The Rise of Applied Geography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philpponneau, Michel

1981-01-01

Presents an historical overview of the use of the science of geography for practical purposes. Topics discussed include British schools of geography during the 19th century, contributions of many of the founders of applied geography, forms in which geographical work can be used for practical purposes, and the status of applied geography in various…

Applied genomics in ruminants-new discoveries and model for predictive medicine

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

An overview of the progress for Dr. Sonstegard’s work in applied genomics in dairy cattle will be presented. The overview will include how applied research in livestock offers unique investigative models to discover gene function as a result of genetic load or inbreeding and also how genome selectio...

AQMEII3: the EU and NA regional scale program of the Hemispheric Trasport of Air Pollution Task Force

EPA Science Inventory

The presentation builds on the work presented last year at the 14th CMAS meeting and it is applied to the work performed in the context of the AQMEII-HTAP collaboration. The analysis is conducted within the framework of the third phase of AQMEII (Air Quality Model Evaluation Inte...

Bootstrapping Methods Applied for Simulating Laboratory Works

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prodan, Augustin; Campean, Remus

2005-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this work is to implement bootstrapping methods into software tools, based on Java. Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents a category of software e-tools aimed at simulating laboratory works and experiments. Findings: Both students and teaching staff use traditional statistical methods to infer the truth from sample…

MYCOFLORA OF WORKS OF GRAPHIC AND APPLIED ART,

DTIC Science & Technology

Damage to works of art as a result of contamination by mold fungi is discussed. Results of an inspection of fifteen museums in the Russian Soviet...Federated Socialist Republic conducted in 1962-63 are presented. Data indicate the species of fungi which attack various forms of art work. (Author)

Cognitive work hardening: a return-to-work intervention for people with depression.

PubMed

Wisenthal, Adeena; Krupa, Terry

2013-01-01

Mental health claims in the workplace are rising, particularly those due to depression. Associated with this is an increase in disability costs for the employer and the disability insurer, but even more important is the human suffering that results. While treatments are available for the depression there is a gap in interventions that specifically target return-to-work preparation. This paper presents cognitive work hardening, a treatment intervention that can bridge this gap by addressing the unique functional issues inherent in depression with a view to increasing return-to-work success. Cognitive work hardening applies the proven principles of classical work hardening (which has typically been applied to people with physical injuries) to the mental health domain. This paper explains how the occupational therapy principle of occupation and the core competency, enablement, are utilized and applied in cognitive work hardening. Key skills of the occupational therapist are also discussed. In addition, the paper considers the relationship of cognitive work hardening to recovery and mental illness, and the role it plays among workplace-based return-to-work interventions in the current movement toward non-clinical return-to-work interventions.

Overview of MSFC's Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Roberto; Wang, Tee-See; Griffin, Lisa; Turner, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This document is a presentation graphic which reviews the activities of the Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group at Marshall Space Flight Center (i.e., Code TD64). The work of this group focused on supporting the space transportation programs. The work of the group is in Computational Fluid Dynamic tool development. This development is driven by hardware design needs. The major applications for the design and analysis tools are: turbines, pumps, propulsion-to-airframe integration, and combustion devices.

Edinburgh Working Papers in Applied Linguistics, 1998.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parkinson, Brian, Ed.

1998-01-01

Papers on applied linguistics and language pedagogy include: "Non-Exact Quantification in Slide Presentations of Medical Research" (Ron Howard); "Modality and Point of View: A Contrastive Analysis of Japanese Wartime and Peacetime Newspaper Discourse" (Noriko Iwamoto); "Classroom Transcripts and 'Noticing' in Teacher Education" (Tony Lynch);…

Doctoral Social Work Education: Responding to Trends in Society and the Academy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cnaan, Ram A.; Ghose, Toorjo

2018-01-01

This article is intended to forecast major environmental changes that may impact social work doctoral education and assess what should be done in anticipation of these changes. We apply an open system and future studies perspective to guide our work. We present a set of predicted societal changes that will impact social work as a profession and…

Computer simulation of morphological evolution and rafting of {gamma}{prime} particles in Ni-based superalloys under applied stresses

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

Li, D.Y.; Chen, L.Q.

Mechanical properties of Ni-based superalloys are strongly affected by the morphology, distribution, and size of {gamma}{prime} precipitates in the {gamma} matrix. The main purpose of this paper is to propose a continuum field approach for modeling the morphology and rafting kinetics of coherent precipitates under applied stresses. This approach can be used to simulate the temporal evolution of arbitrary morphologies and microstructures without any a priori assumption. Recently, the authors applied this approach to the selected variant growth in Ni-Ti alloys under applied stresses using an inhomogeneous modulus approximation. For the {gamma}{prime} precipitates in Ni-based superalloys, the eigenstrain is dilatational,more » and hence the {gamma}{prime} morphological evolution can be affected by applied stresses only when the elastic modulus is inhomogeneous. In the present work, the elastic inhomogeneity was taken into account by reformulating a sharp-interface elasticity theory developed recently by Khachaturyan et al. in terms of diffuse interfaces. Although the present work is for a {gamma}{prime} {minus} {gamma} system, this model is general in a sense that it can be applied to other alloy systems containing coherent ordered intermetallic precipitates with elastic inhomogeneity.« less

Conceptual frameworks of individual work performance: a systematic review.

PubMed

Koopmans, Linda; Bernaards, Claire M; Hildebrandt, Vincent H; Schaufeli, Wilmar B; de Vet Henrica, C W; van der Beek, Allard J

2011-08-01

Individual work performance is differently conceptualized and operationalized in different disciplines. The aim of the current review was twofold: (1) identifying conceptual frameworks of individual work performance and (2) integrating these to reach a heuristic conceptual framework. A systematic review was conducted in medical, psychological, and management databases. Studies were selected independently by two researchers and included when they presented a conceptual framework of individual work performance. A total of 17 generic frameworks (applying across occupations) and 18 job-specific frameworks (applying to specific occupations) were identified. Dimensions frequently used to describe individual work performance were task performance, contextual performance, counterproductive work behavior, and adaptive performance. On the basis of the literature, a heuristic conceptual framework of individual work performance was proposed. This framework can serve as a theoretical basis for future research and practice.

A discussion on the origin of quantum probabilities

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

Holik, Federico, E-mail: olentiev2@gmail.com; Departamento de Matemática - Ciclo Básico Común, Universidad de Buenos Aires - Pabellón III, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires; Sáenz, Manuel

We study the origin of quantum probabilities as arising from non-Boolean propositional-operational structures. We apply the method developed by Cox to non distributive lattices and develop an alternative formulation of non-Kolmogorovian probability measures for quantum mechanics. By generalizing the method presented in previous works, we outline a general framework for the deduction of probabilities in general propositional structures represented by lattices (including the non-distributive case). -- Highlights: •Several recent works use a derivation similar to that of R.T. Cox to obtain quantum probabilities. •We apply Cox’s method to the lattice of subspaces of the Hilbert space. •We obtain a derivationmore » of quantum probabilities which includes mixed states. •The method presented in this work is susceptible to generalization. •It includes quantum mechanics and classical mechanics as particular cases.« less

Habitability and Human Factors Contributions to Human Space Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sumaya, Jennifer Boyer

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the work of the Habitability and Human Factors Branch in support of human space flight in two main areas: Applied support to major space programs, and Space research. The field of Human Factors applies knowledge of human characteristics for the design of safer, more effective, and more efficient systems. This work is in several areas of the human space program: (1) Human-System Integration (HSI), (2) Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, (3) Extravehicular Activity (EVA), (4) Lunar Surface Systems, (5) International Space Station (ISS), and (6) Human Research Program (HRP). After detailing the work done in these areas, the facilities that are available for human factors work are shown.

Introduction: Conversation Analysis in Applied Linguistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sert, Olcay; Seedhouse, Paul

2011-01-01

This short, introductory paper presents an up-to-date account of works within the field of Applied Linguistics which have been influenced by a Conversation Analytic paradigm. The article reviews recent studies in classroom interaction, materials development, proficiency assessment and language teacher education. We believe that the publication of…

[Do nursing students have entrepreneur profile?].

PubMed

Roncon, Paulo Fernando; Munhoz, Sarah

2009-01-01

Descriptive-exploratory study that aimed at knowing the profile of nursing students regarding entrepreneurship. The General Entrepreneurship Trend Test with 54 questions was applied to 41 students. Results demonstrated that 14% present five entrepreneur tendencies, 12% present four entrepreneur tendencies, and 80% do not present entrepreneur tendencies. The majority of student intent to work as clinical nurses, while none of them intent to work in management activities. It was concluded that students have low grade of the entrepreneurship characteristics.

A method for work modeling at complex systems: towards applying information systems in family health care units.

PubMed

Jatobá, Alessandro; de Carvalho, Paulo Victor R; da Cunha, Amauri Marques

2012-01-01

Work in organizations requires a minimum level of consensus on the understanding of the practices performed. To adopt technological devices to support the activities in environments where work is complex, characterized by the interdependence among a large number of variables, understanding about how work is done not only takes an even greater importance, but also becomes a more difficult task. Therefore, this study aims to present a method for modeling of work in complex systems, which allows improving the knowledge about the way activities are performed where these activities do not simply happen by performing procedures. Uniting techniques of Cognitive Task Analysis with the concept of Work Process, this work seeks to provide a method capable of providing a detailed and accurate vision of how people perform their tasks, in order to apply information systems for supporting work in organizations.

Analysis of cold worked holes for structural life extension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wieland, David H.; Cutshall, Jon T.; Burnside, O. Hal; Cardinal, Joseph W.

1994-01-01

Cold working holes for improved fatigue life of fastener holes are widely used on aircraft. This paper presents methods used by the authors to determine the percent of cold working to be applied and to analyze fatigue crack growth of cold worked fastener holes. An elastic, perfectly-plastic analysis of a thick-walled tube is used to determine the stress field during the cold working process and the residual stress field after the process is completed. The results of the elastic/plastic analysis are used to determine the amount of cold working to apply to a hole. The residual stress field is then used to perform damage tolerance analysis of a crack growing out of a cold worked fastener hole. This analysis method is easily implemented in existing crack growth computer codes so that the cold worked holes can be used to extend the structural life of aircraft. Analytical results are compared to test data where appropriate.

ORNL`s war on crime, technically speaking

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

Xiques, P.

This paper describes research being carried out by the Center for Applied Science and Technology for Law Enforcement (CASTLE), at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This program works on projects which are solvable, affordable, and outside the scope of the private sector. Examples are presented of work related to: the lifetime of childrens fingerprints compared to adults; the development of ways of providing cooler body armor; digital enhancement technology applied to security-camera images from crime scenes; victim identification by skeletal reconstruction for use by forensic anthropologists.

A new multiscale model to describe a modified Hall-Petch relation at different scales for nano and micro materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fadhil, Sadeem Abbas; Alrawi, Aoday Hashim; Azeez, Jazeel H.; Hassan, Mohsen A.

2018-04-01

In the present work, a multiscale model is presented and used to modify the Hall-Petch relation for different scales from nano to micro. The modified Hall-Petch relation is derived from a multiscale equation that determines the cohesive energy between the atoms and their neighboring grains. This brings with it a new term that was originally ignored even in the atomistic models. The new term makes it easy to combine all other effects to derive one modified equation for the Hall-Petch relation that works for all scales together, without the need to divide the scales into two scales, each scale with a different equation, as it is usually done in other works. Due to that, applying the new relation does not require a previous knowledge of the grain size distribution. This makes the new derived relation more consistent and easier to be applied for all scales. The new relation is used to fit the data for Copper and Nickel and it is applied well for the whole range of grain sizes from nano to micro scales.

On-board fault management for autonomous spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fesq, Lorraine M.; Stephan, Amy; Doyle, Susan C.; Martin, Eric; Sellers, Suzanne

1991-01-01

The dynamic nature of the Cargo Transfer Vehicle's (CTV) mission and the high level of autonomy required mandate a complete fault management system capable of operating under uncertain conditions. Such a fault management system must take into account the current mission phase and the environment (including the target vehicle), as well as the CTV's state of health. This level of capability is beyond the scope of current on-board fault management systems. This presentation will discuss work in progress at TRW to apply artificial intelligence to the problem of on-board fault management. The goal of this work is to develop fault management systems. This presentation will discuss work in progress at TRW to apply artificial intelligence to the problem of on-board fault management. The goal of this work is to develop fault management systems that can meet the needs of spacecraft that have long-range autonomy requirements. We have implemented a model-based approach to fault detection and isolation that does not require explicit characterization of failures prior to launch. It is thus able to detect failures that were not considered in the failure and effects analysis. We have applied this technique to several different subsystems and tested our approach against both simulations and an electrical power system hardware testbed. We present findings from simulation and hardware tests which demonstrate the ability of our model-based system to detect and isolate failures, and describe our work in porting the Ada version of this system to a flight-qualified processor. We also discuss current research aimed at expanding our system to monitor the entire spacecraft.

Innovation and Diffusion--An Anthropological View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

du Toit, Brian M.

This chapter presents the anthropological theory of innovation and diffusion, and applies it to the problem of implementing planned change within the instructional development process. The work of Barnett and others on culture and planned culture change is described and applied to the educational system and the classroom environment. Barnett's…

A method to evaluate performance reliability of individual subjects in laboratory research applied to work settings.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-10-01

This report presents a method that may be used to evaluate the reliability of performance of individual subjects, particularly in applied laboratory research. The method is based on analysis of variance of a tasks-by-subjects data matrix, with all sc...

Leslie S. Greenberg: Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Psychologist, 2012

2012-01-01

Presents a short biography of the 2012 winner of the American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research. Leslie S. Greenberg is an exemplary scientist-practitioner whose pioneering work has significantly altered the landscape of the field of psychotherapy research and practice. His seminal…

The local work function: Concept and implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wandelt, K.

1997-02-01

The term 'local work function' is now widely applied. The present work discusses the common physical basis of 'photoemission of adsorbed xenon (PAX)' and 'two-photon photonemissionspectroscopy of image potential states' as local work function probes. New examples with bimetallic and defective surfaces are presented which demonstrate the capability of PAX measurements for the characterization of heterogeneous surfaces on an atomic scale. Finally, implications of the existence of short-range variations of the surface potential at surface steps are addressed. In particular, dynamical work function change measurements are a sensitive probe for the step-density at surfaces and, as such, a powerful in-situ method to monitor film growth.

Preliminary Work Domain Analysis for Human Extravehicular Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGuire, Kerry; Miller, Matthew; Feigh, Karen

2015-01-01

A work domain analysis (WDA) of human extravehicular activity (EVA) is presented in this study. A formative methodology such as Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) offers a new perspective to the knowledge gained from the past 50 years of living and working in space for the development of future EVA support systems. EVA is a vital component of human spaceflight and provides a case study example of applying a work domain analysis (WDA) to a complex sociotechnical system. The WDA presented here illustrates how the physical characteristics of the environment, hardware, and life support systems of the domain guide the potential avenues and functional needs of future EVA decision support system development.

Open web system of Virtual labs for nuclear and applied physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saldikov, I. S.; Afanasyev, V. V.; Petrov, V. I.; Ternovykh, M. Yu

2017-01-01

An example of virtual lab work on unique experimental equipment is presented. The virtual lab work is software based on a model of real equipment. Virtual labs can be used for educational process in nuclear safety and analysis field. As an example it includes the virtual lab called “Experimental determination of the material parameter depending on the pitch of a uranium-water lattice”. This paper included general description of this lab. A description of a database on the support of laboratory work on unique experimental equipment which is included this work, its concept development are also presented.

Misreading Science in the Twentieth Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Budd, John M.

2001-01-01

Considers textual aspects of scientific communication and problems for reception presented by the complex dynamics of communicating scientific work. Discusses scientific work based on fraud or misconduct and disputes about the nature of science, and applies reception theory and reader-response criticism to understand variations in readings of the…

Work Hours Regulations for House Staff in Psychiatry: Bad or Good for Residency Training?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasminsky, Sonya; Lomonaco, Allison; Auchincloss, Elizabeth

2008-01-01

Objective: The movement to limit work hours for house staff has gained momentum in recent years. The authors set out to review the literature on work hours reform, particularly as it applies to psychiatric residency training, and to provide two different viewpoints on the controversy. Methods: The authors present the historical background of work…

Making a Virtue out of a Necessity: Part Time Work as a Site for Undergraduate Work-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Sue; Ogilvie, Chrissy

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper seeks to challenge the view that student part time employment detracts from academic attainment and presents evidence that when linked to formal undergraduate study provides rich learning experiences. It also explores the extent to which formerly accepted pre-requisites for work based learning (WBL) apply in this model and how…

Preservice and Inservice Teachers' Challenges in the Planning of Practical Work in Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nivalainen, Ville; Asikainen, Mervi A.; Sormunen, Kari; Hirvonen, Pekka E.

2010-01-01

Practical work in school science plays many essential roles that have been discussed in the literature. However, less attention has been paid to how teachers learn the different roles of practical work and to the kind of challenges they face in their learning during laboratory courses designed for teachers. In the present study we applied the…

Using Voice, Meaning, Mutual Construction of Knowledge, and Transfer of Learning to Apply an Ecological Perspective to Group Work Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orr, Jonathan J.; Hulse-Killacky, Diana

2006-01-01

Concepts of voice, meaning, mutual construction of knowledge, and transfer of learning are presented in this paper as critical ingredients that support the teaching of group work from an ecological perspective. Examples of these concepts are given to illustrate their application in group work classes. (Contains 1 table.)

Best Practices for Unstructured Grid Shock-Fitting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCoud, Peter L.

2017-01-01

Unstructured grid solvers have well-known issues predicting surface heat fluxes when strong shocks are present. Various efforts have been made to address the underlying numerical issues that cause the erroneous predictions. The present work addresses some of the shortcomings of unstructured grid solvers, not by addressing the numerics, but by applying structured grid best practices to unstructured grids. A methodology for robust shock detection and shock-fitting is outlined and applied to production-relevant cases. Results

Ontological Relations and the Capability Maturity Model Applied in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Oliveira, Jerônimo Moreira; Campoy, Laura Gómez; Vilarino, Lilian

2015-01-01

This work presents a new approach to the discovery, identification and connection of ontological elements within the domain of characterization in learning organizations. In particular, the study can be applied to contexts where organizations require planning, logic, balance, and cognition in knowledge creation scenarios, which is the case for the…

The Applied Information Management Program: Multidisciplinary Continuing Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ettinger, Linda F.

1991-01-01

Presents a description of the Applied Information Management Master of Science degree program at the University of Oregon, which was designed to serve in-career professionals working in high technology corporate settings. The need for a multidisciplinary approach is discussed, the curriculum is described, and the role of visual communication is…

Applied Genomics in Cattle – Identification of the SLICK locus in tropically adapted cattle

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Over the past 3 years, ARS scientists have been working to identify the underlying genetic variants responsible for a heat tolerance phenotype in cattle associated with the SLICK locus typically found in Senepol cattle. This presentation reviews the general field of applied genomics in cattle, and ...

Developing an OD-Intervention Metric System with the Use of Applied Theory-Building Methodology: A Work/Life-Intervention Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Michael Lane; Storberg-Walker, Julia; McMillan, Heather S.

2009-01-01

This article presents a new model, generated through applied theory-building research methods, that helps human resource development (HRD) practitioners evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of organization development (OD) interventions. This model, called organization development human-capital accounting system (ODHCAS), identifies…

How High Is the Tramping Track? Mathematising and Applying in a Calculus Model-Eliciting Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoon, Caroline; Dreyfus, Tommy; Thomas, Michael O. J.

2010-01-01

Two complementary processes involved in mathematical modelling are mathematising a realistic situation and applying a mathematical technique to a given realistic situation. We present and analyse work from two undergraduate students and two secondary school teachers who engaged in both processes during a mathematical modelling task that required…

Promoting communication with older adults: protocols for resolving interpersonal conflicts and for enhancing interactions with doctors.

PubMed

Weitzman, Patricia Flynn; Weitzman, Eben A

2003-07-01

In this paper, we review the importance of effective communication in older adulthood, and ideas for promoting it. We focus on theoretical and applied work in two communicative encounters that have particular relevance for older adult health, i.e., interpersonal conflict and visits with a healthcare provider. Little applied work has aimed to adapt training protocols for older adults in these two areas. We will present training protocols we have developed in constructive conflict resolution for older adults, and on enhancing doctor-patient communication. We present these protocols to stimulate ideas on the part of the reader on how to further develop and refine training efforts for older adults in effective communication.

English 4090: Collaborative Writing at Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutton, Mark

2007-01-01

This article presents a course design of English 4090: Collaborative Writing at Work. The course is a senior-level elective designed to reinforce students' existing knowledge of professional writing and to teach students how to apply that knowledge effectively in collaborative contexts. Here, the author focuses on the Spring 2006 class and…

Optimal Runge-Kutta Schemes for High-order Spatial and Temporal Discretizations

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

using larger time steps versus lower-order time integration with smaller time steps.4 In the present work, an attempt is made to gener - alize these... generality and because of interest in multi-speed and high Reynolds number, wall-bounded flow regimes, a dual-time framework is adopted in the present work...errors of general combinations of high-order spatial and temporal discretizations. Different Runge-Kutta time integrators are applied to central

Applying the Job Demands--Resources Model to the Work--Home Interface: A Study among Medical Residents and Their Partners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bakker, Arnold B.; ten Brummelhuis, Lieke L.; Prins, Jelle T.; van der Heijden, Frank M. M. A.

2011-01-01

Work-home interference (WHI) is a prevalent problem because most employees have substantial family responsibilities on top of their work demands. The present study hypothesized that high job demands in combination with low job resources contribute to WHI. The job demands-resources (JD-R) model was used as a theoretical framework. Using a sample of…

Leonard A. Jason: Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research.

PubMed

2015-11-01

The Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research is given to a psychologist whose research has led to important discoveries or developments in the field of applied psychology. To be eligible, this research should have led to innovative applications in an area of psychological practice, including but not limited to assessment, consultation, instruction, or intervention (either direct or indirect). The 2015 recipient is Leonard A. Jason. Jason "is among the most prolific community psychology researchers whose work has had measurable and significant real-world impact. His work is characterized by a continuing desire to apply knowledge to major social problems. His research is methodologically sound and creative, collaborative, and participatory, thereby increasing stakeholders' support for proposed changes." Jason's award citation, biography, and a selected bibliography are presented here. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring compositional variations on the surface of Mars applying mixing modeling to a telescopic spectral image

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merenyi, E.; Miller, J. S.; Singer, R. B.

1992-01-01

The linear mixing model approach was successfully applied to data sets of various natures. In these sets, the measured radiance could be assumed to be a linear combination of radiance contributions. The present work is an attempt to analyze a spectral image of Mars with linear mixing modeling.

Domestic Work and the Wage Penalty for Motherhood in West Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuhhirt, Michael; Ludwig, Volker

2012-01-01

Previous research suggests that household tasks prohibit women from unfolding their full earning potential by depleting their work effort and limiting their time flexibility. The present study investigated whether this relationship can explain the wage gap between mothers and nonmothers in West Germany. The empirical analysis applied fixed-effects…

Intentional Development: A Model to Guide Lifelong Physical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cherubini, Jeffrey M.

2009-01-01

Framed in the context of researching influences on physical activity and actually working with individuals and groups seeking to initiate, increase or maintain physical activity, the purpose of this review is to present the model of Intentional Development as a multi-theoretical approach to guide research and applied work in physical activity.…

PREFACE: First International Meeting on Applied Physics (APHYS-2003)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Méndez-Vilas, A.; Chacón, R.

2005-01-01

This special issue of Physica Scripta contains papers presented at the 1st International Meeting on Applied Physics (APHYS-2003), held in Badajoz (Spain), from 13th to 18th October 2003, and more specifically, selected papers presented during the conference sessions mainly on Applied Optics, Laser Physics, Ultrafast Phenomena, Optical Materials, Semiconductor Materials and Devices, Optoelectronics, Quantum Electronics and Applied Solid State Physics-Chemistry. APHYS-2003 was born as an attempt to create a new international forum on Applied Physics in Europe. Since Applied Physics is not really a branch of Physics, but the application of all the branches of Physics to the broad realms of practical problems in Science, Engineering and Industry, this conference was a truly multi and inter-disciplinary event. The organizers called for papers relating Physics with other sciences such as Biology, Chemistry, Information Science, Medicine, etc, or relating different Physics areas, and aimed at solving practical problems. In other words, the Conference was specifically interested in reports applying the techniques, the training, and the culture of Physics to research areas usually associated with other scientific and engineering disciplines. It was extremely rewarding that over 800 researchers, from over 65 countries, attended the conference, where more than 1000 research papers were presented. We feel really proud of this excellent response obtained (in number and quality), for this first edition of the conference. We are very grateful to all the members of the Organizing Committee, for the hard work done for the preparation of the Conference (which began one year before the conference start), and to the members of the International Advisory Committee, for the valuable contribution to the evaluation of submitted works. Also thank to the referees for the excellent work done in the revision of submitted papers. Finally, we would like to thank the Department of Physics of the University of Extremadura, for their support, and the Regional Government (Junta de Extremadura/Consejería de Educación, Ciencia y Tecnología), as well as INNOVA Instrumentación, for sponsoring the Conference.

Evaluation of the veracity of one work by the artist Di Cavalcanti through non-destructive techniques: XRF, imaging and brush stroke analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kajiya, E. A. M.; Campos, P. H. O. V.; Rizzutto, M. A.; Appoloni, C. R.; Lopes, F.

2014-02-01

This paper presents systematic studies and analysis that contributed to the identification of the forgery of a work by the artist Emiliano Augusto Cavalcanti de Albuquerque e Melo, known as Di Cavalcanti. The use of several areas of expertise such as brush stroke analysis ("pinacologia"), applied physics, and art history resulted in an accurate diagnosis for ascertaining the authenticity of the work entitled "Violeiro" (1950). For this work we used non-destructive methods such as techniques of infrared, ultraviolet, visible and tangential light imaging combined with chemical analysis of the pigments by portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and graphic gesture analysis. Each applied method of analysis produced specific information that made possible the identification of materials and techniques employed and we concluded that this work is not consistent with patterns characteristic of the artist Di Cavalcanti.

Working Papers in Educational Linguistics, Volume 11, Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nabors, Leslie K., Ed.; And Others

1995-01-01

Five papers on applied linguistics in educational contexts are presented. "What Can Second Language Learners Learn from Each Other? Only Their Researcher Knows for Sure" (Teresa Pica, Felicia Lincoln-Porter, Diana Paninos, Julian Linnell) presents further research on interaction and negotiation among language learners.…

Defense Commissary Resale Stock Fund Financial Statements For FY 1992

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-30

present DeCA’s accounting procedures during FY 1992. We understand DeCA is aggressively working to improve its financial management system. However...the year ended September 30, 1992, we considered the related internal control structure. The purpose of the planning work was to determine the...auditing procedures we would apply for the purposes of expressing our opinion on the Financial Statements. Planning work included obtaining an

A Chaplain’s Guide to Privileged Communications

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-04-01

the privilege.82 [This case presents an interesting dilemma . In our day of paranoia concerning accusations of sexual impropriety, some clergy, when...legal, and professional) an ethical principle is developed, which is then applied to specific situation involving privileged communication. This...legal, and professional) an ethical principle is developed, which is then applied to specific situation involving privileged communication. This work

Application of Bourdieuian Theory to the Inclusion of Students with Learning/Physical Challenges in Multicultural School Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiGiorgio, Carla

2009-01-01

Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu has contributed much to the way the field of sociology understands the social rules and structures that guide human interaction and self-understanding. Bourdieu's work has also been applied to education, and disability issues. In this paper Bourdieu's social theory is presented and applied to the notion of inclusion in…

In-Space Calibration of a Gyro Quadruplet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Itzhack, Itzhack Y.; Harman, Richard R.

2001-01-01

This work presents a new approach to gyro calibration where, in addition to being used for computing attitude that is needed in the calibration process, the gyro outputs are also used as measurements in a Kalman filter. This work also presents an algorithm for calibrating a quadruplet rather than the customary triad gyro set. In particular, a new misalignment error model is derived for this case. The new calibration algorithm is applied to the EOS-AQUA satellite gyros. The effectiveness of the new algorithm is demonstrated through simulations.

A Research-Based Development Economics Course for Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Prakarsh; Guo, Hongye; Morales, Alvaro

2015-01-01

The authors present details of a research-based course in development economics taught at a private liberal arts college. There were three key elements in this class: teaching of applied econometrics, group presentations reviewing published and working papers in development economics, and using concepts taught in class to write an original…

Use of an automatic resistivity system for detecting abandoned mine workings

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

Peters, W.R.; Burdick, R.G.

1983-01-01

A high-resolution earth resistivity system has been designed and constructed for use as a means of detecting abandoned coal mine workings. The automatic pole-dipole earth resistivity technique has already been applied to the detection of subsurface voids for military applications. The hardware and software of the system are described, together with applications for surveying and mapping abandoned coal mine workings. Field tests are presented to illustrate the detection of both air-filled and water-filled mine workings.

Preparing Students for Work in the 21st Century. Guidebook 7. Schools That Work: The Research Advantage.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Columbia Univ., New York, NY. Inst. on Education and the Economy.

A series of eight videoconferences was designed to help educational professionals improve schools by applying knowledge gained from research. During the videoconference programs, which are transmitted by satellite to facilities with receiving capacity, viewers can interact by telephone with the program presenters. Each program covers a specific…

"Quality Circles": A Strategy for Personal and Curriculum Development. Coombe Lodge Working Paper. Information Bank Number 1803.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Field, M. J.; Harrison, A. B.

Quality circles attempt to satisfy both task and personal needs through staff involvement in solving work-related problems. This paper summarizes quality circle theory, applies it to school settings, and suggests a framework for introducing the process to educational institutions. After briefly defining quality circles, the article presents two…

Positive Character Traits of Special Education Staff: Commonalities and Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korn, Maggie A.; Woodard, Cooper R.; Tucker, Chelsea A.

2016-01-01

The goal of the present study was to identify the positive character traits of staff working with a special education population and further understand how staff apply these traits in their work. Twenty-eight staff from a school/treatment program for students with autism and related developmental disorders completed the VIA Inventory of Strengths…

Why the Language of Work Is Not Our Best Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newbold, Patricia L.

2011-01-01

As Danny G. Langdon wrote in September 2010, for human performance technology to be a science, it needs commonly understood and applied models. He proposed his language of work (LOW) model. This article presents arguments for a very different model, one that cuts the cord to our profession's beginnings in the design of programmed instruction,…

Wen-Wu in Counseling with Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schermer, Travis W.

2010-01-01

Wen-wu is a Chinese conceptualization of masculinity that strikes a balance between wen (i.e., literary strength) and wu (i.e., physical strength). This concept can be readily applied to a mental health setting when working with male clients. The present treatise outlines the concept of wen-wu and provides suggestions for use in clinical work.…

Student Annotation Form To Capture Reflections on Work Samples in Portfolios.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brookhart, Susan M.

Evidence is presented for the validity and reliability of a student annotation form used to collect student reflections on work samples in portfolios. The form was designed to be general enough to apply to many grades and subjects and simple enough for students at all levels to complete. The annotation forms asked students to indicate how…

Family Systems Theory in the Workplace.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Vivian

This paper presents a summary of Murray Brown's family systems theory as it applies to the workplace, lists some indicators of when a system is working well, and cites some other guidelines for gauging and improving one's own functioning in the work system. Major concepts of Bowen's theory include: (1) the family and the workplace are systems; (2)…

Application of the Hands-On Donkey Tool for Assessing the Welfare of Working Equids at Tuliman, Mexico.

PubMed

Galindo, F; de Aluja, A; Cagigas, R; Huerta, L A; Tadich, T A

2018-01-01

Equids are still used for diverse chores in Mexico and are essential for the livelihoods of numerous families. Appropriate health and behavior are prerequisites for performing work without affecting welfare. This study aimed to assess the welfare of working equids in Tuliman, applying the hands-on donkey tool. This tool evaluates five dimensions (behavior, body condition score [BCS], wounds, lameness, and other health issues) and was applied to 438 working equids (horses, mules, and donkeys). The Kruskall-Wallis test was applied to investigate differences between species and sex. Donkeys were more common; they also presented more positive behaviors and less lameness (p < 0.05). No differences were found for BCS among species on a scale ranging from 1 to 5 (mean BCS for donkeys = 1.9; mules = 2; and horses = 1.8). Mares had significantly lower BCS (mean = 1.5) than stallions (p < 0.05) and geldings (mean = 1.9). Overall mules had better welfare evaluations. The tool allowed detection of welfare issues in working equids; a practical outcome would be implementing local welfare strategies according to its results.

APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research: Cameron J. Camp.

PubMed

2017-12-01

The Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research is given to a psychologist whose research has led to important discoveries or developments in the field of applied psychology. The 2017 recipient is Cameron J. Camp, whose innovative programs have informed psychologists in working with dementia patients to improve their living skills and enhance their independence. Camp's award citation, biography, and a selected bibliography are presented here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Unfolding and unfoldability of digital pulses in the z-domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regadío, Alberto; Sánchez-Prieto, Sebastián

2018-04-01

The unfolding (or deconvolution) technique is used in the development of digital pulse processing systems applied to particle detection. This technique is applied to digital signals obtained by digitization of analog signals that represent the combined response of the particle detectors and the associated signal conditioning electronics. This work describes a technique to determine if the signal is unfoldable. For unfoldable signals the characteristics of the unfolding system (unfolder) are presented. Finally, examples of the method applied to real experimental setup are discussed.

A learning curve-based method to implement multifunctional work teams in the Brazilian footwear sector.

PubMed

Guimarães, L B de M; Anzanello, M J; Renner, J S

2012-05-01

This paper presents a method for implementing multifunctional work teams in a footwear company that followed the Taylor/Ford system for decades. The suggested framework first applies a Learning Curve (LC) modeling to assess whether rotation between tasks of different complexities affects workers' learning rate and performance. Next, the Macroergonomic Work Analysis (MA) method (Guimarães, 1999, 2009) introduces multifunctional principles in work teams towards workers' training and resources improvement. When applied to a pilot line consisting of 100 workers, the intervention-reduced work related accidents in 80%, absenteeism in 45.65%, and eliminated work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD), medical consultations, and turnover. Further, the output rate of the multifunctional team increased average 3% compared to the production rate of the regular lines following the Taylor/Ford system (with the same shoe model being manufactured), while the rework and spoilage rates were reduced 85% and 69%, respectively. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Effective management of construction company in terms of linguistic communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirina, Elena; Gaybarian, Olga; Myasischev, Georg

2017-10-01

The research presented here has been made over the years in the field of increasing the effectiveness of management in a construction company in terms of applied linguistics. The aim of this work is to share with the scientific community some practical findings of applying the technology of process management of the company, in particular the methods of linguistic efficiency considering the factors of the linguistic personality of the employee. The study deals with the description of applied linguistic and managerial models, views, practical results of their application in the applied field in order to assess production sustainability and minimize losses. The authors applied the developed technology to practical use, and the article presents the results of this application. The authors continue the research in this direction aiming at improving the production effectiveness of the proposed technologies and eliminating some identified drawback.

Best Practices for Unstructured Grid Shock Fitting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCloud, Peter L.

2017-01-01

Unstructured grid solvers have well-known issues predicting surface heat fluxes when strong shocks are present. Various efforts have been made to address the underlying numerical issues that cause the erroneous predictions. The present work addresses some of the shortcomings of unstructured grid solvers, not by addressing the numerics, but by applying structured grid best practices to unstructured grids. A methodology for robust shock detection and shock fitting is outlined and applied to production relevant cases. Results achieved by using the Loci-CHEM Computational Fluid Dynamics solver are provided.

Work reservoirs in thermodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anacleto, Joaquim

2010-05-01

We stress the usefulness of the work reservoir in the formalism of thermodynamics, in particular in the context of the first law. To elucidate its usefulness, the formalism is then applied to the Joule expansion and other peculiar and instructive experimental situations, clarifying the concepts of configuration and dissipative work. The ideas and discussions presented in this study are primarily intended for undergraduate students, but they might also be useful to graduate students, researchers and teachers.

Space Flight Cable Model Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spak, Kaitlin

2013-01-01

This work concentrates the modeling efforts presented in last year's VSGC conference paper, "Model Development for Cable-Harnessed Beams." The focus is narrowed to modeling of space-flight cables only, as a reliable damped cable model is not yet readily available and is necessary to continue modeling cable-harnessed space structures. New experimental data is presented, eliminating the low-frequency noise that plagued the first year's efforts. The distributed transfer function method is applied to a single section of space flight cable for Euler-Bernoulli and shear beams. The work presented here will be developed into a damped cable model that can be incorporated into an interconnected beam-cable system. The overall goal of this work is to accurately predict natural frequencies and modal damping ratios for cabled space structures.

A Framework Applied Three Ways: Responsive Methods of Co-Developing and Implementing Community Science Solutions for Local Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodwin, M.; Pandya, R.; Udu-gama, N.; Wilkins, S.

2017-12-01

While one-size-fits all may work for most hats, it rarely does for communities. Research products, methods and knowledge may be usable at a local scale, but applying them often presents a challenge due to issues like availability, accessibility, awareness, lack of trust, and time. However, in an environment with diminishing federal investment in issues related climate change, natural hazards, and natural resource use and management, the ability of communities to access and leverage science has never been more urgent. Established, yet responsive frameworks and methods can help scientists and communities work together to identify and address specific challenges and leverage science to make a local impact. Through the launch of over 50 community science projects since 2013, the Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) has created a living framework consisting of a set of milestones by which teams of scientists and community leaders navigate the challenges of working together. Central to the framework are context, trust, project planning and refinement, relationship management and community impact. We find that careful and respectful partnership management results in trust and an open exchange of information. Community science partnerships grounded in local priorities result in the development and exchange of stronger decision-relevant tools, resources and knowledge. This presentation will explore three methods TEX uses to apply its framework to community science partnerships: cohort-based collaboration, online dialogues, and one-on-one consultation. The choice of method should be responsive to a community's needs and working style. For example, a community may require customized support, desire the input and support of peers, or require consultation with multiple experts before deciding on a course of action. Knowing and applying the method of engagement best suited to achieve the community's objectives will ensure that the science is most effectively translated and applied.

Relationships Between the Bulk-Skin Sea Surface Temperature Difference, Wind, and Net Air-Sea Heat Flux

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emery, William J.; Castro, Sandra L.; Lindstrom, Eric (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The primary purpose of this project was to evaluate and improve models for the bulk-skin temperature difference to the point where they could accurately and reliably apply under a wide variety of environmental conditions. To accomplish this goal, work was conducted in three primary areas. These included production of an archive of available data sets containing measurements of the skin and bulk temperatures and associated environmental conditions, evaluation of existing skin layer models using the compiled data archive, and additional theoretical work on the development of an improved model using the data collected under diverse environmental conditions. In this work we set the basis for a new physical model of renewal type, and propose a parameterization for the temperature difference across the cool skin of the ocean in which the effects of thermal buoyancy, wind stress, and microscale breaking are all integrated by means of the appropriate renewal time scales. Ideally, we seek to obtain a model that will accurately apply under a wide variety of environmental conditions. A summary of the work in each of these areas is included in this report. A large amount of work was accomplished under the support of this grant. The grant supported the graduate studies of Sandra Castro and the preparation of her thesis which will be completed later this year. This work led to poster presentations at the 1999 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting and 2000 IGARSS meeting. Additional work will be presented in a talk at this year's American Meteorological Society Air-Sea Interaction Meeting this May. The grant also supported Sandra Castro during a two week experiment aboard the R/P Flip (led by Dr. Andrew Jessup of the Applied Physics Laboratory) to help obtain additional shared data sets and to provide Sandra with a fundamental understanding of the physical processes needed in the models. In a related area, the funding also partially supported Dr. William Emery and Daniel Baldwin in the preparation of their publication "Accuracy of in situ sea surface temperatures used to calibrate infrared satellite measurements". The remainder of this report is drawn from these publications and presentations.

Voltammetric analysis apparatus and method

DOEpatents

Almon, A.C.

1993-06-08

An apparatus and method is described for electrochemical analysis of elements in solution. An auxiliary electrode, a reference electrode, and five working electrodes are positioned in a container containing a sample solution. The working electrodes are spaced apart evenly from each other and the auxiliary electrode to minimize any inter-electrode interference that may occur during analysis. An electric potential is applied between the auxiliary electrode and each of the working electrodes. Simultaneous measurements taken of the current flow through each of the working electrodes for each given potential in a potential range are used for identifying chemical elements present in the sample solution and their respective concentrations. Multiple working electrodes enable a more positive identification to be made by providing unique data characteristic of chemical elements present in the sample solution.

Econophysics: Past and present

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Area Leão Pereira, Eder Johnson; da Silva, Marcus Fernandes; Pereira, H. B. B.

2017-05-01

This paper provides a brief historical review of the relationship between economics and physics, beginning with Adam Smith being influenced by Isaac Newton's ideas up to the present day including the new econophysics discipline and some of the tools applied to the economy. Thus, this work is expected to motivate new researchers who are interested in this new discipline.

Advancing Evaluation of Character Building Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urban, Jennifer Brown; Trochim, William M.

2017-01-01

This article presents how character development practitioners, researchers, and funders might think about evaluation, how evaluation fits into their work, and what needs to happen in order to sustain evaluative practices. A broader view of evaluation is presented whereby evaluation is not just seen as something that is applied at a program level,…

Discrete Sparse Coding.

PubMed

Exarchakis, Georgios; Lücke, Jörg

2017-11-01

Sparse coding algorithms with continuous latent variables have been the subject of a large number of studies. However, discrete latent spaces for sparse coding have been largely ignored. In this work, we study sparse coding with latents described by discrete instead of continuous prior distributions. We consider the general case in which the latents (while being sparse) can take on any value of a finite set of possible values and in which we learn the prior probability of any value from data. This approach can be applied to any data generated by discrete causes, and it can be applied as an approximation of continuous causes. As the prior probabilities are learned, the approach then allows for estimating the prior shape without assuming specific functional forms. To efficiently train the parameters of our probabilistic generative model, we apply a truncated expectation-maximization approach (expectation truncation) that we modify to work with a general discrete prior. We evaluate the performance of the algorithm by applying it to a variety of tasks: (1) we use artificial data to verify that the algorithm can recover the generating parameters from a random initialization, (2) use image patches of natural images and discuss the role of the prior for the extraction of image components, (3) use extracellular recordings of neurons to present a novel method of analysis for spiking neurons that includes an intuitive discretization strategy, and (4) apply the algorithm on the task of encoding audio waveforms of human speech. The diverse set of numerical experiments presented in this letter suggests that discrete sparse coding algorithms can scale efficiently to work with realistic data sets and provide novel statistical quantities to describe the structure of the data.

Quantitative interpretation of magnetic properties as a way to characterize biogeophysical signatures of biodegraded contaminated sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ustra, A.; Kessouri, P.; Leite, A.; Mendonça, C. A.; Bandeira, N.

2017-12-01

Magnetic minerals in soils and rocks are one way to study biogechemical and paleoenvironmental processes. The ultrafine fraction of these minerals (superparmagnetic (SP) and stable single domain (SSD)) are usually investigated in environmental magnetism studies, since changes in mineralogy, concentration, size and morphology of the magnetic grains can be related to biogeochemical processes. In this study, we use low-field frequency dependent susceptibility (FDS) and isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) to characterize the magnetic properties of materials in environmental magnetism. Magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements are frequently used as a proxy of magnetic minerals present in soils and rocks. MS is a complex function of magnetic mineralogy and grain size, as well as magnitude and frequency of the applied field. This work presents a method for inverting low-field FDS data. The inverted parameters can be interpreted in terms of grain size variations of magnetic particles on the SP-SSD transition. This work also presents a method for inverting IRM demagnetization curves, to obtain the saturation magnetization, the individual magnetic moment for an assemblage of ultrafine SP minerals and estimate the concentration of magnetic carriers. IRM magnetization curves can be interpreted as resulting from distinct contributions of different mineral phases, which can be described by Cummulative Log-Gaussian (CLG) distributions. Each acquisition curve provides fundamental parameters that are characteristic of the respective mineral phase. The CLG decomposition is widely used in an interpretation procedure named mineral unmixing. In this work we present an inversion method for mineral unmixing, implementing the genetic algorithm to find the parameters of distinct components. These methodologies have been tested by synthetic models and applied to data from environmental magnetism studies. In this work we apply the proposed methodologies to characterize the magnetic properties of samples from the former Brandywine MD Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO). The results from the magnetic properties characterization will provide additional information that may assist the interpretation of the biogeophysical signatures observed at the site.

