wise surplus vanishes, even if humans still determine the chirality. Thus, when viewed across the entire GZ1 sample (and by implication, the Sloan catalogue), the winding direction of arms in spiral galaxies as viewed from Earth is consistent with the flip of a fair coin.

Time-Resolved Coadds and Forced Photometry of the WISE and NEOWISE-Reactivation Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlegel, David

We propose to produce full-sky, time-resolved coadds of the images collected from the NASA WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) satellite, including the WISE, NEOWISE, and two years of the NEOWISE-Reactivation (NEOWISE-R) mission phases. Catalogs of forced photometry over the SDSS footprint will be generated at six epochs and for the full image stack. The images and catalogs will be suitable for stellar and extragalactic studies. The WISE satellite scans the sky such that each part of the sky is visited every six months, with 10 or more exposures per visit. We propose to coadd these 10 or more exposures to produce one coadd per visit that is, one coadd each six months. For most parts of the sky, there is one visit during the original WISE mission, one visit during NEOWISE, and then, after a 33-month gap, four more visits during the NEOWISE-R mission. These data, over a six-year baseline, are compelling both for studies of variability and of proper motion of nearby stars, and AGN and quasars at high redshift. Furthermore, the full image coadds will add considerable depth to the existing unWISE and AllWISE coadds at 3.4¼m and 4.6¼m, thereby playing a critical role in enabling target selection for next-generation massive redshift surveys. We will utilize our new data products to map quasar variability to the depths required for the future DESI dark energy experiment, and to discover high-proper motion objects in the solar neighborhood of the Milky Way to 1.4 magnitudes greater depth than previous searches.

On new non-modal hydrodynamic stability modes and resulting non-exponential growth rates - a Lie symmetry approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oberlack, Martin; Nold, Andreas; Sanjon, Cedric Wilfried; Wang, Yongqi; Hau, Jan

2016-11-01

Classical hydrodynamic stability theory for laminar shear flows, no matter if considering long-term stability or transient growth, is based on the normal-mode ansatz, or, in other words, on an exponential function in space (stream-wise direction) and time. Recently, it became clear that the normal mode ansatz and the resulting Orr-Sommerfeld equation is based on essentially three fundamental symmetries of the linearized Euler and Navier-Stokes equations: translation in space and time and scaling of the dependent variable. Further, Kelvin-mode of linear shear flows seemed to be an exception in this context as it admits a fourth symmetry resulting in the classical Kelvin mode which is rather different from normal-mode. However, very recently it was discovered that most of the classical canonical shear flows such as linear shear, Couette, plane and round Poiseuille, Taylor-Couette, Lamb-Ossen vortex or asymptotic suction boundary layer admit more symmetries. This, in turn, led to new problem specific non-modal ansatz functions. In contrast to the exponential growth rate in time of the modal-ansatz, the new non-modal ansatz functions usually lead to an algebraic growth or decay rate, while for the asymptotic suction boundary layer a double-exponential growth or decay is observed.

Curved Displacement Transfer Functions for Geometric Nonlinear Large Deformation Structure Shape Predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ko, William L.; Fleischer, Van Tran; Lung, Shun-Fat

2017-01-01

For shape predictions of structures under large geometrically nonlinear deformations, Curved Displacement Transfer Functions were formulated based on a curved displacement, traced by a material point from the undeformed position to deformed position. The embedded beam (depth-wise cross section of a structure along a surface strain-sensing line) was discretized into multiple small domains, with domain junctures matching the strain-sensing stations. Thus, the surface strain distribution could be described with a piecewise linear or a piecewise nonlinear function. The discretization approach enabled piecewise integrations of the embedded-beam curvature equations to yield the Curved Displacement Transfer Functions, expressed in terms of embedded beam geometrical parameters and surface strains. By entering the surface strain data into the Displacement Transfer Functions, deflections along each embedded beam can be calculated at multiple points for mapping the overall structural deformed shapes. Finite-element linear and nonlinear analyses of a tapered cantilever tubular beam were performed to generate linear and nonlinear surface strains and the associated deflections to be used for validation. The shape prediction accuracies were then determined by comparing the theoretical deflections with the finiteelement- generated deflections. The results show that the newly developed Curved Displacement Transfer Functions are very accurate for shape predictions of structures under large geometrically nonlinear deformations.

Biomechanical evaluation of one-piece and two-piece small-diameter dental implants: In-vitro experimental and three-dimensional finite element analyses.

PubMed

Wu, Aaron Yu-Jen; Hsu, Jui-Ting; Chee, Winston; Lin, Yun-Te; Fuh, Lih-Jyh; Huang, Heng-Li

2016-09-01

Small-diameter dental implants are associated with a higher risk of implant failure. This study used both three-dimensional finite-element (FE) simulations and in-vitro experimental tests to analyze the stresses and strains in both the implant and the surrounding bone when using one-piece (NobelDirect) and two-piece (NobelReplace) small-diameter implants, with the aim of understanding the underlying biomechanical mechanisms. Six experimental artificial jawbone models and two FE models were prepared for one-piece and two-piece 3.5-mm diameter implants. Rosette strain gauges were used for in-vitro tests, with peak values of the principal bone strain recorded with a data acquisition system. Implant stability as quantified by Periotest values (PTV) were also recorded for both types of implants. Experimental data were analyzed statistically using Wilcoxon's rank-sum test. In FE simulations, the peak value and distribution of von-Mises stresses in the implant and bone were selected for evaluation. In in-vitro tests, the peak bone strain was 42% lower for two-piece implants than for one-piece implants. The PTV was slightly lower for one-piece implants (PTV = -6) than for two-piece implants (PTV = -5). In FE simulations, the stresses in the bone and implant were about 23% higher and 12% lower, respectively, for one-piece implants than those for two-piece implants. Due to the higher peri-implant bone stresses and strains, one-piece implants (NobelDirect) might be not suitable for use as small-diameter implants. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Semi-Supervised Sparse Representation Based Classification for Face Recognition With Insufficient Labeled Samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yuan; Ma, Jiayi; Yuille, Alan L.

2017-05-01

This paper addresses the problem of face recognition when there is only few, or even only a single, labeled examples of the face that we wish to recognize. Moreover, these examples are typically corrupted by nuisance variables, both linear (i.e., additive nuisance variables such as bad lighting, wearing of glasses) and non-linear (i.e., non-additive pixel-wise nuisance variables such as expression changes). The small number of labeled examples means that it is hard to remove these nuisance variables between the training and testing faces to obtain good recognition performance. To address the problem we propose a method called Semi-Supervised Sparse Representation based Classification (S$^3$RC). This is based on recent work on sparsity where faces are represented in terms of two dictionaries: a gallery dictionary consisting of one or more examples of each person, and a variation dictionary representing linear nuisance variables (e.g., different lighting conditions, different glasses). The main idea is that (i) we use the variation dictionary to characterize the linear nuisance variables via the sparsity framework, then (ii) prototype face images are estimated as a gallery dictionary via a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM), with mixed labeled and unlabeled samples in a semi-supervised manner, to deal with the non-linear nuisance variations between labeled and unlabeled samples. We have done experiments with insufficient labeled samples, even when there is only a single labeled sample per person. Our results on the AR, Multi-PIE, CAS-PEAL, and LFW databases demonstrate that the proposed method is able to deliver significantly improved performance over existing methods.

Community Wise: paving the way for empowerment in community reentry.

PubMed

Windsor, Liliane Cambraia; Jemal, Alexis; Benoit, Ellen

2014-01-01

Theoretical approaches traditionally applied in mental health and criminal justice interventions fail to address the historical and structural context that partially explains health disparities. Community Wise was developed to address this gap. It is a 12week group intervention informed by Critical Consciousness Theory and designed to prevent substance abuse, related health risk behaviors, psychological distress, and reoffending among individuals with a history of incarceration and substance abuse. This paper reports findings from the first implementation and pilot evaluation of Community Wise in two community-based organizations. This pre-posttest evaluation pilot-tested Community Wise and used findings to improve the intervention. Twenty-six participants completed a phone and clinical screening, baseline, 6- and 12-week follow-ups, and a focus group at the end of the intervention. Measures assessed participants' demographic information, psychological distress, substance use, criminal offending, HIV risk behaviors, community cohesion, community support, civic engagement, critical consciousness, ethnic identification, group cohesion, client satisfaction, and acquired treatment skills. Research methods were found to be feasible and useful in assessing the intervention. Results indicated that while Community Wise is a promising intervention, several changes need to be made in order to enhance the intervention. Community Wise is a new approach where oppressed individuals join in critical dialogue, tap into existing community resources, and devise, implement and evaluate their own community solutions to structural barriers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Asteroid Euphrosyne as Seen by WISE

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-08-03

The asteroid Euphrosyne glides across a field of background stars in this time-lapse view from NASA's WISE spacecraft. WISE obtained the images used to create this view over a period of about a day around May 17, 2010, during which it observed the asteroid four times. Because WISE (renamed NEOWISE in 2013) is an infrared telescope, it senses heat from asteroids. Euphrosyne is quite dark in visible light, but glows brightly at infrared wavelengths. This view is a composite of images taken at four different infrared wavelengths: 3.4 microns (color-coded blue), 4.6 microns (cyan), 12 microns (green) and 22 microns (red). The moving asteroid appears as a string of red dots because it is much cooler than the distant background stars. Stars have temperatures in the thousands of degrees, but the asteroid is cooler than room temperature. Thus the stars are represented by shorter wavelength (hotter) blue colors in this view, while the asteroid is shown in longer wavelength (cooler) reddish colors. The WISE spacecraft was put into hibernation in 2011 upon completing its goal of surveying the entire sky in infrared light. WISE cataloged three quarters of a billion objects, including asteroids, stars and galaxies. In August 2013, NASA decided to reinstate the spacecraft on a mission to find and characterize more asteroids. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19645

