Analysis of Data from the Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kniffen, Donald A.; Elliott, William W.

1999-01-01

The final report consists of summaries of work proposed, work accomplished, papers and presentations published and continuing work regarding the cooperative agreement. The work under the agreement is based on high energy gamma ray source data analysis collected from the Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET).

Virtual strategies to improve transversal competences, using wikis in a collaborative work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guinau, Marta; Playa, Elisabet

2016-04-01

A major educational aim in university degrees since the implementation of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) on the European universities is the work based on transversal competences. However, the first course students arrive at the Spanish universities with important deficiencies on some of these competences, especially regarding on oral and written expression, time management and collaborative work. The experience of the teachers involved in this work has revealed the coordination difficulty between the students to work in group, important deficiencies on information management and the stress caused by the oral presentations. The results presented here correspond to a teaching innovation project. It is based on: a) the development of works in groups of 3 or 4 students, proposed as flipped classrooms strategy and b) the implementation of a virtual tool (a wiki). This tool helps the students with scientific information management and facilitates the access of all the students belonging to the work group at the information provided by colleagues. The wiki also improves the monitoring and evaluation of the work and contributions of each student by teachers. Each group must develop a topic related to the subject - General Geology and Geochemistry - that the group chose from a list of earth sciences topics proposed by teachers. The resulting works are presented in poster and oral presentations (10 min. per group and 5 min. for questions). Each work is evaluated by teachers using the evidences provided on the wiki and by means of evaluation guides. Moreover, the students must self and co-evaluate the presented works. The implementation of this project has provided information to analyze the impact of these strategies and to quantify it in terms of 'Learning Analytics'.

Regulations and Ethical Considerations for Astronomy Education Research II: Resources and Worked Examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brogt, Erik; Dokter, Erin; Antonellis, Jessie; Buxner, Sanlyn

This article discusses the legal and ethical requirements of human subjects research proposals in astronomy education research. We present an overview of the relevant laws, regulations, and guidelines that inform an Institutional Review Board evaluation of proposed research. We also present examples of potential research projects in astronomy education research and discuss their ethical issues.

Cultural Astronomy in Elementary and Secondary School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jafelice, Luiz Carlos

2015-07-01

This work is addressed to educators and geography, science, biology and physics teachers who deal with elementary, middle and high school education. It discusses the importance of adopting the anthropological perspective regarding issues that are considered within the astronomy area. It also presents practical proposals for those who intend to introduce cultural astronomy in elementary, middle and high school education - from the beginning of the 1st grade in Elementary school to the end of the 3rd grade in Secondary school, in formal as well as in informal education. This work is proposed within the context of the holistic and transdisciplinary environmental education. Our approach values above all the experience and aims at a humanistic education that includes epistemological and cultural diversities. The suggested practical proposals can be also beneficially used to address works that include contents related to Brazilian indigenous and Afro-descent cultures in the school curriculum, as the new law requires. The guidelines presented here were tested in real school situations.

NASA/NSF Antarctic Science Working Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoklosa, Janis H.

1990-01-01

A collection of viewgraphs on NASA's Life Sciences Biomedical Programs is presented. They show the structure of the Life Sciences Division; the tentative space exploration schedule from the present to 2018; the biomedical programs with their objectives, research elements, and methodological approaches; validation models; proposed Antarctic research as an analog for space exploration; and the Science Working Group's schedule of events.

76 FR 68128 - Materials Technical Advisory Committee; Notice of Partially Closed Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-03

... Bureau of Industry and Security senior management. 3. Presentation from DuPont on impact of export controls. 4. Report on Composite Working Group and other working groups. 5. Discussion of proposed changes...

Engagement studios: students and communities working to address the determinants of health.

PubMed

Bainbridge, Lesley; Grossman, Susan; Dharamsi, Shafik; Porter, Jill; Wood, Victoria

2014-01-01

This article presents an innovative model for interprofessional community-oriented learning. The Engagement Studios model involves a partnership between community organizations and students as equal partners in conversations and activities aimed at addressing issues of common concern as they relate to the social determinants of health. Interprofessional teams of students from health and non-health disciplines work with community partners to identify priority community issues and explore potential solutions. The student teams work with a particular community organization, combining their unique disciplinary perspectives to develop a project proposal, which addresses the community issues that have been jointly identified. Approved proposals receive a small budget to implement the project. In this paper we present the Engagement Studios model and share lessons learned from a pilot of this educational initiative.

Teaching Effective Oral Presentations as Part of the Senior Design Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanzevack, E. L.; McKean, R. A.

1991-01-01

Discussed is the importance of engineering students having effective communication skills so they will be able to discuss their work, present their findings, and propose a course of action. Suggestions for organizing and delivering presentations are included. (KR)

An immodest proposal: pay equity for nursing faculty who do clinical teaching.

PubMed

Boughn, S

1992-05-01

Pay equity, the concept of equal pay for equal or comparable work, will continue to be of paramount importance to women as the 20th century draws to a close. While it might have been anticipated that women in academic settings would enjoy pay equity, clinical teaching in nursing education provides a model for gender discrimination as related to women's work. Elements of proposal development and a case study for contesting pay inequity are presented.

75 FR 56562 - Proposed Information Collection Request Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-16

... safe and healthful working environment. A well planned mine ventilation system is necessary to assure a fresh air supply to miners at all working places, to control the amounts of harmful airborne... present harsh and hostile working environments. The ventilation system is the most vital life support...

Decomposed Photo Response Non-Uniformity for Digital Forensic Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yue; Li, Chang-Tsun

The last few years have seen the applications of Photo Response Non-Uniformity noise (PRNU) - a unique stochastic fingerprint of image sensors, to various types of digital forensic investigations such as source device identification and integrity verification. In this work we proposed a new way of extracting PRNU noise pattern, called Decomposed PRNU (DPRNU), by exploiting the difference between the physical andartificial color components of the photos taken by digital cameras that use a Color Filter Array for interpolating artificial components from physical ones. Experimental results presented in this work have shown the superiority of the proposed DPRNU to the commonly used version. We also proposed a new performance metrics, Corrected Positive Rate (CPR) to evaluate the performance of the common PRNU and the proposed DPRNU.

A lung sound classification system based on the rational dilation wavelet transform.

PubMed

Ulukaya, Sezer; Serbes, Gorkem; Sen, Ipek; Kahya, Yasemin P

2016-08-01

In this work, a wavelet based classification system that aims to discriminate crackle, normal and wheeze lung sounds is presented. While the previous works related with this problem use constant low Q-factor wavelets, which have limited frequency resolution and can not cope with oscillatory signals, in the proposed system, the Rational Dilation Wavelet Transform, whose Q-factors can be tuned, is employed. Proposed system yields an accuracy of 95 % for crackle, 97 % for wheeze, 93.50 % for normal and 95.17 % for total sound signal types using energy feature subset and proposed approach is superior to conventional low Q-factor wavelet analysis.

An ambient agent model for analyzing managers' performance during stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ChePa, Noraziah; Aziz, Azizi Ab; Gratim, Haned

2016-08-01

Stress at work have been reported everywhere. Work related performance during stress is a pattern of reactions that occurs when managers are presented with work demands that are not matched with their knowledge, skills, or abilities, and which challenge their ability to cope. Although there are many prior findings pertaining to explain the development of manager performance during stress, less attention has been given to explain the same concept through computational models. In such, a descriptive nature in psychological theories about managers' performance during stress can be transformed into a causal-mechanistic stage that explains the relationship between a series of observed phenomena. This paper proposed an ambient agent model for analyzing managers' performance during stress. Set of properties and variables are identified through past literatures to construct the model. Differential equations have been used in formalizing the model. Set of equations reflecting relations involved in the proposed model are presented. The proposed model is essential and can be encapsulated within an intelligent agent or robots that can be used to support managers during stress.

Cooperative Monocular-Based SLAM for Multi-UAV Systems in GPS-Denied Environments †

PubMed Central

Guerra, Edmundo

2018-01-01

This work presents a cooperative monocular-based SLAM approach for multi-UAV systems that can operate in GPS-denied environments. The main contribution of the work is to show that, using visual information obtained from monocular cameras mounted onboard aerial vehicles flying in formation, the observability properties of the whole system are improved. This fact is especially notorious when compared with other related visual SLAM configurations. In order to improve the observability properties, some measurements of the relative distance between the UAVs are included in the system. These relative distances are also obtained from visual information. The proposed approach is theoretically validated by means of a nonlinear observability analysis. Furthermore, an extensive set of computer simulations is presented in order to validate the proposed approach. The numerical simulation results show that the proposed system is able to provide a good position and orientation estimation of the aerial vehicles flying in formation. PMID:29701722

Cooperative Monocular-Based SLAM for Multi-UAV Systems in GPS-Denied Environments.

PubMed

Trujillo, Juan-Carlos; Munguia, Rodrigo; Guerra, Edmundo; Grau, Antoni

2018-04-26

This work presents a cooperative monocular-based SLAM approach for multi-UAV systems that can operate in GPS-denied environments. The main contribution of the work is to show that, using visual information obtained from monocular cameras mounted onboard aerial vehicles flying in formation, the observability properties of the whole system are improved. This fact is especially notorious when compared with other related visual SLAM configurations. In order to improve the observability properties, some measurements of the relative distance between the UAVs are included in the system. These relative distances are also obtained from visual information. The proposed approach is theoretically validated by means of a nonlinear observability analysis. Furthermore, an extensive set of computer simulations is presented in order to validate the proposed approach. The numerical simulation results show that the proposed system is able to provide a good position and orientation estimation of the aerial vehicles flying in formation.

Working memory for braille is shaped by experience.

PubMed

Cohen, Henri; Scherzer, Peter; Viau, Robert; Voss, Patrice; Lepore, Franco

2011-03-01

Tactile working memory was found to be more developed in completely blind (congenital and acquired) than in semi-sighted subjects, indicating that experience plays a crucial role in shaping working memory. A model of working memory, adapted from the classical model proposed by Baddeley and Hitch1 and Baddeley2 is presented where the connection strengths of a highly cross-modal network are altered through experience.

40 CFR 35.1640-1 - Application review criteria.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... information supplied by the applicant which address the following criteria: (1) The technical feasibility of...) of the Act. (6) The reasonableness of the proposed costs relative to the proposed work, the... presented in paragraph (a) of this section will be modified in relation to the smaller amount of technical...

Barack Obama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phi Delta Kappan, 2008

2008-01-01

This article presents a speech that Senator Barack Obama delivered in Thornton, Colorado, in May 2008, summarizing his education beliefs and proposals. One of the highlights of Obama's education proposal is fixing the broken promises of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). As President, he will work with the nation's governors and educators to create and…

New Rule Use Drives the Relation between Working Memory Capacity and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiley, Jennifer; Jarosz, Andrew F.; Cushen, Patrick J.; Colflesh, Gregory J. H.

2011-01-01

The correlation between individual differences in working memory capacity and performance on the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM) is well documented yet poorly understood. The present work proposes a new explanation: that the need to use a new combination of rules on RAPM problems drives the relation between performance and working…

78 FR 51749 - Proposed Information Collection; Ventilation Plan and Main Fan Maintenance Record (Pertains to...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-21

... maintaining a safe and healthful working environment. A well planned mine ventilation system is necessary to assure a fresh air supply to miners at all working places, to control the amounts of harmful airborne... usually present harsh and hostile working environments. The ventilation system is the most vital life...

More Time for Play: 1999 Rambusch Lecturers Urge More Fun, Less Work, and Less TV.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dugan, Marie M.

1999-01-01

Summarizes presentations by Arlie Hochschild and Henry Labalme at the 1999 Rambusch Lecture Series. Hochschild's lecture focused on concerns regarding dual-career families struggling to meet work and home demands and their impact on children, proposing a national movement for reduced work hours. Labalme discussed television viewing as a public and…

Fusion of PAN and multispectral remote sensing images in shearlet domain by considering regional metrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poobalasubramanian, Mangalraj; Agrawal, Anupam

2016-10-01

The presented work proposes fusion of panchromatic and multispectral images in a shearlet domain. The proposed fusion rules rely on the regional considerations which makes the system efficient in terms of spatial enhancement. The luminance hue saturation-based color conversion system is utilized to avoid spectral distortions. The proposed fusion method is tested on Worldview2 and Ikonos datasets, and the proposed method is compared against other methodologies. The proposed fusion method performs well against the other compared methods in terms of subjective and objective evaluations.

Working memory for braille is shaped by experience

PubMed Central

Scherzer, Peter; Viau, Robert; Voss, Patrice; Lepore, Franco

2011-01-01

Tactile working memory was found to be more developed in completely blind (congenital and acquired) than in semi-sighted subjects, indicating that experience plays a crucial role in shaping working memory. A model of working memory, adapted from the classical model proposed by Baddeley and Hitch1 and Baddeley2 is presented where the connection strengths of a highly cross-modal network are altered through experience. PMID:21655448

The Effects of Community Demands, Resources, and Strategies on the Nature and Consequences of the Work-Family Interface: An Agenda for Future Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Voydanoff, Patricia

2005-01-01

This article presents a broad conceptual framework that suggests ways in which community demands, resources, and strategies influence relationships between work demands, resources, and family well-being. Within-domain and boundary-spanning community demands and resources are proposed to combine with work demands and resources in relation to…

Association between shift work history and performance on the trail making test in middle-aged and elderly humans: the EpiHealth study.

PubMed

Titova, Olga E; Lindberg, Eva; Elmståhl, Sölve; Lind, Lars; Schiöth, Helgi B; Benedict, Christian

2016-09-01

Shift work has been proposed to promote cognitive disturbances in humans; however, conflicting evidence is also present. By using data from 7143 middle-aged and elderly humans (45-75 years) who participated in the Swedish EpiHealth cohort study, the present analysis sought to investigate whether self-reported shift work history would be associated with performance on the trail making test (TMT). The TMT has been proposed to be a useful neuropsychological tool to evaluate humans' executive cognitive function, which is known to decrease with age. After adjustment for potential confounders (e.g., age, education, and sleep duration), it was observed that current and recent former shift workers (worked shifts during the past 5 years) performed worse on the TMT than nonshift workers. In contrast, performance on the TMT did not differ between past shift workers (off from shift work for more than 5 years) and nonshift workers. Collectively, our results indicate that shift work history is linked to poorer performance on the TMT in a cohort of middle-aged and elderly humans. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reconciling conflicting electrophysiological findings on the guidance of attention by working memory.

PubMed

Carlisle, Nancy B; Woodman, Geoffrey F

2013-10-01

Maintaining a representation in working memory has been proposed to be sufficient for the execution of top-down attentional control. Two recent electrophysiological studies that recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) during similar paradigms have tested this proposal, but have reported contradictory findings. The goal of the present study was to reconcile these previous reports. To this end, we used the stimuli from one study (Kumar, Soto, & Humphreys, 2009) combined with the task manipulations from the other (Carlisle & Woodman, 2011b). We found that when an item matching a working memory representation was presented in a visual search array, we could use ERPs to quantify the size of the covert attention effect. When the working memory matches were consistently task-irrelevant, we observed a weak attentional bias to these items. However, when the same item indicated the location of the search target, we found that the covert attention effect was approximately four times larger. This shows that simply maintaining a representation in working memory is not equivalent to having a top-down attentional set for that item. Our findings indicate that high-level goals mediate the relationship between the contents of working memory and perceptual attention.

Making chaotic behavior in a damped linear harmonic oscillator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konishi, Keiji

2001-06-01

The present Letter proposes a simple control method which makes chaotic behavior in a damped linear harmonic oscillator. This method is a modified scheme proposed in paper by Wang and Chen (IEEE CAS-I 47 (2000) 410) which presents an anti-control method for making chaotic behavior in discrete-time linear systems. We provide a systematic procedure to design parameters and sampling period of a feedback controller. Furthermore, we show that our method works well on numerical simulations.

Specialized computer system to diagnose critical lined equipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yemelyanov, V. A.; Yemelyanova, N. Y.; Morozova, O. A.; Nedelkin, A. A.

2018-05-01

The paper presents data on the problem of diagnosing the lining condition at the iron and steel works. The authors propose and describe the structure of the specialized computer system to diagnose critical lined equipment. The relative results of diagnosing lining condition by the basic system and the proposed specialized computer system are presented. To automate evaluation of lining condition and support in making decisions regarding the operation mode of the lined equipment, the specialized software has been developed.

Dual Accelerometer Usage Strategy for Onboard Space Navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zanetti, Renato; D'Souza, Chris

2012-01-01

This work introduces a dual accelerometer usage strategy for onboard space navigation. In the proposed algorithm the accelerometer is used to propagate the state when its value exceeds a threshold and it is used to estimate its errors otherwise. Numerical examples and comparison to other accelerometer usage schemes are presented to validate the proposed approach.

Setting up virgin stress conditions in discrete element models.

PubMed

Rojek, J; Karlis, G F; Malinowski, L J; Beer, G

2013-03-01

In the present work, a methodology for setting up virgin stress conditions in discrete element models is proposed. The developed algorithm is applicable to discrete or coupled discrete/continuum modeling of underground excavation employing the discrete element method (DEM). Since the DEM works with contact forces rather than stresses there is a need for the conversion of pre-excavation stresses to contact forces for the DEM model. Different possibilities of setting up virgin stress conditions in the DEM model are reviewed and critically assessed. Finally, a new method to obtain a discrete element model with contact forces equivalent to given macroscopic virgin stresses is proposed. The test examples presented show that good results may be obtained regardless of the shape of the DEM domain.

Setting up virgin stress conditions in discrete element models

PubMed Central

Rojek, J.; Karlis, G.F.; Malinowski, L.J.; Beer, G.

2013-01-01

In the present work, a methodology for setting up virgin stress conditions in discrete element models is proposed. The developed algorithm is applicable to discrete or coupled discrete/continuum modeling of underground excavation employing the discrete element method (DEM). Since the DEM works with contact forces rather than stresses there is a need for the conversion of pre-excavation stresses to contact forces for the DEM model. Different possibilities of setting up virgin stress conditions in the DEM model are reviewed and critically assessed. Finally, a new method to obtain a discrete element model with contact forces equivalent to given macroscopic virgin stresses is proposed. The test examples presented show that good results may be obtained regardless of the shape of the DEM domain. PMID:27087731

Sand moulds milling for one-of-a-kind pieces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez, A.; Calleja, A.; Olvera, D.; Peñafiel, F. J.; López de Lacalle, L. N.

2012-04-01

Time to market is a critical measurement for today's foundry market. Combining 3D digitizing and sand blocks milling is possible to reduce this time. Avoiding the use of a wood pattern, this technique is useful for art pieces or unique parts, when only one component is necessary. The key of the proposed methodology is to achieve enough tool life with conventional tool qualities, avoiding the risk of sand destruction or damage. A special study of tool wear is presented in this work, studying different tool materials and different sand types. Two examples of unique parts are also presented in this work following the proposed methodology in order to reduce time and cost for the rapid reproduction of very short batches.

Macroscopic relationship in primal-dual portfolio optimization problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shinzato, Takashi

2018-02-01

In the present paper, using a replica analysis, we examine the portfolio optimization problem handled in previous work and discuss the minimization of investment risk under constraints of budget and expected return for the case that the distribution of the hyperparameters of the mean and variance of the return rate of each asset are not limited to a specific probability family. Findings derived using our proposed method are compared with those in previous work to verify the effectiveness of our proposed method. Further, we derive a Pythagorean theorem of the Sharpe ratio and macroscopic relations of opportunity loss. Using numerical experiments, the effectiveness of our proposed method is demonstrated for a specific situation.

A new LTPS TFT AC pixel circuit for an AMOLED

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yongwen, Zhang; Wenbin, Chen

2013-01-01

This work presents a new voltage programmed pixel circuit for an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display. The proposed pixel circuit consists of six low temperature polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors (LTPS TFTs), one storage capacitor, and one OLED, and is verified by simulation work using HSPICE software. Besides effectively compensating for the threshold voltage variation of the driving TFT and OLED, the proposed pixel circuit offers an AC driving mode for the OLED, which can suppress the degradation of the OLED. Moreover, a high contrast ratio can be achieved by the proposed pixel circuit since the OLED does not emit any light except for the emission period.

Design and Implementation of an Innovative Residential PV System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najm, Elie Michel

This work focuses on the design and implementation of an innovative residential PV system. In chapter one, after an introduction related to the rapid growth of solar systems' installations, the most commonly used state of the art solar power electronics' configurations are discussed, which leads to introducing the proposed DC/DC parallel configuration. The advantages and disadvantages of each of the power electronics' configurations are deliberated. The scope of work in the power electronics is defined in this chapter to be related to the panel side DC/DC converter. System integration and mechanical proposals are also within the scope of work and are discussed in later chapters. Operation principle of a novel low cost PV converter is proposed in chapter 2. The proposal is based on an innovative, simplified analog implementation of a master/slave methodology resulting in an efficient, soft-switched interleaved variable frequency flybacks, operating in the boundary conduction mode (BCM). The scheme concept and circuit configuration, operation principle and theoretical waveforms, design equations, and design considerations are presented. Furthermore, design examples are also given, illustrating the significance of the newly derived frequency equation for flybacks operating in BCM. In chapters 3, 4, and 5, the design implementation and optimization of the novel DC/DC converter illustrated in chapter 2 are discussed. In chapter 3, a detailed variable frequency BCM flyback design model leading to optimizing the component selections and transformer design, detailed in chapter 4, is presented. Furthermore, in chapter 4, the method enabling the use of lower voltage rating switching devices is also discussed. In chapter 5, circuitry related to Start-UP, drive for the main switching devices, zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) as well as turn OFF soft switching and interleaving control are fully detailed. The experimental results of the proposed DC/DC converter are presented in chapter 6. In chapter 7, a novel integration method is proposed for the residential PV solar system. The proposal presents solutions to challenges experimented in the implementation of today's approaches. Faster installation time, easier system grounding, and integration of the power electronics in order to reduce the number of connectors' and system cost are detailed. Installers with special skills as well as special tools are not required for implementing the proposed system integration. Photos of the experimental results related to the installation of a 3kW system, which was fully completed in less than an hour and a half, are also presented.

Current Experimental Basis for Modeling Ice Accretions on Swept Wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vargas, Mario

2005-01-01

This work presents a review of the experimental basis for modeling ice accretions on swept wings. Experimental work related to ice accretion physics on swept wings conducted between 1954 and 2004 is reviewed. Proposed models or explanations of scallop formations are singled out and discussed. Special emphasis is placed on reviewing the work done to determine the basic macroscopic mechanisms of scallop formation. The role of feather growth and its connection to scallop growth is discussed. Conceptual steps in modeling scallop formations are presented. Research elements needed for modeling are discussed.

Grammar and the Lexicon. Working Papers in Linguistics 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Trondheim Working Papers in Linguistics, 1993

1993-01-01

In this volume, five working papers are presented. "Minimal Signs and Grammar" (Lars Hellan) proposes that a significant part of the "production" of grammar is incremental, building larger and larger constructs, with lexical objects called minimal signs as the first steps. It also suggests that the basic lexical information in…

The Ghostly Workings of Danish Accountability Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pors, Justine Grønbaek

2016-01-01

This article proposes a framework for thinking about the ghostly, thus arguing that policy can be understood as a landscape of intersecting and colliding temporalities from which arouse curious workings of barely-there forces, spooky energies and vibrating saturations of affective ambivalences. I present an empirical study of a policy agenda of…

Principal coordinate analysis assisted chromatographic analysis of bacterial cell wall collection: A robust classification approach.

PubMed

Kumar, Keshav; Cava, Felipe

2018-04-10

In the present work, Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) is introduced to develop a robust model to classify the chromatographic data sets of peptidoglycan sample. PcoA captures the heterogeneity present in the data sets by using the dissimilarity matrix as input. Thus, in principle, it can even capture the subtle differences in the bacterial peptidoglycan composition and can provide a more robust and fast approach for classifying the bacterial collection and identifying the novel cell wall targets for further biological and clinical studies. The utility of the proposed approach is successfully demonstrated by analysing the two different kind of bacterial collections. The first set comprised of peptidoglycan sample belonging to different subclasses of Alphaproteobacteria. Whereas, the second set that is relatively more intricate for the chemometric analysis consist of different wild type Vibrio Cholerae and its mutants having subtle differences in their peptidoglycan composition. The present work clearly proposes a useful approach that can classify the chromatographic data sets of chromatographic peptidoglycan samples having subtle differences. Furthermore, present work clearly suggest that PCoA can be a method of choice in any data analysis workflow. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How to write a research proposal?

PubMed Central

Sudheesh, K; Duggappa, Devika Rani; Nethra, SS

2016-01-01

Writing the proposal of a research work in the present era is a challenging task due to the constantly evolving trends in the qualitative research design and the need to incorporate medical advances into the methodology. The proposal is a detailed plan or ‘blueprint’ for the intended study, and once it is completed, the research project should flow smoothly. Even today, many of the proposals at post-graduate evaluation committees and application proposals for funding are substandard. A search was conducted with keywords such as research proposal, writing proposal and qualitative using search engines, namely, PubMed and Google Scholar, and an attempt has been made to provide broad guidelines for writing a scientifically appropriate research proposal. PMID:27729688

Real-Time Model and Simulation Architecture for Half- and Full-Bridge Modular Multilevel Converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashourloo, Mojtaba

This work presents an equivalent model and simulation architecture for real-time electromagnetic transient analysis of either half-bridge or full-bridge modular multilevel converter (MMC) with 400 sub-modules (SMs) per arm. The proposed CPU/FPGA-based architecture is optimized for the parallel implementation of the presented MMC model on the FPGA and is beneficiary of a high-throughput floating-point computational engine. The developed real-time simulation architecture is capable of simulating MMCs with 400 SMs per arm at 825 nanoseconds. To address the difficulties of the sorting process implementation, a modified Odd-Even Bubble sorting is presented in this work. The comparison of the results under various test scenarios reveals that the proposed real-time simulator is representing the system responses in the same way of its corresponding off-line counterpart obtained from the PSCAD/EMTDC program.

Job sharing: a viable option for the clinical nurse specialist.

PubMed

Haibeck, S V; Howard, J L

1991-01-01

NUMEROUS WORK TIME options have been developed to attract, retain and meet the various needs of nurses. Job sharing, a work option little known to nurses, can be a successful alternative for balancing professional and personal lifestyle. The business literature supports job sharing and other innovative work options as successful mechanisms in retaining quality employees in their respective professions. After exploring the literature in this area, a proposal for job sharing the oncology clinical nurse specialist (CNS) position was presented to the Personnel Director and Vice President of Nursing at our institution. The proposal addressed the advantages and disadvantages of the concept. These included: (1) scheduling flexibility, (2) reduced absenteeism and turnover, (3) increased productivity, (4) handling fringe benefits, and (5) job satisfaction. The proposal was accepted, and the job sharing position has been successfully implemented for more than 2 years now. This paper describes issues relevant to designing and implementing job sharing in a CNS position.

Design & Performance of Wearable Ultra Wide Band Textile Antenna for Medical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Nikhil; Singh, Ashutosh Kumar; Singh, Vinod Kumar

2015-02-01

The concept of wearable products such as textile antenna are being developed which are capable of monitoring, alerting and demanding attention whenever hospital emergency is needed, hence minimizing labour and resource. In the proposed work by using textile material as a substrate the ultra wideband antenna is designed especially for medical applications.Simulated and measured results here shows that the proposed antenna design meets the requirements of wide working bandwidth and provides 13.08 GHz bandwidth with very small size, washable (if using conductive thread for conductive parts) and flexible materials. Results in terms of bandwidth, radiation pattern, return loss as well as gain and efficiency are presented to validate the usefulness of the current proposed design. The work done here has many implications for future research and it could help patients with such flexible and comfortable medical monitoring techniques.

Updating the OMERACT filter: implications for patient-reported outcomes.

PubMed

Kirwan, John R; Bartlett, Susan J; Beaton, Dorcas E; Boers, Maarten; Bosworth, Ailsa; Brooks, Peter M; Choy, Ernest; de Wit, Maarten; Guillemin, Francis; Hewlett, Sarah; Kvien, Tore K; Landewé, Robert B; Leong, Amye L; Lyddiatt, Anne; March, Lyn; May, James; Montie, Pamela Lesley; Nikaï, Enkeleida; Richards, Pam; Voshaar, Marieke M J H; Smeets, Wilma; Strand, Vibeke; Tugwell, Peter; Gossec, Laure

2014-05-01

At a previous Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) meeting, participants reflected on the underlying methods of patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument development. The participants requested proposals for more explicit instrument development protocols that would contribute to an enhanced version of the "Truth" statement in the OMERACT Filter, a widely used guide for outcome validation. In the present OMERACT session, we explored to what extent these new Filter 2.0 proposals were practicable, feasible, and already being applied. Following overview presentations, discussion groups critically reviewed the extent to which case studies of current OMERACT Working Groups complied with or negated the proposed PRO development framework, whether these observations had a more general application, and what issues remained to be resolved. Several aspects of PRO development were recognized as particularly important, and the need to directly involve patients at every stage of an iterative PRO development program was endorsed. This included recognition that patients contribute as partners in the research and not merely as subjects. Correct communication of concepts with the words used in questionnaires was central to their performance as measuring instruments, and ensuring this understanding crossed cultural and linguistic boundaries was important in international studies or comparisons. Participants recognized, endorsed, and were generally already putting into practice the principles of PRO development presented in the plenary session. Further work is needed on some existing instruments and on establishing widespread good practice for working in close collaboration with patients.

A proposal on teaching methodology: cooperative learning by peer tutoring based on the case method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pozo, Antonio M.; Durbán, Juan J.; Salas, Carlos; del Mar Lázaro, M.

2014-07-01

The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) proposes substantial changes in the teaching-learning model, moving from a model based mainly on the activity of teachers to a model in which the true protagonist is the student. This new framework requires that students develop new abilities and acquire specific skills. This also implies that the teacher should incorporate new methodologies in class. In this work, we present a proposal on teaching methodology based on cooperative learning and peer tutoring by case study. A noteworthy aspect of the case-study method is that it presents situations that can occur in real life. Therefore, students can acquire certain skills that will be useful in their future professional practice. An innovative aspect in the teaching methodology that we propose is to form work groups consisting of students from different levels in the same major. In our case, the teaching of four subjects would be involved: one subject of the 4th year, one subject of the 3rd year, and two subjects of the 2nd year of the Degree in Optics and Optometry of the University of Granada, Spain. Each work group would consist of a professor and a student of the 4th year, a professor and a student of the 3rd year, and two professors and two students of the 2nd year. Each work group would have a tutoring process from each professor for the corresponding student, and a 4th-year student providing peer tutoring for the students of the 2nd and 3rd year.

Recommendations on presenting LHC searches for missing transverse energy signals using simplified s-channel models of dark matter

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

Boveia, Antonio; Buchmueller, Oliver; Busoni, Giorgio

2016-03-14

This document summarises the proposal of the LHC Dark Matter Working Group on how to present LHC results on s-channel simplified dark matter models and to compare them to direct (indirect) detection experiments.

Meeting Basic Needs: Strategies for Eradicating Mass Poverty and Unemployment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Labour Organisation, Geneva (Switzerland).

This work presents the concerns and conclusions of the World Employment Conference held in Geneva in 1976. It includes a formerly published article which summarizes the preparatory work, discussions which took place, and the main results of the Conference. The organizers hoped that the Conference would propose national and international strategies…

The Influence of Domain Knowledge on the Functional Capacity of Working Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ricks, Travis Rex; Wiley, Jennifer

2009-01-01

Theories of expertise have proposed that superior cognitive performance is in part due to increases in the functional capacity of working memory during domain-related tasks. Consistent with this approach Fincher-Kiefer et al. (1988), found that domain knowledge increased scores on baseball-related reading span tasks. The present studies extended…

Perspectives and Plans for Graduate Studies. 8. Anthropology 1974.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council of Ontario Universities, Toronto.

At the present time there are two graduate programs in anthropology in Ontario. An examination of the 3-year plans submitted in 1972 revealed that several universities in Ontario were proposing master's work in anthropology. It was decided to place master's work in anthropology under provisional embargo until a "mini-planning assessment"…

[Work quota setting and man-hour productivity estimation in pathologists].

PubMed

Svistunov, V V; Makarov, S V; Makarova, A E

The paper considers the development and current state of the regulation of work quota setting and remuneration in pathologists. Reasoning from the current staff standards for morbid anatomy departments (units), the authors present a method to calculate the load of pathologists. The essence of the proposed method is demonstrated using a specific example.

Designing and Developing a Work Experience Component for a Vocational Education Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos, Otto, Jr.; Olinzock, Anthony

A work experience component for vocational educator teacher education based on demonstrated competence is proposed. Its basis is research concerning vocational education; sociometric conditions and needs; analyses of the past, present, and future of vocational education; and the current state of the art relative to curriculum systems. This…

34 CFR 356.30 - What selection criteria are used for this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...— (a) Quality and level of formal education, previous work experience, and recommendations of present or former supervisors or colleagues that include an indication of the applicant's ability to work creatively in scientific research; and (b) The quality of a research proposal of no more than 12 pages...

Cultural Considerations in Advising Latino/a Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Negroni-Rodriguez, Lirio K.; Dicks, Barbara A.; Morales, Julio

2006-01-01

This paper presents a model for advising Latino/a students in graduate social work programs. The model is based on ecological-systemic and empowerment theory and ascribes to the social work values and cultural competence standards proposed by the National Association of Social Workers. It has been developed within an institution that has sought…

A new Proposal to Mexico Valley Zonification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores-Estrella, H. C.; Yussim, S.; Lomnitz, C.

2004-12-01

The effects of the Michoacan earthquake (19th September, 1985, Mw 8.1) in Mexico City caused a significant change in the political, social and scientific history, as it was considered the worst seismic disaster ever lived in Mexico. Since then, numerous efforts have been made to understand and determine the parameters that caused the special features registered. One of these efforts had began on 1960 with the work by Marsal and Masari, who published the Mexico Valley seismological and geotechnical zonification (1969), based on gravimetric and shallow borehole data. In this work, we present a revision of the studies that proposed the zonification, a description of the valley geology, and basing on it we propose a new zonification for Mexico Valley.

Parareal algorithms with local time-integrators for time fractional differential equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Shu-Lin; Zhou, Tao

2018-04-01

It is challenge work to design parareal algorithms for time-fractional differential equations due to the historical effect of the fractional operator. A direct extension of the classical parareal method to such equations will lead to unbalance computational time in each process. In this work, we present an efficient parareal iteration scheme to overcome this issue, by adopting two recently developed local time-integrators for time fractional operators. In both approaches, one introduces auxiliary variables to localized the fractional operator. To this end, we propose a new strategy to perform the coarse grid correction so that the auxiliary variables and the solution variable are corrected separately in a mixed pattern. It is shown that the proposed parareal algorithm admits robust rate of convergence. Numerical examples are presented to support our conclusions.

Proposed changes in the classification of carcinogenic chemicals in the work area.

PubMed

Neumann, H G; Thielmann, H W; Filser, J G; Gelbke, H P; Greim, H; Kappus, H; Norpoth, K H; Reuter, U; Vamvakas, S; Wardenbach, P; Wichmann, H E

1997-12-01

Carcinogenic chemicals in the work area are currently classified into three categories in Section III of the German List of MAK and BAT Values. This classification is based on qualitative criteria and reflects essentially the weight of evidence available for judging the carcinogenic potential of the chemicals. It is proposed that these Categories--IIIA1, IIIA2, and IIIB--be retained as Categories 1, 2, and 3, to conform with EU regulations. On the basis of our advancing knowledge of reaction mechanisms and the potency of carcinogens, it is now proposed that these three categories be supplemented with two additional categories. The essential feature of substances classified in the new categories is that exposure to these chemicals does not convey a significant risk of cancer to man, provided that an appropriate exposure limit (MAK value) is observed. It is proposed that chemicals known to act typically by nongenotoxic mechanisms and for which information is available that allows evaluation of the effects of low-dose exposures be classified in Category 4. Genotoxic chemicals for which low carcinogenic potency can be expected on the basis of dose-response relationships and toxicokinetics and for which risk at low doses can be assessed will be classified in Category 5. The basis for a better differentiation of carcinogens is discussed, the new categories are defined, and possible criteria for classification are described. Examples for Category 4 (1,4-dioxane) and Category 5 (styrene) are presented. The proposed changes in classifying carcinogenic chemicals in the work area are presented for further discussion.

Multi-purpose ECG telemetry system.

PubMed

Marouf, Mohamed; Vukomanovic, Goran; Saranovac, Lazar; Bozic, Miroslav

2017-06-19

The Electrocardiogram ECG is one of the most important non-invasive tools for cardiac diseases diagnosis. Taking advantage of the developed telecommunication infrastructure, several approaches that address the development of telemetry cardiac devices were introduced recently. Telemetry ECG devices allow easy and fast ECG monitoring of patients with suspected cardiac issues. Choosing the right device with the desired working mode, signal quality, and the device cost are still the main obstacles to massive usage of these devices. In this paper, we introduce design, implementation, and validation of a multi-purpose telemetry system for recording, transmission, and interpretation of ECG signals in different recording modes. The system consists of an ECG device, a cloud-based analysis pipeline, and accompanied mobile applications for physicians and patients. The proposed ECG device's mechanical design allows laypersons to easily record post-event short-term ECG signals, using dry electrodes without any preparation. Moreover, patients can use the device to record long-term signals in loop and holter modes, using wet electrodes. In order to overcome the problem of signal quality fluctuation due to using different electrodes types and different placements on subject's chest, customized ECG signal processing and interpretation pipeline is presented for each working mode. We present the evaluation of the novel short-term recorder design. Recording of an ECG signal was performed for 391 patients using a standard 12-leads golden standard ECG and the proposed patient-activated short-term post-event recorder. In the validation phase, a sample of validation signals followed peer review process wherein two experts annotated the signals in terms of signal acceptability for diagnosis.We found that 96% of signals allow detecting arrhythmia and other signal's abnormal changes. Additionally, we compared and presented the correlation coefficient and the automatic QRS delineation results of both short-term post-event recorder and 12-leads golden standard ECG recorder. The proposed multi-purpose ECG device allows physicians to choose the working mode of the same device according to the patient status. The proposed device was designed to allow patients to manage the technical requirements of both working modes. Post-event short-term ECG recording using the proposed design provide physicians reliable three ECG leads with direct symptom-rhythm correlation.

Proposed work plan for the study of hydrologic effects of ground-water development in the Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robson, S.G.

1985-01-01

Large-scale development of groundwater resources in the Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado, could adversely affect other water rights in the valley or in the Arkansas River Basin. Such infringement on senior water rights could severely limit development of additional water supplies in the valley. A work plan is presented for a study that is intended to define the hydrologic system in the valley better, and to determine the extent that the quantity and chemical quality of both surface and groundwater in the valley might be affected by proposed development. (USGS)

The Decision to Send Humans Back to the Moon and on to Mars: Space Exploration Initiative History Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCurdy, Howard E.

1992-01-01

This folder contains working papers collected to date on a NASA-sponsored history project to document the events leading up to the July 20, 1989 speech setting forth the objectives of the Space Exploration Initiative. Included are a chronology of events, briefing papers produced by the NASA Working Group laying out proposal, briefing charts used to present the proposal, a copy of the President's speech, and an essay summarizing the events that led up to the announcement. Additionally, two fo the interviews conducted as part of the project are enclosed.

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.

Design criteria and eigensequence plots for satellite computed tomography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wahba, G.

1983-01-01

The use of the degrees of freedom for signal is proposed as a design criteria for comparing different designs for satellite and other measuring systems. It is also proposed that certain eigensequence plots be examined at the design stage along with appropriate estimates of the parameter lambda playing the role of noise to signal ratio. The degrees of freedom for signal and the eigensequence plots may be determined using prior information in the spectral domain which is presently available along with a description of the system, and simulated data for estimating lambda. This work extends the 1972 work of Weinreb and Crosby.

Design criteria and eigensequence plots for satellite computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahba, G.

1983-11-01

The use of the degrees of freedom for signal is proposed as a design criteria for comparing different designs for satellite and other measuring systems. It is also proposed that certain eigensequence plots be examined at the design stage along with appropriate estimates of the parameter lambda playing the role of noise to signal ratio. The degrees of freedom for signal and the eigensequence plots may be determined using prior information in the spectral domain which is presently available along with a description of the system, and simulated data for estimating lambda. This work extends the 1972 work of Weinreb and Crosby.

Occupational ergonomics in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stramler, J.

1992-01-01

Ergonomics is often defined simply as the study of work. Related or synonymous terms include human factors, human engineering, engineering psychology, and others. Occupational ergonomics is a term that has been proposed to describe the study of the working environment, including the physical consequences resulting from having an improperly designed workplace. The routine space working environment presents some problems not found in the typical Earthbound workplace. These include radiation, intravehicular contamination/pollution, temperature extremes, impact with other objects, limited psychosocial relationships, sensory deprivation, and reduced gravity. These are important workplace considerations, and may affect astronauts either directly at work or at some point during their life as a result of their work under these conditions. Some of the major issues associated with each of these hazards are presented.

ProtSqueeze: simple and effective automated tool for setting up membrane protein simulations.