3D Printing Processes Applied to the Creation of Glass Art

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chivers, Morgan

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to present a few of the innovative techniques used in the execution of Morgan Chivers' sculptural work, not on the content of the work itself. The author's interest has been in merging the methodologies and precise output control of 3D printing with finished objects in nonprintable materials as required by the…

The Effectiveness of Project-Based Learning on Pupils with Learning Difficulties Regarding Academic Performance, Group Work and Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Filippatou, Diamanto; Kaldi, Stavroula

2010-01-01

This study focuses upon the effectiveness of project-based learning on primary school pupils with learning difficulties regarding their academic performance and attitudes towards self efficacy, task value, group work and teaching methods applied. The present study is a part of a larger one that included six Greek fourth-grade primary school…

Transit benefits 2000 working papers : a public policy analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-04-01

The research presented here represents the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) continuing effort to develop the professional literature on transportation benefits and their measurement. These studies apply new measurements to the benefits of publi...

To address accuracy and precision using methods from analytical chemistry and computational physics.

PubMed

Kozmutza, Cornelia; Picó, Yolanda

2009-04-01

In this work the pesticides were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). In present study the occurrence of imidacloprid in 343 samples of oranges, tangerines, date plum, and watermelons from Valencian Community (Spain) has been investigated. The nine additional pesticides were chosen as they have been recommended for orchard treatment together with imidacloprid. The Mulliken population analysis has been applied to present the charge distribution in imidacloprid. Partitioned energy terms and the virial ratios have been calculated for certain molecules entering in interaction. A new technique based on the comparison of the decomposed total energy terms at various configurations is demonstrated in this work. The interaction ability could be established correctly in the studied case. An attempt is also made in this work to address accuracy and precision. These quantities are well-known in experimental measurements. In case precise theoretical description is achieved for the contributing monomers and also for the interacting complex structure some properties of this latter system can be predicted to quite a good accuracy. Based on simple hypothetical considerations we estimate the impact of applying computations on reducing the amount of analytical work.

TU-D-201-01: 2016 Economics Update

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

Fontenot, J; Fuss, W

The purpose of this session is to introduce attendees to the healthcare reimbursement system and how it applies to the clinical work of a medical physicist. This will include general information about the different categories of payers and payees, how work is described by CPT codes, and how various payers set values for this work in different clinical settings. 2016 is another year of significant changes to the payment system. This presentation will describe the work encompassed in these codes and will give attendees an overview of the changes for 2016 as they apply to radiation oncology. Finally, some insightmore » into what can be expected during 2017 will be presented. This includes what information is typically released by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) during the year and how we as an organization respond. This will include ways members can interact with the AAPM professional economics committee and other resources members may find helpful. Learning objectives1) Basics of how Medicare is structured and how reimbursement rates are set.2) Basic understanding of proposed changes to the 2016 Medicare rules.3) Describe economics and policy resources that are available from the AAPM and how to interact with the professional economics committee.« less

Application of response surface techniques to helicopter rotor blade optimization procedure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Henderson, Joseph Lynn; Walsh, Joanne L.; Young, Katherine C.

1995-01-01

In multidisciplinary optimization problems, response surface techniques can be used to replace the complex analyses that define the objective function and/or constraints with simple functions, typically polynomials. In this work a response surface is applied to the design optimization of a helicopter rotor blade. In previous work, this problem has been formulated with a multilevel approach. Here, the response surface takes advantage of this decomposition and is used to replace the lower level, a structural optimization of the blade. Problems that were encountered and important considerations in applying the response surface are discussed. Preliminary results are also presented that illustrate the benefits of using the response surface.

Ancient Wisdom, Applied Knowledge for a Sustainable Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, K.; Philippe, R. Elde; Dardar, T. M. Elde

2017-12-01

Ancient wisdom informs traditional knowledges that guide Indigenous communities on how to interact with the world. These knowledges and the ancient wisdom have been the life-giving forces that have prevented the complete genocide of Indigenous peoples, and is also the wisdom that is rejuvenating ancient ways that will take the world into a future that embraces the seventh generation philosophy.. Western scientists and agency representatives are learning from the work and wisdom of Native Americans. This presentation will share the ways in which the representatives of two Tribes along the coast of Louisiana have been helping to educate and apply their work with Western scientists.

Electro-pumped whispering gallery mode ZnO microlaser array

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

Zhu, G. Y.; State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096; Li, J. T.

2015-01-12

By employing vapor-phase transport method, ZnO microrods are fabricated and directly assembled on p-GaN substrate to form a heterostructural microlaser array, which avoids of the relatively complicated etching process comparing previous work. Under applied forward bias, whispering gallery mode ZnO ultraviolet lasing is obtained from the as-fabricated heterostructural microlaser array. The device's electroluminescence originates from three distinct electron-hole recombination processes in the heterojunction interface, and whispering gallery mode ultraviolet lasing is obtained when the applied voltage is beyond the lasing threshold. This work may present a significant step towards future fabrication of a facile technique for micro/nanolasers.

Representing energy efficiency diagnosis strategies in cognitive work analysis.

PubMed

Hilliard, Antony; Jamieson, Greg A

2017-03-01

This article describes challenges encountered in applying Jens Rasmussen's Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) framework to the practice of energy efficiency Monitoring & Targeting (M&T). Eight theoretic issues encountered in the analysis are described with respect to Rasmussen's work and the modeling solutions we adopted. We grappled with how to usefully apply Work Domain Analysis (WDA) to analyze categories of domains with secondary purposes and no ideal grain of decomposition. This difficulty encouraged us to pursue Control Task (ConTA) and Strategies (StrA) analysis, which are under-explored as bases for interface design. In ConTA we found M&T was best represented by two interlinked work functions; one controlling energy, the other maintaining knowledge representations. From StrA, we identified a popular representation-dependent strategy and inferred information required to diagnose faults in system performance and knowledge representation. This article presents and discusses excerpts from our analysis, and outlines their application to diagnosis support tools. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Realist Ontology and Natural Processes: A Semantic Tool to Analyze the Presentation of the Osmosis Concept in Science Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spinelli Barria, Michele; Morales, Cecilia; Merino, Cristian; Quiroz, Waldo

2016-01-01

In this work, we developed an ontological tool, based on the scientific realism of Mario Bunge, for the analysis of the presentation of natural processes in science textbooks. This tool was applied to analyze the presentation of the concept of osmosis in 16 chemistry and biology books at different educational levels. The results showed that more…

Novel Directional Solidification Processing of Hypermonotectic Alloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grugel, Richard N.

1999-01-01

Gravity driven separation precludes uniform microstructural development during controlled directional solidification (DS) processing of hypermonotectic alloys. It is well established that liquid/liquid suspensions, in which the respective components are immiscible and have significant density differences, can be established and maintained by utilizing ultrasound. A historical introduction to this work is presented with the intent of establishing the basis for applying the phenomena to promote microstructural uniformity during controlled directional solidification processing of immiscible mixtures. Experimental work based on transparent organics, as well as salt systems, will be presented in view of the processing parameters.

Evaluating the Similarity of Complex Drinking-Water Disinfection By-Product Mixtures: Overview of the Issues

EPA Science Inventory

The Presentation describes the advantages and challenges of working with Whole Mixtures, discusses an exploratory approach for evaluating sufficient similarity, and challenges of applying such approaches to other environmental mixtures.

Design Science Methodology Applied to a Chemical Surveillance Tool

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

Huang, Zhuanyi; Han, Kyungsik; Charles-Smith, Lauren E.

Public health surveillance systems gain significant benefits from integrating existing early incident detection systems,supported by closed data sources, with open source data.However, identifying potential alerting incidents relies on finding accurate, reliable sources and presenting the high volume of data in a way that increases analysts work efficiency; a challenge for any system that leverages open source data. In this paper, we present the design concept and the applied design science research methodology of ChemVeillance, a chemical analyst surveillance system.Our work portrays a system design and approach that translates theoretical methodology into practice creating a powerful surveillance system built for specificmore » use cases.Researchers, designers, developers, and related professionals in the health surveillance community can build upon the principles and methodology described here to enhance and broaden current surveillance systems leading to improved situational awareness based on a robust integrated early warning system.« less

Scalable Methods for Eulerian-Lagrangian Simulation Applied to Compressible Multiphase Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwick, David; Hackl, Jason; Balachandar, S.

2017-11-01

Multiphase flows can be found in countless areas of physics and engineering. Many of these flows can be classified as dispersed two-phase flows, meaning that there are solid particles dispersed in a continuous fluid phase. A common technique for simulating such flow is the Eulerian-Lagrangian method. While useful, this method can suffer from scaling issues on larger problem sizes that are typical of many realistic geometries. Here we present scalable techniques for Eulerian-Lagrangian simulations and apply it to the simulation of a particle bed subjected to expansion waves in a shock tube. The results show that the methods presented here are viable for simulation of larger problems on modern supercomputers. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. DGE-1315138. This work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-NA0002378.

How to apply the optimal estimation method to your lidar measurements for improved retrievals of temperature and composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sica, R. J.; Haefele, A.; Jalali, A.; Gamage, S.; Farhani, G.

2018-04-01

The optimal estimation method (OEM) has a long history of use in passive remote sensing, but has only recently been applied to active instruments like lidar. The OEM's advantage over traditional techniques includes obtaining a full systematic and random uncertainty budget plus the ability to work with the raw measurements without first applying instrument corrections. In our meeting presentation we will show you how to use the OEM for temperature and composition retrievals for Rayleigh-scatter, Ramanscatter and DIAL lidars.

Peripheral Vision Horizon Display (PVHD). Corrected Copy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

A Canadian invention, the peripheral vision horizon display (PVHD), shows promise in alleviating vertigo or disorientation in pilots flying under instrument conditions and easing the piloting task when flying in weather or other conditions requiring close attention to aircraft attitude instruments. A diversity of research and applied work was being done to investigate and validate the benefits of the PVHD during the years immediately preceding this conference. Organizers of the conference were able to assemble a group of outstanding presenters representing academic, industrial, and military. The theoretical foundation and applied use of the PVHD are discussed, and results from operational tests are presented.

Student Perspectives on the Impact of an Undergraduate Work-Integrated Learning Program on Admission and Transition to Medical School.

PubMed

McDonald, Rachel; Bobrowski, Adam; Drost, Leah; Rowbottom, Leigha; Pretti, Judene; Soliman, Hany; Chan, Stephanie; Chow, Edward

2018-05-05

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is a form of education that integrates academic and workplace study. Such programs provide students the opportunity to concurrently develop cognitive and non-cognitive competencies. The purpose of this study is to explore which experiences and skills learned in a WIL placement are useful in applying to medical school and transitioning into the first year of a Doctor of Medicine program. All individuals who worked in the Rapid Response Radiotherapy Program (RRRP; WIL placement) since 2004 and had completed at least 1 year of medical school were invited to participate. Semi-formal interviews were conducted and transcribed. A thematic analysis was completed to identify recurring concepts, and quotes were selected to represent them. Of 39 eligible individuals, 14 agreed to participate (36%). Students identified the volume of work, achieving a work-life balance, and time management as challenges in first-year medical school. Five themes emerged regarding the impact of the RRRP on applying and transitioning to medical school: time management skills, mentorship opportunities, research experience, clinical experience, and career choice. WIL placements present a unique opportunity for undergraduate students interested in pursuing medicine to acquire skills and experiences that will help them succeed in applying and transitioning to medical school.

Voltametric analysis apparatus and method

DOEpatents

Almon, Amy C.

1993-01-01

An apparatus and method for electrochemical analysis of elements in solution. An auxiliary electrode 14, a reference electrode 18, and five working electrodes 20, 22, 26, 28, and 30 are positioned in a container 12 containing a sample solution 34. The working electrodes are spaced apart evenly from each other and auxiliary electrode 14 to minimize any inter-electrode interference that may occur during analysis. An electric potential is applied between auxiliary electrode 14 and each of the working electrodes 20, 22, 26, 28, and 30. Simultaneous measurements taken of the current flow through each of the working electrodes for each given potential in a potential range are used for identifying chemical elements present in sample solution 34 and their respective concentrations. Multiple working electrodes enable a more positive identification to be made by providing unique data characteristic of chemical elements present in the sample solution.

Will We Be Smart Enough? A Cognitive Analysis of the Coming Workforce.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Earl

This book applies what has been learned in cognitive science to analyze the work force. Chapter 1 takes the point of view that the United States has problems in the creation and distribution of wealth and that many of the problems and their solutions lie in the characteristics of the work force. Chapter 2 presents a psychometric model of abilities…

[P.A.M. Dirac and antimatter applied to medicine].

PubMed

Kulenović, Fahrudin; Vobornik, Slavenka; Dalagija, Faruk

2003-01-01

Regarding to the hundredth anniversary of P. Dirac birth, it was made review on life and work of this genius in the history of physics and science generally. His ingenious scientific work, that significantly marked contemporary time, was presented in the simplest way with aim to approach more number of readers. Special accent was put on application of Dirac's ideas about antiparticles in medical practice.

Shallow Water Reverberation Measurement and Prediction

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-06-01

tool . The temporal signal processing consisted of a short-time Fourier transform spectral estimation method applied to data from a single hydrophone...The three-dimensional Hamiltonian Acoustic Ray-tracing Program for the Ocean (HARPO) was used as the primary propagation modeling tool . The temporal...summarizes the work completed and discusses lessons learned . Advice regarding future work to refine the present study will be provided. 6 our poiut source

Evaluation of Environmental Attitudes: Analysis and Results of a Scale Applied to University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez-Manzanal, Rosario; Rodriguez-Barreiro, Luis; Carrasquer, Jose

2007-01-01

Over the last few decades, environmental work has increased significantly. An important part of this has to do with attitudes. This research presents the design and validation of an environmental attitudes scale aimed at university students. Detailed information on development and validation of the scale is provided. Similarly, it presents the…

In Situ Observations of Electric-Field Induced Nanoparticle Aggregation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woehl, T. J.; Browning, N. D.; Ristenpart, W. D.

2010-11-01

Nanoparticles have been widely observed to aggregate laterally on electrodes in response to applied electric fields. The mechanism driving this behavior, however, is unclear. Several groups have interpreted the aggregation in terms of electrohydrodynamic or electroosmotic fluid motion, but little corroborating evidence has been presented. Notably, work to date has relied on post situ observations using electron microscopy. Here we present a fluorescence microscopy technique to track the dynamics of nanoparticle aggregation in situ. Fluorescent 20-nm polystyrene nanoparticles are observed to form optically visible aggregates in response to an applied AC field. Although single particle resolution is lost, the existence of aggregates on the electrode surface is marked by growing clusters of increasingly bright intensity. We present a systematic investigation of the effects of applied potential and frequency on the aggregation rate, and we interpret the behavior in terms of a mechanism based on electrically induced convective flow.

Methodes entropiques appliquees au probleme inverse en magnetoencephalographie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lapalme, Ervig

2005-07-01

This thesis is devoted to biomagnetic source localization using magnetoencephalography. This problem is known to have an infinite number of solutions. So methods are required to take into account anatomical and functional information on the solution. The work presented in this thesis uses the maximum entropy on the mean method to constrain the solution. This method originates from statistical mechanics and information theory. This thesis is divided into two main parts containing three chapters each. The first part reviews the magnetoencephalographic inverse problem: the theory needed to understand its context and the hypotheses for simplifying the problem. In the last chapter of this first part, the maximum entropy on the mean method is presented: its origins are explained and also how it is applied to our problem. The second part is the original work of this thesis presenting three articles; one of them already published and two others submitted for publication. In the first article, a biomagnetic source model is developed and applied in a theoretical con text but still demonstrating the efficiency of the method. In the second article, we go one step further towards a realistic modelization of the cerebral activation. The main priors are estimated using the magnetoencephalographic data. This method proved to be very efficient in realistic simulations. In the third article, the previous method is extended to deal with time signals thus exploiting the excellent time resolution offered by magnetoencephalography. Compared with our previous work, the temporal method is applied to real magnetoencephalographic data coming from a somatotopy experience and results agree with previous physiological knowledge about this kind of cognitive process.

Holistic Sustainability Assessment of Agricultural Rainwater Harvesting

EPA Science Inventory

We present a methodology for holistic sustainability assessment of green infrastructure, applied to agricultural rainwater harvesting (RWH) in the Albemarle-Pamlico river basin. It builds upon prior work in the region through the use of detailed, crop-level management information...

[An Introduction to Methods for Evaluating Health Care Technology].

PubMed

Lee, Ting-Ting

2015-06-01

The rapid and continual advance of healthcare technology makes ensuring that this technology is used effectively to achieve its original goals a critical issue. This paper presents three methods that may be applied by healthcare professionals in the evaluation of healthcare technology. These methods include: the perception/experiences of users, user work-pattern changes, and chart review or data mining. The first method includes two categories: using interviews to explore the user experience and using theory-based questionnaire surveys. The second method applies work sampling to observe the work pattern changes of users. The last method conducts chart reviews or data mining to analyze the designated variables. In conclusion, while evaluative feedback may be used to improve the design and development of healthcare technology applications, the informatics competency and informatics literacy of users may be further explored in future research.

Conceptual compression for pattern recognition in 3D model output

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prudden, Rachel; Robinson, Niall; Arribas, Alberto

2017-04-01

The problem of data compression is closely related to the idea of comprehension. If you understand a scene at a qualitative level, this should enable you to make reasonable predictions about its contents, meaning that less extra information is needed to encode it precisely. These ideas have already been applied in the field of image compression; see for example the work on conceptual compression by Google DeepMind. Applying similar methods to multidimensional atmospheric data could have significant benefits. Beyond reducing storage demands, the ability to recognise complex features would make it far easier to interpret and search large volumes of meteorological data. Our poster will present some early work in this area.

Efficacy of integrating information literacy education into a women's health course on information literacy for RN-BSN students.

PubMed

Ku, Ya-Lie; Sheu, Sheila; Kuo, Shih-Ming

2007-03-01

Information literacy, essential to evidences-based nursing, can promote nurses' capability for life-long learning. Nursing education should strive to employ information literacy education in nursing curricula to improve information literacy abilities among nursing students. This study explored the effectiveness of information literacy education by comparing information literacy skills among a group of RN-BSN (Registered Nurse to Bachelors of Science in Nursing) students who received information literacy education with a group that did not. This quasi-experimental study was conducted during a women's health issues course taught between March and June 2004. Content was presented to the 32 RN-BSN students enrolled in this course, which also taught skills on searching and screening, integrating, analyzing, applying, and presenting information. At the beginning and end of the program, 75 RN-BSN student self-evaluated on a 10 point Likert scale their attained skills in searching and screening, integrating, analyzing, applying, and presenting information. Results identified no significant differences between the experimental (n = 32) and control groups (n = 43) in terms of age, marital status, job title, work unit, years of work experience, and information literacy skills as measured at the beginning of the semester. At the end of the semester during which content was taught, the information literacy of the experimental group in all categories, with the exception of information presentation, was significantly improved as compared to that of the control group. Results were especially significant in terms of integrating, analyzing, and applying skill categories. It is hoped that in the future nursing students will apply enhanced information literacy to address and resolve patients' health problems in clinical settings.

The effect of long-term working memory through personalization applied to free recall: uncurbing the primacy-effect enthusiasm.

PubMed

Guida, Alessandro; Gras, Doriane; Noel, Yvonnick; Le Bohec, Olivier; Quaireau, Christophe; Nicolas, Serge

2013-05-01

In this study, a personalization method (Guida, Tardieu, & Nicolas, European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 21: 862-896 2009) was applied to a free-recall task. Fifteen pairs of words, composed of an object and a location, were presented to 93 participants, who had to mentally associate each pair and subsequently recall the objects. A 30-s delay was introduced on half of the trials, the presentation rate was manipulated (5 or 10 s per item), and verbal and visuospatial working memory tests were administered to test for their effects on the serial curve. Two groups were constituted: a personalized group, for whom the locations were well-known places on their university campus, and a nonpersonalized group, for whom the locations did not refer to known places. Since personalization putatively operationalizes long-term working memory (Ericsson & Kintsch, Psychological Review, 102: 211-245 1995)-namely, the capacity to store information reliably and rapidly in long-term memory-and if we take a dual-store approach to memory, the personalization advantage would be expected to be greater for pre-recency than for recency items. Overall, the results were compatible with long-term working memory theory. They contribute to validating the personalization method as a methodology to characterize the contribution of long-term memory storage to performance in working memory tasks.

Los Alamos Science: The Human Genome Project. Number 20, 1992

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

Cooper, N G; Shea, N

1992-01-01

This article provides a broad overview of the Human Genome Project, with particular emphasis on work being done at Los Alamos. It tries to emphasize the scientific aspects of the project, compared to the more speculative information presented in the popular press. There is a brief introduction to modern genetics, including a review of classic work. There is a broad overview of the Genome Project, describing what the project is, what are some of its major five-year goals, what are major technological challenges ahead of the project, and what can the field of biology, as well as society expect tomore » see as benefits from this project. Specific results on the efforts directed at mapping chromosomes 16 and 5 are discussed. A brief introduction to DNA libraries is presented, bearing in mind that Los Alamos has housed such libraries for many years prior to the Genome Project. Information on efforts to do applied computational work related to the project are discussed, as well as experimental efforts to do rapid DNA sequencing by means of single-molecule detection using applied spectroscopic methods. The article introduces the Los Alamos staff which are working on the Genome Project, and concludes with brief discussions on ethical, legal, and social implications of this work; a brief glimpse of genetics as it may be practiced in the next century; and a glossary of relevant terms.« less

Los Alamos Science: The Human Genome Project. Number 20, 1992

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Cooper, N. G.; Shea, N. eds.

1992-01-01

This document provides a broad overview of the Human Genome Project, with particular emphasis on work being done at Los Alamos. It tries to emphasize the scientific aspects of the project, compared to the more speculative information presented in the popular press. There is a brief introduction to modern genetics, including a review of classic work. There is a broad overview of the Genome Project, describing what the project is, what are some of its major five-year goals, what are major technological challenges ahead of the project, and what can the field of biology, as well as society expect to see as benefits from this project. Specific results on the efforts directed at mapping chromosomes 16 and 5 are discussed. A brief introduction to DNA libraries is presented, bearing in mind that Los Alamos has housed such libraries for many years prior to the Genome Project. Information on efforts to do applied computational work related to the project are discussed, as well as experimental efforts to do rapid DNA sequencing by means of single-molecule detection using applied spectroscopic methods. The article introduces the Los Alamos staff which are working on the Genome Project, and concludes with brief discussions on ethical, legal, and social implications of this work; a brief glimpse of genetics as it may be practiced in the next century; and a glossary of relevant terms.

Heisenberg and the critical mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernstein, Jeremy

2002-09-01

An elementary treatment of the critical mass used in nuclear weapons is presented and applied to an analysis of the wartime activities of the German nuclear program. In particular, the work of Werner Heisenberg based on both wartime and postwar documents is discussed.

Applied nonlinear optics in the journal 'Quantum Electronics'

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

Grechin, Sergei G; Dmitriev, Valentin G; Chirkin, Anatolii S

2011-12-31

A brief historical review of the experimental and theoretical works on nonlinear optical frequency conversion (generation of harmonics, up- and down-conversion, parametric oscillation), which have been published in the journal 'Quantum Electronics' for the last 40 years, is presented.

Overview of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, W. N.

1979-01-01

A survey is presented of the practices which were applied for designing VAWT blades. An attempt is made to discuss strengths and weaknesses of the existing procedures. Discussion is provided on planned or suggested future work in developing improved design tools.

Opportunities in Government for Students of Green Chemistry

EPA Science Inventory

The presentation focuses on opportunities for students in green chemistry to apply their skills and knowledge in a government setting. Several examples of on-going work as well as opportunities for employment in local, state and federal positions will be discussed.

Robot path planning algorithm based on symbolic tags in dynamic environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vokhmintsev, A.; Timchenko, M.; Melnikov, A.; Kozko, A.; Makovetskii, A.

2017-09-01

The present work will propose a new heuristic algorithms for path planning of a mobile robot in an unknown dynamic space that have theoretically approved estimates of computational complexity and are approbated for solving specific applied problems.

Galaxy formation through hierarchical clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Simon D. M.; Frenk, Carlos S.

1991-09-01

Analytic methods for studying the formation of galaxies by gas condensation within massive dark halos are presented. The present scheme applies to cosmogonies where structure grows through hierarchical clustering of a mixture of gas and dissipationless dark matter. The simplest models consistent with the current understanding of N-body work on dissipationless clustering, and that of numerical and analytic work on gas evolution and cooling are adopted. Standard models for the evolution of the stellar population are also employed, and new models for the way star formation heats and enriches the surrounding gas are constructed. Detailed results are presented for a cold dark matter universe with Omega = 1 and H(0) = 50 km/s/Mpc, but the present methods are applicable to other models. The present luminosity functions contain significantly more faint galaxies than are observed.

A visualization framework for design and evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blundell, Benjamin J.; Ng, Gary; Pettifer, Steve

2006-01-01

The creation of compelling visualisation paradigms is a craft often dominated by intuition and issues of aesthetics, with relatively few models to support good design. The majority of problem cases are approached by simply applying a previously evaluated visualisation technique. A large body of work exists covering the individual aspects of visualisation design such as the human cognition aspects visualisation methods for specific problem areas, psychology studies and so forth, yet most frameworks regarding visualisation are applied after-the-fact as an evaluation measure. We present an extensible framework for visualisation aimed at structuring the design process, increasing decision traceability and delineating the notions of function, aesthetics and usability. The framework can be used to derive a set of requirements for good visualisation design and evaluating existing visualisations, presenting possible improvements. Our framework achieves this by being both broad and general, built on top of existing works, with hooks for extensions and customizations. This paper shows how existing theories of information visualisation fit into the scheme, presents our experience in the application of this framework on several designs, and offers our evaluation of the framework and the designs studied.

Optimization of thermoacoustic engine driven thermoacoustic refrigerator using response surface methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, A. B.; Desai, K. P.; Naik, H. B.; Atrey, M. D.

2017-02-01

Thermoacoustic engines (TAEs) are devices which convert heat energy into useful acoustic work whereas thermoacoustic refrigerators (TARs) convert acoustic work into temperature gradient. These devices work without any moving component. Study presented here comprises of a combination system i.e. thermoacoustic engine driven thermoacoustic refrigerator (TADTAR). This system has no moving component and hence it is easy to fabricate but at the same time it is very challenging to design and construct optimized system with comparable performance. The work presented here aims to apply optimization technique to TADTAR in the form of response surface methodology (RSM). Significance of stack position and stack length for engine stack, stack position and stack length for refrigerator stack are investigated in current work. Results from RSM are compared with results from simulations using Design Environment for Low-amplitude Thermoacoustic Energy conversion (DeltaEC) for compliance.

Laser engines operating by resonance absorption. [thermodynamic feasibility study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garbuny, M.; Pechersky, M. J.

1976-01-01

Basic tutorial article on the thermodynamic feasibility of laser engines at the present state of the art. Three main options are considered: (1) laser power applied externally to a heat reservoir (boiler approach); (2) internal heating of working fluid by resonance absorption; and (3) direct conversion of selective excitation into work. Only (2) is considered practically feasible at present. Basic concepts and variants, efficiency relations, upper temperature limits of laser engines, selection of absorbing gases, engine walls, bleaching, thermodynamic cycles of optimized laser engines, laser-powered turbines, laser heat pumps are discussed. Photon engines and laser dissociation engines are also considered.

Dictionary of Alaska place names

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orth, Donald J.

1971-01-01

This work is an alphabetical list of the geographic names that are now applied and have been applied to places and features of the Alaska landscape. Principal names, compiled from modem maps and charts and printed in boldface type, generally reflect present-day local usage. They conform to the principles of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names for establishing standard names for use on Government maps and in other Government publications. Each name entry gives the present-day spelling along with variant spellings and names; identifies the feature named; presents the origin and history of the name; and, where possible, gives the meaning of an Eskimo, Aleut, Indian, or foreign name. Variant, obsolete, and doubtful names are alphabetically listed and are cross referenced, where necessary, to the principal entries.

NASA Armstrong's Approach to Store Separation Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acuff, Chris; Bui, Trong

2015-01-01

Presentation will an overview of NASA Armstrong's store separation capabilities and how they have been applied recently. Objective of the presentation is to brief Generation Orbit and other potential partners on NASA Armstrong's store separation capabilities. It will include discussions on the use of NAVSEP and Cart3D, as well as some Python scripting work to perform the analysis, and a short overview of this methodology applied to the Towed Glider Air Launch System. Collaboration with potential customers in this area could lead to funding for the further development of a store separation capability at NASA Armstrong, which would boost the portfolio of engineering expertise at the center.

[Formulation and special investigations of innovative intraoral solid dosage forms.

PubMed

Kristo, K; kATONA, B; Piukovics, P; Olah, I; Sipos, B; Sipos, S E; Sovany, T; Hodi, K; Ifi Regdon, G

During our work, we summarized the types of solid dosage forms which were in the focus of attention in the last years because of their innovative pharmaceutical technology solution and simple use. The biopharmaceutics of solid dosage forms for intraoral use and the advantages of the use of these dosages forms were presented in general. However, these dosage forms cannot always be prepared with conventional pharmaceutical processes, therefore the special pharmaceutical solutions which can be applied for their preparation were presented. In addition to testing the European Pharmacopoeia dosage forms, the special tests which can be applied for the characterization of innovative solid dosage forms were highlighted.

The cost to successfully apply for level 3 medical home recognition

PubMed Central

Mottus, Kathleen; Reiter, Kristin; Mitchell, C. Madeline; Donahue, Katrina E.; Gabbard, Wilson M.; Gush, Kimberly

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND The NCQA Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) recognition program provides practices an opportunity to implement Medical home activities. Understanding the costs to apply for recognition may enable practices to plan their work. METHODS Practice coaches identified 5 exemplar practices that received level 3 recognition (3 pediatric and 2 family medicine practices). This analysis focuses on 4 that received 2011 recognition. Clinical, informatics and administrative staff participated in 2–3 hour interviews. We collected the time required to develop, implement and maintain required activities. We categorized costs as: 1) non-personnel, 2) developmental 3) those to implement activities 4) those to maintain activities, 5) those to document the work and 6) consultant costs. Only incremental costs were included and are presented as costs per full-time equivalent provider (pFTE) RESULTS Practice size ranged from 2.5 – 10.5 pFTE’s, payer mixes from 7–43 % Medicaid. There was variation in the distribution of costs by activity by practice; but the costs to apply were remarkably similar ($11,453–$15,977 pFTE). CONCLUSION The costs to apply for 2011 recognition were noteworthy. Work to enhance care coordination and close loops were highly valued. Financial incentives were key motivators. Future efforts to minimize the burden of low value activities could benefit practices. PMID:26769879

Setting research priorities by applying the combined approach matrix.

PubMed

Ghaffar, Abdul

2009-04-01

Priority setting in health research is a dynamic process. Different organizations and institutes have been working in the field of research priority setting for many years. In 1999 the Global Forum for Health Research presented a research priority setting tool called the Combined Approach Matrix or CAM. Since its development, the CAM has been successfully applied to set research priorities for diseases, conditions and programmes at global, regional and national levels. This paper briefly explains the CAM methodology and how it could be applied in different settings, giving examples and describing challenges encountered in the process of setting research priorities and providing recommendations for further work in this field. The construct and design of the CAM is explained along with different steps needed, including planning and organization of a priority-setting exercise and how it could be applied in different settings. The application of the CAM are described by using three examples. The first concerns setting research priorities for a global programme, the second describes application at the country level and the third setting research priorities for diseases. Effective application of the CAM in different and diverse environments proves its utility as a tool for setting research priorities. Potential challenges encountered in the process of research priority setting are discussed and some recommendations for further work in this field are provided.

Decision Support System Requirements Definition for Human Extravehicular Activity Based on Cognitive Work Analysis

PubMed Central

Miller, Matthew James; McGuire, Kerry M.; Feigh, Karen M.

2016-01-01

The design and adoption of decision support systems within complex work domains is a challenge for cognitive systems engineering (CSE) practitioners, particularly at the onset of project development. This article presents an example of applying CSE techniques to derive design requirements compatible with traditional systems engineering to guide decision support system development. Specifically, it demonstrates the requirements derivation process based on cognitive work analysis for a subset of human spaceflight operations known as extravehicular activity. The results are presented in two phases. First, a work domain analysis revealed a comprehensive set of work functions and constraints that exist in the extravehicular activity work domain. Second, a control task analysis was performed on a subset of the work functions identified by the work domain analysis to articulate the translation of subject matter states of knowledge to high-level decision support system requirements. This work emphasizes an incremental requirements specification process as a critical component of CSE analyses to better situate CSE perspectives within the early phases of traditional systems engineering design. PMID:28491008

Decision Support System Requirements Definition for Human Extravehicular Activity Based on Cognitive Work Analysis.

PubMed

Miller, Matthew James; McGuire, Kerry M; Feigh, Karen M

2017-06-01

The design and adoption of decision support systems within complex work domains is a challenge for cognitive systems engineering (CSE) practitioners, particularly at the onset of project development. This article presents an example of applying CSE techniques to derive design requirements compatible with traditional systems engineering to guide decision support system development. Specifically, it demonstrates the requirements derivation process based on cognitive work analysis for a subset of human spaceflight operations known as extravehicular activity . The results are presented in two phases. First, a work domain analysis revealed a comprehensive set of work functions and constraints that exist in the extravehicular activity work domain. Second, a control task analysis was performed on a subset of the work functions identified by the work domain analysis to articulate the translation of subject matter states of knowledge to high-level decision support system requirements. This work emphasizes an incremental requirements specification process as a critical component of CSE analyses to better situate CSE perspectives within the early phases of traditional systems engineering design.

Systems scenarios: a tool for facilitating the socio-technical design of work systems.

PubMed

Hughes, Helen P N; Clegg, Chris W; Bolton, Lucy E; Machon, Lauren C

2017-10-01

The socio-technical systems approach to design is well documented. Recognising the benefits of this approach, organisations are increasingly trying to work with systems, rather than their component parts. However, few tools attempt to analyse the complexity inherent in such systems, in ways that generate useful, practical outputs. In this paper, we outline the 'System Scenarios Tool' (SST), which is a novel, applied methodology that can be used by designers, end-users, consultants or researchers to help design or re-design work systems. The paper introduces the SST using examples of its application, and describes the potential benefits of its use, before reflecting on its limitations. Finally, we discuss potential opportunities for the tool, and describe sets of circumstances in which it might be used. Practitioner Summary: The paper presents a novel, applied methodological tool, named the 'Systems Scenarios Tool'. We believe this tool can be used as a point of reference by designers, end-users, consultants or researchers, to help design or re-design work systems. Included in the paper are two worked examples, demonstrating the tool's application.

High speed transition prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gasperas, Gediminis

1993-01-01

The main objective of this work period was to develop, maintain and exercise state-of-the-art methods for transition prediction in supersonic flow fields. Basic state and stability codes, acquired during the last work period, were exercised and applied to calculate the properties of various flowfields. The development of a code for the prediction of transition location using a currently novel method (the PSE or Parabolized Stability Equation method), initiated during the last work period and continued during the present work period, was cancelled at mid-year for budgetary reasons. Other activities during this period included the presentation of a paper at the APS meeting in Tallahassee, Florida entitled 'Stability of Two-Dimensional Compressible Boundary Layers', as well as the initiation of a paper co-authored with H. Reed of the Arizona State University entitled 'Stability of Boundary Layers'.

Computer Sciences Applied to Management at Open University of Catalonia: Development of Competences of Teamworks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisa, Carlos Cabañero; López, Enric Serradell

Teamwork is considered one of the most important professional skills in today's business environment. More specifically, the collaborative work between professionals and information technology managers from various functional areas is a strategic key in competitive business. Several university-level programs are focusing on developing these skills. This article presents the case of the course Computer Science Applied to Management (hereafter CSAM) that has been designed with the objective to develop the ability to work cooperatively in interdisciplinary teams. For their design and development have been addressed to the key elements of efficiency that appear in the literature, most notably the establishment of shared objectives and a feedback system, the management of the harmony of the team, their level of autonomy, independence, diversity and level of supervision. The final result is a subject in which, through a working virtual platform, interdisciplinary teams solve a problem raised by a case study.

Visualisation and interaction design solutions to address specific demands in shared home care.

PubMed

Scandurra, Isabella; Hägglund, Maria; Koch, Sabine

2006-01-01

When care professionals from different organisations are involved in patient care, their different views on the care process may not be meaningfully integrated. To use visualisation and interaction design solutions addressing the specific demands of shared care in order to support a collaborative work process. Participatory design, comprising interdisciplinary seminar series with real users and iterative prototyping, was applied. A set of interaction and visualisation design solutions to address care professionals' requirements in shared home care is presented, introducing support for identifying origin of information, holistic presentation of information, user group specific visualisation, avoiding cognitive overload, coordination of work and planning, and quick overviews. The design solutions are implemented in an integrated virtual health record system supporting cooperation and coordination in shared home care for the elderly. The described requirements are, however, generalized to comprise all shared care work. The presented design considerations allow healthcare professionals in different organizations to share patient data on mobile devices. Visualization and interaction design facilitates specific work situations and assists in handling specific demands in shared care. The user interface is adapted to different user groups with similar yet distinct needs. Consequently different views supporting cooperative work and presenting shared information in holistic overviews are developed.

Are Lipases Still Important Biocatalysts? A Study of Scientific Publications and Patents for Technological Forecasting

PubMed Central

Daiha, Karina de Godoy; Angeli, Renata; de Oliveira, Sabrina Dias; Almeida, Rodrigo Volcan

2015-01-01

The great potential of lipases is known since 1930 when the work of J. B. S. Haldane was published. After eighty-five years of studies and developments, are lipases still important biocatalysts? For answering this question the present work investigated the technological development of four important industrial sectors where lipases are applied: production of detergent formulations; organic synthesis, focusing on kinetic resolution, production of biodiesel, and production of food and feed products. The analysis was made based on research publications and patent applications, working as scientific and technological indicators, respectively. Their evolution, interaction, the major players of each sector and the main subject matters disclosed in patent documents were discussed. Applying the concept of technology life cycle, S-curves were built by plotting cumulative patent data over time to monitor the attractiveness of each technology for investment. The results lead to a conclusion that the use of lipases as biocatalysts is still a relevant topic for the industrial sector, but developments are still needed for lipase biocatalysis to reach its full potential, which are expected to be achieved within the third, and present, wave of biocatalysis. PMID:26111144

Are Lipases Still Important Biocatalysts? A Study of Scientific Publications and Patents for Technological Forecasting.

PubMed

Daiha, Karina de Godoy; Angeli, Renata; de Oliveira, Sabrina Dias; Almeida, Rodrigo Volcan

2015-01-01

The great potential of lipases is known since 1930 when the work of J. B. S. Haldane was published. After eighty-five years of studies and developments, are lipases still important biocatalysts? For answering this question the present work investigated the technological development of four important industrial sectors where lipases are applied: production of detergent formulations; organic synthesis, focusing on kinetic resolution, production of biodiesel, and production of food and feed products. The analysis was made based on research publications and patent applications, working as scientific and technological indicators, respectively. Their evolution, interaction, the major players of each sector and the main subject matters disclosed in patent documents were discussed. Applying the concept of technology life cycle, S-curves were built by plotting cumulative patent data over time to monitor the attractiveness of each technology for investment. The results lead to a conclusion that the use of lipases as biocatalysts is still a relevant topic for the industrial sector, but developments are still needed for lipase biocatalysis to reach its full potential, which are expected to be achieved within the third, and present, wave of biocatalysis.

Electrically and magnetically dual-driven Janus particles for handwriting-enabled electronic paper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komazaki, Y.; Hirama, H.; Torii, T.

2015-04-01

In this work, we describe the synthesis of novel electrically and magnetically dual-driven Janus particles for a handwriting-enabled twisting ball display via the microfluidic technique. One hemisphere of the Janus particles contains a charge control agent, which allows the display color to be controlled by applying a voltage and superparamagnetic nanoparticles, allows handwriting by applying a magnetic field to the display. We fabricated a twisting ball display utilizing these Janus particles and tested the electric color control and handwriting using a magnet. As a result, the display was capable of permitting handwriting with a small magnet in addition to conventional color control using an applied voltage (80 V). Handwriting performance was improved by increasing the concentration of superparamagnetic nanoparticles and was determined to be possible even when 80 V was applied across the electrodes for 4 wt. % superparamagnetic nanoparticles in one hemisphere. This improvement was impossible when the concentration was reduced to 2 wt. % superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The technology presented in our work can be applied to low-cost, lightweight, highly visible, and energy-saving electronic message boards and large whiteboards because the large-size display can be fabricated easily due to its simple structure.

Engaging and Empowering the National Park Service to apply Earth Observations to Management Decisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clayton, A.; Ross, K. W.; Crepps, G.; Childs-Gleason, L. M.; Ruiz, M. L.; Rogers, L.; Allsbrook, K. N.

2017-12-01

Since 2015, the NASA DEVELOP National Program has partnered with the National Park Service (NPS) engaging more than 120 program participants, working on over 22 projects across approximately 27 unique park units. These projects examined a variety of cultural and environmental concerns facing the NPS including landscape disturbance, invasive species mapping, archaeological site preservation, and water resources monitoring. DEVELOP, part of NASA's Applied Sciences' Capacity Building program, conducts 10-week feasibility projects which demonstrate the utility of NASA's Earth observations as an additional tool for decision-making processes. This presentation will highlight several of these projects and discuss the progress of capacity building working with individual, regional, and institutional elements within the National Park Service.

Exploratory Analysis of the Comprehensive Application of the Islamic Concept of Zuhd in the Contemporary World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olohunfunmi, Ismail Abdul Fatai

2015-01-01

The main aim of the present study is to present a clear frame work of how to practically apply the concept "Zuhd" to individual Muslim life. It is an empirical research on the Islamic concept of "Zuhd." The method that is employed in the study is qualitative approach, whereby interviews were staged, recorded and transcribed.…

Supersonic laser spray of aluminium alloy on a ceramic substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riveiro, A.; Lusquiños, F.; Comesaña, R.; Quintero, F.; Pou, J.

2007-12-01

Applying a ceramic coating onto a metallic substrate to improve its wear resistance or corrosion resistance has attracted the interest of many researchers during decades. However, only few works explore the possibility to apply a metallic layer onto a ceramic material. This work presents a novel technique to coat ceramic materials with metals: the supersonic laser spraying. In this technique a laser beam is focused on the surface of the precursor metal in such a way that the metal is transformed to the liquid state in the beam-metal interaction zone. A supersonic jet expels the molten material and propels it to the surface of the ceramic substrate. In this study, we present the preliminary results obtained using the supersonic laser spray to coat a commercial cordierite ceramic plate with an Al-Cu alloy using a 3.5 kW CO 2 laser and a supersonic jet of Argon. Coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and interferometric profilometry.

A two wave cross-lagged study of work-role conflict, work-family conflict and emotional exhaustion.

PubMed

Jensen, Maria Therese

2016-12-01

By using a two-wave panel design, the present study aimed to study causal, reversed, and reciprocal relations among work-role conflict, work-family conflict, and emotional exhaustion. The Conservation of Resources theory was applied as a theoretical framework. The study was conducted in a large Norwegian oil and gas company (n = 1703). The results demonstrated positive cross-lagged effects of work-role conflict and work-family conflict on emotional exhaustion. In addition, emotional exhaustion predicted work-family conflict over time, and work-family conflict predicted work-role conflict over time, indicating the presence of reciprocal effects. The current study adds new knowledge to the positioning of work-family conflict in relation to perceived conflict in the workplace and emotional exhaustion. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Applying circular economy innovation theory in business process modeling and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popa, V.; Popa, L.

2017-08-01

The overall aim of this paper is to develop a new conceptual framework for business process modeling and analysis using circular economy innovative theory as a source for business knowledge management. The last part of the paper presents an author’s proposed basic structure for a new business models applying circular economy innovation theories. For people working on new innovative business models in the field of the circular economy this paper provides new ideas for clustering their concepts.