Micro-PIV/LIF measurements on electrokinetically-driven flow in surface modified microchannels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ichiyanagi, Mitsuhisa; Sasaki, Seiichi; Sato, Yohei; Hishida, Koichi

2009-04-01

Effects of surface modification patterning on flow characteristics were investigated experimentally by measuring electroosmotic flow velocities, which were obtained by micron-resolution particle image velocimetry using a confocal microscope. The depth-wise velocity was evaluated by using the continuity equation and the velocity data. The microchannel was composed of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) chip and a borosilicate cover-glass plate. Surface modification patterns were fabricated by modifying octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) on the glass surface. OTS can decrease the electroosmotic flow velocity compared to the velocity in the glass microchannel. For the surface charge varying parallel to the electric field, the depth-wise velocity was generated at the boundary area between OTS and the glass surfaces. For the surface charge varying perpendicular to the electric field, the depth-wise velocity did not form because the surface charge did not vary in the stream-wise direction. The surface charge pattern with the oblique stripes yielded a three-dimensional flow in a microchannel. Furthermore, the oblique patterning was applied to a mixing flow field in a T-shaped microchannel, and mixing efficiencies were evaluated from heterogeneity degree of fluorescent dye intensity, which was obtained by laser-induced fluorescence. It was found that the angle of the oblique stripes is an important factor to promote the span-wise and depth-wise momentum transport and contributes to the mixing flow in a microchannel.

Overdensities of SMGs around WISE-selected, ultraluminous, high-redshift AGNs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Suzy F.; Blain, Andrew W.; Assef, Roberto J.; Eisenhardt, Peter; Lonsdale, Carol; Condon, James; Farrah, Duncan; Tsai, Chao-Wei; Bridge, Carrie; Wu, Jingwen; Wright, Edward L.; Jarrett, Tom

2017-08-01

We investigate extremely luminous dusty galaxies in the environments around Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)-selected hot dust-obscured galaxies (Hot DOGs) and WISE/radio-selected active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at average redshifts of z = 2.7 and 1.7, respectively. Previous observations have detected overdensities of companion submillimetre-selected sources around 10 Hot DOGs and 30 WISE/radio AGNs, with overdensities of ˜2-3 and ˜5-6, respectively. We find that the space densities in both samples to be overdense compared to normal star-forming galaxies and submillimetre galaxies (SMGs) in the Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array 2 (SCUBA-2) Cosmology Legacy Survey (S2CLS). Both samples of companion sources have consistent mid-infrared (mid-IR) colours and mid-IR to submm ratios as SMGs. The brighter population around WISE/radio AGNs could be responsible for the higher overdensity reported. We also find that the star formation rate densities are higher than the field, but consistent with clusters of dusty galaxies. WISE-selected AGNs appear to be good signposts for protoclusters at high redshift on arcmin scales. The results reported here provide an upper limit to the strength of angular clustering using the two-point correlation function. Monte Carlo simulations show no angular correlation, which could indicate protoclusters on scales larger than the SCUBA-2 1.5-arcmin scale maps.

Improved PMMA single-piece haptic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Healy, Donald D.; Wilcox, Christopher D.

1991-12-01

During the past fifteen years, Intraocular lens (IOL) haptic preferences have shifted from a variety of multi-piece haptic materials to single-piece PMMA. This is due in part to the research of David Apple, M.D., and other who have suggested that All-PMMA implants result in reduced cell flare and better centration. Consequently, single-piece IOLs now represent 45% of all IOL implants. However, many surgeons regard single-piece IOL designs as nonflexible and more difficult to implant than multipiece IOLs. These handling characteristics have slowed the shift from multi-piece to single-piece IOLs. As a result of these handling characteristics, single-piece lenses experience relatively high breakage rates because of handling before insertion and during insertion. To improve these characteristics, manufacturers have refined single-piece IOL haptic designs by pushing the limits of PMMA's physical properties. Furthermore, IOL manufacturers have begun to alter the material itself to change its physical properties. In particular, two new PMMA materials have emerged in the marketplace: Flexeon trademark, a crosslinked polymer and CM trademark, a material with molecularly realigned PMMA. This paper examines three specific measurements of a haptic's strength and flexibility: tensile strength, plastic memory and material plasticity/elasticity. The paper compares with Flexeon trademark and CM trademark lenses to noncrosslinked one-piece lenses and standard polypropylene multi-piece lenses.

29 CFR 525.12 - Terms and conditions of special minimum wage certificates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... parties not be informed, it is not necessary to inform a parent or guardian. (h) In establishing piece.... (i) The piece rates shall be based on the standard production rates (number of units an experienced... units per hour equals the piece rate.). (ii) Piece rates shall not be less than the prevailing piece...

Caring Wisely: A Program to Support Frontline Clinicians and Staff in Improving Healthcare Delivery and Reducing Costs.

PubMed

Gonzales, Ralph; Moriates, Christopher; Lau, Catherine; Valencia, Victoria; Imershein, Sarah; Rajkomar, Alvin; Prasad, Priya; Boscardin, Christy; Grady, Deborah; Johnston, S

2017-08-01

We describe a program called "Caring Wisely"®, developed by the University of California, San Francisco's (UCSF), Center for Healthcare Value, to increase the value of services provided at UCSF Health. The overarching goal of the Caring Wisely® program is to catalyze and advance delivery system redesign and innovations that reduce costs, enhance healthcare quality, and improve health outcomes. The program is designed to engage frontline clinicians and staff-aided by experienced implementation scientists-to develop and implement interventions specifically designed to address overuse, underuse, or misuse of services. Financial savings of the program are intended to cover the program costs. The theoretical underpinnings for the design of the Caring Wisely® program emphasize the importance of stakeholder engagement, behavior change theory, market (target audience) segmentation, and process measurement and feedback. The Caring Wisely® program provides an institutional model for using crowdsourcing to identify "hot spot" areas of low-value care, inefficiency and waste, and for implementing robust interventions to address these areas. © 2017 Society of Hospital Medicine.

Discovery of a Possible Early-T Thick-disk Subdwarf from the AllWISE2 Motion Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kellogg, Kendra; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Metchev, Stanimir; Gagné, Jonathan; Faherty, Jacqueline K.

2018-02-01

We have discovered a potential T0 ± 1 subdwarf from a search for sources in the AllWISE2 Motion Survey that do not have counterparts in surveys at shorter wavelengths. With a tangential velocity of ∼170 km s‑1, this object—WISE J071121.36–573634.2—has kinematics that are consistent with the thick-disk population of the Milky Way. Spectral fits suggest a low-metallicity for this object but also allow for the possibility of unresolved multiplicity. If WISE J0711–5736 is indeed an sdT0 dwarf, it would be only the second early-T subdwarf discovered to date. This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.

Target and (Astro-)WISE technologies Data federations and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentijn, E. A.; Begeman, K.; Belikov, A.; Boxhoorn, D. R.; Brinchmann, J.; McFarland, J.; Holties, H.; Kuijken, K. H.; Verdoes Kleijn, G.; Vriend, W.-J.; Williams, O. R.; Roerdink, J. B. T. M.; Schomaker, L. R. B.; Swertz, M. A.; Tsyganov, A.; van Dijk, G. J. W.

2017-06-01

After its first implementation in 2003 the Astro-WISE technology has been rolled out in several European countries and is used for the production of the KiDS survey data. In the multi-disciplinary Target initiative this technology, nicknamed WISE technology, has been further applied to a large number of projects. Here, we highlight the data handling of other astronomical applications, such as VLT-MUSE and LOFAR, together with some non-astronomical applications such as the medical projects Lifelines and GLIMPS; the MONK handwritten text recognition system; and business applications, by amongst others, the Target Holding. We describe some of the most important lessons learned and describe the application of the data-centric WISE type of approach to the Science Ground Segment of the Euclid satellite.

Programmatic Efforts Affect Retention of Women in Science and Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hathaway, Russel S.; Sharp, Sally; Davis, Cinda-Sue

This article presents findings from a study that investigated the impact of a women in science and engineering residence program (WISE-RP) on the retention of women in science and engineering disciplines. From a matched sample of 1,852 science and engineering students, the authors compared WISE-RP participants with male and female control students for science and engineering retention. The findings suggest a strong connection between WISE-KP participation and science retention, but not engineering retention. The results also indicate that a WISE-RP is more effective in retaining White and Asian students than underrepresented students of color. The authors highlight the importance of combining academic and personal support in a residential learning program and draw implications for retaining women т science, mathematics, and engineering disciplines.