PubMed

Yesylevskyy, Semen O

2007-01-01

The major challenge in setting up membrane protein simulations is embedding the protein into the pre-equilibrated lipid bilayer. Several techniques were proposed to achieve optimal packing of the lipid molecules around the protein. However, all of them possess serious disadvantages, which limit their applicability and discourage the users of simulation packages from using them. In the present work, we analyzed existing approaches and proposed a new procedure of protein insertion into the lipid bilayer, which is implemented in the ProtSqueeze software. The advantages of ProtSqueeze are as follows: (1) the insertion algorithm is simple, understandable, and controllable; (2) the software can work with virtually any simulation package on virtually any platform; (3) no modification of the source code of the simulation package is needed; (4) the procedure of insertion is as automated as possible; (5) ProtSqueeze is distributed for free under a general public license. In this work, we present the architecture and the algorithm of ProtSqueeze and demonstrate its usage in case studies.

Aircraft Capability Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mumaw, Randy; Feary, Mike

2018-01-01

This presentation presents an overview of work performed at NASA Ames Research Center in 2017. The work concerns the analysis of current aircraft system management displays, and the initial development of an interface for providing information about aircraft system status. The new interface proposes a shift away from current aircraft system alerting interfaces that report the status of physical components, and towards displaying the implications of degradations on mission capability. The proposed interface describes these component failures in terms of operational consequences of aircraft system degradations. The research activity was an effort to examine the utility of different representations of complex systems and operating environments to support real-time decision making of off-nominal situations. A specific focus was to develop representations that provide better integrated information to allow pilots to more easily reason about the operational consequences of the off-nominal situations. The work is also seen as a pathway to autonomy, as information is integrated and understood in a form that automated responses could be developed for the off-nominal situations in the future.

Using a Computer Microphone Port to Study Circular Motion: Proposal of a Secondary School Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soares, A. A.; Borcsik, F. S.

2016-01-01

In this work we present an inexpensive experiment proposal to study the kinematics of uniform circular motion in a secondary school. We used a PC sound card to connect a homemade simple sensor to a computer and used the free sound analysis software "Audacity" to record experimental data. We obtained quite good results even in comparison…

Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics: A consistent model for interfacial multiphase fluid flow simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krimi, Abdelkader; Rezoug, Mehdi; Khelladi, Sofiane; Nogueira, Xesús; Deligant, Michael; Ramírez, Luis

2018-04-01

In this work, a consistent Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) model to deal with interfacial multiphase fluid flows simulation is proposed. A modification to the Continuum Stress Surface formulation (CSS) [1] to enhance the stability near the fluid interface is developed in the framework of the SPH method. A non-conservative first-order consistency operator is used to compute the divergence of stress surface tensor. This formulation benefits of all the advantages of the one proposed by Adami et al. [2] and, in addition, it can be applied to more than two phases fluid flow simulations. Moreover, the generalized wall boundary conditions [3] are modified in order to be well adapted to multiphase fluid flows with different density and viscosity. In order to allow the application of this technique to wall-bounded multiphase flows, a modification of generalized wall boundary conditions is presented here for using the SPH method. In this work we also present a particle redistribution strategy as an extension of the damping technique presented in [3] to smooth the initial transient phase of gravitational multiphase fluid flow simulations. Several computational tests are investigated to show the accuracy, convergence and applicability of the proposed SPH interfacial multiphase model.

Adaptive neuro-heuristic hybrid model for fruit peel defects detection.

PubMed

Woźniak, Marcin; Połap, Dawid

2018-02-01

Fusion of machine learning methods benefits in decision support systems. A composition of approaches gives a possibility to use the most efficient features composed into one solution. In this article we would like to present an approach to the development of adaptive method based on fusion of proposed novel neural architecture and heuristic search into one co-working solution. We propose a developed neural network architecture that adapts to processed input co-working with heuristic method used to precisely detect areas of interest. Input images are first decomposed into segments. This is to make processing easier, since in smaller images (decomposed segments) developed Adaptive Artificial Neural Network (AANN) processes less information what makes numerical calculations more precise. For each segment a descriptor vector is composed to be presented to the proposed AANN architecture. Evaluation is run adaptively, where the developed AANN adapts to inputs and their features by composed architecture. After evaluation, selected segments are forwarded to heuristic search, which detects areas of interest. As a result the system returns the image with pixels located over peel damages. Presented experimental research results on the developed solution are discussed and compared with other commonly used methods to validate the efficacy and the impact of the proposed fusion in the system structure and training process on classification results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Orbital construction support equipment - Manned remote work station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nassiff, S. H.

1978-01-01

The Manned Remote Work Station (MRWS) is a versatile piece of orbital construction support equipment which can support in-space construction in various modes of operation. Proposed near-term Space Shuttle mission support and future large orbiting systems support, along with the various construction modes of MRWS operation, are discussed. Preliminary flight subsystems requirements and configuration design are presented. Integration of the MRWS development test article with the JSC Mockup and Integration Facility, including ground-test objectives and techniques for zero-g simulations, is also presented.

Work probability distribution and tossing a biased coin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Arnab; Bhattacharjee, Jayanta K.; Chakraborty, Sagar

2011-01-01

We show that the rare events present in dissipated work that enters Jarzynski equality, when mapped appropriately to the phenomenon of large deviations found in a biased coin toss, are enough to yield a quantitative work probability distribution for the Jarzynski equality. This allows us to propose a recipe for constructing work probability distribution independent of the details of any relevant system. The underlying framework, developed herein, is expected to be of use in modeling other physical phenomena where rare events play an important role.

The art of writing good research proposals.

PubMed

van Ekelenburg, Henk

2010-01-01

Whilst scientists are by default motivated by intellectual challenges linked to the area of their interest rather than have an interest in the financial component related to their work, the reality of today is that funding for their work does not come automatically More and more governments provide project-related funding rather than multipurpose funding that covers the total annual costs of a research performing entity (such as a university department). So, like it or not, researchers have to present their research ideas and convince funding bodies about the usefulness and importance of their intended research work. Writing the research proposal is not simply typing words and punctuation. It requires succinctly and clearly chronicling the facts, as well as crafting a convincing line of reasoning for funding the project. For the best result, both the logical, verbal left side of the brain and the intuitive, creative right side of the brain need to work as a team. This article covers the process of writing a proposal, from research idea to submission to the funding body. The key to good writing is linking the text into a logical project flow. Therefore, in the early stage of writing an RTD proposal, developing the chain of reasoning and creating a flow chart is recommended to get a clear overview of the entire project and to visualise how the many work packages are connected.

Techniques for Computation of Frequency Limited H∞ Norm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haider, Shafiq; Ghafoor, Abdul; Imran, Muhammad; Fahad Mumtaz, Malik

2018-01-01

Traditional H ∞ norm depicts peak system gain over infinite frequency range, but many applications like filter design, model order reduction and controller design etc. require computation of peak system gain over specific frequency interval rather than infinite range. In present work, new computationally efficient techniques for computation of H ∞ norm over frequency limited interval are proposed. Proposed techniques link norm computation with maximum singular value of the system in limited frequency interval. Numerical examples are incorporated to validate the proposed concept.

Spaceborne synthetic aperture radar pilot study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

A pilot study of a spaceborne sidelooking radar is summarized. The results of the system trade studies are given along with the electrical parameters for the proposed subsystems. The mechanical aspects, packaging, thermal control and dynamics of the proposed design are presented. Details of the data processor are given. A system is described that allows the data from a pass over the U. S. to be in hard copy form within two hours. Also included are the proposed schedule, work breakdown structure, and cost estimate.

Virtual Estimator for Piecewise Linear Systems Based on Observability Analysis

PubMed Central

Morales-Morales, Cornelio; Adam-Medina, Manuel; Cervantes, Ilse; Vela-Valdés and, Luis G.; García Beltrán, Carlos Daniel

2013-01-01

This article proposes a virtual sensor for piecewise linear systems based on observability analysis that is in function of a commutation law related with the system's outpu. This virtual sensor is also known as a state estimator. Besides, it presents a detector of active mode when the commutation sequences of each linear subsystem are arbitrary and unknown. For the previous, this article proposes a set of virtual estimators that discern the commutation paths of the system and allow estimating their output. In this work a methodology in order to test the observability for piecewise linear systems with discrete time is proposed. An academic example is presented to show the obtained results. PMID:23447007

Internet-enabled collaborative agent-based supply chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Weiming; Kremer, Rob; Norrie, Douglas H.

2000-12-01

This paper presents some results of our recent research work related to the development of a new Collaborative Agent System Architecture (CASA) and an Infrastructure for Collaborative Agent Systems (ICAS). Initially being proposed as a general architecture for Internet based collaborative agent systems (particularly complex industrial collaborative agent systems), the proposed architecture is very suitable for managing the Internet enabled complex supply chain for a large manufacturing enterprise. The general collaborative agent system architecture with the basic communication and cooperation services, domain independent components, prototypes and mechanisms are described. Benefits of implementing Internet enabled supply chains with the proposed infrastructure are discussed. A case study on Internet enabled supply chain management is presented.

Ising Processing Units: Potential and Challenges for Discrete Optimization

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

Coffrin, Carleton James; Nagarajan, Harsha; Bent, Russell Whitford

The recent emergence of novel computational devices, such as adiabatic quantum computers, CMOS annealers, and optical parametric oscillators, presents new opportunities for hybrid-optimization algorithms that leverage these kinds of specialized hardware. In this work, we propose the idea of an Ising processing unit as a computational abstraction for these emerging tools. Challenges involved in using and bench- marking these devices are presented, and open-source software tools are proposed to address some of these challenges. The proposed benchmarking tools and methodology are demonstrated by conducting a baseline study of established solution methods to a D-Wave 2X adiabatic quantum computer, one examplemore » of a commercially available Ising processing unit.« less

The Influence of Activation Level on Belief Bias in Relational Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banks, Adrian P.

2013-01-01

A novel explanation of belief bias in relational reasoning is presented based on the role of working memory and retrieval in deductive reasoning, and the influence of prior knowledge on this process. It is proposed that belief bias is caused by the believability of a conclusion in working memory which influences its activation level, determining…

[Revised maximum admissible intensity (MAI) values for infrasonic noise in work environment].

PubMed

Pawlaczyk-Łuszczyńska, M; Augustyńska, D; Kaczmarska-Kozłowska, A; Sliwińska-Kowalska, M; Kameduła, M

2001-01-01

A short review of infrasound sources is presented. The measuring methods and occupational exposure limits for infrasonic noise (infrasound) are described. The amended Polish regulations on maximum admissible intensity (MAI) values for infrasonic noise in work environment and proposals of exposure limits for workers at particular risk (i.e. pregnant women and juveniles) are discussed.

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,…

A conceptual model of physician work intensity: guidance for evaluating policies and practices to improve health care delivery.

PubMed

Horner, Ronnie D; Matthews, Gerald; Yi, Michael S

2012-08-01

Physician work intensity, although a major factor in determining the payment for medical services, may potentially affect patient health outcomes including quality of care and patient safety, and has implications for the redesign of medical practice to improve health care delivery. However, to date, there has been minimal research regarding the relationship between physician work intensity and either patient outcomes or the organization and management of medical practices. A theoretical model on physician work intensity will provide useful guidance to such inquiries. To describe an initial conceptual model to facilitate further investigations of physician work intensity. A conceptual model of physician work intensity is described using as its theoretical base human performance science relating to work intensity. For each of the theoretical components, we present relevant empirical evidence derived from a review of the current literature. The proposed model specifies that the level of work intensity experienced by a physician is a consequence of the physician performing the set of tasks (ie, demands) relating to a medical service. It is conceptualized that each medical service has an inherent level of intensity that is experienced by a physician as a function of factors relating to the physician, patient, and medical practice environment. The proposed conceptual model provides guidance to researchers as to the factors to consider in studies of how physician work intensity impacts patient health outcomes and how work intensity may be affected by proposed policies and approaches to health care delivery.

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.

Pelvic artery calcification detection on CT scans using convolutional neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jiamin; Lu, Le; Yao, Jianhua; Bagheri, Mohammadhadi; Summers, Ronald M.

2017-03-01

Artery calcification is observed commonly in elderly patients, especially in patients with chronic kidney disease, and may affect coronary, carotid and peripheral arteries. Vascular calcification has been associated with many clinical outcomes. Manual identification of calcification in CT scans requires substantial expert interaction, which makes it time-consuming and infeasible for large-scale studies. Many works have been proposed for coronary artery calcification detection in cardiac CT scans. In these works, coronary artery extraction is commonly required for calcification detection. However, there are few works about abdominal or pelvic artery calcification detection. In this work, we present a method for automatic pelvic artery calcification detection on CT scan. This method uses the recent advanced faster region-based convolutional neural network (R-CNN) to directly identify artery calcification without a need for artery extraction since pelvic artery extraction itself is challenging. Our method first generates category-independent region proposals for each slice of the input CT scan using region proposal networks (RPN). Then, each region proposal is jointly classified and refined by softmax classifier and bounding box regressor. We applied the detection method to 500 images from 20 CT scans of patients for evaluation. The detection system achieved a 77.4% average precision and a 85% sensitivity at 1 false positive per image.

Development of an expert data reduction assistant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Glenn E.; Johnston, Mark D.; Hanisch, Robert J.

1992-01-01

We propose the development of an expert system tool for the management and reduction of complex data sets. The proposed work is an extension of a successful prototype system for the calibration of CCD images developed by Dr. Johnston in 1987. The reduction of complex multi-parameter data sets presents severe challenges to a scientist. Not only must a particular data analysis system be mastered, (e.g. IRAF/SDAS/MIDAS), large amounts of data can require many days of tedious work and supervision by the scientist for even the most straightforward reductions. The proposed Expert Data Reduction Assistant will help the scientist overcome these obstacles by developing a reduction plan based on the data at hand and producing a script for the reduction of the data in a target common language.

Toward a global approach of biochemistry in hospitals.

PubMed

Boigne, J M; Moisdon, J C; Tonneau, D

1985-01-01

This article summarizes three different presentations delivered at the CRESGE congress by three members of GREBIO, a reflection group about biochemistry; created in the Paris hospitals, this group was concerned with these problems at a time of great technological change. Physicians, biochemists and administrators have been working in GREBIO for 7 years, with the methodological assistance of management from the School of Mines; they used new approaches, and careful investigations on the field and proposed analyses sometimes upsetting but always enriching the questionings. Starting from these results, briefly described, GREBIO proposed the creation of an observatory for biochemistry, that could take into account both the complexity and diversity in the laboratories. It also proposed that current reform in analytical accountancy allow biochemistry to work its own managing tools separately from accountancy purposes.

Improving the Interoperability of Disaster Models: a Case Study of Proposing Fireml for Forest Fire Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, W.; Wang, F.; Meng, Q.; Li, Z.; Liu, B.; Zheng, X.

2018-04-01

This paper presents a new standardized data format named Fire Markup Language (FireML), extended by the Geography Markup Language (GML) of OGC, to elaborate upon the fire hazard model. The proposed FireML is able to standardize the input and output documents of a fire model for effectively communicating with different disaster management systems to ensure a good interoperability. To demonstrate the usage of FireML and testify its feasibility, an adopted forest fire spread model being compatible with FireML is described. And a 3DGIS disaster management system is developed to simulate the dynamic procedure of forest fire spread with the defined FireML documents. The proposed approach will enlighten ones who work on other disaster models' standardization work.

Image Reconstruction for a Partially Collimated Whole Body PET Scanner

PubMed Central

Alessio, Adam M.; Schmitz, Ruth E.; MacDonald, Lawrence R.; Wollenweber, Scott D.; Stearns, Charles W.; Ross, Steven G.; Ganin, Alex; Lewellen, Thomas K.; Kinahan, Paul E.

2008-01-01

Partially collimated PET systems have less collimation than conventional 2-D systems and have been shown to offer count rate improvements over 2-D and 3-D systems. Despite this potential, previous efforts have not established image-based improvements with partial collimation and have not customized the reconstruction method for partially collimated data. This work presents an image reconstruction method tailored for partially collimated data. Simulated and measured sensitivity patterns are presented and provide a basis for modification of a fully 3-D reconstruction technique. The proposed method uses a measured normalization correction term to account for the unique sensitivity to true events. This work also proposes a modified scatter correction based on simulated data. Measured image quality data supports the use of the normalization correction term for true events, and suggests that the modified scatter correction is unnecessary. PMID:19096731

Image Reconstruction for a Partially Collimated Whole Body PET Scanner.

PubMed

Alessio, Adam M; Schmitz, Ruth E; Macdonald, Lawrence R; Wollenweber, Scott D; Stearns, Charles W; Ross, Steven G; Ganin, Alex; Lewellen, Thomas K; Kinahan, Paul E

2008-06-01

Partially collimated PET systems have less collimation than conventional 2-D systems and have been shown to offer count rate improvements over 2-D and 3-D systems. Despite this potential, previous efforts have not established image-based improvements with partial collimation and have not customized the reconstruction method for partially collimated data. This work presents an image reconstruction method tailored for partially collimated data. Simulated and measured sensitivity patterns are presented and provide a basis for modification of a fully 3-D reconstruction technique. The proposed method uses a measured normalization correction term to account for the unique sensitivity to true events. This work also proposes a modified scatter correction based on simulated data. Measured image quality data supports the use of the normalization correction term for true events, and suggests that the modified scatter correction is unnecessary.

Can PC-9 Zhong chong replace K-1 Yong quan for the acupunctural resuscitation of a bilateral double-amputee? Stating the “random criterion problem” in its statistical analysis

PubMed Central

Inchauspe, Adrián Angel

2016-01-01

AIM: To present an inclusion criterion for patients who have suffered bilateral amputation in order to be treated with the supplementary resuscitation treatment which is hereby proposed by the author. METHODS: This work is based on a Retrospective Cohort model so that a certainly lethal risk to the control group is avoided. RESULTS: This paper presents a hypothesis on acupunctural PC-9 Zhong chong point, further supported by previous statistical work recorded for the K-1 Yong quan resuscitation point. CONCLUSION: Thanks to the application of the resuscitation maneuver herein proposed on the previously mentioned point, patients with bilateral amputation would have another alternative treatment available in case basic and advanced CPR should fail. PMID:27152257

A two-dimensional analytical modeling for channel potential and threshold voltage of short channel triple material symmetrical gate Stack (TMGS) DG-MOSFET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathi, Shweta

2016-10-01

In the present work, a two-dimensional (2D) analytical framework of triple material symmetrical gate stack (TMGS) DG-MOSFET is presented in order to subdue the short channel effects. A lightly doped channel along with triple material gate having different work functions and symmetrical gate stack structure, showcases substantial betterment in quashing short channel effects to a good extent. The device functioning amends in terms of improved exemption to threshold voltage roll-off, thereby suppressing the short channel effects. The encroachments of respective device arguments on the threshold voltage of the proposed structure are examined in detail. The significant outcomes are compared with the numerical simulation data obtained by using 2D ATLAS™ device simulator to affirm and formalize the proposed device structure.

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

Morrison, Joel

The United States has more oil and gas wells than any other country. As of December 31, 2004, there were more than half a million producing oil wells in the United States. That is more than three times the combined total for the next three leaders: China, Canada, and Russia. The Stripper Well Consortium (SWC) is a partnership that includes domestic oil and gas producers, service and supply companies, trade associations, academia, the Department of Energy’s Strategic Center for Natural Gas and Oil (SCNGO) at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), and the New York State Energy Research and Developmentmore » Authority (NYSERDA). The Consortium was established in 2000. This report serves as a final technical report for the SWC activities conducted over the May 1, 2004 to December 1, 2011 timeframe. During this timeframe, the SWC worked with 173 members in 29 states and three international countries, to focus on the development of new technologies to benefit the U.S. stripper well industry. SWC worked with NETL to develop a nationwide request-for-proposal (RFP) process to solicit proposals from the U.S. stripper well industry to develop and/or deploy new technologies that would assist small producers in improving the production performance of their stripper well operations. SWC conducted eight rounds of funding. A total of 132 proposals were received. The proposals were compiled and distributed to an industry-driven SWC executive council and program sponsors for review. Applicants were required to make a formal technical presentation to the SWC membership, executive council, and program sponsors. After reviewing the proposals and listening to the presentations, the executive council made their funding recommendations to program sponsors. A total of 64 projects were selected for funding, of which 59 were fully completed. Penn State then worked with grant awardees to issue a subcontract for their approved work. SWC organized and hosted a total of 14 meetings dedicated to technology transfer to showcase and review SWC-funded technology. The workshops were open to the stripper well industry.« less

CERT tribal internship program. Final intern report: Manuel Steele, 1995

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

NONE

The purpose of this internship was to facilitate transfer of advancements in renewable energy to Native American lands for economic and educational benefits and to assist in evaluation of proposals submitted for government funding under Title 26 Indian Energy Resources Program. Specific objectives were to examine specific cost factors stated by each Tribe for economic assessment of each proposal; assess environmental impacts of proposed scope of work presented by each Tribe; monitor existing grants for disbursement of requested funds; and provide Tribal governments with a fair and impartial review of grant proposals for funding by the Department of Energy.

A systematic plan for the continued study of dimensional stability of metallic alloys considered for the fabrication of cryogenic wind tunnel models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wigley, D. A.

1985-01-01

Interrelated research and development activities, phased development of stepped specimen program are documented and a sequence for a specific program of machining, validation and heat treatment cycles for one material are described. Proposed work for the next phase of dimensional stability research is presented and further technology development activities are proposed.

Small Private Online Research: A Proposal for A Numerical Methods Course Based on Technology Use and Blended Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cepeda, Francisco Javier Delgado

2017-01-01

This work presents a proposed model in blended learning for a numerical methods course evolved from traditional teaching into a research lab in scientific visualization. The blended learning approach sets a differentiated and flexible scheme based on a mobile setup and face to face sessions centered on a net of research challenges. Model is…

High-throughput sample adaptive offset hardware architecture for high-efficiency video coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wei; Yan, Chang; Zhang, Jingzhi; Zhou, Xin

2018-03-01

A high-throughput hardware architecture for a sample adaptive offset (SAO) filter in the high-efficiency video coding video coding standard is presented. First, an implementation-friendly and simplified bitrate estimation method of rate-distortion cost calculation is proposed to reduce the computational complexity in the mode decision of SAO. Then, a high-throughput VLSI architecture for SAO is presented based on the proposed bitrate estimation method. Furthermore, multiparallel VLSI architecture for in-loop filters, which integrates both deblocking filter and SAO filter, is proposed. Six parallel strategies are applied in the proposed in-loop filters architecture to improve the system throughput and filtering speed. Experimental results show that the proposed in-loop filters architecture can achieve up to 48% higher throughput in comparison with prior work. The proposed architecture can reach a high-operating clock frequency of 297 MHz with TSMC 65-nm library and meet the real-time requirement of the in-loop filters for 8 K × 4 K video format at 132 fps.

Solving a bi-objective mathematical model for location-routing problem with time windows in multi-echelon reverse logistics using metaheuristic procedure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghezavati, V. R.; Beigi, M.

2016-12-01

During the last decade, the stringent pressures from environmental and social requirements have spurred an interest in designing a reverse logistics (RL) network. The success of a logistics system may depend on the decisions of the facilities locations and vehicle routings. The location-routing problem (LRP) simultaneously locates the facilities and designs the travel routes for vehicles among established facilities and existing demand points. In this paper, the location-routing problem with time window (LRPTW) and homogeneous fleet type and designing a multi-echelon, and capacitated reverse logistics network, are considered which may arise in many real-life situations in logistics management. Our proposed RL network consists of hybrid collection/inspection centers, recovery centers and disposal centers. Here, we present a new bi-objective mathematical programming (BOMP) for LRPTW in reverse logistic. Since this type of problem is NP-hard, the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) is proposed to obtain the Pareto frontier for the given problem. Several numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm. Also, the present work is an effort to effectively implement the ɛ-constraint method in GAMS software for producing the Pareto-optimal solutions in a BOMP. The results of the proposed algorithm have been compared with the ɛ-constraint method. The computational results show that the ɛ-constraint method is able to solve small-size instances to optimality within reasonable computing times, and for medium-to-large-sized problems, the proposed NSGA-II works better than the ɛ-constraint.

A nonparametric multiple imputation approach for missing categorical data.

PubMed

Zhou, Muhan; He, Yulei; Yu, Mandi; Hsu, Chiu-Hsieh

2017-06-06

Incomplete categorical variables with more than two categories are common in public health data. However, most of the existing missing-data methods do not use the information from nonresponse (missingness) probabilities. We propose a nearest-neighbour multiple imputation approach to impute a missing at random categorical outcome and to estimate the proportion of each category. The donor set for imputation is formed by measuring distances between each missing value with other non-missing values. The distance function is calculated based on a predictive score, which is derived from two working models: one fits a multinomial logistic regression for predicting the missing categorical outcome (the outcome model) and the other fits a logistic regression for predicting missingness probabilities (the missingness model). A weighting scheme is used to accommodate contributions from two working models when generating the predictive score. A missing value is imputed by randomly selecting one of the non-missing values with the smallest distances. We conduct a simulation to evaluate the performance of the proposed method and compare it with several alternative methods. A real-data application is also presented. The simulation study suggests that the proposed method performs well when missingness probabilities are not extreme under some misspecifications of the working models. However, the calibration estimator, which is also based on two working models, can be highly unstable when missingness probabilities for some observations are extremely high. In this scenario, the proposed method produces more stable and better estimates. In addition, proper weights need to be chosen to balance the contributions from the two working models and achieve optimal results for the proposed method. We conclude that the proposed multiple imputation method is a reasonable approach to dealing with missing categorical outcome data with more than two levels for assessing the distribution of the outcome. In terms of the choices for the working models, we suggest a multinomial logistic regression for predicting the missing outcome and a binary logistic regression for predicting the missingness probability.

Distribution of authorship in a scientific work.

PubMed

Petroianu, Andy

2012-01-01

To publish became almost compulsory in Medicine. There is no doubt about the importance of publishing research, but the ordering of its authors is not easy. The lack of internationally accepted criteria led to the establishment of several groups or conventions particularized medical and scientific sectors. To present numerical method to establish rule of value to people who carried out the research, and whether or not incorporated as authors. The proposed score is based on the needs of each step when conducting a scientific work. They were divided into topics in which the main ones were: 1) scientific criteria for authorship; 2) create the idea that originated the work and develop hypotheses; 3) structure the method of work; 4) guiding the work; 5) write the manuscript; 6) coordinate the group that carried out the work; 7) reviewing the literature; 8) suggestions incorporated into the work; 9) to solve fundamental problems of labor; 10) to collect data; 11) presentation at scientific meetings; 12 ) lead the job and raise funds; 13) providing patients or material; 14) to do the routine needs; 15) specific fee to participate; 16) criteria for ranking the authors; 17) honorary author; 18) usurpation of the main authorship, 19) acknowledgments . It is important to emphasize that, to prevent major conflicts, the group that is willing to conduct a scientific work should establish at the outset, as objectively as possible, the criteria to be adopted for distribution of authorship. The subjective criteria here proposed avoid interference and prevent conflicts of interest.

Lead-acid batteries in micro-hybrid applications. Part II. Test proposal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaeck, S.; Stoermer, A. O.; Albers, J.; Weirather-Koestner, D.; Kabza, H.

In the first part of this work [1] selected key parameters for applying lead-acid (LA) batteries in micro-hybrid power systems (MHPS) were investigated. Main results are integrated in an accelerated, comprehensive test proposal presented here. The test proposal aims at a realistic representation of the pSoC operation regime, which is described in Refs. [1,6]. The test is designed to be sensitive with respect to dynamic charge acceptance (DCA) at partially discharged state (critical for regenerative braking) and the internal resistance at high-rate discharge (critical for idling stop applications). First results are presented for up-to-date valve-regulated LA batteries with absorbent glass mat (AGM) separators. The batteries are close to the limits of the first proposal of pass/fail-criteria. Also flooded batteries were tested; the first out of ten units failed already.

Service quality benchmarking via a novel approach based on fuzzy ELECTRE III and IPA: an empirical case involving the Italian public healthcare context.

PubMed

La Fata, Concetta Manuela; Lupo, Toni; Piazza, Tommaso

2017-11-21

A novel fuzzy-based approach which combines ELECTRE III along with the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) is proposed in the present work to comparatively evaluate the service quality in the public healthcare context. Specifically, ELECTRE III is firstly considered to compare the service performance of examined hospitals in a noncompensatory manner. Afterwards, IPA is employed to support the service quality management to point out improvement needs and their priorities. The proposed approach also incorporates features of the Fuzzy Set Theory so as to address the possible uncertainty, subjectivity and vagueness of involved experts in evaluating the service quality. The model is applied to five major Sicilian public hospitals, and strengths and criticalities of the delivered service are finally highlighted and discussed. Although several approaches combining multi-criteria methods have already been proposed in the literature to evaluate the service performance in the healthcare field, to the best of the authors' knowledge the present work represents the first attempt at comparing service performance of alternatives in a noncompensatory manner in the investigated context.

Using the Health Physics Student Volunteer Program for a Research Project Sponsored by the Medical Section of the Health Physics Society.

PubMed

Steiner, Joseph; Leinwander, Penny

2017-04-01

The Health Physics Society (HPS) Medical Health Physics Section (MHPS) received a request to research data on radiation safety guidance related to the death of patients who have recently received therapeutic doses of sealed or unsealed therapy sources. The MHPS elected to use student volunteers to perform this research. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe and provide a template for the process used by the MHPS to develop a student volunteer program. To implement the student volunteer program, the MHPS collaborated with the HPS Student Support Committee to develop a research proposal and a student volunteer selection process. The research proposal was sent to HPS student members in a call for volunteers. Two student volunteers were chosen based on predetermined qualifications to complete the work effort outlined in the research proposal. This project progressed with the use of milestones and culminated with the students presenting their findings at the annual HPS meeting. The students received HPS student travel awards to present at the conference. This work effort proved to be extremely beneficial to all parties involved.

Work and Family Research in IO/OB: Content Analysis and Review of the Literature (1980-2002)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eby, Lillian T.; Casper, Wendy J.; Lockwood, Angie; Bordeaux, Chris; Brinley, Andi

2005-01-01

This monograph reviews 190 work-family studies published in IO/OB journals from 1980 to 2002. The results of a content analysis are presented which catalog these articles with respect to the study focus, nature and direction of the proposed effects, and predictor, criterion, and mediator variables examined. Then a narrative review of the articles…

General Mental Ability and Satisfaction with School and Work: A Longitudinal Study from Ages 13 to 48

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wulff, Cornelia; Bergman, Lars R.; Sverke, Magnus

2008-01-01

Although it has been proposed that general mental ability (GMA) may affect the adjustment process, few studies have examined the relation of mental ability to individuals' sense of satisfaction with school and work. The present study investigated the importance of mental ability for school and job satisfaction, using a Swedish sample of 298 men…

Sub-second thermoplastic forming of bulk metallic glasses by ultrasonic beating

PubMed Central

Ma, Jiang; Liang, Xiong; Wu, Xiaoyu; Liu, Zhiyuan; Gong, Feng

2015-01-01

The work proposed a novel thermoplastic forming approach–the ultrasonic beating forming (UBF) method for bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) in present work. The rapid forming approach can finish the thermoplastic forming of BMGs in less than one second, avoiding the time-dependent crystallization and oxidation to the most extent. Besides, the UBF is also proved to be competent in the fabrication of structures with the length scale ranging from macro scale to nano scale. Our results propose a novel route for the thermoplastic forming of BMGs and have promising applications in the rapid fabrication of macro to nano scale products and devices. PMID:26644149

Design criteria and eigensequence plots for satellite-computed tomography. [in meteorology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wahba, G.

1985-01-01

The use of the degrees of freedom for signal is proposed as a design criteria for comparing different designs for satellite and other measuring systems. It is also proposed that certain eigensequence plots be examined at the design stage along with appropriate estimates of the parameter lambda playing the role of noise to signal ratio. The degrees of freedom for signal and the eigensequence plots may be determined using prior information in the spectral domain which is presently available along with a description of the system, and simulated data for estimating lambda. This work extends the 1972 work of Weinreb and Crosby.

Proposal of a skin tests based approach for the prevention of recurrent hypersensitivity reactions to iodinated contrast media.

PubMed

Della-Torre, E; Berti, A; Yacoub, M R; Guglielmi, B; Tombetti, E; Sabbadini, M G; Voltolini, S; Colombo, G

2015-05-01

The purpose of the present work is to evaluate the efficacy of an approach that combines clinical history, skin tests results, and premedication, in preventing recurrent hypersensitivity reactions to iodinated contrast media (ICM). Skin Prick tests, Intradermal tests, and Patch tests were performed in 36 patients with a previous reaction to ICM. All patients underwent a second contrast enhanced radiological procedure with an alternative ICM selected on the basis of the proposed approach. After alternative ICM re-injection, only one patient presented a mild NIR. The proposed algorithm, validated in clinical settings where repeated radiological exams are needed, offers a safe and practical approach for protecting patients from recurrent hypersensitivity reactions to ICM.

Geometry of magnetic rotational (MR) band-crossing phenomenon in MR bands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devi, K. Rojeeta; Kumar, Suresh; Palit, R.

2018-07-01

A semiclassical (SC) approach is proposed to calculate the B( M1) transition rates in the band-crossing region of two magnetic rotational (MR) bands. In the present work, a geometry is suggested for the shear blades to govern its behaviour during the band-crossing. In the crossing region, gradual alignment of two nucleons is responsible for the crossing behaviour and it must give a quantised resultant angular momentum. As an example, it is successfully implemented for the MR bands in the mass A=110 and A=200 regions. A good agreement of the present semiclassical calculations with the experimental values is presented and furthermore, it is seen that the present proposal is also helpful to see the core contribution in the MR phenomenon.

The motivation to care: application and extension of motivation theory to professional nursing work.

PubMed

Moody, Roseanne C; Pesut, Daniel J

2006-01-01

The purpose of this research is to describe a model of nurses' work motivation relevant to the human caring stance of professional nursing work. The model was derived from selected theories of behavioral motivation and work motivation. Evidence-based theory addressing nurses' work motivation and nurses' motivational states and traits in relation to characteristics of organizational culture and patient health outcomes is suggested in an effort to make a distinct contribution to health services research. An integrated review of selected theories of motivation is presented, including conceptual analyses, theory-building techniques, and the evidence supporting the theoretical propositions and linkages among variables intrinsic to nurses' work motivation. The model of the Motivation to Care for Professional Nursing Work is a framework intended for empirical testing and theory building. The model proposes specific leadership and management strategies to support a culture of motivational caring and competence in health care organizations. Attention to motivation theory and research provides insights and suggests relationships among nurses' motivation to care, motivational states and traits, individual differences that influence nurses' work motivation, and the special effects of nurses' work motivation on patient care outcomes. Suggestions for nursing administrative direction and research are proposed.

A Secure Test Technique for Pipelined Advanced Encryption Standard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Youhua; Togawa, Nozomu; Yanagisawa, Masao; Ohtsuki, Tatsuo

In this paper, we presented a Design-for-Secure-Test (DFST) technique for pipelined AES to guarantee both the security and the test quality during testing. Unlike previous works, the proposed method can keep all the secrets inside and provide high test quality and fault diagnosis ability as well. Furthermore, the proposed DFST technique can significantly reduce test application time, test data volume, and test generation effort as additional benefits.

Working medium circuit for alkali metal thermal-to-electric converters (AMTEC)

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

Kalandarishvili, A.G.

1996-12-31

The possibility is studied to create a sodium circuit in an AMTEC type conversion device. The proposed circuit is based on a heat pipe that includes the evaporation-condensation cycle. Different layouts based on this principle are presented. The proposed circuit is characterized by the following advantages: no need for an electromagnetic pump, low load on the converter, better capability to control temperature drop at the converter.

Telecommuting (Work-At-Home) at NASA Lewis Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srinidhi, Saragur M.

1994-01-01

This report presents a study in evaluating the viability of providing a work-at-home (telecommuting) program for Lewis Research Center's corporate employees using Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). Case studies have been presented for a range of applications from casual data access to interactive access. The network performance of telemedia applications were studied against future requirements for such level of remote connectivity. Many of the popular ISDN devices were characterized for network and service functionality. A set of recommendations to develop a telecommuting policy have been proposed.

Examining the macroergonomics and safety factors among teleworkers: development of a conceptual model.

PubMed

Robertson, Michelle M; Schleifer, Lawrence M; Huang, Yueng-hsiang

2012-01-01

With the rising number of teleworkers who are working in non-traditional work locations, health and safety issues are even more critical. While telework offers attractive alternatives to traditional work locations, it is not without challenges for employers and workers. A macroergonomics approach or work system design for telework programs is proposed to address these new challenges. This approach explains the impact of organizational, psychosocial and workplace risk factors on teleworker's health and safety. A process for managing the health and safety of teleworkers is presented along with preventive strategies to provide an injury-free working environment.

[Paid work, family and women's mental health.].

PubMed

Dufort, F

1985-01-01

In this article, the results of a research on the influence of family and remunerated work on the mental health of women are presented. The impact of the working environment is analysed from the point of view of the characteristics of hiring, of the level of satisfaction at work and of the social support. The impact of the family environment is studied in the areas of shared responsabilities between married people, of the attitudes towards the presence of women in the work force, of single parentage and of family life cycles. Areas of long term and short term researches are proposed.

The Supervisor--The Meat in the Sandwich.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawlor, Alan

1978-01-01

Forces affecting the supervisor and supervisors' responses to questionnaires about work systems and management relations are presented, indicating the need for better understanding between managers and supervisors. Action learning programs for supervisors, specifically maintenance supervisors, are proposed. (MF)

75 FR 56533 - Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau; Federal Advisory Committee Act; Communications...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-16

... working groups will be presenting their proposed recommendations on issues such as public safety... regarding the CSRIC can be found at: http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/advisory/csric/ . Federal Communications...

Locomotive/Caboose Crashworthiness

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-01-01

This report presents the results of the Phase I study of the locomotive/caboose crashworthiness program and the proposed work for the Phase II investigation. The results of the Phase I study include the mechanics of train impact that lead to override...

Self calibrating monocular camera measurement of traffic parameters.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-12-01

This proposed project will extend the work of previous projects that have developed algorithms and software : to measure traffic speed under adverse conditions using un-calibrated cameras. The present implementation : uses the WSDOT CCTV cameras moun...

Modified Minkowski Fractal Antenna for Wireless Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brar, Amandeep Singh; Sivia, Jagtar Singh

2018-06-01

A multiband Modified Minkowski Fractal Antenna which can operate at UHF, L, S, C and X band of IEEE standard is presented in this paper. The proposed antenna is simple and low cost. It can work on many bands starting from few hundred megahertz (500 MHz) frequency up to gigahertz (7.1 GHz) frequency. Structure of antenna has been designed by combining Minkowski curve with its inverted Minkowski curve. A maximum gain up to 20 dB, VSWR, radiation pattern and twenty resonant frequencies has been achieved using proposed antenna structure. Simulated results executed in HFSS software. Proposed antenna works on resonant frequencies of 496 MHz to 1.06 GHz (wide band), 1.45, 2.09, 2.38, 3.23, 3.79, 4.06, 4.35, 4.65, 4.82, 5.24, 5.62, 6.12 GHz etc.

Supervisory control based on minimal cuts and Petri net sub-controllers coordination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rezig, Sadok; Achour, Zied; Rezg, Nidhal; Kammoun, Mohamed-Ali

2016-10-01

This paper addresses the synthesis of Petri net (PN) controller for the forbidden state transition problem with a new utilisation of the theory of regions. Moreover, as any method of control synthesis based on a reachability graph, the theory of regions suffers from the combinatorial explosion problem. The proposed work minimises the number of equations in the linear system of theory of regions and therefore one can reduce the computation time. In this paper, two different approaches are proposed to select minimal cuts in the reachability graph in order to synthesise a PN controller. Thanks to a switch from one cut to another, one can activate and deactivate the corresponding PNcontroller. An application is implemented in a flexible manufacturing system to illustrate the present method. Finally, comparison with previous works with experimental results in obtaining a maximally permissive controller is presented.

A qualitative approach to assessing work ability.

PubMed

Tengland, Per-Anders

2013-01-01

We often need to be able to assess the extent to which individuals have or lack work ability. For this we need instruments. Most of the instruments available have flaws. They either lack validity or they use roundabout methods when collecting information about the individual's work ability. The aim of this paper is to present a conceptual model for constructing a questionnaire that can be used for assessing work ability. The methods used are philosophical, i.e. analytical and deductive. A conceptual theory is provided, and based on the resulting definition of the concept of "work ability" conclusions are drawn regarding how to assess work ability. When constructing quantitative instruments, we can increase validity through using a more strict definition of work ability. However, such an approach will only solve some of the problems noted above. The proposal is, instead, to create a qualitative questionnaire, founded on a definition of "work ability", which focuses on the concrete problems concerning the work ability of the individual. Finally, a sketch of such an instrument is provided, with questions covering all the relevant aspects of work ability. The qualitative questionnaire proposed is believed to be superior to more traditional (quantitative) instruments for assessing a person's work ability, as well as for finding solutions to her problems concerning work ability.

A new DG nanoscale TFET based on MOSFETs by using source gate electrode: 2D simulation and an analytical potential model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramezani, Zeinab; Orouji, Ali A.