MO-A-213-00: Economics Update

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

NONE

2015-06-15

The purpose of this session is to introduce attendees to the healthcare reimbursement system and how it applies to the clinical work of a Medical Physicist. This will include general information about the different categories of payers and payees, how work is described by CPT© codes, and how various payers set values for this work in different clinical settings. 2015 is a year of significant changes to the payment system. Many CPT© codes have been deleted and replaced with new CPT© codes. These codes define some of the most common work performed in our clinics including treatment planning and delivery.more » This presentation will describe what work is encompassed in these codes and will give attendees an overview of the changes for 2015 as they apply to radiation oncology. Finally, some insight into what can be expected during 2016 will be presented. This includes what information is typically released by the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) during the year and how we as an organization respond. This will include ways members can interact with the AAPM professional economics committee and other resources members may find helpful. Learning Objectives: Basics of how Medicare is structured and how reimbursement rates are set. Basic understanding of proposed changes to the 2016 Medicare rules. What resources are available from the AAPM and how to interact with the professional economics committee. Ownership in pxAlpha, LLC, a medical device start up company.« less

MO-A-213-01: 2015 Economics Update Part 1

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

Dirksen, B.

2015-06-15

The purpose of this session is to introduce attendees to the healthcare reimbursement system and how it applies to the clinical work of a Medical Physicist. This will include general information about the different categories of payers and payees, how work is described by CPT© codes, and how various payers set values for this work in different clinical settings. 2015 is a year of significant changes to the payment system. Many CPT© codes have been deleted and replaced with new CPT© codes. These codes define some of the most common work performed in our clinics including treatment planning and delivery.more » This presentation will describe what work is encompassed in these codes and will give attendees an overview of the changes for 2015 as they apply to radiation oncology. Finally, some insight into what can be expected during 2016 will be presented. This includes what information is typically released by the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) during the year and how we as an organization respond. This will include ways members can interact with the AAPM professional economics committee and other resources members may find helpful. Learning Objectives: Basics of how Medicare is structured and how reimbursement rates are set. Basic understanding of proposed changes to the 2016 Medicare rules. What resources are available from the AAPM and how to interact with the professional economics committee. Ownership in pxAlpha, LLC, a medical device start up company.« less

MO-A-213-02: 2015 Economics Update Part 2

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

Fontenot, J.

2015-06-15

The purpose of this session is to introduce attendees to the healthcare reimbursement system and how it applies to the clinical work of a Medical Physicist. This will include general information about the different categories of payers and payees, how work is described by CPT© codes, and how various payers set values for this work in different clinical settings. 2015 is a year of significant changes to the payment system. Many CPT© codes have been deleted and replaced with new CPT© codes. These codes define some of the most common work performed in our clinics including treatment planning and delivery.more » This presentation will describe what work is encompassed in these codes and will give attendees an overview of the changes for 2015 as they apply to radiation oncology. Finally, some insight into what can be expected during 2016 will be presented. This includes what information is typically released by the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) during the year and how we as an organization respond. This will include ways members can interact with the AAPM professional economics committee and other resources members may find helpful. Learning Objectives: Basics of how Medicare is structured and how reimbursement rates are set. Basic understanding of proposed changes to the 2016 Medicare rules. What resources are available from the AAPM and how to interact with the professional economics committee. Ownership in pxAlpha, LLC, a medical device start up company.« less

The Use of Dreams in Psychotherapy

PubMed Central

Schredl, Michael; Bohusch, Claudia; Kahl, Johanna; Mader, Andrea; Somesan, Alexandra

2000-01-01

Since the publication of Sigmund Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams, dream interpretation has been a standard technique often used in psychotherapy. However, empirical studies about the frequency of working on dreams in therapy are lacking. The present study elicited, via a self-developed questionnaire, various aspects of work on dreams applied by psychotherapists in private practice. The findings indicate that dreams were often used in therapy, especially in psychoanalysis. In addition, a significant relationship was found between the frequency of the therapists' working on their own dreams and frequency of work on dreams in therapy. Because work on dreams was rated as beneficial for the clients, further studies investigating the effectiveness and the process of working on dreams will be of interest. PMID:10793127

Identification of gas powered motor propulsion group for small unmanned aerial vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oldziej, Daniel; Walendziuk, Wojciech; Mirek, Karol

2016-09-01

The present work aims at the dynamics identification of gas powered motor propulsion applied in remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) of the small or medium class. In subsequent chapters, the criteria indicating the choice of an electric or a gas power system are described. Moreover, the classification and characteristics of gas powered motor propulsions are presented. The main body of the article contains a laboratory stand dedicated to test the fumes from the motor propulsions in order to measure their static and dynamic characteristics. A wireless solution of acquiring the measurement data from the laboratory stand reflecting real working conditions of the repulsion is suggested. In further parts, the dynamics identification is done, and the transfer function of the object is presented.

Vector-Vector Scattering on the Lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romero-López, Fernando; Urbach, Carsten; Rusetsky, Akaki

2018-03-01

In this work we present an extension of the LüScher formalism to include the interaction of particles with spin, focusing on the scattering of two vector particles. The derived formalism will be applied to Scalar QED in the Higgs Phase, where the U(1) gauge boson acquires mass.

Determination of human pharmaceuticals in pre- and post-sewage treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tahrim, Nurfaizah Abu; Abdullah, Md. Pauzi; Aziz, Yang Farina Abdul

2013-11-01

In this present work, an analytical method based on solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOF-MS) in positive electrospray ionisation mode was successfully applied to real samples for the determination of human pharmaceuticals in pre- and post-sewage treatment samples. The ten target compounds selected in this study include acetaminophen, theophylline, caffeine, metoprolol, sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, prednisolone, ketoprofen, norgestrel and simvastatin. Acetaminophen, theophylline and caffeine were present at all five raw sewage samples. In addition, this work provides the first report on the investigation and detection of theophylline in sewage treatment plant (STP) samples in Malaysia.

Techniques for Liquid Rocket Combustion Spontaneous Stability and Rough Combustion Assessments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenny, R. J.; Giacomoni, C.; Casiano, M. J.; Fischbach, S. R.

2016-01-01

This work presents techniques for liquid rocket engine combustion stability assessments with respect to spontaneous stability and rough combustion. Techniques covering empirical parameter extraction, which were established in prior works, are applied for three additional programs: the F-1 Gas Generator (F1GG) component test program, the RS-84 preburner component test program, and the Marshall Integrated Test Rig (MITR) program. Stability assessment parameters from these programs are compared against prior established spontaneous stability metrics and updates are identified. Also, a procedure for comparing measured with predicted mode shapes is presented, based on an extension of the Modal Assurance Criterion (MAC).

Development of a superconductor magnetic suspension and balance prototype facility for studying the feasibility of applying this technique to large scale aerodynamic testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zapata, R. N.; Humphris, R. R.; Henderson, K. C.

1975-01-01

The basic research and development work towards proving the feasibility of operating an all-superconductor magnetic suspension and balance device for aerodynamic testing is presented. The feasibility of applying a quasi-six-degree-of freedom free support technique to dynamic stability research was studied along with the design concepts and parameters for applying magnetic suspension techniques to large-scale aerodynamic facilities. A prototype aerodynamic test facility was implemented. Relevant aspects of the development of the prototype facility are described in three sections: (1) design characteristics; (2) operational characteristics; and (3) scaling to larger facilities.

The application of contraction theory to an iterative formulation of electromagnetic scattering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brand, J. C.; Kauffman, J. F.

1985-01-01

Contraction theory is applied to an iterative formulation of electromagnetic scattering from periodic structures and a computational method for insuring convergence is developed. A short history of spectral (or k-space) formulation is presented with an emphasis on application to periodic surfaces. To insure a convergent solution of the iterative equation, a process called the contraction corrector method is developed. Convergence properties of previously presented iterative solutions to one-dimensional problems are examined utilizing contraction theory and the general conditions for achieving a convergent solution are explored. The contraction corrector method is then applied to several scattering problems including an infinite grating of thin wires with the solution data compared to previous works.

[The scientific revolution in medicine of second half of XX - early XXI centuries: occurrence of new conceptions about human organism and essence of diseases].

PubMed

Stepin, V S; Zatravkin, S N

2016-01-01

The article presents the results of analysis of works of supreme Russian physiologists and pathologists of XX-XXI centuries. The analysis was applied on the basis concept of structure and dynamics of scientific cognition developed by one o the authors of the present article. The applied analysis permits affirming that during second half of XX-early XXI centuries in medicine occurred and continues to occurring transformations whose character and scope totally corresponds to scientific revolution and occurring and establishing in medicine new conceptions have all signs permitting referring them to post-neoclassic type of scientific rationality.

Separation of phytochemicals from Helichrysum italicum: An analysis of different isolation techniques and biological activity of prepared extracts.

PubMed

Maksimovic, Svetolik; Tadic, Vanja; Skala, Dejan; Zizovic, Irena

2017-06-01

Helichrysum italicum presents a valuable source of natural bioactive compounds. In this work, a literature review of terpenes, phenolic compounds, and other less common phytochemicals from H. italicum with regard to application of different separation methods is presented. Data including extraction/separation methods and experimental conditions applied, obtained yields, number of identified compounds, content of different compound groups, and analytical techniques applied are shown as corresponding tables. Numerous biological activities of both isolates and individual compounds are emphasized. In addition, the data reported are discussed, and the directions for further investigations are proposed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental Investigations on Microshock Waves and Contact Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kai, Yun; Garen, Walter; Teubner, Ulrich

2018-02-01

The present work reports on progress in the research of a microshock wave. Because of the lack of a good understanding of the propagation mechanism of the microshock flow system (shock wave, contact surface, and boundary layer), the current work concentrates on measuring microshock flows with special attention paid to the contact surface. A novel setup involving a glass capillary (with a 200 or 300 μ m hydraulic diameter D ) and a high-speed magnetic valve is applied to generate a shock wave with a maximum initial Mach number of 1.3. The current work applies a laser differential interferometer to perform noncontact measurements of the microshock flow's trajectory, velocity, and density. The current work presents microscale measurements of the shock-contact distance L that solves the problem of calculating the scaling factor Sc =Re ×D /(4 L ) (introduced by Brouillette), which is a parameter characterizing the scaling effects of shock waves. The results show that in contrast to macroscopic shock waves, shock waves at the microscale have a different propagation or attenuation mechanism (key issue of this Letter) which cannot be described by the conventional "leaky piston" model. The main attenuation mechanism of microshock flow may be the ever slower moving contact surface, which drives the shock wave. Different from other measurements using pressure transducers, the current setup for density measurements resolves the whole microshock flow system.

Optics outreach in Irish context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McHugh, Emer; Smith, Arlene

2009-06-01

The Applied Optics Group, National University of Ireland Galway is a research centre involved in programmes that cover a wide variety of topics in applied optics and imaging science, including smart optics, adaptive optics, optical scattering and propagation, and engineering optics. The Group have also developed significant outreach programmes both in Primary and Post-Primary schools. It is recognised that there is a need for innovation in Science Education in Ireland and we are committed to working extensively with schools. The main aim of these outreach programmes is to increase awareness and interest in science with students and enhance the communication skills of the researchers working in the Group. The education outreach team works closely with the relevant teachers in both Primary and Post-Primary schools to design and develop learning initiatives to match the needs of the target group of students. The learning programmes are usually delivered in the participating schools during normal class time by a team of Applied Optics specialists. We are involved in running these programmes in both Primary and Post-Primary schools where the programmes are tailored to the curriculum and concentrating on optics and light. The students may also visit the Groups research centre where presentations and laboratory tours are arranged.

Joint University Program for Air Transportation Research, 1989-1990

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrell, Frederick R. (Compiler)

1990-01-01

Research conducted during the academic year 1989-90 under the NASA/FAA sponsored Joint University Program for Air Transportation research is discussed. Completed works, status reports and annotated bibliographies are presented for research topics, which include navigation, guidance and control theory and practice, aircraft performance, human factors, and expert systems concepts applied to airport operations. An overview of the year's activities for each university is also presented.

On certain subclasses of multivalent functions associated with an extended fractional differintegral operator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, J.; Mishra, A. K.

2007-08-01

In the present paper an extended fractional differintegral operator , suitable for the study of multivalent functions is introduced. Various mapping properties and inclusion relationships between certain subclasses of multivalent functions are investigated by applying the techniques of differential subordination. Relevant connections of the definitions and results presented in this paper with those obtained in several earlier works on the subject are also pointed out.

Mechanically induced long period fiber gratings in Er3+ fiber for structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulido-Navarro, M. G.; Alvarez-Chavez, J. A.; Ceballos-Herrera, D. E.; Escamilla-Ambrosio, P. J.

2013-09-01

This work presents preliminary results on wavelength sensitivity due to mechanically induced long period fiber grating (LPFG) on both standard single-mode and Er-doped fibers. The work presents and compares results for both types of fibers under different torsion conditions. In order to apply the torsion one of the fiber ends is fixed while torsion is applied on the other end. A LPFG whose period is 503μm is used to press on the fiber after the torsion, this will allow for micro curvatures to be formed on the fiber, which will in turn generate a periodical index perturbation on it. Here, it was noted that the rejection band shifts to shorter wavelengths for Er-doped fibers. It was detected that for torsion of 6 turns applied to 10cm doped fiber the wavelength peaks can shift up to 25nm, which is longer than similar results reported on standard fibers. Therefore, by using Er-doped fibers this technique will give more sensitive and accurate results on the real conditions of the structure under study. These results can be employed for sensing applications, especially for small to medium size structures, being these structures mechanical, civil or aeronautical. Theoretical calculations and simulations are employed for experimental results validation.

Substructures in Clusters of Galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehodey, Brigitte Tome

2000-01-01

This dissertation presents two methods for the detection of substructures in clusters of galaxies and the results of their application to a group of four clusters. In chapters 2 and 3, we remember the main properties of clusters of galaxies and give the definition of substructures. We also try to show why the study of substructures in clusters of galaxies is so important for Cosmology. Chapters 4 and 5 describe these two methods, the first one, the adaptive Kernel, is applied to the study of the spatial and kinematical distribution of the cluster galaxies. The second one, the MVM (Multiscale Vision Model), is applied to analyse the cluster diffuse X-ray emission, i.e., the intracluster gas distribution. At the end of these two chapters, we also present the results of the application of these methods to our sample of clusters. In chapter 6, we draw the conclusions from the comparison of the results we obtain with each method. In the last chapter, we present the main conclusions of this work trying to point out possible developments. We close with two appendices in which we detail some questions raised in this work not directly linked to the problem of substructures detection.

Temperature sensitivity of silicon nitride nanocoated long-period gratings working in various surrounding media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smietana, M.; Bock, W. J.; Mikulic, P.

2011-11-01

This paper presents the temperature sensing properties of a silicon nitride (SiNx) nanocoated long-period grating (LPG). A high-temperature, radio-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposited SiNx nanocoating was applied to tune the external refractive index (RI) sensitivity of LPGs written with UV and electric arc techniques in boron co-doped and standard germanium doped fibers, respectively. The technique allows for deposition of good quality, hard and wear-resistant nanofilms as are required for optical sensors. Thanks to the high-RI SiNx nanocoating, which is less than 90 nm thick, it is possible to reduce RI sensitivity over a wide range (from nD = 1.333 to 1.479), simultaneously decreasing its cross-sensitivity to temperature. For the presented nanocoated LPGs, the temperature effect on resonance wavelength is linear and slightly dependent on the thermo-optic coefficient of the surrounding liquid. The other advantage of the nanocoating is that it makes the resonance clearly visible in the whole investigated external RI range. To the best of our knowledge, this work presents for the first time a nanocoating able to simultaneously tune the RI sensitivity and enable temperature measurements in high-RI liquids applied to LPGs.

The Cost to Successfully Apply for Level 3 Medical Home Recognition.

PubMed

Halladay, Jacqueline R; Mottus, Kathleen; Reiter, Kristin; Mitchell, C Madeline; Donahue, Katrina E; Gabbard, Wilson M; Gush, Kimberly

2016-01-01

The National Committee for Quality Assurance patient-centered medical home recognition program provides practices an opportunity to implement medical home activities. Understanding the costs to apply for recognition may enable practices to plan their work. Practice coaches identified 5 exemplar practices (3 pediatric and 2 family medicine practices) that received level 3 recognition. This analysis focuses on 4 that received recognition in 2011. Clinical, informatics, and administrative staff participated in 2- to 3-hour interviews. We determined the time required to develop, implement, and maintain required activities. We categorized costs as (1) nonpersonnel, (2) developmental, (3) those used to implement activities, (4) those used to maintain activities, (5) those to document the work, and (6) consultant costs. Only incremental costs were included and are presented as costs per full-time equivalent (pFTE) provider. Practice size ranged from 2.5 to 10.5 pFTE providers, and payer mixes ranged from 7% to 43% Medicaid. There was variation in the distribution of costs by activity by practice, but the costs to apply were remarkably similar ($11,453-15,977 pFTE provider). The costs to apply for 2011 recognition were noteworthy. Work to enhance care coordination and close loops were highly valued. Financial incentives were key motivators. Future efforts to minimize the burden of low-value activities could benefit practices. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Employee Perceptions of Their Organization's Level of Emergency Preparedness Following a Brief Workplace Emergency Planning Educational Presentation.

PubMed

Renschler, Lauren A; Terrigino, Elizabeth A; Azim, Sabiya; Snider, Elsa; Rhodes, Darson L; Cox, Carol C

2016-06-01

A brief emergency planning educational presentation was taught during work hours to a convenience sample of employees of various workplaces in Northern Missouri, USA. Participants were familiarized with details about how an emergency plan is prepared by management and implemented by management-employee crisis management teams - focusing on both employee and management roles. They then applied the presentation information to assess their own organization's emergency preparedness level. Participants possessed significantly (p < 0.05) higher perceptions of their organization's level of emergency preparedness than non-participants. It is recommended that an assessment of organizational preparedness level supplement emergency planning educational presentations in order to immediately apply the material covered and encourage employees to become more involved in their organization's emergency planning and response. Educational strategies that involve management-employee collaboration in activities tailored to each workplace's operations and risk level for emergencies should be implemented.

The Impacts of Individualization on Equity Educational Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francia, Guadalupe

2013-01-01

The present article has as its aim to illustrate and discuss the impacts of individualization strategies on equity educational policies through the analysis of individualized teaching strategies applied within the framework of educational priority policies in Sweden. The methodology used in our research work includes: (a) the study of research…

Rangeland Riparian Systems

Treesearch

Wayne Elmore

1989-01-01

The management and recovery of degraded riparian systems is a major conservation issue. Presently there are many grazing management strategies being applied based on the name of the technique with little incorporation of basic stream processes. Managers must understand the exact workings of grazing strategies and the individual processes of each stream before...

A Network of Automatic Control Web-Based Laboratories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vargas, Hector; Sanchez Moreno, J.; Jara, Carlos A.; Candelas, F. A.; Torres, Fernando; Dormido, Sebastian

2011-01-01

This article presents an innovative project in the context of remote experimentation applied to control engineering education. Specifically, the authors describe their experience regarding the analysis, design, development, and exploitation of web-based technologies within the scope of automatic control. This work is part of an inter-university…

Precursors of Vocational Psychology in Ancient Civilizations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dumont, Frank; Carson, Andrew D.

1995-01-01

Examines philosophical theories produced by two ancient civilizations (Eastern Mediterranean and Chinese) for applications to an applied psychology of work. Includes analysis of Egyptians, Semites, and Greeks, with a special emphasis on Plato. Suggests that many basic elements of vocational psychology were present during the first millennium B.C.…

Student Services and the Law: A Handbook for Practitioners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barr, Margaret J.; And Others

An overview is provided of issues influencing student affairs practice, designed to assist practitioners in applying legal principles in their daily work. The following chapters are presented in three sections (legal foundations and student affairs practice; key areas of legal responsibility and liability; and strengthening the legal basis of…

Implementing Project Based Learning in Computer Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asan, Askin; Haliloglu, Zeynep

2005-01-01

Project-based learning offers the opportunity to apply theoretical and practical knowledge, and to develop the student's group working, and collaboration skills. In this paper we presented a design of effective computer class that implements the well-known and highly accepted project-based learning paradigm. A pre-test/post-test control group…

Communication Teacher-Student-Computer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatkovic, Nevenka; Sehanovic, Jusuf; Ruzic, Maja

2006-01-01

The work points out the importance of the use of the information and communication technologies in education. The overview of elementary, advanced and specialized informatics and information related knowledge and skills that every teacher should master and apply in the educational process is presented. Stress is laid upon the importance of the…

Characteristics of the Creative Development Technologies Applying during the Work with Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krinitsyna, Anastasiya Vyacheslavovna; Nikitin, Oleg Denisovich; Boyakova, Ekaterina Vyacheslavovna

2016-01-01

Present article explores the characteristics of the influence of creative influence technologies for school and college students on their professional and personal self-identification. The aim of the study is students' creative development, which represents the process of integration of mental, emotional and physical personality components, which…

The Student Guide. Five Federal Financial Aid Programs. 88-89.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Education, Washington, DC.

Information on five U.S. Department of Education student financial aid programs and how to apply for them is presented: Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, College Work-Study, Perkins Loans (formerly National Direct Student Loans), and Guaranteed Student Loans (Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students and Supplemental Loans for…

The Anatomy of the Blue Dragon: Changes in Lava Flow Morphology and Physical Properties Observed in an Open Channel Lava Flow as a Planetary Analogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sehlke, A.; Kobs Nawotniak, S. E.; Hughes, S. S.; Sears, D. W.; Downs, M. T.; Whittington, A. G.; Lim, D. S. S.; Heldmann, J. L.

2017-10-01

We present the relationship of lava flow morphology and the physical properties of the rocks based on terrestrial field work, and how this can be applied to infer physical properties of lunar lava flows.

The Promise for Geomorphic Discovery in the South.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mossa, Joann

1998-01-01

Presents an overview of current geomorphic research in the southern United States. Conveys that the limited historical effort offers both challenges and opportunities for conducting geomorphic work in the region; much is unknown about these unique landscapes. States applied and theoretical geomorphology will benefit the society and future of the…

The Discriminating Power of Items that Measure More than One Dimension.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reckase, Mark D.

The work presented in this paper defined conceptually the concepts of multidimensional discrimination and information, derived mathematical expressions for the concepts for a particular multidimensional item response theory (IRT) model, and applied the concepts to actual test data. Multidimensional discrimination was defined as a function of the…

Resident Assistant Workplace Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boone, Katherine B.

2018-01-01

The sources of work motivation for resident assistants have received little attention in the literature over the last decade. As the role grows more complex and more expectations are added to the RA position, determining what current factors motivate students to apply for the RA position is essential. This study presents quantitative research to…

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

EPA Science Inventory

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

Culture and Self in Career Development: Working with American Indians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juntunen, Cindy L.; Cline, Kara

2010-01-01

The career development concerns of American Indians continue to receive limited attention in the vocational or career literature. To address this deficit, the current article will apply the cultural formulation approach to career counseling with American Indians. This article presents information on factors related to cultural and self-identity…

Sustained Engagement with a Single Community Partner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lear, Darcy W.; Sanchez, Alejandro

2013-01-01

As scholarly work has recently turned its attention to the role of the community partner in Community Service-Learning (CSL) relationships, empirical frameworks for describing and executing community partnerships have emerged. This article applies those frameworks to one such partnership, which is presented from the perspective of both the…

Advances in Irrigation: Select Works from 2010 Decennial Irrigation Symposium

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This paper is an introduction to the Advances in Irrigation Special Collection in this issue of Transactions ASABE and the next issue of Applied Engineering in Agriculture of 14 papers selected from 88 papers and presentations at the ASABE 5th Decennial National Irrigation Symposium, December 2010, ...

Teaching, Learning and Evaluation Techniques in the Engineering Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vermaas, Luiz Lenarth G.; Crepaldi, Paulo Cesar; Fowler, Fabio Roberto

This article presents some techniques of professional formation from the Petra Model that can be applied in Engineering Programs. It shows its philosophy, teaching methods for listening, making abstracts, studying, researching, team working and problem solving. Some questions regarding planning and evaluation, based in the model are, as well,…

Politicizing Articulation: Applying Lyotard's Work to the Use of Standards in Educational Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niesche, Richard

2013-01-01

This paper presents a case for the importance of an application of Jean-Francois Lyotard's ideas to the analysis of educational leadership. Through exploring Lyotard's concepts of "language games", the "differend" and "performativity", this paper argues that the approach taken through the development of leadership…

Reframing Reality: Christmas at the Mall.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, Nicholas J.; Daniels, Doug

1993-01-01

Presents Life Space Interview (LSI), effective intervention strategy for use during crisis work with troubled students, as it was applied to case of eight-year-old boy attending Option III class for emotionally handicapped students when he accompanied class to mall for holiday shopping trip. Following interview are instructional comments on the…

Working Together with Children and Families: Case Studies in Early Intervention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McWilliam, P. J., Ed.; Bailey, Donald B., Jr., Ed.

This book presents 21 case studies of young children with disabilities in a variety of family situations and settings, for early interventionists to study in planning and applying recommended practices. Section I, "Defining and Delivering Quality Services in Early Intervention," provides two introductory chapters: "The Search for Quality…

Gamow on Newton: Another Look at Centripetal Acceleration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corrao, Christian

2012-01-01

Presented here is an adaptation of George Gamow's derivation of the centripetal acceleration formula as it applies to Earth's orbiting Moon. The derivation appears in Gamows short but engaging book "Gravity", first published in 1962, and is essentially a distillation of Newton's work. While "TPT" contributors have offered several insightful…

Linear regression in astronomy. II

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feigelson, Eric D.; Babu, Gutti J.

1992-01-01

A wide variety of least-squares linear regression procedures used in observational astronomy, particularly investigations of the cosmic distance scale, are presented and discussed. The classes of linear models considered are (1) unweighted regression lines, with bootstrap and jackknife resampling; (2) regression solutions when measurement error, in one or both variables, dominates the scatter; (3) methods to apply a calibration line to new data; (4) truncated regression models, which apply to flux-limited data sets; and (5) censored regression models, which apply when nondetections are present. For the calibration problem we develop two new procedures: a formula for the intercept offset between two parallel data sets, which propagates slope errors from one regression to the other; and a generalization of the Working-Hotelling confidence bands to nonstandard least-squares lines. They can provide improved error analysis for Faber-Jackson, Tully-Fisher, and similar cosmic distance scale relations.

Trends in optical coherence tomography applied to medical imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podoleanu, Adrian G.

2014-01-01

The number of publications on optical coherence tomography (OCT) continues to double every three years. Traditionally applied to imaging the eye, OCT is now being extended to fields outside ophthalmology and optometry. Widening its applicability, progress in the core engine of the technology, and impact on development of novel optical sources, make OCT a very active and rapidly evolving field. Trends in the developments of different specific devices, such as optical sources, optical configurations and signal processing will be presented. Encompassing studies on both the configurations as well as on signal processing themes, current research in Kent looks at combining spectral domain with time domain imaging for long axial range and simultaneous imaging at several depths. Results of the collaborative work of the Applied Optics Group in Kent with organisers of this conference will be presented, with reference to 3D monitoring of abfraction.

Finite Element Analysis and Optimization of Flexure Bearing for Linear Motor Compressor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khot, Maruti; Gawali, Bajirao

Nowadays linear motor compressors are commonly used in miniature cryocoolers instead of rotary compressors because rotary compressors apply large radial forces to the piston, which provide no useful work, cause large amount of wear and usually require lubrication. Recent trends favour flexure supported configurations for long life. The present work aims at designing and geometrical optimization of flexure bearings using finite element analysis and the development of design charts for selection purposes. The work also covers the manufacturing of flexures using different materials and the validation of the experimental finite element analysis results.

The modulation of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders for a knowledge worker with chiropractic care and applied ergonomics: a case study

PubMed Central

Sherrod, Charles W.; Casey, George; Dubro, Robert E.; Johnson, Dale F.

2013-01-01

Objective This report describes the case management of musculoskeletal disorders for an employee in a college work environment using both chiropractic care and applied ergonomics. Clinical Findings A 54-year-old male office worker presented with decreased motor function in both wrists; intermittent moderate-to-severe headaches; and pain or discomfort in the neck, both shoulders, left hand and wrist, and lumbosacral region resulting from injuries sustained during recreational soccer and from excessive forces and awkward postures when interacting with his home and office computer workstations. Intervention and Results Ergonomic training, surveillance, retrofitted equipment with new furniture, and an emphasis on adopting healthy work-style behaviors were applied in combination with regular chiropractic care. Baseline ergonomic job task analysis identified risk factors and delineated appropriate control measures to improve the subject's interface with his office workstation. Serial reevaluations at 3-month, 1-year, and 2-year periods recorded changes to the participant's pain, discomfort, and work-style behaviors. At end of study and relative to baseline, pain scale improved from 4/10 to 2/10; general disability improved from 4 to 0; and hand grip strength (pounds) increased from 20 to 105 (left) and 45 to 100 (right). Healthy work habits and postures adopted in the 3-month to 1-year period regressed to baseline exposures for 3 of 6 risk priorities identified in the ergonomic job task analysis. Conclusion The patient responded positively to the intervention of chiropractic care and applied ergonomics. PMID:23997724

High pressure elasticity and thermal properties of depleted uranium

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

Jacobsen, M. K., E-mail: mjacobsen@lanl.gov; Velisavljevic, N., E-mail: nenad@lanl.gov

2016-04-28

Studies of the phase diagram of uranium have revealed a wealth of high pressure and temperature phases. Under ambient conditions the crystal structure is well defined up to 100 gigapascals (GPa), but very little information on thermal conduction or elasticity is available over this same range. This work has applied ultrasonic interferometry to determine the elasticity, mechanical, and thermal properties of depleted uranium to 4.5 GPa. Results show general strengthening with applied load, including an overall increase in acoustic thermal conductivity. Further implications are discussed within. This work presents the first high pressure studies of the elasticity and thermal properties ofmore » depleted uranium metal and the first real-world application of a previously developed containment system for making such measurements.« less

Predicting the Coupling Properties of Axially-Textured Materials.

PubMed

Fuentes-Cobas, Luis E; Muñoz-Romero, Alejandro; Montero-Cabrera, María E; Fuentes-Montero, Luis; Fuentes-Montero, María E

2013-10-30

A description of methods and computer programs for the prediction of "coupling properties" in axially-textured polycrystals is presented. Starting data are the single-crystal properties, texture and stereography. The validity and proper protocols for applying the Voigt, Reuss and Hill approximations to estimate coupling properties effective values is analyzed. Working algorithms for predicting mentioned averages are given. Bunge's symmetrized spherical harmonics expansion of orientation distribution functions, inverse pole figures and (single and polycrystals) physical properties is applied in all stages of the proposed methodology. The established mathematical route has been systematized in a working computer program. The discussion of piezoelectricity in a representative textured ferro-piezoelectric ceramic illustrates the application of the proposed methodology. Polycrystal coupling properties, predicted by the suggested route, are fairly close to experimentally measured ones.

Predicting the Coupling Properties of Axially-Textured Materials

PubMed Central

Fuentes-Cobas, Luis E.; Muñoz-Romero, Alejandro; Montero-Cabrera, María E.; Fuentes-Montero, Luis; Fuentes-Montero, María E.

2013-01-01

A description of methods and computer programs for the prediction of “coupling properties” in axially-textured polycrystals is presented. Starting data are the single-crystal properties, texture and stereography. The validity and proper protocols for applying the Voigt, Reuss and Hill approximations to estimate coupling properties effective values is analyzed. Working algorithms for predicting mentioned averages are given. Bunge’s symmetrized spherical harmonics expansion of orientation distribution functions, inverse pole figures and (single and polycrystals) physical properties is applied in all stages of the proposed methodology. The established mathematical route has been systematized in a working computer program. The discussion of piezoelectricity in a representative textured ferro-piezoelectric ceramic illustrates the application of the proposed methodology. Polycrystal coupling properties, predicted by the suggested route, are fairly close to experimentally measured ones. PMID:28788370

High pressure elasticity and thermal properties of depleted uranium

DOE PAGES

Jacobsen, M. K.; Velisavljevic, N.

2016-04-28

Studies of the phase diagram of uranium have revealed a wealth of high pressure and temperature phases. Under ambient conditions the crystal structure is well defined up to 100 gigapascals (GPa), but very little information on thermal conduction or elasticity is available over this same range. This work has applied ultrasonic interferometry to determine the elasticity, mechanical, and thermal properties of depleted uranium to 4.5 GPa. Results show general strengthening with applied load, including an overall increase in acoustic thermal conductivity. Further implications are discussed within. Lastly, this work presents the first high pressure studies of the elasticity and thermalmore » properties of depleted uranium metal and the first real-world application of a previously developed containment system for making such measurements.« less

Entropy considerations applied to shock unsteadiness in hypersonic inlets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bussey, Gillian Mary Harding

The stability of curved or rectangular shocks in hypersonic inlets in response to flow perturbations can be determined analytically from the principle of minimum entropy. Unsteady shock wave motion can have a significant effect on the flow in a hypersonic inlet or combustor. According to the principle of minimum entropy, a stable thermodynamic state is one with the lowest entropy gain. A model based on piston theory and its limits has been developed for applying the principle of minimum entropy to quasi-steady flow. Relations are derived for analyzing the time-averaged entropy gain flux across a shock for quasi-steady perturbations in atmospheric conditions and angle as a perturbation in entropy gain flux from the steady state. Initial results from sweeping a wedge at Mach 10 through several degrees in AEDC's Tunnel 9 indicates the bow shock becomes unsteady near the predicted normal Mach number. Several curved shocks of varying curvature are compared to a straight shock with the same mean normal Mach number, pressure ratio, or temperature ratio. The present work provides analysis and guidelines for designing an inlet robust to off- design flight or perturbations in flow conditions an inlet is likely to face. It also suggests that inlets with curved shocks are less robust to off-design flight than those with straight shocks such as rectangular inlets. Relations for evaluating entropy perturbations for highly unsteady flow across a shock and limits on their use were also developed. The normal Mach number at which a shock could be stable to high frequency upstream perturbations increases as the speed of the shock motion increases and slightly decreases as the perturbation size increases. The present work advances the principle of minimum entropy theory by providing additional validity for using the theory for time-varying flows and applying it to shocks, specifically those in inlets. While this analytic tool is applied in the present work for evaluating the stability of shocks in hypersonic inlets, it can be used for an arbitrary application with a shock.

Monitoring nanoparticle synthesis in a carbon arc discharge environment, in situ

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

Mitrani, James

This work presents experimental and theoretical studies of gas-phase synthesis of fullerenes and carbon nanoparticles in the presence of an atmospheric-pressure, arc discharge plasma. Carbon arc discharges have been used for synthesizing carbon nanotubes for over 25 years, and have the potential for economically synthesizing industrial-scale quantities of fullerenes. However, the efficiency and selectivity of fullerene synthesis with carbon arc discharges are quite low. Optimizing carbon arc discharges for fullerene synthesis requires a thorough understanding of the dynamics behind gas-phase nanoparticle synthesis in the presence of an arc discharge plasma. We built a carbon arc discharge setup to study nanoparticlemore » and fullerene synthesis. The laser-induced incandescence (LII) diagnostic was applied for monitoring nanoparticle synthesis, in situ. The LII diagnostic had previously been applied as a combustion diagnostic for in situ measurements of concentrations and sizes of soot particles in flame environments. Prior to the present study, it had never been applied for studying fullerenes, nor had it been applied to study nanoparticles in the presence of an atmospheric-pressure plasma. Therefore, experiments were designed that allowed for the calibration of the LII diagnostic with research-grade, arc-synthesized soot particles and carbon nanotubes. Additionally, the theory and models underpinning the LII diagnostic were adapted to include the presence of an atmospheric-pressure, arc-discharge plasma. Results presented in this work confirm the ability of the LII diagnostic to measure sizes of arc-synthesized nanoparticles in situ, and show the spatial location of high densities of arc-synthesized nanoparticles with respect to the arc discharge plasma. Determining the spatial location of nanoparticle synthesis and growth is crucial for understanding the background conditions (e.g. background gas temperature, electron densities ...) in which nanoparticles nucleate and grow in the arc discharge environment. Future work would involve combining the LII diagnostic with other laser-based diagnostics (e.g. Rayleigh scattering, laser-induced fluorescence) for a more comprehensive study of gas-phase nanoparticle synthesis and investigating fundamental basic-science questions related to low temperature plasma physics, and laser-nanoparticle interactions.« less

Monitoring Nanoparticle Synthesis in a Carbon Arc Discharge Environment, In Situ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitrani, James

This work presents experimental and theoretical studies of gas-phase synthesis of fullerenes and carbon nanoparticles in the presence of an atmospheric-pressure, arc discharge plasma. Carbon arc discharges have been used for synthesizing carbon nanotubes for over 25 years, and have the potential for economically synthesizing industrial-scale quantities of fullerenes. However, the efficiency and selectivity of fullerene synthesis with carbon arc discharges are quite low. Optimizing carbon arc discharges for fullerene synthesis requires a thorough understanding of the dynamics behind gas-phase nanoparticle synthesis in the presence of an arc discharge plasma. We built a carbon arc discharge setup to study nanoparticle and fullerene synthesis. The laser-induced incandescence (LII) diagnostic was applied for monitoring nanoparticle synthesis, in situ. The LII diagnostic had previously been applied as a combustion diagnostic for in situ measurements of concentrations and sizes of soot particles in flame environments. Prior to the present study, it had never been applied for studying fullerenes, nor had it been applied to study nanoparticles in the presence of an atmospheric-pressure plasma. Therefore, experiments were designed that allowed for the calibration of the LII diagnostic with research-grade, arc-synthesized soot particles and carbon nanotubes. Additionally, the theory and models underpinning the LII diagnostic were adapted to include the presence of an atmospheric-pressure, arc-discharge plasma. Results presented in this work confirm the ability of the LII diagnostic to measure sizes of arc-synthesized nanoparticles in situ, and show the spatial location of high densities of arc-synthesized nanoparticles with respect to the arc discharge plasma. Determining the spatial location of nanoparticle synthesis and growth is crucial for understanding the background conditions (e.g. background gas temperature, electron densities ...) in which nanoparticles nucleate and grow in the arc discharge environment. Future work would involve combining the LII diagnostic with other laser-based diagnostics (e.g. Rayleigh scattering, laser-induced fluorescence) for a more comprehensive study of gas-phase nanoparticle synthesis and investigating fundamental basic-science questions related to low temperature plasma physics, and laser-nanoparticle interactions.

Examples of challenges and opportunities in visual analysis in the digital humanities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rushmeier, Holly; Pintus, Ruggero; Yang, Ying; Wong, Christiana; Li, David

2015-03-01

The massive digitization of books and manuscripts has converted millions of works that were once only physical into electronic documents. This conversion has made it possible for scholars to study large bodies of work, rather than just individual texts. This has offered new opportunities for scholarship in the humanities. Much previous work on digital collections has relied on optical character recognition and focused on the textual content of books. New work is emerging that is analyzing the visual layout and content of books and manuscripts. We present two different digital humanities projects in progress that present new opportunities for extracting data about the past, with new challenges for designing systems for scholars to interact with this data. The first project we consider is the layout and spectral content of thousands of pages from medieval manuscripts. We present the techniques used to study content variations in sets of similar manuscripts, and to study material variations that may indicate the location of manuscript production. The second project is the analysis of representations in the complete archive of Vogue magazine over 120 years. We present samples of applying computer vision techniques to understanding the changes in representation of women over time.

Interaction of hydraulic and buckling mechanisms in blowout fractures.

PubMed

Nagasao, Tomohisa; Miyamoto, Junpei; Jiang, Hua; Tamaki, Tamotsu; Kaneko, Tsuyoshi

2010-04-01

The etiology of blowout fractures is generally attributed to 2 mechanisms--increase in the pressure of the orbital contents (the hydraulic mechanism) and direct transmission of impacts on the orbital walls (the buckling mechanism). The present study aims to elucidate whether or not an interaction exists between these 2 mechanisms. We performed a simulation experiment using 10 Computer-Aided-Design skull models. We applied destructive energy to the orbits of the 10 models in 3 different ways. First, to simulate pure hydraulic mechanism, energy was applied solely on the internal walls of the orbit. Second, to simulate pure buckling mechanism, energy was applied solely on the inferior rim of the orbit. Third, to simulate the combined effect of the hydraulic and buckling mechanisms, energy was applied both on the internal wall of the orbit and inferior rim of the orbit. After applying the energy, we calculated the areas of the regions where fracture occurred in the models. Thereafter, we compared the areas among the 3 energy application patterns. When the hydraulic and buckling mechanisms work simultaneously, fracture occurs on wider areas of the orbital walls than when each of these mechanisms works separately. The hydraulic and buckling mechanisms interact, enhancing each other's effect. This information should be taken into consideration when we examine patients in whom blowout fracture is suspected.

Electrically and magnetically dual-driven Janus particles for handwriting-enabled electronic paper

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

Komazaki, Y., E-mail: komazaki@dt.k.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Hirama, H.; Torii, T.

In this work, we describe the synthesis of novel electrically and magnetically dual-driven Janus particles for a handwriting-enabled twisting ball display via the microfluidic technique. One hemisphere of the Janus particles contains a charge control agent, which allows the display color to be controlled by applying a voltage and superparamagnetic nanoparticles, allows handwriting by applying a magnetic field to the display. We fabricated a twisting ball display utilizing these Janus particles and tested the electric color control and handwriting using a magnet. As a result, the display was capable of permitting handwriting with a small magnet in addition to conventionalmore » color control using an applied voltage (80 V). Handwriting performance was improved by increasing the concentration of superparamagnetic nanoparticles and was determined to be possible even when 80 V was applied across the electrodes for 4 wt. % superparamagnetic nanoparticles in one hemisphere. This improvement was impossible when the concentration was reduced to 2 wt. % superparamagnetic nanoparticles. The technology presented in our work can be applied to low-cost, lightweight, highly visible, and energy-saving electronic message boards and large whiteboards because the large-size display can be fabricated easily due to its simple structure.« less

Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CyAN) - 2017 NASA ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Presentation on the Cyanobacteria Assessment Network (CYAN) and how is supports the environmental management and public use of the U.S. lakes and estuaries by providing a capability of detecting and quantifying algal blooms and related water quality using satellite data records. To be presented to the NASA Science Mission Directorate Earth Science Division Applied Sciences Program at the NASA Water Resources PI Meeting. The meeting had over 65 attendees, including currently funded PIs, participants from Western States Water Council, UCAR, California Department of Water Resources, and Navajo Nation. Some highlights from the meeting included discussions around impact assessment, with a session moderated by VALUABLES as well as a water manager needs panel, lead by WWAO. Each PI presentation also included lessons learned about how to work in applied sciences, ensure partner engagement, and pave the path towards transition.

Soft magnetic tweezers: a proof of principle.

PubMed

Mosconi, Francesco; Allemand, Jean François; Croquette, Vincent

2011-03-01

We present here the principle of soft magnetic tweezers which improve the traditional magnetic tweezers allowing the simultaneous application and measurement of an arbitrary torque to a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule. They take advantage of a nonlinear coupling regime that appears when a fast rotating magnetic field is applied to a superparamagnetic bead immersed in a viscous fluid. In this work, we present the development of the technique and we compare it with other techniques capable of measuring the torque applied to the DNA molecule. In this proof of principle, we use standard electromagnets to achieve our experiments. Despite technical difficulties related to the present implementation of these electromagnets, the agreement of measurements with previous experiments is remarkable. Finally, we propose a simple way to modify the experimental design of electromagnets that should bring the performances of the device to a competitive level.

Gender-related aspects in occupational allergies - Secondary publication and update.

PubMed

Raulf, Monika; Brüning, Thomas; Jensen-Jarolim, Erika; van Kampen, Vera

2017-01-01

For years occupational allergies have been among the most frequently recorded occupational diseases, and both the skin as well as the respiratory tract may be affected. An estimated 9 to 15% of adult asthma is (partially) caused by work-related exposure. Gender-specific differences in exposure cause different risks in the workplace which affect the health of employees. This also applies to exposure and working conditions when handling sensitizing working substances. The presented gender-specific analysis of the German documentation of confirmed occupational respiratory allergic diseases and occupational skin diseases reveals clear differences between men and women in the number of diseases and also in exposure conditions and working areas.