Disk Detective Follow-Up Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuchner, Marc

As new data on exoplanets and young stellar associations arrive, we will want to know: which of these planetary systems and young stars have circumstellar disks? The vast allsky database of 747 million infrared sources from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission can supply answers. WISE is a discovery tool intended to find targets for JWST, sensitive enough to detect circumstellar disks as far away as 3000 light years. The vast WISE archive already serves us as a roadmap to guide exoplanet searches, provide information on disk properties as new planets are discovered, and teach us about the many hotly debated connections between disks and exoplanets. However, because of the challenges of utilizing the WISE data, this resource remains underutilized as a tool for disk and planet hunters. Attempts to use WISE to find disks around Kepler planet hosts were nearly scuttled by confusion noise. Moreover, since most of the stars with WISE infrared excesses were too red for Hipparcos photometry, most of the disks sensed by WISE remain obscure, orbiting stars unlisted in the usual star databases. To remedy the confusion noise problem, we have begun a massive project to scour the WISE data archive for new circumstellar disks. The Disk Detective project (Kuchner et al. 2016) engages layperson volunteers to examine images from WISE, NASA's Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) and optical surveys to search for new circumstellar disk candidates via the citizen science website DiskDetective.org. Fueled by the efforts of > 28,000 citizen scientists, Disk Detective is the largest survey for debris disks with WISE. It has already uncovered 4000 disk candidates worthy of follow-up. However, most host stars of the new Disk Detective disk candidates have no known spectral type or distance, especially those with red colors: K and M stars and Young Stellar Objects. Others require further observations to check for false positives. The Disk Detective project is supported by NASA ADAP funds, which are not allowed to fund a major observational follow-up campaign. So here we propose a campaign of follow-up observations that will turn the unique, growing catalog of Disk Detective disk candidates into a reliable, publically-available treasure trove of new data on nearby disks in time to complement the upcoming new catalogs of planet hosts and stellar moving groups. We will use automated adaptive optics (AO) instruments to image disk candidates and check them for contamination from background objects. We will correlate our discoveries with the vast Gaia and LAMOST surveys to study disks in associations with other young stars. We will follow up disk candidates spectroscopically to remove more false positives. We will search for cold dust around our disk candidates with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) and analyze data from the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) to image young, nearby disk candidates. This follow up work will realize the full potential of the WISE mission as a roadmap to future exoplanet discoveries. It will yield contamination rates that will be crucial for interpreting all disk searches done with WISE. Our search will yield 2000 well-vetted nearby disks, including 60 that the Gaia mission will likely find to contain giant planets. This crucial follow-up work should be done now to take full advantage of Gaia during JWST's planned lifetime.

Using Medicines Wisely

MedlinePlus

... Consumers Consumer Information by Audience For Women Use Medicines Wisely Share Tweet Linkedin Pin it More sharing ... or foods should I avoid? 2. Keep a Medicine List Write down the important facts about each ...

Simultaneous Myocardial Strain and Dark-Blood Perfusion Imaging Using a Displacement-Encoded MRI Pulse Sequence

PubMed Central

Le, Yuan; Stein, Ashley; Berry, Colin; Kellman, Peter; Bennett, Eric E.; Taylor, Joni; Lucas, Katherine; Kopace, Rael; Chefd’Hotel, Christophe; Lorenz, Christine H.; Croisille, Pierre; Wen, Han

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate a displacement-encoded pulse sequence for simultaneous perfusion and strain imaging. Displacement-encoded images in 2–3 myocardial slices were repeatedly acquired using a single shot pulse sequence for 3 to 4 minutes, which covers a bolus infusion of Gd. The magnitudes of the images were T1 weighted and provided quantitative measures of perfusion, while the phase maps yielded strain measurements. In an acute coronary occlusion swine protocol (n=9), segmental perfusion measurements were validated against microsphere reference standard with a linear regression (slope 0.986, R2 = 0.765, Bland-Altman standard deviation = 0.15 ml/min/g). In a group of ST-elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI) patients (n=11), the scan success rate was 76%. Short-term contrast washout rate and perfusion are highly correlated (R2=0.72), and the pixel-wise relationship between circumferential strain and perfusion was better described with a sigmoidal Hill curve than linear functions. This study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring strain and perfusion from a single set of images. PMID:20544714

DISCOVERY OF FOUR HIGH PROPER MOTION L DWARFS, INCLUDING A 10 pc L DWARF AT THE L/T TRANSITION {sup ,}

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

Castro, Philip J.; Gizis, John E.; Harris, Hugh C.

2013-10-20

We discover four high proper motion L dwarfs by comparing the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) to the Two Micron All Sky Survey. WISE J140533.32+835030.5 is an L dwarf at the L/T transition with a proper motion of 0.85 ± 0.''02 yr{sup –1}, previously overlooked due to its proximity to a bright star (V ≈ 12 mag). From optical spectroscopy we find a spectral type of L8, and from moderate-resolution J band spectroscopy we find a near-infrared spectral type of L9. We find WISE J140533.32+835030.5 to have a distance of 9.7 ± 1.7 pc, bringing the number of L dwarfsmore » at the L/T transition within 10 pc from six to seven. WISE J040137.21+284951.7, WISE J040418.01+412735.6, and WISE J062442.37+662625.6 are all early L dwarfs within 25 pc, and were classified using optical and low-resolution near-infrared spectra. WISE J040418.01+412735.6 is an L2 pec (red) dwarf, a member of the class of unusually red L dwarfs. We use follow-up optical and low-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy to classify a previously discovered fifth object WISEP J060738.65+242953.4 as an (L8 Opt/L9 NIR), confirming it as an L dwarf at the L/T transition within 10 pc. WISEP J060738.65+242953.4 shows tentative CH{sub 4} in the H band, possibly the result of unresolved binarity with an early T dwarf, a scenario not supported by binary spectral template fitting. If WISEP J060738.65+242953.4 is a single object, it represents the earliest onset of CH{sub 4} in the H band of an L/T transition dwarf in the SpeX Library. As very late L dwarfs within 10 pc, WISE J140533.32+835030.5 and WISEP J060738.65+242953.4 will play a vital role in resolving outstanding issues at the L/T transition.« less

Fractal dimension analysis of complexity in Ligeti piano pieces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bader, Rolf

2005-04-01

Fractal correlation dimensional analysis has been performed with whole solo piano pieces by Gyrgy Ligeti at every 50ms interval of the pieces. The resulting curves of development of complexity represented by the fractal dimension showed up a very reasonable correlation with the perceptional density of events during these pieces. The seventh piece of Ligeti's ``Musica ricercata'' was used as a test case. Here, each new part of the piece was followed by an increase of the fractal dimension because of the increase of information at the part changes. The second piece ``Galamb borong,'' number seven of the piano Etudes was used, because Ligeti wrote these Etudes after studying fractal geometry. Although the piece is not fractal in the strict mathematical sense, the overall structure of the psychoacoustic event-density as well as the detailed event development is represented by the fractal dimension plot.

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

Alqathami, M; Lee, H; Ibbott, G

Purpose: To develop and evaluate novel radiochromic films for quality assurance in radiotherapy dosimetry. Materials and Methods: Novel radiochromic film compositions were formulated using leuco crystal violet (LCV) as a reporting system and tetrabromoethane as a free radical source. The film matrix used consisted of polyurethane polymer mixed with dibutyl phthalate plasticizer (20 wt%). The concentration of the radical initiator was kept constant at 10 wt% and the concentration of the LCV dye varied (1 and 2 wt%). To ensure uniform thickness of the film, its precursors were sandwiched between two pieces of glass separated by a 1 mm gapmore » between during the curing process. The films were cut into pieces and were irradiated with a 6 MV X-ray beam to selected doses. The change in optical density was measured using a flatbed scanner and a spectrophotometer. Results: The results showed that all film formulations exhibited a linear response with dose and an absorption maximum at ∼ 590 nm. The formulation with 2 wt% LCV was ∼ 30% more sensitive to dose than the formulation with 1 wt% LCV. Both films were very deformable. In addition, the radiochromic response of the film was found to bleach over a short period of time (few weeks) allowing the film to be reused for dose verification measurements. Conclusion: Both film formulations displayed excellent sensitivity and linearity to radiation dose and thus can be used for the 2D dosimetry of clinical megavoltage and kilovoltage X-ray beams. In addition, the thickness of the film could easily be increased allowing for their potential use as a deformable bolus material. However, thicker films would need more optimization of the manufacturing procedure to ensure consistent material uniformity and sensitivity are recommended.« less

Wheel inspection system environment.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-11-18

International Electronic Machines Corporation (IEM) has developed and is now marketing a state-of-the-art Wheel Inspection System Environment (WISE). WISE provides wheel profile and dimensional measurements, i.e. rim thickness, flange height, flange ...

Identifying linkages between land use, geomorphology, and aquatic habitat in a mixed-use watershed.

PubMed

McIlroy, Susan K; Montagne, Cliff; Jones, Clain A; McGlynn, Brian L

2008-11-01

The potential impacts of land use on large woody debris (LWD) were examined in Sourdough Creek Watershed, a rapidly growing area encompassing Bozeman, Montana, USA. We identified six land classes within a 250 m buffer extending on either side of Sourdough Creek and assessed aquatic habitat and geomorphologic variables within each class. All LWD pieces were counted, and we examined 14 other variables, including undercut bank, sinuosity, and substrate composition. LWD numbers were generally low and ranged from 0 to 8.2 pieces per 50 m of stream. Linear regression showed that LWD increased with distance from headwaters, riparian forest width, and sinuosity in four of the six land classes. Statistically significant differences between land classes for many aquatic habitat and geomorphologic variables indicated the impacts of different land uses on stream structure. We also found that practices such as active wood removal played a key role in LWD abundance. This finding suggests that managers should prioritize public education and outreach concerning the importance of in-stream wood, especially in mixed-use watersheds where wood is removed for either aesthetic reasons or to prevent stream flooding.