2017-08-01

This paper suggests and investigates a double-gate (DG) MOSFET, which emulates tunnel field effect transistors (M-TFET). We have combined this novel concept into a double-gate MOSFET, which behaves as a tunneling field effect transistor by work function engineering. In the proposed structure, in addition to the main gate, we utilize another gate over the source region with zero applied voltage and a proper work function to convert the source region from N+ to P+. We check the impact obtained by varying the source gate work function and source doping on the device parameters. The simulation results of the M-TFET indicate that it is a suitable case for a switching performance. Also, we present a two-dimensional analytic potential model of the proposed structure by solving the Poisson's equation in x and y directions and by derivatives from the potential profile; thus, the electric field is achieved. To validate our present model, we use the SILVACO ATLAS device simulator. The analytical results have been compared with it.

New hesitation-based distance and similarity measures on intuitionistic fuzzy sets and their applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Yun; Wu, Shunxiang; Cao, Da; Weng, Wei

2018-03-01

In this paper, we present new definitions on distance and similarity measures between intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) by combining with hesitation degree. First, we discuss the limitations in traditional distance and similarity measures, which are caused by the neglect of hesitation degree's influence. Even though a vector-valued similarity measure was proposed, which has two components indicating similarity and hesitation aspects, it still cannot perform well in practical applications because hesitation works only when the values of similarity measures are equal. In order to overcome the limitations, we propose new definitions on hesitation, distance and similarity measures, and research some theorems which satisfy the requirements of the proposed definitions. Meanwhile, we investigate the relationships among hesitation, distance, similarity and entropy of IFSs to verify the consistency of our work and previous research. Finally, we analyse and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed similarity measure in detail, and then we apply the proposed measures (dH and SH) to deal with pattern recognition problems, and demonstrate that they outperform state-of-the-art distance and similarity measures.

Performance of dual inverter fed open end winding induction motor drive using carrier shift PWM techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priya Darshini, B.; Ranjit, M.; Babu, V. Ramesh

2018-04-01

In this paper different Multicarrier PWM (MCPWM) techniques are proposed for dual inverter fed open end induction motor (IM) drive to achieve multilevel operation. To generate the switching pulses for the dual inverter sinusoidal modulating signal is compared with multi carrier signals. A common mode voltage (CMV) has been analyzed in the proposed open end winding induction motor drive. All the proposed techniques mitigate the CMV along with the harmonic distortion in the phase voltage. To authenticate the proposed work several simulation techniques have been carried out using MATLAB/SIMULINK and the corresponding results are presented and compared.

Performance of the Sleep-Mode Mechanism of the New IEEE 802.16m Proposal for Correlated Downlink Traffic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Turck, Koen; de Vuyst, Stijn; Fiems, Dieter; Wittevrongel, Sabine; Bruneel, Herwig

There is a considerable interest nowadays in making wireless telecommunication more energy-efficient. The sleep-mode mechanism in WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) is one of such energy saving measures. Recently, Samsung proposed some modifications on the sleep-mode mechanism, scheduled to appear in the forthcoming IEEE 802.16m standard, aimed at minimizing the signaling overhead. In this work, we present a performance analysis of this proposal and clarify the differences with the standard mechanism included in IEEE 802.16e. We also propose some special algorithms aimed at reducing the computational complexity of the analysis.

FBI fingerprint identification automation study: AIDS 3 evaluation report. Volume 6: Environmental analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulhall, B. D. L.

1980-01-01

The results of the analysis of the external environment of the FBI Fingerprint Identification Division are presented. Possible trends in the future environment of the Division that may have an effect on the work load were projected to determine if future work load will lie within the capability range of the proposed new system, AIDS 3. Two working models of the environment were developed, the internal and external model, and from these scenarios the projection of possible future work load volume and mixture was developed. Possible drivers of work load change were identified and assessed for upper and lower bounds of effects. Data used for the study were derived from historical information, analysis of the current situation and from interviews with various agencies who are users of or stakeholders in the present system.

Scanning electron microscope fine tuning using four-bar piezoelectric actuated mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatamleh, Khaled S.; Khasawneh, Qais A.; Al-Ghasem, Adnan; Jaradat, Mohammad A.; Sawaqed, Laith; Al-Shabi, Mohammad

2018-01-01

Scanning Electron Microscopes are extensively used for accurate micro/nano images exploring. Several strategies have been proposed to fine tune those microscopes in the past few years. This work presents a new fine tuning strategy of a scanning electron microscope sample table using four bar piezoelectric actuated mechanisms. The introduced paper presents an algorithm to find all possible inverse kinematics solutions of the proposed mechanism. In addition, another algorithm is presented to search for the optimal inverse kinematic solution. Both algorithms are used simultaneously by means of a simulation study to fine tune a scanning electron microscope sample table through a pre-specified circular or linear path of motion. Results of the study shows that, proposed algorithms were able to minimize the power required to drive the piezoelectric actuated mechanism by a ratio of 97.5% for all simulated paths of motion when compared to general non-optimized solution.

Modelling of double air-bridged structured inductor implemented by a GaAs integrated passive device manufacturing process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yang; Yao, Zhao; Zhang, Chun-Wei; Fu, Xiao-Qian; Li, Zhi-Ming; Li, Nian-Qiang; Wang, Cong

2017-05-01

In order to provide excellent performance and show the development of a complicated structure in a module and system, this paper presents a double air-bridge-structured symmetrical differential inductor based on integrated passive device technology. Corresponding to the proposed complicated structure, a new manufacturing process fabricated on a high-resistivity GaAs substrate is described in detail. Frequency-independent physical models are presented with lump elements and the results of skin effect-based measurements. Finally, some key features of the inductor are compared; good agreement between the measurements and modeled circuit fully verifies the validity of the proposed modeling approach. Meanwhile, we also present a comparison of different coil turns for inductor performance. The proposed work can provide a good solution for the design, fabrication, modeling, and practical application of radio-frequency modules and systems.

A deviation based assessment methodology for multiple machine health patterns classification and fault detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Xiaodong; Jin, Chao; Buzza, Matt; Di, Yuan; Siegel, David; Lee, Jay

2018-01-01

Successful applications of Diffusion Map (DM) in machine failure detection and diagnosis have been reported in several recent studies. DM provides an efficient way to visualize the high-dimensional, complex and nonlinear machine data, and thus suggests more knowledge about the machine under monitoring. In this paper, a DM based methodology named as DM-EVD is proposed for machine degradation assessment, abnormality detection and diagnosis in an online fashion. Several limitations and challenges of using DM for machine health monitoring have been analyzed and addressed. Based on the proposed DM-EVD, a deviation based methodology is then proposed to include more dimension reduction methods. In this work, the incorporation of Laplacian Eigen-map and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) are explored, and the latter algorithm is named as PCA-Dev and is validated in the case study. To show the successful application of the proposed methodology, case studies from diverse fields are presented and investigated in this work. Improved results are reported by benchmarking with other machine learning algorithms.

Philosophy of Education as an Exercise in Thought: To Not Forget Oneself when "Things Take Their Course"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masschelein, Jan

2011-01-01

Starting from a distinction between a critical and an ascetic tradition in philosophy and taking into account their different stances towards the present, the article proposes a practice of philosophy of education within the ascetic tradition. In this tradition, the work of philosophy is in the first place a work on the self--that is,…

Neutron star mergers and gamma-ray bursts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Narayan, Ramesh

1993-01-01

Under the support of grant NAG 5-1904, we have carried out research on several topics related to gamma-ray bursts (GRB's). In our proposal, we stated that we would study three topics: (1) fireball evolution; (2) neutron star mergers; and (3) statistics of bursts. We have completed a significant amount of work in each of these areas. Resulting papers from this work are presented.

Some Contributions from Latin American Career Counselling for Dealing with Situations of Psychosocial Vulnerability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ribeiro, Marcelo Afonso; da Conceição Coropos Uvaldo, Maria; da Silva, Fabiano Fonseca

2015-01-01

Facing a working world more flexible, unstable and potentially generator of vulnerabilities, the career counselling has required contemporary approaches that meet these demands, which ones have been present in Latin America for a long time. Thus, the present paper aimed to analyse some Latin American proposals and highlight general principles to…

Pyroglyphid mites as a source of work-related allergens.

PubMed

Macan, Jelena; Kanceljak-Macan, Božica; Milković-Kraus, Sanja

2012-01-01

Pyroglyphid mites are primarily associated with allergen exposure at home; hence the name house dust mites. However, we have found numerous studies reporting pyroglyhid mite levels in public and occupational settings. This review presents the findings of house dust mite allergens (family Pyroglyphidae, species Dermatophagoides) as potential work-related risk factors and proposes occupations at risk of house dust mite-related diseases. Pyroglyphid mites or their allergens are found in various workplaces, but clinically relevant exposures have been observed in hotels, cinemas, schools, day-care centres, libraries, public transportation (buses, trains, taxies, and airplanes), fishing-boats, submarines, poultry farms, and churches. Here we propose a classification of occupational risk as low (occasional exposure to mite allergen levels up to 2 μg g(-1)), moderate (exposure between 2 μg g(-1) and 10 μg g(-1)), and high (exposure >10 μg g(-1)). The classification of risk should include factors relevant for indoor mite population (climate, building characteristics, and cleaning schedule). To avoid development or aggravation of allergies associated with exposure to house dust mites at work, occupational physicians should assess exposure risk at work, propose proper protection, provide vocational guidance to persons at risk and conduct pre-employment and periodic examinations to diagnose new allergy cases. Protection at work should aim to control dust mite levels at work. Measures may include proper interior design and regular cleaning and building maintenance.

Energy in the Environment - Initiatives 2004-08

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

Paul Jehn

Under the Energy and Environment Initiative, the GWPC/GWPRF will expand the oil and gas electronic commerce initiatives used to enhance the Risk Based Data Management System (RBDMS) and the Cost Effective Regulatory Approach (CERA). The GWPC/GWPRF has identified the following priorities for work efforts during the time period that will act as the base from which selections for each work period will be proposed. Work tasks will be presented for each reporting period by the GWPC from areas selected from the general list of priorities.

Development and Substantiation of Parameters of Environmentally Friendly Technology for Filling the Vertical Mine Workings with Autoclaved Slag-Concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uglyanitca, Andrey; Solonin, Kirill

2017-11-01

The environmentally friendly technology for filling the vertical mine workings with autoclaved slag-concrete, prefabricated on the surface of the mine is presented in the article; the optimal parameters of filling technology are proposed. The developed technology for filling the abandoned vertical mine workings allows ensuring the environmental safety of the territories adjacent to the abandoned mine, utilizing slag dumps and providing the possibility of shaft recovery, if necessary, with minimal labor and material costs.

Military Social Work: Opportunities and Challenges for Social Work Education

PubMed Central

Wooten, Nikki R.

2015-01-01

Military social work is a specialized field of practice spanning the micro-macro continuum and requiring advanced social work knowledge and skills. The complex behavioral health problems and service needs of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans highlight the need for highly trained social work professionals who can provide militarily-relevant and culturally-responsive evidence-informed services. Responding to the military behavioral health workforce and service needs of recently returned veterans presents both opportunities and challenges for military social work education. This article discusses the rationale for a military social work specialization, the need for military social work education, and opportunities and challenges for social work education. An integrated model of intellectual capital is proposed to guide strategic planning for future military social work education. PMID:26089628

Phase separation of bio-oil produced by co-pyrolysis of corn cobs and polypropylene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Supramono, D.; Julianto; Haqqyana; Setiadi, H.; Nasikin, M.

2017-11-01

In co-pyrolysis of biomass-plastics, bio-oil produced contains both oxygenated and non-oxygenated compounds. High oxygen composition is responsible for instability and low heating value of bio-oil and high acid content for corrosiveness. Aims of the present work are to evaluate possibilities of achieving phase separation between oxygenated and non-oxygenated compounds in bio-oil using a proposed stirred tank reactor and to achieve synergistic effects on bio-oil yield and non-oxygenated compound layer yield. Separation of bio-oil into two layers, i.e. that containing oxygenated compounds (polar phase) and non-oxygenated compounds (non-polar phase) is important to obtain pure non-polar phase ready for the next processing of hydrogenation and used directly as bio-fuel. There has been no research work on co-pyrolysis of biomass-plastic considering possibility of phase separation of bio-oil. The present work is proposing a stirred tank reactor for co-pyrolysis with nitrogen injection, which is capable of tailoring co-pyrolysis conditions leading to low viscosity and viscosity asymmetry, which induce phase separation between polar phase and non-polar phase. The proposed reactor is capable of generating synergistic effect on bio-oil and non-polar yields as the composition of PP in feed is more than 25% weight in which non-polar layers contain only alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes and cycloalkenes.

Corporal Punishment: Facts and Alternatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilder, Pana

1982-01-01

Suggests that corporal punishment in the schools be abolished and presents alternatives to physical punishment. Proposes educators and other concerned individuals work together to form student problem committees, adjust classroom environment and improve the curriculum, and exercise their legal rights. (JAC)

April 2013 MOVES Model Review Work Group Meeting Materials

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Presentations from the meeting on April 30th of 2013 include a focus on the next version of MOtor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES), evaluating proposed data sources and analysis methods, and commenting on or suggesting features or enhancements.

The 7 C's of Creativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lubart, Todd

2017-01-01

This paper presents a framework for conceptualizing work on creativity in terms of 7 C's. These are: Creators, Creating, Collaborations, Contexts, Creations, Consumption, and Curricula. The content of these thema are described and situated with respect to previous proposals.

Core self-evaluations and work engagement: Testing a perception, action, and development path.

PubMed

Tims, Maria; Akkermans, Jos

2017-01-01

Core self-evaluations (CSE) have predictive value for important work outcomes such as job satisfaction and job performance. However, little is known about the mechanisms that may explain these relationships. The purpose of the present study is to contribute to CSE theory by proposing and subsequently providing a first test of theoretically relevant mediating paths through which CSE may be related to work engagement. Based on approach/avoidance motivation and Job Demands-Resources theory, we examined a perception (via job characteristics), action (via job crafting), and development path (via career competencies). Two independent samples were obtained from employees working in Germany and The Netherlands (N = 303 and N = 404, respectively). When taking all mediators into account, results showed that the perception path represented by autonomy and social support played a minor role in the relationship between CSE and work engagement. Specifically, autonomy did not function as a mediator in both samples while social support played a marginally significant role in the CSE-work engagement relationship in sample 1 and received full support in sample 2. The action path exemplified by job crafting mediated the relationship between CSE and work engagement in both samples. Finally, the development path operationalized with career competencies mediated the relationship between CSE and work engagement in sample 1. The study presents evidence for an action and development path over and above the often tested perception path to explain how CSE is related to work engagement. This is one of the first studies to propose and show that CSE not only influences perceptions but also triggers employee actions and developmental strategies that relate to work engagement.

Core self-evaluations and work engagement: Testing a perception, action, and development path

PubMed Central

Akkermans, Jos

2017-01-01

Core self-evaluations (CSE) have predictive value for important work outcomes such as job satisfaction and job performance. However, little is known about the mechanisms that may explain these relationships. The purpose of the present study is to contribute to CSE theory by proposing and subsequently providing a first test of theoretically relevant mediating paths through which CSE may be related to work engagement. Based on approach/avoidance motivation and Job Demands-Resources theory, we examined a perception (via job characteristics), action (via job crafting), and development path (via career competencies). Two independent samples were obtained from employees working in Germany and The Netherlands (N = 303 and N = 404, respectively). When taking all mediators into account, results showed that the perception path represented by autonomy and social support played a minor role in the relationship between CSE and work engagement. Specifically, autonomy did not function as a mediator in both samples while social support played a marginally significant role in the CSE–work engagement relationship in sample 1 and received full support in sample 2. The action path exemplified by job crafting mediated the relationship between CSE and work engagement in both samples. Finally, the development path operationalized with career competencies mediated the relationship between CSE and work engagement in sample 1. The study presents evidence for an action and development path over and above the often tested perception path to explain how CSE is related to work engagement. This is one of the first studies to propose and show that CSE not only influences perceptions but also triggers employee actions and developmental strategies that relate to work engagement. PMID:28787464

MRI-based dynamic tracking of an untethered ferromagnetic microcapsule navigating in liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahmen, Christian; Belharet, Karim; Folio, David; Ferreira, Antoine; Fatikow, Sergej

2016-04-01

The propulsion of ferromagnetic objects by means of MRI gradients is a promising approach to enable new forms of therapy. In this work, necessary techniques are presented to make this approach work. This includes path planning algorithms working on MRI data, ferromagnetic artifact imaging and a tracking algorithm which delivers position feedback for the ferromagnetic objects, and a propulsion sequence to enable interleaved magnetic propulsion and imaging. Using a dedicated software environment, integrating path-planning methods and real-time tracking, a clinical MRI system is adapted to provide this new functionality for controlled interventional targeted therapeutic applications. Through MRI-based sensing analysis, this article aims to propose a framework to plan a robust pathway to enhance the navigation ability to reach deep locations in the human body. The proposed approaches are validated with different experiments.

Associative memory for online learning in noisy environments using self-organizing incremental neural network.

PubMed

Sudo, Akihito; Sato, Akihiro; Hasegawa, Osamu

2009-06-01

Associative memory operating in a real environment must perform well in online incremental learning and be robust to noisy data because noisy associative patterns are presented sequentially in a real environment. We propose a novel associative memory that satisfies these requirements. Using the proposed method, new associative pairs that are presented sequentially can be learned accurately without forgetting previously learned patterns. The memory size of the proposed method increases adaptively with learning patterns. Therefore, it suffers neither redundancy nor insufficiency of memory size, even in an environment in which the maximum number of associative pairs to be presented is unknown before learning. Noisy inputs in real environments are classifiable into two types: noise-added original patterns and faultily presented random patterns. The proposed method deals with two types of noise. To our knowledge, no conventional associative memory addresses noise of both types. The proposed associative memory performs as a bidirectional one-to-many or many-to-one associative memory and deals not only with bipolar data, but also with real-valued data. Results demonstrate that the proposed method's features are important for application to an intelligent robot operating in a real environment. The originality of our work consists of two points: employing a growing self-organizing network for an associative memory, and discussing what features are necessary for an associative memory for an intelligent robot and proposing an associative memory that satisfies those requirements.

IoT Big-Data Centred Knowledge Granule Analytic and Cluster Framework for BI Applications: A Case Base Analysis.

PubMed

Chang, Hsien-Tsung; Mishra, Nilamadhab; Lin, Chung-Chih

2015-01-01

The current rapid growth of Internet of Things (IoT) in various commercial and non-commercial sectors has led to the deposition of large-scale IoT data, of which the time-critical analytic and clustering of knowledge granules represent highly thought-provoking application possibilities. The objective of the present work is to inspect the structural analysis and clustering of complex knowledge granules in an IoT big-data environment. In this work, we propose a knowledge granule analytic and clustering (KGAC) framework that explores and assembles knowledge granules from IoT big-data arrays for a business intelligence (BI) application. Our work implements neuro-fuzzy analytic architecture rather than a standard fuzzified approach to discover the complex knowledge granules. Furthermore, we implement an enhanced knowledge granule clustering (e-KGC) mechanism that is more elastic than previous techniques when assembling the tactical and explicit complex knowledge granules from IoT big-data arrays. The analysis and discussion presented here show that the proposed framework and mechanism can be implemented to extract knowledge granules from an IoT big-data array in such a way as to present knowledge of strategic value to executives and enable knowledge users to perform further BI actions.

Lightweight thermal energy recovery system based on shape memory alloys: a DOE ARPA-E initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browne, Alan L.; Keefe, Andrew C.; Alexander, Paul W.; Mankame, Nilesh; Usoro, Patrick; Johnson, Nancy L.; Aase, Jan; Sarosi, Peter; McKnight, Geoffrey P.; Herrera, Guillermo; Churchill, Christopher; Shaw, John; Brown, Jeff

2012-04-01

Over 60% of energy that is generated is lost as waste heat with close to 90% of this waste heat being classified as low grade being at temperatures less than 200°C. Many technologies such as thermoelectrics have been proposed as means for harvesting this lost thermal energy. Among them, that of SMA (shape memory alloy) heat engines appears to be a strong candidate for converting this low grade thermal output to useful mechanical work. Unfortunately, though proposed initially in the late 60's and the subject of significant development work in the 70's, significant technical roadblocks have existed preventing this technology from moving from a scientific curiosity to a practical reality. This paper/presentation provides an overview of the work performed on SMA heat engines under the US DOE (Department of Energy) ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy) initiative. It begins with a review of the previous art, covers the identified technical roadblocks to past advancement, presents the solution path taken to remove these roadblocks, and describes significant breakthroughs during the project. The presentation concludes with details of the functioning prototypes developed, which, being able to operate in air as well as fluids, dramatically expand the operational envelop and make significant strides towards the ultimate goal of commercial viability.

IoT Big-Data Centred Knowledge Granule Analytic and Cluster Framework for BI Applications: A Case Base Analysis

PubMed Central

Chang, Hsien-Tsung; Mishra, Nilamadhab; Lin, Chung-Chih

2015-01-01

The current rapid growth of Internet of Things (IoT) in various commercial and non-commercial sectors has led to the deposition of large-scale IoT data, of which the time-critical analytic and clustering of knowledge granules represent highly thought-provoking application possibilities. The objective of the present work is to inspect the structural analysis and clustering of complex knowledge granules in an IoT big-data environment. In this work, we propose a knowledge granule analytic and clustering (KGAC) framework that explores and assembles knowledge granules from IoT big-data arrays for a business intelligence (BI) application. Our work implements neuro-fuzzy analytic architecture rather than a standard fuzzified approach to discover the complex knowledge granules. Furthermore, we implement an enhanced knowledge granule clustering (e-KGC) mechanism that is more elastic than previous techniques when assembling the tactical and explicit complex knowledge granules from IoT big-data arrays. The analysis and discussion presented here show that the proposed framework and mechanism can be implemented to extract knowledge granules from an IoT big-data array in such a way as to present knowledge of strategic value to executives and enable knowledge users to perform further BI actions. PMID:26600156

Implementation of a Proposed System for Automated Microcode Generation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-12-01

Marcia Elaine Provance 6 . PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS t0. PROGRAM ELEMENT, PROJECT, TASK AREA 6 WORK UNIT NUMBERS * Naval Postgraduate...The proposed microprogramming system is organized around a series of menus which are presented to a microprograrmuer so that she can build FDC 1473... organization is not affected. A computer can also respond more easily to new performance demands and problem solutions. A richer or a larger instruction set

A chaotic jerk system with non-hyperbolic equilibrium: Dynamics, effect of time delay and circuit realisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajagopal, Karthikeyan; Pham, Viet-Thanh; Tahir, Fadhil Rahma; Akgul, Akif; Abdolmohammadi, Hamid Reza; Jafari, Sajad

2018-04-01

The literature on chaos has highlighted several chaotic systems with special features. In this work, a novel chaotic jerk system with non-hyperbolic equilibrium is proposed. The dynamics of this new system is revealed through equilibrium analysis, phase portrait, bifurcation diagram and Lyapunov exponents. In addition, we investigate the time-delay effects on the proposed system. Realisation of such a system is presented to verify its feasibility.

Towards a minimally invasive sampling tool for high resolution tissue analytical mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gottardi, R.

2015-09-01

Multiple spatial mapping techniques of biological tissues have been proposed over the years, but all present limitations either in terms of resolution, analytical capacity or invasiveness. Ren et al (2015 Nanotechnology 26 284001) propose in their most recent work the use of a picosecond infrared laser (PIRL) under conditions of ultrafast desorption by impulsive vibrational excitation (DIVE) to extract small amounts of cellular and molecular components, conserving their viability, structure and activity. The PIRL DIVE technique would then work as a nanobiopsy with minimal damage to the surrounding tissues, which could potentially be applied for high resolution local structural characterization of tissues in health and disease with the spatial limit determined by the laser focus.

Closed-form dynamics of a hexarot parallel manipulator by means of the principle of virtual work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedrammehr, Siamak; Nahavandi, Saeid; Abdi, Hamid

2018-04-01

In this research, a systematic approach to solving the inverse dynamics of hexarot manipulators is addressed using the methodology of virtual work. For the first time, a closed form of the mathematical formulation of the standard dynamic model is presented for this class of mechanisms. An efficient algorithm for solving this closed-form dynamic model of the mechanism is developed and it is used to simulate the dynamics of the system for different trajectories. Validation of the proposed model is performed using SimMechanics and it is shown that the results of the proposed mathematical model match with the results obtained by the SimMechanics model.

Multi-frequency metasurface carpet cloaks.

PubMed

Wang, Chan; Yang, Yihao; Liu, Qianghu; Liang, Dachuan; Zheng, Bin; Chen, Hongsheng; Xu, Zhiwei; Wang, Huaping

2018-05-28

Metasurfaces provide an alternative way to design three-dimensional arbitrary-shaped carpet cloaks with ultrathin thicknesses. Nevertheless, the previous metasurface carpet cloaks work only at a single frequency. To overcome this challenge, we here propose a macroscopic metasurface carpet cloak. The cloak is designed with a metasurface of a few layers that exhibit a special spatial distribution of the conductance and inductance in the unit cell; therefore, it can fully control the reflection phases at several independent frequencies simultaneously. Because of this, the present metasurface cloak can work at dual frequencies based on multi-resonance principle. The proposed design methodology will be very useful in future broadband macroscopic cloaks design with low profiles, light weights, and easy access.

Intuitive presentation of clinical forensic data using anonymous and person-specific 3D reference manikins.

PubMed

Urschler, Martin; Höller, Johannes; Bornik, Alexander; Paul, Tobias; Giretzlehner, Michael; Bischof, Horst; Yen, Kathrin; Scheurer, Eva

2014-08-01

The increasing use of CT/MR devices in forensic analysis motivates the need to present forensic findings from different sources in an intuitive reference visualization, with the aim of combining 3D volumetric images along with digital photographs of external findings into a 3D computer graphics model. This model allows a comprehensive presentation of forensic findings in court and enables comparative evaluation studies correlating data sources. The goal of this work was to investigate different methods to generate anonymous and patient-specific 3D models which may be used as reference visualizations. The issue of registering 3D volumetric as well as 2D photographic data to such 3D models is addressed to provide an intuitive context for injury documentation from arbitrary modalities. We present an image processing and visualization work-flow, discuss the major parts of this work-flow, compare the different investigated reference models, and show a number of cases studies that underline the suitability of the proposed work-flow for presenting forensically relevant information in 3D visualizations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Collective Study on Modeling and Simulation of Resistive Random Access Memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panda, Debashis; Sahu, Paritosh Piyush; Tseng, Tseung Yuen

2018-01-01

In this work, we provide a comprehensive discussion on the various models proposed for the design and description of resistive random access memory (RRAM), being a nascent technology is heavily reliant on accurate models to develop efficient working designs and standardize its implementation across devices. This review provides detailed information regarding the various physical methodologies considered for developing models for RRAM devices. It covers all the important models reported till now and elucidates their features and limitations. Various additional effects and anomalies arising from memristive system have been addressed, and the solutions provided by the models to these problems have been shown as well. All the fundamental concepts of RRAM model development such as device operation, switching dynamics, and current-voltage relationships are covered in detail in this work. Popular models proposed by Chua, HP Labs, Yakopcic, TEAM, Stanford/ASU, Ielmini, Berco-Tseng, and many others have been compared and analyzed extensively on various parameters. The working and implementations of the window functions like Joglekar, Biolek, Prodromakis, etc. has been presented and compared as well. New well-defined modeling concepts have been discussed which increase the applicability and accuracy of the models. The use of these concepts brings forth several improvements in the existing models, which have been enumerated in this work. Following the template presented, highly accurate models would be developed which will vastly help future model developers and the modeling community.

A novel method for overlapping community detection using Multi-objective optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebrahimi, Morteza; Shahmoradi, Mohammad Reza; Heshmati, Zainabolhoda; Salehi, Mostafa

2018-09-01

The problem of community detection as one of the most important applications of network science can be addressed effectively by multi-objective optimization. In this paper, we aim to present a novel efficient method based on this approach. Also, in this study the idea of using all Pareto fronts to detect overlapping communities is introduced. The proposed method has two main advantages compared to other multi-objective optimization based approaches. The first advantage is scalability, and the second is the ability to find overlapping communities. Despite most of the works, the proposed method is able to find overlapping communities effectively. The new algorithm works by extracting appropriate communities from all the Pareto optimal solutions, instead of choosing the one optimal solution. Empirical experiments on different features of separated and overlapping communities, on both synthetic and real networks show that the proposed method performs better in comparison with other methods.

Development of an expert data reduction assistant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Glenn E.; Johnston, Mark D.; Hanisch, Robert J.

1993-01-01

We propose the development of an expert system tool for the management and reduction of complex datasets. the proposed work is an extension of a successful prototype system for the calibration of CCD (charge coupled device) images developed by Dr. Johnston in 1987. (ref.: Proceedings of the Goddard Conference on Space Applications of Artificial Intelligence). The reduction of complex multi-parameter data sets presents severe challenges to a scientist. Not only must a particular data analysis system be mastered, (e.g. IRAF/SDAS/MIDAS), large amounts of data can require many days of tedious work and supervision by the scientist for even the most straightforward reductions. The proposed Expert Data Reduction Assistant will help the scientist overcome these obstacles by developing a reduction plan based on the data at hand and producing a script for the reduction of the data in a target common language.

Driver's mental workload prediction model based on physiological indices.

PubMed

Yan, Shengyuan; Tran, Cong Chi; Wei, Yingying; Habiyaremye, Jean Luc

2017-09-15

Developing an early warning model to predict the driver's mental workload (MWL) is critical and helpful, especially for new or less experienced drivers. The present study aims to investigate the correlation between new drivers' MWL and their work performance, regarding the number of errors. Additionally, the group method of data handling is used to establish the driver's MWL predictive model based on subjective rating (NASA task load index [NASA-TLX]) and six physiological indices. The results indicate that the NASA-TLX and the number of errors are positively correlated, and the predictive model shows the validity of the proposed model with an R 2 value of 0.745. The proposed model is expected to provide a reference value for the new drivers of their MWL by providing the physiological indices, and the driving lesson plans can be proposed to sustain an appropriate MWL as well as improve the driver's work performance.

Automatic Positioning System of Small Agricultural Robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Momot, M. V.; Proskokov, A. V.; Natalchenko, A. S.; Biktimirov, A. S.

2016-08-01

The present article discusses automatic positioning systems of agricultural robots used in field works. The existing solutions in this area have been analyzed. The article proposes an original solution, which is easy to implement and is characterized by high- accuracy positioning.

Report of the Terrestrial Bodies Science Working Group. Volume 5: Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Masursky, H.; Albee, A. L.; Briggs, G.; Duke, M. B.; Schopf, J. W.; Soderblom, L.; Sonett, C. P.; Stewart, I.; Trombka, J. L.; Wood, J.

1977-01-01

Present knowledge of the global properties and surface characteraretics of Mars and the composition and dynamics of its atmosphere are reviewed. The objectives of proposed missions, the exploration strategy, and supporting research and technology required are delineated.

Application of electrohydrodynamic phenomena to space processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, T. B.

1975-01-01

The capabilities of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) unit separation, liquid handling/control, and mixing are introduced to industrial chemists and metallurgists, working on specific zero-gravity processes. Previously proposed zero-gravity applications of EHD are presented along with the prominent electrohydrodynamical force effects.

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.

Miami Valley ITS : early deployment plan : recommended system architecture and technologies working paper

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-08-01

This system architecture paper will discuss proposed architectures for the four infrastructure oriented program areas defined by the project team and presented in the Strategic Deployment Plan (August 1997). This report will concentrate on defi...

Optimizing Teleportation Cost in Distributed Quantum Circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zomorodi-Moghadam, Mariam; Houshmand, Mahboobeh; Houshmand, Monireh

2018-03-01

The presented work provides a procedure for optimizing the communication cost of a distributed quantum circuit (DQC) in terms of the number of qubit teleportations. Because of technology limitations which do not allow large quantum computers to work as a single processing element, distributed quantum computation is an appropriate solution to overcome this difficulty. Previous studies have applied ad-hoc solutions to distribute a quantum system for special cases and applications. In this study, a general approach is proposed to optimize the number of teleportations for a DQC consisting of two spatially separated and long-distance quantum subsystems. To this end, different configurations of locations for executing gates whose qubits are in distinct subsystems are considered and for each of these configurations, the proposed algorithm is run to find the minimum number of required teleportations. Finally, the configuration which leads to the minimum number of teleportations is reported. The proposed method can be used as an automated procedure to find the configuration with the optimal communication cost for the DQC. This cost can be used as a basic measure of the communication cost for future works in the distributed quantum circuits.

Why some colors appear more memorable than others: A model combining categories and particulars in color working memory.

PubMed

Bae, Gi-Yeul; Olkkonen, Maria; Allred, Sarah R; Flombaum, Jonathan I

2015-08-01

Categorization with basic color terms is an intuitive and universal aspect of color perception. Yet research on visual working memory capacity has largely assumed that only continuous estimates within color space are relevant to memory. As a result, the influence of color categories on working memory remains unknown. We propose a dual content model of color representation in which color matches to objects that are either present (perception) or absent (memory) integrate category representations along with estimates of specific values on a continuous scale ("particulars"). We develop and test the model through 4 experiments. In a first experiment pair, participants reproduce a color target, both with and without a delay, using a recently influential estimation paradigm. In a second experiment pair, we use standard methods in color perception to identify boundary and focal colors in the stimulus set. The main results are that responses drawn from working memory are significantly biased away from category boundaries and toward category centers. Importantly, the same pattern of results is present without a memory delay. The proposed dual content model parsimoniously explains these results, and it should replace prevailing single content models in studies of visual working memory. More broadly, the model and the results demonstrate how the main consequence of visual working memory maintenance is the amplification of category related biases and stimulus-specific variability that originate in perception. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

[Verified maximum admissible intensity (MAI) values for the ultrasonic noise in work environment].

PubMed

Pawlaczyk-Łuszcyńska, M; Koton, J; Augustyńska, D; Sliwińska-Kowalska, M; Kameduła, M

2001-01-01

The measurement methods and occupational exposure limits for ultrasonic noise (airborne ultrasound) are described. Typical sources of ultrasonic noise and sound pressure levels measured at workplaces are discussed. The verified Polish regulations on maximum admissible intensity (MAI) values for ultrasonic noise in the work environment and proposals of exposure limits for workers at particular risk (i.e. pregnant women and juveniles) are presented.

A multidisciplinary approach of workload assessment in real-job situations: investigation in the field of aerospace activities.

PubMed

Mélan, Claudine; Cascino, Nadine

2014-01-01

The present contribution presents two field studies combining tools and methods from cognitive psychology and from occupational psychology in order to perform a thorough investigation of workload in employees. Cognitive load theory proposes to distinguish different load categories of working memory, in a context of instruction. Intrinsic load is inherent to the task, extraneous load refers to components of a learning environment that may be modified to reduce total load, and germane load enables schemas construction and thus efficient learning. We showed previously that this theoretical framework may be successfully extended to working memory tasks in non-instructional designs. Other theoretical models, issued from the field of occupational psychology, account for an individual's perception of work demands or requirements in the context of different psychosocial features of the (work) environment. Combining these approaches is difficult as workload assessment by job-perception questionnaires explore an individual's overall job-perception over a large time-period, whereas cognitive load investigations in working memory tasks are typically performed within short time-periods. We proposed an original methodology enabling investigation of workload and load factors in a comparable time-frame. We report two field studies investigating workload on different shift-phases and between work-shifts, with two custom-made tools. The first one enabled workload assessment by manipulating intrinsic load (task difficulty) and extraneous load (time pressure) in a working-memory task. The second tool was a questionnaire based on the theoretical concepts of work-demands, control, and psychosocial support. Two additional dimensions suspected to contribute to job-perception, i.e., work-family conflicts and availability of human and technical resources were also explored. Results of workload assessments were discussed in light of operators' alertness and job-performance.

From Red Tape to Results: Creating a Government That Works Better & Costs Less. Report of the National Performance Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gore, Al

This monograph presents results of a 6-month study of the federal government and the Clinton Administration's proposal for a decade-long process of re-inventing the federal government's operations. Each of four major principles are presented in a chapter organized around specific steps towards its implementation. These principles are: cutting red…

Spatial attention interacts with serial-order retrieval from verbal working memory.

PubMed

van Dijck, Jean-Philippe; Abrahamse, Elger L; Majerus, Steve; Fias, Wim

2013-09-01

The ability to maintain the serial order of events is recognized as a major function of working memory. Although general models of working memory postulate a close link between working memory and attention, such a link has so far not been proposed specifically for serial-order working memory. The present study provided the first empirical demonstration of a direct link between serial order in verbal working memory and spatial selective attention. We show that the retrieval of later items of a sequence stored in working memory-compared with that of earlier items-produces covert attentional shifts toward the right. This observation suggests the conceptually surprising notion that serial-order working memory, even for nonspatially defined verbal items, draws on spatial attention.

A velocity-correction projection method based immersed boundary method for incompressible flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Shanggui

2014-11-01

In the present work we propose a novel direct forcing immersed boundary method based on the velocity-correction projection method of [J.L. Guermond, J. Shen, Velocity-correction projection methods for incompressible flows, SIAM J. Numer. Anal., 41 (1)(2003) 112]. The principal idea of immersed boundary method is to correct the velocity in the vicinity of the immersed object by using an artificial force to mimic the presence of the physical boundaries. Therefore, velocity-correction projection method is preferred to its pressure-correction counterpart in the present work. Since the velocity-correct projection method is considered as a dual class of pressure-correction method, the proposed method here can also be interpreted in the way that first the pressure is predicted by treating the viscous term explicitly without the consideration of the immersed boundary, and the solenoidal velocity is used to determine the volume force on the Lagrangian points, then the non-slip boundary condition is enforced by correcting the velocity with the implicit viscous term. To demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method, several numerical simulations are performed and compared with the results in the literature. China Scholarship Council.

A New Approach to Predict user Mobility Using Semantic Analysis and Machine Learning.

PubMed

Fernandes, Roshan; D'Souza G L, Rio

2017-10-19

Mobility prediction is a technique in which the future location of a user is identified in a given network. Mobility prediction provides solutions to many day-to-day life problems. It helps in seamless handovers in wireless networks to provide better location based services and to recalculate paths in Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANET). In the present study, a framework is presented which predicts user mobility in presence and absence of mobility history. Naïve Bayesian classification algorithm and Markov Model are used to predict user future location when user mobility history is available. An attempt is made to predict user future location by using Short Message Service (SMS) and instantaneous Geological coordinates in the absence of mobility patterns. The proposed technique compares the performance metrics with commonly used Markov Chain model. From the experimental results it is evident that the techniques used in this work gives better results when considering both spatial and temporal information. The proposed method predicts user's future location in the absence of mobility history quite fairly. The proposed work is applied to predict the mobility of medical rescue vehicles and social security systems.

Consortium for Petroleum & Natural Gas Stripper Wells PART 3 OF 3

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

Morrison, Joel

The United States has more oil and gas wells than any other country. As of December 31, 2004, there were more than half a million producing oil wells in the United States. That is more than three times the combined total for the next three leaders: China, Canada, and Russia. The Stripper Well Consortium (SWC) is a partnership that includes domestic oil and gas producers, service and supply companies, trade associations, academia, the Department of Energy’s Strategic Center for Natural Gas and Oil (SCNGO) at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), and the New York State Energy Research and Developmentmore » Authority (NYSERDA). The Consortium was established in 2000. This report serves as a final technical report for the SWC activities conducted over the May 1, 2004 to December 1, 2011 timeframe. During this timeframe, the SWC worked with 173 members in 29 states and three international countries, to focus on the development of new technologies to benefit the U.S. stripper well industry. SWC worked with NETL to develop a nationwide request-for-proposal (RFP) process to solicit proposals from the U.S. stripper well industry to develop and/or deploy new technologies that would assist small producers in improving the production performance of their stripper well operations. SWC conducted eight rounds of funding. A total of 132 proposals were received. The proposals were compiled and distributed to an industrydriven SWC executive council and program sponsors for review. Applicants were required to make a formal technical presentation to the SWC membership, executive council, and program sponsors. After reviewing the proposals and listening to the presentations, the executive council made their funding recommendations to program sponsors. A total of 64 projects were selected for funding, of which 59 were fully completed. Penn State then worked with grant awardees to issue a subcontract for their approved work. SWC organized and hosted a total of 14 meetings dedicated to technology transfer to showcase and review SWC-funded technology. The workshops were open to the stripper well industry.« less

Consortium for Petroleum & Natural Gas Stripper Wells PART 2 OF 3

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

Morrison, Joel

2011-12-01

The United States has more oil and gas wells than any other country. As of December 31, 2004, there were more than half a million producing oil wells in the United States. That is more than three times the combined total for the next three leaders: China, Canada, and Russia. The Stripper Well Consortium (SWC) is a partnership that includes domestic oil and gas producers, service and supply companies, trade associations, academia, the Department of Energy’s Strategic Center for Natural Gas and Oil (SCNGO) at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), and the New York State Energy Research and Developmentmore » Authority (NYSERDA). The Consortium was established in 2000. This report serves as a final technical report for the SWC activities conducted over the May 1, 2004 to December 1, 2011 timeframe. During this timeframe, the SWC worked with 173 members in 29 states and three international countries, to focus on the development of new technologies to benefit the U.S. stripper well industry. SWC worked with NETL to develop a nationwide request-for-proposal (RFP) process to solicit proposals from the U.S. stripper well industry to develop and/or deploy new technologies that would assist small producers in improving the production performance of their stripper well operations. SWC conducted eight rounds of funding. A total of 132 proposals were received. The proposals were compiled and distributed to an industrydriven SWC executive council and program sponsors for review. Applicants were required to make a formal technical presentation to the SWC membership, executive council, and program sponsors. After reviewing the proposals and listening to the presentations, the executive council made their funding recommendations to program sponsors. A total of 64 projects were selected for funding, of which 59 were fully completed. Penn State then worked with grant awardees to issue a subcontract for their approved work. SWC organized and hosted a total of 14 meetings dedicated to technology transfer to showcase and review SWC-funded technology. The workshops were open to the stripper well industry.« less

System performance enhancement with pre-distorted OOFDM signal waveforms in DM/DD systems.