The Role of Working Memory Gating in Task Switching: A Procedural Version of the Reference-Back Paradigm

PubMed Central

Kessler, Yoav

2017-01-01

Models of working memory (WM) suggest that the contents of WM are separated from perceptual input by a gate, that enables shielding information against interference when closed, and allows for rapid updating when open. Recent work in the declarative WM domain provided evidence for this notion, demonstrating the behavioral cost of opening and closing the gate. The goal of the present work was to examine gating in procedural WM, namely in a task-switching experiment. In each trial, participants were presented with a digit and a task cue, indicating whether the required task was a parity or a magnitude decision. Critically, a colored frame around the stimulus indicated whether the task cue was relevant (attend trials), or whether it had to be ignored, and the previous task set should be applied regardless of the present cue (ignore trials). Switching between tasks, and between ignore and attend trials, was manipulated. The results of two experiments demonstrated that the cost of gate opening was eliminated in task switching trials, implying that both processes operate in parallel. PMID:29312095

The human otitis media with effusion: a numerical-based study.

PubMed

Areias, B; Parente, M P L; Santos, C; Gentil, F; Natal Jorge, R M

2017-07-01

Otitis media is a group of inflammatory diseases of the middle ear. Acute otitis media and otitis media with effusion (OME) are its two main types of manifestation. Otitis media is common in children and can result in structural alterations in the middle ear which will lead to hearing losses. This work studies the effects of an OME on the sound transmission from the external auditory meatus to the inner ear. The finite element method was applied on the present biomechanical study. The numerical model used in this work was built based on the geometrical information obtained from The visible ear project. The present work explains the mechanisms by which the presence of fluid in the middle ear affects hearing by calculating the magnitude, phase and reduction of the normalized umbo velocity and also the magnitude and phase of the normalized stapes velocity. A sound pressure level of 90 dB SPL was applied at the tympanic membrane. The harmonic analysis was performed with the auditory frequency varying from 100 Hz to 10 kHz. A decrease in the response of the normalized umbo and stapes velocity as the tympanic cavity was filled with fluid was obtained. The decrease was more accentuated at the umbo.

A complexity theory model in science education problem solving: random walks for working memory and mental capacity.

PubMed

Stamovlasis, Dimitrios; Tsaparlis, Georgios

2003-07-01

The present study examines the role of limited human channel capacity from a science education perspective. A model of science problem solving has been previously validated by applying concepts and tools of complexity theory (the working memory, random walk method). The method correlated the subjects' rank-order achievement scores in organic-synthesis chemistry problems with the subjects' working memory capacity. In this work, we apply the same nonlinear approach to a different data set, taken from chemical-equilibrium problem solving. In contrast to the organic-synthesis problems, these problems are algorithmic, require numerical calculations, and have a complex logical structure. As a result, these problems cause deviations from the model, and affect the pattern observed with the nonlinear method. In addition to Baddeley's working memory capacity, the Pascual-Leone's mental (M-) capacity is examined by the same random-walk method. As the complexity of the problem increases, the fractal dimension of the working memory random walk demonstrates a sudden drop, while the fractal dimension of the M-capacity random walk decreases in a linear fashion. A review of the basic features of the two capacities and their relation is included. The method and findings have consequences for problem solving not only in chemistry and science education, but also in other disciplines.

Source apportionment of groundwater pollution around landfill site in Nagpur, India.

PubMed

Pujari, Paras R; Deshpande, Vijaya

2005-12-01

The present work attempts statistical analysis of groundwater quality near a Landfill site in Nagpur, India. The objective of the present work is to figure out the impact of different factors on the quality of groundwater in the study area. Statistical analysis of the data has been attempted by applying Factor Analysis concept. The analysis brings out the effect of five different factors governing the groundwater quality in the study area. Based on the contribution of the different parameters present in the extracted factors, the latter are linked to the geological setting, the leaching from the host rock, leachate of heavy metals from the landfill as well as the bacterial contamination from landfill site and other anthropogenic activities. The analysis brings out the vulnerability of the unconfined aquifer to contamination.

Advanced imaging systems for diagnostic investigations applied to Cultural Heritage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peccenini, E.; Albertin, F.; Bettuzzi, M.; Brancaccio, R.; Casali, F.; Morigi, M. P.; Petrucci, F.

2014-12-01

The diagnostic investigations are an important resource in the studies on Cultural Heritage to enhance the knowledge on execution techniques, materials and conservation status of a work of art. In this field, due to the great historical and artistic value of the objects, preservation is the main concern; for this reason, new technological equipment has been designed and developed in the Physics Departments of the Universities of Ferrara and Bologna to enhance the non-invasive approach to the study of pictorial artworks and other objects of cultural interest. Infrared (IR) reflectography, X-ray radiography and computed tomography (CT), applied to works of art, are joined by the same goal: to get hidden information on execution techniques and inner structure pursuing the non-invasiveness of the methods, although using different setup and physical principles. In this work transportable imaging systems to investigate large objects in museums and galleries are presented. In particular, 2D scanning devices for IR reflectography and X-ray radiography, CT systems and some applications to the Cultural Heritage are described.

Discussion and group work design in O2O teaching of applied optics: questions, strategies and extending

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaotong; Cen, Zhaofeng; Liu, Xiangdong; Zheng, Zhenrong

2017-08-01

Applied optics course in Zhejiang University is a National Excellent Resource Sharing Course in China, and the online to offline teaching strategies have been implemented and shared with dozens of universities and colleges in China. Discussion is an important activity in teaching. In this paper our main consideration is designing the discussion questions and group works so as to develop the students' critical thinking, cooperative and sharing spirits, and communication abilities in the cosmopolitan era. Typical questions that connect different chapters and help the students to understand the relationship between each sub-system in both field of view and aperture are given for discussion. We inspire the students to complete group works such as ray trace programming by cooperation and then make presentations. All of these create a circumstance for sharing thoughts and developing intelligence and knowledge. A poll shows that the students pay more attention to optical design than before and have made progress in conversation and cooperation.

Preservice and Inservice Teachers' Challenges in the Planning of Practical Work in Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nivalainen, Ville; Asikainen, Mervi A.; Sormunen, Kari; Hirvonen, Pekka E.

2010-06-01

Practical work in school science plays many essential roles that have been discussed in the literature. However, less attention has been paid to how teachers learn the different roles of practical work and to the kind of challenges they face in their learning during laboratory courses designed for teachers. In the present study we applied the principles of grounded theory to frame a set of factors that seem to set major challenges concerning both successful work in the school physics laboratory and also in the preparation of lessons that exploit practical work. The subject groups of the study were preservice and inservice physics teachers who participated in a school laboratory course. Our results derived from a detailed analysis of tutoring discussions between the instructor and the participants in the course, which revealed that the challenges in practical or laboratory work consisted of the limitations of the laboratory facilities, an insufficient knowledge of physics, problems in understanding instructional approaches, and the general organization of practical work. Based on these findings, we present our recommendations on the preparation of preservice and inservice teachers for the more effective use of practical work in school science and in school physics.

Tracking and Control of a Neutral Particle Beam Using Multiple Model Adaptive Meer Filter.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-01

34 method incorporated by Zicker in 1983 [32]. Once the beam estimation problem had been solved, the problem of beam control was examined. Zicker conducted a...filter. Then, the methods applied by Meer, and later Zicker , to reduce the computational load of a simple Meer filter, will be presented. 2.5.1 Basic...number of possible methods to prune the hypothesis tree and chose the "Best Half Method" as the most viable (21). Zicker [323, applied the work of Weiss

On the computation of steady Hopper flows. II: von Mises materials in various geometries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gremaud, Pierre A.; Matthews, John V.; O'Malley, Meghan

2004-11-01

Similarity solutions are constructed for the flow of granular materials through hoppers. Unlike previous work, the present approach applies to nonaxisymmetric containers. The model involves ten unknowns (stresses, velocity, and plasticity function) determined by nine nonlinear first order partial differential equations together with a quadratic algebraic constraint (yield condition). A pseudospectral discretization is applied; the resulting problem is solved with a trust region method. The important role of the hopper geometry on the flow is illustrated by several numerical experiments of industrial relevance.

[Guidelines of reference recording in scientific papers of Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology].

PubMed

Xiao, Hong

2008-01-01

To improve the compilation quality of references, work in well with articles search and periodicals evaluation, and promote international academic exchange, the Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology shall adjust its principles of reference recording in scientific papers based on the GB/T7714 -2005. From 2008, the references in scientific papers to be submitted are requested to record by the Citation-Sequence. In this paper, some examples were presented, and the issues needed to be paid more attention to by the authors were put forward.

Inverse kinematics of a dual linear actuator pitch/roll heliostat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freeman, Joshua; Shankar, Balakrishnan; Sundaram, Ganesh

2017-06-01

This work presents a simple, computationally efficient inverse kinematics solution for a pitch/roll heliostat using two linear actuators. The heliostat design and kinematics have been developed, modeled and tested using computer simulation software. A physical heliostat prototype was fabricated to validate the theoretical computations and data. Pitch/roll heliostats have numerous advantages including reduced cost potential and reduced space requirements, with a primary disadvantage being the significantly more complicated kinematics, which are solved here. Novel methods are applied to simplify the inverse kinematics problem which could be applied to other similar problems.

1D and 3D anthropometric data application on public transport vehicle layout and on oil and gas laboratories work environment design.

PubMed

Pastura, F C H; Guimarães, C P; Zamberlan, M C P; Cid, G L; Santos, V S; Streit, P; Paranhos, A G; Cobbe, R T; Cobbe, K T; Batista, D S

2012-01-01

The goal of this paper is to present 1D and 3D anthropometric data applied to two distinct design situations: one related to the interior layout of a public transport vehicle and another one related to oil and gas laboratories work environment design. On this study, the 1D anthropometric data were extracted from the Brazilian anthropometric database developed by INT and the 3D anthropometric data were obtained using a Cyberware 3D whole body scanner. A second purpose of this paper is to present the 3D human scanning data as a tool that can help designers on decision making.

Strategies for a Creative Future with Computer Science, Quality Design and Communicability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cipolla Ficarra, Francisco V.; Villarreal, Maria

In the current work is presented the importance of the two-way triad between computer science, design and communicability. It is demonstrated how the principles of quality of software engineering are not universal since they are disappearing inside university training. Besides, a short analysis of the term "creativity" males apparent the existence of plagiarism as a human factor that damages the future of communicability applied to the on-line and off-line contents of the open software. A set of measures and guidelines are presented so that the triad works again correctly in the next years to foster the qualitative design of the interactive systems on-line and/or off-line.

Re-Sonification of Objects, Events, and Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fink, Alex M.

Digital sound synthesis allows the creation of a great variety of sounds. Focusing on interesting or ecologically valid sounds for music, simulation, aesthetics, or other purposes limits the otherwise vast digital audio palette. Tools for creating such sounds vary from arbitrary methods of altering recordings to precise simulations of vibrating objects. In this work, methods of sound synthesis by re-sonification are considered. Re-sonification, herein, refers to the general process of analyzing, possibly transforming, and resynthesizing or reusing recorded sounds in meaningful ways, to convey information. Applied to soundscapes, re-sonification is presented as a means of conveying activity within an environment. Applied to the sounds of objects, this work examines modeling the perception of objects as well as their physical properties and the ability to simulate interactive events with such objects. To create soundscapes to re-sonify geographic environments, a method of automated soundscape design is presented. Using recorded sounds that are classified based on acoustic, social, semantic, and geographic information, this method produces stochastically generated soundscapes to re-sonify selected geographic areas. Drawing on prior knowledge, local sounds and those deemed similar comprise a locale's soundscape. In the context of re-sonifying events, this work examines processes for modeling and estimating the excitations of sounding objects. These include plucking, striking, rubbing, and any interaction that imparts energy into a system, affecting the resultant sound. A method of estimating a linear system's input, constrained to a signal-subspace, is presented and applied toward improving the estimation of percussive excitations for re-sonification. To work toward robust recording-based modeling and re-sonification of objects, new implementations of banded waveguide (BWG) models are proposed for object modeling and sound synthesis. Previous implementations of BWGs use arbitrary model parameters and may produce a range of simulations that do not match digital waveguide or modal models of the same design. Subject to linear excitations, some models proposed here behave identically to other equivalently designed physical models. Under nonlinear interactions, such as bowing, many of the proposed implementations exhibit improvements in the attack characteristics of synthesized sounds.

Error modelling of quantum Hall array resistance standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marzano, Martina; Oe, Takehiko; Ortolano, Massimo; Callegaro, Luca; Kaneko, Nobu-Hisa

2018-04-01

Quantum Hall array resistance standards (QHARSs) are integrated circuits composed of interconnected quantum Hall effect elements that allow the realization of virtually arbitrary resistance values. In recent years, techniques were presented to efficiently design QHARS networks. An open problem is that of the evaluation of the accuracy of a QHARS, which is affected by contact and wire resistances. In this work, we present a general and systematic procedure for the error modelling of QHARSs, which is based on modern circuit analysis techniques and Monte Carlo evaluation of the uncertainty. As a practical example, this method of analysis is applied to the characterization of a 1 MΩ QHARS developed by the National Metrology Institute of Japan. Software tools are provided to apply the procedure to other arrays.

40 CFR 63.9635 - How do I demonstrate continuous compliance with the work practice standards that apply to me?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... compliance with the work practice standards that apply to me? 63.9635 Section 63.9635 Protection of... demonstrate continuous compliance with the work practice standards that apply to me? (a) You must demonstrate continuous compliance with the work practice standard requirements in § 63.9591 by operating in accordance...

Johnson Space Center Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gafka, Tammy; Terrier, Doug; Smith, James

2011-01-01

This slide presentation is a review of the work of Johnson Space Center. It includes a section on technology development areas, (i.e., composite structures, non-destructive evaluation, applied nanotechnology, additive manufacturing, and fracture and fatigue analytical methods), a section on structural analysis capabilities within NASA/JSC and a section on Friction stir welding and laser peening.

Exploring the Impact of a Professional Practice Education Doctorate in Educational Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Swapna; Dawson, Kara

2013-01-01

This article presents one approach to assessing the impact of an online professional practice doctorate in education on participants' work environments. It is unique in that it explored impact during the doctoral program, before participants began their dissertation research, and it focused on how participants apply learning from the program…

Automatic speech recognition in air traffic control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karlsson, Joakim

1990-01-01

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology and its application to the Air Traffic Control system are described. The advantages of applying ASR to Air Traffic Control, as well as criteria for choosing a suitable ASR system are presented. Results from previous research and directions for future work at the Flight Transportation Laboratory are outlined.

Memory colours affect colour appearance.

PubMed

Witzel, Christoph; Olkkonen, Maria; Gegenfurtner, Karl R

2016-01-01

Memory colour effects show that colour perception is affected by memory and prior knowledge and hence by cognition. None of Firestone & Scholl's (F&S's) potential pitfalls apply to our work on memory colours. We present a Bayesian model of colour appearance to illustrate that an interaction between perception and memory is plausible from the perspective of vision science.

Team Performance Assessment and Measurement: Theory, Methods, and Applications. Series in Applied Psychology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brannick, Michael T., Ed.; Salas, Eduardo, Ed.; Prince, Carolyn, Ed.

This volume presents thoughts on measuring team performance written by experts currently working with teams in fields such as training, evaluation, and process consultation. The chapters are: (1) "An Overview of Team Performance Measurement" (Michael T. Brannick and Carolyn Prince); (2) "A Conceptual Framework for Teamwork Measurement" (Terry L.…

Disaster Day! Integrating Speech Skills though Impromptu Group Research and Presentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pruim, Douglas E.

2016-01-01

Courses: Disaster Day (DD) is a single-class activity designed for public speaking classrooms, but could also be applied to courses addressing small group communication. Objectives: DD integrates fundamental skills of the basic speech course, fosters participation through group work, and introduces new concepts and skills. By the end of the…

Participatory Exploration: The Role of the User Contribution System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skytland, Nicholas G.

2009-01-01

This viewgraph presentation explores how NASA can apply the global shift in demographics, the popularity of collaborative technology and the desire for participation to the future of space exploration. Included in this is a review of the evolution of work, the engagement gap, user contribution systems and a case study concerning the "digital astronaut".

Technology Adoption Applied to Educational Settings: Predicting Interventionists' Use of Video-Self Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heckman, Andrew R.

2010-01-01

Technology provides educators with a significant advantage in working with today's students. One particular application of technology for the purposes of academic and behavioral interventions is the use of video self-modeling (VSM). Although VSM is an evidence-based intervention, it is rarely used in educational settings. The present research…

"All Quiet on the Western Front."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soderquist, Alisa

Based on Erich Maria Remarque's novel "All Quiet on the Western Front" and other war literature, this lesson plan presents activities designed to help students understand that works of art about war can call up strong emotions in readers; and that the writing process can be applied to writing poems. The main activity of the lesson involves…

School Law for Counselors, Psychologists, and Social Workers. Third Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, Louis; Sorenson, Gail Paulus

A variety of laws and regulations apply to school counselors, psychologists, and social workers in their work. This book presents information on legal issues of particular interest to counselors, psychologists, and social workers. Each chapter concludes with at least one relevant court case. Ten chapters provide indepth information on the…

Learning "about" and "from" Variation in Program Impacts Using Multisite Trials. MDRC Working Papers on Research Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raudenbush, Stephen W.; Bloom, Howard S.

2015-01-01

The present paper, which is intended for a diverse audience of evaluation researchers, applied social scientists, and research funders, provides a broad overview of the conceptual and statistical issues involved in using multisite randomized trials to learn "about" and "from" variation in program effects across…

The Dynamics of Climate Change: A Case Study in Organisational Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasdell, David

2011-01-01

Purpose: Based in the discipline of applied consultancy-research, this paper seeks to present a synthesis-review of the social dynamics underlying the stalled negotiations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Its aim is to enhance understanding of the processes involved, to offer a working agenda to the organizational…

Hold on to This!: Strategies for Teacher Feedback in Online Dance Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Risner, Doug

2014-01-01

Drawn from current research on web-based learning, this practical article presents applied research and informed applications for online dance educators engaged in undergraduate and graduate dance education course work. With a focus on written assessment feedback, the author provides a review of recent literature, an overview of written feedback…

TECHNICAL GUIDANCE FOR THE APPLICATION OF CAFO MANURE TO LAND IN THE WINTER

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of the paper is to present technical guidance to which EPA Region 5 will refer as we work together with those states that intend to allow concentrated animal feeding operations to apply manure to land in the winter. For this purpose, Region 5 assumes that the risk of...

Large Eddy Simulations (LES) and Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) for the computational analyses of high speed reacting flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Givi, Peyman; Madnia, Cyrus K.; Steinberger, C. J.; Frankel, S. H.

1992-01-01

The principal objective is to extend the boundaries within which large eddy simulations (LES) and direct numerical simulations (DNS) can be applied in computational analyses of high speed reacting flows. A summary of work accomplished during the last six months is presented.

The New Guide to Student Recruitment Marketing. The Best of "Case Currents."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Virginia Carter, Ed.; Hunt, Susan, Ed.

The 53 best articles from "Case Currents" on student recruitment marketing are presented. The importance of a marketing plan and ways to apply basic marketing principles to recruitment programs are explained. Eight sections cover: exploring the marketing concept; conducting market research and putting the data to work; reaching out to recruit…

Closing the Performance Gap; Results-Centered Employee Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kellogg, Marion S.

This is a handbook for those who get work done through other people; it concentrates on that part of their task which has to do with encouraging employees to develop abilities and attitudes which assure accomplishment. It presents principles and practices which apply to all employees. Chapters cover Employee Development: A Business "Must,"…

Bourdieu and Academic Capitalism: Faculty "Habitus" in Materials Science and Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendoza, Pilar; Kuntz, Aaron M.; Berger, Joseph B.

2012-01-01

We present Bourdieu's notions of field, capital, "habitus," and strategy and how these concepts apply today in light of academic capitalism using an empirical study of faculty work in one specific field in engineering that exemplifies current tendencies brought by academic capitalism. We conclude with a discussion of practical implications.…

Physician as Scientist: Preparation, Performance, and Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castle, William B.

1976-01-01

Greatly modifying the present medical curriculum for the future physician-scientist is not recommended. The value of his having a PhD is questioned and the importance of his working in a hospital-based clinical department is stressed. The author contends that emphasizing the interrelationship between basic and applied research will increase public…

Development and Deployment of a Library of Industrially Focused Advanced Immersive VR Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Ian; Crosthwaite, Caroline; Norton, Christine; Balliu, Nicoleta; Tadé, Moses; Hoadley, Andrew; Shallcross, David; Barton, Geoff

2008-01-01

This work presents a unique education resource for both process engineering students and the industry workforce. The learning environment is based around spherical imagery of real operating plants coupled with interactive embedded activities and content. This Virtual Reality (VR) learning tool has been developed by applying aspects of relevant…

Iranian Journal of Language Studies (IJLS). Volume 2, Number 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salmani-Nodoushan, Mohammad Ali, Ed.

2008-01-01

"Iranian Journal of Language Studies" ("IJLS") is devoted to all areas of language and linguistics. Its aim is to present work of current interest in all areas of language study. No particular linguistic theories or scientific trends are favored: scientific quality and scholarly standing are the only criteria applied in the…

The Effective Administrator. A Practical Approach to Problem Solving, Decision Making, and Campus Leadership.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Donald E.

Advice for the effective administration of higher education institutions is presented in this guide for practitioners. The characteristics of effective and ineffective administrators are discussed as they apply to the specific demands of college and university administration. The need for a cooperative working relationship between faculty and…

Republication of "Functional Analysis of Classroom Variables for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunlap, Glen; Kern, Lee; dePerczel, Maria; Clarke, Shelley; Wilson, Diane; Childs, Karen E.; White, Ronnie; Falk, George D.

2018-01-01

Functional assessment and functional analysis are processes that have been applied successfully in work with people who have developmental disabilities, but they have been used rarely with students who experience emotional or behavioral disorders. In the present study, five students in elementary school programs for severe emotional disturbance…

Magnetic Actuator Modelling for Rotating Machinery Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mendes, Ricardo Ugliara; de Castro, Hélio Fiori; Cavalca, Kátia Lucchesi; Ferreira, Luiz Otávio Saraiva

Rotating machines have a wide range of application such as airplanes, factories, laboratories and power plants. Lately, with computer aid design, shafts finite element models including bearings, discs, seals and couplings have been developed, allowing the prediction of the machine behavior. In order to keep confidence during operation, it is necessary to monitor these systems, trying to predict future failures. One of the most applied technique for this purpose is the modal analysis. It consists of applying a perturbation force into the system and then to measure its response. However, there is a difficulty that brings limitations to the excitation of systems with rotating shafts when using impact hammers or shakers, once due to friction, undesired tangential forces and noise can be present in the measurements. Therefore, the study of a non-contact technique of external excitation becomes of high interest. In this sense, the present work deals with the study and development of a finite element model for rotating machines using a magnetic actuator as an external excitation source. This work also brings numerical simulations where the magnetic actuator was used to obtain the frequency response function of the rotating system.

Why Japanese workers show low work engagement: An item response theory analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement scale

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

With the globalization of occupational health psychology, more and more researchers are interested in applying employee well-being like work engagement (i.e., a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption) to diverse populations. Accurate measurement contributes to our further understanding and to the generalizability of the concept of work engagement across different cultures. The present study investigated the measurement accuracy of the Japanese and the original Dutch versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (9-item version, UWES-9) and the comparability of this scale between both countries. Item Response Theory (IRT) was applied to the data from Japan (N = 2,339) and the Netherlands (N = 13,406). Reliability of the scale was evaluated at various levels of the latent trait (i.e., work engagement) based the test information function (TIF) and the standard error of measurement (SEM). The Japanese version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with extremely low work engagement, whereas the original Dutch version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with high work engagement. The measurement accuracy of both versions was not similar. Suppression of positive affect among Japanese people and self-enhancement (the general sensitivity to positive self-relevant information) among Dutch people may have caused decreased measurement accuracy. Hence, we should be cautious when interpreting low engagement scores among Japanese as well as high engagement scores among western employees. PMID:21054839

Why Japanese workers show low work engagement: An item response theory analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement scale.

PubMed

Shimazu, Akihito; Schaufeli, Wilmar B; Miyanaka, Daisuke; Iwata, Noboru

2010-11-05

With the globalization of occupational health psychology, more and more researchers are interested in applying employee well-being like work engagement (i.e., a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption) to diverse populations. Accurate measurement contributes to our further understanding and to the generalizability of the concept of work engagement across different cultures. The present study investigated the measurement accuracy of the Japanese and the original Dutch versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (9-item version, UWES-9) and the comparability of this scale between both countries. Item Response Theory (IRT) was applied to the data from Japan (N = 2,339) and the Netherlands (N = 13,406). Reliability of the scale was evaluated at various levels of the latent trait (i.e., work engagement) based the test information function (TIF) and the standard error of measurement (SEM). The Japanese version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with extremely low work engagement, whereas the original Dutch version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with high work engagement. The measurement accuracy of both versions was not similar. Suppression of positive affect among Japanese people and self-enhancement (the general sensitivity to positive self-relevant information) among Dutch people may have caused decreased measurement accuracy. Hence, we should be cautious when interpreting low engagement scores among Japanese as well as high engagement scores among western employees.

Extended working hours and health.

PubMed

Raediker, Britta; Janssen, Daniela; Schomann, Carsten; Nachreiner, Friedhelm

2006-01-01

Statistical analyses of the relation between the amount of working hours and impairments to health, based on data from a European survey on working conditions in 2000, clearly reveal that there is a substantial correlation between the number of working hours per week and the frequencies of health complaints. This applies to both musculo-skeletal disorders as well as to psycho-vegetative complaints. The relationship of the duration of the exposure to working conditions to health impairments is moderated by a great number of individual (e.g., age) and situational (e.g., shift-work) variables, showing additive or interactive effects for which selected examples have been presented. In general, however, there is a consistent functional relationship between the number or working hours and their effects on the workers that holds over a great variety of conditions. It is argued that requests for extending working hours should thus be handled with care.

2009 Gordon Research Conference, Applied and Environmental Microbiology

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

Dubilier, Nicole

The topic of the 2009 Gordon Conference on Applied and Environmental Microbiology is: From Single Cells to the Environment. The Conference will present and discuss cutting-edge research on applied and environmental microbiology with a focus on understanding interactions between microorganisms and the environment at levels ranging from single cells to complex communities. The Conference will feature a wide range of topics such as single cell techniques (including genomics, imaging, and NanoSIMS), microbial diversity at scales ranging from clonal to global, environmental 'meta-omics', biodegradation and bioremediation, metal - microbe interactions, animal microbiomes and symbioses. The Conference will bring together investigators whomore » are at the forefront of their field, and will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work in poster format and exchange ideas with leaders in the field. Some poster presenters will be selected for short talks. The collegial atmosphere of this Conference, with extensive discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, provides an ideal setting for scientists from different disciplines to exchange ideas, brainstorm and discuss cross-disciplinary collaborations.« less

Applications of biomechanics for prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

PubMed

Garg, Arun; Kapellusch, Jay M

2009-01-01

This paper summarises applications of biomechanical principles and models in industry to control musculoskeletal disorders of the low back and upper extremity. Applications of 2-D and 3-D biomechanical models to estimate compressive force on the low back, the strength requirements of jobs, application of guidelines for overhead work and application of strain index and threshold limit value to address distal upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders are presented. Several case studies applied in the railroad industry, manufacturing, healthcare and warehousing are presented. Finally, future developments needed for improved biomechanical applications in industry are discussed. The information presented will be of value to practising ergonomists to recognise how biomechanics has played a significant role in identifying causes of musculoskeletal disorders and controlling them in the workplace. In particular, the information presented will help practising ergonomists with how physical stresses can be objectively quantified.

Signal processing methods for in-situ creep specimen monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guers, Manton J.; Tittmann, Bernhard R.

2018-04-01

Previous work investigated using guided waves for monitoring creep deformation during accelerated life testing. The basic objective was to relate observed changes in the time-of-flight to changes in the environmental temperature and specimen gage length. The work presented in this paper investigated several signal processing strategies for possible application in the in-situ monitoring system. Signal processing methods for both group velocity (wave-packet envelope) and phase velocity (peak tracking) time-of-flight were considered. Although the Analytic Envelope found via the Hilbert transform is commonly applied for group velocity measurements, erratic behavior in the indicated time-of-flight was observed when this technique was applied to the in-situ data. The peak tracking strategies tested had generally linear trends, and tracking local minima in the raw waveform ultimately showed the most consistent results.

A cohort study of psychosocial work stressors on work ability among Brazilian hospital workers.

PubMed

Martinez, Maria Carmen; do Rosário Dias de Oliveira Latorre, Maria; Fischer, Frida Marina

2015-07-01

Hospital work is characterized by stressors that can influence work ability. The present study aims to assess the association between psychosocial work stressors and changes in work ability in a group of Brazilian hospital employees. From 1,022 workers included in a 3-year cohort started in 2009, 423 (41.4%) returned the applied questionnaires in 2012. Changes in work ability were considered as the dependent variable and the investigated psychosocial work stressors as independent variables. Logistic regression models adjusted for potential con-founders (demographic, occupational features, social support, overcommitment, and situations liable to cause pain/injury). High levels of exposure to psychosocial work stressors were significantly associated with decreased work ability: job strain (OR = 2.81), effort-reward imbalance (OR = 3.21). Strategies to reduce psychosocial work stressors should be considered to maintain hospital employees' work ability. Such strategies have implications for institutional and social policies and might be included in quality management programs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Demand-supply dynamics in tourism systems: A spatio-temporal GIS analysis. The Alberta ski industry case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertazzon, Stefania

The present research focuses on the interaction of supply and demand of down-hill ski tourism in the province of Alberta. The main hypothesis is that the demand for skiing depends on the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the population living in the province and outside it. A second, consequent hypothesis is that the development of ski resorts (supply) is a response to the demand for skiing. From the latter derives the hypothesis of a dynamic interaction between supply (ski resorts) and demand (skiers). Such interaction occurs in space, within a range determined by physical distance and the means available to overcome it. The above hypotheses implicitly define interactions that take place in space and evolve over time. The hypotheses are tested by temporal, spatial, and spatio-temporal regression models, using the best available data and the latest commercially available software. The main purpose of this research is to explore analytical techniques to model spatial, temporal, and spatio-temporal dynamics in the context of regional science. The completion of the present research has produced more significant contributions than was originally expected. Many of the unexpected contributions resulted from theoretical and applied needs arising from the application of spatial regression models. Spatial regression models are a new and largely under-applied technique. The models are fairly complex and a considerable amount of preparatory work is needed, prior to their specification and estimation. Most of this work is specific to the field of application. The originality of the solutions devised is increased by the lack of applications in the field of tourism. The scarcity of applications in other fields adds to their value for other applications. The estimation of spatio-temporal models has been only partially attained in the present research. This apparent limitation is due to the novelty and complexity of the analytical methods applied. This opens new directions for further work in the field of spatial analysis, in conjunction with the development of specific software.

Edinburgh Working Papers in Applied Linguistics, Number 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Alan

1993-01-01

"Edinburgh Working Papers" is intended to show a yearly cross-section of current work in Edinburgh's Department of Applied Linguistics and to elicit reactions and criticism. Articles in this volume include the following: "MSC Common Room Conversations: Topics and Terms" (Joan Cutting); "Speculation and Empiricism in Applied Linguistics" (Alan…

Applying Planning Algorithms to Argue in Cooperative Work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monteserin, Ariel; Schiaffino, Silvia; Amandi, Analía

Negotiation is typically utilized in cooperative work scenarios for solving conflicts. Anticipating possible arguments in this negotiation step represents a key factor since we can take decisions about our participation in the cooperation process. In this context, we present a novel application of planning algorithms for argument generation, where the actions of a plan represent the arguments that a person might use during the argumentation process. In this way, we can plan how to persuade the other participants in cooperative work for reaching an expected agreement in terms of our interests. This approach allows us to take advantages since we can test anticipated argumentative solutions in advance.

From the past to the future: Integrating work experience into the design process.

PubMed

Bittencourt, João Marcos; Duarte, Francisco; Béguin, Pascal

2017-01-01

Integrating work activity issues into design process is a broadly discussed theme in ergonomics. Participation is presented as the main means for such integration. However, a late participation can limit the development of both project solutions and future work activity. This article presents the concept of construction of experience aiming at the articulated development of future activities and project solutions. It is a non-teleological approach where the initial concepts will be transformed by the experience built up throughout the design process. The method applied was a case study of an ergonomic participation during the design of a new laboratory complex for biotechnology research. Data was obtained through analysis of records in a simulation process using a Lego scale model and interviews with project participants. The simulation process allowed for developing new ways of working and generating changes in the initial design solutions, which enable workers to adopt their own developed strategies for conducting work more safely and efficiently in the future work system. Each project decision either opens or closes a window of opportunities for developing a future activity. Construction of experience in a non-teleological design process allows for understanding the consequences of project solutions for future work.

Physical and postural aspects of teachers during work activity.

PubMed

da Silva, Nilson Rogério; Almeida, Maria Amélia

2012-01-01

Studies indicate that teachers constitute a professional segment, in which the work characteristics and the demands originating from the act of teaching, favor the emergence of sickness, concerning physical or emotional aspects. The present work aimed to describe physical and postural aspects during the working activity of teachers. A total of 120 elementary school teachers (1st to 8th grade) took part in the survey. For data collection, a questionnaire was applied: it included personal and occupational information, perception of discomfort and being off work; physical strength activities; posture at work and physical conditioning activities. The average age of teachers of the present sample corresponds to 35,8 years. In relation to activities which generate more physical strength, the answer none of the activities was predominant with 30 answers; followed by writing on the board, standing up during the period of classes, explanation of the subjects, class elaboration, correction of homework and others. The area of the body with higher amount of occurrences and prevalent discomfort referred to the lower limbs and spinal cord. These data inform the necessity of investing in prevention programs for the teachers, in order to develop strategies into the organizational context and interventions at the work environment.

Finite-Size Scaling for the Baxter-Wu Model Using Block Distribution Functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velonakis, Ioannis N.; Hadjiagapiou, Ioannis A.

2018-05-01

In the present work, we present an alternative way of applying the well-known finite-size scaling (FSS) theory in the case of a Baxter-Wu model using Binder-like blocks. Binder's ideas are extended to estimate phase transition points and the corresponding scaling exponents not only for magnetic but also for energy properties, saving computational time and effort. The vast majority of our conclusions can be easily generalized to other models.

The Mother's Perspective: Factors Considered When Choosing to Enter a Stay-at-Home Father and Working Mother Relationship.

PubMed

Rushing, Cassie; Sparks, Misti

2017-07-01

A qualitative study was conducted to examine the decision-making factors of entering a stay-at-home father and working mother relationship based on the mother's perspective. A total of 20 married, heterosexual, working mothers with biological children aged 1 to 4 years were asked questions regarding how they decided to enter a stay-at-home father and working mother relationship as well as contributing factors to this decision. The findings presented in this article were part of a larger study that examined mothers' overall perspectives of the working mother stay-at-home father dynamics. The themes that emerged regarding how the decision was made to enter this kind of relationship were creating a work-family life balance, utilizing the cost-benefit ratio, and applying personality/trait strengths.

Characterization of the initial level and migration of silicone oil lubricant in empty prefilled syringes for biologics using infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Bee, Jared S; Frey, Vadim V; Javed, Urooj; Chung, Jonathan; Corcoran, Marta L; Roussel, Paul S; Krause, Stephan O; Cash, Patricia W; Bishop, Steven M; Dimitrova, Mariana N

2014-01-01

Glass prefillable syringes are lubricated with silicone oil to ensure functionality and a consistent injection for the end user. If excessive silicone is applied, droplets could potentially result in aggregation of sensitive biopharmaceuticals or clouding of the solution. Therefore, monitoring and optimization of the applied silicone layer is critical for prefilled syringe development. The hydrophobic properties of silicone oil, the potential for assay interference, and the very small quantities applied to prefilled syringes present a challenge for the development of a suitable assay. In this work we present a rapid and simple Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy method for quantitation of total silicone levels applied to prefilled syringes. Level-dependent silicone oil migration occurred over time for empty prefilled syringes stored tip-up. However, migration from all prefilled syringes with between 0.25 and 0.8 mg of initial silicone oil resulted in a stable limiting minimum level of between 0.15 and 0.26 mg of silicone in the syringe reached after 1 to 4 years of empty tip-up storage. The results of the FTIR assay correlated well with non-destructive reflectometry characterization of the syringes. This assay can provide valuable data for selection of a robust initial silicone oil target and quality control of prefilled syringes intended for biopharmaceuticals. Glass prefillable syringes are lubricated with silicone oil to ensure functionality and a consistent injection for the end user. If excessive silicone is applied, droplets could potentially result in aggregation of sensitive biopharmaceuticals or clouding of the solution. Therefore, monitoring and optimization of the applied silicone layer is critical for prefilled syringe development. The hydrophobic properties of silicone oil, the potential for assay interference, and the very small quantities applied to prefilled syringes present a challenge for the development of a suitable assay. In this work we present a rapid and simple Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy method for quantitation of total silicone levels applied to prefilled syringes. Level-dependent silicone oil migration occurred over time for empty prefilled syringes stored tip-up. However, migration from all prefilled syringes with between 0.25 and 0.8 mg of initial silicone oil resulted in a stable limiting minimum level of between 0.15 and 0.26 mg of silicone in the syringe reached after 1 to 4 years of empty tip-up storage. The results of the FTIR assay correlated well with non-destructive reflectometry characterization of the syringes. This assay can provide valuable data for selection of a robust initial silicone oil target and quality control of prefilled syringes intended for biopharmaceuticals. © PDA, Inc. 2014.

[War on Drugs or War against Health? The pitfalls for public health of Puerto Rican drug policy].

PubMed

Santiago-Negrón, Salvador; Albizu-García, Carmen E

2003-03-01

Puerto Rico has followed the United States in adopting drug policy sustained on a criminal justice model that limits the opportunities to address problematic drug use through public health interventions. Demand for illegal drugs is controlled by criminalizing drug use and applying jail sentences for drug offenses. These strategies marginalize drug users and reduce opportunities to minimize health risks applying public health measures. Production and sale of illegal drugs is criminalized with the intent of dissuading drug use, with adverse unintended health effects that impact both drug users and non-drug users in the community. The present work reviews the assumptions of the punitive prohibitionist model and its outcomes that present themselves as public health challenges in Puerto Rico. It also presents those principles that should sustain pragmatic drug policy to address problematic drug use from a health and social perspective.

[Burnout syndrome associated factors in gynecologists].

PubMed

Palmer-Morales, Yusvisaret; Prince-Vélez, Roberto; Searcy-Bernal, Roberto

2007-07-01

To determine risk factors associated to Burnout Syndrome in medical gynecologist staff who works at the Gynecology-pediatrics with Family Medicine Hospital number 31 of the IMSS at Mexicali city, Baja California. A cross sectional study was performed in 27 gynecologists (100% of the total gynecologist that works at that particular hospital). A validated survey instrument developed by Maslach was applied to them in order to identify the presence of the syndrome and a general questionnaire including sociodemographic information was also applied to the doctors. The statistical analysis was both descriptive and inferential including chi square, Student t and logistic regression. 74.1% of the doctors who showed signs of Burnout Syndrome were males and 25.9% were females. The average doctors age of the group who developed Burnout was 44.81 +/- 6.11 years. The mean time in years of work for the doctors with the syndrome was 15.56 +/- 7.11 years. Only one doctor was divorced and she presented Burnout Syndrome, on the other hand, 62.5% of the married doctors showed evidence of Burnout Syndrome (p > 0.05). The general prevalence was 59.2%. Of those who showed signs of burnout, 87.5% presented it in low degree, 6.2% presented moderate degree, 6.2% presented high burnout degree. Out of all the organizational factors type, none resulted significative. The prevalence of the reported syndrome is apparently high when compared to the medical anesthesiology staff of the same hospital; however this difference is not statistically significative. In the unvaried and multivariate analyses, no organizational factor shows significance as a potential risk. It is necessary to consider psychological support to the affected doctors and to value the organization of the service, looking for an administrative reengineering.

Working Memory and Neurofeedback.

PubMed

YuLeung To, Eric; Abbott, Kathy; Foster, Dale S; Helmer, D'Arcy

2016-01-01

Impairments in working memory are typically associated with impairments in other cognitive faculties such as attentional processes and short-term memory. This paper briefly introduces neurofeedback as a treatment modality in general, and, more specifically, we review several of the current modalities successfully used in neurofeedback (NF) for the treatment of working memory deficits. Two case studies are presented to illustrate how neurofeedback is applied in treatment. The development of Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (LORETA) and its application in neurofeedback now makes it possible to specifically target deep cortical/subcortical brain structures. Developments in neuroscience concerning neural networks, combined with highly specific yet practical NF technologies, makes neurofeedback of particular interest to neuropsychological practice, including the emergence of specific methodologies for treating very difficult working memory (WM) problems.

PIV Measurements of Chevrons on F400 Tactical Aircraft Nozzle Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bridges, James; Wernet, Mark; Frate, Franco

2010-01-01

Previous talks at this meeting have covered our collaborative work on high-energy jets such as present in tactical aircraft (those with supersonic plumes). The emphasis of this work is improving our understanding of flow physics and our prediction tools. In this presentation we will discuss recent flow diagnostics acquired using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) made on an underexpanded shocked jet plume from a tactical aircraft nozzle. In this presentation we show cross-sectional and streamwise cuts of both mean and turbulent velocities of an F404 engine nozzle with various chevron designs applied. The impact of chevron penetration, length, and width are documented. The impact of the parameters is generally nonlinear in measures considered here, a surprising result given the relatively smooth behavior of the noise to variations in these chevron parameters.

A Knowledge Management Approach to Support Software Process Improvement Implementation Initiatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montoni, Mariano Angel; Cerdeiral, Cristina; Zanetti, David; Cavalcanti da Rocha, Ana Regina

The success of software process improvement (SPI) implementation initiatives depends fundamentally of the strategies adopted to support the execution of such initiatives. Therefore, it is essential to define adequate SPI implementation strategies aiming to facilitate the achievement of organizational business goals and to increase the benefits of process improvements. The objective of this work is to present an approach to support the execution of SPI implementation initiatives. We also describe a methodology applied to capture knowledge related to critical success factors that influence SPI initiatives. This knowledge was used to define effective SPI strategies aiming to increase the success of SPI initiatives coordinated by a specific SPI consultancy organization. This work also presents the functionalities of a set of tools integrated in a process-centered knowledge management environment, named CORE-KM, customized to support the presented approach.

Interviewing patients and practitioners working together in teams. A multi-layered puzzle: putting the pieces together.

PubMed

Ringstad, Oystein

2010-08-01

This paper presents and evaluates a methodological approach aiming at analysing some of the complex interaction between patients and different health care practitioners working together in teams. Qualitative health care research describes the values, perceptions and conceptions of patients and practitioners. In modern clinical work patients and professional practitioners often work together on complex cases involving different kinds of knowledge and values, each of them representing different perspectives. We need studies designed to capture this complexity. The methodological approach presented here is exemplified with a study in rehabilitation medicine. In this part of the health care system the clinical work is organized in multi-professional clinical teams including patients, handling complex rehabilitation processes. In the presented approach data are collected in individual in-depth interviews to have thorough descriptions of each individual perspective. The interaction in the teams is analysed by comparing different descriptions of the same situations from the involved individuals. We may then discuss how these perceptions relate to each other and how the individuals in the team interact. Two examples from an empirical study are presented and discussed, illustrating how communication, differences in evaluations and the interpretation of incidents, arguments, emotions and interpersonal relations may be discussed. It is argued that this approach may give information which can supplement the methods commonly applied in qualitative health care research today.

Equilibrium intermediate-state patterns in a type-I superconducting slab in an arbitrarily oriented applied magnetic field

DOE PAGES

Clem, John; Prozorov, Ruslan; Wijngaarden, Rinke J.

2013-09-04

The equilibrium topology of superconducting and normal domains in flat type-I superconductors is investigated. Important improvements with respect to previous work are that (1) the energy of the external magnetic field, as deformed by the presence of superconducting domains, is calculated in the same way for three different topologies and (2) calculations are made for arbitrary orientation of the applied field. A phase diagram is presented for the minimum-energy topology as a function of applied field magnitude and angle. For small (large) applied fields, normal (superconducting) tubes are found, while for intermediate fields, parallel domains have a lower energy. Themore » range of field magnitudes for which the superconducting-tubes structure is favored shrinks when the field is more in-plane oriented.« less

Cognitive state monitoring and the design of adaptive instruction in digital environments: lessons learned from cognitive workload assessment using a passive brain-computer interface approach

PubMed Central

Gerjets, Peter; Walter, Carina; Rosenstiel, Wolfgang; Bogdan, Martin; Zander, Thorsten O.