The complexity of classical music networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rolla, Vitor; Kestenberg, Juliano; Velho, Luiz

2018-02-01

Previous works suggest that musical networks often present the scale-free and the small-world properties. From a musician's perspective, the most important aspect missing in those studies was harmony. In addition to that, the previous works made use of outdated statistical methods. Traditionally, least-squares linear regression is utilised to fit a power law to a given data set. However, according to Clauset et al. such a traditional method can produce inaccurate estimates for the power law exponent. In this paper, we present an analysis of musical networks which considers the existence of chords (an essential element of harmony). Here we show that only 52.5% of music in our database presents the scale-free property, while 62.5% of those pieces present the small-world property. Previous works argue that music is highly scale-free; consequently, it sounds appealing and coherent. In contrast, our results show that not all pieces of music present the scale-free and the small-world properties. In summary, this research is focused on the relationship between musical notes (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si, and their sharps) and accompaniment in classical music compositions. More information about this research project is available at https://eden.dei.uc.pt/~vitorgr/MS.html.

Urostomy pouches and supplies

MedlinePlus

Most urostomy pouches come as either a 1-piece pouch or 2-piece pouch system. A 1-piece system is made up of a pouch that ... 3 days before it needs changing. A 2-piece pouch system has a skin barrier called a ...

Bacteriological evaluation for one-and two-piece implant design supporting mandibular overdenture

PubMed Central

Abdelwahed, Ahmed; Mahrous, Ahmed I.; Abadallah, Mohamed Farouk; Asfour, Hani; Aldawash, Hussien A.; Alagha, Ebaa I.

2015-01-01

Background: This study evaluated and compared the bacteriological effect of two-piece implants and one-piece implants in complete overdenture cases on supporting structures. Materials and Methods: Ten male completely edentulous patients were selected and randomly divided into two equal groups according to the implant design and surgical technique for this study; Group 1: Patients were rehabilitated with complete mandibular overdenture supported by two-piece implants one on each side of the lower arch following two-stage surgical technique and Group 2: Patients were rehabilitated with complete mandibular overdenture supported by one-piece implants one on each side. Evaluation was made at the time of insertion, 6, 12, and 18 months after overdenture insertion, by measuring bacteriological changes around implants abutments. Results: Complete overdenture supported by one-piece implants showed better effect on the bacteriological changes as compared to that supported by two-piece implants. Conclusion: Complete overdenture supported by one-piece implants one on each side of the lower arch showed better effect on the bacteriological changes than using the same prosthesis supported by two-piece implants. PMID:26903697

Burn Wise

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Burn Wise is a partnership program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that emphasizes the importance of burning the right wood, the right way, in the right appliance to protect your home, health, and the air we breathe.

Using Dietary Supplements Wisely

MedlinePlus

... T U V W X Y Z Using Dietary Supplements Wisely Share: On This Page Key Points About ... will help ensure coordinated and safe care. About Dietary Supplements Dietary supplements were defined in a law passed ...

Freezing WISE Hydrogen

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-11-12

A scaffolding structure built around NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer allows engineers to freeze its hydrogen coolant. The WISE infrared instrument is kept extremely cold by a bottle-like tank filled with frozen hydrogen, called the cryostat.

Burn Wise - Partners

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Within this site you will find information for consumers to make informed decisions about what it means to burn wise. And partners will learn about how they can work with EPA to bring cleaner-burning appliances to market.

Focus on Teen Men: Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Wise Guys Program.

PubMed

Herrman, Judith W; Moore, Christopher; Rahmer, Brian

2016-04-01

Many interventions designed to promote safe sexual behaviors in teens focus on young women. Wise Guys is one curricular intervention designed to foster safe sexual practices in young men. This study assessed knowledge, attitude, and behavioral changes as the result of Wise Guys. This pre/posttest descriptive study measured changes in knowledge, attitudes, and sexual behaviors in 159 young men. This study detected limited knowledge and attitude changes but yielded statistically significant differences in safe sexual behaviors and likelihood to talk with parents or guardians about sexuality and dating. This study revealed important benefits of Wise Guys and proposed future mixed methods research to ensure that authentic teen voices inform programming. Nurses working with adolescents may find this information valuable as they address sexual health issues in their work. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: NIR albedos of main-belt asteroids (Masiero+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masiero, J. R.; Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Nugent, C. R.; Bauer, J. M.; Stevenson, R.; Sonnett, S.

2017-04-01

To fit for NIR albedos of main-belt asteroids, we use data from the WISE/NEOWISE all-sky single exposure source table, which are available for download from the Infrared Science Archive (IRSA, http://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu ; Cutri et al. 2012, xplanatory Supplement to the WISE All-Sky Data Release Products, http://wise2.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/release/allsky/expsup/index.html). We extract photometric measurements of all asteroids observed by WISE following the technique described in Masiero et al. (2011, J/ApJ/741/68) and Mainzer et al. (2011ApJ...731...53M). In particular, we use the NEOWISE observations reported to the MPC and included in the MPC's minor planet observation database as the final validated list of reliable NEOWISE detections of solar system objects. (1 data file).

Preliminary Results from NEOWISE: An Enhancement to the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer for Solar System Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mainzer, A.; Bauer, J.; Grav, T.; Masiero, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; Eisenhardt, P.; McMillan, R. S.; Wright, E.; Walker, R.; Jedicke, R.; Spahr, T.; Tholen, D.; Alles, R.; Beck, R.; Brandenburg, H.; Conrow, T.; Evans, T.; Fowler, J.; Jarrett, T.; Marsh, K.; Masci, F.; McCallon, H.; Wheelock, S.; Wittman, M.; Wyatt, P.; DeBaun, E.; Elliott, G.; Elsbury, D.; Gautier, T., IV; Gomillion, S.; Leisawitz, D.; Maleszewski, C.; Micheli, M.; Wilkins, A.

2011-04-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has surveyed the entire sky at four infrared wavelengths with greatly improved sensitivity and spatial resolution compared to its predecessors, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite and the Cosmic Background Explorer. NASA's Planetary Science Division has funded an enhancement to the WISE data processing system called "NEOWISE" that allows detection and archiving of moving objects found in the WISE data. NEOWISE has mined the WISE images for a wide array of small bodies in our solar system, including near-Earth objects (NEOs), Main Belt asteroids, comets, Trojans, and Centaurs. By the end of survey operations in 2011 February, NEOWISE identified over 157,000 asteroids, including more than 500 NEOs and ~120 comets. The NEOWISE data set will enable a panoply of new scientific investigations.

Managing the Development of the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irace, William; Cutri, Roc; Duval, Valerie; Eisenhardt, Peter; Elwell, John; Greanias, George; Heinrichsen, Ingolf; Howard, Joan; Liu, Feng-Chuan; Royer, Donald;

Statistical testing and power analysis for brain-wide association study.

PubMed

Gong, Weikang; Wan, Lin; Lu, Wenlian; Ma, Liang; Cheng, Fan; Cheng, Wei; Grünewald, Stefan; Feng, Jianfeng

2018-04-05

The identification of connexel-wise associations, which involves examining functional connectivities between pairwise voxels across the whole brain, is both statistically and computationally challenging. Although such a connexel-wise methodology has recently been adopted by brain-wide association studies (BWAS) to identify connectivity changes in several mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, autism and depression, the multiple correction and power analysis methods designed specifically for connexel-wise analysis are still lacking. Therefore, we herein report the development of a rigorous statistical framework for connexel-wise significance testing based on the Gaussian random field theory. It includes controlling the family-wise error rate (FWER) of multiple hypothesis testings using topological inference methods, and calculating power and sample size for a connexel-wise study. Our theoretical framework can control the false-positive rate accurately, as validated empirically using two resting-state fMRI datasets. Compared with Bonferroni correction and false discovery rate (FDR), it can reduce false-positive rate and increase statistical power by appropriately utilizing the spatial information of fMRI data. Importantly, our method bypasses the need of non-parametric permutation to correct for multiple comparison, thus, it can efficiently tackle large datasets with high resolution fMRI images. The utility of our method is shown in a case-control study. Our approach can identify altered functional connectivities in a major depression disorder dataset, whereas existing methods fail. A software package is available at https://github.com/weikanggong/BWAS. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Mid-infrared Properties and Empirical Relations from WISE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cluver, M. E.; Jarrett, T. H.; Hopkins, A. M.; Driver, S. P.; Liske, J.; Gunawardhana, M. L. P.; Taylor, E. N.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Alpaslan, M.; Baldry, I.; Brown, M. J. I.; Peacock, J. A.; Popescu, C. C.; Tuffs, R. J.; Bauer, A. E.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Colless, M.; Holwerda, B. W.; Lara-López, M. A.; Leschinski, K.; López-Sánchez, A. R.; Norberg, P.; Owers, M. S.; Wang, L.; Wilkins, S. M.