PubMed

Sánchez, C; Ortega, B; Capmany, J

2014-03-24

In this work we propose a pre-distortion technique for the mitigation of the nonlinear distortion present in directly modulated/detected OOFDM systems and explore the system performance achieved under varying system parameters. Simulation results show that the proposed pre-distortion technique efficiently mitigates the nonlinear distortion, achieving transmission information rates around 40 Gbits/s and 18.5 Gbits/s over 40 km and 100 km of single mode fiber links, respectively, under optimum operating conditions. Moreover, the proposed pre-distortion technique can potentially provide higher system performance to that obtained with nonlinear equalization at the receiver.

A 0.13-µm implementation of 5 Gb/s and 3-mW folded parallel architecture for AES algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahimunnisa, K.; Karthigaikumar, P.; Kirubavathy, J.; Jayakumar, J.; Kumar, S. Suresh

2014-02-01

A new architecture for encrypting and decrypting the confidential data using Advanced Encryption Standard algorithm is presented in this article. This structure combines the folded structure with parallel architecture to increase the throughput. The whole architecture achieved high throughput with less power. The proposed architecture is implemented in 0.13-µm Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The proposed structure is compared with different existing structures, and from the result it is proved that the proposed structure gives higher throughput and less power compared to existing works.

An Approach for Transmission Loss and Cost Allocation by Loss Allocation Index and Co-operative Game Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Baseem; Agnihotri, Ganga; Mishra, Anuprita S.

2016-03-01

In the present work authors proposed a novel method for transmission loss and cost allocation to users (generators and loads). In the developed methodology transmission losses are allocated to users based on their usage of the transmission line. After usage allocation, particular loss allocation indices (PLAI) are evaluated for loads and generators. Also Cooperative game theory approach is applied for comparison of results. The proposed method is simple and easy to implement on the practical power system. Sample 6 bus and IEEE 14 bus system is used for showing the effectiveness of proposed method.

Systems Engineering Leadership Development: Advancing Systems Engineering Excellence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Phil; Whitfield, Susan

2011-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the Systems Engineering Leadership Development Program, with particular emphasis on the work being done in the development of systems engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center. There exists a lack of individuals with systems engineering expertise, in particular those with strong leadership capabilities, to meet the needs of the Agency's exploration agenda. Therefore there is a emphasis on developing these programs to identify and train systems engineers. The presentation reviews the proposed MSFC program that includes course work, and developmental assignments. The formal developmental programs at the other centers are briefly reviewed, including the Point of Contact (POC)

Modeling Pumped Thermal Energy Storage with Waste Heat Harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abarr, Miles L. Lindsey

This work introduces a new concept for a utility scale combined energy storage and generation system. The proposed design utilizes a pumped thermal energy storage (PTES) system, which also utilizes waste heat leaving a natural gas peaker plant. This system creates a low cost utility-scale energy storage system by leveraging this dual-functionality. This dissertation first presents a review of previous work in PTES as well as the details of the proposed integrated bottoming and energy storage system. A time-domain system model was developed in Mathworks R2016a Simscape and Simulink software to analyze this system. Validation of both the fluid state model and the thermal energy storage model are provided. The experimental results showed the average error in cumulative fluid energy between simulation and measurement was +/- 0.3% per hour. Comparison to a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model showed <1% error for bottoming mode heat transfer. The system model was used to conduct sensitivity analysis, baseline performance, and levelized cost of energy of a recently proposed Pumped Thermal Energy Storage and Bottoming System (Bot-PTES) that uses ammonia as the working fluid. This analysis focused on the effects of hot thermal storage utilization, system pressure, and evaporator/condenser size on the system performance. This work presents the estimated performance for a proposed baseline Bot-PTES. Results of this analysis showed that all selected parameters had significant effects on efficiency, with the evaporator/condenser size having the largest effect over the selected ranges. Results for the baseline case showed stand-alone energy storage efficiencies between 51 and 66% for varying power levels and charge states, and a stand-alone bottoming efficiency of 24%. The resulting efficiencies for this case were low compared to competing technologies; however, the dual-functionality of the Bot-PTES enables it to have higher capacity factor, leading to 91-197/MWh levelized cost of energy compared to 262-284/MWh for batteries and $172-254/MWh for Compressed Air Energy Storage.

Evaluation of radiation loading on finite cylindrical shells using the fast Fourier transform: A comparison with direct numerical integration.

PubMed

Liu, S X; Zou, M S

2018-03-01

The radiation loading on a vibratory finite cylindrical shell is conventionally evaluated through the direct numerical integration (DNI) method. An alternative strategy via the fast Fourier transform algorithm is put forward in this work based on the general expression of radiation impedance. To check the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed method, a comparison with DNI is presented through numerical cases. The results obtained using the present method agree well with those calculated by DNI. More importantly, the proposed calculating strategy can significantly save the time cost compared with the conventional approach of straightforward numerical integration.

Automated identification of sleep states from EEG signals by means of ensemble empirical mode decomposition and random under sampling boosting.

PubMed

Hassan, Ahnaf Rashik; Bhuiyan, Mohammed Imamul Hassan

2017-03-01

Automatic sleep staging is essential for alleviating the burden of the physicians of analyzing a large volume of data by visual inspection. It is also a precondition for making an automated sleep monitoring system feasible. Further, computerized sleep scoring will expedite large-scale data analysis in sleep research. Nevertheless, most of the existing works on sleep staging are either multichannel or multiple physiological signal based which are uncomfortable for the user and hinder the feasibility of an in-home sleep monitoring device. So, a successful and reliable computer-assisted sleep staging scheme is yet to emerge. In this work, we propose a single channel EEG based algorithm for computerized sleep scoring. In the proposed algorithm, we decompose EEG signal segments using Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) and extract various statistical moment based features. The effectiveness of EEMD and statistical features are investigated. Statistical analysis is performed for feature selection. A newly proposed classification technique, namely - Random under sampling boosting (RUSBoost) is introduced for sleep stage classification. This is the first implementation of EEMD in conjunction with RUSBoost to the best of the authors' knowledge. The proposed feature extraction scheme's performance is investigated for various choices of classification models. The algorithmic performance of our scheme is evaluated against contemporary works in the literature. The performance of the proposed method is comparable or better than that of the state-of-the-art ones. The proposed algorithm gives 88.07%, 83.49%, 92.66%, 94.23%, and 98.15% for 6-state to 2-state classification of sleep stages on Sleep-EDF database. Our experimental outcomes reveal that RUSBoost outperforms other classification models for the feature extraction framework presented in this work. Besides, the algorithm proposed in this work demonstrates high detection accuracy for the sleep states S1 and REM. Statistical moment based features in the EEMD domain distinguish the sleep states successfully and efficaciously. The automated sleep scoring scheme propounded herein can eradicate the onus of the clinicians, contribute to the device implementation of a sleep monitoring system, and benefit sleep research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Occupational medicine and communication: which role for print media?].

PubMed

Cecaro, M; Bernardini, M; Isolani, L; Passamonti, C

2010-01-01

The diffusion of recent regulations on work safety has captured mass-media's interest on work accidents. The present work aims to highlight the role of print media in building a social representation of work safety, by performing a qualitative analysis of articles published between 2009 and 2010 in three of the main national newspapers. Results showed that print media are accurate in reporting news, but they do not serve as source of education in work safety's issues. Information is mainly focused around catastrophic events, with headlines inducing negative emotions. Very few articles contain a critical discussion of methods and operational proposals tested around the Country. A possible transformation of media's role in promoting work safety is discussed.

Color Image Restoration Using Nonlocal Mumford-Shah Regularizers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Miyoun; Bresson, Xavier; Chan, Tony F.; Vese, Luminita A.

We introduce several color image restoration algorithms based on the Mumford-Shah model and nonlocal image information. The standard Ambrosio-Tortorelli and Shah models are defined to work in a small local neighborhood, which are sufficient to denoise smooth regions with sharp boundaries. However, textures are not local in nature and require semi-local/non-local information to be denoised efficiently. Inspired from recent work (NL-means of Buades, Coll, Morel and NL-TV of Gilboa, Osher), we extend the standard models of Ambrosio-Tortorelli and Shah approximations to Mumford-Shah functionals to work with nonlocal information, for better restoration of fine structures and textures. We present several applications of the proposed nonlocal MS regularizers in image processing such as color image denoising, color image deblurring in the presence of Gaussian or impulse noise, color image inpainting, and color image super-resolution. In the formulation of nonlocal variational models for the image deblurring with impulse noise, we propose an efficient preprocessing step for the computation of the weight function w. In all the applications, the proposed nonlocal regularizers produce superior results over the local ones, especially in image inpainting with large missing regions. Experimental results and comparisons between the proposed nonlocal methods and the local ones are shown.

Agency Innovation Mission with Dava Newman

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-01

Dr. Dava Newman, NASA's deputy administrator, speaks to employees at the Florida spaceport during the annual KickStart Innovation Expo. The event gives employees an opportunity to present proposals for new ideas and processes. A small amount of funding is awarded to those selected allowing individuals or teams to procure needed items to implement their projects. Kennedy employees are encouraged to look for ways to do their work better and to propose concepts for tackling future mission needs.

Agency Innovation Mission with Dava Newman

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-01

Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana speaks to employees at the Florida spaceport during the annual KickStart Innovation Expo. The event gives employees an opportunity to present proposals for new ideas and processes. A small amount of funding is awarded to those selected allowing individuals or teams to procure needed items to implement their projects. Kennedy employees are encouraged to look for ways to do their work better and to propose concepts for tackling future mission needs.

Agency Innovation Mission with Dava Newman

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-11-01

Dr. Dava Newman, NASA's deputy administrator, speaks to employees at the Florida spaceport during the annual KickStart Innovation Expo The event gives employees an opportunity to present proposals for new ideas and processes. A small amount of funding is awarded to those selected allowing individuals or teams to procure needed items to implement their projects. Kennedy employees are encouraged to look for ways to do their work better and to propose concepts for tackling future mission needs.

Active Control of Cryogenic Propellants in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Notardonato, William

2011-01-01

A new era of space exploration is being planned. Exploration architectures under consideration require the long term storage of cryogenic propellants in space. This requires development of active control systems to mitigate the effect of heat leak. This work summarizes current state of the art, proposes operational design strategies and presents options for future architectures. Scaling and integration of active systems will be estimated. Ideal long range spacecraft systems will be proposed with Exploration architecture benefits considered.

Different mathematical processing of absorption, ratio and derivative spectra for quantification of mixtures containing minor component: An application to the analysis of the recently co-formulated antidiabetic drugs; canagliflozin and metformin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lotfy, Hayam M.; Mohamed, Dalia; Elshahed, Mona S.

2018-01-01

In the presented work several spectrophotometric methods were performed for the quantification of canagliflozin (CGZ) and metformin hydrochloride (MTF) simultaneously in their binary mixture. Two of these methods; response correlation (RC) and advanced balance point-spectrum subtraction (ABP-SS) were developed and introduced for the first time in this work, where the latter method (ABP-SS) was performed on both the zero order and the first derivative spectra of the drugs. Besides, two recently established methods; advanced amplitude modulation (AAM) and advanced absorbance subtraction (AAS) were also accomplished. All the proposed methods were validated in accordance to the ICH guidelines, where all methods were proved to be accurate and precise. Additionally, the linearity range, limit of detection and limit of quantification were determined and the selectivity was examined through the analysis of laboratory prepared mixtures and the combined dosage form of the drugs. The proposed methods were capable of determining the two drugs in the ratio present in the pharmaceutical formulation CGZ:MTF (1:17) without the requirement of any preliminary separation, further dilution or standard spiking. The results obtained by the proposed methods were in compliance with the reported chromatographic method when compared statistically, proving the absence of any significant difference in accuracy and precision between the proposed and reported methods.

Caring for Us, Caring about People.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Robert

1992-01-01

Proposes an alternative conceptual framework for social work practice. Describes the present model as lacking a clear, easily articulated identity. Details social problems, including family structure changes, mental illness, physical disability, delinquency, and poverty. Provides key steps to alleviating these problems, emphasizing more active…

Diagnosis, Dogmatism, and Rationality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabinowitz, Jonathan; Efron, Noah J.

1997-01-01

Presents findings suggesting that misdiagnoses frequently stem from flaws in human information processing, particularly in collecting and using information. Claims that improved diagnostic tools will not remedy the problem. Drawing on the work of Karl Popper and Robin Collingwood, proposes operational principles to ensure a rational diagnostic…

American Mass Media and the Myth of Libertarianism: Toward an "Elite Power Group" Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akhavan-Majid, Roya; Wolf, Gary

1991-01-01

Presents evidence of the demise of Libertarianism in the U.S. mass media system and proposes an "elite power group" model as an alternative explanation of the working of the mass media in the United States. (MG)

Development of a measure of work motivation for a meta-theory of motivation.

PubMed

Ryan, James C

2011-06-01

This study presents a measure of work motivation designed to assess the motivational concepts of the meta-theory of motivation. These concepts include intrinsic process motivation, goal internalization motivation, instrumental motivation, external self-concept motivation, and internal self-concept motivation. Following a process of statement development and identification, six statements for each concept were presented to a sample of working professionals (N = 330) via a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. Parallel analysis supported a 5-factor solution, with a varimax rotation identifying 5 factors accounting for 48.9% of total variance. All 5 scales had Cronbach alpha coefficients above .70. Limitations of the newly proposed questionnaire and suggestions for its further development and use are discussed.

Automating the self-scheduling process of nurses in Swedish healthcare: a pilot study.

PubMed

Rönnberg, Elina; Larsson, Torbjörn

2010-03-01

Hospital wards need to be staffed by nurses round the clock, resulting in irregular working hours for many nurses. Over the years, the nurses' influence on the scheduling has been increased in order to improve their working conditions. In Sweden it is common to apply a kind of self-scheduling where each nurse individually proposes a schedule, and then the final schedule is determined through informal negotiations between the nurses. This kind of self-scheduling is very time-consuming and does often lead to conflicts. We present a pilot study which aims at determining if it is possible to create an optimisation tool that automatically delivers a usable schedule based on the schedules proposed by the nurses. The study is performed at a typical Swedish nursing ward, for which we have developed a mathematical model and delivered schedules. The results of this study are very promising and suggest continued work along these lines.

An internal variable constitutive model for the large deformation of metals at high temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Stuart; Anand, Lallit

1988-01-01

The advent of large deformation finite element methodologies is beginning to permit the numerical simulation of hot working processes whose design until recently has been based on prior industrial experience. Proper application of such finite element techniques requires realistic constitutive equations which more accurately model material behavior during hot working. A simple constitutive model for hot working is the single scalar internal variable model for isotropic thermal elastoplasticity proposed by Anand. The model is recalled and the specific scalar functions, for the equivalent plastic strain rate and the evolution equation for the internal variable, presented are slight modifications of those proposed by Anand. The modified functions are better able to represent high temperature material behavior. The monotonic constant true strain rate and strain rate jump compression experiments on a 2 percent silicon iron is briefly described. The model is implemented in the general purpose finite element program ABAQUS.

Three Year Work Plan (2007--10) of the IUHPE Northern Part of the Western Pacific Region.

PubMed

Nakahara, Toshitaka

2008-09-01

The article presents the work plan of the Vice President for the Northern Part of the Western Pacific Region of the IUHPE. The highlights of the plan include, firstly, the organization of the First Asia-Pacific Conference on Health Promotion and Health Education, which will take place in July 2009. Secondly, the plan proposes the establishment of a liaison office and an Internet journal to facilitate collaboration among individuals, groups and organizations working in health promotion and education in this culturally and linguistically diverse region.

Proposal for Testing and Validation of Vacuum Ultra-Violet Atomic Laser-Induced Fluorescence as a Method to Analyze Carbon Grid Erosion in Ion Thrusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, Richard

2003-01-01

Previous investigation under award NAG3-25 10 sought to determine the best method of LIF to determine the carbon density in a thruster plume. Initial reports from other groups were ambiguous as to the number of carbon clusters that might be present in the plume of a thruster. Carbon clusters would certainly affect the ability to LIF; if they were the dominant species, then perhaps the LIF method should target clusters. The results of quadrupole mass spectroscopy on sputtered carbon determined that minimal numbers of clusters were sputtered from graphite under impact from keV Krypton. There were some investigations in the keV range by other groups that hinted at clusters, but at the time the proposal was presented to NASA, there was no data from low-energy sputtering available. Thus, the proposal sought to develop a method to characterize the population only of atoms sputtered from a graphite target in a test cell. Most of the ground work had been established by the previous two years of investigation. The proposal covering 2003 sought to develop an anti-Stokes Raman shifting cell to generate VUW light and test this cell on two different laser systems, ArF and YAG- pumped dye. The second goal was to measure the lowest detectable amounts of carbon atoms by 156.1 nm and 165.7 nm LIF. If equipment was functioning properly, it was expected that these goals would be met easily during the timeframe of the proposal, and that is the reason only modest funding was requested. The PI was only funded at half- time by Glenn during the summer months. All other work time was paid for by Whitworth College. The college also funded a student, Charles Shawley, who worked on the project during the spring.

A multidisciplinary approach of workload assessment in real-job situations: investigation in the field of aerospace activities

PubMed Central

Mélan, Claudine; Cascino, Nadine

2014-01-01

The present contribution presents two field studies combining tools and methods from cognitive psychology and from occupational psychology in order to perform a thorough investigation of workload in employees. Cognitive load theory proposes to distinguish different load categories of working memory, in a context of instruction. Intrinsic load is inherent to the task, extraneous load refers to components of a learning environment that may be modified to reduce total load, and germane load enables schemas construction and thus efficient learning. We showed previously that this theoretical framework may be successfully extended to working memory tasks in non-instructional designs. Other theoretical models, issued from the field of occupational psychology, account for an individual’s perception of work demands or requirements in the context of different psychosocial features of the (work) environment. Combining these approaches is difficult as workload assessment by job-perception questionnaires explore an individual’s overall job-perception over a large time-period, whereas cognitive load investigations in working memory tasks are typically performed within short time-periods. We proposed an original methodology enabling investigation of workload and load factors in a comparable time-frame. We report two field studies investigating workload on different shift-phases and between work-shifts, with two custom-made tools. The first one enabled workload assessment by manipulating intrinsic load (task difficulty) and extraneous load (time pressure) in a working-memory task. The second tool was a questionnaire based on the theoretical concepts of work-demands, control, and psychosocial support. Two additional dimensions suspected to contribute to job-perception, i.e., work–family conflicts and availability of human and technical resources were also explored. Results of workload assessments were discussed in light of operators’ alertness and job-performance. PMID:25232346

The next step towards more equity in health in Sweden: how can we close the gap in a generation?

PubMed

Lundberg, Olle

2018-06-01

In 2015, a national Commission for Equity in Health was appointed by the Swedish Government. In this paper, some key lines of thought from the three reports published by the Commission are summarised. First, the theories and principles for the Commission's work are outlined, in particular regarding the views taken on how health inequalities arise. Second, the importance of process is discussed in relation to cross-sectorial efforts to reduce inequalities in health. More specifically, this brings up some of the proposals made for how to redesign the public health policy framework for cross-sectorial work. Third, the proposed content of cross-sectorial work for more equal health is presented in three steps, namely: (1) overarching recommendations, (2) more equal conditions and opportunities, and (3) general problems of governance. Regarding people's conditions and opportunities, the Commission submitted a number of proposals for the general direction of work that needs to be taken in order to reduce health inequalities, as well as some examples of more specific policy changes or reforms on the basis of each of these general directions, which are summarised here. Finally, some challenges and difficulties that may prevent Sweden from taking the next step towards more equity in health are discussed.

The three moments of skin cream application: an evidence-based proposal for use of skin creams in the prevention of irritant contact dermatitis in the workplace.

PubMed

Hines, J; Wilkinson, S M; John, S M; Diepgen, T L; English, J; Rustemeyer, T; Wassilew, S; Kezic, S; Maibach, H I

2017-01-01

Contact dermatitis is one of the most common occupational diseases, with serious impact on quality of life, lost days at work and a condition that may be chronically relapsing. Regular prophylactic skin cream application is widely acknowledged to be an effective prevention strategy against occupational contact dermatitis; however, compliance rates remain low. To present a simple programme for skin cream application in the workplace with focus on implementation to drive down the rate of occupational irritant contact dermatitis, an expert panel of eight international dermatologists combined personal experience with extensive literature review. The recommendations are based on clinical experience as supported by evidence-based data from interventional studies. The authors identified three moments for skin cream application in the work place: (i) before starting a work period; (ii) after washing hands; and (iii) after work. Affecting behaviour change requires systematic communications, monitoring and reporting, which is proposed through Kotter's principles of organizational change management. Measurement tools are provided in the appendix. Interventional data based on application of this proposal is required to demonstrate its effectiveness. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Space shuttle electromagnetic environment experiment. Phase A: Definition study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haber, F.; Showers, R. M.; Taheri, S. H.; Forrest, L. A., Jr.; Kocher, C.

1974-01-01

A program is discussed which develops a concept for measuring the electromagnetic environment on earth with equipment on board an orbiting space shuttle. Earlier work on spaceborne measuring experiments is reviewed, and emissions to be expected are estimated using, in part, previously gathered data. General relations among system parameters are presented, followed by a proposal on spatial and frequency scanning concepts. The methods proposed include a nadir looking measurement with small lateral scan and a circularly scanned measurement looking tangent to the earth's surface at the horizon. Antenna requirements are given, assuming frequency coverage from 400 MHz to 40 GHz. For the low frequency range, 400-1000 MHz, a processed, thinned array is proposed which will be more fully analyzed in the next phase of the program. Preliminary hardware and data processing requirements are presented.

X-ray Variability Constraints on Compton Cloud Models of Cygnus X-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaughan, Brian

1999-01-01

We have now completed this work, and all related publications have either appeared in print or are currently in press. A list of these publications is given below. There have been essentially three works that have arisen from this proposal. Spectral analysis of the data is presented in Dove et al. (1998a). Timing analysis is presented in Nowak et al. (1999a). Theoretical implications of the data analysis are discussed in Nowak et al. (1999b). Preliminary versions of all these works were presented at various conferences, and are reported in Nowak et al. (1997, 1998), Wilms et al. (1997), and Dove et al. (1998b). The grant was predominantly used for salary support for Dr. Michael Nowak, Dr. James Dove, and Dr. J. Wilms during the course of these projects. Grant funds were also used for Dr. Nowak to travel to Caltech to perform data analysis with Dr. Brian Vaughan, and for Dr. Wilms to visit JILA, University of Colorado, where much of this work was performed.

Modified nonlinear amplifying loop mirror for mode-locked fibre oscillators with record-high energy and high-average-power pulsed output

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobtsev, Sergey; Ivanenko, Alexey; Smirnov, Sergey; Kokhanovsky, Alexey

2018-02-01

The present work proposes and studies approaches for development of new modified non-linear amplifying loop mirror (NALM) allowing flexible and dynamic control of their non-linear properties within a relatively broad range of radiation powers. Using two independently pumped active media in the loop reflector constitutes one of the most promising approaches to development of better NALM with nonlinear properties controllable independently of the intra-cavity radiation power. This work reports on experimental and theoretical studies of the proposed redesigned NALM allowing both a higher level of energy parameters of output generated by mode-locked fibre oscillators and new possibilities of switching among different mode-locked regimes.

The Pioneering Work of Enrico Morselli (1852-1929) in Light of Modern Scientific Research on Hypnosis and Suggestion.

PubMed

Bartolucci, Chiara; Lombardo, Giovanni Pietro

2017-01-01

This article examines research on hypnosis and suggestion, starting with the nineteenth-century model proposed by Enrico Morselli (1852-1929), an illustrious Italian psychiatrist and psychologist. The authors conducted an original psychophysiological analysis of hypnosis, distancing the work from the neuropathological concept of the time and proposing a model based on a naturalistic approach to investigating mental processes. The issues investigated by Morselli, including the definition of hypnosis and analysis of specific mental processes such as attention and memory, are reviewed in light of modern research. From the view of modern neuroscientific concepts, some problems that originated in the nineteenth century still appear to be present and pose still-open questions.

Automatic CT Brain Image Segmentation Using Two Level Multiresolution Mixture Model of EM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiji, G. Wiselin; Dehmeshki, Jamshid

2014-04-01

Tissue classification in computed tomography (CT) brain images is an important issue in the analysis of several brain dementias. A combination of different approaches for the segmentation of brain images is presented in this paper. A multi resolution algorithm is proposed along with scaled versions using Gaussian filter and wavelet analysis that extends expectation maximization (EM) algorithm. It is found that it is less sensitive to noise and got more accurate image segmentation than traditional EM. Moreover the algorithm has been applied on 20 sets of CT of the human brain and compared with other works. The segmentation results show the advantages of the proposed work have achieved more promising results and the results have been tested with Doctors.

An Internationally Coordinated Science Management Plan for Samples Returned from Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haltigin, T.; Smith, C. L.

2015-12-01

Mars Sample Return (MSR) remains a high priority of the planetary exploration community. Such an effort will undoubtedly be too large for any individual agency to conduct itself, and thus will require extensive global cooperation. To help prepare for an eventual MSR campaign, the International Mars Exploration Working Group (IMEWG) chartered the international Mars Architecture for the Return of Samples (iMARS) Phase II working group in 2014, consisting of representatives from 17 countries and agencies. The overarching task of the team was to provide recommendations for progressing towards campaign implementation, including a proposed science management plan. Building upon the iMARS Phase I (2008) outcomes, the Phase II team proposed the development of an International MSR Science Institute as part of the campaign governance, centering its deliberations around four themes: Organization: including an organizational structure for the Institute that outlines roles and responsibilities of key members and describes sample return facility requirements; Management: presenting issues surrounding scientific leadership, defining guidelines and assumptions for Institute membership, and proposing a possible funding model; Operations & Data: outlining a science implementation plan that details the preliminary sample examination flow, sample allocation process, and data policies; and Curation: introducing a sample curation plan that comprises sample tracking and routing procedures, sample sterilization considerations, and long-term archiving recommendations. This work presents a summary of the group's activities, findings, and recommendations, highlighting the role of international coordination in managing the returned samples.

A review of the literature and discussion: establishing a consensus for the definition of post-mastectomy pain syndrome to provide a standardized clinical and research approach.

PubMed

Brackstone, Murial

2016-09-01

Chronic pain presents a management challenge for physicians and patients alike, and post-mastectomy pain is no exception. In this issue, Waltho and Rockwell present a review of post-mastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) and propose a standard definition that should allow future studies to be comparable. The proposed definition of "post-breast surgery pain syndrome" includes pain after any type of breast surgery that is of at least moderate intensity and comprises neuropathic qualities, that is present in the ipsilateral breast/chest/arm, that lasts longer than 6 months and is present at least half the time. Further work is needed to clarify whether this pain syndrome is in fact driven by neuralgia resulting from the axillary dissection component of breast cancer surgery.

Passion for work and emotional exhaustion: the mediating role of rumination and recovery.

PubMed

Donahue, Eric G; Forest, Jacques; Vallerand, Robert J; Lemyre, Pierre-Nicolas; Crevier-Braud, Laurence; Bergeron, Eliane

2012-11-01

The purpose of the present research is to present a model pertaining to the mediating roles of rumination and recovery experiences in the relationship between a harmonious and an obsessive passion (Vallerand et al., 2003) for work and workers' emotional exhaustion. Two populations were measured in the present research: namely elite coaches and nurses. Study 1's model posits that obsessive passion positively predicts rumination about one's work when being physically away from work, while harmonious passion negatively predicts ruminative thoughts. In turn, rumination is expected to positively contribute to emotional exhaustion. The results of Study 1 were replicated in Study 2. In addition, in the model of Study 2, obsessive passion was expected to undermine recovery experiences, while harmonious passion was expected to predict recovery experiences. In turn, recovery experiences were expected to protect workers from emotional exhaustion. Results of both studies provided support for the proposed model. The present findings demonstrate that passion for work may lead to some adaptive and maladaptive psychological processes depending on the type of passion that is prevalent. © 2012 The Authors. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being © 2012 The International Association of Applied Psychology.

Sustainable Supply Chain Design by the P-Graph Framework

EPA Science Inventory

The present work proposes a computer-aided methodology for designing sustainable supply chains in terms of sustainability metrics by resorting to the P-graph framework. The methodology is an outcome of the collaboration between the Office of Research and Development (ORD) of the ...

Communication Education Futures: An Inter-Com '76 Symposium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Work, William, Comp.

Nine position statements prepared for the proposed Inter-Com Symposium of 1976 are presented here. Contributions include the following: "A Philosophical Mini-Position-Statement" (William Work), "Development of Communication Resources through an Experiential Future-Focused Role-Image and Function-Oriented Curriculum: The Task of Communication…

Structured and Unstructured Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1996

This document contains four papers presented at a sympoisum on structured and unstructured learning moderated by Catherine Sleezer at the 1996 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD). "Designing Experiential Learning into Organizational Work Life: Proposing a Framework for Theory and Research" (Cheri Maben-Crouch)…

A Future-Oriented Retirement Transition Adjustment Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hesketh, Beryl; Griffin, Barbara; Loh, Vanessa

2011-01-01

This theoretical paper presents a person-environment fit framework that extends the Minnesota Theory of Work Adjustment to retirement transition and adjustment. The proposed Retirement Transition and Adjustment Framework (RTAF) also accommodates dynamic intra-individual and environment change over time, configural combinations of variables, and an…

Various Viewpoints on Violence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klemm, Bonita; And Others

1995-01-01

Presents four articles addressing various aspects of violence in the context of children's everyday life: video game violence, gun play, violent children's television programming, and war play. Proposes possible developmentally appropriate solutions. Urges teachers, parents, and the community in general to actively work to provide a safer, saner…

Technology assessment of portable energy RDT and P

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanston, J. H., Jr.; Frisbie, W. P.; Poston, D. L.

1975-01-01

Results are presented of a workshop conducted to assess portable energy technology. The results were evaluated and areas for future research were considered. Several research categories were studied: increasing presently available fuel supplies, developing new fuel sources, utilization of new transportation fuels, improving conservation practices, and equitable distribution of fuel supplies. Several research projects were proposed, and work statements were constructed for those considered suitable.

A semi-implicit augmented IIM for Navier–Stokes equations with open, traction, or free boundary conditions

PubMed Central

Li, Zhilin; Xiao, Li; Cai, Qin; Zhao, Hongkai; Luo, Ray

2016-01-01

In this paper, a new Navier–Stokes solver based on a finite difference approximation is proposed to solve incompressible flows on irregular domains with open, traction, and free boundary conditions, which can be applied to simulations of fluid structure interaction, implicit solvent model for biomolecular applications and other free boundary or interface problems. For some problems of this type, the projection method and the augmented immersed interface method (IIM) do not work well or does not work at all. The proposed new Navier–Stokes solver is based on the local pressure boundary method, and a semi-implicit augmented IIM. A fast Poisson solver can be used in our algorithm which gives us the potential for developing fast overall solvers in the future. The time discretization is based on a second order multi-step method. Numerical tests with exact solutions are presented to validate the accuracy of the method. Application to fluid structure interaction between an incompressible fluid and a compressible gas bubble is also presented. PMID:27087702

A semi-implicit augmented IIM for Navier-Stokes equations with open, traction, or free boundary conditions.

PubMed

Li, Zhilin; Xiao, Li; Cai, Qin; Zhao, Hongkai; Luo, Ray

2015-08-15

In this paper, a new Navier-Stokes solver based on a finite difference approximation is proposed to solve incompressible flows on irregular domains with open, traction, and free boundary conditions, which can be applied to simulations of fluid structure interaction, implicit solvent model for biomolecular applications and other free boundary or interface problems. For some problems of this type, the projection method and the augmented immersed interface method (IIM) do not work well or does not work at all. The proposed new Navier-Stokes solver is based on the local pressure boundary method, and a semi-implicit augmented IIM. A fast Poisson solver can be used in our algorithm which gives us the potential for developing fast overall solvers in the future. The time discretization is based on a second order multi-step method. Numerical tests with exact solutions are presented to validate the accuracy of the method. Application to fluid structure interaction between an incompressible fluid and a compressible gas bubble is also presented.

Retraction Assembly for Space Shuttle Extended Nose Landing Gear

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Files, Bradley S.; Nicholson, Leonard S. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

As part of a project to encourage the use of shape memory alloy actuators for space actuators, this mechanism uses a nitinol ribbon to provide the necessary motion to help retract the proposed extended nose landing gear (ENLG) for the space shuttle. Initial proof-of-concept design of the ENLG did not include the ability to retract the gear automatically. One proposed actuator for this purpose was designed at Johnson Space Center and uses resistive heating to rotate the ribbon around a cylinder. This rotation then allows the assembly to pull down a wedge that is used to hold the landing gear strut in place, thus returning the landing gear to its previous height before extension. The presentation will follow the design of this assembly from working with the nitinol ribbon to providing mechanical connections and allowing minimal friction for motion of three wraps around a cylinder. Also to be presented is preliminary work on design of a shape memory alloy gripper, a design project to demonstrate uses of NiTi.

Hydrostatic and hydrodynamic considerations in shunted normal pressure hydrocephalus.

PubMed

de Jong, D A; Delwel, E J; Avezaat, C J

2000-01-01

Symptoms of overdrainage, a frequent complication following shunting procedures especially in patients with normal-pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), are presumed to be caused by siphoning: gravity-enhanced flow of cerebro spinal fluid (CSF) through shunts in upright position. A critical reappraisal of siphoning and overdrainage (OD) is presented considering the occurrence of subdural hygromas (SDH) encountered in a group of patients shunted for NPH. The patients participated in the multicentre Dutch NPH study: 101 NPH patients were randomised for treatment with shunts with low or medium-high working pressure. Treatment with shunts with low working pressure resulted in an increased incidence of SDH (iSDH). Current physiological concepts of overdrainage are discussed and criticised. A new theory is presented on the basis of general physiological considerations. The theoretical model proposed yields a revised explanation for the origin of extremely low ventricular pressure in the upright position found with overdrainage. The efficacy of siphoning-preventing shunts and subtemporal decompression is explored in the light of the proposed theory.

Automatic generation of smart earthquake-resistant building system: Hybrid system of base-isolation and building-connection.

PubMed

Kasagi, M; Fujita, K; Tsuji, M; Takewaki, I

2016-02-01

A base-isolated building may sometimes exhibit an undesirable large response to a long-duration, long-period earthquake ground motion and a connected building system without base-isolation may show a large response to a near-fault (rather high-frequency) earthquake ground motion. To overcome both deficiencies, a new hybrid control system of base-isolation and building-connection is proposed and investigated. In this new hybrid building system, a base-isolated building is connected to a stiffer free wall with oil dampers. It has been demonstrated in a preliminary research that the proposed hybrid system is effective both for near-fault (rather high-frequency) and long-duration, long-period earthquake ground motions and has sufficient redundancy and robustness for a broad range of earthquake ground motions.An automatic generation algorithm of this kind of smart structures of base-isolation and building-connection hybrid systems is presented in this paper. It is shown that, while the proposed algorithm does not work well in a building without the connecting-damper system, it works well in the proposed smart hybrid system with the connecting damper system.

Correlation Filters for Detection of Cellular Nuclei in Histopathology Images.

PubMed

Ahmad, Asif; Asif, Amina; Rajpoot, Nasir; Arif, Muhammad; Minhas, Fayyaz Ul Amir Afsar

2017-11-21

Nuclei detection in histology images is an essential part of computer aided diagnosis of cancers and tumors. It is a challenging task due to diverse and complicated structures of cells. In this work, we present an automated technique for detection of cellular nuclei in hematoxylin and eosin stained histopathology images. Our proposed approach is based on kernelized correlation filters. Correlation filters have been widely used in object detection and tracking applications but their strength has not been explored in the medical imaging domain up till now. Our experimental results show that the proposed scheme gives state of the art accuracy and can learn complex nuclear morphologies. Like deep learning approaches, the proposed filters do not require engineering of image features as they can operate directly on histopathology images without significant preprocessing. However, unlike deep learning methods, the large-margin correlation filters developed in this work are interpretable, computationally efficient and do not require specialized or expensive computing hardware. A cloud based webserver of the proposed method and its python implementation can be accessed at the following URL: http://faculty.pieas.edu.pk/fayyaz/software.html#corehist .

Standards for education and training for interagency working in child protection in the UK: implications for nurses, midwives and health visitors.

PubMed

Long, Tony; Davis, Cathy; Johnson, Martin; Murphy, Michael; Race, David; Shardlow, Steven M

2006-01-01

This article presents a discussion of key issues for the education of nurses, midwives and health visitors following the completion of a Department of Health funded project, managed by the General Social Care Council and conducted jointly by two research centres; Salford Centre for Social Work Research and Salford Centre for Nursing, Midwifery and Collaborative Research. The work was initiated in response to Lord Laming's report on the circumstances leading to the death of Victoria Climbié. The project was conducted in relation to specified professions and occupational groups: doctors; health visitors; midwives; nurses; police; teachers, and social workers. It was undertaken in two stages. The first stage mapped existing material about standards in relation to education and training for interagency working. The second stage engaged in an extensive consultation exercise through which a model and a set of proposed standards for interagency education and training for interagency work were developed. The former is detailed fully in this report, while nine examples of standards are presented. The project final report was presented seven months after commencement.

Software Development Of XML Parser Based On Algebraic Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgiev, Bozhidar; Georgieva, Adriana

2011-12-01

In this paper, is presented one software development and implementation of an algebraic method for XML data processing, which accelerates XML parsing process. Therefore, the proposed in this article nontraditional approach for fast XML navigation with algebraic tools contributes to advanced efforts in the making of an easier user-friendly API for XML transformations. Here the proposed software for XML documents processing (parser) is easy to use and can manage files with strictly defined data structure. The purpose of the presented algorithm is to offer a new approach for search and restructuring hierarchical XML data. This approach permits fast XML documents processing, using algebraic model developed in details in previous works of the same authors. So proposed parsing mechanism is easy accessible to the web consumer who is able to control XML file processing, to search different elements (tags) in it, to delete and to add a new XML content as well. The presented various tests show higher rapidity and low consumption of resources in comparison with some existing commercial parsers.

Working memory consolidation: insights from studies on attention and working memory.

PubMed

Ricker, Timothy J; Nieuwenstein, Mark R; Bayliss, Donna M; Barrouillet, Pierre

2018-04-10

Working memory, the system that maintains a limited set of representations for immediate use in cognition, is a central part of human cognition. Three processes have recently been proposed to govern information storage in working memory: consolidation, refreshing, and removal. Here, we discuss in detail the theoretical construct of working memory consolidation, a process critical to the creation of a stable working memory representation. We present a brief overview of the research that indicated the need for a construct such as working memory consolidation and the subsequent research that has helped to define the parameters of the construct. We then move on to explicitly state the points of agreement as to what processes are involved in working memory consolidation. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

Reducing usage of the computational resources by event driven approach to model predictive control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misik, Stefan; Bradac, Zdenek; Cela, Arben

2017-08-01

This paper deals with a real-time and optimal control of dynamic systems while also considers the constraints which these systems might be subject to. Main objective of this work is to propose a simple modification of the existing Model Predictive Control approach to better suit needs of computational resource-constrained real-time systems. An example using model of a mechanical system is presented and the performance of the proposed method is evaluated in a simulated environment.

Plasma sheath effects on ion collection by a pinhole

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herr, Joel L.; Snyder, David B.

1993-01-01

This work presents tables to assist in the evaluation of pinhole collection effects on spacecraft. These tables summarize results of a computer model which tracks particle trajectories through a simplified electric field in the plasma sheath. A technique is proposed to account for plasma sheath effects in the application of these results and scaling rules are proposed to apply the calculations to specific situations. This model is compared to ion current measurements obtained by another worker, and the agreement is very good.

Ethernet ring protection with managed FDB using APS payload

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Im, Jinsung; Ryoo, Jeong-dong; Joo, Bheom Soon; Rhee, J.-K. Kevin

2007-11-01

Ethernet ring protection (ERP) is a new technology based on OAM (operations, administration, and maintenance) being standardized by the ITU-T G.8032 working group. In this paper, we present the recent development of Ethernet ring protection which is called FDB (filtering database) flush scheme and propose a new Ethernet ring protection technique introducing a managed FDB using APS to deliver information how to fix FDB selectively. We discuss the current development of the ERP technology at ITU-T and performance comparisons between different proposals.

A Mathematical Model of the Thermo-Anemometric Flowmeter

PubMed Central

Korobiichuk, Igor; Bezvesilna, Olena; Ilchenko, Andriі; Shadura, Valentina; Nowicki, Michał; Szewczyk, Roman

2015-01-01

A thermo-anemometric flowmeter design and the principles of its work are presented in the article. A mathematical model of the temperature field in a stream of biofuel is proposed. This model allows one to determine the fuel consumption with high accuracy. Numerical modeling of the heater heat balance in the fuel flow of a thermo-anemometric flowmeter is conducted and the results are analyzed. Methods for increasing the measurement speed and accuracy of a thermo-anemometric flowmeter are proposed. PMID:26378535

A Mathematical Model of the Thermo-Anemometric Flowmeter.