2014-01-01

According to Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), one of the crucial factors for successful learning is the type and amount of working-memory load (WML) learners experience while studying instructional materials. Optimal learning conditions are characterized by providing challenges for learners without inducing cognitive over- or underload. Thus, presenting instruction in a way that WML is constantly held within an optimal range with regard to learners' working-memory capacity might be a good method to provide these optimal conditions. The current paper elaborates how digital learning environments, which achieve this goal can be developed by combining approaches from Cognitive Psychology, Neuroscience, and Computer Science. One of the biggest obstacles that needs to be overcome is the lack of an unobtrusive method of continuously assessing learners' WML in real-time. We propose to solve this problem by applying passive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) approaches to realistic learning scenarios in digital environments. In this paper we discuss the methodological and theoretical prospects and pitfalls of this approach based on results from the literature and from our own research. We present a strategy on how several inherent challenges of applying BCIs to WML and learning can be met by refining the psychological constructs behind WML, by exploring their neural signatures, by using these insights for sophisticated task designs, and by optimizing algorithms for analyzing electroencephalography (EEG) data. Based on this strategy we applied machine-learning algorithms for cross-task classifications of different levels of WML to tasks that involve studying realistic instructional materials. We obtained very promising results that yield several recommendations for future work. PMID:25538544

Implementing 'The Math You Need' in an Introductory Physical Geology Course at California State University East Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, J. E.

2011-12-01

The wide range of abilities in the student population at California State University East Bay, with a significant fraction of students under-prepared and requiring mathematics remediation, is a challenge to including mathematical concepts and exercises in our introductory geoscience courses. Student expectations that a geoscience course will not include quantitative work may result in math-phobics choosing the course and resisting quantitative work when presented with it. Introductory courses that are required for Geology and Environmental Science majors are also designated as General Education, which gives rise to a student group with a wide range of abilities and expectations. This presentation will focus on implementation of a series of online math tutorials for students in introductory geoscience courses called 'The Math You Need' (TMYN; http://serc.carleton.edu/mathyouneed/index.html). The program is implemented in a Physical Geology course, in which 2/3 of the students are typically non-majors. The Physical Geology course has a three hour lab each week and the lab exercises and lab manual offer several opportunities for application of TMYN. Many of the lab exercises include graphing, profiling, working with map scales, converting units, or using equations to calculate some parameter or solve for an unknown. Six TMYN modules covering topics using density calculations as applied to mineral properties and isostasy, graphing as applied to rock properties, earthquake location, and radiometric dating, and calculation of rates as applied to plate movement, stream discharge, and groundwater flow, are assigned as pre-labs to be completed before lab classes. TMYN skills are reinforced during lectures and lab exercises, as close in time as possible to students' exposure via TMYN. Pre- and post-tests give a measure of the effectiveness of TMYN in improving students' quantitative literacy.

Removal of arsenate from groundwater by electrocoagulation method.

PubMed

Ali, Imran; Khan, Tabrez A; Asim, Mohd

2012-06-01

Arsenic, a toxic metalloid in drinking water, has become a major threat for human beings and other organisms. In the present work, attempts have been made to remove arsenate from the synthetic as well as natural water of Ballia district, India by electrocoagulation method. Efforts have also been made to optimize the various parameters such as initial arsenate concentration, pH, applied voltage, processing time, and working temperature. Electrocoagulation is a fast, inexpensive, selective, accurate, reproducible, and eco-friendly method for arsenate removal from groundwater. The present paper describes an electrocoagulation method for arsenate removal from groundwater using iron and zinc as anode and cathode, respectively. The maximum removal of arsenate was 98.8% at 2.0 mg L(-1), 7.0, 3.0 V, 10.0 min, and 30°C as arsenate concentration, pH, applied voltage, processing time, and working temperature, respectively. Relative standard deviation, coefficient of determination (r (2)), and confidence limits were varied from 1.50% to 1.59%, 0.9996% to 0.9998%, and 96.0% to 99.0%, respectively. The treated water was clear, colorless, and odorless without any secondary contamination. The developed and validated method was applied for arsenate removal of two samples of groundwater of Ballia district, U.P., India, having 0.563 to 0.805 mg L(-1), arsenate concentrations. The reported method is capable for the removal of arsenate completely (100% removal) from groundwater of Ballia district. There was no change in the groundwater quality after the removal of arsenate. The treated water was safe for drinking, bathing, and recreation purposes. Therefore, this method may be the choice of arsenate removal from natural groundwater.

Schedule-Aware Workflow Management Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mans, Ronny S.; Russell, Nick C.; van der Aalst, Wil M. P.; Moleman, Arnold J.; Bakker, Piet J. M.

Contemporary workflow management systems offer work-items to users through specific work-lists. Users select the work-items they will perform without having a specific schedule in mind. However, in many environments work needs to be scheduled and performed at particular times. For example, in hospitals many work-items are linked to appointments, e.g., a doctor cannot perform surgery without reserving an operating theater and making sure that the patient is present. One of the problems when applying workflow technology in such domains is the lack of calendar-based scheduling support. In this paper, we present an approach that supports the seamless integration of unscheduled (flow) and scheduled (schedule) tasks. Using CPN Tools we have developed a specification and simulation model for schedule-aware workflow management systems. Based on this a system has been realized that uses YAWL, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Outlook, and a dedicated scheduling service. The approach is illustrated using a real-life case study at the AMC hospital in the Netherlands. In addition, we elaborate on the experiences obtained when developing and implementing a system of this scale using formal techniques.

A century of work teams in the Journal of Applied Psychology.

PubMed

Mathieu, John E; Hollenbeck, John R; van Knippenberg, Daan; Ilgen, Daniel R

2017-03-01

Work groups are a vital link between individuals and organizations. Systematic psychological research on the nature and effects of work groups dates back at least to the Hawthorne studies of the 1920s and 1930s. Yet little to none of this work appeared in the Journal of Applied Psychology until the 1950s when groups were treated primarily as foils against which to compare the performance of individuals. From the 1990s to the present, the volume of research and the nature of topics addressing work group/teams expanded significantly. The authors review the evolution of team research over the past century with a particular focus on that which has appeared in this journal. They chronicle the shift from a focus on individuals within teams, or on individual versus team comparisons, to a focus on the team itself and larger systems of teams. They describe the major outcomes studied within this literature, and how they relate to the nature of team tasks and structures. Further, the authors consider the roles of team members' characteristics and composition, and team dynamics in terms of processes and emergent states. They close with a call for future research that models dynamic team relationships in context and as they operate in complex systems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Napping during the night shift and recovery after work among hospital nurses1

PubMed Central

Palermo, Thaís Aparecida de Castro; Rotenberg, Lúcia; Zeitoune, Regina Célia Gollner; Silva-Costa, Aline; Souto, Ester Paiva; Griep, Rosane Härter

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association between the length of napping during the night shift and the recovery after work among nurses. METHOD: Cross-sectional epidemiological study involving 1940 nurses from 18 public hospitals in the City of Rio de Janeiro. A multidimensional and self-applied questionnaire was used with information about health, sociodemographic and occupational characteristics, health-related behaviors and housework. Multiple logistic regression was applied to identify the association, adjusted for confounding variables. RESULTS: The gross analyses showed 44%, 127% and 66% higher chances of a high level of recovery after work for nurses who sleep up to two hours, between 2.1 and 3 hours and 3.1 hours or more, respectively, when compared to the nurses who do not sleep. After adjusting for confounding variables, the association only continues significant for the group that sleeps 2.1 to 3 hours during the night shift (OR=1.79; 95%CI=1.33-2.41). CONCLUSION: The association between the length of napping and the high level of recovery after work, confirmed in the present results, can be included in the studies that aim to support more appropriate policies aimed at improving the workers' work, life and health conditions, not only in nursing, but night-shift workers in general. PMID:25806639

Informational analysis involving application of complex information system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciupak, Clébia; Vanti, Adolfo Alberto; Balloni, Antonio José; Espin, Rafael

The aim of the present research is performing an informal analysis for internal audit involving the application of complex information system based on fuzzy logic. The same has been applied in internal audit involving the integration of the accounting field into the information systems field. The technological advancements can provide improvements to the work performed by the internal audit. Thus we aim to find, in the complex information systems, priorities for the work of internal audit of a high importance Private Institution of Higher Education. The applied method is quali-quantitative, as from the definition of strategic linguistic variables it was possible to transform them into quantitative with the matrix intersection. By means of a case study, where data were collected via interview with the Administrative Pro-Rector, who takes part at the elaboration of the strategic planning of the institution, it was possible to infer analysis concerning points which must be prioritized at the internal audit work. We emphasize that the priorities were identified when processed in a system (of academic use). From the study we can conclude that, starting from these information systems, audit can identify priorities on its work program. Along with plans and strategic objectives of the enterprise, the internal auditor can define operational procedures to work in favor of the attainment of the objectives of the organization.

Quantum-field-theoretical approach to phase–space techniques: Symmetric Wick theorem and multitime Wigner representation

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

Plimak, L.I., E-mail: Lev.Plimak@mbi-berlin.de; Olsen, M.K.

2014-12-15

In this work we present the formal background used to develop the methods used in earlier works to extend the truncated Wigner representation of quantum and atom optics in order to address multi-time problems. Analogs of Wick’s theorem for the Weyl ordering are verified. Using the Bose–Hubbard chain as an example, we show how these may be applied to constructing a mapping of the system in question to phase space. Regularisation issues and the reordering problem for the Heisenberg operators are addressed.

Teaching quality improvement.

PubMed

Murray, Marry Ellen; Douglas, Stephen; Girdley, Diana; Jarzemsky, Paula

2010-08-01

Practicing nurses are required to engage in quality improvement work as a part of their clinical practice, but few undergraduate nursing education programs offer course work and applied experience in this area. This article presents a description of class content and teaching strategies, assignments, and evaluation strategies designed to achieve the Quality and Safety Education in Nursing competencies related to quality improvement and interdisciplinary teams. Students demonstrate their application of the quality improvement process by designing and implementing a small-scale quality improvement project that they report in storyboard format on a virtual conference Web site.

The study on working fluids of airborne power generation system based on Rankine cycle by heat energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Yuan

2017-05-01

This paper proposed a new concept named airborne power generation system based on Rankine cycle by heat energy, namely, the presented system combined the Rankine cycle with environmental control system in aircraft to recycle the waste heat of engine bleed air with high temperature and generate power. This paper mainly discussed the choosing of optimum working fluid which could apply in the combined power generation system mentioned above when the temperature of the coming bleed air was about 400 degree centigrade.

Tally and geometry definition influence on the computing time in radiotherapy treatment planning with MCNP Monte Carlo code.

PubMed

Juste, B; Miro, R; Gallardo, S; Santos, A; Verdu, G

2006-01-01

The present work has simulated the photon and electron transport in a Theratron 780 (MDS Nordion) (60)Co radiotherapy unit, using the Monte Carlo transport code, MCNP (Monte Carlo N-Particle), version 5. In order to become computationally more efficient in view of taking part in the practical field of radiotherapy treatment planning, this work is focused mainly on the analysis of dose results and on the required computing time of different tallies applied in the model to speed up calculations.

[Application of the technique of analytical structure of project for the sub-project of websites catalog of the Virtual Health Library-Nursing].

PubMed

dos, Santos Luís Augusto; Marin, Heimar de Fátima; Marques, Isaac Rosa; Cunha, Isabel Cristina Kowal Olm

2007-01-01

This work intents, in a didactic form, to explain the benefits of use of a technique of project management, named Work Breakdown Structure: a graphical tool to identify the main results to be developed in a project. The real examples are applied to a sub-project of the Virtual Library in Health in Nursing (BVS-Enfermagem) to development of the Sites Catalogs. The benefits of graphical visualization for a major agreement between professionals of different expertise are presented.

Iranian Journal of Language Studies (IJLS). Volume 2, Issue 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salmani-Nodoushan, Mohammad Ali, Ed.

2008-01-01

Iranian Journal of Language Studies (IJLS) is devoted to all areas of language and linguistics. Its aim is to present work of current interest in all areas of language study. No particular linguistic theories or scientific trends are favored: scientific quality and scholarly standing are the only criteria applied in the selection of papers…

Iranian Journal of Language Studies (IJLS). Volume 2, Issue 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salmani-Nodoushan, Mohammad Ali, Ed.

2008-01-01

Iranian Journal of Language Studies (IJLS) is devoted to all areas of language and linguistics. Its aim is to present work of current interest in all areas of language study. No particular linguistic theories or scientific trends are favored: scientific quality and scholarly standing are the only criteria applied in the selection of papers…

[The evaluation of the consequences of electromagnetic irradiation of hands in operators of high-frequency welding devices].

PubMed

Rudakov, M L

2000-01-01

Method of secondary sources (method of integral equations) was applied to calculate specific absorbed intensity in hands of operators working at non-shielded high-frequency (27.12 Mhz) welding devices. The authors present calculations for "female" and "male" hand sizes, give recommendations on lower level of specific absorption.

Optimal Facility-Location

PubMed Central

Goldman, A. J.

2006-01-01

Dr. Christoph Witzgall, the honoree of this Symposium, can count among his many contributions to applied mathematics and mathematical operations research a body of widely-recognized work on the optimal location of facilities. The present paper offers to non-specialists a sketch of that field and its evolution, with emphasis on areas most closely related to Witzgall’s research at NBS/NIST. PMID:27274920

Biasing for the Best in Language Testing and Learning: An Interview with Merrill Swain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Janna

2004-01-01

In response to the American Association of Applied Linguistics' presentation of the Distinguished Scholarship and Service Award for extraordinary contributions to the fields of language learning, teaching, and testing in May 2004, Merrill Swain described her own work as "moving in cycles of research, theory and practice." These "spirals" ("cycles…

Flexible SERS Substrates: Challenges and Opportunities

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-28

interactions between the analyte, silver nanoparticles , and a salt. This system has also been applied to detection of trace antibiotics for food safety...Cleanable SERS Substrates Based on Silver Nanoparticle Decorated Electrospun Nano-fibrous Membranes Chaoyang Jiang Porous electrospun nanofibrous...present our recent work on the preparation, characterization, and SERS activity of silver nanoparticle decorated polymeric electrospun nanofibers

Clinical Commentary by Dorothy Judd, Child and Adolescent and Couple Psychotherapist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Judd, Dorothy

2010-01-01

This article presents the author's observations on a clinical extract which describes a child psychotherapist working with Maya, a seriously ill child, in a hospital. The author said that the hospital setting raises the question of what it is like to apply child psychotherapists' thinking within a hospital setting, and how they adapt the way they…

Applying Corpus-Based Findings to Form-Focused Instruction: The Case of Reported Speech

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbieri, Federica; Eckhardt, Suzanne E. B.

2007-01-01

Arguing that the introduction of corpus linguistics in teaching materials and the language classroom should be informed by theories and principles of SLA, this paper presents a case study illustrating how corpus-based findings on reported speech can be integrated into a form-focused model of instruction. After overviewing previous work which…

A comparison of automated crater detection methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandeira, L.; Barreira, C.; Pina, P.; Saraiva, J.

2008-09-01

Abstract This work presents early results of a comparison between some common methodologies for automated crater detection. The three procedures considered were applied to images of the surface of Mars, thus illustrating some pros and cons of their use. We aim to establish the clear advantages in using this type of methods in the study of planetary surfaces.

Annual Technology Baseline and Standard Scenarios | Energy Analysis | NREL

Science.gov Websites

electric sector analysis in the United States. NREL analysts consistently apply the products of this work Scenarios Annual Report and A U.S. Electric Sector Outlook - This annual report presents an outlook of the U.S. electricity sector based on a suite of standard scenarios with their associated assumptions

Recommendations for Accessibility Standards for Children's Environments: Task Five. Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh. Center for Accessible Housing.

The purpose of this project was to develop and present a set of recommendations for supplements to the existing Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) that would apply to environments used by children with physical disabilities. The work was subdivided into six phases: (1) review of selected codes, standards and guidelines; (2) review of…

An Exact Solvable Model of Rocket Dynamics in Atmosphere

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodrigues, H.; Pinho, M. O.; Portes, D., Jr.; Santiago, A.

2009-01-01

In basic physics courses at undergraduate level, the dynamics of self-propelled bodies is presented as an example of momentum conservation law applied to systems with time-varying mass. However, is often studied the simple situation of free motion or the motion under the action of a constant gravitational field. In this work, we investigate the…

Perspectives on Leadership. Current Issues in Higher Education No. 1, 1979.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association for Higher Education, Washington, DC.

Perspectives on leadership, the workplace, and changing values are presented in three papers. In "Changing the Shape of Work: Reform in Academe," Rosabeth Moss Kanter discusses the structure of academic career paths and ways to improve the quality of worklife for individuals employed in academe, applying theories she developed in her study on work…

Yes! You Can Build a Web Site.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holzberg, Carol

2001-01-01

With specially formatted templates or simple Web page editors, teachers can lay out text and graphics in a work space resembling the interface of a word processor. Several options are presented to help teachers build Web sites. ree templates include Class Homepage Builder, AppliTools: HomePage, MySchoolOnline.com, and BigChalk.com. Web design…

Child Care and the Family-Work Balance: An International Perspective on Needs and Responses in Aboriginal Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colbert, Judith A.

1999-01-01

Suggests that aboriginal child-care needs relate to educational, social, and cultural requirements, as well as parental workforce participation. Contends that research is needed to test the validity of findings from mainstream societies when applied to indigenous communities. Presents examples of child-care problems and solutions to needs from…

Image Theory and Career Aspirations: Indirect and Interactive Effects of Status-Related Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Mindi N.; Dahling, Jason J.

2010-01-01

The present study applied Image Theory (Beach, 1990) to test how different components of a person's value image (i.e., perceived social status identity and conformity to masculine and feminine gender role norms) interact to influence trajectories toward high career aspirations (i.e., high value for status in one's work and aspirations for…

A Gendered Study of the Working Patterns of Classical Musicians: Implications for Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Dawn

2008-01-01

Despite an increase in participation at all levels of the music profession, women continue to experience fewer opportunities to forge careers in music and are less likely than men to apply for leadership positions. This article presents results from a study in which 152 instrumental musicians reflected upon their professional practice and career…

Educational Research, Development, and Innovation: The Institutionalization of Change in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spivak, Harriet; Radnor, Michael

In an effort to analyze what management policies and technologies from other disciplines can be applied to the field of education, this report describes the development of an analytical framework and its use to explore implications for policy development. The present work seeks to synthesize the available literature on management policies and to…

Campus Eco Tours: An Integrative & Interactive Field Project for Undergraduate Biology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boes, Katie E.

2013-01-01

Outdoor areas within or near college campuses offer an opportunity for biology students to observe the natural world and apply concepts from class. Here, I describe an engaging and integrative project where undergraduate non-major biology students work in teams to develop and present professional "eco tours." This project takes place over multiple…

Paying to Learn: The Effect of Financial Incentives on Elementary School Test Scores. NBER Working Paper No. 16333

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bettinger, Eric P.

2010-01-01

Policymakers and academics are increasingly interested in applying financial incentives to individuals in education. This paper presents evidence from a pay for performance program taking place in Coshocton, Ohio. Since 2004, Coshocton has provided cash payments to students in grades three through six for successful completion of their…

Iranian Journal of Language Studies (IJLS). Volume 1, Issue 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Online Submission, 2007

2007-01-01

Iranian Journal of Language Studies (IJLS) is devoted to all areas of language and linguistics. Its aim is to present work of current interest in all areas of language study. No particular linguistic theories or scientific trends are favored: scientific quality and scholarly standing are the only criteria applied in the selection of papers…

Exploring a neuroplasticity model of music therapy.

PubMed

Stegemöller, Elizabeth L

2014-01-01

Given that music therapists work across a wide range of disabilities, it is important that therapists have at least a fundamental understanding of the neurophysiology associated with the client/patient populations that they serve. Yet, there is a large gap of evidence regarding the neurophysiological changes associated with applying music as therapy. The purpose of this article is to provide music therapists with a general background in neuroplasticity principles that can be applied to the use of music therapy with multiple populations. This article will review literature on neuroplasticity and literature supporting the specific attributes of music therapy that apply to neuroplasticity. Finally, examples of how to use neuroplasticity principles to explain and support clinical music therapy will be provided. Using the material presented in this review, music therapists will be equipped with information to effectively communicate why music therapy works using three neuroplasticity principles; increase in dopamine, neural synchrony, and a clear signal. Music therapy is a powerful tool to enhance neuroplasticity in the brain. © the American Music Therapy Association 2014. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sequential roles of primary somatosensory cortex and posterior parietal cortex in tactile-visual cross-modal working memory: a single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (spTMS) study.

PubMed

Ku, Yixuan; Zhao, Di; Hao, Ning; Hu, Yi; Bodner, Mark; Zhou, Yong-Di

2015-01-01

Both monkey neurophysiological and human EEG studies have shown that association cortices, as well as primary sensory cortical areas, play an essential role in sequential neural processes underlying cross-modal working memory. The present study aims to further examine causal and sequential roles of the primary sensory cortex and association cortex in cross-modal working memory. Individual MRI-based single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (spTMS) was applied to bilateral primary somatosensory cortices (SI) and the contralateral posterior parietal cortex (PPC), while participants were performing a tactile-visual cross-modal delayed matching-to-sample task. Time points of spTMS were 300 ms, 600 ms, 900 ms after the onset of the tactile sample stimulus in the task. The accuracy of task performance and reaction time were significantly impaired when spTMS was applied to the contralateral SI at 300 ms. Significant impairment on performance accuracy was also observed when the contralateral PPC was stimulated at 600 ms. SI and PPC play sequential and distinct roles in neural processes of cross-modal associations and working memory. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spectroscopic characterization of low dose rate brachytherapy sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beach, Stephen M.

The low dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy seeds employed in permanent radioactive-source implant treatments usually use one of two radionuclides, 125I or 103Pd. The theoretically expected source spectroscopic output from these sources can be obtained via Monte Carlo calculation based upon seed dimensions and materials as well as the bare-source photon emissions for that specific radionuclide. However the discrepancies resulting from inconsistent manufacturing of sources in comparison to each other within model groups and simplified Monte Carlo calculational geometries ultimately result in undesirably large uncertainties in the Monte Carlo calculated values. This dissertation describes experimentally attained spectroscopic outputs of the clinically used brachytherapy sources in air and in liquid water. Such knowledge can then be applied to characterize these sources by a more fundamental and metro logically-pure classification, that of energy-based dosimetry. The spectroscopic results contained within this dissertation can be utilized in the verification and benchmarking of Monte Carlo calculational models of these brachytherapy sources. This body of work was undertaken to establish a usable spectroscopy system and analysis methods for the meaningful study of LDR brachytherapy seeds. The development of a correction algorithm and the analysis of the resultant spectroscopic measurements are presented. The characterization of the spectrometer and the subsequent deconvolution of the measured spectrum to obtain the true spectrum free of any perturbations caused by the spectrometer itself is an important contribution of this work. The approach of spectroscopic deconvolution that was applied in this work is derived in detail and it is applied to the physical measurements. In addition, the spectroscopically based analogs to the LDR dosimetry parameters that are currently employed are detailed, as well as the development of the theory and measurement methods to arrive at these analogs. Several dosimetrically-relevant water-equivalent plastics were also investigated for their transmission properties within a liquid water environment, as well as in air. The framework for the accurate spectrometry of LDR sources is established as a result of this dissertation work. In addition to the measurement and analysis methods, this work presents the basic measured spectroscopic characteristics of each LDR seed currently in use in the clinic today.

How can information systems provide support to nurses' hand hygiene performance? Using gamification and indoor location to improve hand hygiene awareness and reduce hospital infections.

PubMed

Marques, Rita; Gregório, João; Pinheiro, Fernando; Póvoa, Pedro; da Silva, Miguel Mira; Lapão, Luís Velez

2017-01-31

Hospital-acquired infections are still amongst the major problems health systems are facing. Their occurrence can lead to higher morbidity and mortality rates, increased length of hospital stay, and higher costs for both hospital and patients. Performing hand hygiene is a simple and inexpensive prevention measure, but healthcare workers' compliance with it is often far from ideal. To raise awareness regarding hand hygiene compliance, individual behaviour change and performance optimization, we aimed to develop a gamification solution that collects data and provides real-time feedback accurately in a fun and engaging way. A Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) was used to conduct this work. DSRM is useful to study the link between research and professional practices by designing, implementing and evaluating artifacts that address a specific need. It follows a development cycle (or iteration) composed by six activities. Two work iterations were performed applying gamification components, each using a different indoor location technology. Preliminary experiments, simulations and field studies were performed in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a Portuguese tertiary hospital. Nurses working on this ICU were in a focus group during the research, participating in several sessions across the implementation process. Nurses enjoyed the concept and considered that it allows for a unique opportunity to receive feedback regarding their performance. Tests performed on the indoor location technology applied in the first iteration regarding distances estimation presented an unacceptable lack of accuracy. Using a proximity-based technique, it was possible to identify the sequence of positions, but beacons presented an unstable behaviour. In the second work iteration, a different indoor location technology was explored but it did not work properly, so there was no chance of testing the solution as a whole (gamification application included). Combining automated monitoring systems with gamification seems to be an innovative and promising approach, based on the already achieved results. Involving nurses in the project since the beginning allowed to align the solution with their needs. Despite strong evolution through recent years, indoor location technologies are still not ready to be applied in the healthcare field with nursing wards.

Reduction of turbidity and chromium content of tannery wastewater by electrocoagulation process.

PubMed

2018-02-12

The present study is carried out to remove the chromium and turbidity from tannery wastewater by the electrocoagulationprocess with aluminum electrodes. This experimental study is performed using a batch system. The applied pilot comprises a reactor containing two parallel metal electrodes (Al). The latter are connected as mono polar and a different potential is applied between them. Several working parameters, such as applied potential difference, electrolysis time, active electrode surface, inter-electrode distance and pH of the medium have been studied to achieve higher removal efficiency.The treatment achieved a maximum reduction of 99% for the turbidity and 93% for the chromium under the following conditions: a potential difference: 15V; electrodes surface: 45cm2, inter-electrode distance: 1cm; raw water pH (6.1) and a contact time of 90 min. Considering the obtained efficiency in the present study, electrocoagulation process has the potential to be utilized for the cost-effective removal of pollutants from wastewater.

Is gerontology ready for accreditation?

PubMed

Haley, William E; Ferraro, Kenneth F; Montgomery, Rhonda J V

2012-01-01

The authors review widely accepted criteria for program accreditation and compare gerontology with well-established accredited fields including clinical psychology and social work. At present gerontology lacks many necessary elements for credible professional accreditation, including defined scope of practice, applied curriculum, faculty with applied professional credentials, and resources necessary to support professional credentialing review. Accreditation with weak requirements will be dismissed as "vanity" accreditation, and strict requirements will be impossible for many resource-poor programs to achieve, putting unaccredited programs at increased risk for elimination. Accreditation may be appropriate in the future, but it should be limited to professional or applied gerontology, perhaps for programs conferring bachelor's or master's degrees. Options other than accreditation to enhance professional skills and employability of gerontology graduates are discussed.

New evidences on efficacy of boronic acid-based derivatization method to identify sugars in plant material by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Faraco, Marianna; Fico, Daniela; Pennetta, Antonio; De Benedetto, Giuseppe E

2016-10-01

This work presents an analytical procedure based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry which allows the determination of aldoses (glucose, mannose, galactose, arabinose, xylose, fucose, rhamnose) and chetoses (fructose) in plant material. One peak for each target carbohydrate was obtained by using an efficient derivatization employing methylboronic acid and acetic anhydride sequentially, whereas the baseline separation of the analytes was accomplished using an ionic liquid capillary column. First, the proposed method was optimized and validated. Successively, it was applied to identify the carbohydrates present in plant material. Finally, the procedure was successfully applied to samples from a XVII century painting, thus highlighting the occurrence of starch glue and fruit tree gum as polysaccharide materials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Important considerations when applying for a postdoctoral fellowship.

PubMed

Sherry, Daisy; Fennessy, Michelle M; Benavente, Viola G; Ruppar, Todd M; Collins, Eileen G

2013-06-01

To examine important decision points that graduates should consider before applying for a postdoctoral fellowship. A literature review was performed. A synthesis of the present data on the postdoctoral fellowship, eligibility criteria, application process, and important considerations was provided. Experiential knowledge from four present postdoctoral fellows was included. The goals, advantages, and disadvantages of the fellowship were discussed. In conclusion, the postdoctoral fellowship was examined to offer important considerations in the decision to pursue this opportunity. The clinical relevance of this article is related to the training and education of nurses to become the next generation of independent, successful scholars and scientists. Postdoctoral training adds valuable contributions and quality to the field of nursing. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

The Attributes of a Variable-Diameter Rotor System Applied to Civil Tiltrotor Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brender, Scott; Mark, Hans; Aguilera, Frank

1996-01-01

The attributes of a variable diameter rotor concept applied to civil tiltrotor aircraft are investigated using the V/STOL aircraft sizing and performance computer program (VASCOMP). To begin, civil tiltrotor viability issues that motivate advanced rotor designs are discussed. Current work on the variable diameter rotor and a theoretical basis for the advantages of the rotor system are presented. The size and performance of variable diameter and conventional tiltrotor designs for the same baseline mission are then calculated using a modified NASA Ames version of VASCOMP. The aircraft are compared based on gross weight, fuel required, engine size, and autorotative performance for various hover disk loading values. Conclusions about the viability of the resulting designs are presented and a program for further variable diameter rotor research is recommended.

Three hybridization models based on local search scheme for job shop scheduling problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balbi Fraga, Tatiana

2015-05-01

This work presents three different hybridization models based on the general schema of Local Search Heuristics, named Hybrid Successive Application, Hybrid Neighborhood, and Hybrid Improved Neighborhood. Despite similar approaches might have already been presented in the literature in other contexts, in this work these models are applied to analyzes the solution of the job shop scheduling problem, with the heuristics Taboo Search and Particle Swarm Optimization. Besides, we investigate some aspects that must be considered in order to achieve better solutions than those obtained by the original heuristics. The results demonstrate that the algorithms derived from these three hybrid models are more robust than the original algorithms and able to get better results than those found by the single Taboo Search.

ORCA Project: Research on high-performance parallel computer programming environments. Final report, 1 Apr-31 Mar 90

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

Snyder, L.; Notkin, D.; Adams, L.

1990-03-31

This task relates to research on programming massively parallel computers. Previous work on the Ensamble concept of programming was extended and investigation into nonshared memory models of parallel computation was undertaken. Previous work on the Ensamble concept defined a set of programming abstractions and was used to organize the programming task into three distinct levels; Composition of machine instruction, composition of processes, and composition of phases. It was applied to shared memory models of computations. During the present research period, these concepts were extended to nonshared memory models. During the present research period, one Ph D. thesis was completed, onemore » book chapter, and six conference proceedings were published.« less

Life Cycle Assessment of Bio-diesel Production—A Comparative Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatterjee, R.; Sharma, V.; Mukherjee, S.; Kumar, S.

2014-04-01

This work deals with the comparative analysis of environmental impacts of bio-diesel produced from Jatropha curcas, Rapeseed and Palm oil by applying the life cycle assessment and eco-efficiency concepts. The environmental impact indicators considered in the present paper include global warming potential (GWP, CO2 equivalent), acidification potential (AP, SO2 equivalent) and eutrophication potential (EP, NO3 equivalent). Different weighting techniques have been used to present and evaluate the environmental characteristics of bio-diesel. With the assistance of normalization values, the eco-efficiency was demonstrated in this work. The results indicate that the energy consumption of bio-diesel production is lowest in Jatropha while AP and EP are more in case of Jatropha than that of Rapeseed and Palm oil.

Automatic detection of sleep macrostructure based on a sensorized T-shirt.

PubMed

Bianchi, Anna M; Mendez, Martin O

2010-01-01

In the present work we apply a fully automatic procedure to the analysis of signal coming from a sensorized T-shit, worn during the night, for sleep evaluation. The goodness and reliability of the signals recorded trough the T-shirt was previously tested, while the employed algorithms for feature extraction and sleep classification were previously developed on standard ECG recordings and the obtained classification was compared to the standard clinical practice based on polysomnography (PSG). In the present work we combined T-shirt recordings and automatic classification and could obtain reliable sleep profiles, i.e. the sleep classification in WAKE, REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM stages, based on heart rate variability (HRV), respiration and movement signals.

An Engineer, an Architect, and an Anthropologist Walk into a Conference Room...

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aiken, Jo

2016-01-01

Ethnographers are urged to "be there", in the field, in order to gain insight about a particular culture. When the field is unreachable, or does not yet exist, the applied anthropologist must adapt their methods accordingly while maintaining the integrity of their research. The space industry presents a unique case study for such a dilemma. Drawing on Bourdieu's 1977 reflection on the structural constraints and the forming of unconscious schemes of thought imposed by the material world on the body, this paper considers the effect of the presence and absence of place in applied, collaborative anthropological work.

Bivariate sub-Gaussian model for stock index returns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jabłońska-Sabuka, Matylda; Teuerle, Marek; Wyłomańska, Agnieszka

2017-11-01

Financial time series are commonly modeled with methods assuming data normality. However, the real distribution can be nontrivial, also not having an explicitly formulated probability density function. In this work we introduce novel parameter estimation and high-powered distribution testing methods which do not rely on closed form densities, but use the characteristic functions for comparison. The approach applied to a pair of stock index returns demonstrates that such a bivariate vector can be a sample coming from a bivariate sub-Gaussian distribution. The methods presented here can be applied to any nontrivially distributed financial data, among others.

Effect of proline kinks on the mechanical unfolding of α-helices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arteca, Gustavo A.; Li, Zhiying

2004-12-01

Proteins unfold by applying an external force, although the microscopic mechanism is still not well understood. In this work, we use steered molecular dynamics to probe fundamental aspects of the stretching transition of α-helices, in particular how proline kinks and side chain dynamics would influence their ability to resist the applied force. We find that proline residues effectively 'cut' a helix in half when introduced on stable homopolymers, whereas their effect is smaller when present in helices that are more easily deformed. Our findings provide insight into the factors that may regulate the mechanical stretching of realistic protein domains.

Natural Crack Sizing Based on Eddy Current Image and Electromagnetic Field Analyses

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

Endo, H.; Uchimoto, T.; Takagi, T.

2006-03-06

An eddy current testing (ECT) system with multi-coil type probes is applied to size up cracks fabricated on austenite stainless plates. We have developed muti-channel ECT system to produce data as digital images. The probes consist of transmit-receive type sensors as elements to classify crack directions, working as two scan direction modes simultaneously. Template matching applied to the ECT images determines regions of interest in sizing up cracks. Finite element based inversion sizes up the crack depth from the measured ECT signal. The present paper demonstrates this approach for fatigue crack and stress corrosion cracking.

The dynamic adsorption characteristics of phenol by granular activated carbon.

PubMed

Namane, A; Hellal, A

2006-09-01

The objective of the present work is to determine the operating conditions of an activated carbon filter, based on the characteristics of breakthrough curves. For this we apply the technical developed by Mickaels for the ionic exchange and applied by Luchkis for the adsorption, and which is the mass transfer zone. To reach our goal, an evaluation of the operating conditions (height of the bed, flow and concentration of effluent) on the characteristics of the mass transfer zone was made and an explanation of the mechanism of adsorption was given. Thereafter a modeling of the experimental results was done.

Joint University Program for Air Transportation Research, 1986

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrell, Frederick R. (Compiler)

1988-01-01

The research conducted under the NASA/FAA sponsored Joint University Program for Air Transportation Research is summarized. The Joint University Program is a coordinated set of three grants sponsored by NASA and the FAA, one each with the Mass. Inst. of Tech., Ohio Univ., and Princeton Univ. Completed works, status reports, and bibliographies are presented for research topics, which include computer science, guidance and control theory and practice, aircraft performance, flight dynamics, and applied experimental psychology. An overview of activities is presented.

An investigation on the effects of air on electron energy in atmospheric pressure helium plasma jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yadi; Tan, Zhenyu; Chen, Xinxian; Li, Xiaotong; Zhang, Huimin; Pan, Jie; Wang, Xiaolong

2018-03-01

In this work, the effects of air on electron energy in the atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet produced by a needle-plane discharge system have been investigated by means of the numerical simulation based on a two-dimensional fluid model, and the air concentration dependences of the reactive species densities have also been calculated. In addition, the synergistic effects of the applied voltage and air concentration on electron energy have been explored. The present work gives the following significant results. For a fixed applied voltage, the averaged electron energy is basically a constant at air concentrations below about 0.5%, but it evidently decreases above the concentration of 0.5%. Furthermore, the averaged densities of four main reactive species O, O(1D), O2(1Δg), and N2(A3Σu+) increase with the increasing air concentration, but the increase becomes slow at air concentrations above 0.5%. The air concentration dependences of the averaged electron energy under different voltage amplitudes are similar, and for a given air concentration, the averaged electron energy increases with the increase in the voltage amplitude. For the four reactive species, the effects of the air concentration on their averaged densities are similar for a given voltage amplitude. In addition, the averaged densities of the four reactive species increase with increasing voltage amplitude for a fixed air concentration. The present work suggests that a combination of high voltage amplitude and the characteristic air concentration, 0.5% in the present discharge system, allows an expected electron energy and also generates abundant reactive species.

Initial Kernel Timing Using a Simple PIM Performance Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Katz, Daniel S.; Block, Gary L.; Springer, Paul L.; Sterling, Thomas; Brockman, Jay B.; Callahan, David

2005-01-01

This presentation will describe some initial results of paper-and-pencil studies of 4 or 5 application kernels applied to a processor-in-memory (PIM) system roughly similar to the Cascade Lightweight Processor (LWP). The application kernels are: * Linked list traversal * Sun of leaf nodes on a tree * Bitonic sort * Vector sum * Gaussian elimination The intent of this work is to guide and validate work on the Cascade project in the areas of compilers, simulators, and languages. We will first discuss the generic PIM structure. Then, we will explain the concepts needed to program a parallel PIM system (locality, threads, parcels). Next, we will present a simple PIM performance model that will be used in the remainder of the presentation. For each kernel, we will then present a set of codes, including codes for a single PIM node, and codes for multiple PIM nodes that move data to threads and move threads to data. These codes are written at a fairly low level, between assembly and C, but much closer to C than to assembly. For each code, we will present some hand-drafted timing forecasts, based on the simple PIM performance model. Finally, we will conclude by discussing what we have learned from this work, including what programming styles seem to work best, from the point-of-view of both expressiveness and performance.

20 CFR 638.600 - Applied vocational skills training (VST) through work projects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Applied vocational skills training (VST... Skills Training (VST) § 638.600 Applied vocational skills training (VST) through work projects. (a)(1) The Job Corps Director shall establish procedures for administering applied vocational skills training...

20 CFR 638.600 - Applied vocational skills training (VST) through work projects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Applied vocational skills training (VST... Skills Training (VST) § 638.600 Applied vocational skills training (VST) through work projects. (a)(1) The Job Corps Director shall establish procedures for administering applied vocational skills training...

Taming Many-Parameter BSM Models with Bayesian Neural Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuchera, M. P.; Karbo, A.; Prosper, H. B.; Sanchez, A.; Taylor, J. Z.

2017-09-01

The search for physics Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) is a major focus of large-scale high energy physics experiments. One method is to look for specific deviations from the Standard Model that are predicted by BSM models. In cases where the model has a large number of free parameters, standard search methods become intractable due to computation time. This talk presents results using Bayesian Neural Networks, a supervised machine learning method, to enable the study of higher-dimensional models. The popular phenomenological Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model was studied as an example of the feasibility and usefulness of this method. Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are used to expedite the calculations. Cross-section predictions for 13 TeV proton collisions will be presented. My participation in the Conference Experience for Undergraduates (CEU) in 2004-2006 exposed me to the national and global significance of cutting-edge research. At the 2005 CEU, I presented work from the previous summer's SULI internship at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, where I learned to program while working on the Majorana Project. That work inspired me to follow a similar research path, which led me to my current work on computational methods applied to BSM physics.

Conversation Analysis and Applied Linguistics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schegloff, Emanuel A.; Koshik, Irene; Jacoby, Sally; Olsher, David

2002-01-01

Offers biographical guidance on several major areas of conversation-analytic work--turn-taking, repair, and word selection--and indicates past or potential points of contact with applied linguistics. Also discusses areas of applied linguistic work. (Author/VWL)

PREFACE: 11th European Conference on Applied Superconductivity (EUCAS2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farinon, Stefania; Pallecchi, Ilaria; Malagoli, Andrea; Lamura, Gianrico

2014-05-01

During the 11th edition of the European Conference on Applied Superconductivity, successfully held in Genoa from 15-19 September 2013, more than one thousand participants from over 40 countries were registered and contributions of 7 plenary lectures, 23 invited talks, 203 oral talks and 550 posters were presented. The present issue of Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS) collects the 218 submitted papers that were peer reviewed and accepted in the Conference Proceedings. Similarly to the Superconductor Science and Technology Special issue: ''EUCAS 11th European Conference on Applied Superconductivity'' which contains some plenary and invited contributions, as well as some selected contributions, in this issue the papers are sorted according to the four traditional topics of interest of EUCAS, namely Materials (56 papers), Wires and Tapes (47 papers), Large Scale Applications (64 papers) and Electronics (51 papers). While the it Superconductors Science and Technology special issue focuses on the scientific and technological highlights of the conference, this collection provides an overall view of the worldwide research activity on applied superconductivity, mirroring the main guidelines and the hottest issues, which range from basic studies on newly discovered superconducting compounds to the state-of-the-art advances in large scale applications, wires and tapes fabrication and electronics. We would like to point out that, among the JPCS contributions, six papers present works financed by ongoing EU-Japan projects, three papers belong to the session on junctions and SQUIDs dedicated to the memory of Antonio Barone and one paper belongs to the session on pinning and flux dynamics dedicated to the memory of John Clem. Finally, we would like to thank all the people whose careful work contributed to the preparation of this JPCS issue, in particular the session chairs as well as the peer reviewers. The Editors Stefania Farinon (Editor in Chief, Large Scale), Ilaria Pallecchi (Materials), Andrea Malagoli (Wires and Tapes), and Gianrico Lamura (Electronics)

Using wavelet denoising and mathematical morphology in the segmentation technique applied to blood cells images.

PubMed

Boix, Macarena; Cantó, Begoña

2013-04-01

Accurate image segmentation is used in medical diagnosis since this technique is a noninvasive pre-processing step for biomedical treatment. In this work we present an efficient segmentation method for medical image analysis. In particular, with this method blood cells can be segmented. For that, we combine the wavelet transform with morphological operations. Moreover, the wavelet thresholding technique is used to eliminate the noise and prepare the image for suitable segmentation. In wavelet denoising we determine the best wavelet that shows a segmentation with the largest area in the cell. We study different wavelet families and we conclude that the wavelet db1 is the best and it can serve for posterior works on blood pathologies. The proposed method generates goods results when it is applied on several images. Finally, the proposed algorithm made in MatLab environment is verified for a selected blood cells.

Hurricane Sandy Economic Impacts Assessment: A Computable General Equilibrium Approach and Validation

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

Boero, Riccardo; Edwards, Brian Keith

Economists use computable general equilibrium (CGE) models to assess how economies react and self-organize after changes in policies, technology, and other exogenous shocks. CGE models are equation-based, empirically calibrated, and inspired by Neoclassical economic theory. The focus of this work was to validate the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center (NISAC) CGE model and apply it to the problem of assessing the economic impacts of severe events. We used the 2012 Hurricane Sandy event as our validation case. In particular, this work first introduces the model and then describes the validation approach and the empirical data available for studying themore » event of focus. Shocks to the model are then formalized and applied. Finally, model results and limitations are presented and discussed, pointing out both the model degree of accuracy and the assessed total damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.« less

A new calibration code for the JET polarimeter.

PubMed

Gelfusa, M; Murari, A; Gaudio, P; Boboc, A; Brombin, M; Orsitto, F P; Giovannozzi, E

2010-05-01

An equivalent model of JET polarimeter is presented, which overcomes the drawbacks of previous versions of the fitting procedures used to provide calibrated results. First of all the signal processing electronics has been simulated, to confirm that it is still working within the original specifications. Then the effective optical path of both the vertical and lateral chords has been implemented to produce the calibration curves. The principle approach to the model has allowed obtaining a unique procedure which can be applied to any manual calibration and remains constant until the following one. The optical model of the chords is then applied to derive the plasma measurements. The results are in good agreement with the estimates of the most advanced full wave propagation code available and have been benchmarked with other diagnostics. The devised procedure has proved to work properly also for the most recent campaigns and high current experiments.