2014-02-01

The Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey furnishes a deep redshift catalog that, when combined with the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), allows us to explore for the first time the mid-infrared properties of >110, 000 galaxies over 120 deg2 to z ~= 0.5. In this paper we detail the procedure for producing the matched GAMA-WISE catalog for the G12 and G15 fields, in particular characterizing and measuring resolved sources; the complete catalogs for all three GAMA equatorial fields will be made available through the GAMA public releases. The wealth of multiwavelength photometry and optical spectroscopy allows us to explore empirical relations between optically determined stellar mass (derived from synthetic stellar population models) and 3.4 μm and 4.6 μm WISE measurements. Similarly dust-corrected Hα-derived star formation rates can be compared to 12 μm and 22 μm luminosities to quantify correlations that can be applied to large samples to z < 0.5. To illustrate the applications of these relations, we use the 12 μm star formation prescription to investigate the behavior of specific star formation within the GAMA-WISE sample and underscore the ability of WISE to detect star-forming systems at z ~ 0.5. Within galaxy groups (determined by a sophisticated friends-of-friends scheme), results suggest that galaxies with a neighbor within 100 h -1 kpc have, on average, lower specific star formation rates than typical GAMA galaxies with the same stellar mass.

Infrared excesses in stars with and without planets using revised WISE photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maldonado, Raul F.; Chavez, Miguel; Bertone, Emanuele; Cruz-Saenz de Miera, Fernando

2017-11-01

We present an analysis on the potential prevalence of mid-infrared excesses in stars with and without planetary companions. Based on an extended data base of stars detected with the Wide Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) satellite, we studied two stellar samples: one with 236 planet hosts and another with 986 objects for which planets have been searched, but not found. We determined the presence of an excess over the photosphere by comparing the observed flux ratio at 22 and 12 μm (f22/f12) with the corresponding synthetic value, derived from results of classical model photospheres. We found a detection rate of 0.85 per cent at 22 μm (two excesses) in the sample of stars with planets and 0.1 per cent (1 detection) for the stars without planets. The difference of the detection rate between the two samples is not statistically significant, a result that is independent of the different approaches found in the literature to define an excess in the wavelength range covered by WISE observations. As an additional result, we found that the WISE fluxes required a normalization procedure to make them compatible with synthetic data, probably pointing out a revision of the WISE data calibration.

Deep Full-sky Coadds from Three Years of WISE and NEOWISE Observations

DOE PAGES

Meisner, A. M.; Lang, D.; Schlegel, D. J.

2017-09-26

Here, we have reprocessed over 100 terabytes of single-exposure Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)/NEOWISE images to create the deepest ever full-sky maps at 3-5 microns. We include all publicly available W1 and W2 imaging - a total of ~8 million exposures in each band - from ~37 months of observations spanning 2010 January to 2015 December. Our coadds preserve the native WISE resolution and typically incorporate ~3× more input frames than those of the AllWISE Atlas stacks. Our coadds are designed to enable deep forced photometry, in particular for the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) and Mayall z-Band Legacymore » Survey (MzLS), both of which are being used to select targets for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. We describe newly introduced processing steps aimed at leveraging added redundancy to remove artifacts, with the intent of facilitating uniform target selection and searches for rare/exotic objects (e.g., high-redshift quasars and distant galaxy clusters). Forced photometry depths achieved with these coadds extend 0.56 (0.46) magnitudes deeper in W1 (W2) than is possible with only pre-hibernation WISE imaging.« less

Evaluation of body-wise and organ-wise registrations for abdominal organs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhoubing; Panjwani, Sahil A.; Lee, Christopher P.; Burke, Ryan P.; Baucom, Rebeccah B.; Poulose, Benjamin K.; Abramson, Richard G.; Landman, Bennett A.

2016-03-01

Identifying cross-sectional and longitudinal correspondence in the abdomen on computed tomography (CT) scans is necessary for quantitatively tracking change and understanding population characteristics, yet abdominal image registration is a challenging problem. The key difficulty in solving this problem is huge variations in organ dimensions and shapes across subjects. The current standard registration method uses the global or body-wise registration technique, which is based on the global topology for alignment. This method (although producing decent results) has substantial influence of outliers, thus leaving room for significant improvement. Here, we study a new image registration approach using local (organ-wise registration) by first creating organ-specific bounding boxes and then using these regions of interest (ROIs) for aligning references to target. Based on Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), Mean Surface Distance (MSD) and Hausdorff Distance (HD), the organ-wise approach is demonstrated to have significantly better results by minimizing the distorting effects of organ variations. This paper compares exclusively the two registration methods by providing novel quantitative and qualitative comparison data and is a subset of the more comprehensive problem of improving the multi-atlas segmentation by using organ normalization.

Deep Full-sky Coadds from Three Years of WISE and NEOWISE Observations

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

Meisner, A. M.; Lang, D.; Schlegel, D. J., E-mail: ameisner@lbl.gov

We have reprocessed over 100 terabytes of single-exposure Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer ( WISE )/NEOWISE images to create the deepest ever full-sky maps at 3–5 microns. We include all publicly available W1 and W2 imaging—a total of ∼8 million exposures in each band—from ∼37 months of observations spanning 2010 January to 2015 December. Our coadds preserve the native WISE resolution and typically incorporate ∼3× more input frames than those of the AllWISE Atlas stacks. Our coadds are designed to enable deep forced photometry, in particular for the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) and Mayall z-Band Legacy Survey (MzLS), bothmore » of which are being used to select targets for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. We describe newly introduced processing steps aimed at leveraging added redundancy to remove artifacts, with the intent of facilitating uniform target selection and searches for rare/exotic objects (e.g., high-redshift quasars and distant galaxy clusters). Forced photometry depths achieved with these coadds extend 0.56 (0.46) magnitudes deeper in W1 (W2) than is possible with only pre-hibernation WISE imaging.« less

A 3π Search for Planet Nine at 3.4 μm with WISE and NEOWISE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meisner, A. M.; Bromley, B. C.; Kenyon, S. J.; Anderson, T. E.

2018-04-01

The recent “Planet Nine” hypothesis has led to many observational and archival searches for this giant planet proposed to orbit the Sun at hundreds of astronomical units. While trans-Neptunian object searches are typically conducted in the optical, models suggest Planet Nine could be self-luminous and potentially bright enough at ∼3–5 μm to be detected by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). We have previously demonstrated a Planet Nine search methodology based on time-resolved WISE coadds, allowing us to detect moving objects much fainter than would be possible using single-frame extractions. In the present work, we extend our 3.4 μm (W1) search to cover more than three-quarters of the sky and incorporate four years of WISE observations spanning a seven-year time period. This represents the deepest and widest-area WISE search for Planet Nine to date. We characterize the spatial variation of our survey’s sensitivity and rule out the presence of Planet Nine in the parameter space searched at W1 < 16.7 in high Galactic latitude regions (90% completeness).

Deep Full-sky Coadds from Three Years of WISE and NEOWISE Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meisner, A. M.; Lang, D.; Schlegel, D. J.

2017-10-01

We have reprocessed over 100 terabytes of single-exposure Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)/NEOWISE images to create the deepest ever full-sky maps at 3-5 microns. We include all publicly available W1 and W2 imaging—a total of ˜8 million exposures in each band—from ˜37 months of observations spanning 2010 January to 2015 December. Our coadds preserve the native WISE resolution and typically incorporate ˜3× more input frames than those of the AllWISE Atlas stacks. Our coadds are designed to enable deep forced photometry, in particular for the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) and Mayall z-Band Legacy Survey (MzLS), both of which are being used to select targets for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. We describe newly introduced processing steps aimed at leveraging added redundancy to remove artifacts, with the intent of facilitating uniform target selection and searches for rare/exotic objects (e.g., high-redshift quasars and distant galaxy clusters). Forced photometry depths achieved with these coadds extend 0.56 (0.46) magnitudes deeper in W1 (W2) than is possible with only pre-hibernation WISE imaging.

Searching for Planet Nine and Other Nearby Worlds with WISE and NEOWISE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meisner, Aaron Michael; Bromley, Benjamin; Nugent, Peter; Schlegel, David; Kenyon, Scott; Schlafly, Eddie; Dawson, Kyle; Anderson, Teddy

2018-01-01

Launched nearly eight years ago, NASA's WISE satellite continues to collect millions of infrared images at 3-5 microns as part of its asteroid-hunting NEOWISE mission. We have repurposed these NEOWISE exposures for science beyond the main belt by generating a novel full-sky set of time-resolved coadded images. This reprocessing allows for moving object searches reaching ~1.3 magnitudes fainter than previous studies while also providing a factor of ten increase in time baseline. This creates an exciting opportunity for motion-based discovery of very cold and faint objects which may have thus far eluded detection despite residing close to the Sun. We present the results of our latest WISE/NEOWISE search for 'Planet Nine', a giant planet hypothesized to orbit the Sun at hundreds of astronomical units. Our search incorporates over four years of WISE W1 observations spanning a seven year time period, and covers more than 75% of the sky. Variants of the WISE/NEOWISE Planet Nine search methodology we have developed should enable motion-based discoveries of large numbers of cold, faint brown dwarfs, especially those which are not detectable with Gaia.

Deep Full-sky Coadds from Three Years of WISE and NEOWISE Observations

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

Meisner, A. M.; Lang, D.; Schlegel, D. J.