PubMed

Korobiichuk, Igor; Bezvesilna, Olena; Ilchenko, Andriі; Shadura, Valentina; Nowicki, Michał; Szewczyk, Roman

2015-09-11

A thermo-anemometric flowmeter design and the principles of its work are presented in the article. A mathematical model of the temperature field in a stream of biofuel is proposed. This model allows one to determine the fuel consumption with high accuracy. Numerical modeling of the heater heat balance in the fuel flow of a thermo-anemometric flowmeter is conducted and the results are analyzed. Methods for increasing the measurement speed and accuracy of a thermo-anemometric flowmeter are proposed.

A digital library for medical imaging activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

dos Santos, Marcelo; Furuie, Sérgio S.

2007-03-01

This work presents the development of an electronic infrastructure to make available a free, online, multipurpose and multimodality medical image database. The proposed infrastructure implements a distributed architecture for medical image database, authoring tools, and a repository for multimedia documents. Also it includes a peer-reviewed model that assures quality of dataset. This public repository provides a single point of access for medical images and related information to facilitate retrieval tasks. The proposed approach has been used as an electronic teaching system in Radiology as well.

A novel adaptive control method for induction motor based on Backstepping approach using dSpace DS 1104 control board

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Regaya, Chiheb; Farhani, Fethi; Zaafouri, Abderrahmen; Chaari, Abdelkader

2018-02-01

This paper presents a new adaptive Backstepping technique to handle the induction motor (IM) rotor resistance tracking problem. The proposed solution leads to improve the robustness of the control system. Given the presence of static error when estimating the rotor resistance with classical methods, and the sensitivity to the load torque variation at low speed, a new Backstepping observer enhanced with an integral action of the tracking errors is presented, which can be established in two steps. The first one consists to estimate the rotor flux using a Backstepping observer. The second step, defines the adaptation mechanism of the rotor resistance based on the estimated rotor-flux. The asymptotic stability of the observer is proven by Lyapunov theory. To validate the proposed solution, a simulation and experimental benchmarking of a 3 kW induction motor are presented and analyzed. The obtained results show the effectiveness of the proposed solution compared to the model reference adaptive system (MRAS) rotor resistance observer presented in other recent works.

WAIS-IV subtest covariance structure: conceptual and statistical considerations.

PubMed

Ward, L Charles; Bergman, Maria A; Hebert, Katina R

2012-06-01

D. Wechsler (2008b) reported confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) with standardization data (ages 16-69 years) for 10 core and 5 supplemental subtests from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV). Analyses of the 15 subtests supported 4 hypothesized oblique factors (Verbal Comprehension, Working Memory, Perceptual Reasoning, and Processing Speed) but also revealed unexplained covariance between Block Design and Visual Puzzles (Perceptual Reasoning subtests). That covariance was not included in the final models. Instead, a path was added from Working Memory to Figure Weights (Perceptual Reasoning subtest) to improve fit and achieve a desired factor pattern. The present research with the same data (N = 1,800) showed that the path from Working Memory to Figure Weights increases the association between Working Memory and Matrix Reasoning. Specifying both paths improves model fit and largely eliminates unexplained covariance between Block Design and Visual Puzzles but with the undesirable consequence that Figure Weights and Matrix Reasoning are equally determined by Perceptual Reasoning and Working Memory. An alternative 4-factor model was proposed that explained theory-implied covariance between Block Design and Visual Puzzles and between Arithmetic and Figure Weights while maintaining compatibility with WAIS-IV Index structure. The proposed model compared favorably with a 5-factor model based on Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory. The present findings emphasize that covariance model comparisons should involve considerations of conceptual coherence and theoretical adherence in addition to statistical fit. (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved

Strain gage based determination of mixed mode SIFs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murthy, K. S. R. K.; Sarangi, H.; Chakraborty, D.

2018-05-01

Accurate determination of mixed mode stress intensity factors (SIFs) is essential in understanding and analysis of mixed mode fracture of engineering components. Only a few strain gage determination of mixed mode SIFs are reported in literatures and those also do not provide any prescription for radial locations of strain gages to ensure accuracy of measurement. The present investigation experimentally demonstrates the efficacy of a proposed methodology for the accurate determination of mixed mode I/II SIFs using strain gages. The proposed approach is based on the modified Dally and Berger's mixed mode technique. Using the proposed methodology appropriate gage locations (optimal locations) for a given configuration have also been suggested ensuring accurate determination of mixed mode SIFs. Experiments have been conducted by locating the gages at optimal and non-optimal locations to study the efficacy of the proposed approach. The experimental results from the present investigation show that highly accurate SIFs (0.064%) can be determined using the proposed approach if the gages are located at the suggested optimal locations. On the other hand, results also show the very high errors (212.22%) in measured SIFs possible if the gages are located at non-optimal locations. The present work thus clearly substantiates the importance of knowing the optimal locations of the strain gages apriori in accurate determination of SIFs.

76 FR 44602 - State of Arizona Resource Advisory Council Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-26

... Mineral Withdrawal Draft Environmental Impact Statement; presentation and RAC recommendations on the Red Rock Pass Program; RAC questions on District Managers' Reports; reports by the RAC working groups; and... Forest Service recreation fee proposals in Arizona. The RRAC will review the Forest Service's Red Rock...

Synthesis of Sustainable Energy Supply Chain by the P-Graph Framework

EPA Science Inventory

The present work proposes a computer-aided methodology for designing sustainable supply chains in terms of sustainability metrics by utilizing the P-graph framework. The methodology is an outcome of the collaboration between the Office of Research and Development (ORD) of the U.S...

Recent Developments Impacting Financial Reports of Colleges and Universities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilmore, Robert B.

1972-01-01

Background information regarding the draft of "Audits of Educational Institutions," released by the Accounting Principles Board of AICPA, is presented. Sixteen proposed changes are identified to alert and assist the individual business officer in working with his public accountant or state auditor to assure reasonable interpretations…

The Influence of Working Memory Load on Semantic Priming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heyman, Tom; Van Rensbergen, Bram; Storms, Gert; Hutchison, Keith A.; De Deyne, Simon

2015-01-01

The present research examines the nature of the different processes that have been proposed to underlie semantic priming. Specifically, it has been argued that priming arises as a result of "automatic target activation" and/or the use of strategies like prospective "expectancy generation" and "retrospective semantic…

Constructing Matching Texts in Two Languages: The Application of Propositional Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valdes, Guadalupe; And Others

1984-01-01

Discusses how current procedures for selecting/constructing equivalent texts may lead to error because of their specific limitations; proposes the utilization of micro-propositional analysis coupled with word-frequency lists and readability formulas for constructing "matching" texts; presents some procedures which researchers working in…

Personalized Multi-Student Improvement Based on Bayesian Cybernetics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaburlasos, Vassilis G.; Marinagi, Catherine C.; Tsoukalas, Vassilis Th.

2008-01-01

This work presents innovative cybernetics (feedback) techniques based on Bayesian statistics for drawing questions from an Item Bank towards personalized multi-student improvement. A novel software tool, namely "Module for Adaptive Assessment of Students" (or, "MAAS" for short), implements the proposed (feedback) techniques. In conclusion, a pilot…

A Neo-Kohlbergian Approach to Morality Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rest, James R.; Narvaez, Darcia; Thoma, Stephen J.; Bebeau, Muriel J.

2000-01-01

Proposes a model of moral judgment that builds on Lawrence Kohlberg's core assumptions. Addresses the concerns that have surfaced related to Kohlberg's work in moral judgment. Presents an overview of this model using Kohlberg's basic starting points, ideas from cognitive science, and developments in moral philosophy. (CMK)

Fundraising Ideas That Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neugebauer, Roger

1995-01-01

Successful fundraising ideas for childcare centers are presented and guidelines for developing fundraising plans are proposed. Suggestions include diverse sales of products or services to parents and community, events where pleasure and profit can be combined, games of chance, and written or verbal appeals such as phone appeals or newsletters. (AA)

Image quality enhancement for skin cancer optical diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bliznuks, Dmitrijs; Kuzmina, Ilona; Bolocko, Katrina; Lihachev, Alexey

2017-12-01

The research presents image quality analysis and enhancement proposals in biophotonic area. The sources of image problems are reviewed and analyzed. The problems with most impact in biophotonic area are analyzed in terms of specific biophotonic task - skin cancer diagnostics. The results point out that main problem for skin cancer analysis is the skin illumination problems. Since it is often not possible to prevent illumination problems, the paper proposes image post processing algorithm - low frequency filtering. Practical results show diagnostic results improvement after using proposed filter. Along that, filter do not reduces diagnostic results' quality for images without illumination defects. Current filtering algorithm requires empirical tuning of filter parameters. Further work needed to test the algorithm in other biophotonic applications and propose automatic filter parameter selection.

Minimalist approach to the classification of symmetry protected topological phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Zhaoxi

A number of proposals with differing predictions (e.g. group cohomology, cobordisms, group supercohomology, spin cobordisms, etc.) have been made for the classification of symmetry protected topological (SPT) phases. Here we treat various proposals on equal footing and present rigorous, general results that are independent of which proposal is correct. We do so by formulating a minimalist Generalized Cohomology Hypothesis, which is satisfied by existing proposals and captures essential aspects of SPT classification. From this Hypothesis alone, formulas relating classifications in different dimensions and/or protected by different symmetry groups are derived. Our formalism is expected to work for fermionic as well as bosonic phases, Floquet as well as stationary phases, and spatial as well as on-site symmetries.

An effective model for ergonomic optimization applied to a new automotive assembly line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duraccio, Vincenzo; Elia, Valerio; Forcina, Antonio

2016-06-01

An efficient ergonomic optimization can lead to a significant improvement in production performance and a considerable reduction of costs. In the present paper new model for ergonomic optimization is proposed. The new approach is based on the criteria defined by National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and, adapted to Italian legislation. The proposed model provides an ergonomic optimization, by analyzing ergonomic relations between manual work in correct conditions. The model includes a schematic and systematic analysis method of the operations, and identifies all possible ergonomic aspects to be evaluated. The proposed approach has been applied to an automotive assembly line, where the operation repeatability makes the optimization fundamental. The proposed application clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the new approach.

Enhancing wear resistance of working bodies of grinder through lining crushed material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanovich, A. A.; Annenko, D. M.; Romanovich, M. A.; Apukhtina, I. V.

2018-03-01

The article presents the analysis of directions of increasing wear resistance of working surfaces of rolls. A technical solution developed at the level of the invention is proposed, which is simple to implement in production conditions and which makes it possible to protect the roll surface from heavy wear due to surfacing of wear-resistant mesh material, cells of which are filling with grinding material in the process of work. Retaining them enables one to protect the roll surface from wear. The paper dwells on conditions of pressing materials in cells of eccentric rolls on the working surface with a grid of rectangular shape. The paper presents an equation for calculation of the cell dimension that provides the lining of the working surface by a mill material with respect to its properties. The article presents results of comparative studies on the grinding process of a press roller grinder (PRG) between rolls with and without a fusion-bonded mesh. It is clarified that the lining of rolls working surface slightly reduces the quality of the grinding, since the material thickness in the cell is small and has a finely divided and compacted structure with high strength.

Examination of suspicious objects by virus analysts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ananin, E. V.; Ananina, I. S.; Nikishova, A. V.

2018-05-01

The paper presents data on virus threats urgency. But in order for antiviruses to work properly, all data on new implementations of viruses should be added to its database. For that to be done, all suspicious objects should be investigated. It is a dangerous process and should be done in the virtual system. However, it is not secure for the main system as well. So the diagram of a secure workplace for a virus analyst is proposed. It contains software for its protection. Also all kinds of setting to ensure security of the process of investigating suspicious objects are proposed. The proposed approach allows minimizing risks caused by the virus.

New Control Paradigms for Resources Saving: An Approach for Mobile Robots Navigation.

PubMed

Socas, Rafael; Dormido, Raquel; Dormido, Sebastián

2018-01-18

In this work, an event-based control scheme is presented. The proposed system has been developed to solve control problems appearing in the field of Networked Control Systems (NCS). Several models and methodologies have been proposed to measure different resources consumptions. The use of bandwidth, computational load and energy resources have been investigated. This analysis shows how the parameters of the system impacts on the resources efficiency. Moreover, the proposed system has been compared with its equivalent discrete-time solution. In the experiments, an application of NCS for mobile robots navigation has been set up and its resource usage efficiency has been analysed.

New Control Paradigms for Resources Saving: An Approach for Mobile Robots Navigation

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

In this work, an event-based control scheme is presented. The proposed system has been developed to solve control problems appearing in the field of Networked Control Systems (NCS). Several models and methodologies have been proposed to measure different resources consumptions. The use of bandwidth, computational load and energy resources have been investigated. This analysis shows how the parameters of the system impacts on the resources efficiency. Moreover, the proposed system has been compared with its equivalent discrete-time solution. In the experiments, an application of NCS for mobile robots navigation has been set up and its resource usage efficiency has been analysed. PMID:29346321

Single and multiple objective biomass-to-biofuel supply chain optimization considering environmental impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valles Sosa, Claudia Evangelina

Bioenergy has become an important alternative source of energy to alleviate the reliance on petroleum energy. Bioenergy offers diminishing climate change by reducing Green House Gas Emissions, as well as providing energy security and enhancing rural development. The Energy Independence and Security Act mandate the use of 21 billion gallons of advanced biofuels including 16 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels by the year 2022. It is clear that Biomass can make a substantial contribution to supply future energy demand in a sustainable way. However, the supply of sustainable energy is one of the main challenges that mankind will face over the coming decades. For instance, many logistical challenges will be faced in order to provide an efficient and reliable supply of quality feedstock to biorefineries. 700 million tons of biomass will be required to be sustainably delivered to biorefineries annually to meet the projected use of biofuels by the year of 2022. Approaching this complex logistic problem as a multi-commodity network flow structure, the present work proposes the use of a genetic algorithm as a single objective optimization problem that considers the maximization of profit and the present work also proposes the use of a Multiple Objective Evolutionary Algorithm to simultaneously maximize profit while minimizing global warming potential. Most transportation optimization problems available in the literature have mostly considered the maximization of profit or the minimization of total travel time as potential objectives to be optimized. However, on this research work, we take a more conscious and sustainable approach for this logistic problem. Planners are increasingly expected to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach, especially due to the rising importance of environmental stewardship. The role of a transportation planner and designer is shifting from simple economic analysis to promoting sustainability through the integration of environmental objectives. To respond to these new challenges, the Modified Multiple Objective Evolutionary Algorithm for the design optimization of a biomass to bio-refinery logistic system that considers the simultaneous maximization of the total profit and the minimization of three environmental impacts is presented. Sustainability balances economic, social and environmental goals and objectives. There exist several works in the literature that have considered economic and environmental objectives for the presented supply chain problem. However, there is a lack of research performed in the social aspect of a sustainable logistics system. This work proposes a methodology to integrate social aspect assessment, based on employment creation. Finally, most of the assessment methodologies considered in the literature only contemplate deterministic values, when in realistic situations uncertainties in the supply chain are present. In this work, Value-at-Risk, an advanced risk measure commonly used in portfolio optimization is included to consider the uncertainties in biofuel prices, among the others.

Proposals for Changes in Surveying-Legal Procedures for the Needs of Cadastre in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mika, Monika

2016-12-01

The aim of this paper is to present the need for changes of geodetic-legal procedures for the cadastre and real estate management. This problem was analyzed both in theoretical and practical terms. In order to better present the analyzed technical and legal procedures, a study of several cases of surveying documentation was made. On their example the problems associated with the surveying services were shows and the formal and legal procedures, on the basis of which described surveying works were done were verified. The problem presented is current and valid not only for the comfort of the surveyor's work, but also from the point of view of the structure and modernization of the real estate cadastre, constituting the backbone of the real estate management. The article emphasized the need to unify the databases of state registers and the digitization of the National Geodetic and Cartographic Resources (PZDGiK). Research has shown that despite the continuous changes of legislation, there are still many shortcomings and gaps, which often complicate the surveying works. The surveyor must analyze and verify all materials he uses, including those obtained from the Centre of Geodetic and Cartographic Documentation (ODGiK). The quality of the geodetic and cartographic elaboration depends largely on the work of the Centre of Geodetic and Cartographic Documentation. The need of modernization of the Land and Buildings Registry, which acts as a cadastre in Poland, has been demonstrated. Furthermore, the unification of data used as reference systems both for plane coordinates and elevation has been proposed.

Propensity to spending of an average consumer over a brief period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Luca, Roberto; Di Mauro, Marco; Falzarano, Angelo; Naddeo, Adele

2016-08-01

Understanding consumption dynamics and its impact on the whole economy and welfare within the present economic crisis is not an easy task. Indeed the level of consumer demand for different goods varies with the prices, consumer incomes and demographic factors. Furthermore crisis may trigger different behaviors which result in distortions and amplification effects. In the present work we propose a simple model to quantitatively describe the time evolution over a brief period of the amount of money an average consumer decides to spend, depending on his/her available budget. A simple hydrodynamical analog of the model is discussed. Finally, perspectives of this work are briefly outlined.

Nonlinearity characterization of temperature sensing systems for integrated circuit testing by intermodulation products monitoring.

PubMed

Altet, J; Mateo, D; Perpiñà, X; Grauby, S; Dilhaire, S; Jordà, X

2011-09-01

This work presents an alternative characterization strategy to quantify the nonlinear behavior of temperature sensing systems. The proposed approach relies on measuring the temperature under thermal sinusoidal steady state and observing the intermodulation products that are generated within the sensing system itself due to its nonlinear temperature-output voltage characteristics. From such intermodulation products, second-order interception points can be calculated as a figure of merit of the measuring system nonlinear behavior. In this scenario, the present work first shows a theoretical analysis. Second, it reports the experimental results obtained with three thermal sensing techniques used in integrated circuits. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

New conceptual design of portable bamboo bridge for emergency purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musthaffa, A. A.; Nor, N. M.; Yusof, M. A.; Yuhazri, M. Y.

2018-02-01

Portable bridges serve as routes for troops during the military operations and the disaster relief operation. Nowadays, bamboo has been regarded as one of the alternative construction materials for building and bridge structures. This paper presents the conceptual design of the portable bridge. Several types of portable bridges and bamboo bridges are reviewed in the current work. The characteristics, capability and method of construction of each bridge are discussed. Finally, the conceptual of the portable bamboo bridge for emergency purposes is presented. The idea of producing portable bridge is proposed in the current work as it is crucial for providing route for communities affected by natural disasters.

Arc Fault Detection & Localization by Electromagnetic-Acoustic Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasile, C.; Ioana, C.

2017-05-01

Electrical arc faults that occur in photovoltaic systems represent a danger due to their economic impact on production and distribution. In this paper we propose a complete system, with focus on the methodology, that enables the detection and localization of the arc fault, by the use of an electromagnetic-acoustic sensing system. By exploiting the multiple emissions of the arc fault, in conjunction with a real-time detection signal processing method, we ensure accurate detection and localization. In its final form, this present work will present in greater detail the complete system, the methods employed, results and performance, alongside further works that will be carried on.

Proprietary Manned Space Flight Proposals, 1973 to 2013, plus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisher, Philip

2016-03-01

In 1973 a concept for a manned space flight experiment was submitted to NASA as an unsolicited proprietary proposal,*. In 1998*, 2004*, and 2013* proposals successively more details were provided. An abbreviation of the 1998 proposal was published. By 2013 the five technical variables of 1998 had increased to over ten. Some technical and management details of the proposals will be presented and updated. The first flight of two could use some hardware now being developed. The experiment seems superior to any mission publicly advocated by NASA, so this talk's purpose is to encourage NASA to delay landing humans on Mars until the first spacecraft can be developed and activated. *Complete proposals are in the Philip C. Fisher papers, Niels Bohr Library and Archives, American Institute of Physics (available one year after author's death). Work after 1982 supported by successive forms of Ruffner Associates.

Liborg: a lidar-based robot for efficient 3D mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlaminck, Michiel; Luong, Hiep; Philips, Wilfried

2017-09-01

In this work we present Liborg, a spatial mapping and localization system that is able to acquire 3D models on the y using data originated from lidar sensors. The novelty of this work is in the highly efficient way we deal with the tremendous amount of data to guarantee fast execution times while preserving sufficiently high accuracy. The proposed solution is based on a multi-resolution technique based on octrees. The paper discusses and evaluates the main benefits of our approach including its efficiency regarding building and updating the map and its compactness regarding compressing the map. In addition, the paper presents a working prototype consisting of a robot equipped with a Velodyne Lidar Puck (VLP-16) and controlled by a Raspberry Pi serving as an independent acquisition platform.

A fast and compact electromagnetic calorimeter for the PANDA detector at FAIR

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

Wilms, Andrea

2005-10-26

In this presentation we report on the electromagnetic calorimeter of the 4{pi} detector PANDA to be installed at the antiproton storage ring of the proposed Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR). We present details of the R and D work with two scintillator materials, PbWO4 (PWO) and BGO, and the new developed large area avalanche photodiodes (LAAPDs) as detector readout.

``Out To Sea: Life as a Crew Member Aboard a Geologic Research Ship'' - Production of a Video and Teachers Guide.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rack, F. R.; Tauxe, K.

2004-12-01

In May 2002, Joint Oceanographic Institutions (JOI) received a proposal entitled "Motivating Middle School Students with the JOIDES Resolution", from a middle school teacher in New Mexico named Katie Tauxe. Katie was a former Marine Technician who has worked aboard the R/V JOIDES Resolution in the early years of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP). She proposed to engage the interest of middle school students using the ODP drillship as the centerpiece of a presentation focused on the lives of the people who work aboard the ship and the excitement of science communicated through an active shipboard experience. The proposal asked for travel funds to and from the ship, the loan of video camera equipment from JOI, and a small amount of funding to cover expendable supplies, video editing, and production at the local Public Broadcasting Station in Los Alamos, NM. Katie sailed on the transit of the JOIDES Resolution through the Panama Canal, following the completion of ODP Leg 206 in late 2002. This presentation will focus on the outcome of this video production effort, which is a 19 minute-long video entitled "Out to Sea: Life as a Crew Member Aboard a Geologic Research Ship", and a teacher's guide that can be found online.

Nanodusty plasma chemistry: a mechanistic and variational transition state theory study of the initial steps of silyl anion-silane and silylene anion-silane polymerization reactions.

PubMed

Bao, Junwei Lucas; Seal, Prasenjit; Truhlar, Donald G

2015-06-28

The growth of nanodusty particles, which is critical in plasma chemistry, physics, and engineering. The aim of the present work is to understand the detailed reaction mechanisms of early steps in this growth. The polymerization of neutral silane with the silylene or silyl anion, which eliminates molecular hydrogen with the formation of their higher homologues, governs the silicon hydride clustering in nanodusty plasma chemistry. The detailed mechanisms of these important polymerization reactions in terms of elementary reactions have not been proposed yet. In the present work, we investigated the initial steps of these polymerization reactions, i.e., the SiH4 + Si2H4(-)/Si2H5(-) reactions, and we propose a three-step mechanism, which is also applicable to the following polymerization steps. CM5 charges of all the silicon-containing species were computed in order to analyze the character of the species in the proposed reaction mechanisms. We also calculated thermal rate constant of each step using multi-structural canonical variational transition state theory (MS-CVT) with the small-curvature tunneling (SCT) approximation, based on the minimum energy path computed using M08-HX/MG3S electronic structure method.

Three-dimensional imaging using phase retrieval with two focus planes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilovitsh, Tali; Ilovitsh, Asaf; Weiss, Aryeh; Meir, Rinat; Zalevsky, Zeev

2016-03-01

This work presents a technique for a full 3D imaging of biological samples tagged with gold-nanoparticles (GNPs) using only two images, rather than many images per volume as is currently needed for 3D optical sectioning microscopy. The proposed approach is based on the Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) phase retrieval algorithm. The reconstructed field is free space propagated to all other focus planes using post processing, and the 2D z-stack is merged to create a 3D image of the sample with high fidelity. Because we propose to apply the phase retrieving on nano particles, the regular ambiguities typical to the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm, are eliminated. In addition, since the method requires the capturing of two images only, it can be suitable for 3D live cell imaging. The proposed concept is presented and validated both on simulated data as well as experimentally.

Integration of hybrid wireless networks in cloud services oriented enterprise information systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shancang; Xu, Lida; Wang, Xinheng; Wang, Jue

2012-05-01

This article presents a hybrid wireless network integration scheme in cloud services-based enterprise information systems (EISs). With the emerging hybrid wireless networks and cloud computing technologies, it is necessary to develop a scheme that can seamlessly integrate these new technologies into existing EISs. By combining the hybrid wireless networks and computing in EIS, a new framework is proposed, which includes frontend layer, middle layer and backend layers connected to IP EISs. Based on a collaborative architecture, cloud services management framework and process diagram are presented. As a key feature, the proposed approach integrates access control functionalities within the hybrid framework that provide users with filtered views on available cloud services based on cloud service access requirements and user security credentials. In future work, we will implement the proposed framework over SwanMesh platform by integrating the UPnP standard into an enterprise information system.

Optimal design of upstream processes in biotransformation technologies.

PubMed

Dheskali, Endrit; Michailidi, Katerina; de Castro, Aline Machado; Koutinas, Apostolis A; Kookos, Ioannis K

2017-01-01

In this work a mathematical programming model for the optimal design of the bioreaction section of biotechnological processes is presented. Equations for the estimation of the equipment cost derived from a recent publication by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are also summarized. The cost-optimal design of process units and the optimal scheduling of their operation can be obtained using the proposed formulation that has been implemented in software available from the journal web page or the corresponding author. The proposed optimization model can be used to quantify the effects of decisions taken at a lab scale on the industrial scale process economics. It is of paramount important to note that this can be achieved at the early stage of the development of a biotechnological project. Two case studies are presented that demonstrate the usefulness and potential of the proposed methodology. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Camouflaging in Digital Image for Secure Communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jindal, B.; Singh, A. P.

2013-06-01

The present paper reports on a new type of camouflaging in digital image for hiding crypto-data using moderate bit alteration in the pixel. In the proposed method, cryptography is combined with steganography to provide a two layer security to the hidden data. The novelty of the algorithm proposed in the present work lies in the fact that the information about hidden bit is reflected by parity condition in one part of the image pixel. The remaining part of the image pixel is used to perform local pixel adjustment to improve the visual perception of the cover image. In order to examine the effectiveness of the proposed method, image quality measuring parameters are computed. In addition to this, security analysis is also carried by comparing the histograms of cover and stego images. This scheme provides a higher security as well as robustness to intentional as well as unintentional attacks.

Photochemical Formation of Aerosol in Planetary Atmospheres: Photon and Water Mediated Chemistry of SO_2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kroll, Jay A.; Donaldson, D. J.; Vaida, Veronica

2016-06-01

Sulfur compounds have been observed in a number of planetary atmospheres throughout our solar system. Our current understanding of sulfur chemistry explains much of what we observe in Earth's atmosphere. However, several discrepancies between modeling and observations of the Venusian atmosphere show there are still problems in our fundamental understanding of sulfur chemistry. This is of particular concern due to the important role sulfur compounds play in the formation of aerosols, which have a direct impact on planetary climates, including Earth's. We investigate the role of water complexes in the hydration of sulfur oxides and dehydration of sulfur acids and will present spectroscopic studies to document such effects. I will present recent work investigating mixtures of SO_2 and water that generate large quantities of aerosol when irradiated with solar UV light, even in the absence of traditional OH chemistry. I will discuss a proposed mechanism for the formation of sulfurous acid (H_2SO_3) and present recent experimental work that supports this proposed mechanism. Additionally, the implications that photon-induced hydration of SO_2 has for aerosol formation in the atmosphere of earth as well as other planetary atmospheres will be discussed.

Mammalian cell culture process for monoclonal antibody production: nonlinear modelling and parameter estimation.

PubMed

Selişteanu, Dan; Șendrescu, Dorin; Georgeanu, Vlad; Roman, Monica

2015-01-01

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are at present one of the fastest growing products of pharmaceutical industry, with widespread applications in biochemistry, biology, and medicine. The operation of mAbs production processes is predominantly based on empirical knowledge, the improvements being achieved by using trial-and-error experiments and precedent practices. The nonlinearity of these processes and the absence of suitable instrumentation require an enhanced modelling effort and modern kinetic parameter estimation strategies. The present work is dedicated to nonlinear dynamic modelling and parameter estimation for a mammalian cell culture process used for mAb production. By using a dynamical model of such kind of processes, an optimization-based technique for estimation of kinetic parameters in the model of mammalian cell culture process is developed. The estimation is achieved as a result of minimizing an error function by a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The proposed estimation approach is analyzed in this work by using a particular model of mammalian cell culture, as a case study, but is generic for this class of bioprocesses. The presented case study shows that the proposed parameter estimation technique provides a more accurate simulation of the experimentally observed process behaviour than reported in previous studies.

Mammalian Cell Culture Process for Monoclonal Antibody Production: Nonlinear Modelling and Parameter Estimation

PubMed Central

Selişteanu, Dan; Șendrescu, Dorin; Georgeanu, Vlad

2015-01-01

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are at present one of the fastest growing products of pharmaceutical industry, with widespread applications in biochemistry, biology, and medicine. The operation of mAbs production processes is predominantly based on empirical knowledge, the improvements being achieved by using trial-and-error experiments and precedent practices. The nonlinearity of these processes and the absence of suitable instrumentation require an enhanced modelling effort and modern kinetic parameter estimation strategies. The present work is dedicated to nonlinear dynamic modelling and parameter estimation for a mammalian cell culture process used for mAb production. By using a dynamical model of such kind of processes, an optimization-based technique for estimation of kinetic parameters in the model of mammalian cell culture process is developed. The estimation is achieved as a result of minimizing an error function by a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The proposed estimation approach is analyzed in this work by using a particular model of mammalian cell culture, as a case study, but is generic for this class of bioprocesses. The presented case study shows that the proposed parameter estimation technique provides a more accurate simulation of the experimentally observed process behaviour than reported in previous studies. PMID:25685797

The intelligent OR: design and validation of a context-aware surgical working environment.

PubMed

Franke, Stefan; Rockstroh, Max; Hofer, Mathias; Neumuth, Thomas

2018-05-24

Interoperability of medical devices based on standards starts to establish in the operating room (OR). Devices share their data and control functionalities. Yet, the OR technology rarely implements cooperative, intelligent behavior, especially in terms of active cooperation with the OR team. Technical context-awareness will be an essential feature of the next generation of medical devices to address the increasing demands to clinicians in information seeking, decision making, and human-machine interaction in complex surgical working environments. The paper describes the technical validation of an intelligent surgical working environment for endoscopic ear-nose-throat surgery. We briefly summarize the design of our framework for context-aware system's behavior in integrated OR and present example realizations of novel assistance functionalities. In a study on patient phantoms, twenty-four procedures were implemented in the proposed intelligent surgical working environment based on recordings of real interventions. Subsequently, the whole processing pipeline for context-awareness from workflow recognition to the final system's behavior is analyzed. Rule-based behavior that considers multiple perspectives on the procedure can partially compensate recognition errors. A considerable robustness could be achieved with a reasonable quality of the recognition. Overall, reliable reactive as well as proactive behavior of the surgical working environment can be implemented in the proposed environment. The obtained validation results indicate the suitability of the overall approach. The setup is a reliable starting point for a subsequent evaluation of the proposed context-aware assistance. The major challenge for future work will be to implement the complex approach in a cross-vendor setting.

Variable forgetting factor mechanisms for diffusion recursive least squares algorithm in sensor networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ling; Cai, Yunlong; Li, Chunguang; de Lamare, Rodrigo C.

2017-12-01

In this work, we present low-complexity variable forgetting factor (VFF) techniques for diffusion recursive least squares (DRLS) algorithms. Particularly, we propose low-complexity VFF-DRLS algorithms for distributed parameter and spectrum estimation in sensor networks. For the proposed algorithms, they can adjust the forgetting factor automatically according to the posteriori error signal. We develop detailed analyses in terms of mean and mean square performance for the proposed algorithms and derive mathematical expressions for the mean square deviation (MSD) and the excess mean square error (EMSE). The simulation results show that the proposed low-complexity VFF-DRLS algorithms achieve superior performance to the existing DRLS algorithm with fixed forgetting factor when applied to scenarios of distributed parameter and spectrum estimation. Besides, the simulation results also demonstrate a good match for our proposed analytical expressions.

HIPS: A new hippocampus subfield segmentation method.

PubMed

Romero, José E; Coupé, Pierrick; Manjón, José V

2017-12-01

The importance of the hippocampus in the study of several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease makes it a structure of great interest in neuroimaging. However, few segmentation methods have been proposed to measure its subfields due to its complex structure and the lack of high resolution magnetic resonance (MR) data. In this work, we present a new pipeline for automatic hippocampus subfield segmentation using two available hippocampus subfield delineation protocols that can work with both high and standard resolution data. The proposed method is based on multi-atlas label fusion technology that benefits from a novel multi-contrast patch match search process (using high resolution T1-weighted and T2-weighted images). The proposed method also includes as post-processing a new neural network-based error correction step to minimize systematic segmentation errors. The method has been evaluated on both high and standard resolution images and compared to other state-of-the-art methods showing better results in terms of accuracy and execution time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intelligent Scheduling for Underground Mobile Mining Equipment.

PubMed

Song, Zhen; Schunnesson, Håkan; Rinne, Mikael; Sturgul, John

2015-01-01

Many studies have been carried out and many commercial software applications have been developed to improve the performances of surface mining operations, especially for the loader-trucks cycle of surface mining. However, there have been quite few studies aiming to improve the mining process of underground mines. In underground mines, mobile mining equipment is mostly scheduled instinctively, without theoretical support for these decisions. Furthermore, in case of unexpected events, it is hard for miners to rapidly find solutions to reschedule and to adapt the changes. This investigation first introduces the motivation, the technical background, and then the objective of the study. A decision support instrument (i.e. schedule optimizer for mobile mining equipment) is proposed and described to address this issue. The method and related algorithms which are used in this instrument are presented and discussed. The proposed method was tested by using a real case of Kittilä mine located in Finland. The result suggests that the proposed method can considerably improve the working efficiency and reduce the working time of the underground mine.

Prototype Mixed Finite Element Hydrodynamics Capability in ARES

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

Rieben, R N

This document describes work on a prototype Mixed Finite Element Method (MFEM) hydrodynamics algorithm in the ARES code, and its application to a set of standard test problems. This work is motivated by the need for improvements to the algorithms used in the Lagrange hydrodynamics step to make them more robust. We begin by identifying the outstanding issues with traditional numerical hydrodynamics algorithms followed by a description of the proposed method and how it may address several of these longstanding issues. We give a theoretical overview of the proposed MFEM algorithm as well as a summary of the coding additionsmore » and modifications that were made to add this capability to the ARES code. We present results obtained with the new method on a set of canonical hydrodynamics test problems and demonstrate significant improvement in comparison to results obtained with traditional methods. We conclude with a summary of the issues still at hand and motivate the need for continued research to develop the proposed method into maturity.« less

Random Initialisation of the Spectral Variables: an Alternate Approach for Initiating Multivariate Curve Resolution Alternating Least Square (MCR-ALS) Analysis.

PubMed

Kumar, Keshav

2017-11-01

Multivariate curve resolution alternating least square (MCR-ALS) analysis is the most commonly used curve resolution technique. The MCR-ALS model is fitted using the alternate least square (ALS) algorithm that needs initialisation of either contribution profiles or spectral profiles of each of the factor. The contribution profiles can be initialised using the evolve factor analysis; however, in principle, this approach requires that data must belong to the sequential process. The initialisation of the spectral profiles are usually carried out using the pure variable approach such as SIMPLISMA algorithm, this approach demands that each factor must have the pure variables in the data sets. Despite these limitations, the existing approaches have been quite a successful for initiating the MCR-ALS analysis. However, the present work proposes an alternate approach for the initialisation of the spectral variables by generating the random variables in the limits spanned by the maxima and minima of each spectral variable of the data set. The proposed approach does not require that there must be pure variables for each component of the multicomponent system or the concentration direction must follow the sequential process. The proposed approach is successfully validated using the excitation-emission matrix fluorescence data sets acquired for certain fluorophores with significant spectral overlap. The calculated contribution and spectral profiles of these fluorophores are found to correlate well with the experimental results. In summary, the present work proposes an alternate way to initiate the MCR-ALS analysis.

Investigation of the Reliability of Bridge Elements Reinforced with Basalt Plastic Fibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koval', T. I.

2017-09-01

The poorly studied problem on the reliability and durability of basalt-fiber-reinforced concrete bridge elements is considered. A method of laboratory research into the work of specimens of the concrete under a manyfold cyclic dynamic load is proposed. The first results of such experiments are presented.

USE OF SYNTHETIC ZEOLITES FOR ARSENATE REMOVAL FROM POLLUTANT WATER

EPA Science Inventory

Arsenic is known to be a hazardous contaminant in drinking water that causes arsenical dermatitis and skin cancer. In the present work, the potential use of a variety of synthetic zeolites for removal of arsenic from water below the current and proposed EPA MCL has been examined...

Cooperative Threat Reduction for a New Era

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-09-01

Reactor From Inr-Pitesti,” Institute for Nuclear Research (Romania), Papers Presented by ANL at the RERTR Meeting, 1997 <http://www.td.anl.gov/Programs... RERTR /Analysis97/CToma-abs.html> as of 30 July 2004. 51 This program often works in conjunction with the second proposal above. Although the

Safety in Schools: An Integral Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gairin, Joaquin; Castro, Diego

2011-01-01

The present paper summarizes a research project into integral safety in schools. The aims of this particular research are, firstly, to evaluate the degree of integral safety in schools, secondly, to propose means for improving prevention and integral safety systems and thirdly, to identify the characteristics of safety culture. The field work was…

Critical evaluation and thermodynamic assessment of the ZrPb system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arias, D.; Abriata, J.; Gribaudo, L.

1996-04-01

In the present work we have critically evaluated the existing experimental information regarding phase stabilities in the ZrPb system. From this, the ZrPb phase diagram has been assessed up to 50 at.% Pb. The proposed diagram has been further supported by a thermodynamic model calculation.

Affordance Analysis--Matching Learning Tasks with Learning Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bower, Matt

2008-01-01

This article presents a design methodology for matching learning tasks with learning technologies. First a working definition of "affordances" is provided based on the need to describe the action potentials of the technologies (utility). Categories of affordances are then proposed to provide a framework for analysis. Following this, a…

A Comparative Study of the Present and Ideal Roles of Communication Directors in Selected Business Organizations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shatshat, Hussein M.

1980-01-01

Examines the role of communication directors involved in internal communication activities in business organizations. Indicates that directors perform a variety of roles ranging from journalistic to advisory/support work. Proposes a functional role involved in determining major policies for communications systems. (JMF)

Personalisation in Web-Based Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santally, Mohammad Issack; Alain, Senteni

2006-01-01

It is postulated that one of the main problems with e-learning environments is their lack of personalisation. This article presents a comprehensive review of the current work in the field and proposes a framework for research in promoting personalisation in Web-based learning environments. The concepts of adaptability, adaptivity and the…

Vocational Education, The Bridge Between Man and His Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Milton E.; Blake, Duane L.

This conference was one of six regional meetings on implications of current proposals on vocational education for industry, education, and legislation sponsored by the University of Wisconsin Center for Studies in Vocational and Technical Education. Approximately 209 persons, mostly educators, attended. Presentations included in the document are:…

Cultural propagation on social networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuperman, M. N.

2006-04-01

In this work we present a model for the propagation of culture on networks of different topology and by considering different underlying dynamics. We extend a previous model proposed by Axelrod by letting a majority govern the dynamics of changes. This in turn allows us to define a Lyapunov functional for the system.

Astronomy and Inclusion: resouces for disabled populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García, Beatriz; Ortiz Gil, Amelia

2015-08-01

Commission 46 proposed, in 2012, the creation of an interdisciplinary WG in which astronomers work together with educators and disability specialists to develop new teaching and learning strategies devoted to generate resources of impact among disabled populations, which are usually away from astronomy. We present some of the achivements and new challenges.

Ecological Issues Related to Children's Health and Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aldridge, Jerry; Kohler, Maxie

2009-01-01

Issues concerning the health and safety of children and youth occur at multiple levels. Bronfenbrenner (1995) proposed an ecological systems approach in which multiple systems interact to enhance or diminish children's development. The same systems are at work in health promotion. The authors present and review articles that reflect the multiple…

76 FR 71592 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Moving to Work Demonstration

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-18

... Proposed Information Collection to OMB; Moving to Work Demonstration AGENCY: Office of the Chief... required to submit annual plans, however, PHAs with Moving to Work demonstration agreements (29 at the time... Following Information Title of Proposal: Moving to Work Demonstration. OMB Approval Number: 2577-0216. Form...

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

Neutron assay in mixed radiation fields with a 6Li-loaded plastic scintillator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balmer, M. J. I.; Gamage, K. A. A.; Taylor, G. C.