Use of randomized sampling for analysis of metabolic networks.

PubMed

Schellenberger, Jan; Palsson, Bernhard Ø

2009-02-27

Genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions in microorganisms have been formulated and studied for about 8 years. The constraint-based approach has shown great promise in analyzing the systemic properties of these network reconstructions. Notably, constraint-based models have been used successfully to predict the phenotypic effects of knock-outs and for metabolic engineering. The inherent uncertainty in both parameters and variables of large-scale models is significant and is well suited to study by Monte Carlo sampling of the solution space. These techniques have been applied extensively to the reaction rate (flux) space of networks, with more recent work focusing on dynamic/kinetic properties. Monte Carlo sampling as an analysis tool has many advantages, including the ability to work with missing data, the ability to apply post-processing techniques, and the ability to quantify uncertainty and to optimize experiments to reduce uncertainty. We present an overview of this emerging area of research in systems biology.

Mechanical splitting of microtubules into protofilament bundles by surface-bound kinesin-1

DOE PAGES

VanDelinder, Virginia; Adams, Peter G.; Bachand, George D.

2016-12-21

The fundamental biophysics of gliding microtubule (MT) motility by surface-tethered kinesin-1 motor proteins has been widely studied, as well as applied to capture and transport analytes in bioanalytical microdevices. In these systems, phenomena such as molecular wear and fracture into shorter MTs have been reported due the mechanical forces applied on the MT during transport. In the present work, we show that MTs can be split longitudinally into protofilament bundles (PFBs) by the work performed by surface-bound kinesin motors. We examine the properties of these PFBs using several techniques (e.g., fluorescence microscopy, SEM, AFM), and show that the PFBs continuemore » to be mobile on the surface and display very high curvature compared to MT. Further, higher surface density of kinesin motors and shorter kinesin-surface tethers promote PFB formation, whereas modifying MT with GMPCPP or higher paclitaxel concentrations did not affect PFB formation.« less

Actions of the Burkina Faso women in physics working group at the University of Ouagadougou

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kafando, Pétronille; Zerbo, Issa

2013-03-01

At the University of Ouagadougou, the largest university in Burkina Faso, the percentage of female student enrollment in the Exact and Applied Sciences Unit was 5.1% (for all the levels) from 2006 to 2009-this rate was 2.3% for physics. For the same period, 22 women out of 455 students (4.8%) were enrolled in PhD (all the fields of the Exact and Applied Sciences Unit) and three women out of 180 students (1.7%) registered in physics PhD. During the 3rd IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics in 2008, the Burkina Faso Working Group proposed some strategies to attract more women to physics and all the sciences. Some actions were initiated at the University of Ouagadougou as well as in secondary schools. These actions and the feedback of female students are presented.

Extension of non-linear beam models with deformable cross sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokolov, I.; Krylov, S.; Harari, I.

2015-12-01

Geometrically exact beam theory is extended to allow distortion of the cross section. We present an appropriate set of cross-section basis functions and provide physical insight to the cross-sectional distortion from linear elastostatics. The beam formulation in terms of material (back-rotated) beam internal force resultants and work-conjugate kinematic quantities emerges naturally from the material description of virtual work of constrained finite elasticity. The inclusion of cross-sectional deformation allows straightforward application of three-dimensional constitutive laws in the beam formulation. Beam counterparts of applied loads are expressed in terms of the original three-dimensional data. Special attention is paid to the treatment of the applied stress, keeping in mind applications such as hydrogel actuators under environmental stimuli or devices made of electroactive polymers. Numerical comparisons show the ability of the beam model to reproduce finite elasticity results with good efficiency.

The Updated AGU Ethics Policy: Supporting Inclusive and Diverse Field and Lab Environments within the Geosciences.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, B. M.; McPhaden, M. J.; Gundersen, L. C.

2017-12-01

The American Geophysical Union (AGU), a scientific society of >60,000 members worldwide, has established a set of scientific integrity and professional ethics guidelines for the actions of its members, for the governance of the union in its internal activities, and for the operations and participation in its publications and scientific meetings. More recently AGU has undertaken actions to help address the issue of harassment in the sciences and other work climate issues; and, where applied more broadly as a code of standard behavior, will help address tangential issues of diversity and inclusion. This presentation will highlight the proposed policy changes and additional resources now in place, as they apply to field and lab environments. Progress to date and remaining challenges of this effort will be discussed, including AGU's work to provide additional program strength in the areas of Ethics, Diversity and Inclusion.

Experience as Knowledge in a New Product Development Team: Implications for Knowledge Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Lynne P.

2009-01-01

This study was conducted to better understand how New Product Development (NPD) team members apply their experiences to meet the task needs of their project. Although "experience" is highly valued in team members, little research has looked specifically at experiences as a type of knowledge, and how this knowledge is used in work settings. This research evaluated nearly 200 instances where team members referenced past experiences during team meetings. During these experience exchanges, team members structured the sharing of their experiences to include three common elements: the source of the experience, the nature of the experience, and the degree of relevance to the current work of the team. The experiences fell into four categories: people (relationships), process, product, and politics. This paper describes how team members structured, applied, and integrated their individual experiences and presents the resulting implications for knowledge management systems that wish to exploit experience knowledge.

Applied behavior analysis: New directions from the laboratory

PubMed Central

Epling, W. Frank; Pierce, W. David

1983-01-01

Applied behavior analysis began when laboratory based principles were extended to humans inorder to change socially significant behavior. Recent laboratory findings may have applied relevance; however, the majority of basic researchers have not clearly communicated the practical implications of their work. The present paper samples some of the new findings and attempts to demonstrate their applied importance. Schedule-induced behavior which occurs as a by-product of contingencies of reinforcement is discussed. Possible difficulties in treatment and management of induced behaviors are considered. Next, the correlation-based law of effect and the implications of relative reinforcement are explored in terms of applied examples. Relative rate of reinforcement is then extended to the literature dealing with concurrent operants. Concurrent operant models may describe human behavior of applied importance, and several techniques for modification of problem behavior are suggested. As a final concern, the paper discusses several new paradigms. While the practical importance of these models is not clear at the moment, it may be that new practical advantages will soon arise. Thus, it is argued that basic research continues to be of theoretical and practical importance to applied behavior analysis. PMID:22478574

Teenage goals and self-efficacy beliefs as precursors of adult career and family outcomes

PubMed Central

Lee, Bora; Vondracek, Fred W.

2014-01-01

The present study identified and examined patterns of goal importance and self-efficacy beliefs in mid- and late adolescence as predictors of work and family outcomes in adulthood. A pattern approach was applied to appropriately identify relationships among work- and family-related goal importance and self-efficacy beliefs. Using a sample of 995 individuals, five distinct patterns of work-family goal importance and self-efficacy beliefs emerged. Individuals who assigned comparable importance to work and family goals and expressed corresponding self-efficacy beliefs in adolescence were more likely to achieve career and family outcomes in adulthood than individuals who expressed a strong preference for one domain over the other. The results supported the idea that work and family can be coordinated for mutual benefit. Furthermore, findings from the pattern approach provided an integrative view of work-family motivation and goal achievement complementing findings from traditional methods such as regression analysis. PMID:25242815

Teenage goals and self-efficacy beliefs as precursors of adult career and family outcomes.

PubMed

Lee, Bora; Vondracek, Fred W

2014-10-01

The present study identified and examined patterns of goal importance and self-efficacy beliefs in mid- and late adolescence as predictors of work and family outcomes in adulthood. A pattern approach was applied to appropriately identify relationships among work- and family-related goal importance and self-efficacy beliefs. Using a sample of 995 individuals, five distinct patterns of work-family goal importance and self-efficacy beliefs emerged. Individuals who assigned comparable importance to work and family goals and expressed corresponding self-efficacy beliefs in adolescence were more likely to achieve career and family outcomes in adulthood than individuals who expressed a strong preference for one domain over the other. The results supported the idea that work and family can be coordinated for mutual benefit. Furthermore, findings from the pattern approach provided an integrative view of work-family motivation and goal achievement complementing findings from traditional methods such as regression analysis.

The Mother’s Perspective: Factors Considered When Choosing to Enter a Stay-at-Home Father and Working Mother Relationship

PubMed Central

Rushing, Cassie; Sparks, Misti

2017-01-01

A qualitative study was conducted to examine the decision-making factors of entering a stay-at-home father and working mother relationship based on the mother’s perspective. A total of 20 married, heterosexual, working mothers with biological children aged 1 to 4 years were asked questions regarding how they decided to enter a stay-at-home father and working mother relationship as well as contributing factors to this decision. The findings presented in this article were part of a larger study that examined mothers’ overall perspectives of the working mother stay-at-home father dynamics. The themes that emerged regarding how the decision was made to enter this kind of relationship were creating a work–family life balance, utilizing the cost-benefit ratio, and applying personality/trait strengths. PMID:28198208

Work environments for employee creativity.

PubMed

Dul, Jan; Ceylan, Canan

2011-01-01

Innovative organisations need creative employees who generate new ideas for product or process innovation. This paper presents a conceptual framework for the effect of personal, social-organisational and physical factors on employee creativity. Based on this framework, an instrument to analyse the extent to which the work environment enhances creativity is developed. This instrument was applied to a sample of 409 employees and support was found for the hypothesis that a creative work environment enhances creative performance. This paper illustrates how the instrument can be used in companies to select and implement improvements. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: The ergonomics discipline addresses the work environment mainly for improving health and safety and sometimes productivity and quality. This paper opens a new area for ergonomics: designing work environments for enhancing employee creativity in order to strengthen an organisation's capability for product and process innovation and, consequently, its competitiveness.

Balance Theory Revisited: Relationship Issue Relevance Affects Imbalance-Induced Tension in Workplace Relationships.

PubMed

Reid, Chelsea A; Davis, Jody L; Pollack, Jeffrey M; Coughlan, Richard S

2017-08-18

The present work applies and extends balance theory by examining the role of relevance of issue to the relationship in balance theory processes within the context of workplace relationships. In Experiment 1, a sample of working adults (N = 81) reported greater job tension when self-supervisor dissimilarity involved a relationship-relevant (vs. non-relationship) ethical dilemma. In Experiment 2, a sample of working students (N = 185) who perceived greater self-supervisor dissimilarity about workplace (vs. family) ethics reported greater job tension, and in turn, less job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Perceiving dissimilarity with a work supervisor in attitudes about relationship-relevant issues may negatively affect outcomes at work. Importantly, these experiments demonstrated that not all dissimilarity is likely to yield negative outcomes; only relationship-relevant (vs. non-relevant) dissimilarity was a catalyst for imbalance-induced tension.

Finite element simulation of the mechanical impact of computer work on the carpal tunnel syndrome.

PubMed

Mouzakis, Dionysios E; Rachiotis, George; Zaoutsos, Stefanos; Eleftheriou, Andreas; Malizos, Konstantinos N

2014-09-22

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a clinical disorder resulting from the compression of the median nerve. The available evidence regarding the association between computer use and CTS is controversial. There is some evidence that computer mouse or keyboard work, or both are associated with the development of CTS. Despite the availability of pressure measurements in the carpal tunnel during computer work (exposure to keyboard or mouse) there are no available data to support a direct effect of the increased intracarpal canal pressure on the median nerve. This study presents an attempt to simulate the direct effects of computer work on the whole carpal area section using finite element analysis. A finite element mesh was produced from computerized tomography scans of the carpal area, involving all tissues present in the carpal tunnel. Two loading scenarios were applied on these models based on biomechanical data measured during computer work. It was found that mouse work can produce large deformation fields on the median nerve region. Also, the high stressing effect of the carpal ligament was verified. Keyboard work produced considerable and heterogeneous elongations along the longitudinal axis of the median nerve. Our study provides evidence that increased intracarpal canal pressures caused by awkward wrist postures imposed during computer work were associated directly with deformation of the median nerve. Despite the limitations of the present study the findings could be considered as a contribution to the understanding of the development of CTS due to exposure to computer work. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigation on the performance of a viscoelastic dielectric elastomer membrane generator.

PubMed

Zhou, Jianyou; Jiang, Liying; Khayat, Roger E

2015-04-21

Dielectric elastomer generators (DEGs), as a recent transduction technology, harvest electrical energy by scavenging mechanical energy from diverse sources. Their performance is affected by various material properties and failure modes of the dielectric elastomers. This work presents a theoretical analysis on the performance of a dielectric elastomer membrane generator under equi-biaxial loading conditions. By comparing our simulation results with the experimental observations existing in the literature, this work considers the fatigue life of DE-based devices under cyclic loading for the first time. From the simulation results, it is concluded that the efficiency of the DEG can be improved by raising the deforming rate and the prescribed maximum stretch ratio, and applying an appropriate bias voltage. However, the fatigue life expectancy compromises the efficiency improvement of the DEG. With the consideration of the fatigue life, applying an appropriate bias voltage appears to be a more desirable way to improve the DEG performance. The general framework developed in this work is expected to provide an increased understanding on the energy harvesting mechanisms of the DEGs and benefit their optimal design.

Preliminary results on time-resolved ion beam induced luminescence applied to the provenance study of lapis lazuli

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czelusniak, C.; Palla, L.; Massi, M.; Carraresi, L.; Giuntini, L.; Re, A.; Lo Giudice, A.; Pratesi, G.; Mazzinghi, A.; Ruberto, C.; Castelli, L.; Fedi, M. E.; Liccioli, L.; Gueli, A.; Mandò, P. A.; Taccetti, F.

2016-03-01

This work will present preliminary results concerning the use of time-resolved ion beam induced luminescence applied to provenance studies of lapis lazuli. Measurements were performed at the pulsed beam facility at LABEC laboratory in Florence. Lapis lazuli is a semi-precious gemstone, used as ornament since the early civilizations that can be found in few places on Earth. The importance of this work lies in understanding the origin of various samples of lapis lazuli, from which it may be possible to gain insight into trade routes from ancient times. The samples studied in this work originated from Chile, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Myanmar, and Siberia. The stones were irradiated with 3 MeV protons and the resulting luminescence was detected by a photomultiplier tube, whose output was acquired using a sampling digitizer VME module (CAEN/V1720). Wavelength discrimination was performed at 430 nm utilizing a range of beam currents. The results showed that, by changing the beam current intensity, one can study different features of lapis lazuli, and this may aid in distinguishing lapis lazuli from different provenances.

40 CFR 63.7744 - How do I demonstrate continuous compliance with the work practice standards that apply to me?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... compliance with the work practice standards that apply to me? 63.7744 Section 63.7744 Protection of... demonstrate continuous compliance with the work practice standards that apply to me? (a) You must maintain... automobile bodies that have had mercury switches removed, as applicable. (b) You must keep records of the...

Optimization of the choice of unmanned aerial vehicles used to monitor the implementation of selected construction projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skorupka, Dariusz; Duchaczek, Artur; Waniewska, Agnieszka; Kowacka, Magdalena

2017-07-01

Due to their properties unmanned aerial vehicles have huge number of possibilities for application in construction engineering. The nature and extent of construction works performedmakes the decision to purchase the right equipment significant for the possibility for its further use while monitoring the implementation of these works. Technical factors, such as the accuracy and quality of the applied measurement instruments are especially important when monitoring the realization of construction projects. The paper presents the optimization of the choice of unmanned aerial vehicles using the Bellinger method. The decision-making analysis takes into account criteria that are particularly crucial by virtue of the range of monitoring of ongoing construction works.

The Incremental Launching Method for Educational Virtual Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, Octávio; Sampaio, A. Z.

This paper describes the application of virtual reality technology to the development of an educational model related to the construction of a bridge. The model allow the visualization of the physical progression of the work following a planned construction sequence, the observation of details of the form of every component of the works and carry the study of the type and method of operation of the equipment applied in the construction. The model admit interaction and then some degree of collaboration between students and teachers in the analyses of aspects concerning geometric forms, working methodology or other technical issues observed using the application. The model presents distinct advantage as educational aids in first-degree courses in Civil Engineering.

Applied Behavior Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Szapacs, Cindy

2006-01-01

Teaching strategies that work for typically developing children often do not work for those diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. However, teaching strategies that work for children with autism do work for typically developing children. In this article, the author explains how the principles and concepts of Applied Behavior Analysis can be…

MVL spatiotemporal analysis for model intercomparison in EPS: application to the DEMETER multi-model ensemble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández, J.; Primo, C.; Cofiño, A. S.; Gutiérrez, J. M.; Rodríguez, M. A.

2009-08-01

In a recent paper, Gutiérrez et al. (Nonlinear Process Geophys 15(1):109-114, 2008) introduced a new characterization of spatiotemporal error growth—the so called mean-variance logarithmic (MVL) diagram—and applied it to study ensemble prediction systems (EPS); in particular, they analyzed single-model ensembles obtained by perturbing the initial conditions. In the present work, the MVL diagram is applied to multi-model ensembles analyzing also the effect of model formulation differences. To this aim, the MVL diagram is systematically applied to the multi-model ensemble produced in the EU-funded DEMETER project. It is shown that the shared building blocks (atmospheric and ocean components) impose similar dynamics among different models and, thus, contribute to poorly sampling the model formulation uncertainty. This dynamical similarity should be taken into account, at least as a pre-screening process, before applying any objective weighting method.

Proceedings ICASS 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Qiang; Schaaf, Peter

2018-07-01

This special issue of the high impact international peer reviewed journal Applied Surface Science represents the proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Applied Surface Science ICASS held 12-16 June 2017 in Dalian China. The conference provided a forum for researchers in all areas of applied surface science to present their work. The main topics of the conference are in line with the most popular areas of research reported in Applied Surface Science. Thus, this issue includes current research on the role and use of surfaces in chemical and physical processes, related to catalysis, electrochemistry, surface engineering and functionalization, biointerfaces, semiconductors, 2D-layered materials, surface nanotechnology, energy, new/functional materials and nanotechnology. Also the various techniques and characterization methods will be discussed. Hence, scientific research on the atomic and molecular level of material properties investigated with specific surface analytical techniques and/or computational methods is essential for any further progress in these fields.

Application of gamma-ray radiography and gravimetric measurements after accelerated corrosion tests of steel embedded in mortar

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

Duffó, Gustavo, E-mail: duffo@cnea.gov.ar; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Av. Gral. Paz 1499, 1650 San Martín, Buenos Aires

2015-08-15

The accelerated corrosion by the impressed current technique is widely used in studies of concrete durability since it has the advantage that tests can be carried out within reasonable periods of time. In the present work the relationship between the applied current density and the resulting damage on the reinforcing steel, by applying optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, gamma-ray radiography and gravimetric measurements, was studied by means of the implementation of accelerated corrosion tests on reinforced mortar. The results show that the efficiency of the applied current is between 1 and 77%, regardless of the applied current density, the water/cementmore » ratio and the mortar cover depth of the specimens. The results show the applicability of the gamma-ray radiography technique to detect localized corrosion of steel rebars in laboratory specimens.« less

AdaNET research plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcbride, John G.

1990-01-01

The mission of the AdaNET research effort is to determine how to increase the availability of reusable Ada components and associated software engineering technology to both private and Federal sectors. The effort is structured to define the requirements for transfer of Federally developed software technology, study feasible approaches to meeting the requirements, and to gain experience in applying various technologies and practices. The overall approach to the development of the AdaNET System Specification is presented. A work breakdown structure is presented with each research activity described in detail. The deliverables for each work area are summarized. The overall organization and responsibilities for each research area are described. The schedule and necessary resources are presented for each research activity. The estimated cost is summarized for each activity. The project plan is fully described in the Super Project Expert data file contained on the floppy disk attached to the back cover of this plan.

Gabor filter for the segmentation of skin lesions from ultrasonographic images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrella, Lorena I.; Gómez, W.; Alvarenga, André V.; Pereira, Wagner C. A.

2012-05-01

The present work applies Gabor filters bank for texture analysis of skin lesions images, obtained by ultrasound biomicroscopy. The regions affected by the lesions were differentiated from surrounding tissue in all the analyzed cases; however the accuracy of the traced borders showed some limitations in part of the images. Future steps are being contemplated, attempting to enhance the technique performance.

Using Distance Physical Education in Elite Class Soccer Referee Training: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kizilet, Ali

2011-01-01

The objective of this study is to present a model in the framework of Distance Education (DE), which suggests that a Distance Physical Education Program (DPEP) could be applied to those who are at various ages, in various geographical locations, and are working in various professions as part-time or full-time professionals. The use of DE in…

Interdigitated Eutectic Alloy Foil Anodes for Rechargeable Batteries

DOE PAGES

Kreder, III, Karl J.; Heligman, Brian T.; Manthiram, Arumugam

2017-09-19

An interdigitated eutectic alloy (IdEA) foil is presented as a framework for the development of alloy anodes with a capacity that is significantly higher than that of the traditional graphite/copper assembly. In conclusion, it is a simple, low-cost approach that can be applied to a broad range of alloy systems with various working ions such as Li, Na, or Mg.

Making Basic Math Skills Work for You in Marketing. Student Manual and Laboratory Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klewer, Edwin D.

This student manual and workbook is the second part of a mathematics series for use with high school students. The manual is to be used to apply the mathematics skills that students have learned in a first part called "Developing Basic Math Skills for Marketing." The manual presents conceptual instruction in mathematics in a competency based…

Maniac Talk - Spiro Antiochos

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-11-18

Spiro Antiochos Maniac Lecture, November 18, 2015 NASA Solar Scientist Spiro Antiochos presented a Maniac lecture entitled "Seeing the Light." Spiro shared his twists and turns from the last 40 years while trying to understand the workings of the Sun as revealed by observations, primarily from NASA missions, and passed on lessons learned on generating new ideas and theories that apply to all areas of science.

Fourth Meeting of the Panel for Evaluation of Experimental Literacy Projects. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).

The work of this Panel for the Evaluation of Experimental Literacy Projects was the assessing of how the pattern of evaluation it had previously formulated had been applied in the Experimental World Literacy Programme (EWLP). In the judgment of the Panel, by 1974 evaluation specialists will be able to present a report that will enable Member…

Of Models and Mechanisms: Towards an Understanding of How Theatre-Making Works as an "Intervention" in Individual Health and Wellness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Etheridge Woodson, Stephani; Szkupinski Quiroga, Seline; Underiner, Tamara; Farid Karimi, Robert

2017-01-01

Growing from a multi-year and multidisciplinary research and applied arts investigative team based in North America, this essay presents a model of how performative engagements contribute to individual behavioural change in wellness practices. To be even more specific, this essay analyses and theorises the mechanisms involved in the application of…

Interactively Applying the Variational Method to the Dihydrogen Molecule: Exploring Bonding and Antibonding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cruzeiro, Vinícius Wilian D.; Roitberg, Adrian; Polfer, Nicolas C.

2016-01-01

In this work we are going to present how an interactive platform can be used as a powerful tool to allow students to better explore a foundational problem in quantum chemistry: the application of the variational method to the dihydrogen molecule using simple Gaussian trial functions. The theoretical approach for the hydrogen atom is quite…

An Epidemiologic Study of Genetic Variation in Hormonal Pathways in Relation to the Effect of Hormone Replacement Therapy on Breast Cancer Risk

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-01

active learning techniques in Introduction to Epidemiology Ongoing5 W81XWH-06-1-0312 Reding, Kerryn 7 TASK STATUS of FUTURE TASKS Task 3...Apply for and obtain IRB renewal Ongoing task Task 4: Training-related Work (Months 13-36) a. Present research findings on active learning at

Testing and Analysis Validation of a Metallic Repair Applied to a PRSEUS Tension Panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Przekop, Adam; Jegley, Dawn C.

2013-01-01

A design and analysis of a repair concept applicable to a stiffened composite panel based on the Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure was recently completed. The damage scenario considered was a midbay-to-midbay saw-cut with a severed stiffener, flange and skin. Advanced modeling techniques such as mesh-independent definition of compliant fasteners and elastic-plastic material properties for metal parts were utilized in the finite element analysis supporting the design effort. A bolted metallic repair was selected so that it could be easily applied in the operational environment. The present work describes results obtained from a tension panel test conducted to validate both the repair concept and finite element analysis techniques used in the design effort. The test proved that the proposed repair concept is capable of sustaining load levels that are higher than those resulting from the current working stress allowables. This conclusion enables upward revision of the stress allowables that had been kept at an overly-conservative level due to concerns associated with repairability of the panels. Correlation of test data with finite element analysis results is also presented and assessed.

Thermal responses of shape memory alloy artificial anal sphincters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Yun; Takagi, Toshiyuki; Matsuzawa, Kenichi

2003-08-01

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the thermal behavior of an artificial anal sphincter using shape memory alloys (SMAs) proposed by the authors. The SMA artificial anal sphincter has the function of occlusion at body temperature and can be opened with a thermal transformation induced deformation of SMAs to solve the problem of severe fecal incontinence. The investigation of its thermal behavior is of great importance in terms of practical use in living bodies as a prosthesis. In this work, a previously proposed phenomenological model was applied to simulate the thermal responses of SMA plates that had undergone thermally induced transformation. The numerical approach for considering the thermal interaction between the prosthesis and surrounding tissues was discussed based on the classical bio-heat equation. Numerical predictions on both in vitro and in vivo cases were verified by experiments with acceptable agreements. The thermal responses of the SMA artificial anal sphincter were discussed based on the simulation results, with the values of the applied power and the geometric configuration of thermal insulation as parameters. The results obtained in the present work provided a framework for the further design of SMA artificial sphincters to meet demands from the viewpoint of thermal compatibility as prostheses.

Bioelectrical Impedance Methods for Noninvasive Health Monitoring: A Review

PubMed Central

Bera, Tushar Kanti

2014-01-01

Under the alternating electrical excitation, biological tissues produce a complex electrical impedance which depends on tissue composition, structures, health status, and applied signal frequency, and hence the bioelectrical impedance methods can be utilized for noninvasive tissue characterization. As the impedance responses of these tissue parameters vary with frequencies of the applied signal, the impedance analysis conducted over a wide frequency band provides more information about the tissue interiors which help us to better understand the biological tissues anatomy, physiology, and pathology. Over past few decades, a number of impedance based noninvasive tissue characterization techniques such as bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), electrical impedance plethysmography (IPG), impedance cardiography (ICG), and electrical impedance tomography (EIT) have been proposed and a lot of research works have been conducted on these methods for noninvasive tissue characterization and disease diagnosis. In this paper BIA, EIS, IPG, ICG, and EIT techniques and their applications in different fields have been reviewed and technical perspective of these impedance methods has been presented. The working principles, applications, merits, and demerits of these methods has been discussed in detail along with their other technical issues followed by present status and future trends. PMID:27006932

Pulsed magnetic field generation suited for low-field unilateral nuclear magnetic resonance systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaunkar, Neelam Prabhu; Selvaraj, Jayaprakash; Theh, Wei-Shen; Weber, Robert; Mina, Mani

2018-05-01

Pulsed magnetic fields can be used to provide instantaneous localized magnetic field variations. In presence of static fields, pulsed field variations are often used to apply torques and in-effect to measure behavior of magnetic moments in different states. In this work, the design and experimental performance of a pulsed magnetic field generator suited for low static field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) applications is presented. One of the challenges of low bias field NMR measurements is low signal to noise ratio due to the comparable nature of the bias field and the pulsed field. Therefore, a circuit is designed to apply pulsed currents through an inductive load, leading to generation of pulsed magnetic fields which can temporarily overpower the effect of the bias field on magnetic moments. The designed circuit will be tuned to operate at the precession frequency of 1H (protons) placed in a bias field produced by permanent magnets. The designed circuit parameters may be tuned to operate under different bias conditions. Therefore, low field NMR measurements can be performed for different bias fields. Circuit simulations were used to determine design parameters, corresponding experimental measurements will be presented in this work.

Threshold temperature optical fibre sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stasiewicz, K. A.; Musial, J. E.

2016-12-01

This paper presents a new approach to manufacture a threshold temperature sensor based on a biconical optical fibre taper. The presented sensor employs the influence of variable state of concentration of some isotropic materials like wax or paraffin. Application of the above- mentioned materials is an attempt to prove that there is a possibility to obtain a low-cost, repeatable and smart sensor working as an in-line element. Optical fibre taper was obtained from a standard single mode fibre (SMF28®) by using a low pressure gas burner technique. The diameter of the manufactured tapers was 6.0 ± 0.5 μm with the length of elongation equal to 30.50 ± 0.16 mm. The applied technology allowed to produce tapers with the losses of 0.183 ± 0.015 dB. Application of materials with different temperature transition points made it possible to obtain the threshold work at the temperatures connected directly with their conversion temperature. External materials at the temperatures above their melting points do not influence the propagation losses. For each of them two types of the protection area and position of the optical fibre taper were applied.

The Importance of Nonlinear Transformations Use in Medical Data Analysis.

PubMed

Shachar, Netta; Mitelpunkt, Alexis; Kozlovski, Tal; Galili, Tal; Frostig, Tzviel; Brill, Barak; Marcus-Kalish, Mira; Benjamini, Yoav

2018-05-11

The accumulation of data and its accessibility through easier-to-use platforms will allow data scientists and practitioners who are less sophisticated data analysts to get answers by using big data for many purposes in multiple ways. Data scientists working with medical data are aware of the importance of preprocessing, yet in many cases, the potential benefits of using nonlinear transformations is overlooked. Our aim is to present a semi-automated approach of symmetry-aiming transformations tailored for medical data analysis and its advantages. We describe 10 commonly encountered data types used in the medical field and the relevant transformations for each data type. Data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study, Parkinson's disease hospital cohort, and disease-simulating data were used to demonstrate the approach and its benefits. Symmetry-targeted monotone transformations were applied, and the advantages gained in variance, stability, linearity, and clustering are demonstrated. An open source application implementing the described methods was developed. Both linearity of relationships and increase of stability of variability improved after applying proper nonlinear transformation. Clustering simulated nonsymmetric data gave low agreement to the generating clusters (Rand value=0.681), while capturing the original structure after applying nonlinear transformation to symmetry (Rand value=0.986). This work presents the use of nonlinear transformations for medical data and the importance of their semi-automated choice. Using the described approach, the data analyst increases the ability to create simpler, more robust and translational models, thereby facilitating the interpretation and implementation of the analysis by medical practitioners. Applying nonlinear transformations as part of the preprocessing is essential to the quality and interpretability of results. ©Netta Shachar, Alexis Mitelpunkt, Tal Kozlovski, Tal Galili, Tzviel Frostig, Barak Brill, Mira Marcus-Kalish, Yoav Benjamini. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 11.05.2018.

Comparison of static and dynamic sensory product characterizations based on check-all-that-apply questions with consumers.

PubMed

Alcaire, Florencia; Antúnez, Lucía; Vidal, Leticia; Zorn, Shari; Giménez, Ana; Castura, John C; Ares, Gastón

2017-07-01

The aim of the present work was to compare static and dynamic sensory product characterizations based on check-all-that-apply (CATA) questions with consumers. Three studies involving a total of 310 consumers were carried out. In each study, a between-subjects experimental design was used to compare static sensory characterizations obtained using CATA questions with dynamic characterizations over a relatively short time period using temporal CATA (TCATA). Three different product categories were evaluated (orange juice, strawberry yogurt, and vanilla milk desserts) using 6-11 sensory terms. TCATA data were analysed as CATA considering fixed time periods throughout the evaluation. CATA and TCATA were compared in terms of frequency of use of the terms, sample discrimination, and sample and term configurations. Asking consumers to continuously select the attributes that applied to describe a product and to deselect those that no longer applied during the evaluation period did not substantially modify the average citation proportion of terms or the maximum citation proportion for individual terms for liquid and semi-solid products with a relatively fast oral preparatory phase. Although both methodologies provided similar information, additional insights on how similarities and differences among samples evolved during consumption were obtained with TCATA in the case of products that experience large temporal changes or attributes with strong time-dependency. CATA provided similar information as TCATA for sensory attributes that did not change substantially during the evaluation period. Results from the present work suggest that static and dynamic product sensory characterizations using CATA questions with consumers provide complementary information about consumer experiences with food products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between meaningful work and job performance in nurses.

PubMed

Tong, Ling

2018-04-01

The present study was designed to determine the relationship between meaningful work and job performance, and the impact of meaningful work on nursing care quality. Meaningful work has been suggested as a significant factor affecting job performance, but the relationship has never been studied in nurses in China. A descriptive correlational study was designed to assess the level of meaningful work, tasks, and contextual performance as well as their relationships. We used a stratified random-sampling approach to enrol nurses from hospitals. Multivariate regression analysis was applied to determine the relationship between meaningful work and their demographic data. There were significant, positive relationships between meaningful work and task performance and contextual performance. Education level, work unit, and employment type influenced meaningful work. The work motivation score of the nurses was lower than that of the other 2 dimensions, and a negative work motivation score negatively influenced job performance. Improving meaningful work and providing more support and assistance could improve nurse performance, thereby improving the quality of nursing care. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Robust sparse image reconstruction of radio interferometric observations with PURIFY

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratley, Luke; McEwen, Jason D.; d'Avezac, Mayeul; Carrillo, Rafael E.; Onose, Alexandru; Wiaux, Yves

2018-01-01

Next-generation radio interferometers, such as the Square Kilometre Array, will revolutionize our understanding of the Universe through their unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. However, to realize these goals significant challenges in image and data processing need to be overcome. The standard methods in radio interferometry for reconstructing images, such as CLEAN, have served the community well over the last few decades and have survived largely because they are pragmatic. However, they produce reconstructed interferometric images that are limited in quality and scalability for big data. In this work, we apply and evaluate alternative interferometric reconstruction methods that make use of state-of-the-art sparse image reconstruction algorithms motivated by compressive sensing, which have been implemented in the PURIFY software package. In particular, we implement and apply the proximal alternating direction method of multipliers algorithm presented in a recent article. First, we assess the impact of the interpolation kernel used to perform gridding and degridding on sparse image reconstruction. We find that the Kaiser-Bessel interpolation kernel performs as well as prolate spheroidal wave functions while providing a computational saving and an analytic form. Secondly, we apply PURIFY to real interferometric observations from the Very Large Array and the Australia Telescope Compact Array and find that images recovered by PURIFY are of higher quality than those recovered by CLEAN. Thirdly, we discuss how PURIFY reconstructions exhibit additional advantages over those recovered by CLEAN. The latest version of PURIFY, with developments presented in this work, is made publicly available.

On the stiffness analysis of a cable driven leg exoskeleton.

PubMed

Sanjeevi, N S S; Vashista, Vineet

2017-07-01

Robotic systems are being used for gait rehabilitation of patients with neurological disorder. These devices are externally powered to apply external forces on human limbs to assist the leg motion. Patients while walking with these devices adapt their walking pattern in response to the applied forces. The efficacy of a rehabilitation paradigm thus depends on the human-robot interaction. A cable driven leg exoskeleton (CDLE) use actuated cables to apply external joint torques on human leg. Cables are lightweight and flexible but can only be pulled, thus a CDLE requires redundant cables. Redundancy in CDLE can be utilized to appropriately tune a robot's performance. In this work, we present the stiffness analysis of CDLE. Different stiffness performance indices are established to study the role of system parameters in improving the human-robot interaction.

Multiphysics of bone remodeling: A 2D mesoscale activation simulation.

PubMed

Spingarn, C; Wagner, D; Rémond, Y; George, D

2017-01-01

In this work, we present an evolutive trabecular model for bone remodeling based on a boundary detection algorithm accounting for both biology and applied mechanical forces, known to be an important factor in bone evolution. A finite element (FE) numerical model using the Abaqus/Standard® software was used with a UMAT subroutine to solve the governing coupled mechanical-biological non-linear differential equations of the bone evolution model. The simulations present cell activation on a simplified trabeculae configuration organization with trabecular thickness of 200µm. For this activation process, the results confirm that the trabeculae are mainly oriented in the active direction of the principal mechanical stresses and according to the principal applied mechanical load directions. The trabeculae surface activation is clearly identified and can provide understanding of the different bone cell activations in more complex geometries and load conditions.

Radiation effects on polymers for coatings on copper canisters used for the containment of radioactive materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mortley, Aba; Bonin, H. W.; Bui, V. T.

2008-05-01

The present work proposes applying polyurethane coatings as an additional barrier in the design of Canadian nuclear waste disposal containers. The goal of the present research is to investigate the physico-mechanical integrity of a natural castor oil-based polyurethane (COPU) to be used as a coating material in pH-radiation-temperature environments. As the first part to these inquiries, the present paper investigates the effect of a mixed radiation field supplied by a SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear research reactor on COPUs that differ only by their isocyanate structure. FTIR, DSC, DMA, WAXS, and MALDI are used to characterize the changes that occur as a result of radiation and to relate these changes to polymer structure and composition. The COPUs used in the present work have demonstrated sustained physico-mechanical properties up to accumulated doses of 2.0 MGy and are therefore suitable for end-uses in radiation environments such as those expected in the deep geological repository.

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

Variable mass pendulum behaviour processed by wavelet analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caccamo, M. T.; Magazù, S.

2017-01-01

The present work highlights how, in order to characterize the motion of a variable mass pendulum, wavelet analysis can be an effective tool in furnishing information on the time evolution of the oscillation spectral content. In particular, the wavelet transform is applied to process the motion of a hung funnel that loses fine sand at an exponential rate; it is shown how, in contrast to the Fourier transform which furnishes only an average frequency value for the motion, the wavelet approach makes it possible to perform a joint time-frequency analysis. The work is addressed at undergraduate and graduate students.

Advancing Well-Being Through Total Worker Health®.

PubMed

Schill, Anita L

2017-04-01

Total Worker Health® (TWH) is a paradigm-shifting approach to safety, health, and well-being in the workplace. It is defined as policies, programs, and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards with promotion of injury and illness prevention efforts to advance worker well-being. The most current TWH concepts are presented, including a description of issues relevant to TWH and introduction of a hierarchy of controls applied to TWH. Total Worker Health advocates for a foundation of safety and health through which work can contribute to higher levels of well-being.

Detection and Alert of muscle fatigue considering a Surface Electromyography Chaotic Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrera, V.; Romero, J. F.; Amestegui, M.

2011-03-01

This work propose a detection and alert algorithm for muscle fatigue in paraplegic patients undergoing electro-therapy sessions. The procedure is based on a mathematical chaotic model emulating physiological signals and Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT). The chaotic model developed is based on a logistic map that provides suitable data accomplishing some physiological signal class patterns. The CWT was applied to signals generated by the model and the resulting vector was obtained through Total Wavelet Entropy (TWE). In this sense, the presented work propose a viable and practical alert and detection algorithm for muscle fatigue.

Understanding What It Means for Assurance Cases to "Work"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinehart, David J.; Knight, John C.; Rowanhill, Jonathan

2017-01-01

This report is the result of our year-long investigation into assurance case practices and effectiveness. Assurance cases are a method for working toward acceptable critical system performance. They represent a significant thread of applied assurance methods extending back many decades and being employed in a range of industries and applications. Our research presented in this report includes a literature survey of over 50 sources and interviews with nearly a dozen practitioners in the field. We have organized our results into seven major claimed assurance case benefits and their supporting mechanisms, evidence, counter-evidence, and caveats.

Agency behind bars: Advance care planning with aging and dying offenders.

PubMed

Sanders, Sara; Stensland, Meredith; Juraco, Kim

2018-01-01

Aging and terminally ill individuals in U.S. prisons are increasing, making critical the need for appropriate end-of-life (EOL) care and advance care planning (ACP). Applying Bandura's agentic perspective, the authors examined 20 aging/dying offenders' EOL preferences and ACP. Findings include 6 themes: decisions in the shadow of the past, what works best for me, feeling blessed, what is really going on, can anyone be trusted, and turning agency over to someone else. This study provides critical information that will assist professionals who work with dying offenders, as it presents a vivid illustration of their dying process.

A community of practice: librarians in a biomedical research network.

PubMed

De Jager-Loftus, Danielle P; Midyette, J David; Harvey, Barbara

2014-01-01

Providing library and reference services within a biomedical research community presents special challenges for librarians, especially those in historically lower-funded states. These challenges can include understanding needs, defining and communicating the library's role, building relationships, and developing and maintaining general and subject specific knowledge. This article describes a biomedical research network and the work of health sciences librarians at the lead intensive research institution with librarians from primarily undergraduate institutions and tribal colleges. Applying the concept of a community of practice to a collaborative effort suggests how librarians can work together to provide effective reference services to researchers in biomedicine.

Relational regulation theory and the role of social support and organisational fairness for nurses in a general acute context.

PubMed

Rodwell, John; Munro, Louise

2013-11-01

To present a novel approach to nurse stress by exploring the demand-control-support model with organisational justice through the lens of relational regulation theory. Nursing is often stressful due to high demands and dissatisfaction with pay, which impacts the mental well-being and productivity of nurses. A cross-sectional design. A validated questionnaire was sent to the work addresses of all nursing and midwifery staff in a medium-sized general acute hospital in Australia. A total of 190 nurses and midwives returned completed questionnaires for the analyses. The multiple regression analyses demonstrated that the model applies to the prototypical context of a general acute hospital and that job control, supervisor support and outside work support improve the job satisfaction and mental health of nurses. Most importantly, supervisor support was found to buffer the impact of excessive work demands. Fairness of procedures, distribution of resources and the quality and consistency of information are also beneficial. Relational regulation theory is applied to these findings as a novel way to conceptualise the mechanisms of support and fairness in nursing. The importance of nurses' well-being and job satisfaction is a priority for improving clinical outcomes. Practically, this means nurse managers should be encouraging nurses in the pursuit of diverse relational activities both at work and outside work. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Social Work Research Center at Colorado State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winokur, Marc A.; Valentine, Deborah P.; Drendel, James M.

2009-01-01

The Social Work Research Center is an innovative university-community partnership within the School of Social Work in the College of Applied Human Sciences at Colorado State University. The center is focused on working with county and state child welfare agencies to generate applied research that translates into evidence-based practice for serving…

Multigrid methods for bifurcation problems: The self adjoint case

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taasan, Shlomo

1987-01-01

This paper deals with multigrid methods for computational problems that arise in the theory of bifurcation and is restricted to the self adjoint case. The basic problem is to solve for arcs of solutions, a task that is done successfully with an arc length continuation method. Other important issues are, for example, detecting and locating singular points as part of the continuation process, switching branches at bifurcation points, etc. Multigrid methods have been applied to continuation problems. These methods work well at regular points and at limit points, while they may encounter difficulties in the vicinity of bifurcation points. A new continuation method that is very efficient also near bifurcation points is presented here. The other issues mentioned above are also treated very efficiently with appropriate multigrid algorithms. For example, it is shown that limit points and bifurcation points can be solved for directly by a multigrid algorithm. Moreover, the algorithms presented here solve the corresponding problems in just a few work units (about 10 or less), where a work unit is the work involved in one local relaxation on the finest grid.

The efficiency of seismic attributes to differentiate between massive and non-massive carbonate successions for hydrocarbon exploration activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarhan, Mohammad Abdelfattah

2017-12-01

The present work investigates the efficiency of applying volume seismic attributes to differentiate between massive and non-massive carbonate sedimentary successions on using seismic data. The main objective of this work is to provide a pre-drilling technique to recognize the porous carbonate section (probable hydrocarbon reservoirs) based on seismic data. A case study from the Upper Cretaceous - Eocene carbonate successions of Abu Gharadig Basin, northern Western Desert of Egypt has been tested in this work. The qualitative interpretations of the well-log data of four available wells distributed in the study area, namely; AG-2, AG-5, AG-6 and AG-15 wells, has confirmed that the Upper Cretaceous Khoman A Member represents the massive carbonate section whereas the Eocene Apollonia Formation represents the non-massive carbonate unit. The present work have proved that the most promising seismic attributes capable of differentiating between massive and non-massive carbonate sequences are; Root Mean Square (RMS) Amplitude, Envelope (Reflection Strength), Instantaneous Frequency, Chaos, Local Flatness and Relative Acoustic Impedance.

Non-linear principal component analysis applied to Lorenz models and to North Atlantic SLP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russo, A.; Trigo, R. M.