Here, we have reprocessed over 100 terabytes of single-exposure Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)/NEOWISE images to create the deepest ever full-sky maps at 3-5 microns. We include all publicly available W1 and W2 imaging - a total of ~8 million exposures in each band - from ~37 months of observations spanning 2010 January to 2015 December. Our coadds preserve the native WISE resolution and typically incorporate ~3× more input frames than those of the AllWISE Atlas stacks. Our coadds are designed to enable deep forced photometry, in particular for the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) and Mayall z-Band Legacymore » Survey (MzLS), both of which are being used to select targets for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. We describe newly introduced processing steps aimed at leveraging added redundancy to remove artifacts, with the intent of facilitating uniform target selection and searches for rare/exotic objects (e.g., high-redshift quasars and distant galaxy clusters). Forced photometry depths achieved with these coadds extend 0.56 (0.46) magnitudes deeper in W1 (W2) than is possible with only pre-hibernation WISE imaging.« less

Strain Localization and Weakening Processes in Viscously Deforming Rocks: Numerical Modeling Based on Laboratory Torsion Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doehmann, M.; Brune, S.; Nardini, L.; Rybacki, E.; Dresen, G.

2017-12-01

Strain localization is an ubiquitous process in earth materials observed over a broad range of scales in space and time. Localized deformation and the formation of shear zones and faults typically involves material softening by various processes, like shear heating and grain size reduction. Numerical modeling enables us to study the complex physical and chemical weakening processes by separating the effect of individual parameters and boundary conditions. Using simple piece-wise linear functions for the parametrization of weakening processes allows studying a system at a chosen (lower) level of complexity (e.g. Cyprych et al., 2016). In this study, we utilize a finite element model to test two weakening laws that reduce the strength of the material depending on either the I) amount of accumulated strain or II) deformational work. Our 2D Cartesian models are benchmarked to single inclusion torsion experiments performed at elevated temperatures of 900 °C and pressures of up to 400 MPa (Rybacki et al., 2014). The experiments were performed on Carrara marble samples containing a weak Solnhofen limestone inclusion at a maximum strain rate of 2.0*10-4 s-1. Our models are designed to reproduce shear deformation of a hollow cylinder equivalent to the laboratory setup, such that material leaving one side of the model in shear direction enters again on the opposite side using periodic boundary conditions. Similar to the laboratory tests, we applied constant strain rate and constant stress boundary conditions.We use our model to investigate the time-dependent distribution of stress and strain and the effect of different parameters. For instance, inclusion rotation is shown to be strongly dependent on the viscosity ratio between matrix and inclusion and stronger ductile weakening increases the localization rate while decreasing shear zone width. The most suitable weakening law for representation of ductile rock is determined by combining the results of parameter tests with the comparison of our numerical models to the torsion experiments. In the future, this law will be applied first to investigate shear zone formation and then study localization in larger scale rift models.Cyprych, D. et al. (2016). Geochem Geophys, 17(9), 3608-3628. Rybacki, E. (2014). Tectonophysics, 634, 182-197.

Atmospheric gradients from GNSS, VLBI, and DORIS analyses and from Numerical Weather Models during CONT14

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinkelmann, Robert; Dick, Galina; Nilsson, Tobias; Soja, Benedikt; Wickert, Jens; Zus, Florian; Schuh, Harald

2015-04-01

Observations from space-geodetic techniques are nowadays increasingly used to derive atmospheric information for various commercial and scientific applications. A prominent example is the operational use of GNSS data to improve global and regional weather forecasts, which was started in 2006. Atmosphere gradients describe the azimuthal asymmetry of zenith delays. Estimates of geodetic and other parameters significantly improve when atmosphere gradients are determined in addition. Here we assess the capability of several space geodetic techniques (GNSS, VLBI, DORIS) to determine atmosphere gradients of refractivity. For this purpose we implement and compare various strategies for gradient estimation, such as different values for the temporal resolution and the corresponding parameter constraints. Applying least squares estimation the gradients are usually deterministically modelled as constants or piece-wise linear functions. In our study we compare this approach with a stochastic approach modelling atmosphere gradients as random walk processes and applying a Kalman Filter for parameter estimation. The gradients, derived from space geodetic techniques are verified by comparison with those derived from Numerical Weather Models (NWM). These model data were generated using raytracing calculations based on European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) and National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) analyses with different spatial resolutions. The investigation of the differences between the ECMWF and NCEP gradients hereby in addition allow for an empirical assessment of the quality of model gradients and how suitable the NWM data are for verification. CONT14 (2014-05-06 until 2014-05-20) is the youngest two week long continuous VLBI campaign carried out by IVS (International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry). It presents the state-of-the-art VLBI performance in terms of number of stations and number of observations and presents thus an excellent test period for comparisons with other space geodetic techniques. During the VLBI campaign CONT14 the HOBART12 and HOBART26 (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) VLBI antennas were involved that co-locate with each other. The investigation of the gradient estimate differences from these co-located antennas allows for a valuable empirical quality assessment. Another quality criterion for gradient estimates are the differences of parameters at the borders of adjacent 24h-sessions. Both are investigated in our study.

Antarctic ozone loss in 1989-2010: evidence for ozone recovery?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuttippurath, J.; Lefèvre, F.; Pommereau, J.-P.; Roscoe, H. K.; Goutail, F.; Pazmiño, A.; Shanklin, J. D.

2012-04-01

We present a detailed estimation of chemical ozone loss in the Antarctic polar vortex from 1989 to 2010. The analyses include ozone loss estimates for 12 Antarctic ground-based (GB) stations. All GB observations show minimum ozone in the late September-early October period. Among the stations, the lowest minimum ozone values are observed at South Pole and the highest at Dumont d'Urville. The ozone loss starts by mid-June at the vortex edge and then progresses towards the vortex core with time. The loss intensifies in August-September, peaks by the end of September-early October, and recovers thereafter. The average ozone loss in the Antarctic is revealed to be about 33-50% in 1989-1992 in agreement with the increase in halogens during this period, and then stayed at around 48% due to saturation of the loss. The ozone loss in the warmer winters (e.g. 2002, and 2004) is lower (37-46%) and in the colder winters (e.g. 2003, and 2006) is higher (52-55%). Because of small inter-annual variability, the correlation between ozone loss and the volume of polar stratospheric clouds yields ~0.51. The GB ozone and ozone loss values are in good agreement with those found from the space-based observations of the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer/Ozone Monitoring Instrument (TOMS/OMI), the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME), the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY), and the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS), where the differences are within ±5% and are mostly within the error bars of the measurements. The piece-wise linear trends computed from the September-November vortex average GB and TOMS/OMI ozone show about -4 to -5.6 DU (Dobson Unit) yr-1 in 1989-1996 and about +1 DU yr-1 in 1997-2010. The trend during the former period is significant at 95% confidence intervals, but the trend in 1997-2010 is significant only at 85% confidence intervals. Our analyses suggest a period of about 9-10 yr to get the first detectable ozone recovery signal at the 95% confidence intervals with the current ozone trends in the Antarctic. Thus, this study reveals that the recovery of the Antarctic ozone is well on course.

NASA WISE Cryostat

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-10-13

Initial assembly of NASA Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer cryostat. The cryostat is a 2-stage solid hydrogen dewar that is used to cool the WISE optics and detectors. Here the cryostat internal structures are undergoing their initial vacuum pumpdown.

Bringing Technology in Line with the Natural Laws.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Mary E.

1979-01-01

Biology teachers can provide lessons for students to help them plan the future wisely. Three natural laws are emphasized as imperative to understanding how to plan wisely for restoring a balance in nature. (SA)

Data Reports for Retrospective Case Study in Wise County, Texas

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Data reports from sampling events collected in wise county, texas as part of EPA's Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources, retrospective case study.

Burn Wise - What You Can Do

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Within this site you will find information for consumers to make informed decisions about what it means to burn wise. State & local agencies learn to improve air quality in their communities through changeout programs and education.

Eight piece quadrupole magnet, method for aligning quadrupole magent pole tips

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

Jaski, Mark S.; Liu, Jie; Donnelly, Aric T.

The invention provides an alternative to the standard 2-piece or 4-piece quadrupole. For example, an 8-piece and a 10-piece quadrupole are provided whereby the tips of each pole may be adjustable. Also provided is a method for producing a quadrupole using standard machining techniques but which results in a final tolerance accuracy of the resulting construct which is better than that obtained using standard machining techniques.

Internal temperature monitor for work pieces

DOEpatents

Berthold, John W.

1993-01-01

A method and apparatus for measuring the internal temperature of a work piece comprises an excitation laser for generating laser pulses which are directed through a water cooled probe, and in an optical fiber, to a first surface of the work piece. The laser is of sufficient intensity to ablate the surface of the work piece, producing a displacement and a resulting ultrasonic pulse which propagates within the thickness of the work piece to an opposite surface. The ultrasonic pulse is reflected from the opposite surface and returns to the first surface to create a second displacement. A second continuous laser also shines its light through an optical fiber in the probe into the first surface and is used in conjunction with signal processing equipment to measure the time between the first and second displacements. This time is proportional to the time-of-flight of the ultrasonic pulse in the work piece which, with a known or detected thickness of the work piece, can be used to calculate the internal temperature of the work piece.

Internal temperature monitor for work pieces

DOEpatents

Berthold, J.W.