2015-08-01

A novel technique for assay of thermal and fast neutrons in a 6Li-loaded plastic scintillator is presented. Existing capture-gated thermal neutron detection techniques were evaluated with the 6Li-loaded plastic scintillator studied in this work. Using simulations and experimental work, shortcomings in its performance were highlighted. As a result, it was proposed that by separating the combined fast and thermal neutron events from gamma events, using established pulse shape discrimination techniques, the thermal neutron events could then be assayed. Experiments were conducted at the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, performing neutron assays with seven different neutron fields using the proposed technique. For each field, thermal and fast neutron content was estimated and were shown to corroborate with the seven synthesised fields.

A multilevel finite element method for Fredholm integral eigenvalue problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Hehu; Zhou, Tao

2015-12-01

In this work, we proposed a multigrid finite element (MFE) method for solving the Fredholm integral eigenvalue problems. The main motivation for such studies is to compute the Karhunen-Loève expansions of random fields, which play an important role in the applications of uncertainty quantification. In our MFE framework, solving the eigenvalue problem is converted to doing a series of integral iterations and eigenvalue solving in the coarsest mesh. Then, any existing efficient integration scheme can be used for the associated integration process. The error estimates are provided, and the computational complexity is analyzed. It is noticed that the total computational work of our method is comparable with a single integration step in the finest mesh. Several numerical experiments are presented to validate the efficiency of the proposed numerical method.

Electrochemical characterization of nanodimensional metal oxide materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Paul Enle

Energy storage devices have become a bottleneck in performance improvements for portable electronics. This research seeks to answer basic science questions that may lead to the necessary improvements. First, this work demonstrates that insertion of multivalent ions into vanadium oxide greatly exceeds the storage capacity of materials presently used. Second, this work demonstrates that potassium ferrate exhibits a uniquely large pseudocapacitive effect. This effect can be used to great advantage when high power density and high energy density are required. Lastly, this work proposes a model of pseudocapacitance that has a greater descriptive power than that of previous models.

[Nanomaterials--proposals of occupational exposure limits in the world and hygiene standards in Poland].

PubMed

Swidwińska-Gajewska, Anna Maria; Czerczak, Sławomir

2013-01-01

Currently, there are no legally binding workplace exposure limits for substances in the form of nanoobjects. There are different ap proaches to risk assessment and determination of occupational exposure limits. The purpose of this article is to compare exposure levels in the work environment proposed by international organizations and world experts, as well as the assumptions and methods used for their estimation. This paper presents the proposals of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands (RIVM), the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization in Japan (NEDO) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the USA (NIOSH). The authors also discuss the reports on the levels for carbon nanotubes (Baytubes and Nanocyl) proposed by Pauluhn and Luizi, the derived no-effect levels (DNEL) complying with the REACH Regulation, proposed by experts under the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission, coordinated by Professor Vicki Stone (ENRHES), and alternative estimation levels for poorly soluble particles by Pauluhn. The issue was also raised whether the method of determining maximum admissible concentrations in the work environment, currently used in Poland, is adequate for nanoobjects. Moreover, the introduction of nanoreference values, as proposed by RIVM, the definition of a new fraction for particles of 1-100 nm, taking into account the surface area and activity of the particles, and an adequate estimation of uncertainty factors seem to be worth considering. Other important, if not key issues are the appropriate measurement (numerical concentration, surface concentration, particle size distribution), as well as the methodology and equipment accessibility to all employers responsible for a reliable risk assessment of exposure to nanoparticles in the work environment.

Examining the psychology of working theory: Decent work among sexual minorities.

PubMed

Douglass, Richard P; Velez, Brandon L; Conlin, Sarah E; Duffy, Ryan D; England, Jessica W

2017-10-01

Research has found heterosexist discrimination negatively relates to vocational outcomes among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people, but no known study has examined how heterosexist discrimination relates to the attainment of decent work. Building from the Psychology of Working Theory, which proposes that specific forms of marginalization coupled with economic constraints limit a person's ability to secure decent work, the present study examined theoretically hypothesized pathways to decent work among a sample of employed sexual minority adults. Heterosexist discrimination and social class were examined as direct predictors of decent work, and indirect links were examined via work volition and career adaptability. Among our sample of 218 sexual minority people, structural equation modeling results suggested heterosexist discrimination and social class directly-and indirectly through work volition-predicted decent work. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Imperceptible watermarking for security of fundus images in tele-ophthalmology applications and computer-aided diagnosis of retina diseases.

PubMed

Singh, Anushikha; Dutta, Malay Kishore

2017-12-01

The authentication and integrity verification of medical images is a critical and growing issue for patients in e-health services. Accurate identification of medical images and patient verification is an essential requirement to prevent error in medical diagnosis. The proposed work presents an imperceptible watermarking system to address the security issue of medical fundus images for tele-ophthalmology applications and computer aided automated diagnosis of retinal diseases. In the proposed work, patient identity is embedded in fundus image in singular value decomposition domain with adaptive quantization parameter to maintain perceptual transparency for variety of fundus images like healthy fundus or disease affected image. In the proposed method insertion of watermark in fundus image does not affect the automatic image processing diagnosis of retinal objects & pathologies which ensure uncompromised computer-based diagnosis associated with fundus image. Patient ID is correctly recovered from watermarked fundus image for integrity verification of fundus image at the diagnosis centre. The proposed watermarking system is tested in a comprehensive database of fundus images and results are convincing. results indicate that proposed watermarking method is imperceptible and it does not affect computer vision based automated diagnosis of retinal diseases. Correct recovery of patient ID from watermarked fundus image makes the proposed watermarking system applicable for authentication of fundus images for computer aided diagnosis and Tele-ophthalmology applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An approach for fixed coefficient RNS-based FIR filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srinivasa Reddy, Kotha; Sahoo, Subhendu Kumar

2017-08-01

In this work, an efficient new modular multiplication method for {2k-1, 2k, 2k+1-1} moduli set is proposed to implement a residue number system (RNS)-based fixed coefficient finite impulse response filter. The new multiplication approach reduces the number of partial products by using pre-loaded product block. The reduction in partial products with the proposed modular multiplication improves the clock frequency and reduces the area and power as compared with the conventional modular multiplication. Further, the present approach eliminates a binary number to residue number converter circuit, which is usually needed at the front end of RNS-based system. In this work, two fixed coefficient filter architectures with the new modular multiplication approach are proposed. The filters are implemented using Verilog hardware description language. The United Microelectronics Corporation 90 nm technology library has been used for synthesis and the results area, power and delay are obtained with the help of Cadence register transfer level compiler. The power delay product (PDP) is also considered for performance comparison among the proposed filters. One of the proposed architecture is found to improve PDP gain by 60.83% as compared with the filter implemented with conventional modular multiplier. The filters functionality is validated with the help of Altera DSP Builder.

Propulsion and Energetics Panel Working Group 15 on the Uniform Engine Test Programme

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-02-01

earlier test of uniform aerodynamic models in wind tunnels under the auspices of the Fluid Dynamics Panel. A formal proposal was presented to the...this major new effort and members of the engine test community throughout AGARD were selected to serve on Working Group 15 along with PEP...STPA/MO 4 Mr J.R.Bednarsk; 4 Avenue de Ia Porte d’lssy PE-63 75015 Paris Naval Air Propulsion Center PO Box 7176 GERMANY Trenton. New Jersey 08628

Determination of the Secondary Bjerknes Force in Acoustic Resonators on Ground and in Microgravity Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castro, Luz Angelica; Hoyos, Mauricio

2016-04-01

We propose an experimental methodology to determine the secondary Bjerknes force between rigid particles. Measurements done for different particles sizes showed acoustical inter particles interactions. We use and extend the methodology presented in a previous work. The determination of this force will lead us a better understanding of the aggregation process in acoustic resonators. We report in this work, the results of two parabolic flights campaigns performed at the Airbus A300 ZERO-G (Novespace, France).

Spaceborne construction and operations planning - Decision rules for selecting EVA, telerobot, and combined work-systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Jeffrey H.

1992-01-01

An approach is presented for selecting an appropriate work-system for performing construction and operations tasks by humans and telerobots. The decision to use extravehicular activity (EVA) performed by astronauts, extravehicular robotics (EVR), or a combination of EVA and EVR is determined by the ratio of the marginal costs of EVA, EVR, and IVA. The approach proposed here is useful for examining cost trade-offs between tasks and performing trade studies of task improvement techniques (human or telerobotic).

Proposal for Development of EBM-CDSS (Evidence-Based Clinical Decision Support System) to Aid Prognostication in Terminally Ill Patients

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

monthly basis. The similar process is followed at TGH, where the research team mostly works with palliative care service. Through this process, the... Palliative Care at TGH. • We continue to regularly conduct meetings with TGH palliative care team and present the ongoing experience of our research study...to the TGH palliative care team. These meeting established a fruitful and trustful and working relationship with TGH palliative care team, which is

Coming Up for Air: Exploring an Intergenerational Perspective on Social Work

PubMed Central

Brandt, Steven; Roose, Rudi; Verschelden, Griet

2016-01-01

From the late 1980s until now, scholars, educators and social workers have criticised the diminution of interest in the structural level of social problems. In this lament, former social work is beguiled, while critiques are targeted at the new generation of social workers. These critiques forewarn of important issues and problems, but at the same time they portray social work in a devolutionary way. It is argued that this one-sided debate conceals frictions between different generations of social workers. In reference to the work of Karl Mannheim, an intergenerational perspective is proposed that goes beyond nostalgic relishing of the past and calls on social work to actively engage with past remembrance and present evolutions. PMID:27559227

Pre-trained convolutional neural networks as feature extractors for tuberculosis detection.

PubMed

Lopes, U K; Valiati, J F

2017-10-01

It is estimated that in 2015, approximately 1.8 million people infected by tuberculosis died, most of them in developing countries. Many of those deaths could have been prevented if the disease had been detected at an earlier stage, but the most advanced diagnosis methods are still cost prohibitive for mass adoption. One of the most popular tuberculosis diagnosis methods is the analysis of frontal thoracic radiographs; however, the impact of this method is diminished by the need for individual analysis of each radiography by properly trained radiologists. Significant research can be found on automating diagnosis by applying computational techniques to medical images, thereby eliminating the need for individual image analysis and greatly diminishing overall costs. In addition, recent improvements on deep learning accomplished excellent results classifying images on diverse domains, but its application for tuberculosis diagnosis remains limited. Thus, the focus of this work is to produce an investigation that will advance the research in the area, presenting three proposals to the application of pre-trained convolutional neural networks as feature extractors to detect the disease. The proposals presented in this work are implemented and compared to the current literature. The obtained results are competitive with published works demonstrating the potential of pre-trained convolutional networks as medical image feature extractors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Proposal of an Extended Taxonomy of Serious Games for Health Rehabilitation.

PubMed

Rego, Paula Alexandra; Moreira, Pedro Miguel; Reis, Luís Paulo

2018-06-29

Serious Games is a field of research that has evolved substantially with valuable contributions to many application domains and areas. Patients often consider traditional rehabilitation approaches to be repetitive and boring, making it difficult for them to maintain their ongoing interest and assure the completion of the treatment program. Since the publication of our first taxonomy of Serious Games for Health Rehabilitation (SGHR), many studies have been published with game prototypes in this area. Based on literature review, our goal is to propose an updated taxonomy taking into account the works, updates, and innovations in game criteria that have been researched since our first publication in 2010. In addition, we aim to present the validation mechanism used for the proposed extended taxonomy. Based on a literature review in the area and on the analysis of the contributions made by other researchers, we propose an extended taxonomy for SGHR. For validating the taxonomy proposal, a questionnaire was designed to use on a survey among experts in the area. An extended taxonomy for SGHR was proposed. As we have identified that, in general, and besides the mechanisms associated with the adoption of a given taxonomy, there were no reported validation mechanisms for the proposals, we designed a mechanism to validate our proposal. The mechanism uses a questionnaire addressed to a sample of researchers and professionals with experience and expertise in domains of knowledge interrelated with SGHR, such as Computer Graphics, Game Design, Interaction Design, Computer Programming, and Health Rehabilitation. The extended taxonomy proposal for health rehabilitation serious games provides the research community with a tool to fully characterize serious games. The mechanism designed for validating the taxonomy proposal is another contribution of this work.

An effective model for ergonomic optimization applied to a new automotive assembly line

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

Duraccio, Vincenzo; Elia, Valerio; Forcina, Antonio

2016-06-08

An efficient ergonomic optimization can lead to a significant improvement in production performance and a considerable reduction of costs. In the present paper new model for ergonomic optimization is proposed. The new approach is based on the criteria defined by National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and, adapted to Italian legislation. The proposed model provides an ergonomic optimization, by analyzing ergonomic relations between manual work in correct conditions. The model includes a schematic and systematic analysis method of the operations, and identifies all possible ergonomic aspects to be evaluated. The proposed approach has been applied to an automotive assemblymore » line, where the operation repeatability makes the optimization fundamental. The proposed application clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the new approach.« less

Using scenarios to capture work processes in shared home care.

PubMed

Hägglund, Maria; Scandurra, Isabella; Koch, Sabine

2007-01-01

Shared home care is increasingly common, and in order to develop ICT that support such complex cooperative work it is crucial obtain an understanding of the work routines, information demands, and other central preconditions at the clinical level before the development is initiated. Scenarios are proposed as a technique that can be useful for capturing work processes in shared home care and experiences from the Old@Home project are presented. The scenarios are useful not only in the initial phases of the development project but throughout the development process, improving the accessibility of end user requirements and usability issues for the design team, and as a basis for use cases and further design.

Nonlinear filtering for character recognition in low quality document images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz-Escobar, Julia; Kober, Vitaly

2014-09-01

Optical character recognition in scanned printed documents is a well-studied task, where the captured conditions like sheet position, illumination, contrast and resolution are controlled. Nowadays, it is more practical to use mobile devices for document capture than a scanner. So as a consequence, the quality of document images is often poor owing to presence of geometric distortions, nonhomogeneous illumination, low resolution, etc. In this work we propose to use multiple adaptive nonlinear composite filters for detection and classification of characters. Computer simulation results obtained with the proposed system are presented and discussed.

Ergonomics and design in the Brazilian agricultural sector: a proposal to build matrix of contradictions.

PubMed

Tosetto, Thaís; Camarotto, João Alberto

2012-01-01

The paper presents a correlation between the parameters of classical TRIZ and variables of analysis of the EWA to construct a matrix of contradictions in ergonomics, with the objective of assisting the designing processes in the Brazilian agricultural sector. Given the representativeness of the sector in the economy, the boundary conditions in which the activities are developed and their impact on the health of workers, this proposal should contribute to the development of adaptable solutions and the promotion of Decent Work.

Optimized extreme learning machine for urban land cover classification using hyperspectral imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Hongjun; Tian, Shufang; Cai, Yue; Sheng, Yehua; Chen, Chen; Najafian, Maryam

2017-12-01

This work presents a new urban land cover classification framework using the firefly algorithm (FA) optimized extreme learning machine (ELM). FA is adopted to optimize the regularization coefficient C and Gaussian kernel σ for kernel ELM. Additionally, effectiveness of spectral features derived from an FA-based band selection algorithm is studied for the proposed classification task. Three sets of hyperspectral databases were recorded using different sensors, namely HYDICE, HyMap, and AVIRIS. Our study shows that the proposed method outperforms traditional classification algorithms such as SVM and reduces computational cost significantly.

Computer modeling of inversion layer MOS solar cells and arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ho, Fat Duen

1991-01-01

A two dimensional numerical model of the inversion layer metal insulator semiconductor (IL/MIS) solar cell is proposed by using the finite element method. The two-dimensional current flow in the device is taken into account in this model. The electrostatic potential distribution, the electron concentration distribution, and the hole concentration distribution for different terminal voltages are simulated. The results of simple calculation are presented. The existing problems for this model are addressed. Future work is proposed. The MIS structures are studied and some of the results are reported.

A Dust Aggregation and Concentration System (DACS) for the Microgravity Space Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giovane, F. J.; Blum, J.

1999-01-01

The Dust Aggregation and Concentration System, DACS, Project is an international effort intended to complete the preliminary definition of a system for suspending and concentrating dust particles in a microgravity environment for extended periods of time. The DACS design concept is based on extensive ground, drop tower, and parabolic flight tests. During the present proposed work, the DACS design will be completed, and a Science Requirements Document generated. At the end of the proposed 2 year project, DACS will be positioned to enter the advanced definition phase.

Nitrosation of thiols and thioethers in the gas phase: a combined theoretical and experimental study.

PubMed

Gerbaux, Pascal; Wantier, Pascale; Flammang, Robert

2004-03-01

Recent studies have demonstrated the biological importance of the interaction of nitric oxide with proteins such as cytochrome-c or hemoglobin. In particular, the possibility that the nitrosonium cation, NO(+), could reversibly bind to sulfide atom type was proposed. At pH values of biological relevance, nitrosation was proposed to occur through the action of NO(+) carriers such as nitrosothiols or nitrosamines. In this context, the gas phase chemistry of protonated nitrosothiols is studied in the present work by a combination of mass spectrometry and computational methods.

A building block for hardware belief networks.

PubMed

Behin-Aein, Behtash; Diep, Vinh; Datta, Supriyo

2016-07-21

Belief networks represent a powerful approach to problems involving probabilistic inference, but much of the work in this area is software based utilizing standard deterministic hardware based on the transistor which provides the gain and directionality needed to interconnect billions of them into useful networks. This paper proposes a transistor like device that could provide an analogous building block for probabilistic networks. We present two proof-of-concept examples of belief networks, one reciprocal and one non-reciprocal, implemented using the proposed device which is simulated using experimentally benchmarked models.

Vibrations Detection in Industrial Pumps Based on Spectral Analysis to Increase Their Efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rachid, Belhadef; Hafaifa, Ahmed; Boumehraz, Mohamed

2016-03-01

Spectral analysis is the key tool for the study of vibration signals in rotating machinery. In this work, the vibration analysis applied for conditional preventive maintenance of such machines is proposed, as part of resolved problems related to vibration detection on the organs of these machines. The vibration signal of a centrifugal pump was treated to mount the benefits of the approach proposed. The obtained results present the signal estimation of a pump vibration using Fourier transform technique compared by the spectral analysis methods based on Prony approach.

Design analysis of a Helium re-condenser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muley, P. K.; Bapat, S. L.; Atrey, M. D.

2017-02-01

Modern helium cryostats deploy a cryocooler with a re-condenser at its II stage for in-situ re-condensation of boil-off vapor. The present work is a vital step in the ongoing research work of design of cryocooler based 100 litre helium cryostat with in-situ re-condensation. The cryostat incorporates a two stage Gifford McMahon cryocooler having specified refrigerating capacity of 40 W at 43 K for I stage and 1 W at 4.2 K for II stage. Although design of cryostat ensures thermal load for cryocooler below its specified refrigerating capacity at the second stage, successful in-situ re-condensation depends on proper design of re-condenser which forms the objective of this work. The present work proposes design of helium re-condenser with straight rectangular fins. Fins are analyzed for optimization of thermal performance parameters such as condensation heat transfer coefficient, surface area for heat transfer, re-condensing capacity, efficiency and effectiveness. The present work provides design of re-condenser with 19 integral fins each of 10 mm height and 1.5 mm thickness with a gap of 1.5 mm between two fins, keeping in mind the manufacturing feasibility, having efficiency of 80.96 % and effectiveness of 10.34.

Spacewire router IP-core with priority adaptive routing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakhmatov, A. V.; Chekmarev, S. A.; Vergasov, M. Y.; Khanov, V. Kh

2015-10-01

Design of modern spacecraft focuses on using network principles of interaction on-board equipment, in particular in network SpaceWire. Routers are an integral part of most SpaceWire networks. The paper presents an adaptive routing algorithm with a prioritization, allowing more flexibility to manage the routing process. This algorithm is designed to transmit SpaceWire packets over a redundant network. Also a method is proposed for rapid restoration of working capacity after power by saving the routing table and the router configuration in an external non-volatile memory. The proposed solutions used to create IP-core router, and then tested in the FPGA device. The results illustrate the realizability and rationality of the proposed solutions.

Design and Implementation of nine level multilevel Inverter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhineshkumar, K.; Subramani, C.

2018-04-01

In this paper the solar based boost converter integrated Nine level multilevel inverter presented. It uses 7 switches to produce nine level output stepped waveform. The aim of the work to produce 9 level wave form using solar and boost converter. The conventional inverter has multiple sources and has 16 switches are required and also more number of voltage sources required. The proposed inverter required single solar panel and reduced number of switches and integrated boost converter which increase the input voltage of the inverter. The proposed inverter simulated and compared with R load using Mat lab and prototype model experimentally verified. The proposed inverter can be used in n number of solar applications.

A Virtual Blind Cane Using a Line Laser-Based Vision System and an Inertial Measurement Unit

PubMed Central

Dang, Quoc Khanh; Chee, Youngjoon; Pham, Duy Duong; Suh, Young Soo

2016-01-01

A virtual blind cane system for indoor application, including a camera, a line laser and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), is proposed in this paper. Working as a blind cane, the proposed system helps a blind person find the type of obstacle and the distance to it. The distance from the user to the obstacle is estimated by extracting the laser coordinate points on the obstacle, as well as tracking the system pointing angle. The paper provides a simple method to classify the obstacle’s type by analyzing the laser intersection histogram. Real experimental results are presented to show the validity and accuracy of the proposed system. PMID:26771618

Investigation of methods to search for the boundaries on the image and their use on lung hardware of methods finding saliency map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semenishchev, E. A.; Marchuk, V. I.; Fedosov, V. P.; Stradanchenko, S. G.; Ruslyakov, D. V.

2015-05-01

This work aimed to study computationally simple method of saliency map calculation. Research in this field received increasing interest for the use of complex techniques in portable devices. A saliency map allows increasing the speed of many subsequent algorithms and reducing the computational complexity. The proposed method of saliency map detection based on both image and frequency space analysis. Several examples of test image from the Kodak dataset with different detalisation considered in this paper demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. We present experiments which show that the proposed method providing better results than the framework Salience Toolbox in terms of accuracy and speed.

Priority and Negotiation Based Dynamic Spectrum Allocation Scheme for Multiple Radio Access Network Operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hoon; Hyon, Taein; Lee, Yeonwoo

Most of previous works have presented the dynamic spectrum allocation (DSA) gain achieved by utilizing the time or regional variations in traffic demand between multi-network operators (NOs). In this paper, we introduce the functionalities required for the entities related with the spectrum sharing and allocation and propose a spectrum allocation algorithm while considering the long-term priority between NOs, the priority between multiple class services, and the urgent bandwidth request. To take into account the priorities among the NOs and the priorities of multiple class services, a spectrum sharing metric (SSM) is proposed, while a negotiation procedure is proposed to treat the urgent bandwidth request.

The relationship between masking and short-term consolidation during recall from visual working memory.

PubMed

Ricker, Timothy J; Sandry, Joshua

2018-04-10

The presentation of a similar but irrelevant stimulus immediately following presentation of a memory item is called masking. Masking is known to reduce performance on working memory tests. This is the type of memory used to hold information in mind for brief periods of time for use in ongoing cognition. Two approaches to understanding masking effects have been proposed in different literatures. Working memory researchers often assume that the reduction in working memory performance after masking is because masking interferes with a transient sensory representation that is needed to complete consolidation into a working memory state. Researchers focused on the attentional blink, a finding that attention cannot be directed to new stimuli during working memory consolidation, have an alternative theory. Attentional blink researchers assume that masking slows the short-term consolidation process, thereby extending the length of the attentional blink. In two experiments, we contrast these two approaches to explaining masking effects and investigate the validity of both hypotheses. Some aspects of both approaches are validated, but neither theoretical perspective alone sufficiently explains the entire pattern of results. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

Cooperative Vehicular Traffic Monitoring in Realistic Low Penetration Scenarios: The COLOMBO Experience

PubMed Central

Caselli, Federico; Corradi, Antonio

2018-01-01

The relevance of effective and efficient solutions for vehicle traffic surveillance is widely recognized in order to enable advanced strategies for traffic management, e.g., based on dynamically adaptive and decentralized traffic light management. However, most related solutions in the literature, based on the powerful enabler of cooperative vehicular communications, assume the complete penetration rate of connectivity/communication technologies (and willingness to participate in the collaborative surveillance service) over the targeted vehicle population, thus making them not applicable nowadays. The paper originally proposes an innovative solution for cooperative traffic surveillance based on vehicular communications capable of: (i) working with low penetration rates of the proposed technology and (ii) of collecting a large set of monitoring data about vehicle mobility in targeted areas of interest. The paper presents insights and lessons learnt from the design and implementation work of the proposed solution. Moreover, it reports extensive performance evaluation results collected on realistic simulation scenarios based on the usage of iTETRIS with real traces of vehicular traffic of the city of Bologna. The reported results show the capability of our proposal to consistently estimate the real vehicular traffic even with low penetration rates of our solution (only 10%). PMID:29522427

Parametric dictionary learning for modeling EAP and ODF in diffusion MRI.

PubMed

Merlet, Sylvain; Caruyer, Emmanuel; Deriche, Rachid

2012-01-01

In this work, we propose an original and efficient approach to exploit the ability of Compressed Sensing (CS) to recover diffusion MRI (dMRI) signals from a limited number of samples while efficiently recovering important diffusion features such as the ensemble average propagator (EAP) and the orientation distribution function (ODF). Some attempts to sparsely represent the diffusion signal have already been performed. However and contrarly to what has been presented in CS dMRI, in this work we propose and advocate the use of a well adapted learned dictionary and show that it leads to a sparser signal estimation as well as to an efficient reconstruction of very important diffusion features. We first propose to learn and design a sparse and parametric dictionary from a set of training diffusion data. Then, we propose a framework to analytically estimate in closed form two important diffusion features: the EAP and the ODF. Various experiments on synthetic, phantom and human brain data have been carried out and promising results with reduced number of atoms have been obtained on diffusion signal reconstruction, thus illustrating the added value of our method over state-of-the-art SHORE and SPF based approaches.

Concurrent working memory load can facilitate selective attention: evidence for specialized load.

PubMed

Park, Soojin; Kim, Min-Shik; Chun, Marvin M

2007-10-01

Load theory predicts that concurrent working memory load impairs selective attention and increases distractor interference (N. Lavie, A. Hirst, J. W. de Fockert, & E. Viding). Here, the authors present new evidence that the type of concurrent working memory load determines whether load impairs selective attention or not. Working memory load was paired with a same/different matching task that required focusing on targets while ignoring distractors. When working memory items shared the same limited-capacity processing mechanisms with targets in the matching task, distractor interference increased. However, when working memory items shared processing with distractors in the matching task, distractor interference decreased, facilitating target selection. A specialized load account is proposed to describe the dissociable effects of working memory load on selective processing depending on whether the load overlaps with targets or with distractors. (c) 2007 APA

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.

Lock-in amplifier error prediction and correction in frequency sweep measurements.

PubMed

Sonnaillon, Maximiliano Osvaldo; Bonetto, Fabian Jose

2007-01-01

This article proposes an analytical algorithm for predicting errors in lock-in amplifiers (LIAs) working with time-varying reference frequency. Furthermore, a simple method for correcting such errors is presented. The reference frequency can be swept in order to measure the frequency response of a system within a given spectrum. The continuous variation of the reference frequency produces a measurement error that depends on three factors: the sweep speed, the LIA low-pass filters, and the frequency response of the measured system. The proposed error prediction algorithm is based on the final value theorem of the Laplace transform. The correction method uses a double-sweep measurement. A mathematical analysis is presented and validated with computational simulations and experimental measurements.

A pyrene formulation for fluorometric visualization of latent fingermarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumari Sharma, Kirti; Harsha Kannikanti, Gavash; Ramachandra Rao Baggi, Tulsidas; Rao Vaidya, Jayathirtha

2018-07-01

Present work is conducted to demonstrate the use of pyrene for the development of latent fingermarks. Pyrene formulation with binders can be efficiently used for developing latent fingermarks on porous, non-porous and semi-porous surfaces. The effectiveness of pyrene formulation for the detection of latent fingermarks present on a large variety of objects was systematically and comparatively carried out. To optimize the working formulation, studies were carried out using different pyrene concentrations followed by various substrate study, time dependent study, temperature study, depleted fingermark development and the stability of the proposed formulation. When illuminated at 366 nm, the developed fingermarks showed clear, high contrast primary, secondary and tertiary level ridge details. This work reveals that the fluorescent molecules having high quantum yield are a versatile fluorescent label and can find their applications in forensic latent fingermark development.

Bifocal Stereo for Multipath Person Re-Identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blott, G.; Heipke, C.

2017-11-01

This work presents an approach for the task of person re-identification by exploiting bifocal stereo cameras. Present monocular person re-identification approaches show a decreasing working distance, when increasing the image resolution to obtain a higher reidentification performance. We propose a novel 3D multipath bifocal approach, containing a rectilinear lens with larger focal length for long range distances and a fish eye lens of a smaller focal length for the near range. The person re-identification performance is at least on par with 2D re-identification approaches but the working distance of the approach is increased and on average 10% more re-identification performance can be achieved in the overlapping field of view compared to a single camera. In addition, the 3D information is exploited from the overlapping field of view to solve potential 2D ambiguities.

[The "Mining Rescue System and Mine Fires" Working Group. Tasks, results, future activities].

PubMed

Coenders, A

1983-01-01

The president of the working party presents details of its principal tasks in the past and in the present time. These can be summed up in a study of the problems mentioned below and the subsequent elaboration of recommendations for the benefit of the governments, guidelines, information reports and research proposals. The principal problems that were or are still under study are: --prevention of fires: shaft equipment, hydraulic fluids, belt conveyors, . . .; --detection of mine fires and spontaneous combustion; --fighting of mine fires: shaft fires, construction of stoppings, openings and recovering of fire zones, . . .; --coordination and rescue equipment: escape and rescue breathing apparatus, flameproof clothing, rescue of trapped miners; --stabilization of ventilation in the event of fire, . . . The speaker stresses the importance of the information exchange and the atmosphere of fellowship and solidarity that prevails in the working party.

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.

Design consideration of resonance inverters with electro-technological application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinov, Nikolay

2017-12-01

This study presents design consideration of resonance inverters with electro-technological application. The presented methodology was achieved as a result of investigations and analyses of different types and working regimes of resonance inverters, made by the author. Are considered schemes of resonant inverters without inverse diodes. The first harmonic method is used in the analysis and design. This method for the case of inverters with electro-technological application gives very good accuracy. This does not require the use of a complex and heavy mathematical apparatus. The proposed methodology is easy to use and is suitable for use in training students in power electronics. Authenticity of achieved results is confirmed by simulating and physical prototypes research work.

Personnel Training--Ideas and Proposals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA).

This document contains an analysis of the present and future need for employee training in Sweden. The following goals are assumed: (1) employee training should be designed to achieve the goals of the individual, the community, and working life; (2) it should promote security of employment; (3) it should help achieve the goal of giving every adult…

Students' Use of Computational Thinking in Linear Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagley, Spencer; Rabin, Jeffrey M.

2016-01-01

In this work, we examine students' ways of thinking when presented with a novel linear algebra problem. Our intent was to explore how students employ and coordinate three modes of thinking, which we call computational, abstract, and geometric, following similar frameworks proposed by Hillel (2000) and Sierpinska (2000). However, the undergraduate…

Application of remote sensing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graff, W. J. (Compiler)

1973-01-01

Remote sensing and aerial photographic interpretation are discussed along with the specific imagery techniques used for this research. The method used to select sites, the results of data analyses for the Houston metropolitan area, and the location of dredging sites along the Houston Ship Channel are presented. The work proposed for the second year of the project is described.

Modeling Peer Assessment as Agent Negotiation in a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, K. Robert; Lan, Chung Hsien

2006-01-01

This work presents a novel method for modeling collaborative learning as multi-issue agent negotiation using fuzzy constraints. Agent negotiation is an iterative process, through which, the proposed method aggregates student marks to reduce personal bias. In the framework, students define individual fuzzy membership functions based on their…

Toward an Integrative Model of Creativity and Personality: Theoretical Suggestions and Preliminary Empirical Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fü rst, Guillaume; Ghisletta, Paolo; Lubart, Todd

2016-01-01

The present work proposes an integrative model of creativity that includes personality traits and cognitive processes. This model hypothesizes that three high-order personality factors predict two main process factors, which in turn predict intensity and achievement of creative activities. The personality factors are: "Plasticity" (high…

Recursivity: A Working Paper on Rhetoric and "Mnesis"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stormer, Nathan

2013-01-01

This essay proposes the genealogical study of remembering and forgetting as recursive rhetorical capacities that enable discourse to place itself in an ever-changing present. "Mnesis" is a meta-concept for the arrangements of remembering and forgetting that enable rhetoric to function. Most of the essay defines the materiality of "mnesis", first…

Mothering and the Work of Educational Care--An Integrative Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Golden, Deborah; Erdreich, Lauren

2014-01-01

This article, through looking at mothers' modes of engagement with their children's education, proposes an integrative analytical approach to the study of the making of mothers, mothering, and motherhood. The article presents and brings into dialogue four different bodies of anthropological and sociological literature: mothering as a…

Treatment of Borderline Adolescents in Family Court Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Maurice R.

A recent revision of the proposed DSM III description of the borderline category is presented with reference to the work of Masterson and Grinker. The contributions of Roger Shapiro and his group to a psychoanalytic formulation of the developmental and familial dynamics are summarized with reference to genetic factors and the lack of validation,…

Is Recurrent Perseveration a Product of Deafferented Functional Systems with Otherwise Normal Post-Activation Decay Rates?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckingham, Hugh W.; Buckingham, Sarah S.

2011-01-01

Recent work in neuropsychology, clinical aphasiology and neuropharmacology have presented evidence that the causative substrates of recurrent perseveration in adults with aphasia are more recondite and subject to distinct interpretations than originally thought. This article will discuss and evaluate how various proposals from theory, from the…

Frills, Furbelows and Activated Memory: Syntactically Optional Elements in the Spontaneous Language Production of Bilingual Speakers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fehringer, Carol; Fry, Christina

2007-01-01

Previous studies have shown a correlation between working memory (WM) and syntactic complexity (variously defined) in language comprehension. The present study investigates this relationship in spontaneous language production, proposing a novel metric, informed by language development and disorders, where complexity is construed in terms of those…

Evaluating and Recommending Greek Newspapers' Websites Using Clustering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanellopoulos, Dimitris; Kotsiantis, Sotiris

2012-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this work is to evaluate Greek newspaper websites using clustering and a number of criteria obtained from the Alexa search engine. Furthermore, a recommendation approach is proposed for matching Greek online newspapers with the profiles of potential readers. The paper presents the implementation and validation of a recommender…

Development of chemical compositions for impervious screens in rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurlenya, MV; Serdyukov, SV; Shilova, TV; Patutin, AV

2017-02-01

The paper presents the method to create anti-seepage screens by hydraulic fracturing with three-component polyurethane mixture. The proposed working fluids and their pumping circuits allow creation of a fracture and an adjacent insulation layer. Gas permeability of porous medium is determined at limit consumption of reagents per insulating screen unit area.

Proposed key elements of a critical incident intervention program for reducing the effects of potentially traumatic exposure on train crews to grade crossing and trespasser incidents.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-04-01

This independent report presents work conducted regarding project FR-RDD-0024-11-01 to advise and support the formulation of : regulations and supporting materials concerning critical incident response plans for rail carriers covered by the Rai...

Alternative evaluation of innovations’ effectiveness in mechanical engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puryaev, A. S.

2017-09-01

The aim of present work is approbation of the developed technique for assessing innovations’ effectiveness. We demonstrate an alternative assessment of innovations’ effectiveness (innovation projects) in mechanical engineering on illustrative example. It is proposed as an alternative to the traditional method technique based on the value concept and the method of “Cash flow”.

Order Information in Working Memory: An Integrative Review of Evidence From Brain and Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshuetz, Christy

2005-01-01

Evidence about memory for order information comes from a number of different methodologies: human cognition, patient studies, neuroimaging studies, and animal lesion and behavioral studies. The present article discusses (a) evidence that order and item memory are separable; (b) proposed mechanisms for order memory (interitem associations, direct…

An Interactive Teaching System for Bond Graph Modeling and Simulation in Bioengineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roman, Monica; Popescu, Dorin; Selisteanu, Dan

2013-01-01

The objective of the present work was to implement a teaching system useful in modeling and simulation of biotechnological processes. The interactive system is based on applications developed using 20-sim modeling and simulation software environment. A procedure for the simulation of bioprocesses modeled by bond graphs is proposed and simulators…

The Worker as Proteus: Understanding Occupational Adaptability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faddis, Constance R.

The purpose of this paper is to review and synthesize what is known about occupational adaptability and to propose a heuristic model of the process(es) of adaptation in work. Following an introductory chapter, three chapters contain a review of literature that draws from many disciplines and presents an overview of human adaptation in general, as…

Research Knowledge Transfer through Business-Driven Student Assignment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sas, Corina

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a knowledge transfer method that capitalizes on both research and teaching dimensions of academic work. It also aims to propose a framework for evaluating the impact of such a method on the involved stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach: The case study outlines and evaluates the six-stage…

The Study of Curricular Dependency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anastasiu, Dragos

2006-01-01

In the educational process, the disciplines D1, D2,...,Dn have a succession which is generated by the content and the final objective--the student formation. In this work, the disciplines are presented as structured text entities. The graph associated to the disciplines is established. A method for dependencies evaluation is proposed. The testing…

Curbing Ignorance and Apathy (across the Political Spectrum) through Global Citizenship Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thier, Michael

2017-01-01

Michael Thier proposes that in a world beset by the opportunities and challenges of globalization, Global Citizenship Education (GCE) can instill the knowledge, skills, behaviors, and dispositions to live, learn, and work. In one of many global citizenship conceptualizations, Oxley and Morris (2013) present four cosmopolitan dimensions--political,…

Documentation Centre of the Association of African Universities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chateh, Peter

This report presents the results of a study of the Documentation Centre of the Association of African Universities (AAU) undertaken to work out proposals for the rational organization of the Centre, and to explore the possibility of computerizing the Centre and linking it with other centers which provide automated documentation services. The…

A soft-switching coupled inductor bidirectional DC-DC converter with high-conversion ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chao, Kuei-Hsiang; Jheng, Yi-Cing

2018-01-01

A soft-switching bidirectional DC-DC converter is presented herein as a way to improve the conversion efficiency of a photovoltaic (PV) system. Adoption of coupled inductors enables the presented converter not only to provide a high-conversion ratio but also to suppress the transient surge voltage via the release of the energy stored in leakage flux of the coupled inductors, and the cost can kept down consequently. A combined use of a switching mechanism and an auxiliary resonant branch enables the converter to successfully perform zero-voltage switching operations on the main switches and improves the efficiency accordingly. It was testified by experiments that our proposed converter works relatively efficiently in full-load working range. Additionally, the framework of the converter intended for testifying has high-conversion ratio. The results of a test, where a generating system using PV module array coupled with batteries as energy storage device was used as the low-voltage input side, and DC link was used as high-voltage side, demonstrated our proposed converter framework with high-conversion ratio on both high-voltage and low-voltage sides.

Selection of astrophysical/astronomical/solar sites at the Argentina East Andes range taking into account atmospheric components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piacentini, R. D.; García, B.; Micheletti, M. I.; Salum, G.; Freire, M.; Maya, J.; Mancilla, A.; Crinó, E.; Mandat, D.; Pech, M.; Bulik, T.

2016-06-01

In the present work we analyze sites in the Argentinian high Andes mountains as possible places for astrophysical/astronomical/solar observatories. They are located at: San Antonio de los Cobres (SAC) and El Leoncito/CASLEO region: sites 1 and 2. We consider the following atmospheric components that affect, in different and specific wavelength ranges, the detection of photons of astronomical/astrophysical/solar origin: ozone, microscopic particles, precipitable water and clouds. We also determined the atmospheric radiative transmittance in a day near the summer solstice at noon, in order to confirm the clearness of the sky in the proposed sites at SAC and El Leoncito. Consequently, all the collected and analyzed data in the present work, indicate that the proposed sites are very promising to host astrophysical/astronomical/solar observatories. Some atmospheric components, like aerosols, play a significant role in the attenuation of light (Cherencov and/or fluorescence) detected in cosmic rays (particles or gamma photons) astrophysical observatories, while others, like ozone have to be considered in astronomical/solar light detection.

Soviet research on crystal channeling of charged particle beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kassel, S.

1985-03-01

This report presents an overview of Soviet research in charged particle beam channeling in crystals from 1972 to the present, and the resulting electromagnetic emission, including Soviet proposals for channeling emission lasers in the X-ray region of the spectrum. It analyzes Soviet attitudes toward crystal channeling of charged particles as a subject of research, describes performers of the research, and indicates the level of effort involved. It presents a brief history of crystal channeling research, the differences between channeling and other kinds of electromagnetic radiation, the definition of the main research issues, and estimates of the potential capabilities of channeling radiation, all based on the Soviet viewpoint. It then describes Soviet proposals for laser systems utilizing the channeling radiation mechanism, and analyzes Soviet experimental work involving the observation and measurement of channeling radiation. The author concludes that the outstanding feature of Soviet research in this area is the optimistic belief of Soviet specialists in the technological potential of this research, but finds that the role of the laser proposals in Soviet planning is ambiguous.