2003-04-01

A non-linear generalisation of Principal Component Analysis (PCA), denoted Non-Linear Principal Component Analysis (NLPCA), is introduced and applied to the analysis of three data sets. Non-Linear Principal Component Analysis allows for the detection and characterisation of low-dimensional non-linear structure in multivariate data sets. This method is implemented using a 5-layer feed-forward neural network introduced originally in the chemical engineering literature (Kramer, 1991). The method is described and details of its implementation are addressed. Non-Linear Principal Component Analysis is first applied to a data set sampled from the Lorenz attractor (1963). It is found that the NLPCA approximations are more representative of the data than are the corresponding PCA approximations. The same methodology was applied to the less known Lorenz attractor (1984). However, the results obtained weren't as good as those attained with the famous 'Butterfly' attractor. Further work with this model is underway in order to assess if NLPCA techniques can be more representative of the data characteristics than are the corresponding PCA approximations. The application of NLPCA to relatively 'simple' dynamical systems, such as those proposed by Lorenz, is well understood. However, the application of NLPCA to a large climatic data set is much more challenging. Here, we have applied NLPCA to the sea level pressure (SLP) field for the entire North Atlantic area and the results show a slight imcrement of explained variance associated. Finally, directions for future work are presented.%}

heterogeneous mixture distributions for multi-source extreme rainfall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouarda, T.; Shin, J.; Lee, T. S.

2013-12-01

Mixture distributions have been used to model hydro-meteorological variables showing mixture distributional characteristics, e.g. bimodality. Homogeneous mixture (HOM) distributions (e.g. Normal-Normal and Gumbel-Gumbel) have been traditionally applied to hydro-meteorological variables. However, there is no reason to restrict the mixture distribution as the combination of one identical type. It might be beneficial to characterize the statistical behavior of hydro-meteorological variables from the application of heterogeneous mixture (HTM) distributions such as Normal-Gamma. In the present work, we focus on assessing the suitability of HTM distributions for the frequency analysis of hydro-meteorological variables. In the present work, in order to estimate the parameters of HTM distributions, the meta-heuristic algorithm (Genetic Algorithm) is employed to maximize the likelihood function. In the present study, a number of distributions are compared, including the Gamma-Extreme value type-one (EV1) HTM distribution, the EV1-EV1 HOM distribution, and EV1 distribution. The proposed distribution models are applied to the annual maximum precipitation data in South Korea. The Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), the root mean squared errors (RMSE) and the log-likelihood are used as measures of goodness-of-fit of the tested distributions. Results indicate that the HTM distribution (Gamma-EV1) presents the best fitness. The HTM distribution shows significant improvement in the estimation of quantiles corresponding to the 20-year return period. It is shown that extreme rainfall in the coastal region of South Korea presents strong heterogeneous mixture distributional characteristics. Results indicate that HTM distributions are a good alternative for the frequency analysis of hydro-meteorological variables when disparate statistical characteristics are presented.

Precision of working memory for visual motion sequences and transparent motion surfaces

PubMed Central

Zokaei, Nahid; Gorgoraptis, Nikos; Bahrami, Bahador; Bays, Paul M; Husain, Masud

2012-01-01

Recent studies investigating working memory for location, colour and orientation support a dynamic resource model. We examined whether this might also apply to motion, using random dot kinematograms (RDKs) presented sequentially or simultaneously. Mean precision for motion direction declined as sequence length increased, with precision being lower for earlier RDKs. Two alternative models of working memory were compared specifically to distinguish between the contributions of different sources of error that corrupt memory (Zhang & Luck (2008) vs. Bays et al (2009)). The latter provided a significantly better fit for the data, revealing that decrease in memory precision for earlier items is explained by an increase in interference from other items in a sequence, rather than random guessing or a temporal decay of information. Misbinding feature attributes is an important source of error in working memory. Precision of memory for motion direction decreased when two RDKs were presented simultaneously as transparent surfaces, compared to sequential RDKs. However, precision was enhanced when one motion surface was prioritized, demonstrating that selective attention can improve recall precision. These results are consistent with a resource model that can be used as a general conceptual framework for understanding working memory across a range of visual features. PMID:22135378

Collaborating with cardiac sonographers to develop work-related musculoskeletal disorder interventions.

PubMed

Sommerich, Carolyn M; Lavender, Steven A; Evans, Kevin; Sanders, Elizabeth; Joines, Sharon; Lamar, Sabrina; Radin Umar, Radin Zaid; Yen, Wei-Ting; Li, Jing; Nagavarapu, Shasank; Dickerson, Jennifer A

2016-09-01

For more than two decades, surveys of imaging technologists, including cardiac sonographers, diagnostic medical sonographers and vascular technologists, have consistently reported high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal discomfort (WRMSD). Yet, intervention research involving sonographers is limited. In this study, we used a participatory approach to identifying needs and opportunities for developing interventions to reduce sonographers' exposures to WRMSD risk factors. In this paper, we present some of those needs. We include descriptions of two interventions, targeted for cardiac sonographers, that were developed, through an iterative process, into functional prototypes that were evaluated in pilot tests by practicing sonographers. One of these interventions is now in daily use. We would like other engineers and ergonomists to recognise this area of opportunity to apply their knowledge of biomechanics and design in order to begin to address the high prevalence of WRMSDs in sonographers, by working with sonographers to develop useful and usable interventions. Practitioner Summary: This paper discusses needs, opportunities and methods for working with sonographers in order to develop interventions to reduce their exposure to risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal discomfort. Results from field tests of two novel interventions targeting cardiac sonographers are also presented.

Directional hippocampal-prefrontal interactions during working memory.

PubMed

Liu, Tiaotiao; Bai, Wenwen; Xia, Mi; Tian, Xin

2018-02-15

Working memory refers to a system that is essential for performing complex cognitive tasks such as reasoning, comprehension and learning. Evidence shows that hippocampus (HPC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) play important roles in working memory. The HPC-PFC interaction via theta-band oscillatory synchronization is critical for successful execution of working memory. However, whether one brain region is leading or lagging relative to another is still unclear. Therefore, in the present study, we simultaneously recorded local field potentials (LFPs) from rat ventral hippocampus (vHPC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and while the rats performed a Y-maze working memory task. We then applied instantaneous amplitudes cross-correlation method to calculate the time lag between PFC and vHPC to explore the functional dynamics of the HPC-PFC interaction. Our results showed a strong lead from vHPC to mPFC preceded an animal's correct choice during the working memory task. These findings suggest the vHPC-leading interaction contributes to the successful execution of working memory. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Application of the multi-disciplinary thematic seminar method in two homecare cases - a comparative study.

PubMed

Scandurra, Isabella; Hägglund, Maria; Koch, Sabine

2008-01-01

A significant problem with current health information technologies is that they poorly support collaborative work of healthcare professionals, sometimes leading to a fragmentation of workflow and disruption of healthcare processes. This paper presents two homecare cases, both applying multi-disciplinary thematic seminars (MdTS) as a collaborative method for user needs elicitation and requirements specification. This study describes the MdTS application to elicit user needs from different perspectives to coincide with collaborative professions' work practices in two cases. Despite different objectives, the two cases validated that MdTS emphasized the "points of intersection" in cooperative work. Different user groups with similar, yet distinct needs reached a common understanding of the entire work process, agreed upon requirements and participated in the design of prototypes supporting cooperative work. MdTS was applicable in both exploratory and normative studies aiming to elicit the specific requirements in a cooperative environment.

ECUT (Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies) program: Biocatalysis project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baresi, Larry

1989-01-01

The Annual Report presents the fiscal year (FY) 1988 research activities and accomplishments, for the Biocatalysis Project of the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies (ECUT) Division. The ECUT Biocatalysis Project is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. The Biocatalysis Project is a mission-oriented, applied research and exploratory development activity directed toward resolution of the major generic technical barriers that impede the development of biologically catalyzed commercial chemical production. The approach toward achieving project objectives involves an integrated participation of universities, industrial companies and government research laboratories. The Project's technical activities were organized into three work elements: (1) The Molecular Modeling and Applied Genetics work element includes research on modeling of biological systems, developing rigorous methods for the prediction of three-dimensional (tertiary) protein structure from the amino acid sequence (primary structure) for designing new biocatalysis, defining kinetic models of biocatalyst reactivity, and developing genetically engineered solutions to the generic technical barriers that preclude widespread application of biocatalysis. (2) The Bioprocess Engineering work element supports efforts in novel bioreactor concepts that are likely to lead to substantially higher levels of reactor productivity, product yields and lower separation energetics. Results of work within this work element will be used to establish the technical feasibility of critical bioprocess monitoring and control subsystems. (3) The Bioprocess Design and Assessment work element attempts to develop procedures (via user-friendly computer software) for assessing the energy-economics of biocatalyzed chemical production processes, and initiation of technology transfer for advanced bioprocesses.

ECUT (Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies) program: Biocatalysis project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baresi, Larry

1989-03-01

The Annual Report presents the fiscal year (FY) 1988 research activities and accomplishments, for the Biocatalysis Project of the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies (ECUT) Division. The ECUT Biocatalysis Project is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. The Biocatalysis Project is a mission-oriented, applied research and exploratory development activity directed toward resolution of the major generic technical barriers that impede the development of biologically catalyzed commercial chemical production. The approach toward achieving project objectives involves an integrated participation of universities, industrial companies and government research laboratories. The Project's technical activities were organized into three work elements: (1) The Molecular Modeling and Applied Genetics work element includes research on modeling of biological systems, developing rigorous methods for the prediction of three-dimensional (tertiary) protein structure from the amino acid sequence (primary structure) for designing new biocatalysis, defining kinetic models of biocatalyst reactivity, and developing genetically engineered solutions to the generic technical barriers that preclude widespread application of biocatalysis. (2) The Bioprocess Engineering work element supports efforts in novel bioreactor concepts that are likely to lead to substantially higher levels of reactor productivity, product yields and lower separation energetics. Results of work within this work element will be used to establish the technical feasibility of critical bioprocess monitoring and control subsystems. (3) The Bioprocess Design and Assessment work element attempts to develop procedures (via user-friendly computer software) for assessing the energy-economics of biocatalyzed chemical production processes, and initiation of technology transfer for advanced bioprocesses.

Time resolved thermal lens in edible oils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albuquerque, T. A. S.; Pedreira, P. R. B.; Medina, A. N.; Pereira, J. R. D.; Bento, A. C.; Baesso, M. L.

2003-01-01

In this work time resolved thermal lens spectrometry is applied to investigate the optical properties of the following edible oils: soya, sunflower, canola, and corn oils. The experiments were performed at room temperature using the mode mismatched thermal lens configuration. The results showed that when the time resolved procedure is adopted the technique can be applied to investigate the photosensitivity of edible oils. Soya oil presented a stronger photochemical reaction as compared to the other investigated samples. This observation may be relevant for future studies evaluating edible oils storage conditions and also may contribute to a better understanding of the physical and chemical properties of this important foodstuff.

Ovonic switching in tin selenide thin films. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baxter, C. R.

1974-01-01

Amorphous tin selenide thin films which possess Ovonic switching properties were fabricated using vacuum deposition techniques. Results obtained indicate that memory type Ovonic switching does occur in these films the energy density required for switching from a high impedance to a low impedance state is dependent on the spacing between the electrodes of the device. The switching is also function of the magnitude of the applied voltage pulse. A completely automated computer controlled testing procedure was developed which allows precise control over the shape of the applied voltage switching pulse. A survey of previous experimental and theoretical work in the area of Ovonic switching is also presented.

Nanostructured carbon films with oriented graphitic planes

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

Teo, E. H. T.; Kalish, R.; Kulik, J.

2011-03-21

Nanostructured carbon films with oriented graphitic planes can be deposited by applying energetic carbon bombardment. The present work shows the possibility of structuring graphitic planes perpendicular to the substrate in following two distinct ways: (i) applying sufficiently large carbon energies for deposition at room temperature (E>10 keV), (ii) utilizing much lower energies for deposition at elevated substrate temperatures (T>200 deg. C). High resolution transmission electron microscopy is used to probe the graphitic planes. The alignment achieved at elevated temperatures does not depend on the deposition angle. The data provides insight into the mechanisms leading to the growth of oriented graphiticmore » planes under different conditions.« less

Application of Savitzky-Golay differentiation filters and Fourier functions to simultaneous determination of cefepime and the co-administered drug, levofloxacin, in spiked human plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdel-Aziz, Omar; Abdel-Ghany, Maha F.; Nagi, Reham; Abdel-Fattah, Laila

2015-03-01

The present work is concerned with simultaneous determination of cefepime (CEF) and the co-administered drug, levofloxacin (LEV), in spiked human plasma by applying a new approach, Savitzky-Golay differentiation filters, and combined trigonometric Fourier functions to their ratio spectra. The different parameters associated with the calculation of Savitzky-Golay and Fourier coefficients were optimized. The proposed methods were validated and applied for determination of the two drugs in laboratory prepared mixtures and spiked human plasma. The results were statistically compared with reported HPLC methods and were found accurate and precise.

Fiber 1.56-1.9 μm lasers in treatment of vascular malformations in children and adults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abushkin, Ivan A.; Privalov, Valeriy A.; Lappa, Alexander V.; Minaev, Vladimir P.

2013-03-01

A few new low invasive fiber laser technologies for treatment of 1) capillary malformations (port-wine stains), 2) venous, arterial, and arteriovenous malformations, 3) lymphatic malformations of 3 types: micro, small and large-cystic lymphangiomas are presented in this work. There were applied 1.56 μm laser distant photocoagulation, 1.56 μm laser endovascular thermotherapy, 1.9 μm laser instant ablation, 1.9 μm laser interstitial thermotherapy, and 1.9 μm laser excision. The technologies were applied to about 300 patients. Good clinical and esthetic results have been achieved in great majority cases.

SOCAP: Lessons learned in applying SIPE-2 to the military operations crisis action planning domain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Desimone, Roberto

1992-01-01

This report describes work funded under the DARPA Planning and Scheduling Initiative that led to the development of SOCAP (System for Operations Crisis Action Planning). In particular, it describes lessons learned in applying SIPE-2, the underlying AI planning technology within SOCAP, to the domain of military operations deliberate and crisis action planning. SOCAP was demonstrated at the U.S. Central Command and at the Pentagon in early 1992. A more detailed report about the lessons learned is currently being prepared. This report was presented during one of the panel discussions on 'The Relevance of Scheduling to AI Planning Systems.'

Current status on the application of image processing of digital intraoral radiographs amongst general dental practitioners.

PubMed

Tohidast, Parisa; Shi, Xie-Qi

2016-01-01

The objectives of this study were to present the subjective knowledge level and the use of image processing on digital intraoral radiographs amongst general dental practitioners at Distriktståndvrden AB, Stockholm. A questionnaire, consisting of12 questions, was sent to 12 dental prac- tices in Stockholm. Additionally, 2000 radiographs were randomly selected from these clinics for evaluation of applied image processing and its effect on image quality. Descriptive and analytical statistical methods were applied to present the current status of the use of image proces- sing alternatives for the dentists' daily clinical work. 50 out of 53 dentists participated in the survey.The survey showed that most of dentists in.this study had received education on image processing at some stage of their career. No correlations were found between application of image processing on one side and educa- tion received with regards to image processing, previous working experience, age and gender on the other. Image processing in terms of adjusting brightness and contrast was frequently used. Overall, in this study 24.5% of the 200 images were actually image processed in practice, in which 90% of the images were improved or maintained in image quality. According to our survey, image processing is experienced to be frequently used by the dentists at Distriktstandvåden AB for diagnosing anatomical and pathological changes using intraoral radiographs. 24.5% of the 200 images were actually image processed in terms of adjusting brightness and/or contrast. In the present study we did not found that the dentists' age, gender, previous working experience and education in image processing influence their viewpoint towards the application of image processing.

A Sliding Mode Controller Using Nonlinear Sliding Surface Improved With Fuzzy Logic: Application to the Coupled Tanks System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boubakir, A.; Boudjema, F.; Boubakir, C.

2008-06-01

This paper proposes an approach of hybrid control that is based on the concept of combining fuzzy logic and the methodology of sliding mode control (SMC). In the present works, a first-order nonlinear sliding surface is presented, on which the developed control law is based. Mathematical proof for the stability and convergence of the system is presented. In order to reduce the chattering in sliding mode control, a fixed boundary layer around the switch surface is used. Within the boundary layer, since the fuzzy logic control is applied, the chattering phenomenon, which is inherent in a sliding mode control, is avoided by smoothing the switch signal. Outside the boundary, the sliding mode control is applied to driving the system states into the boundary layer. Experimental studies carried out on a coupled Tanks system indicate that the proposed fuzzy sliding mode control (FSMC) is a good candidate for control applications.

Electromechanical performance analysis of inflated dielectric elastomer membrane for micro pump applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saini, Abhishek; Ahmad, Dilshad; Patra, Karali

2016-04-01

Dielectric elastomers have received a great deal of attention recently as potential materials for many new types of sensors, actuators and future energy generators. When subjected to high electric field, dielectric elastomer membrane sandwiched between compliant electrodes undergoes large deformation with a fast response speed. Moreover, dielectric elastomers have high specific energy density, toughness, flexibility and shape processability. Therefore, dielectric elastomer membranes have gained importance to be applied as micro pumps for microfluidics and biomedical applications. This work intends to extend the electromechanical performance analysis of inflated dielectric elastomer membranes to be applied as micro pumps. Mechanical burst test and cyclic tests were performed to investigate the mechanical breakdown and hysteresis loss of the dielectric membrane, respectively. Varying high electric field was applied on the inflated membrane under different static pressure to determine the electromechanical behavior and nonplanar actuation of the membrane. These tests were repeated for membranes with different pre-stretch values. Results show that pre-stretching improves the electromechanical performance of the inflated membrane. The present work will help to select suitable parameters for designing micro pumps using dielectric elastomer membrane. However this material lacks durability in operation.This issue also needs to be investigated further for realizing practical micro pumps.

Cognitive engineering and health informatics: Applications and intersections.

PubMed

Hettinger, A Zachary; Roth, Emilie M; Bisantz, Ann M

2017-03-01

Cognitive engineering is an applied field with roots in both cognitive science and engineering that has been used to support design of information displays, decision support, human-automation interaction, and training in numerous high risk domains ranging from nuclear power plant control to transportation and defense systems. Cognitive engineering provides a set of structured, analytic methods for data collection and analysis that intersect with and complement methods of Cognitive Informatics. These methods support discovery of aspects of the work that make performance challenging, as well as the knowledge, skills, and strategies that experts use to meet those challenges. Importantly, cognitive engineering methods provide novel representations that highlight the inherent complexities of the work domain and traceable links between the results of cognitive analyses and actionable design requirements. This article provides an overview of relevant cognitive engineering methods, and illustrates how they have been applied to the design of health information technology (HIT) systems. Additionally, although cognitive engineering methods have been applied in the design of user-centered informatics systems, methods drawn from informatics are not typically incorporated into a cognitive engineering analysis. This article presents a discussion regarding ways in which data-rich methods can inform cognitive engineering. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Comparative Study of the Application of FACTS Devices in Wind Power Plants of the Southeast Area of the Mexican Electric System

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

Beltran-Valle, Omar; Pena-Gallardo, Rafael; Segundo-Ramirez, Juan

This paper presents a comparative study of the application of Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) devices, as Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitor (TCSC), Static Synchronous Compensator (STATCOM) and Unified Power Controller (UPFC) on congestion management and voltage support in the area of the Istmo of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. The present work provides an analysis about the performance of the control of active and reactive power of the FACTS controllers applied to mentioned problems in the power system.

Joint University Program for Air Transportation Research, 1987

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrell, Frederick R. (Compiler)

1989-01-01

The research conducted during 1987 under the NASA/FAA sponsored Joint University Program for Air Transportation Research is summarized. The Joint University Program is a coordinated set of 3 grants sponsored by NASA-Langley and the FAA, one each with the MIT, Ohio Univ., and Princeton Univ. Completed works, status reports, and annotated bibliographies are presented for research topics, which include computer science, guidance and control theory and practice, aircraft performance, flight dynamics, and applied experimental psychology. An overview of the year's activities for each university is also presented.

Mobile device geo-localization and object visualization in sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemaire, Simon; Bodensteiner, Christoph; Arens, Michael

2014-10-01

In this paper we present a method to visualize geo-referenced objects on modern smartphones using a multi- functional application design. The application applies different localization and visualization methods including the smartphone camera image. The presented application copes well with different scenarios. A generic application work flow and augmented reality visualization techniques are described. The feasibility of the approach is experimentally validated using an online desktop selection application in a network with a modern of-the-shelf smartphone. Applications are widespread and include for instance crisis and disaster management or military applications.

Comment on 'Realism and quantum flux tunneling'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leggett, A. J.; Garg, Anupam

1987-01-01

A reply is presented to Ballentine's (1987) critique of the Legett and Garg (1985) experiment to discriminate between the experimental predictions of quantum mechanics (QM) and those of a class of macrorealistic theories. Legett and Garg uphold their earlier conclusions on the basis of the fact that the present critique refers to an experiment which was not in fact proposed. It is stressed that the original work involved an analysis according to macrorealism, while the calculations of Ballentine only demonstrate the internal consistency of the formalism of QM when applied to three consecutive actually performed experiments.

Securing Digital Images Integrity using Artificial Neural Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajji, Tarik; Itahriouan, Zakaria; Ouazzani Jamil, Mohammed

2018-05-01

Digital image signature is a technique used to protect the image integrity. The application of this technique can serve several areas of imaging applied to smart cities. The objective of this work is to propose two methods to protect digital image integrity. We present a description of two approaches using artificial neural networks (ANN) to digitally sign an image. The first one is “Direct Signature without learning” and the second is “Direct Signature with learning”. This paper presents the theory of proposed approaches and an experimental study to test their effectiveness.

Study the formation of porous surface layer for a new biomedical titanium alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talib Mohammed, Mohsin; Diwan, Abass Ali; Ali, Osamah Ihsan

2018-03-01

In the present work, chemical treatment using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) oxidation and subsequent thermal treatment was applied to create a uniform porous layer over the surface of a new metastable β-Ti alloy. The results revealed that this oxidation treatment can create a stable ultrafine porous film over the oxidized surface. This promoted the electrochemical characteristics of H2O2-treated Ti-Zr-Nb (TZN) alloy system, presenting nobler corrosion behavior in simulated body fluid (SBF) comparing with untreated sample.

The Hubbard Model and Piezoresistivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celebonovic, V.; Nikolic, M. G.

2018-02-01

Piezoresistivity was discovered in the nineteenth century. Numerous applications of this phenomenon exist nowadays. The aim of the present paper is to explore the possibility of applying the Hubbard model to theoretical work on piezoresistivity. Results are encouraging, in the sense that numerical values of the strain gauge obtained by using the Hubbard model agree with results obtained by other methods. The calculation is simplified by the fact that it uses results for the electrical conductivity of 1D systems previously obtained within the Hubbard model by one of the present authors.

The marketing concept applied to an education program.

PubMed

Parks, S C; Moody, D L; Barbrow, E P

1984-09-01

Dietetic education programs seeking to maintain their enrollment levels may find it necessary to adopt more sophisticated marketing strategies. This article describes the application of the marketing process to an extended degree dietetic program that serves a national audience. It also presents a strategy for initiating a marketing study and marketing orientation by analyzing its internal program data. The article discusses the specific market characteristics of the program's primary market segments, and it presents further implications for dietitians at work in health care facilities, in businesses, or in private practice.

Microstructural Evolution in Intensively Melt Sheared Direct Chill Cast Al-Alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, S.; Rao, A. K. Prasada; Patel, J. B.; Scamans, G. M.; Fan, Z.

The work presented here introduces the novel melt conditioned direct chill casting (MC-DC) technology, where intensive melt shearing is applied to the conventional direct-chill casting process. MC-DC casting can successfully produce high quality Al-alloy billets. The results obtained from 80 mm diameter billets cast at speed of 200 mm/min show that MC-DC casting of Al-alloys, substantially refines the microstructure and reduces macro-segregation. In this paper, we present the preliminary results and discuss microstructural evolution during MC-DC casting of Al-alloys.

Celestial Mechanics: from the bases of the past to the challenges of the future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Melo, C. F.; Prado, A. F. B. A.; Macau, E. E. N.; Winter, O. C.; Gomes, V. M.

2015-10-01

This special issue of Journal of Physics: Conference Series brings a set of 31 papers presented in the Brazilian Colloquium on Orbital Dynamics (CBDO), held on December 1 - 5, 2014, in the city of Águas de Lindoia, Brazil. CBDO is a traditional and important scientific meeting in the areas of Theoretical and Applied Celestial Mechanics. The meeting takes place every two years, when researchers from South America and also guests from other continents present their works and discuss the paths trodden by the space sciences.

Fatigue Solutions for Maintenance: From Science to Workplace Reality

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-01

John Hall IAMAW Jim Hein AWP-204 William (Bill) Johnson AIR-100 Charles (Bob) Kelley AJW-341 Daniel Mollicone Pulsar Informatics, Inc. Thomas...That Fit Industry. Dr. Daniel Mollicone, President and Chief Executive Officer for Pulsar Informatics, Inc., presented research on the use of...FAA Maintenance Fatigue applied R&D program has worked with Pulsar Informatics to develop a software system that helps individuals assess their

Guide to Instrumentation Literature

DTIC Science & Technology

1955-12-14

equipment design , 1287f]-040. 166 refs. 5059. A. Chapanis, W. Ro Garner and C& T. Morgan, Applied experImental psychology. Human factors in enginering...Complete details of the work are presented, including laboratory data, experimental procedures, and theoretical and mathematical analyses. Annual...Instrumentation . . . . . . ....... 16 2.3 Books * • • •••••••••.• 1 Automatic Control; Design ; lhteory; Servomechanisms; Applications . . . . . . . . . 18

An Interdisciplinary Approach for Designing Kinetic Models of the Ras/MAPK Signaling Pathway.

PubMed

Reis, Marcelo S; Noël, Vincent; Dias, Matheus H; Albuquerque, Layra L; Guimarães, Amanda S; Wu, Lulu; Barrera, Junior; Armelin, Hugo A

2017-01-01

We present in this article a methodology for designing kinetic models of molecular signaling networks, which was exemplarily applied for modeling one of the Ras/MAPK signaling pathways in the mouse Y1 adrenocortical cell line. The methodology is interdisciplinary, that is, it was developed in a way that both dry and wet lab teams worked together along the whole modeling process.

Essays That Worked for Business Schools. 35 Essays from Successful Applications to the Nation's Top Business Schools. With Comments from Admissions Officers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curry, Boykin, Ed.; Kasbar, Brian, Ed.

Thirty-five exemplary application essays, chosen by admissions officers from top business schools around the country, are presented with the intention of inspiring people applying to business schools. The essays prove that such pieces of writing do not have to be boring and stuffy with pretentious wording. An accurate, enthusiastic reflection of…

Creative Counseling Techniques Applied to the Business World: The Use of Theory and Creativity in Consultation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone, Victoria; Jacobs, E.

2008-01-01

This article presents an overview of the use of impact therapy, a multisensory, creative approach to counseling, in a consultation project the authors conducted with the managers of a local car dealership. The purpose of the consultation was to help the managers with the stress and anxiety associated with working in the car sales industry.…

Considerations of MCNP Monte Carlo code to be used as a radiotherapy treatment planning tool.

PubMed

Juste, B; Miro, R; Gallardo, S; Verdu, G; Santos, A

2005-01-01

The present work has simulated the photon and electron transport in a Theratron 780® (MDS Nordion)⁶⁰Co radiotherapy unit, using the Monte Carlo transport code, MCNP (Monte Carlo N-Particle). This project explains mainly the different methodologies carried out to speedup calculations in order to apply this code efficiently in radiotherapy treatment planning.

CSTT Update: Fuel Quality Analyzer

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

Brosha, Eric L.; Lujan, Roger W.; Mukundan, Rangachary

These are slides from a presentation. The following topics are covered: project background (scope and approach), developing the prototype (timeline), update on intellectual property, analyzer comparisons (improving humidification, stabilizing the baseline, applying clean-up strategy, impact of ionomer content and improving clean-up), proposed operating mode, considerations for testing in real-world conditions (Gen 1 analyzer electronics development, testing partner identified, field trial planning), summary, and future work.

Novel Application of FTIR Spectroscopy for the Passive Standoff Detection of Radiological Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

possibility of applying the long-wave passive standoff detection technique to the identification of radiological materials. This work is based on...infrared (FTIR) radiometry is a well-known technique for detecting and identifying chemical warfare agents. In addition to these potential threats...necessary tools and techniques available for detecting and identifying radioactive products. At present, the main detection techniques depend on methods

Moving Forward with Computational Red Teaming

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

scoping study of one targeted task within the division. This study would apply the taxonomy developed in this report, in 1 Functional elements are...into the study and development of Computational Red Teaming, following earlier work presented by Gowlett (2011). Gowlett called for the development of...implements the recommendation of Gowlett (2011). It will provide a scoping study of CRT to advance the science in this field. UNCLASSIFIED 1

Advanced Algal Systems Fact Sheet

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

None

2016-06-01

Research and development (R&D) on advanced algal biofuels and bioproducts presents an opportunity to sustainably expand biomass resource potential in the United States. The Bioenergy Technologies Office’s (BETO’s) Advanced Algal Systems Program is carrying out a long-term, applied R&D strategy to lower the costs of algal biofuel production by working with partners to develop revolutionary technologies and conduct crosscutting analyses to better understand the potential

Psychosocial risks assessment at hospital: development of a French questionnaire.

PubMed

Finger, Vincent; Baumstarck, Karine; Boufercha, Rafika; Lehucher-Michel, Marie Pascale; Loundou, Anderson; Auquier, Pascal; Sari-Minodier, Irene

2016-09-26

In order to improve the well-being, health, and performance of hospital workers, it should be important to focus on the psychosocial risk (PSR) factors in the work environment and on job satisfaction. Although many epidemiological questionnaires are used to measure PSR among healthcare workers, no specific existing model can be applied to all categories of hospital workers. To develop a short French self-administered instrument for measuring the PSR for hospital workers: the PSRH questionnaire. The content of the PSRH questionnaire was partly derived from the well-known and standardized questionnaires (Karasek Job Content and Siegriest effort-reward imbalance questionnaires). The validation process was carried out in all the departments of a large public university hospital (Marseille, France). Eligible workers were adult employees present on the day of the assessment: healthcare, administrative, and technical workers. A total of 2203 subjects were included from September 2012 to October 2013. The PSRH contains 24 items describing 6 dimensions (Management, cooperation and hierarchical support; Requirements, constraints and autonomy related to work; Support and relationship with the team; Complexity of the work and unforeseen factors; Meaning of work and recognition; and Conciliation work - work out). The six-factor structure presented satisfactory internal consistency and scalability. All the scores showed significant correlations with a well-being score. Acceptability was high. The PSRH is a self-administered instrument assessing PSR at hospital that presents satisfactory psychometric properties. Future studies should identify factors that determine low- and high-risk workers in order to implement appropriate preventing strategies.

Edinburgh Working Papers in Applied Linguistics, 1996.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parkinson, Brian, Ed.; Mitchell, Keith

1996-01-01

This monograph contains papers on research work in progress at the Department of Applied Linguistics and Institute for Applied Language Studies at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland). Topics addressed include general English teaching, English for Academic Purposes teaching, Modern Language teaching, and teacher education. Papers are:…

Work extraction and thermodynamics for individual quantum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skrzypczyk, Paul; Short, Anthony J.; Popescu, Sandu

2014-06-01

Thermodynamics is traditionally concerned with systems comprised of a large number of particles. Here we present a framework for extending thermodynamics to individual quantum systems, including explicitly a thermal bath and work-storage device (essentially a ‘weight’ that can be raised or lowered). We prove that the second law of thermodynamics holds in our framework, and gives a simple protocol to extract the optimal amount of work from the system, equal to its change in free energy. Our results apply to any quantum system in an arbitrary initial state, in particular including non-equilibrium situations. The optimal protocol is essentially reversible, similar to classical Carnot cycles, and indeed, we show that it can be used to construct a quantum Carnot engine.

Work extraction and thermodynamics for individual quantum systems.

PubMed

Skrzypczyk, Paul; Short, Anthony J; Popescu, Sandu

2014-06-27

Thermodynamics is traditionally concerned with systems comprised of a large number of particles. Here we present a framework for extending thermodynamics to individual quantum systems, including explicitly a thermal bath and work-storage device (essentially a 'weight' that can be raised or lowered). We prove that the second law of thermodynamics holds in our framework, and gives a simple protocol to extract the optimal amount of work from the system, equal to its change in free energy. Our results apply to any quantum system in an arbitrary initial state, in particular including non-equilibrium situations. The optimal protocol is essentially reversible, similar to classical Carnot cycles, and indeed, we show that it can be used to construct a quantum Carnot engine.

[Monitoring of occupational activities under the risk of heat stress: use of mathematical models in the prediction of physiological parameters].

PubMed

Terzi, R; Catenacci, G; Marcaletti, G

1985-01-01

Some authors proposed mathematical models that, starting from standardized conditions of environmental microclimate parameters, thermal impedance of the clothing, and energetic expenditure allowed the forecast of the body temperature and heart rate variations in respect to the basal values in subjects standing in the same environment. In the present work we verify the usefulness of these models applied to the working tasks characterized by standardized job made under unfavourable thermal conditions. In subject working in an electric power station the values of the body temperature and heart rate are registered and compared with the values obtained by the application of the studied models. The results are discussed in view of the practical use.

20 CFR 667.274 - What health and safety standards apply to the working conditions of participants in activities...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... employment. (2) If a State workers' compensation law applies to a participant in work experience, workers' compensation benefits must be available for injuries suffered by the participant in such work experience. If a... must be secured for injuries suffered by the participant in the course of such work experience. ...

20 CFR 667.274 - What health and safety standards apply to the working conditions of participants in activities...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... employment. (2) If a State workers' compensation law applies to a participant in work experience, workers' compensation benefits must be available for injuries suffered by the participant in such work experience. If a... must be secured for injuries suffered by the participant in the course of such work experience. ...

Design of FastQuery: How to Generalize Indexing and Querying System for Scientific Data

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

Wu, Jerry; Wu, Kesheng

2011-04-18

Modern scientific datasets present numerous data management and analysis challenges. State-of-the-art index and query technologies such as FastBit are critical for facilitating interactive exploration of large datasets. These technologies rely on adding auxiliary information to existing datasets to accelerate query processing. To use these indices, we need to match the relational data model used by the indexing systems with the array data model used by most scientific data, and to provide an efficient input and output layer for reading and writing the indices. In this work, we present a flexible design that can be easily applied to most scientific datamore » formats. We demonstrate this flexibility by applying it to two of the most commonly used scientific data formats, HDF5 and NetCDF. We present two case studies using simulation data from the particle accelerator and climate simulation communities. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the new design, we also present a detailed performance study using both synthetic and real scientific workloads.« less

Improving performance and happiness among healthcare workers through a body-mind approach in a healthcare setting in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Gunathunga, M W

2016-10-17

Cognitive ergonomics in the work place has become a serious concern with the need to keep people happy at work while maintaining high productivity. Hence, it is worth exploring how the outcomes of lifestyle-based mind development programs can bring about happiness in workplace while keeping productivity and quality of services high. The objective of the present work was to test a body-mind technique to improve cognitive ergonomics in a health care work setting. Principal investigator explored many body-mind techniques before selecting the present method of "insight meditation" which he mastered before applying it on a group of scholars who made it a part of their lifestyle. Later it was introduced to a sample of 500 volunteer health personnel in the western province to generate a ripple effect of happiness at work. Initial qualitative information indicated improvement of some aspects of cognitive ergonomics among those who practiced it. There was a relief from stress during the practice sessions and improvements in the commitment to work and in team spirit. A demand was observed for further training. A quasi-experimental study to test the improvements is underway. Health workers showed interest in the mind training and potential benefits to individuals and the institutions were observed.

One-step electrochemical deposition of Schiff base cobalt complex as effective water oxidation catalyst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Binbin; Wang, Yan; Zhan, Shuzhong; Ye, Jianshan

2017-02-01

Schiff base metal complexes have been applied in many fields, especially, a potential homogeneous catalyst for water splitting. However, the high overpotential, time consumed synthesis process and complicated working condition largely limit their application. In the present work, a one-step approach to fabricate Schiff base cobalt complex modified electrode is developed. Microrod clusters (MRC) and rough spherical particles (RSP) can be obtained on the ITO electrode through different electrochemical deposition condition. Both of the MRC and RSP present favorable activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) compared to the commercial Co3O4, taking an overpotential of 650 mV and 450 mV to drive appreciable catalytic current respectively. The highly active and stable RSP shows a Tafel plot of 84 mV dec-1 and negligible decrease of the current density for 12 h bulk electrolysis. The synthesis strategy of effective and stable catalyst in this work provide a simple method to fabricate heterogeneous OER catalyst with Schiff base metal complex.

Prediction of explosive yield and other characteristics of liquid rocket propellant explosions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farber, E. A.; Smith, J. H.; Watts, E. H.

1973-01-01

Work which has been done at the University of Florida in arriving at credible explosive yield values for liquid rocket propellants is presented. The results are based upon logical methods which have been well worked out theoretically and verified through experimental procedures. Three independent methods to predict explosive yield values for liquid rocket propellants are described. All three give the same end result even though they utilize different parameters and procedures. They are: (1) mathematical model; (2) seven chart approach; and (3) critical mass method. A brief description of the methods, how they were derived, how they were applied, and the results which they produced are given. The experimental work used to support and verify the above methods both in the laboratory and in the field with actually explosive mixtures are presented. The methods developed are used and their value demonstrated in analyzing real problems, among them the destruct system of the Saturn 5, and the early configurations of the space shuttle.

ECUT (Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies) program: Biocatalysis Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Fiscal year 1987 research activities and accomplishments for the Biocatalysis Project of the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies (ECUT) Division are presented. The project's technical activities were organized into three work elements. The Molecular Modeling and Applied Genetics work element includes modeling and simulation studies to verify a dynamic model of the enzyme carboxypeptidase; plasmid stabilization by chromosomal integration; growth and stability characteristics of plasmid-containing cells; and determination of optional production parameters for hyper-production of polyphenol oxidase. The Bioprocess Engineering work element supports efforts in novel bioreactor concepts that are likely to lead to substantially higher levels of reactor productivity, product yields, and lower separation energetics. The Bioprocess Design and Assessment work element attempts to develop procedures (via user-friendly computer software) for assessing the economics and energetics of a given biocatalyst process.

[Hygiene and motivation factors of nursing work in a cardiology ward].

PubMed

Somense, Carolina Bueno; Duran, Erika Christiane Marocco

2014-09-01

The present study aimed to identify hygienic and motivational factors in the nursing work according to the Two-Factor Theory, as well as their relation with professional satisfaction/dissatisfaction. This exploratory-descriptive study involved nine nurses from the cardiology ward of a hospital in the interior of the State of São Paulo, between August and September 2013. A self-applied questionnaire was used, including open and closed questions. The data were categorized as hygienic and motivational. Results show the nurses' satisfaction with autonomy, work itself and teamwork, duties, content and responsibilities of the job. Dissatisfaction is related to career growth possibilities; work, political and administrative conditions at the institution, supervision and lack of institutional support. Satisfaction and dissatisfaction factors include relationships, acknowledgements and remuneration. Nurses' satisfaction is determined by multiple and often controversial factors.

Exercise and sleep predict personal resources in employees' daily lives.

PubMed

Nägel, Inga J; Sonnentag, Sabine

2013-11-01

The present study investigates the interaction of exercise and sleep on state-like personal resources in employees' daily lives. Further, the study examines the association between state-like personal resources and emotional exhaustion. We conducted a diary study over five consecutive working days (total of 443 days) with 144 employees who answered daily online surveys after work and before bedtime. Multilevel modeling showed that exercise after work was positively related to the next day's personal resources when sleep duration during the night time was longer compared to other nights. Furthermore, personal resources positively related to lower emotional exhaustion after work on the next day. This study demonstrates that exercise and sleep may help to renew personal resources. Results stress the importance of balancing exercise and sleep in daily life. © 2013 The International Association of Applied Psychology.

Thermal Recovery from Cold-Working in Type K Bare-Wire Thermocouples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenen, A. D.; Webster, E. S.

2017-12-01

Cold-working of most thermocouples has a significant, direct impact on the Seebeck coefficient which can lead to regions of thermoelectric inhomogeneity and accelerated drift. Cold-working can occur during the wire swaging process, when winding the wire onto a bobbin, or during handling by the end user—either accidentally or deliberately. Swaging-induced cold-work in thermocouples, if uniformly applied, may result in a high level of homogeneity. However, on exposure to elevated temperatures, the subsequent recovery process from the cold-working can then result in significant drift, and this can in turn lead to erroneous temperature measurements, often in excess of the specified manufacturer tolerances. Several studies have investigated the effects of cold-work in Type K thermocouples usually by bending, or swaging. However, the amount of cold-work applied to the thermocouple is often difficult to quantify, as the mechanisms for applying the strains are typically nonlinear when applied in this fashion. A repeatable level of cold-working is applied to the different wires using a tensional loading apparatus to apply a known yield displacement to the thermoelements. The effects of thermal recovery from cold-working can then be accurately quantified as a function of temperature, using a linear gradient furnace and a high-resolution homogeneity scanner. Variation in these effects due to differing alloy compositions in Type K wire is also explored, which is obtained by sourcing wire from a selection of manufacturers. The information gathered in this way will inform users of Type K thermocouples about the potential consequences of varying levels of cold-working and its impact on the Seebeck coefficient at a range of temperatures between ˜ 70°C and 600° C. This study will also guide users on the temperatures required to rapidly alleviate the effects of cold-working using thermal annealing treatments.

Particle image velocimetry correlation signal-to-noise ratio metrics and measurement uncertainty quantification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Zhenyu; Charonko, John J.; Vlachos, Pavlos P.

2014-11-01

In particle image velocimetry (PIV) the measurement signal is contained in the recorded intensity of the particle image pattern superimposed on a variety of noise sources. The signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) strength governs the resulting PIV cross correlation and ultimately the accuracy and uncertainty of the resulting PIV measurement. Hence we posit that correlation SNR metrics calculated from the correlation plane can be used to quantify the quality of the correlation and the resulting uncertainty of an individual measurement. In this paper we extend the original work by Charonko and Vlachos and present a framework for evaluating the correlation SNR using a set of different metrics, which in turn are used to develop models for uncertainty estimation. Several corrections have been applied in this work. The SNR metrics and corresponding models presented herein are expanded to be applicable to both standard and filtered correlations by applying a subtraction of the minimum correlation value to remove the effect of the background image noise. In addition, the notion of a ‘valid’ measurement is redefined with respect to the correlation peak width in order to be consistent with uncertainty quantification principles and distinct from an ‘outlier’ measurement. Finally the type and significance of the error distribution function is investigated. These advancements lead to more robust and reliable uncertainty estimation models compared with the original work by Charonko and Vlachos. The models are tested against both synthetic benchmark data as well as experimental measurements. In this work, {{U}68.5} uncertainties are estimated at the 68.5% confidence level while {{U}95} uncertainties are estimated at 95% confidence level. For all cases the resulting calculated coverage factors approximate the expected theoretical confidence intervals, thus demonstrating the applicability of these new models for estimation of uncertainty for individual PIV measurements.

Work culture among healthcare personnel in a palliative medicine unit.

PubMed

André, Beate; Sjøvold, Endre; Rannestad, Toril; Holmemo, Marte; Ringdal, Gerd I

2013-04-01

Understanding and assessing health care personnel's work culture in palliative care is important, as a conflict between "high tech" and "high touch" is present. Implementing necessary changes in behavior and procedures may imply a profound challenge, because of this conflict. The aim of this study was to explore the work culture at a palliative medicine unit (PMU). Healthcare personnel (N = 26) at a PMU in Norway comprising physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and others filled in a questionnaire about their perception of the work culture at the unit. The Systematizing Person-Group Relations (SPGR) method was used for gathering data and for the analyses. This method applies six different dimensions representing different aspects of a work culture (Synergy, Withdrawal, Opposition, Dependence, Control, and Nurture) and each dimension has two vectors applied. The method seeks to explore which aspects dominate the particular work culture, identifying challenges, limitations, and opportunities. The findings were compared with a reference group of 347 ratings of well-functioning Norwegian organizations, named the "Norwegian Norm." The healthcare personnel working at the PMU had significantly higher scores than the "Norwegian Norm" in both vectors in the "Withdrawal" dimension and significant lower scores in both vectors in the "Synergy," "Control," and "Dependence" dimensions. Healthcare personnel at the PMU have a significantly different perception of their work culture than do staff in "well-functioning organizations" in several dimensions. The low score in the "Synergy" and "Control" dimensions indicate lack of engagement and constructive goal orientation behavior, and not being in a position to change their behavior. The conflict between "high tech" and "high touch" at a PMU seems to be an obstacle when implementing new procedures and alternative courses of action.