1993-07-13

A method and apparatus for measuring the internal temperature of a work piece comprises an excitation laser for generating laser pulses which are directed through a water cooled probe, and in an optical fiber, to a first surface of the work piece. The laser is of sufficient intensity to ablate the surface of the work piece, producing a displacement and a resulting ultrasonic pulse which propagates within the thickness of the work piece to an opposite surface. The ultrasonic pulse is reflected from the opposite surface and returns to the first surface to create a second displacement. A second continuous laser also shines its light through an optical fiber in the probe into the first surface and is used in conjunction with signal processing equipment to measure the time between the first and second displacements. This time is proportional to the time-of-flight of the ultrasonic pulse in the work piece which, with a known or detected thickness of the work piece, can be used to calculate the internal temperature of the work piece.

The First Hundred Brown Dwarfs Discovered by the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Cushing, Michael C.; Gelino, Christopher R.; Griffith, Roger L.; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Marsh, Kenneth A.; Wright, Edward L.; Mainzer, Amanda K.; Eisenhardt, Peter R.; McLean, Ian S.;

Central Stars of Mid-Infrared Nebulae Discovered with Spitzer and WISE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvaramadze, V. V.; Kniazev, A. Y.

2017-02-01

Searches for compact mid-IR nebulae with the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), accompanied by spectroscopic observations of central stars of these nebulae led to the discovery of many dozens of massive stars at different evolutionary stages, of which the most numerous are candidate luminous blue variables (LBVs). In this paper, we give a census of candidate and confirmed Galactic LBVs revealed with Spitzer and WISE, and present some new results of spectroscopic observations of central stars of mid-IR nebulae.

Correction of Microplate Data from High-Throughput Screening.

PubMed

Wang, Yuhong; Huang, Ruili

2016-01-01

High-throughput screening (HTS) makes it possible to collect cellular response data from a large number of cell lines and small molecules in a timely and cost-effective manner. The errors and noises in the microplate-formatted data from HTS have unique characteristics, and they can be generally grouped into three categories: run-wise (temporal, multiple plates), plate-wise (background pattern, single plate), and well-wise (single well). In this chapter, we describe a systematic solution for identifying and correcting such errors and noises, mainly basing on pattern recognition and digital signal processing technologies.

An automated tool for cortical feature analysis: Application to differences on 7 Tesla T2* -weighted images between young and older healthy subjects.

PubMed

Doan, Nhat Trung; van Rooden, Sanneke; Versluis, Maarten J; Buijs, Mathijs; Webb, Andrew G; van der Grond, Jeroen; van Buchem, Mark A; Reiber, Johan H C; Milles, Julien

2015-07-01

High field T 2 * -weighted MR images of the cerebral cortex are increasingly used to study tissue susceptibility changes related to aging or pathologies. This paper presents a novel automated method for the computation of quantitative cortical measures and group-wise comparison using 7 Tesla T 2 * -weighted magnitude and phase images. The cerebral cortex was segmented using a combination of T 2 * -weighted magnitude and phase information and subsequently was parcellated based on an anatomical atlas. Local gray matter (GM)/white matter (WM) contrast and cortical profiles, which depict the magnitude or phase variation across the cortex, were computed from the magnitude and phase images in each parcellated region and further used for group-wise comparison. Differences in local GM/WM contrast were assessed using linear regression analysis. Regional cortical profiles were compared both globally and locally using permutation testing. The method was applied to compare a group of 10 young volunteers with a group of 15 older subjects. Using local GM/WM contrast, significant differences were revealed in at least 13 of 17 studied regions. Highly significant differences between cortical profiles were shown in all regions. The proposed method can be a useful tool for studying cortical changes in normal aging and potentially in neurodegenerative diseases. Magn Reson Med 74:240-248, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Inferring Weighted Directed Association Network from Multivariate Time Series with a Synthetic Method of Partial Symbolic Transfer Entropy Spectrum and Granger Causality

PubMed Central

Hu, Yanzhu; Ai, Xinbo

2016-01-01

Complex network methodology is very useful for complex system explorer. However, the relationships among variables in complex system are usually not clear. Therefore, inferring association networks among variables from their observed data has been a popular research topic. We propose a synthetic method, named small-shuffle partial symbolic transfer entropy spectrum (SSPSTES), for inferring association network from multivariate time series. The method synthesizes surrogate data, partial symbolic transfer entropy (PSTE) and Granger causality. A proper threshold selection is crucial for common correlation identification methods and it is not easy for users. The proposed method can not only identify the strong correlation without selecting a threshold but also has the ability of correlation quantification, direction identification and temporal relation identification. The method can be divided into three layers, i.e. data layer, model layer and network layer. In the model layer, the method identifies all the possible pair-wise correlation. In the network layer, we introduce a filter algorithm to remove the indirect weak correlation and retain strong correlation. Finally, we build a weighted adjacency matrix, the value of each entry representing the correlation level between pair-wise variables, and then get the weighted directed association network. Two numerical simulated data from linear system and nonlinear system are illustrated to show the steps and performance of the proposed approach. The ability of the proposed method is approved by an application finally. PMID:27832153

Trajectories of Anxiety Among Women with Breast Cancer: A Proxy for Adjustment from Acute to Transitional Survivorship.

PubMed

Saboonchi, Fredrik; Petersson, Lena-Marie; Wennman-Larsen, Agneta; Alexanderson, Kristina; Vaez, Marjan

2015-01-01

Anxiety is one of the main components of distress among women with breast cancer (BC), particularly in the early stages of the disease. Changes in anxiety over time may reflect the process of adjustment or lack thereof. The process of adjustment in the traverse of acute to transitional stages of survivorship warrants further examination. To examine the trajectory of anxiety and the specific patterns that may indicate a lack of adjustment within 2 years following BC surgery, survey data from a 2-year prospective cohort study of 725 women with BC were analyzed by Mixture Growth Modelling and logistic regression and Analysis of Variance. A piece-wise growth curve displayed the best fit to the data, indicating a significant decrease in anxiety in the first year, followed by a slower rate of change during the second year. Four classes of trajectories were identified: High Stable, High Decrease, Mild Decrease, and Low Decrease. Of these, High Stable anxiety showed the most substantive indications of lack of adjustment. This subgroup was predominantly characterized by sociodemographic variables such as financial difficulties. Our results support an emphasis on the transitional nature of the stage that follows the end of primary active treatment and imply a need for supportive follow up care for those who display lack of adjustment at this stage.

Modeling electron emission and surface effects from diamond cathodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimitrov, D. A.; Smithe, D.; Cary, J. R.; Ben-Zvi, I.; Rao, T.; Smedley, J.; Wang, E.

2015-02-01

We developed modeling capabilities, within the Vorpal particle-in-cell code, for three-dimensional simulations of surface effects and electron emission from semiconductor photocathodes. They include calculation of emission probabilities using general, piece-wise continuous, space-time dependent surface potentials, effective mass, and band bending field effects. We applied these models, in combination with previously implemented capabilities for modeling charge generation and transport in diamond, to investigate the emission dependence on applied electric field in the range from approximately 2 MV/m to 17 MV/m along the [100] direction. The simulation results were compared to experimental data. For the considered parameter regime, conservation of transverse electron momentum (in the plane of the emission surface) allows direct emission from only two (parallel to [100]) of the six equivalent lowest conduction band valleys. When the electron affinity χ is the only parameter varied in the simulations, the value χ = 0.31 eV leads to overall qualitative agreement with the probability of emission deduced from experiments. Including band bending in the simulations improves the agreement with the experimental data, particularly at low applied fields, but not significantly. Using surface potentials with different profiles further allows us to investigate the emission as a function of potential barrier height, width, and vacuum level position. However, adding surface patches with different levels of hydrogenation, modeled with position-dependent electron affinity, leads to the closest agreement with the experimental data.

Modeling mergers of known galactic systems of binary neutron stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feo, Alessandra; De Pietri, Roberto; Maione, Francesco; Löffler, Frank

2017-02-01

We present a study of the merger of six different known galactic systems of binary neutron stars (BNS) of unequal mass with a mass ratio between 0.75 and 0.99. Specifically, these systems are J1756-2251, J0737-3039A, J1906  +  0746, B1534  +  12, J0453  +  1559 and B1913  +  16. We follow the dynamics of the merger from the late stage of the inspiral process up to  ∼20ms after the system has merged, either to form a hyper-massive neutron star (NS) or a rotating black hole (BH), using a semi-realistic equation of state (EOS), namely the seven-segment piece-wise polytropic SLy with a thermal component. For the most extreme of these systems (q  =  0.75, J0453  +  1559), we also investigate the effects of different EOSs: APR4, H4, and MS1. Our numerical simulations are performed using only publicly available open source code such as, the Einstein toolkit code deployed for the dynamical evolution and the LORENE code for the generation of the initial models. We show results on the gravitational wave signals, spectrogram and frequencies of the BNS after the merger and the BH properties in the two cases in which the system collapses within the simulated time.