Prefabricated RM Façade Panels - Search for the Safe Solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hulimka, Jacek; Kubica, Jan; Kałuża, Marta; Galman, Iwona

2017-10-01

The problem, which appeared during the design works on the untypical masonry openwork of the front elevation of the academic building in Poland was presented and discussed in this paper. The original solution of masonry external façade was too risky and practically impossible for realization from the workmanship point of view. For this reason authors were proposed to make this elevation wall as prefabricated construction consisted of medium scale prefabricated elevation panels made of openwork clinker units and masonry joints with reinforcement. Two solutions of prefabricated panels were elaborated: first by the design office and second one, significantly modified, proposed by the authors. Taking into consideration fact that proposed prefabricated panels are not the typical reinforced masonry possible to design based on Eurocode 6, the methodology of “supporting design by test” was accepted to verify the correctness of proposed solutions. The carried out tests of both types of prefabricated panels with results and their discussion are also presented here. The results have shown the lack of safety for the first type of prefabricates and good behaviour, safety and durability of the final, modified solution.

Amorphous transparent conducting oxides in context: Work function survey, trends, and facile modification

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

Yeh, T. C.; Zhu, Q.; Buchholz, D. B.

2015-03-01

The work functions of various amorphous and crystalline transparent conducting oxides (TCO5) were measured using Kelvin probe. The films, made by pulsed laser deposition, exhibited varying work functions dependent on the composition and deposition parameters. Tin oxide showed the largest work functions of the oxides measured, while zinc oxide showed the lowest. Binary and ternary combinations of the basis TCOs showed intermediate work functions dependent on the endpoint components. Amorphous TCO5, important in OPV and other technological applications, exhibited similar work functions to their crystalline counterparts. UV/ozone treatment of TCOs temporarily increased the work function, consistent with proposed defect mechanismsmore » associated with near-surface changes in carrier content and Fermi level. Finally, a method for facile adjustment of the work function of commercial TCOs by atomic layer deposition (ALD) capping layers was presented, illustrated by the growth of zinc oxide layers on commercial crystalline ITO films.« less

Amorphous transparent conducting oxides in context: Work function survey, trends, and facile modification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeh, T. C.; Zhu, Q.; Buchholz, D. B.; Martinson, A. B.; Chang, R. P. H.; Mason, T. O.

2015-03-01

The work functions of various amorphous and crystalline transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) were measured using Kelvin probe. The films, made by pulsed laser deposition, exhibited varying work functions dependent on the composition and deposition parameters. Tin oxide showed the largest work functions of the oxides measured, while zinc oxide showed the lowest. Binary and ternary combinations of the basis TCOs showed intermediate work functions dependent on the endpoint components. Amorphous TCOs, important in OPV and other technological applications, exhibited similar work functions to their crystalline counterparts. UV/ozone treatment of TCOs temporarily increased the work function, consistent with proposed defect mechanisms associated with near-surface changes in carrier content and Fermi level. Finally, a method for facile adjustment of the work function of commercial TCOs by atomic layer deposition (ALD) capping layers was presented, illustrated by the growth of zinc oxide layers on commercial crystalline ITO films.

Embedding effective depression care: using theory for primary care organisational and systems change.

PubMed

Gunn, Jane M; Palmer, Victoria J; Dowrick, Christopher F; Herrman, Helen E; Griffiths, Frances E; Kokanovic, Renata; Blashki, Grant A; Hegarty, Kelsey L; Johnson, Caroline L; Potiriadis, Maria; May, Carl R

2010-08-06

Depression and related disorders represent a significant part of general practitioners (GPs) daily work. Implementing the evidence about what works for depression care into routine practice presents a challenge for researchers and service designers. The emerging consensus is that the transfer of efficacious interventions into routine practice is strongly linked to how well the interventions are based upon theory and take into account the contextual factors of the setting into which they are to be transferred. We set out to develop a conceptual framework to guide change and the implementation of best practice depression care in the primary care setting. We used a mixed method, observational approach to gather data about routine depression care in a range of primary care settings via: audit of electronic health records; observation of routine clinical care; and structured, facilitated whole of organisation meetings. Audit data were summarised using simple descriptive statistics. Observational data were collected using field notes. Organisational meetings were audio taped and transcribed. All the data sets were grouped, by organisation, and considered as a whole case. Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) was identified as an analytical theory to guide the conceptual framework development. Five privately owned primary care organisations (general practices) and one community health centre took part over the course of 18 months. We successfully developed a conceptual framework for implementing an effective model of depression care based on the four constructs of NPT: coherence, which proposes that depression work requires the conceptualisation of boundaries of who is depressed and who is not depressed and techniques for dealing with diffuseness; cognitive participation, which proposes that depression work requires engagement with a shared set of techniques that deal with depression as a health problem; collective action, which proposes that agreement is reached about how care is organised; and reflexive monitoring, which proposes that depression work requires agreement about how depression work will be monitored at the patient and practice level. We describe how these constructs can be used to guide the design and implementation of effective depression care in a way that can take account of contextual differences. Ideas about what is required for an effective model and system of depression care in primary care need to be accompanied by theoretically informed frameworks that consider how these can be implemented. The conceptual framework we have presented can be used to guide organisational and system change to develop common language around each construct between policy makers, service users, professionals, and researchers. This shared understanding across groups is fundamental to the effective implementation of change in primary care for depression.

Where are χ _{cJ}(3P)?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Dian-Yong

2016-12-01

In the present work, we propose Y(4140) as the χ _{c1}(3P) state by studying the χ _{c1} π ^+ π ^- invariant mass spectrum of the B→ K χ _{c1} π ^+ π ^- process. In the Dbar{D} invariant mass spectrum of the B→ K Dbar{D} process, we find a new resonance with the mass and width to be ( 4083.0 ± 5.0) and (24.1 ± 15.4) MeV, respectively, which could be a good candidate of the χ _{c0}(3P) state. The theoretical investigations on the decay behaviors of the χ _{cJ}(3P) in the present work support the assignments of the Y(4140) and Y(4080) as the χ _{c1}(3P) and χ _{c0}(3P) states, respectively. In addition, the χ _{c2}(3P) state is predicted to be a very narrow state. The results in the present work could be tested by further experiments in the LHCb and forthcoming Belle II.

77 FR 31592 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests; Institute of Education Sciences; What Works...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-29

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests; Institute of Education Sciences; What Works Clearinghouse SUMMARY: The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) was established to develop...., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. Copies of the proposed information collection request may be accessed...

Effective mercury(II) bioremoval from aqueous solution, and its electrochemical determination.

PubMed

Balderas-Hernández, Patricia; Roa-Morales, Gabriela; Ramírez-Silva, María Teresa; Romero-Romo, Mario; Rodríguez-Sevilla, Erika; Esparza-Schulz, Juan Marcos; Juárez-Gómez, Jorge

2017-01-01

This work proposed mercury elimination using agricultural waste (Allium Cepa L.). The biomass removed 99.4% of mercury, following a pseudo-second order kinetics (r 2  = 0.9999). The Langmuir model was adequately fitted to the adsorption isotherm, thereby obtaining the maximum mercury adsorption capacity of 111.1 ± 0.3 mg g -1 . The biomass showed high density of strong mercury chelating groups, thus making it economically attractive. Also, the implementation of a mercury-selective electrode for continuous determination in real time is proposed; this electrode replaces techniques like atomic absorption spectroscopy, thus it can be applied to real time studies. This work therefore presents a new perspective for removing mercury(II) from contaminated water for environmental remediation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An item-oriented recommendation algorithm on cold-start problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Tian; Chen, Guang; Zhang, Zi-Ke; Zhou, Tao

2011-09-01

Based on a hybrid algorithm incorporating the heat conduction and probability spreading processes (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 107 (2010) 4511), in this letter, we propose an improved method by introducing an item-oriented function, focusing on solving the dilemma of the recommendation accuracy between the cold and popular items. Differently from previous works, the present algorithm does not require any additional information (e.g., tags). Further experimental results obtained in three real datasets, RYM, Netflix and MovieLens, show that, compared with the original hybrid method, the proposed algorithm significantly enhances the recommendation accuracy of the cold items, while it keeps the recommendation accuracy of the overall and the popular items. This work might shed some light on both understanding and designing effective methods for long-tailed online applications of recommender systems.

Nucleation and Convection Effects in Protein Crystal Growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vekilow, Peter G.

1998-01-01

Our work under this grant has significantly contributed to the goals of the NASA supported protein crystallization program. We have achieved the main objectives of the proposed work, as outlined in the original proposal: (1) We have provided important insight into protein nucleation and crystal growth mechanisms to facilitate a rational approach to protein crystallization; (2) We have delineated the factors that currently limit the x-ray diffraction resolution of protein crystals, and their correlation to crystallization conditions; (3) We have developed novel technologies to study and monitor protein crystal nucleation and growth processes, in order to increase the reproducibility and yield of protein crystallization. We have published 17 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and books and made more than 15 invited and 9 contributed presentations of our results at international and national scientific meetings.

Analysis of Atmospheric Aerosol Data Sets and Application of Radiative Transfer Models to Compute Aerosol Effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmid, Beat

2005-01-01

The Bay Area Environmental Research Institute (BAER) scientists have worked with the NASA Ames Research Center sunphotometer group led by Dr. Philip Russell for many years researching the climatic effects of aerosol particles in the stratosphere and troposphere. We have continued to work with the NASA Ames sunphotometer group in research activities representing funded, peer-reviewed proposals to NASA, NOAA and DOE. The activities are described in those proposals and also in the documents provided to the Grants Office earlier. This is the final report from January 1,2002 - June 30, 2005. The report consists of a compilation of 41 peer-reviewed publications (published, in press or submitted) produced under this Cooperative Agreement and 43 first-authored conference presentations. To save paper, reprints are not included but will, of course, be provided upon request.

Impedance matching wireless power transmission system for biomedical devices.

PubMed

Lum, Kin Yun; Lindén, Maria; Tan, Tian Swee

2015-01-01

For medical application, the efficiency and transmission distance of the wireless power transfer (WPT) are always the main concern. Research has been showing that the impedance matching is one of the critical factors for dealing with the problem. However, there is not much work performed taking both the source and load sides into consideration. Both sides matching is crucial in achieving an optimum overall performance, and the present work proposes a circuit model analysis for design and implementation. The proposed technique was validated against experiment and software simulation. Result was showing an improvement in transmission distance up to 6 times, and efficiency at this transmission distance had been improved up to 7 times as compared to the impedance mismatch system. The system had demonstrated a near-constant transfer efficiency for an operating range of 2cm-12cm.

Damascus Steel Revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verhoeven, J. D.; Pendray, A. H.; Dauksch, W. E.; Wagstaff, S. R.

2018-05-01

A review is given of the work we presented in the 1990s that successfully developed a technique for reproducing the surface patterns and internal microstructure of genuine Damascus steel blades. That work showed that a key factor in making these blades was the addition of quite small levels of carbide-forming elements, notably V. Experiments are presented for blades made from slow- and fast-cooled ingots, and the results support our previous hypothesis that the internal banded microstructure results from microsegregation of V between dendrites during ingot solidification. A hypothetical model was presented for the mechanism causing the unique internal microstructure that gives rise to the surface pattern forming during the forging of the ingots from which the blades are made. This article attempts to explain the model more clearly and presents some literature data that offer support to the model. It also discusses an alternate model recently proposed by Foll.

Comparisons of Buckling Capacity Curves of Pressurized Spheres with EDR Provisions and Experimental Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Błażejewski, Paweł; Marcinowski, Jakub

2017-06-01

Existing provisions leading to the assessment of the buckling resistance of pressurised spherical shells were published in the European Design Recommendations (EDR) [1]. This book comprises rules which refer to the stability of steel shells of different shapes. In the first step of the general procedure they require calculation of two reference quantities: the elastic critical buckling reference pRcr and the plastic reference resistance pRpl. These quantities should be determined in the linear buckling analysis (LBA) and in the materially nonlinear analysis (MNA) respectively. Only in the case of spherical shells the existing procedure has exceptional character. It is based on the geometrically nonlinear analysis (GNA) and on the geometrically and materially nonlinear analysis (GMNA), respectively. From this reason, in this particular case there was a need to change the existing approach. The new procedure was presented in the work of Błażejewski & Marcinowski in 2016 (comp. [2]). All steps of the procedure leading to the assessment of buckling resistance of pressurized steel, spherical shells were presented in this work. The elaborated procedure is consistent with provisions of Eurocode EN1993-1-6 (comp. [3]) and with recommendations inserted in Europeans Design Recommendations [1]. The proposed capacity curves were compared with existing proposal published in [1] for three different fabrication quality classes predicted in [3]. In this work also comparisons of author's proposals with experimental results obtained by other authors were presented.

Optimal policies of non-cross-resistant chemotherapy on Goldie and Coldman's cancer model.

PubMed

Chen, Jeng-Huei; Kuo, Ya-Hui; Luh, Hsing Paul

2013-10-01

Mathematical models can be used to study the chemotherapy on tumor cells. Especially, in 1979, Goldie and Coldman proposed the first mathematical model to relate the drug sensitivity of tumors to their mutation rates. Many scientists have since referred to this pioneering work because of its simplicity and elegance. Its original idea has also been extended and further investigated in massive follow-up studies of cancer modeling and optimal treatment. Goldie and Coldman, together with Guaduskas, later used their model to explain why an alternating non-cross-resistant chemotherapy is optimal with a simulation approach. Subsequently in 1983, Goldie and Coldman proposed an extended stochastic based model and provided a rigorous mathematical proof to their earlier simulation work when the extended model is approximated by its quasi-approximation. However, Goldie and Coldman's analytic study of optimal treatments majorly focused on a process with symmetrical parameter settings, and presented few theoretical results for asymmetrical settings. In this paper, we recast and restate Goldie, Coldman, and Guaduskas' model as a multi-stage optimization problem. Under an asymmetrical assumption, the conditions under which a treatment policy can be optimal are derived. The proposed framework enables us to consider some optimal policies on the model analytically. In addition, Goldie, Coldman and Guaduskas' work with symmetrical settings can be treated as a special case of our framework. Based on the derived conditions, this study provides an alternative proof to Goldie and Coldman's work. In addition to the theoretical derivation, numerical results are included to justify the correctness of our work. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparison between molten carbonate fuel cells based hybrid systems using air and supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycles with state of the art technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez, D.; Muñoz de Escalona, J. M.; Chacartegui, R.; Muñoz, A.; Sánchez, T.

A proposal for high efficiency hybrid systems based on molten carbonate fuel cells is presented in this paper. This proposal is based on adopting a closed cycle bottoming gas turbine using supercritical carbon dioxide as working fluid as opposed to open cycle hot air turbines typically used in this type of power generators. First, both bottoming cycles are compared for the same operating conditions, showing that their performances do not differ as much as initially expected, even if the initial objective of reducing compression work is accomplished satisfactorily. In view of these results, a profound review of research and industrial literature is carried out in order to determine realistic specifications for the principal components of the bottoming systems. From this analysis, it is concluded that an appropriate set of specifications must be developed for each bottoming cycle as the performances of compressor, turbine and recuperator differ significantly from one working fluid to another. Thus, when the operating conditions are updated, the performances of the resulting systems show a remarkable advantage of carbon dioxide based systems over conventional air units. Actually, the proposed hybrid system shows its capability to achieve 60% net efficiency, what represents a 10% increase with respect to the reference system.

New Designs of Biofuel Cells and Their Work Testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stom, D. I.; Zhdanova, G. O.; Kashevskii, A. V.

2017-11-01

The developed designs and modifications of biofuel elements (BFC) are presented. The approbation of their work using strains and consortia of microorganisms is given. The proposed designs made it possible to solve a number of problems that arise when working with BFC: 1) gain access to the contents of the anode BFC space without disturbing its sterility and anaerobic environment; 2) take samples from the anode space for chemical and microbiological analysis without interrupting the BFC operation; 3) conduct continuous monitoring of electrochemical processes directly in the anode space (Ox-Red media, electrode charge, concentration of hydrogen and other ions by means of potentiometry).

[Job satisfaction, volition and reasons for choice of temporary work].

PubMed

Muzzolon, Cristina; Spoto, Andrea; Vidotto, Giulio

2012-01-01

In this paper, we reviewed the literature on volition and the principal studies on the reasons for choosing temporary work, which explain in more details how voluntary/involuntary status is interpreted. The description of a research, based on a sample of 1979 workers, is presented with two aims: 1. confirm a structural model that examines the effects on satisfaction of some variables, such as motivation and trust; 2. evaluate the influence of volition and reasons for choosing a temporary employment on job satisfaction. The results confirm the plausibility of the proposed structural model and show interesting results regarding the reasons for choosing temporary work.

Psychosocial Pain Management Moderation: The Limit, Activate, and Enhance Model.

PubMed

Day, Melissa A; Ehde, Dawn M; Jensen, Mark P

2015-10-01

There is a growing emphasis in the pain literature on understanding the following second-order research questions: Why do psychosocial pain treatments work? For whom do various treatments work? This critical review summarizes research that addresses the latter question and proposes a moderation model to help guide future research. A theoretical moderation framework for matching individuals to specific psychosocial pain interventions has been lacking. However, several such frameworks have been proposed in the broad psychotherapy and implementation science literature. Drawing on these theories and adapting them specifically for psychosocial pain treatment, here we propose a Limit, Activate, and Enhance model of pain treatment moderation. This model is unique in that it includes algorithms not only for matching treatments on the basis of patient weaknesses but also for directing patients to interventions that build on their strengths. Critically, this model provides a basis for specific a priori hypothesis generation, and a selection of the possible hypotheses drawn from the model are proposed and discussed. Future research considerations are presented that could refine and expand the model based on theoretically driven empirical evidence. The Limit, Activate, and Enhance model presented here is a theoretically derived framework that provides an a priori basis for hypothesis generation regarding psychosocial pain treatment moderators. The model will advance moderation research via its unique focus on matching patients to specific treatments that (1) limit maladaptive responses, (2) activate adaptive responses, and (3) enhance treatment outcomes based on patient strengths and resources. Copyright © 2015 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Live to work or love to work: work craving and work engagement.

PubMed

Wojdylo, Kamila; Baumann, Nicola; Fischbach, Lis; Engeser, Stefan

2014-01-01

According to the theory of work craving, a workaholic has a craving for self-worth compensatory incentives and an expectation of relief from negative affect experienced through neurotic perfectionism and an obsessive-compulsive style of working. Research has shown that workaholism and work engagement should be considered as two distinct work styles with different health consequences. However, the mechanisms underlying the adoption of these work styles have been neglected. The present study proposes that work craving and work engagement are differentially associated with self-regulatory competencies and health. In particular, we expected that the working styles mediate the relationships between emotional self-regulation and health. In the cross-sectional study, 469 teachers from German schools completed online administered questionnaires. By means of structural equation modeling, we tested two indirect paths: a) from self-relaxation deficits via work craving to poor health and b) from self-motivation competencies via work engagement to good health. As expected, we found evidence that a) the negative relationship of self-relaxation deficits on health was partially mediated by work craving and b) the positive relationship of self-motivation competencies on health was partially mediated by work engagement. The present study emphasizes the importance of self-regulation competencies for healthy or unhealthy work styles. Whereas work craving was associated with a low ability to down-regulate negative emotions and poor health, work engagement was associated with a high ability to up-regulate positive emotions and good health.

Live to Work or Love to Work: Work Craving and Work Engagement

PubMed Central

Wojdylo, Kamila; Baumann, Nicola; Fischbach, Lis; Engeser, Stefan

2014-01-01

Objective According to the theory of work craving, a workaholic has a craving for self-worth compensatory incentives and an expectation of relief from negative affect experienced through neurotic perfectionism and an obsessive-compulsive style of working. Research has shown that workaholism and work engagement should be considered as two distinct work styles with different health consequences. However, the mechanisms underlying the adoption of these work styles have been neglected. The present study proposes that work craving and work engagement are differentially associated with self-regulatory competencies and health. In particular, we expected that the working styles mediate the relationships between emotional self-regulation and health. Methods: In the cross-sectional study, 469 teachers from German schools completed online administered questionnaires. By means of structural equation modeling, we tested two indirect paths: a) from self-relaxation deficits via work craving to poor health and b) from self-motivation competencies via work engagement to good health. Results As expected, we found evidence that a) the negative relationship of self-relaxation deficits on health was partially mediated by work craving and b) the positive relationship of self-motivation competencies on health was partially mediated by work engagement. Conclusions The present study emphasizes the importance of self-regulation competencies for healthy or unhealthy work styles. Whereas work craving was associated with a low ability to down-regulate negative emotions and poor health, work engagement was associated with a high ability to up-regulate positive emotions and good health. PMID:25296091

Mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between job resources and personal resources with turnover intention among female nurses.

PubMed

Shahpouri, Samira; Namdari, Kourosh; Abedi, Ahmad

2016-05-01

One of the latest models proposed with regard to work engagement is the detailed model put forward by Bakker and Demerouti (2007). The present study aims at investigating the effect of job resources and personal resources on turnover intention with the mediator role of work engagement among female nurses at Isfahan Alzahra Hospital. In the current study, job and personal resources were considered as the predictors of job turnover and work engagement was considered as the mediator variable among predictive and criterion variables. The data of the present study were collected from 208 female nurses who were selected by systematic random sampling. As for the analysis of the collected data, structural equations model, normal distribution method, and Bootstrap method in Macro, Preacher and Hayes, (2004) program were deployed. The findings showed that the personal resources affect the turnover intention both directly and indirectly (through work engagement); however, job resources are just associated with turnover intention with the mediating role of work engagement. The results of the study have important implications for organizations' managers about improving work engagement. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Investigating the Mobility of Trilayer Graphene Nanoribbon in Nanoscale FETs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmani, Meisam; Ghafoori Fard, Hassan; Ahmadi, Mohammad Taghi; Rahbarpour, Saeideh; Habibiyan, Hamidreza; Varmazyari, Vali; Rahmani, Komeil

2017-10-01

The aim of the present paper is to investigate the scaling behaviors of charge carrier mobility as one of the most remarkable characteristics for modeling of nanoscale field-effect transistors (FETs). Many research groups in academia and industry are contributing to the model development and experimental identification of multi-layer graphene FET-based devices. The approach in the present work is to provide an analytical model for carrier mobility of tri-layer graphene nanoribbon (TGN) FET. In order to do so, one starts by identifying the analytical modeling of TGN carrier velocity and ballistic conductance. At the end, a model of charge carrier mobility with numerical solution is analytically derived for TGN FET, in which the carrier concentration, temperature and channel length characteristics dependence are highlighted. Moreover, variation of band gap and gate voltage during the proposed device operation and its effect on carrier mobility is investigated. To evaluate the nanoscale FET performance, the carrier mobility model is also adopted to obtain the I-V characteristics of the device. In order to verify the accuracy of the proposed analytical model for TGN mobility, it is compared to the existing experimental data, and a satisfactory agreement is reported for analogous ambient conditions. Moreover, the proposed model is compared with the published data of single-layer graphene and bi-layer graphene, in which the obtained results demonstrate significant insights into the importance of charge carrier mobility impact in high-performance TGN FET. The work presented here is one step towards an applicable model for real-world nanoscale FETs.

Isolating Age-Group Differences in Working Memory Load-Related Neural Activity: Assessing the Contribution of Working Memory Capacity Using a Partial-Trial fMRI Method

PubMed Central

Bennett, Ilana J.; Rivera, Hannah G.; Rypma, Bart

2013-01-01

Previous studies examining age-group differences in working memory load-related neural activity have yielded mixed results. When present, age-group differences in working memory capacity are frequently proposed to underlie these neural effects. However, direct relationships between working memory capacity and working memory load-related activity have only been observed in younger adults. These relationships remain untested in healthy aging. Therefore, the present study examined patterns of working memory load-related activity in 22 younger and 20 older adults and assessed the contribution of working memory capacity to these load-related effects. Participants performed a partial-trial delayed response item recognition task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. In this task, participants encoded either 2 or 6 letters, maintained them during a delay, and then indicated whether a probe was present in the memory set. Behavioral results revealed faster and more accurate responses to load 2 versus 6, with age-group differences in this load condition effect for the accuracy measure. Neuroimaging results revealed one region (medial superior frontal gyrus) that showed age-group differences in load-related activity during the retrieval period, with less (greater) neural activity for the low versus high load condition in younger (older) adults. Furthermore, for older adults, load-related activity did not vary as a function of working memory capacity. Thus, working memory-related activity varies with healthy aging, but these patterns are not due solely to working memory capacity. Neurocognitive aging theories that feature capacity will need to account for these results. PMID:23357076

Modeling and analysis of solar distributed generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz Rivera, Eduardo Ivan

Recent changes in the global economy are creating a big impact in our daily life. The price of oil is increasing and the number of reserves are less every day. Also, dramatic demographic changes are impacting the viability of the electric infrastructure and ultimately the economic future of the industry. These are some of the reasons that many countries are looking for alternative energy to produce electric energy. The most common form of green energy in our daily life is solar energy. To convert solar energy into electrical energy is required solar panels, dc-dc converters, power control, sensors, and inverters. In this work, a photovoltaic module, PVM, model using the electrical characteristics provided by the manufacturer data sheet is presented for power system applications. Experimental results from testing are showed, verifying the proposed PVM model. Also in this work, three maximum power point tracker, MPPT, algorithms would be presented to obtain the maximum power from a PVM. The first MPPT algorithm is a method based on the Rolle's and Lagrange's Theorems and can provide at least an approximate answer to a family of transcendental functions that cannot be solved using differential calculus. The second MPPT algorithm is based on the approximation of the proposed PVM model using fractional polynomials where the shape, boundary conditions and performance of the proposed PVM model are satisfied. The third MPPT algorithm is based in the determination of the optimal duty cycle for a dc-dc converter and the previous knowledge of the load or load matching conditions. Also, four algorithms to calculate the effective irradiance level and temperature over a photovoltaic module are presented in this work. The main reasons to develop these algorithms are for monitoring climate conditions, the elimination of temperature and solar irradiance sensors, reductions in cost for a photovoltaic inverter system, and development of new algorithms to be integrated with maximum power point tracking algorithms. Finally, several PV power applications will be presented like circuit analysis for a load connected to two different PV arrays, speed control for a do motor connected to a PVM, and a novel single phase photovoltaic inverter system using the Z-source converter.

Ergonomics and design: traffic sign and street name sign.

PubMed

Moroni, Janaina Luisa da Silva; Aymone, José Luís Farinatti

2012-01-01

This work proposes a design methodology using ergonomics and anthropometry concepts applied to traffic sign and street name sign projects. Initially, a literature revision on cognitive ergonomics and anthropometry is performed. Several authors and their design methodologies are analyzed and the aspects to be considered in projects of traffic and street name signs are selected and other specific aspects are proposed for the design methodology. A case study of the signs of "Street of Antiques" in Porto Alegre city is presented. To do that, interviews with the population are made to evaluate the current situation of signs. After that, a new sign proposal with virtual prototyping is done using the developed methodology. The results obtained with new interviews about the proposal show the user satisfaction and the importance of cognitive ergonomics to development of this type of urban furniture.

Distributed event-triggered consensus strategy for multi-agent systems under limited resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noorbakhsh, S. Mohammad; Ghaisari, Jafar

2016-01-01

The paper proposes a distributed structure to address an event-triggered consensus problem for multi-agent systems which aims at concurrent reduction in inter-agent communication, control input actuation and energy consumption. Following the proposed approach, asymptotic convergence of all agents to consensus requires that each agent broadcasts its sampled-state to the neighbours and updates its control input only at its own triggering instants, unlike the existing related works. Obviously, it decreases the network bandwidth usage, sensor energy consumption, computation resources usage and actuator wears. As a result, it facilitates the implementation of the proposed consensus protocol in the real-world applications with limited resources. The stability of the closed-loop system under an event-based protocol is proved analytically. Some numerical results are presented which confirm the analytical discussion on the effectiveness of the proposed design.

No functional role of attention-based rehearsal in maintenance of spatial working memory representations.

PubMed

Belopolsky, Artem V; Theeuwes, Jan

2009-10-01

The present study systematically examined the role of attention in maintenance of spatial representations in working memory as proposed by the attention-based rehearsal hypothesis [Awh, E., Jonides, J., & Reuter-Lorenz, P. A. (1998). Rehearsal in spatial working memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology--Human Perception and Performance, 24(3), 780-790]. Three main issues were examined. First, Experiments 1-3 demonstrated that inhibition and not facilitation of visual processing is often observed at the memorized location during the retention interval. This inhibition was caused by keeping a location in memory and not by the exogenous nature of the memory cue. Second, Experiment 4 showed that inhibition of the memorized location does not lead to any significant impairment in memory accuracy. Finally, Experiment 5 connected current results to the previous findings and demonstrated facilitation of processing at the memorized location. Importantly, facilitation of processing did not lead to more accurate memory performance. The present results challenge the functional role of attention in maintenance of spatial working memory representations.

Examining the neural correlates of active and passive forms of verbal-spatial binding in working memory.

PubMed

Grot, Stéphanie; Leclerc, Marie-Eve; Luck, David

2018-05-23

We designed an fMRI study to pinpoint the neural correlates of active and passive binding in working memory. Participants were instructed to memorize three words and three spatial locations. In the passive binding condition, words and spatial locations were directly presented as bound. Conversely, in the active binding condition, words and spatial locations were presented as separated, and participants were directed to intentionally create associations between them. Our results showed that participants performed better on passive binding relative to active binding. FMRI analysis revealed that both binding conditions induced greater activity within the hippocampus. Additionally, our analyses divulged regions specifically engaged in passive and active binding. Altogether, these data allow us to propose the hippocampus as a central candidate for working memory binding. When needed, a frontal-parietal network can contribute to the rearrangement of information. These findings may inform theories of working memory binding. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

An improved k-epsilon model for near wall turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shih, T. H.; Hsu, Andrew T.

1991-01-01

An improved k-epsilon model for low Reynolds number turbulence near a wall is presented. In the first part of this work, the near-wall asymptotic behavior of the eddy viscosity and the pressure transport term in the turbulent kinetic energy equation are analyzed. Based on these analyses, a modified eddy viscosity model with the correct near-wall behavior is suggested, and a model for the pressure transport term in the k-equation is proposed. In addition, a modeled dissipation rate equation is reformulated, and a boundary condition for the dissipation rate is suggested. In the second part of the work, one of the deficiencies of the existing k-epsilon models, namely, the wall distance dependency of the equations and the damping functions, is examined. An improved model that does not depend on any wall distance is introduced. Fully developed turbulent channel flows and turbulent boundary layers over a flat plate are studied as validations for the proposed new models. Numerical results obtained from the present and other previous k-epsilon models are compared with data from direct numerical simulation. The results show that the present k-epsilon model, with added robustness, performs as well as or better than other existing models in predicting the behavior of near-wall turbulence.

The European system for the control of the safety of food-contact materials needs restructuring: a review and outlook for discussion.

PubMed

Grob, Koni

2017-09-01

The present European system to assure the safety of migrates from food-contact materials (FCMs) needs improvement. It is proposed to implement better the self-control by the producers through improved official control and more attractive listing of approved substances and materials (the latter being subject of another discussion paper). The initial concept of a positive list for the substances used, a limit for the overall migration and regulation of compliance testing was recognised as insufficient long ago, as it does not properly cover reaction products (including oligomers) and impurities. It also turned out to be unrealistic to cover all 17 types of FCMs owing to lack of resources by the authorities. Therefore, European Union legislation shifted the focus to the compliance work carried out by the business operators (in-house documentation and declaration of compliance). However, this approach has not been properly implemented. This is partly due to lack or unsuccessful control by authorities. A suitable structure of this control still needs to be built. It is proposed that specialised document-collection centres working with dedicated tools harmonised throughout Europe be created. Further, since most migrating substances are not listed, the toxicological evaluation reported by industry must be checked by risk-assessment authorities. Finally, effective and harmonised measures are needed to react in case of non-compliance. The currently large gap between the legal requirements and reality must be bridged by introducing flexibility: authorised work plans by industry are proposed. It is also proposed to encourage certified private institutes to approve compliance work, driven by the attractive listing of approved materials and exploiting market forces. In the long run, the focus of the authorities might change from evaluating the substances used and regulating migration testing to the evaluation of the compliance work performed by industry, which means moving from legislation supporting industry towards checking self-control.

Possibilities of the ErgoScope high fidelity work simulator in skill assessment, skill development and vocational aptitude tests of physically disabled persons.

PubMed

Izsó, Lajos; Székely, Ildikó; Dános, László

2015-01-01

The aim of this paper - based on the extensive experiences of the authors gained by using one particular work simulator - is to present some promising possibilities of the application of this (and any other similar) work simulator in the field of skill assessment, skill development and vocational aptitude tests of physically disabled persons. During skill assessment and development, as parts of the therapy, the focus is on the disabled functions. During vocational aptitude tests, however, the focus is already on the functions that remained intact and therefore can be the basis of returning to work. Some factual examples are provided to realize the proposed possibilities in practice.

Design of high-performance parallelized gene predictors in MATLAB.

PubMed

Rivard, Sylvain Robert; Mailloux, Jean-Gabriel; Beguenane, Rachid; Bui, Hung Tien

2012-04-10

This paper proposes a method of implementing parallel gene prediction algorithms in MATLAB. The proposed designs are based on either Goertzel's algorithm or on FFTs and have been implemented using varying amounts of parallelism on a central processing unit (CPU) and on a graphics processing unit (GPU). Results show that an implementation using a straightforward approach can require over 4.5 h to process 15 million base pairs (bps) whereas a properly designed one could perform the same task in less than five minutes. In the best case, a GPU implementation can yield these results in 57 s. The present work shows how parallelism can be used in MATLAB for gene prediction in very large DNA sequences to produce results that are over 270 times faster than a conventional approach. This is significant as MATLAB is typically overlooked due to its apparent slow processing time even though it offers a convenient environment for bioinformatics. From a practical standpoint, this work proposes two strategies for accelerating genome data processing which rely on different parallelization mechanisms. Using a CPU, the work shows that direct access to the MEX function increases execution speed and that the PARFOR construct should be used in order to take full advantage of the parallelizable Goertzel implementation. When the target is a GPU, the work shows that data needs to be segmented into manageable sizes within the GFOR construct before processing in order to minimize execution time.

A New IMS Based Inter-working Solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Zhongwen; Brunner, Richard

With the evolution of third generation network, more and more multimedia services are developed and deployed. Any new service to be deployed in IMS network is required to inter-work with existing Internet communities or legacy terminal users in order to appreciate the end users, who are the main drivers for the service to succeed. The challenge for Inter-working between IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) and non-IMS network is “how to handle recipient’s address”. This is because each network has its own routable address schema. For instance, the address for Google Talk user is xmpp:xyz@google.com, which is un-routable in IMS network. Hereafter a new Inter-working (IW) solution between IMS and non-IMS network is proposed for multimedia services that include Instant Messaging, Chat, and File transfer, etc. It is an end-to-end solution built on IMS infrastructure. The Public Service Identity (PSI) defined in 3GPP standard (3rd Generation Partnership Project) is used to allow terminal clients to allocate this IW service. When sending the SIP (Session Initial Protocol) request out for multimedia services, the terminal includes the recipient’s address in the payload instead of the “Request-URI” header. In the network, the proposed solution provides the mapping rules between different networks in MM-IW (Multimedia IW). The detailed technical description and the corresponding use cases are present. The comparison with other alternatives is made. The benefits of the proposed solution are highlighted.

Numerical Investigation of Pressure Profile in Hydrodynamic Lubrication Thrust Bearing.

PubMed

Najar, Farooq Ahmad; Harmain, G A

2014-01-01

Reynolds equation is solved using finite difference method (FDM) on the surface of the tilting pad to find the pressure distribution in the lubricant oil film. Different pressure profiles with grid independence are described. The present work evaluates pressure at various locations after performing a thorough grid refinement. In recent similar works, this aspect has not been addressed. However, present study shows that it can have significant effect on the pressure profile. Results of a sector shaped pad are presented and it is shown that the maximum average value of pressure is 12% (approximately) greater than the previous results. Grid independence occurs after 24 × 24 grids. A parameter "ψ" has been proposed to provide convenient indicator of obtaining grid independent results. ψ = |(P refinedgrid - P Refrence-grid)/P refinedgrid|, ψ ≤ ε, where "ε" can be fixed to a convenient value and a constant minimum film thickness value of 75 μm is used in present study. This important parameter is highlighted in the present work; the location of the peak pressure zone in terms of (r, θ) coordinates is getting shifted by changing the grid size which will help the designer and experimentalist to conveniently determine the position of pressure measurement probe.

End-point detection in potentiometric titration by continuous wavelet transform.

PubMed

Jakubowska, Małgorzata; Baś, Bogusław; Kubiak, Władysław W

2009-10-15

The aim of this work was construction of the new wavelet function and verification that a continuous wavelet transform with a specially defined dedicated mother wavelet is a useful tool for precise detection of end-point in a potentiometric titration. The proposed algorithm does not require any initial information about the nature or the type of analyte and/or the shape of the titration curve. The signal imperfection, as well as random noise or spikes has no influence on the operation of the procedure. The optimization of the new algorithm was done using simulated curves and next experimental data were considered. In the case of well-shaped and noise-free titration data, the proposed method gives the same accuracy and precision as commonly used algorithms. But, in the case of noisy or badly shaped curves, the presented approach works good (relative error mainly below 2% and coefficients of variability below 5%) while traditional procedures fail. Therefore, the proposed algorithm may be useful in interpretation of the experimental data and also in automation of the typical titration analysis, specially in the case when random noise interfere with analytical signal.

Intelligent Scheduling for Underground Mobile Mining Equipment

PubMed Central

Song, Zhen; Schunnesson, Håkan; Rinne, Mikael; Sturgul, John

2015-01-01

Many studies have been carried out and many commercial software applications have been developed to improve the performances of surface mining operations, especially for the loader-trucks cycle of surface mining. However, there have been quite few studies aiming to improve the mining process of underground mines. In underground mines, mobile mining equipment is mostly scheduled instinctively, without theoretical support for these decisions. Furthermore, in case of unexpected events, it is hard for miners to rapidly find solutions to reschedule and to adapt the changes. This investigation first introduces the motivation, the technical background, and then the objective of the study. A decision support instrument (i.e. schedule optimizer for mobile mining equipment) is proposed and described to address this issue. The method and related algorithms which are used in this instrument are presented and discussed. The proposed method was tested by using a real case of Kittilä mine located in Finland. The result suggests that the proposed method can considerably improve the working efficiency and reduce the working time of the underground mine. PMID:26098934

Multi-focus image fusion based on area-based standard deviation in dual tree contourlet transform domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Min; Dong, Chenghui; Guo, Miao; Wang, Zhe; Mu, Xiaomin

2018-04-01

Multiresolution-based methods, such as wavelet and Contourlet are usually used to image fusion. This work presents a new image fusion frame-work by utilizing area-based standard deviation in dual tree Contourlet trans-form domain. Firstly, the pre-registered source images are decomposed with dual tree Contourlet transform; low-pass and high-pass coefficients are obtained. Then, the low-pass bands are fused with weighted average based on area standard deviation rather than the simple "averaging" rule. While the high-pass bands are merged with the "max-absolute' fusion rule. Finally, the modified low-pass and high-pass coefficients are used to reconstruct the final fused image. The major advantage of the proposed fusion method over conventional fusion is the approximately shift invariance and multidirectional selectivity of dual tree Contourlet transform. The proposed method is compared with wavelet- , Contourletbased methods and other the state-of-the art methods on common used multi focus images. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed fusion framework is feasible and effective, and it performs better in both subjective and objective evaluation.

A hyperspectral X-ray computed tomography system for enhanced material identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Xiaomei; Wang, Qian; Ma, Jinlei; Zhang, Wei; Li, Po; Fang, Zheng

2017-08-01

X-ray computed tomography (CT) can distinguish different materials according to their absorption characteristics. The hyperspectral X-ray CT (HXCT) system proposed in the present work reconstructs each voxel according to its X-ray absorption spectral characteristics. In contrast to a dual-energy or multi-energy CT system, HXCT employs cadmium telluride (CdTe) as the x-ray detector, which provides higher spectral resolution and separate spectral lines according to the material's photon-counter working principle. In this paper, a specimen containing ten different polymer materials randomly arranged was adopted for material identification by HXCT. The filtered back-projection algorithm was applied for image and spectral reconstruction. The first step was to sort the individual material components of the specimen according to their cross-sectional image intensity. The second step was to classify materials with similar intensities according to their reconstructed spectral characteristics. The results demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed material identification process and indicated that the proposed HXCT system has good prospects for a wide range of biomedical and industrial nondestructive testing applications.

DReAM: Demand Response Architecture for Multi-level District Heating and Cooling Networks

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

Bhattacharya, Saptarshi; Chandan, Vikas; Arya, Vijay

In this paper, we exploit the inherent hierarchy of heat exchangers in District Heating and Cooling (DHC) networks and propose DReAM, a novel Demand Response (DR) architecture for Multi-level DHC networks. DReAM serves to economize system operation while still respecting comfort requirements of individual consumers. Contrary to many present day DR schemes that work on a consumer level granularity, DReAM works at a level of hierarchy above buildings, i.e. substations that supply heat to a group of buildings. This improves the overall DR scalability and reduce the computational complexity. In the first step of the proposed approach, mathematical models ofmore » individual substations and their downstream networks are abstracted into appropriately constructed low-complexity structural forms. In the second step, this abstracted information is employed by the utility to perform DR optimization that determines the optimal heat inflow to individual substations rather than buildings, in order to achieve the targeted objectives across the network. We validate the proposed DReAM framework through experimental results under different scenarios on a test network.« less

Design-based modeling of magnetically actuated soft diaphragm materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayaneththi, V. R.; Aw, K. C.; McDaid, A. J.