Internal Aspects of the Skill Transfer of Manual Assembly Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doyo, Daisuke

2009-01-01

In manual assembly work, parts are often assembled by applying force with a simple tool or by hand. A worker thus needs control the force he or she applies in working, as an appropriate level of force is requisite for minimizing work failures and improving efficiency. The object of this study is to clarify the relationship between the level of…

Stress-Constrained Structural Topology Optimization with Design-Dependent Loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Edmund

Topology optimization is commonly used to distribute a given amount of material to obtain the stiffest structure, with predefined fixed loads. The present work investigates the result of applying stress constraints to topology optimization, for problems with design-depending loading, such as self-weight and pressure. In order to apply pressure loading, a material boundary identification scheme is proposed, iteratively connecting points of equal density. In previous research, design-dependent loading problems have been limited to compliance minimization. The present study employs a more practical approach by minimizing mass subject to failure constraints, and uses a stress relaxation technique to avoid stress constraint singularities. The results show that these design dependent loading problems may converge to a local minimum when stress constraints are enforced. Comparisons between compliance minimization solutions and stress-constrained solutions are also given. The resulting topologies of these two solutions are usually vastly different, demonstrating the need for stress-constrained topology optimization.

Effects of heat and mass transfer on unsteady boundary layer flow of a chemical reacting Casson fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Kashif Ali; Butt, Asma Rashid; Raza, Nauman

2018-03-01

In this study, an endeavor is to observe the unsteady two-dimensional boundary layer flow with heat and mass transfer behavior of Casson fluid past a stretching sheet in presence of wall mass transfer by ignoring the effects of viscous dissipation. Chemical reaction of linear order is also invoked here. Similarity transformation have been applied to reduce the governing equations of momentum, energy and mass into non-linear ordinary differential equations; then Homotopy analysis method (HAM) is applied to solve these equations. Numerical work is done carefully with a well-known software MATHEMATICA for the examination of non-dimensional velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles, and then results are presented graphically. The skin friction (viscous drag), local Nusselt number (rate of heat transfer) and Sherwood number (rate of mass transfer) are discussed and presented in tabular form for several factors which are monitoring the flow model.

Mathematical Model and Artificial Intelligent Techniques Applied to a Milk Industry through DSM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babu, P. Ravi; Divya, V. P. Sree

2011-08-01

The resources for electrical energy are depleting and hence the gap between the supply and the demand is continuously increasing. Under such circumstances, the option left is optimal utilization of available energy resources. The main objective of this chapter is to discuss about the Peak load management and overcome the problems associated with it in processing industries such as Milk industry with the help of DSM techniques. The chapter presents a generalized mathematical model for minimizing the total operating cost of the industry subject to the constraints. The work presented in this chapter also deals with the results of application of Neural Network, Fuzzy Logic and Demand Side Management (DSM) techniques applied to a medium scale milk industrial consumer in India to achieve the improvement in load factor, reduction in Maximum Demand (MD) and also the consumer gets saving in the energy bill.

On the convergence of an iterative formulation of the electromagnetic scattering from an infinite grating of thin wires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brand, J. C.

1985-01-01

Contraction theory is applied to an iterative formulation of electromagnetic scattering from periodic structures and a computational method for insuring convergence is developed. A short history of spectral (or k-space) formulation is presented with an emphasis on application to periodic surfaces. The mathematical background for formulating an iterative equation is covered using straightforward single variable examples including an extension to vector spaces. To insure a convergent solution of the iterative equation, a process called the contraction corrector method is developed. Convergence properties of previously presented iterative solutions to one-dimensional problems are examined utilizing contraction theory and the general conditions for achieving a convergent solution are explored. The contraction corrector method is then applied to several scattering problems including an infinite grating of thin wires with the solution data compared to previous works.

The technology-science relationship: Some curriculum implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner, Paul L.

1990-01-01

Technology encompasses the goods and services which people make and provide to meet human needs, and the processes and systems used for their development and delivery. Although technology and science are related, a distinction can be made between their purposes and outcomes. This paper considers four possible approaches to teaching students about the relationship between technology and science. A technology-as-illustration approach treats technology as if it were applied science; artefacts are presented to illustrate scientific principles. A cognitive-motivational approach also treats technology as applied science, but presents technology early in the instructional sequence in order to promote student interest and understanding. In an artefact approach, learners study artefacts as systems in order to understand the scientific principles which explain their workings. Finally, a technology-as-process approach emphasises the role of technological capability; in this approach, scientific concepts do not have privileged status as a basis for selecting curriculum content.

Applied Joint-Space Torque and Stiffness Control of Tendon-Driven Fingers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abdallah, Muhammad E.; Platt, Robert, Jr.; Wampler, Charles W.; Hargrave, Brian

2010-01-01

Existing tendon-driven fingers have applied force control through independent tension controllers on each tendon, i.e. in the tendon-space. The coupled kinematics of the tendons, however, cause such controllers to exhibit a transient coupling in their response. This problem can be resolved by alternatively framing the controllers in the joint-space of the manipulator. This work presents a joint-space torque control law that demonstrates both a decoupled and significantly faster response than an equivalent tendon-space formulation. The law also demonstrates greater speed and robustness than comparable PI controllers. In addition, a tension distribution algorithm is presented here to allocate forces from the joints to the tendons. It allocates the tensions so that they satisfy both an upper and lower bound, and it does so without requiring linear programming or open-ended iterations. The control law and tension distribution algorithm are implemented on the robotic hand of Robonaut-2.

Student design projects in applied acoustics.

PubMed

Bös, Joachim; Moritz, Karsten; Skowronek, Adam; Thyes, Christian; Tschesche, Johannes; Hanselka, Holger

2012-03-01

This paper describes a series of student projects which are intended to complement theoretical education in acoustics and engineering noise control with practical experience. The projects are also intended to enhance the students' ability to work in a team, to manage a project, and to present their results. The projects are carried out in close cooperation with industrial partners so that the students can get a taste of the professional life of noise control engineers. The organization of such a project, its execution, and some of the results from the most recent student project are presented as a demonstrative example. This latest project involved the creation of noise maps of a production hall, the acoustic analysis of a packaging machine, and the acoustic analysis of a spiral vibratory conveyor. Upon completion of the analysis, students then designed, applied, and verified some simple preliminary noise reduction measures to demonstrate the potential of these techniques. © 2012 Acoustical Society of America

Early Detection of Severe Apnoea through Voice Analysis and Automatic Speaker Recognition Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández, Ruben; Blanco, Jose Luis; Díaz, David; Hernández, Luis A.; López, Eduardo; Alcázar, José

This study is part of an on-going collaborative effort between the medical and the signal processing communities to promote research on applying voice analysis and Automatic Speaker Recognition techniques (ASR) for the automatic diagnosis of patients with severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Early detection of severe apnoea cases is important so that patients can receive early treatment. Effective ASR-based diagnosis could dramatically cut medical testing time. Working with a carefully designed speech database of healthy and apnoea subjects, we present and discuss the possibilities of using generative Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs), generally used in ASR systems, to model distinctive apnoea voice characteristics (i.e. abnormal nasalization). Finally, we present experimental findings regarding the discriminative power of speaker recognition techniques applied to severe apnoea detection. We have achieved an 81.25 % correct classification rate, which is very promising and underpins the interest in this line of inquiry.

Tuning the control system of a nonlinear inverted pendulum by means of the new method of Lyapunov exponents estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balcerzak, Marek; Dąbrowski, Artur; Pikunov, Danylo

2018-01-01

This paper presents a practical application of a new, simplified method of Lyapunov exponents estimation. The method has been applied to optimization of a real, nonlinear inverted pendulum system. Authors presented how the algorithm of the Largest Lyapunov Exponent (LLE) estimation can be applied to evaluate control systems performance. The new LLE-based control performance index has been proposed. Equations of the inverted pendulum system of the fourth order have been found. The nonlinear friction of the regulation object has been identified by means of the nonlinear least squares method. Three different friction models have been tested: linear, cubic and Coulomb model. The Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm has been used to search for the best set of parameters of the general linear regulator. This work proves that proposed method is efficient and results in faster perturbation rejection, especially when disturbances are significant.

Lessons Learned from the Evolution of an Academic Community Partnership: Creating "Patient Voices".

PubMed

Chambers, Meghan K; Ireland, Anna; D'Aniello, Rona; Lipnicki, Stephanie; Glick, Myron; Tumiel-Berhalter, Laurene

2015-01-01

Long-term partners received federal funding to develop the Patient Voices Network, a partnership of safety-net family practices and their patients to develop health improvement strategies. The scope and structure of the newly funded grant presented unexpected challenges that threatened the future of the partnership.Purpose of Article: To present a case study of the evolution of an existing partnership and offer lessons learned along with recommendations for future partnerships. Federal funding formalized the partnership in a way that required looking at it through a new lens. Leadership, programmatic, personnel, and financial challenges emerged. Short-term and long-term strategies were applied to address evolving needs. This case study demonstrates how federal funding raises the bar for academic-community partnerships and how challenges can be worked through, particularly if the partnership embraces the key principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR). Recommendations have been applied successfully to future initiatives.

Nuclear Security Applications of Antineutrino Detectors: Current Capabilities and Future Prospects

DOE PAGES

Bernstein, Adam; Baldwin, George; Boyer, Brian; ...

2010-12-10

Antineutrinos are electrically neutral, nearly massless fundamental particles produced in large numbers in the cores of nuclear reactors and in nuclear explosions. In the half century since their discovery, major advances in the understanding of their properties, and in detector technology, have opened the door to a new discipline—Applied Antineutrino Physics. Because antineutrinos are inextricably linked to the process of nuclear fission, there are many applications of interest in nuclear nonproliferation. This work presents a comprehensive survey of applied antineutrino physics relevant for nonproliferation, summarizes recent advances in the field, describes the overlap of this nascent discipline with other ongoingmore » fundamental and applied antineutrino research, and charts a course for research and development for future applications. It is intended as a resource for policymakers, researchers, and the wider nuclear nonproliferation community.« less

Nonlocal postbuckling analysis of graphene sheets with initial imperfection based on first order shear deformation theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soleimani, Ahmad; Naei, Mohammad Hasan; Mashhadi, Mahmoud Mosavi

In this paper, the first order shear deformation theory (FSDT) is used to investigate the postbuckling behavior of orthotropic single-layered graphene sheet (SLGS) under in-plane loadings. Nonlocal elasticity theory and von-Karman nonlinear model in combination with the isogeometric analysis (IGA) have been applied to study the postbuckling characteristics of SLGSs. In contrast to the classical model, the nonlocal continuum model developed in this work considers the size-effects on the postbuckling characteristics of SLGSs. FSDT takes into account effects of shear deformations through-the-thickness of plate. Geometric imperfection which is defined as a very small transverse displacement of the mid-plane is applied on undeformed nanoplate to create initial deviation in graphene sheet from being perfectly flat. Nonlinear governing equations of motion for SLGS are derived from the principle of virtual work and a variational formulation. At the end, the results are presented as the postbuckling equilibrium paths of SLGS. The influence of various parameters such as edge length, nonlocal parameter, compression ratio, boundary conditions and aspect ratio on the postbuckling path is investigated. The results of this work show the high accuracy of nonlocal FSDT-based analysis for postbuckling behavior of graphene sheets.

In Search of a Visual-cortical Describing Function: a Summary of Work in Progress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Junker, A. M.; Peio, K. J.

1984-01-01

The thrust of the present work is to explore the utility of using a sum of sinusoids (seven or more) to obtain an evoked response and, furthermore, to see if the response is sensitive to changes in cognitive processing. Within the field of automatic control system technology, a mathematical input/output relationship for a sinusoidally stimulated nonlinear system is defined as describing function. Applying this technology, sum of sines inputs to yield describing functions for the visual-cortical response have been designed. What follows is a description of the method used to obtain visual-cortical describing functions. A number of measurement system redesigns were necessary to achieve the desired frequency resolution. Results that guided and came out of the redesigns are presented. Preliminary results of stimulus parameter effects (average intensity and depth of modulation) are also shown.

Formation of propagation invariant laser beams with anamorphic optical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soskind, Y. G.

2015-03-01

Propagation invariant structured laser beams play an important role in several photonics applications. A majority of propagation invariant beams are usually produced in the form of laser modes emanating from stable laser cavities. This work shows that anamorphic optical systems can be effectively employed to transform input propagation invariant laser beams and produce a variety of alternative propagation invariant structured laser beam distributions with different shapes and phase structures. This work also presents several types of anamorphic lens systems suitable for transforming the input laser modes into a variety of structured propagation invariant beams. The transformations are applied to different laser mode types, including Hermite-Gaussian, Laguerre-Gaussian, and Ince-Gaussian field distributions. The influence of the relative azimuthal orientation between the input laser modes and the anamorphic optical systems on the resulting transformed propagation invariant beams is presented as well.

Graphics Processing Unit Assisted Thermographic Compositing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ragasa, Scott; McDougal, Matthew; Russell, Sam

2012-01-01

Objective: To develop a software application utilizing general purpose graphics processing units (GPUs) for the analysis of large sets of thermographic data. Background: Over the past few years, an increasing effort among scientists and engineers to utilize the GPU in a more general purpose fashion is allowing for supercomputer level results at individual workstations. As data sets grow, the methods to work them grow at an equal, and often great, pace. Certain common computations can take advantage of the massively parallel and optimized hardware constructs of the GPU to allow for throughput that was previously reserved for compute clusters. These common computations have high degrees of data parallelism, that is, they are the same computation applied to a large set of data where the result does not depend on other data elements. Signal (image) processing is one area were GPUs are being used to greatly increase the performance of certain algorithms and analysis techniques. Technical Methodology/Approach: Apply massively parallel algorithms and data structures to the specific analysis requirements presented when working with thermographic data sets.

The study of topics of Astronomy in Physics teaching that addresses the significant learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos Neta, M. L.; Voelzke, M. R.

2017-12-01

In this work are discussed the results of the case study on the oceanic tides for which it was used didactic sequences, based on the Cycle of Experience of George Kelly (Kelly 1963), applied in four groups of the first year of the integral medium teaching. The data obtained in two same tests - Pre and Post-Test - before and after the application of the didactic sequences, as well as the verification of the significant learning analysed as for the conditions of the previous knowledge considering authors Boczko (1984), Horvath (2008) and Kepler & Saraiva (2013). Also the values were analysed obtained the Post-Test II applied to the long period. The results reveal that the worked groups presented previous knowledge in conditions adapted for the understanding of the event, as well as, for they be used in the situation-problem resolution that demands the understanding. Verify also that the idea of the didactic sequence can be used as tool in the relationship teaching-learning addressed to the significant learning.

[Social psychiatry in the field of contrasting context between psychiatry and Social Medicine].

PubMed

Dietrich, Sandra; Born, Anja; Holzinger, Anita

2006-11-01

There has been a discussion going on that Social Psychiatry has entered a state of crisis in terms of its socio-scientific roots. Little is known, however, about its relationship to Social Medicine. The question is whether Social Psychiatry, having grown apart from Sociology, has also lost its scientific relation to Social Medicine. A systematic literature analysis of all works published in "Psychiatrische Praxis" - PP and "Das Gesundheitswesen"--GHW in the years 2004/2005 was done. All works concerning Social Psychiatry were analysed. The same procedure was applied to all abstracts, posters and presentations for the annual meetings of the German Society of Social Medicine and Prevention (DGSMP). 10 % off all articles published in GHW and 97 % in PP address issues of Social Psychiatry. Apart from similarities in terms of their theoretical, practical and institutional background and the research methods applied, there are a number of differences. Social Psychiatry has not lost its scientific relation to Social Medicine, however, the scientific cooperation between the two needs to be intensified.

A Study on Passive and Electrochemical Response of Pure Nickel in Borate Buffer Solutions: Effect of Cold Deformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fattah-alhosseini, Arash; Naseri, Majid; Gashti, Seyed Omid; Vafaeian, Saeed; Keshavarz, Mohsen K.

2018-06-01

In the present work, influences of the cold deformation on electrochemical and passive response of pure nickel in three solutions with adjusted pH values of 8.5, 9.0, and 9.5 at 298 ± 1 K (25 ± 1 °C) were investigated. A cold deformation process was applied by means of cold rolling. Implementation of the cold deformation process resulted in samples having a finer microstructure. Also, the cold work and grain refinement led to increased hardness. In addition, open-circuit potential and potentiodynamic polarization tests were performed and results showed that corrosion current density was reduced by applying the cold deformation. Moreover, the results of the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky analyses indicated higher corrosion resistance of pure nickel after cold deformation. This behavior is attributed to the growth of much thicker, with less point defects, passive layer on the surface of cold-deformed samples.

A Method for Selecting Structure-switching Aptamers Applied to a Colorimetric Gold Nanoparticle Assay

PubMed Central

Martin, Jennifer A.; Smith, Joshua E.; Warren, Mercedes; Chávez, Jorge L.; Hagen, Joshua A.; Kelley-Loughnane, Nancy

2015-01-01

Small molecules provide rich targets for biosensing applications due to their physiological implications as biomarkers of various aspects of human health and performance. Nucleic acid aptamers have been increasingly applied as recognition elements on biosensor platforms, but selecting aptamers toward small molecule targets requires special design considerations. This work describes modification and critical steps of a method designed to select structure-switching aptamers to small molecule targets. Binding sequences from a DNA library hybridized to complementary DNA capture probes on magnetic beads are separated from nonbinders via a target-induced change in conformation. This method is advantageous because sequences binding the support matrix (beads) will not be further amplified, and it does not require immobilization of the target molecule. However, the melting temperature of the capture probe and library is kept at or slightly above RT, such that sequences that dehybridize based on thermodynamics will also be present in the supernatant solution. This effectively limits the partitioning efficiency (ability to separate target binding sequences from nonbinders), and therefore many selection rounds will be required to remove background sequences. The reported method differs from previous structure-switching aptamer selections due to implementation of negative selection steps, simplified enrichment monitoring, and extension of the length of the capture probe following selection enrichment to provide enhanced stringency. The selected structure-switching aptamers are advantageous in a gold nanoparticle assay platform that reports the presence of a target molecule by the conformational change of the aptamer. The gold nanoparticle assay was applied because it provides a simple, rapid colorimetric readout that is beneficial in a clinical or deployed environment. Design and optimization considerations are presented for the assay as proof-of-principle work in buffer to provide a foundation for further extension of the work toward small molecule biosensing in physiological fluids. PMID:25870978

48 CFR 970.5217-1 - Work for Others Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... selection is based on merit or peer review, the work involves basic or applied research to further advance... all Work for Others projects in accordance with the standards, policies, and procedures that apply to..., safeguards and classification procedures, and human and animal research regulations; (8) May subcontract...

Dynamic simulation and numerical analysis of hurricane storm surge under sea level rise with geomorphologic changes along the northern Gulf of Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bilskie, Matthew V.; Hagen, S.C.; Alizad, K.A.; Medeiros, S.C.; Passeri, Davina L.; Needham, H.F.; Cox, A.

2016-01-01

This work outlines a dynamic modeling framework to examine the effects of global climate change, and sea level rise (SLR) in particular, on tropical cyclone-driven storm surge inundation. The methodology, applied across the northern Gulf of Mexico, adapts a present day large-domain, high resolution, tide, wind-wave, and hurricane storm surge model to characterize the potential outlook of the coastal landscape under four SLR scenarios for the year 2100. The modifications include shoreline and barrier island morphology, marsh migration, and land use land cover change. Hydrodynamics of 10 historic hurricanes were simulated through each of the five model configurations (present day and four SLR scenarios). Under SLR, the total inundated land area increased by 87% and developed and agricultural lands by 138% and 189%, respectively. Peak surge increased by as much as 1 m above the applied SLR in some areas, and other regions were subject to a reduction in peak surge, with respect to the applied SLR, indicating a nonlinear response. Analysis of time-series water surface elevation suggests the interaction between SLR and storm surge is nonlinear in time; SLR increased the time of inundation and caused an earlier arrival of the peak surge, which cannot be addressed using a static (“bathtub”) modeling framework. This work supports the paradigm shift to using a dynamic modeling framework to examine the effects of global climate change on coastal inundation. The outcomes have broad implications and ultimately support a better holistic understanding of the coastal system and aid restoration and long-term coastal sustainability.

Computer model of cardiovascular control system responses to exercise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Croston, R. C.; Rummel, J. A.; Kay, F. J.

1973-01-01

Approaches of systems analysis and mathematical modeling together with computer simulation techniques are applied to the cardiovascular system in order to simulate dynamic responses of the system to a range of exercise work loads. A block diagram of the circulatory model is presented, taking into account arterial segments, venous segments, arterio-venous circulation branches, and the heart. A cardiovascular control system model is also discussed together with model test results.

Teaching Physics Using Virtual Reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savage, C.; McGrath, D.; McIntyre, T.; Wegener, M.; Williamson, M.

2010-07-01

We present an investigation of game-like simulations for physics teaching. We report on the effectiveness of the interactive simulation "Real Time Relativity" for learning special relativity. We argue that the simulation not only enhances traditional learning, but also enables new types of learning that challenge the traditional curriculum. The lessons drawn from this work are being applied to the development of a simulation for enhancing the learning of quantum mechanics.

[Medical service marketing at the time of medical insurance].

PubMed

Polyakov, I V; Uvarov, S A; Mikhaylova, L S; Lankin, K A

1997-01-01

Presents the approaches to applying the fundamentals of marketing to public health. Medical insurance organization may effectively work as arbitrators and marketing agents; the basic assumption in the theory of marketing underlies their activity. The concept of marketing implies investigation of the requirements of the users of medical services and the development of measures aimed at meeting the requirements of man in terms of health service and health maintenance.

Mathematical analysis techniques for modeling the space network activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, Lisa M.

1992-01-01

The objective of the present work was to explore and identify mathematical analysis techniques, and in particular, the use of linear programming. This topic was then applied to the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) in order to understand the space network better. Finally, a small scale version of the system was modeled, variables were identified, data was gathered, and comparisons were made between actual and theoretical data.

Magnetic field sensors using 13-spin cat states

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

Simmons, Stephanie; Karlen, Steven D.; Jones, Jonathan A.

2010-08-15

Measurement devices could benefit from entangled correlations to yield a measurement sensitivity approaching the physical Heisenberg limit. Building upon previous magnetometric work using pseudoentangled spin states in solution-state NMR, we present two conceptual advancements to better prepare and interpret the pseudoentanglement resource. We apply these to a 13-spin cat state to measure the local magnetic field with a 12.2 sensitivity increase over an equivalent number of isolated spins.

Logistics of Trainsets Creation with the Use of Simulation Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedláček, Michal; Pavelka, Hynek

2016-12-01

This paper focuses on rail transport in following the train formation operational processes problem using computer simulations. The problem has been solved using SIMUL8 and applied to specific train formation station in the Czech Republic. The paper describes a proposal simulation model of the train formation work. Experimental modeling with an assessment of achievements and design solution for optimizing of the train formation operational process is also presented.

Aeropropulsion 1987. Session 3: Internal Fluid Mechanics Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Internal fluid mechanics research at Lewis is directed toward an improved understanding of the important flow physics affecting aerospace propulsion systems, and applying this improved understanding to formulate accurate predictive codes. To this end, research is conducted involving detailed experimentation and analysis. The presentations in this session summarize ongoing work and indicated future emphasis in three major research thrusts: namely, inlets, ducts, and nozzles; turbomachinery; and chemical reacting flows.

How to Correct Teaching Methods That Favour Plagiarism: Recommendations from Teachers and Students in a Spanish Language Distance Education University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arce Espinoza, Lourdes; Monge Nájera, Julián

2015-01-01

The presentation of the intellectual work of others as their own by students is believed to be common worldwide. Punishments and detection software have failed to solve the problem and have important limitations themselves. To go to the root of the problem, we applied an online questionnaire to 344 university students and their 13 teachers. Our…

Modeling Hydraulic Components for Automated FMEA of a Braking System

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-23

Modeling Hydraulic Components for Automated FMEA of a Braking System Peter Struss, Alessandro Fraracci Tech. Univ. of Munich, 85748 Garching...Germany struss@in.tum.de ABSTRACT This paper presents work on model-based automation of failure-modes-and-effects analysis ( FMEA ) applied to...the hydraulic part of a vehicle braking system. We describe the FMEA task and the application problem and outline the foundations for automating the

Closed Loop Fuzzy Logic Controlled PV Based Cascaded Boost Five-Level Inverter System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revana, Guruswamy; Kota, Venkata Reddy

2018-04-01

Recent developments in intelligent control methods and power electronics have produced PV based DC to AC converters related to AC drives. Cascaded boost converter and inverter find their way in interconnecting PV and Induction Motor. This paper deals with digital simulation and implementation of closed loop controlled five-level inverter based Photo-Voltaic (PV) system. The objective of this work is to reduce the harmonics using Multi Level Inverter based system. The DC output from the PV panel is boosted using cascaded-boost-converters. The DC output of these cascaded boost converters is applied to the bridges of the cascaded inverter. The AC output voltage is obtained by the series cascading of the output voltage of the two inverters. The investigations are done with Induction motor load. Cascaded boost-converter is proposed in the present work to produce the required DC Voltage at the input of the bridge inverter. A simple FLC is applied to CBFLIIM system. The FLC is proposed to reduce the steady state error. The simulation results are compared with the hardware results. The results of the comparison are made to show the improvement in dynamic response in terms of settling time and steady state error. Design procedure and control strategy are presented in detail.

Strength of Geopolymer Cement Curing at Ambient Temperature by Non-Oven Curing Approaches: An Overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wattanachai, Pitiwat; Suwan, Teewara

2017-06-01

At the present day, a concept of environmentally friendly construction materials has been intensively studying to reduce the amount of releasing greenhouse gases. Geopolymer is one of the cementitious binders which can be produced by utilising pozzolanic wastes (e.g. fly ash or furnace slag) and also receiving much more attention as a low-CO2 emission material. However, to achieve excellent mechanical properties, heat curing process is needed to apply to geopolymer cement in a range of temperature around 40 to 90°C. To consume less oven-curing energy and be more convenience in practical work, the study on geopolymer curing at ambient temperature (around 20 to 25°C) is therefore widely investigated. In this paper, a core review of factors and approaches for non-oven curing geopolymer has been summarised. The performance, in term of strength, of each non-oven curing method, is also presented and analysed. The main aim of this review paper is to gather the latest study of ambient temperature curing geopolymer and to enlarge a feasibility of non-oven curing geopolymer development. Also, to extend the directions of research work, some approaches or techniques can be combined or applied to the specific properties for in-field applications and embankment stabilization by using soil-cement column.

AQMEII3: the EU and NA regional scale program of the ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The presentation builds on the work presented last year at the 14th CMAS meeting and it is applied to the work performed in the context of the AQMEII-HTAP collaboration. The analysis is conducted within the framework of the third phase of AQMEII (Air Quality Model Evaluation International Initiative) and encompasses the gauging of model performance through measurement-to-model comparison, error decomposition and time series analysis of the models biases. Through the comparison of several regional-scale chemistry transport modelling systems applied to simulate meteorology and air quality over two continental areas, this study aims at i) apportioning the error to the responsible processes through time-scale analysis, and ii) help detecting causes of models error, and iii) identify the processes and scales most urgently requiring dedicated investigations. The operational metrics (magnitude of the error, sign of the bias, associativity) provide an overall sense of model strengths and deficiencies, while the apportioning of the error into its constituent parts (bias, variance and covariance) can help assess the nature and quality of the error. Each of the error components is analysed independently and apportioned to specific processes based on the corresponding timescale (long scale, synoptic, diurnal, and intra-day) using the error apportionment technique devised in the previous phases of AQMEII. The National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) Computational Exposur

Magnetic reconnection in 3D magnetosphere models: magnetic separators and open flux production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glocer, A.; Dorelli, J.; Toth, G.; Komar, C. M.; Cassak, P.

2014-12-01

There are multiple competing definitions of magnetic reconnection in 3D (e.g., Hesse and Schindler [1988], Lau and Finn [1990], and Boozer [2002]). In this work we focus on separator reconnection. A magnetic separator can be understood as the 3D analogue of a 2D x line with a guide field, and is defined by the line corresponding to the intersection of the separatrix surfaces associated with the magnetic nulls. A separator in the magnetosphere represents the intersection of four distinct magnetic topologies: solar wind, closed, open connected to the northern hemisphere, and open connected to the southern hemisphere. The integral of the parallel electric field along the separator defines the rate of open flux production, and is one measure of the reconnection rate. We present three methods for locating magnetic separators and apply them to 3D resistive MHD simulations of the Earth's magnetosphere using the BATS-R-US code. The techniques for finding separators and determining the reconnection rate are insensitive to IMF clock angle and can in principle be applied to any magnetospheric model. The present work examines cases of high and low resistivity, for two clock angles. We also examine the separator during Flux Transfer Events (FTEs) and Kelvin-Helmholtz instability.

Does temperature nudging overwhelm aerosol radiative effects in regional integrated climate models?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Jian; Glotfelty, Timothy; Yahya, Khairunnisa; Alapaty, Kiran; Yu, Shaocai

2017-04-01

Nudging (data assimilation) is used in many regional integrated meteorology-air quality models to reduce biases in simulated climatology. However, in such modeling systems, temperature changes due to nudging could compete with temperature changes induced by radiatively active and hygroscopic short-lived tracers leading to two interesting dilemmas: when nudging is continuously applied, what are the relative sizes of these two radiative forces at regional and local scales? How do these two forces present in the free atmosphere differ from those present at the surface? This work studies these two issues by converting temperature changes due to nudging into pseudo radiative effects (PRE) at the surface (PRE_sfc), in troposphere (PRE_atm), and at the top of atmosphere (PRE_toa), and comparing PRE with the reported aerosol radiative effects (ARE). Results show that the domain-averaged PRE_sfc is smaller than ARE_sfc estimated in previous studies and this work, but could be significantly larger than ARE_sfc at local scales. PRE_atm is also much smaller than ARE_atm. These results indicate that appropriate nudging methodology could be applied to the integrated models to study aerosol radiative effects at continental/regional scales, but it should be treated with caution for local scale applications.

Closed Loop Fuzzy Logic Controlled PV Based Cascaded Boost Five-Level Inverter System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revana, Guruswamy; Kota, Venkata Reddy

2017-12-01

Recent developments in intelligent control methods and power electronics have produced PV based DC to AC converters related to AC drives. Cascaded boost converter and inverter find their way in interconnecting PV and Induction Motor. This paper deals with digital simulation and implementation of closed loop controlled five-level inverter based Photo-Voltaic (PV) system. The objective of this work is to reduce the harmonics using Multi Level Inverter based system. The DC output from the PV panel is boosted using cascaded-boost-converters. The DC output of these cascaded boost converters is applied to the bridges of the cascaded inverter. The AC output voltage is obtained by the series cascading of the output voltage of the two inverters. The investigations are done with Induction motor load. Cascaded boost-converter is proposed in the present work to produce the required DC Voltage at the input of the bridge inverter. A simple FLC is applied to CBFLIIM system. The FLC is proposed to reduce the steady state error. The simulation results are compared with the hardware results. The results of the comparison are made to show the improvement in dynamic response in terms of settling time and steady state error. Design procedure and control strategy are presented in detail.

A probe for NADH and H2O2 amperometric detection at low applied potential for oxidase and dehydrogenase based biosensor applications.

PubMed

Ricci, Francesco; Amine, Aziz; Moscone, Danila; Palleschi, Giuseppe

2007-01-15

Modified screen-printed electrodes for amperometric detection of H(2)O(2) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) at low applied potential are presented in this paper. The sensors are obtained by modifying the working electrode surface with Prussian Blue, a well known electrochemical mediator for H(2)O(2) reduction. The coupling of this sensor with phenazine methosulfate (PMS) in the working solution gives the possibility of measuring both NAD(P)H and H(2)O(2). PMS reacts with NADH producing PMSH, which in the presence of oxygen, gives an equimolar amount of H(2)O(2). This allows the measurement of both analytes with similar sensitivity (357 mA mol(-1)L cm(-2) for H(2)O(2) and 336 mA mol(-1)L cm(-2) for NADH) and LOD (5x10(-7)mol L(-1) for H(2)O(2) and NADH) and opens the possibility of a whole series of biosensor applications. In this paper, results obtained with a variety of dehydrogenase enzymes (alcohol, malic, lactate, glucose, glycerol and glutamate) for the detection of enzymatic substrates or enzymatic activity are presented demonstrating the suitability of the proposed method for future biosensor applications.

Re-imagining occupational therapy clients as communities: Presenting the community-centred practice framework.

PubMed

Hyett, Nerida; Kenny, Amanda; Dickson-Swift, Virginia

2018-01-09

Occupational therapists' are increasingly working with communities and providing services at the community level. There is, however, a lack of conceptual frameworks to guide this work. The aim of this article is to present a new conceptual framework for community-centered practice in occupational therapy. The conceptual framework was developed from qualitative multi-case research on exemplars of community participation. The first was, a network of Canadian food security programs, and the second, a rural Australian community banking initiative. Key themes were identified from across the case studies, and cross-case findings interpreted using occupational therapy and occupational science knowledge, and relevant social theory. The outcome is a four-stage, occupation-focused, community-centered practice framework. The Community-Centred Practice Framework can be used by occupational therapists to understand and apply a community-centered practice approach. The four stages are: (1) Community Identity, (2) Community Occupations, (3) Community Resources and Barriers, and (4) Participation Enablement. Further research is needed to trial and critically evaluate the framework, to assess its usefulness as a robust, occupation-focused, frame of reference to guide community-centered practice in occupational therapy. The proposed framework should assist occupational therapists to conceptualize community-centered practice, and to utilize and apply theory.

Mechanical Structural Design of a MEMS-Based Piezoresistive Accelerometer for Head Injuries Monitoring: A Computational Analysis by Increments of the Sensor Mass Moment of Inertia †

PubMed Central

Messina, Marco; Njuguna, James; Palas, Chrysovalantis

2018-01-01

This work focuses on the proof-mass mechanical structural design improvement of a tri-axial piezoresistive accelerometer specifically designed for head injuries monitoring where medium-G impacts are common; for example, in sports such as racing cars or American Football. The device requires the highest sensitivity achievable with a single proof-mass approach, and a very low error (<1%) as the accuracy for these types of applications is paramount. The optimization method differs from previous work as it is based on the progressive increment of the sensor proof-mass mass moment of inertia (MMI) in all three axes. Three different designs are presented in this study, where at each step of design evolution, the MMI of the sensor proof-mass gradually increases in all axes. The work numerically demonstrates that an increment of MMI determines an increment of device sensitivity with a simultaneous reduction of cross-axis sensitivity in the particular axis under study. This is due to the linkage between the external applied stress and the distribution of mass (of the proof-mass), and therefore of its mass moment of inertia. Progressively concentrating the mass on the axes where the piezoresistors are located (i.e., x- and y-axis) by increasing the MMI in the x- and y-axis, will undoubtedly increase the longitudinal stresses applied in that areas for a given external acceleration, therefore increasing the piezoresistors fractional resistance change and eventually positively affecting the sensor sensitivity. The final device shows a sensitivity increase of about 80% in the z-axis and a reduction of cross-axis sensitivity of 18% respect to state-of-art sensors available in the literature from a previous work of the authors. Sensor design, modelling, and optimization are presented, concluding the work with results, discussion, and conclusion. PMID:29351221

Corrosion detection and evolution monitoring in reinforced concrete structures by the use of fiber Bragg grating sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali-Alvarez, S.; Ferdinand, P.; Magne, S.; Nogueira, R. P.

2013-04-01

Corrosion of reinforced bar (rebar) in concrete structures represents a major issue in civil engineering works, being its detection and evolution a challenge for the applied research. In this work, we present a new methodology to corrosion detection in reinforced concrete structures, by combining Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors with the electrochemical and physical properties of rebar in a simplified assembly. Tests in electrolytic solutions and concrete were performed for pitting and general corrosion. The proposed Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) methodology constitutes a direct corrosion measurement potentially useful to implement or improve Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) program for civil engineering concrete structures.

MPD work at MIT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martinez-Sanchez, Manuel

1991-01-01

MPD work at MIT is presented in the form of the view-graphs. The following subject areas are covered: the MIT program, its goals, achievements, and roadblocks; quasi one-dimensional modeling; two-dimensional modeling - transport effects and Hall effect; microscopic instabilities in MPD flows and modified two stream instability; electrothermal stability theory; separation of onset and anode depletion; exit plane spectroscopic measurements; phenomena of onset as performance limiter; explanations of onset; geometry effects on onset; onset at full ionization and its consequences; relationship to anode depletion; summary on self-field MPD; applied field MPD - the logical growth path; the case for AF; the challenges of AF MPD; and recommendations.

Environment-dependent interfacial strength using first principles thermodynamics: The example of the Pt-HfO2 interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardona Quintero, Y.; Ramanath, Ganpati; Ramprasad, R.

2013-10-01

A parameter-free, quantitative, first-principles methodology to determine the environment-dependent interfacial strength of metal-metal oxide interfaces is presented. This approach uses the notion of the weakest link to identify the most likely cleavage plane, and first principles thermodynamics to calculate the average work of separation as a function of the environment (in this case, temperature and oxygen pressure). The method is applied to the case of the Pt-HfO2 interface, and it is shown that the computed environment-dependent work of separation is in quantitative agreement with available experimental data.

Reactive compatibilization in polymer alloys, recyclates and composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czvikovszky, T.; Hargitai, H.; Rácz, I.; Csukat, G.

1999-05-01

The efficiency of all composite materials depends on the fiber-matrix interface and its ability to transfer stress from the matrix to the fiber. Radiation treatment is a possible way to bind together the main components of the composite. In our earlier work we applied acrylic oligomer-treated fibers irradiated with low energy electron beam to reinforce recycled polypropylene. In the present work the interaction between the matrix and fibers - PAN and glass fibers - was investigated by ESCA (Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis). On the other hand, the conventional way of compatibilization - the effect of using maleic anhydride grafted PP as a coupling agent - was examined in flax fiber-PP composites.

A natural-language interface to a mobile robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Michalowski, S.; Crangle, C.; Liang, L.

1987-01-01

The present work on robot instructability is based on an ongoing effort to apply modern manipulation technology to serve the needs of the handicapped. The Stanford/VA Robotic Aid is a mobile manipulation system that is being developed to assist severely disabled persons (quadriplegics) in performing simple activities of everyday living in a homelike, unstructured environment. It consists of two major components: a nine degree-of-freedom manipulator and a stationary control console. In the work presented here, only the motions of the Robotic Aid's omnidirectional motion base have been considered, i.e., the six degrees of freedom of the arm and gripper have been ignored. The goal has been to develop some basic software tools for commanding the robot's motions in an enclosed room containing a few objects such as tables, chairs, and rugs. In the present work, the environmental model takes the form of a two-dimensional map with objects represented by polygons. Admittedly, such a highly simplified scheme bears little resemblance to the elaborate cognitive models of reality that are used in normal human discourse. In particular, the polygonal model is given a priori and does not contain any perceptual elements: there is no polygon sensor on board the mobile robot.

The 15 cm diameter ion thruster research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilbur, P. J.

1974-01-01

The startup reliability of a 15 cm diameter mercury bombardment ion thruster which employs a pulsed high voltage tickler electrode on the main and neutralizer cathodes is examined. Startup of the thruster is achieved 100% of the time on the main cathode and 98.7% of the time on the neutralizer cathode over a 3640 cycle test. The thruster was started from a 20 C initial condition and operated for an hour at a 600 mA beam current. An energy efficiency of 75% and a propellant utilization efficiency of 77% was achieved over the complete cycle. The effect of a single cusp magnetic field thruster length on its performance is discussed. Guidelines are formulated for the shaping of magnetic field lines in thrusters. A model describing double ion production in mercury discharges is presented. The production route is shown to occur through the single ionic ground state. Photographs of the interior of an operating-hollow cathode are presented. A cathode spot is shown to be present if the cathode is free of low work-function surfaces. The spot is observed if a low work-function oxide coating is applied to the cathode insert. Results show that low work-function oxide coatings tend to migrate during thruster operation.

Magnetic phase diagrams of erbium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frazer, B. H.; Gebhardt, J. R.; Ali, N.

1999-04-01

The magnetic phase diagrams of erbium in the magnetic field-temperature plane have been constructed for applied magnetic fields along the a and b axes. For an a-axis applied field our H-T phase diagrams determined from magnetization and magnetoresistance data are in good agreement and consistent with that of Jehan et al. for temperatures below 50 K. A splitting of the basal plane Néel temperature (TN⊥) above 3.75 T introduces two new magnetic phases. Also a transition from a fan to a canted fan phase as suggested by Jehan et al. is observed in an increasing field below TC. Our phase diagram for a b-axis applied field constructed from magnetization data is very similar to the phase diagram of Watson and Ali using magnetoresistance measurements. However, the anomaly at 42 K reported by Watson and Ali is not observed in the present study. No splitting of the TN⊥ transition is observed in either work for a field applied along the b axis.

Effect of externally applied electrostatic fields on the surface topography of ceramide-enriched domains in mixed monolayers with sphingomyelin.

PubMed

Wilke, Natalia; Maggio, Bruno

2006-06-20

Lipid and protein molecules anisotropically oriented at a hydrocarbon-aqueous interface configure a dynamic array of self-organized molecular dipoles. Electrostatic fields applied to lipid monolayers have been shown to induce in-plane migration of domains or phase separation in a homogeneous system. In this work, we have investigated the effect of externally applied electrostatic fields on the distribution of the condensed ceramide-enriched domains in mixed monolayers with sphingomyelin. In these monolayers, the lipids segregate in different phases at all pressures. This allows analyzing by epifluorescence microscopy the effect of the electrostatic field at all lateral pressure because coexistence of lipid domains in condensed state are always present. Our observations indicate that a positive potential applied to an electrode placed over the monolayer promotes a repulsion of the ceramide-enriched domains which is rather insensitive to the film composition, depends inversely on the lateral pressure and exhibits threshold dependence on the in-plane elasticity.

The Effect of the Traveling Magnetic Field (TMF) on the Buoyancy-Induced Convection in the Vertical Bridgman growth of Germanium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yesilyurt, S.; Motakef, S.; Grugel, R.; Mazuruk, K.

2003-01-01

A traveling magnetic field (TMF) is created by means of applying out-of-phase currents to a number of coils. When applied to a conducting melt inside a cylindrical container, the TMF induces a Lorentz force that acts in the meridional directions (radial and axial), unlike the application of a rotating magnetic field (RMF), which creates a force in the azimuthal direction. In this work, we present a computational study of the TMF and its application to the Bridgman growth of the Ge. To quantify the effect of the TMF on the solid-melt interface, we use the maximum (magnitude-wise) tangential shear at the interface.

In-air PIXE analysis by means of glass capillary optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nebiki, Takuya; Kabir, M. Hasnat; Narusawa, Tadashi

2006-08-01

A novel technique to introduce high energy ion beams to atmospheric environment is presented, which enables in-air PIXE measurements. Slightly tapered glass capillary optics is applied to work as a differential pumping orifice as well as a focusing lens. The flux intensity is enhanced by at least one order of magnitude due to the focusing effect. Using capillaries of 10-20 μm outlet diameters, we obtain several hundreds pA of 4 MeV He2+ ion beam and apply it to PIXE analysis of the seabed sludge without any sample treatments. A comparison of spectra between wet and dry sludge samples suggests the usefulness of our new technique.

Application of Savitzky-Golay differentiation filters and Fourier functions to simultaneous determination of cefepime and the co-administered drug, levofloxacin, in spiked human plasma.

PubMed

Abdel-Aziz, Omar; Abdel-Ghany, Maha F; Nagi, Reham; Abdel-Fattah, Laila

2015-03-15

The present work is concerned with simultaneous determination of cefepime (CEF) and the co-administered drug, levofloxacin (LEV), in spiked human plasma by applying a new approach, Savitzky-Golay differentiation filters, and combined trigonometric Fourier functions to their ratio spectra. The different parameters associated with the calculation of Savitzky-Golay and Fourier coefficients were optimized. The proposed methods were validated and applied for determination of the two drugs in laboratory prepared mixtures and spiked human plasma. The results were statistically compared with reported HPLC methods and were found accurate and precise. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.