A hybrid optimization algorithm to explore atomic configurations of TiO 2 nanoparticles

DOE PAGES

Inclan, Eric J.; Geohegan, David B.; Yoon, Mina

2017-10-17

Here in this paper we present a hybrid algorithm comprised of differential evolution, coupled with the Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno quasi-Newton optimization algorithm, for the purpose of identifying a broad range of (meta)stable Ti nO 2n nanoparticles, as an example system, described by Buckingham interatomic potential. The potential and its gradient are modified to be piece-wise continuous to enable use of these continuous-domain, unconstrained algorithms, thereby improving compatibility. To measure computational effectiveness a regression on known structures is used. This approach defines effectiveness as the ability of an algorithm to produce a set of structures whose energy distribution follows the regression as themore » number of Ti nO 2n increases such that the shape of the distribution is consistent with the algorithm’s stated goals. Our calculation demonstrates that the hybrid algorithm finds global minimum configurations more effectively than the differential evolution algorithms, widely employed in the field of materials science. Specifically, the hybrid algorithm is shown to reproduce the global minimum energy structures reported in the literature up to n = 5, and retains good agreement with the regression up to n = 25. For 25 < n < 100, where literature structures are unavailable, the hybrid effectively obtains structures that are in lower energies per TiO 2 unit as the system size increases.« less

XUV Photometer System (XPS): New Dark-Count Corrections Model and Improved Data Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, J. P.; Vanier, B.; Woods, T. N.

2017-12-01

We present newly updated dark-count calibrations for the SORCE XUV Photometer System (XPS) and the resultant improved data products released in March of 2017. The SORCE mission has provided a 14-year solar spectral irradiance record, and the XPS contributes to this record in the 0.1 nm to 40 nm range. The SORCE spacecraft has been operating in what is known as Day-Only Operations (DO-Op) mode since February of 2014. In this mode it is not possible to collect data, including dark-counts, when the spacecraft is in eclipse as we did prior to DO-Op. Instead, we take advantage of the position of the XPS filter-wheel, and collect these data when the wheel position is in a "dark" position. Further, in this mode dark data are not always available for all observations, requiring an extrapolation in order to calibrate data at these times. To extrapolate, we model this with a piece-wise 2D nonlinear least squares surface fit in the time and temperature dimensions. Our model allows us to calibrate XPS data into the DO-Op phase of the mission by extrapolating along this surface. The XPS version 11 data product release benefits from this new calibration. We present comparisons of the previous and current calibration methods in addition to planned future upgrades of our data products.

Blind image deblurring based on trained dictionary and curvelet using sparse representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Liang; Huang, Qian; Xu, Tingfa; Li, Shao

2015-04-01

Motion blur is one of the most significant and common artifacts causing poor image quality in digital photography, in which many factors resulted. In imaging process, if the objects are moving quickly in the scene or the camera moves in the exposure interval, the image of the scene would blur along the direction of relative motion between the camera and the scene, e.g. camera shake, atmospheric turbulence. Recently, sparse representation model has been widely used in signal and image processing, which is an effective method to describe the natural images. In this article, a new deblurring approach based on sparse representation is proposed. An overcomplete dictionary learned from the trained image samples via the KSVD algorithm is designed to represent the latent image. The motion-blur kernel can be treated as a piece-wise smooth function in image domain, whose support is approximately a thin smooth curve, so we employed curvelet to represent the blur kernel. Both of overcomplete dictionary and curvelet system have high sparsity, which improves the robustness to the noise and more satisfies the observer's visual demand. With the two priors, we constructed restoration model of blurred images and succeeded to solve the optimization problem with the help of alternating minimization technique. The experiment results prove the method can preserve the texture of original images and suppress the ring artifacts effectively.

THE SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION OF THE COLDEST KNOWN BROWN DWARF

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

Luhman, K. L.; Esplin, T. L., E-mail: kluhman@astro.psu.edu

2016-09-01

WISE J085510.83–071442.5 (hereafter WISE 0855–0714) is the coldest known brown dwarf (∼250 K) and the fourth-closest known system to the Sun (2.2 pc). It has been previously detected only in the J band and two mid-IR bands. To better measure its spectral energy distribution (SED), we have performed deep imaging of WISE 0855–0714 in six optical and near-IR bands with Gemini Observatory, the Very Large Telescope, and the Hubble Space Telescope . Five of the bands show detections, although one detection is marginal (S/N ∼ 3). We also have obtained two epochs of images with the Spitzer Space Telescope for use inmore » refining the parallax of the brown dwarf. By combining astrometry from this work and previous studies, we have derived a parallax of 0.449 ± 0.008″ (2.23 ± 0.04 pc). We have compared our photometry for WISE 0855–0714 to data for known Y dwarfs and to the predictions of three suites of models by Saumon et al. and Morley et al. that are defined by the presence or absence of clouds and nonequilibrium chemistry. Our estimates of Y − J and J − H for WISE 0855–0714 are redder than colors of other Y dwarfs, confirming a predicted reversal of near-IR colors to redder values at temperatures below 300–400 K. In color–magnitude diagrams, no single suite of models provides a clearly superior match to the sequence formed by WISE 0855–0714 and other Y dwarfs. Instead, the best-fitting model changes from one diagram to the next. Similarly, all of the models have substantial differences from the SED of WISE 0855–0714. As a result, we are currently unable to constrain the presence of clouds or nonequilibrium chemistry in its atmosphere.« less

Using Large-Scale Linkage Data to Evaluate the Effectiveness of a National Educational Program on Antithrombotic Prescribing and Associated Stroke Prevention in Primary Care.

PubMed

Liu, Zhixin; Moorin, Rachael; Worthington, John; Tofler, Geoffrey; Bartlett, Mark; Khan, Rabia; Zuo, Yeqin

2016-10-13

The National Prescribing Service (NPS) MedicineWise Stroke Prevention Program, which was implemented nationally in 2009-2010 in Australia, sought to improve antithrombotic prescribing in stroke prevention using dedicated interventions that target general practitioners. This study evaluated the impact of the NPS MedicineWise Stroke Prevention Program on antithrombotic prescribing and primary stroke hospitalizations. This population-based time series study used administrative health data linked to 45 and Up Study participants with a high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) to assess the possible impact of the NPS MedicineWise program on first-time aspirin prescriptions and primary stroke-related hospitalizations. Time series analysis showed that the NPS MedicineWise program was significantly associated with increased first-time prescribing of aspirin (P=0.03) and decreased hospitalizations for primary ischemic stroke (P=0.03) in the at-risk study population (n=90 023). First-time aspirin prescription was correlated with a reduction in the rate of hospitalization for primary stroke (P=0.02). Following intervention, the number of first-time aspirin prescriptions increased by 19.8% (95% confidence interval, 1.6-38.0), while the number of first-time stroke hospitalizations decreased by 17.3% (95% confidence interval, 1.8-30.0). Consistent with NPS MedicineWise program messages for the high-risk CVD population, the NPS MedicineWise Stroke Prevention Program (2009) was associated with increased initiation of aspirin and a reduced rate of hospitalization for primary stroke. The findings suggest that the provision of evidence-based multifaceted large-scale educational programs in primary care can be effective in changing prescriber behavior and positively impacting patient health outcomes. © 2016 The Authors and NPS MedicineWise. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Single-Trial Classification of Multi-User P300-Based Brain-Computer Interface Using Riemannian Geometry.

PubMed

Korczowski, L; Congedo, M; Jutten, C

2015-08-01

The classification of electroencephalographic (EEG) data recorded from multiple users simultaneously is an important challenge in the field of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). In this paper we compare different approaches for classification of single-trials Event-Related Potential (ERP) on two subjects playing a collaborative BCI game. The minimum distance to mean (MDM) classifier in a Riemannian framework is extended to use the diversity of the inter-subjects spatio-temporal statistics (MDM-hyper) or to merge multiple classifiers (MDM-multi). We show that both these classifiers outperform significantly the mean performance of the two users and analogous classifiers based on the step-wise linear discriminant analysis. More importantly, the MDM-multi outperforms the performance of the best player within the pair.

Developing a Study Orientation Questionnaire in Mathematics for primary school students.

PubMed

Maree, Jacobus G; Van der Walt, Martha S; Ellis, Suria M

2009-04-01

The Study Orientation Questionnaire in Mathematics (Primary) is being developed as a diagnostic measure for South African teachers and counsellors to help primary school students improve their orientation towards the study of mathematics. In this study, participants were primary school students in the North-West Province of South Africa. During the standardisation in 2007, 1,013 students (538 boys: M age = 12.61; SD = 1.53; 555 girls: M age = 11.98; SD = 1.35; 10 missing values) were assessed. Factor analysis yielded three factors. Analysis also showed satisfactory reliability coefficients and item-factor correlations. Step-wise linear regression indicated that three factors (Mathematics anxiety, Study attitude in mathematics, and Study habits in mathematics) contributed significantly (R2 = .194) to predicting achievement in mathematics as measured by the Basic Mathematics Questionnaire (Primary).

Bayesian spatial transformation models with applications in neuroimaging data

PubMed Central

Miranda, Michelle F.; Zhu, Hongtu; Ibrahim, Joseph G.

2013-01-01

Summary The aim of this paper is to develop a class of spatial transformation models (STM) to spatially model the varying association between imaging measures in a three-dimensional (3D) volume (or 2D surface) and a set of covariates. Our STMs include a varying Box-Cox transformation model for dealing with the issue of non-Gaussian distributed imaging data and a Gaussian Markov Random Field model for incorporating spatial smoothness of the imaging data. Posterior computation proceeds via an efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm. Simulations and real data analysis demonstrate that the STM significantly outperforms the voxel-wise linear model with Gaussian noise in recovering meaningful geometric patterns. Our STM is able to reveal important brain regions with morphological changes in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. PMID:24128143