2018-04-01

Magnetic polymer composites (MPC) have shown promise for emerging biomedical applications such as lab-on-a-chip and implantable drug delivery. These soft material actuators are capable of fast response, large deformation and wireless actuation. Existing MPC modeling approaches are computationally expensive and unsuitable for rapid design prototyping and real-time control applications. This paper proposes a macro-scale 1-DOF model capable of predicting force and displacement of an MPC diaphragm actuator. Model validation confirmed both blocked force and displacement can be accurately predicted in a variety of working conditions i.e. different magnetic field strengths, static/dynamic fields, and gap distances. The contribution of this work includes a comprehensive experimental investigation of a macro-scale diaphragm actuator; the derivation and validation of a new phenomenological model to describe MPC actuation; and insights into the proposed model’s design-based functionality i.e. scalability and generalizability in terms of magnetic filler concentration and diaphragm diameter. Due to the lumped element modeling approach, the proposed model can also be adapted to alternative actuator configurations, and thus presents a useful tool for design, control and simulation of novel MPC applications.

Automatic evaluation of hypernasality based on a cleft palate speech database.

PubMed

He, Ling; Zhang, Jing; Liu, Qi; Yin, Heng; Lech, Margaret; Huang, Yunzhi

2015-05-01

The hypernasality is one of the most typical characteristics of cleft palate (CP) speech. The evaluation outcome of hypernasality grading decides the necessity of follow-up surgery. Currently, the evaluation of CP speech is carried out by experienced speech therapists. However, the result strongly depends on their clinical experience and subjective judgment. This work aims to propose an automatic evaluation system for hypernasality grading in CP speech. The database tested in this work is collected by the Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, which has the largest number of CP patients in China. Based on the production process of hypernasality, source sound pulse and vocal tract filter features are presented. These features include pitch, the first and second energy amplified frequency bands, cepstrum based features, MFCC, short-time energy in the sub-bands features. These features combined with KNN classier are applied to automatically classify four grades of hypernasality: normal, mild, moderate and severe. The experiment results show that the proposed system achieves a good performance. The classification rates for four hypernasality grades reach up to 80.4%. The sensitivity of proposed features to the gender is also discussed.

Anticoagulant factor V: factors affecting the integration of novel scientific discoveries into the broader framework.

PubMed

LaBonte, Michelle L

2014-09-01

Since its initial discovery in the 1940s, factor V has long been viewed as an important procoagulant protein in the coagulation cascade. However, in the later part of the 20th century, two different scientists proposed novel anticoagulant roles for factor V. Philip Majerus proposed the first anticoagulant function for factor V in 1983, yet ultimately it was not widely accepted by the broader scientific community. In contrast, Björn Dahlbäck proposed a different anticoagulant role for factor V in 1994. While this role was initially contested, it was ultimately accepted and integrated into the scientific framework. In this paper, I present a detailed historical account of these two anticoagulant discoveries and propose three key reasons why Dahlbäck's anticoagulant role for factor V was accepted whereas Majerus' proposed role was largely overlooked. Perhaps most importantly, Dahlbäck's proposed anticoagulant role was of great clinical interest because the discovery involved the study of an important subset of patients with thrombophilia. Soon after Dahlbäck's 1994 work, this patient population was shown to possess the factor V Leiden mutation. Also key in the ultimate acceptance of the second proposed anticoagulant role was the persistence of the scientist who made the discovery and the interest in and ability of others to replicate and reinforce this work. This analysis of two different yet similar discoveries sheds light on factors that play an important role in how new discoveries are incorporated into the existing scientific framework. Copyright © 2014 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Is the Recall of Verbal-Spatial Information from Working Memory Affected by Symptoms of ADHD?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caterino, Linda C.; Verdi, Michael P.

2012-01-01

Objective: The Kulhavy model for text learning using organized spatial displays proposes that learning will be increased when participants view visual images prior to related text. In contrast to previous studies, this study also included students who exhibited symptoms of ADHD. Method: Participants were presented with either a map-text or…

Desktop Cloud Visualization: the new technology to remote access 3D interactive applications in the Cloud.

PubMed

Torterolo, Livia; Ruffino, Francesco

2012-01-01

In the proposed demonstration we will present DCV (Desktop Cloud Visualization): a unique technology that allows users to remote access 2D and 3D interactive applications over a standard network. This allows geographically dispersed doctors work collaboratively and to acquire anatomical or pathological images and visualize them for further investigations.

Towards an Approach for an Accessible and Inclusive Virtual Education Using ESVI-AL Project Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amado-Salvatierra, Hector R.; Hilera, Jose R.

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to present an approach to achieve accessible and inclusive Virtual Education for all, but especially intended for students with disabilities. This work proposes main steps to take into consideration for stakeholders involved in the educational process related to an inclusive e-Learning. Design/methodology/approach: The…

Analysis of Calibration Errors for Both Short and Long Stroke White Light Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pan, Xaiopei

2006-01-01

This work will analyze focusing and tilt variations introduced by thermal changes in calibration processes. In particular the accuracy limits are presented for common short- and long-stroke experiments. A new, simple, practical calibration scheme is proposed and analyzed based on the SIM PlanetQuest's Micro-Arcsecond Metrology (MAM) testbed experiments.

Great Service Pays: A Model for Service Delivery in an Academic Music Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Andrew M.

2007-01-01

Special-subject libraries can be particularly intimidating for casual and seasoned patrons alike. Music libraries, with their variety of materials, formats, and vocabularies, can present particular challenges for the user. With this proposal for a model of service delivery, as well as many tips gained through experience working the front-of-house…

A conceptual framework for ranking crown fire potential in wildland fuelbeds.

Treesearch

Mark D. Schaaf; David V. Sandberg; Maarten D. Schreuder; Cynthia L. Riccardi

2007-01-01

This paper presents a conceptual framework for ranking the crown fire potential of wildland fuelbeds with forest canopies. This approach extends the work by Van Wagner and Rothermel, and introduces several new physical concepts to the modeling of crown fire behavior derived from the reformulated Rothemel surface fire modeling concepts proposed by Sandberg et al. This...

Omnivorous Representation Might Lead to Indigestion: Commentary on Amaral and Roeper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slabakova, Roumyana

2014-01-01

This article offers commentary that the Multiple Grammar (MG) language acquisition theory proposed by Luiz Amaral and Tom Roeper (A&R) in the present issue lacks elaboration of the psychological mechanisms at work in second language acquisition. Topics discussed include optionality in a speaker's grammar and the rules of verb position in…

Target Detection and Classification Using Seismic and PIR Sensors

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

time series analysis via wavelet - based partitioning,” Signal Process...regard, this paper presents a wavelet - based method for target detection and classification. The proposed method has been validated on data sets of...The work reported in this paper makes use of a wavelet - based feature extraction method , called Symbolic Dynamic Filtering (SDF) [12]–[14]. The

A Web-Based Educational Setting Supporting Individualized Learning, Collaborative Learning and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gogoulou, Agoritsa; Gouli, Evangelia; Grigoriadou, Maria; Samarakou, Maria; Chinou, Dionisia

2007-01-01

In this paper, we present a web-based educational setting, referred to as SCALE (Supporting Collaboration and Adaptation in a Learning Environment), which aims to serve learning and assessment. SCALE enables learners to (i) work on individual and collaborative activities proposed by the environment with respect to learners' knowledge level, (ii)…

Study of the Economic and Rehabilitative Aspects of Prison Industry. Technical Tasks and Results.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (Dept. of Justice/LEAA), Washington, DC.

This volume analyzes existing and proposed correctional industries in Connecticut. First, the results of a survey made to determine the potential inmate work force for prison industry are presented as inmate profiles, descriptions of inmate and supervisor attitudes, and analyses of parolees' employment and recidivism rates. In part 2, four…

Aspects on Teaching/Learning with Object Oriented Programming for Entry Level Courses of Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Oliveira, Clara Amelia; Conte, Marcos Fernando; Riso, Bernardo Goncalves

This work presents a proposal for Teaching/Learning, on Object Oriented Programming for Entry Level Courses of Engineering and Computer Science, on University. The philosophy of Object Oriented Programming comes as a new pattern of solution for problems, where flexibility and reusability appears over the simple data structure and sequential…

RADIK: An Interactive Graphics and Text Editor.

DTIC Science & Technology

RADIK is an interactive graphics and text editing system designed for use with an ADAGE AGT/10 graphics computer, either in a stand-alone mode, or in...designing RADIK . A brief summary of results and applications is presented and implementation of RADIK is proposed. Assembly language computer programs developed during the work are appended for reference. (Author)

Successful Dissertations and Theses: A Guide to Graduate Student Research from Proposal to Completion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madsen, David

A guide to writing dissertations and theses is presented that is primarily directed to doctoral and master's degree candidates but that may also be useful to the writer of scholarly papers, essays, and papers. Attention is directed to the following concerns: starting and completing the dissertation; working with the research adviser and advisory…

A Decision Support Model and Tool to Assist Financial Decision-Making in Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhayat, Imtiaz; Manuguerra, Maurizio; Baldock, Clive

2015-01-01

In this paper, a model and tool is proposed to assist universities and other mission-based organisations to ascertain systematically the optimal portfolio of projects, in any year, meeting the organisations risk tolerances and available funds. The model and tool presented build on previous work on university operations and decision support systems…

"Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry": A Culturally Specific, Subversive Concept of Child Agency.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDowell, Kelly

2002-01-01

Presents a critique of Mildred D. Taylor's "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" with regard to its positioning of the child subject. Proposes that the novel contrasts classic works of children's fiction by following a trajectory of child agency, which is enabled through the novel's racial specificity. Discusses the role of historical…

Chaos Theory as a Model for Life Transitions Counseling: Nonlinear Dynamics and Life's Changes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bussolari, Cori J.; Goodell, Judith A.

2009-01-01

Chaos theory is presented for counselors working with clients experiencing life transitions. It is proposed as a model that considers disorder, unpredictability, and lack of control as normal parts of transition processes. Nonlinear constructs from physics are adapted for use in counseling. The model provides a method clients can use to…

Test Purchaser Qualifications: Present Practice, Professional Needs, and a Proposed System. Issues in Scientific Psychology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moreland, Kevin L.; And Others

Three papers are included in this document. The first, "An Introduction to the Problem of Test User Qualifications," by Kevin L. Moreland, is a short history of the American Psychological Association (APA)/American Educational Research Association (AERA)/National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) Working Group on Test User…

Wavefront Reconstruction and Mirror Surface Optimizationfor Adaptive Optics

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

TERMS Wavefront reconstruction, Adaptive optics , Wavelets, Atmospheric turbulence , Branch points, Mirror surface optimization, Space telescope, Segmented...contribution adapts the proposed algorithm to work when branch points are present from significant atmospheric turbulence . An analysis of vector spaces...estimate the distortion of the collected light caused by the atmosphere and corrected by adaptive optics . A generalized orthogonal wavelet wavefront

Primary Class Size Reduction: How Policy Space, Physical Space, and Spatiality Shape What Happens in Real Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bascia, Nina; Faubert, Brenton

2012-01-01

This article reviews the literature base on class size reduction and proposes a new analytic framework that we believe provides practically useful explanations of how primary class size reduction works. It presents descriptions of classroom practice and grounded explanations for how class size reduction affects educational core activities by…

77 FR 21870 - National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan; National Priorities List...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-12

... sites that appear to present a significant risk to public health, welfare, or the environment. Sites on... investigation has shown that the release poses no significant threat to public health or the environment and... ``Proposed Rules'' section of the Federal Register. 2. EPA has provided the State with 30 working days for...

The Influence of the Early Retirement Process on Satisfaction with Early Retirement and Psychological Well-Being

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potocnik, Kristina; Tordera, Nuria; Peiro, Jose Maria

2010-01-01

The present study explores the influence of the early retirement process on adjustment to early retirement, taking into account the roles of individual characteristics and social context in this process. We proposed a systematic model integrating perceived ability to continue working, organizational pressures toward early retirement and group…

ViSA: A Neurodynamic Model for Visuo-Spatial Working Memory, Attentional Blink, and Conscious Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simione, Luca; Raffone, Antonino; Wolters, Gezinus; Salmas, Paola; Nakatani, Chie; Belardinelli, Marta Olivetti; van Leeuwen, Cees

2012-01-01

Two separate lines of study have clarified the role of selectivity in conscious access to visual information. Both involve presenting multiple targets and distracters: one "simultaneously" in a spatially distributed fashion, the other "sequentially" at a single location. To understand their findings in a unified framework, we propose a…

Proposed Curriculum Design for a 2-Year College of Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Yen-Zen

This paper presents a curriculum-oriented model focusing on curriculum revision of the design and structures of two-year academic institutes of technology. This research uses the Department of Business and Technology Management, which is being set up in the Far East Institute of Technology (Taiwan), as an example and works out the new models…

Visual Working Memory in Deaf Children with Diverse Communication Modes: Improvement by Differential Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez-Crespo, Ginesa; Daza, Maria Teresa; Mendez-Lopez, Magdalena

2012-01-01

Although visual functions have been proposed to be enhanced in deaf individuals, empirical studies have not yet established clear evidence on this issue. The present study aimed to determine whether deaf children with diverse communication modes had superior visual memory and whether their performance was improved by the use of differential…

Integrated Formal Analysis of Timed-Triggered Ethernet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dutertre, Bruno; Shankar, Nstarajan; Owre, Sam

2012-01-01

We present new results related to the verification of the Timed-Triggered Ethernet (TTE) clock synchronization protocol. This work extends previous verification of TTE based on model checking. We identify a suboptimal design choice in a compression function used in clock synchronization, and propose an improvement. We compare the original design and the improved definition using the SAL model checker.

A Simple Case Study of a Grid Performance System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aydt, Ruth; Gunter, Dan; Quesnel, Darcy; Smith, Warren; Taylor, Valerie; Biegel, Bryan (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This document presents a simple case study of a Grid performance system based on the Grid Monitoring Architecture (GMA) being developed by the Grid Forum Performance Working Group. It describes how the various system components would interact for a very basic monitoring scenario, and is intended to introduce people to the terminology and concepts presented in greater detail in other Working Group documents. We believe that by focusing on the simple case first, working group members can familiarize themselves with terminology and concepts, and productively join in the ongoing discussions of the group. In addition, prototype implementations of this basic scenario can be built to explore the feasibility of the proposed architecture and to expose possible shortcomings. Once the simple case is understood and agreed upon, complexities can be added incrementally as warranted by cases not addressed in the most basic implementation described here. Following the basic performance monitoring scenario discussion, unresolved issues are introduced for future discussion.

RAPID COMMUNICATION: Optical distortion correction for liquid droplet visualization using the ray tracing method: further considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minor, G.; Oshkai, P.; Djilali, N.

2007-11-01

The original work of Kang et al (2004 Meas. Sci. Technol. 15 1104 12) presents a scheme for correcting optical distortion caused by the curved surface of a droplet, and illustrates its application in PIV measurements of the velocity field inside evaporating liquid droplets. In this work we re-derive the correction algorithm and show that several terms in the original algorithm proposed by Kang et al are erroneous. This was not evident in the original work because the erroneous terms are negligible for droplets with approximately hemispherical shapes. However, for the more general situation of droplets that have shapes closer to that of a sphere, with heights much larger than their contact-line radii, these errors become quite significant. The corrected algorithm is presented and its application illustrated in comparison with that of Kang et al.

A historical approach to scorpion studies with special reference to the 20th and 21st centuries

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

This work provides historical context about scorpion studies from the end of the 19th century to the present day. The content is mainly addressed to non-zoologists, working in research fields that embrace scorpion biology, notably to those working with venoms and toxins. The historical aspects described include academic professional scholars who worked on scorpion classification and general distribution patterns; and to a lesser extent, on studies of ecology and natural history. The aim is not to provide an exhaustive description of all scholars who in one way or another became involved with scorpions, but rather of those who greatly contributed during a given period to the research of these organisms. No critical analysis of the work of previous researchers is undertaken, but some comments are proposed to bring clarification on ‘who’s who’. Since a global consensus in relation to classification and/or distribution patterns has not been reached among modern experts, these different approaches are also presented without judgment. Consequently, distinct approaches remain open for discussion. PMID:24618067

Optimal procedures for home visits — A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alves, Filipe; Fernandes, Florbela P.; Pereira, Ana I.; Fernandes, Adília

2017-07-01

In Portugal the population is ageing. Therefore, the provision of health care at patients' home is becoming an important social and health area; this health service is provided by professional teams (usually composed by nurses) of the Health Centers. Nowadays, the scheduling of the visits is made manually. The proposal of this work is to do the scheduling automatically in order to minimize the overall time spent by the professional teams in the visiting activity. In this work the genetic algorithm was used to solve the optimization problem. Some numerical results are presented.

[The use of papain in plantar ulcers].

PubMed

Otuka, E S; Pedrazzani, E S; Pioto, M P

1996-01-01

This work has as a goal to contribute to decrease the inability in leprosy and continuous recurrence of plantar ulcers, through the use of a treatment method using papaine and actions of health education. This work has been done in a health centre with patients that presented plantar ulcers and agreed to participate in the proposed treatment. Analysing and comparing the obtained data before and after treatment, a greater adhesion of patients to this treatment, a quicker healing in relation to other methods used before and a greater interaction with the patient has been observed.

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.

KSC Press Site Transformer Bldg. (K7-1205c) SWMU 074 Interim Measure Work Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Starr, A. Scott; Applegate, Joe

2014-01-01

This document presents and discusses the Interim Measure (IM) Work Plan for the Press Site Transformer Building (K7-1205C). The purpose of the proposed IM activities is to remove soil affected with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) greater than the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) residential direct-exposure Soil Cleanup Target Level (R-SCTL) of 0.5 milligrams per kilogram and encapsulate concrete exhibiting PCB concentration greater than the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) threshold of 50 milligrams per kilogram.

Verification hybrid control of a wheeled mobile robot and manipulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muszynska, Magdalena; Burghardt, Andrzej; Kurc, Krzysztof; Szybicki, Dariusz

2016-04-01

In this article, innovative approaches to realization of the wheeled mobile robots and manipulator tracking are presented. Conceptions include application of the neural-fuzzy systems to compensation of the controlled system's nonlinearities in the tracking control task. Proposed control algorithms work on-line, contain structure, that adapt to the changeable work conditions of the controlled systems, and do not require the preliminary learning. The algorithm was verification on the real object which was a Scorbot - ER 4pc robotic manipulator and a Pioneer - 2DX mobile robot.

Revisiting Higgs inflation in the context of collapse theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, Saul; Sudarsky, Daniel

2018-03-01

In this work we consider the Higgs inflation scenario, but in contrast with past works, the present analysis is done in the context of a spontaneous collapse theory for the quantum state of the inflaton field. In particular, we will rely on a previously studied adaptation of the Continuous Spontaneous Localization model for the treatment of inflationary cosmology. We will show that with the introduction of the dynamical collapse hypothesis, some of the most serious problems of the Higgs inflation proposal can be resolved in a natural way.

High speed precision motion strategies for lightweight structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Book, Wayne J.

1987-01-01

Work during the recording period proceeded along the lines of the proposal, i.e., three aspects of high speed motion planning and control of flexible structures were explored: fine motion control, gross motion planning and control, and automation using light weight arms. In addition, modeling the large manipulator arm to be used in experiments and theory has lead to some contributions in that area. These aspects are reported below. Conference, workshop and journal submissions, and presentations related to this work were seven in number, and are listed. Copies of written papers and abstracts are included.

A working theology of prison ministry.

PubMed

Hall, Stephen T

2004-01-01

Drawing upon experiences as a prison chaplain and a state director of prison chaplaincy services, the author proposes a working theology of prison ministry. Such a theology begins with an understanding of the inherent worth of humankind as created by God in God's own image, addresses the question of hope, embodies the incarnate presence of God by being present with people in their alienation, enables the giving and receiving of forgiveness, deals with issues of power and control, and respects the diverse paths that humans take in their walk toward and with God.

Comparison of Thermal Performance Characteristics of Ammonia and Propylene Loop Heat Pipes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaya, Tarik; Baker, Charles; Ku, Jentung

2000-01-01

In this paper, experimental work performed on a breadboard Loop Heat Pipe (LHP) is presented. The test article was built by DCI for the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) instrument on the ICESat spacecraft. The thermal system requirements of GLAS have shown that ammonia cannot be used as the working fluid in this LHP because GLAS radiators could cool to well below the freezing point of ammonia. As a result, propylene was proposed as an alternative LHP working fluid since it has a lower freezing point than ammonia. Both working fluids were tested in the same LHP following a similar test plan in ambient conditions. The thermal performance characteristics of ammonia and propylene LHP's were then compared. In general, the propylene LHP required slightly less startup superheat 5nd less control heater power than the ammonia LHP, The thermal conductance values for the propylene LHP were also lower than the ammonia LHP. Later, the propylene LHP was tested in a thermal vacuum chamber. These tests demonstrated that propylene could meet the GLAS thermal design requirements. Design guidelines were proposed for the next flight-like Development Model (DM) LHP for thermal control of the GLAS instrument.

Recognition of Telugu characters using neural networks.

PubMed

Sukhaswami, M B; Seetharamulu, P; Pujari, A K

1995-09-01

The aim of the present work is to recognize printed and handwritten Telugu characters using artificial neural networks (ANNs). Earlier work on recognition of Telugu characters has been done using conventional pattern recognition techniques. We make an initial attempt here of using neural networks for recognition with the aim of improving upon earlier methods which do not perform effectively in the presence of noise and distortion in the characters. The Hopfield model of neural network working as an associative memory is chosen for recognition purposes initially. Due to limitation in the capacity of the Hopfield neural network, we propose a new scheme named here as the Multiple Neural Network Associative Memory (MNNAM). The limitation in storage capacity has been overcome by combining multiple neural networks which work in parallel. It is also demonstrated that the Hopfield network is suitable for recognizing noisy printed characters as well as handwritten characters written by different "hands" in a variety of styles. Detailed experiments have been carried out using several learning strategies and results are reported. It is shown here that satisfactory recognition is possible using the proposed strategy. A detailed preprocessing scheme of the Telugu characters from digitized documents is also described.

Autonomy and Automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shively, Jay

2017-01-01

A significant level of debate and confusion has surrounded the meaning of the terms autonomy and automation. Automation is a multi-dimensional concept, and we propose that Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) automation should be described with reference to the specific system and task that has been automated, the context in which the automation functions, and other relevant dimensions. In this paper, we present definitions of automation, pilot in the loop, pilot on the loop and pilot out of the loop. We further propose that in future, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) RPAS Panel avoids the use of the terms autonomy and autonomous when referring to automated systems on board RPA. Work Group 7 proposes to develop, in consultation with other workgroups, a taxonomy of Levels of Automation for RPAS.

Construction of Intelligent Massage System Based on Human Skin-Muscle Elasticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teramae, Tatsuya; Kushida, Daisuke; Takemori, Fumiaki; Kitamura, Akira

A present massage chair realizes the massage motion and force designed by a professional masseur. However, appropriate massage force to the user cannot be provided by the massage chair in such a method. On the other hand, the professional masseur can realize an appropriate massage force to more than one patient, because, the masseur considers the physical condition of the patient. This paper proposes the method of applying masseur's procedure to the massage chair. Then, the proposed method is composed by estimation of the physical condition of user, decision of massage force based on the physical condition and realization of massage force by the force control. The realizability of the proposed method is verified by the experimental work using the massage chair.

Alternative temporal classification of long Gamma Ray Bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alejandro Vasquez, Nicolas; Baquero, Andres; Andrade, David

2015-08-01

In order to increase the understanding on Gamma Ray Bursts, many attempts of classification have been proposed. Starting with the canonical classification into long and short GRBs, alternative classifications taking into account the cosmological origin of GRBs have been analyzed. In the present work we propose an alternative classification based on two temporal estimators, the Auto Correlation Function (ACF) of the light curves and the emission time which considered the time where the bursts engine is active. The time estimators chosen reflects the internal evolution of the GRB and the internal structure. Using a sample of 61 bright GRBs detected by SWIFT satellite with known redshift, we proposed a bimodal distribution of long bursts. The two types of bursts have different internal structure suggesting different progenitors.

Wavelet Transform Based Filter to Remove the Notches from Signal Under Harmonic Polluted Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Sukanta; Ranjan, Vikash

2017-12-01

The work proposes to annihilate the notches present in the synchronizing signal required for converter operation appearing due to switching of semiconductor devices connected to the system in the harmonic polluted environment. The disturbances in the signal are suppressed by wavelet based novel filtering technique. In the proposed technique, the notches in the signal are determined and eliminated by the wavelet based multi-rate filter using `Daubechies4' (db4) as mother wavelet. The computational complexity of the adapted technique is very less as compared to any other conventional notch filtering techniques. The proposed technique is developed in MATLAB/Simulink and finally validated with dSPACE-1103 interface. The recovered signal, thus obtained, is almost free of the notches.

Conceptual design of a moving belt radiator shuttle-attached experiments: Technical requirement Document

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aguilar, Jerry L.

1989-01-01

The technical requirements for a shuttle-attached Moving Belt Radiator (MBR) experiment are defined. The MBR is an advanced radiator concept in which a rotating belt radiates thermal energy to space. The requirements for integrating the MBR experiment in the shuttle bay are discussed. Requirements for the belt material and working fluid are outlined along with some possible options. The proposed size and relationship to a full scale Moving Belt Radiator are defined. The experiment is defined with the primary goal of dynamic testing and a secondary goal of demonstrating the sealing and heat transfer characteristics. A perturbation system which will simulate a docking maneuver or other type of short term acceleration is proposed for inclusion in the experimental apparatus. A deployment and retraction capability which will aid in evaluating the dynamics of a belt during such a maneuver is also described. The proposed test sequence for the experiment is presented. Details of the conceptual design are not presented herein, but rather in a separate Final Report.

Plane stress problems using hysteretic rigid body spring network models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christos, Sofianos D.; Vlasis, Koumousis K.

2017-10-01

In this work, a discrete numerical scheme is presented capable of modeling the hysteretic behavior of 2D structures. Rigid Body Spring Network (RBSN) models that were first proposed by Kawai (Nucl Eng Des 48(1):29-207, 1978) are extended to account for hysteretic elastoplastic behavior. Discretization is based on Voronoi tessellation, as proposed specifically for RBSN models to ensure uniformity. As a result, the structure is discretized into convex polygons that form the discrete rigid bodies of the model. These are connected with three zero length, i.e., single-node springs in the middle of their common facets. The springs follow the smooth hysteretic Bouc-Wen model which efficiently incorporates classical plasticity with no direct reference to a yield surface. Numerical results for both static and dynamic loadings are presented, which validate the proposed simplified spring-mass formulation. In addition, they verify the model's applicability on determining primarily the displacement field and plastic zones compared to the standard elastoplastic finite element method.

Solvothermal method as a green chemistry solution for micro-encapsulation of phase change materials for high temperature thermal energy storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tudor, Albert Ioan; Motoc, Adrian Mihail; Ciobota, Cristina Florentina; Ciobota, Dan. Nastase; Piticescu, Radu Robert; Romero-Sanchez, Maria Dolores

2018-05-01

Thermal energy storage systems using phase change materials (PCMs) as latent heat storage are one of the main challenges at European level in improving the performances and efficiency of concentrated solar power energy generation due to their high energy density. PCM with high working temperatures in the temperature range 300-500 °C are required for these purposes. However their use is still limited due to the problems raised by the corrosion of the majority of high temperature PCMs and lower thermal transfer properties. Micro-encapsulation was proposed as one method to overcome these problems. Different micro-encapsulation methods proposed in the literature are presented and discussed. An original process for the micro-encapsulation of potassium nitrate as PCM in inorganic zinc oxide shells based on a solvothermal method followed by spray drying to produce microcapsules with controlled phase composition and distribution is proposed and their transformation temperatures and enthalpies measured by differential scanning calorimetry are presented.

Catalysis of heat-to-work conversion in quantum machines

PubMed Central

Ghosh, A.; Latune, C. L.; Davidovich, L.; Kurizki, G.

2017-01-01

We propose a hitherto-unexplored concept in quantum thermodynamics: catalysis of heat-to-work conversion by quantum nonlinear pumping of the piston mode which extracts work from the machine. This concept is analogous to chemical reaction catalysis: Small energy investment by the catalyst (pump) may yield a large increase in heat-to-work conversion. Since it is powered by thermal baths, the catalyzed machine adheres to the Carnot bound, but may strongly enhance its efficiency and power compared with its noncatalyzed counterparts. This enhancement stems from the increased ability of the squeezed piston to store work. Remarkably, the fraction of piston energy that is convertible into work may then approach unity. The present machine and its counterparts powered by squeezed baths share a common feature: Neither is a genuine heat engine. However, a squeezed pump that catalyzes heat-to-work conversion by small investment of work is much more advantageous than a squeezed bath that simply transduces part of the work invested in its squeezing into work performed by the machine. PMID:29087326

Catalysis of heat-to-work conversion in quantum machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, A.; Latune, C. L.; Davidovich, L.; Kurizki, G.

2017-11-01

We propose a hitherto-unexplored concept in quantum thermodynamics: catalysis of heat-to-work conversion by quantum nonlinear pumping of the piston mode which extracts work from the machine. This concept is analogous to chemical reaction catalysis: Small energy investment by the catalyst (pump) may yield a large increase in heat-to-work conversion. Since it is powered by thermal baths, the catalyzed machine adheres to the Carnot bound, but may strongly enhance its efficiency and power compared with its noncatalyzed counterparts. This enhancement stems from the increased ability of the squeezed piston to store work. Remarkably, the fraction of piston energy that is convertible into work may then approach unity. The present machine and its counterparts powered by squeezed baths share a common feature: Neither is a genuine heat engine. However, a squeezed pump that catalyzes heat-to-work conversion by small investment of work is much more advantageous than a squeezed bath that simply transduces part of the work invested in its squeezing into work performed by the machine.

Catalysis of heat-to-work conversion in quantum machines.

PubMed

Ghosh, A; Latune, C L; Davidovich, L; Kurizki, G

2017-11-14

We propose a hitherto-unexplored concept in quantum thermodynamics: catalysis of heat-to-work conversion by quantum nonlinear pumping of the piston mode which extracts work from the machine. This concept is analogous to chemical reaction catalysis: Small energy investment by the catalyst (pump) may yield a large increase in heat-to-work conversion. Since it is powered by thermal baths, the catalyzed machine adheres to the Carnot bound, but may strongly enhance its efficiency and power compared with its noncatalyzed counterparts. This enhancement stems from the increased ability of the squeezed piston to store work. Remarkably, the fraction of piston energy that is convertible into work may then approach unity. The present machine and its counterparts powered by squeezed baths share a common feature: Neither is a genuine heat engine. However, a squeezed pump that catalyzes heat-to-work conversion by small investment of work is much more advantageous than a squeezed bath that simply transduces part of the work invested in its squeezing into work performed by the machine.

Probability density function approach for compressible turbulent reacting flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsu, A. T.; Tsai, Y.-L. P.; Raju, M. S.

1994-01-01

The objective of the present work is to extend the probability density function (PDF) tubulence model to compressible reacting flows. The proability density function of the species mass fractions and enthalpy are obtained by solving a PDF evolution equation using a Monte Carlo scheme. The PDF solution procedure is coupled with a compression finite-volume flow solver which provides the velocity and pressure fields. A modeled PDF equation for compressible flows, capable of treating flows with shock waves and suitable to the present coupling scheme, is proposed and tested. Convergence of the combined finite-volume Monte Carlo solution procedure is discussed. Two super sonic diffusion flames are studied using the proposed PDF model and the results are compared with experimental data; marked improvements over solutions without PDF are observed.

Relaxion cosmology and the price of fine-tuning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Chiara, Stefano; Kannike, Kristjan; Marzola, Luca; Racioppi, Antonio; Raidal, Martti; Spethmann, Christian

2016-05-01

The relaxion scenario presents an intriguing extension of the standard model in which the particle introduced to solve to the strong C P problem, the axion, also achieves the dynamical relaxation of the Higgs boson mass term. In this work we complete this framework by proposing a scenario of inflationary cosmology that is consistent with all the observational constraints: the relaxion hybrid inflation with an asymmetric waterfall. In our scheme, the vacuum energy of the inflaton drives inflation in a natural way while the relaxion slow rolls. The constraints on the present inflationary observables are then matched through a subsequent inflationary epoch driven by the inflaton. We quantify the amount of fine-tuning of the proposed inflation scenario, concluding that the inflaton sector severely decreases the naturalness of the theory.

76 FR 58176 - Swap Transaction Compliance and Implementation Schedule: Trading Documentation and Margining...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-20

...)-(iii) is intended to work together with, and serve as a cross-reference to, rules proposed by the... Documentation proposal, proposed Sec. 23.504(b)(3)(iii) and (iv) are intended to work together with rules... require that SDs or MSPs work with their non-registrant counterparties to comply with these requirements...

Design of a reversible single precision floating point subtractor.

PubMed

Anantha Lakshmi, Av; Sudha, Gf

2014-01-04

In recent years, Reversible logic has emerged as a major area of research due to its ability to reduce the power dissipation which is the main requirement in the low power digital circuit design. It has wide applications like low power CMOS design, Nano-technology, Digital signal processing, Communication, DNA computing and Optical computing. Floating-point operations are needed very frequently in nearly all computing disciplines, and studies have shown floating-point addition/subtraction to be the most used floating-point operation. However, few designs exist on efficient reversible BCD subtractors but no work on reversible floating point subtractor. In this paper, it is proposed to present an efficient reversible single precision floating-point subtractor. The proposed design requires reversible designs of an 8-bit and a 24-bit comparator unit, an 8-bit and a 24-bit subtractor, and a normalization unit. For normalization, a 24-bit Reversible Leading Zero Detector and a 24-bit reversible shift register is implemented to shift the mantissas. To realize a reversible 1-bit comparator, in this paper, two new 3x3 reversible gates are proposed The proposed reversible 1-bit comparator is better and optimized in terms of the number of reversible gates used, the number of transistor count and the number of garbage outputs. The proposed work is analysed in terms of number of reversible gates, garbage outputs, constant inputs and quantum costs. Using these modules, an efficient design of a reversible single precision floating point subtractor is proposed. Proposed circuits have been simulated using Modelsim and synthesized using Xilinx Virtex5vlx30tff665-3. The total on-chip power consumed by the proposed 32-bit reversible floating point subtractor is 0.410 W.

Exhaustive Strategy for Optical Survey of Geosynchronous Region using TAROT Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richard, P.; Yanez, C.; Morand, V.; Verzeni, A.; Boer, M.; Klotz, A.

CNES and CNRS has been working on Optical Space Surveillance and Tracking for many years using the TAROT telescopes network. The goal of the study presented here is to propose an exhaustive strategy for optical survey of geosynchronous region. First, constraints will be defined on perigee and apogee of the orbits for which we are looking for exhaustiveness and then solutions will be explored making the survey in one or several nights using one or several telescopes. The last part of the study proposes solutions to help maintaining exhaustiveness if some observations failed.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Panel (RPASP) Working Paper: Autonomy and Automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shively, Jay

2017-01-01

A significant level of debate and confusion has surrounded the meaning of the terms "autonomy" and "automation". Automation is a multi-dimensional concept, and we propose that RPAS automation should be described with reference to the specific system and task that has been automated, the context in which the automation functions, and other relevant dimensions. In this paper, we present a definition of "automation". We recommend that autonomy and autonomous operations are out of the scope of the RPAS panel. WG7 proposes to develop, in consultation with other workgroups, a taxonomy of "Levels of Automation" for RPAS.

Unconditionally energy stable numerical schemes for phase-field vesicle membrane model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guillén-González, F.; Tierra, G.

2018-02-01

Numerical schemes to simulate the deformation of vesicles membranes via minimizing the bending energy have been widely studied in recent times due to its connection with many biological motivated problems. In this work we propose a new unconditionally energy stable numerical scheme for a vesicle membrane model that satisfies exactly the conservation of volume constraint and penalizes the surface area constraint. Moreover, we extend these ideas to present an unconditionally energy stable splitting scheme decoupling the interaction of the vesicle with a surrounding fluid. Finally, the well behavior of the proposed schemes are illustrated through several computational experiments.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2010-04-01

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

A New Axi-Symmetric Element for Thin Walled Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardoso, Rui P. R.; Yoon, Jeong Whan; Dick, Robert E.

2010-06-01

A new axi-symmetric finite element for sheet metal forming applications is presented in this work. It uses the solid-shell element's concept with only a single element layer and multiple integration points along the thickness direction. The cross section of the element is composed of four nodes with two degrees of freedom each. The proposed formulation overcomes major locking pathologies including transverse shear locking, Poisson's locking and volumetric locking. Some examples are shown to demonstrate the performance and accuracy of the proposed element with special focus on the numerical simulations for the beverage can industry.

Gamified Design for Health Workshop.

PubMed

Giunti, Guido

2016-01-01

Increasing lifespans for chronic disease sufferers means a population of young patients who require lifestyle intervention from an early age. For multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, social problems begin with the decline of cognitive skills and their quality of life is affected. In this workshop, organizers will propose participants to work on different gamification design approachs to solve MS patients' engagement problem. Participants will obtain skills that can be extrapolated to other conditions that require patients change to adopt a different behavior. At the end, participants will present their proposed gamification design and discuss and comment each solution, assessing potential unintended outcomes and advantages.

High energy PIXE: A tool to characterize multi-layer thick samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subercaze, A.; Koumeir, C.; Métivier, V.; Servagent, N.; Guertin, A.; Haddad, F.

2018-02-01

High energy PIXE is a useful and non-destructive tool to characterize multi-layer thick samples such as cultural heritage objects. In a previous work, we demonstrated the possibility to perform quantitative analysis of simple multi-layer samples using high energy PIXE, without any assumption on their composition. In this work an in-depth study of the parameters involved in the method previously published is proposed. Its extension to more complex samples with a repeated layer is also presented. Experiments have been performed at the ARRONAX cyclotron using 68 MeV protons. The thicknesses and sequences of a multi-layer sample including two different layers of the same element have been determined. Performances and limits of this method are presented and discussed.

A two-layered classifier based on the radial basis function for the screening of thalassaemia.

PubMed

Masala, G L; Golosio, B; Cutzu, R; Pola, R

2013-11-01

The thalassaemias are blood disorders with hereditary transmission. Their distribution is global, with particular incidence in areas affected by malaria. Their diagnosis is mainly based on haematologic and genetic analyses. The aim of this study was to differentiate between persons with the thalassaemia trait and normal subjects by inspecting characteristics of haemochromocytometric data. The paper proposes an original method that is useful in screening activity for thalassaemia classification. A complete working system with a friendly graphical user interface is presented. A unique feature of the presented work is the adoption of a two-layered classification system based on Radial basis function, which improves the performance of the system. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aerodynamic characterization of the jet of an arc wind tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuppardi, Gennaro; Esposito, Antonio

2016-11-01

It is well known that, due to a very aggressive environment and to a rather high rarefaction level of the arc wind tunnel jet, the measurement of fluid-dynamic parameters is difficult. For this reason, the aerodynamic characterization of the jet relies also on computer codes, simulating the operation of the tunnel. The present authors already used successfully such a kind of computing procedure for the tests in the arc wind tunnel (SPES) in Naples (Italy). In the present work an improved procedure is proposed. Like the former procedure also the present procedure relies on two codes working in tandem: 1) one-dimensional code simulating the inviscid and thermally not-conducting flow field in the torch, in the mix-chamber and in the nozzle up to the position, along the nozzle axis, of the continuum breakdown, 2) Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) code simulating the flow field in the remaining part of the nozzle. In the present procedure, the DSMC simulation includes the simulation both in the nozzle and in the test chamber. An interesting problem, considered in this paper by means of the present procedure, has been the simulation of the flow field around a Pitot tube and of the related measurement of the stagnation pressure. The measured stagnation pressure, under rarefied conditions, may be even four times the theoretical value. Therefore a substantial correction has to be applied to the measured pressure. In the present paper a correction factor for the stagnation pressure measured in SPES is proposed. The analysis relies on twelve tests made in SPES.

Predicting on-site environmental impacts of municipal engineering works

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

Gangolells, Marta, E-mail: marta.gangolells@upc.edu; Casals, Miquel, E-mail: miquel.casals@upc.edu; Forcada, Núria, E-mail: nuria.forcada@upc.edu

2014-01-15

The research findings fill a gap in the body of knowledge by presenting an effective way to evaluate the significance of on-site environmental impacts of municipal engineering works prior to the construction stage. First, 42 on-site environmental impacts of municipal engineering works were identified by means of a process-oriented approach. Then, 46 indicators and their corresponding significance limits were determined on the basis of a statistical analysis of 25 new-build and remodelling municipal engineering projects. In order to ensure the objectivity of the assessment process, direct and indirect indicators were always based on quantitative data from the municipal engineering projectmore » documents. Finally, two case studies were analysed and found to illustrate the practical use of the proposed model. The model highlights the significant environmental impacts of a particular municipal engineering project prior to the construction stage. Consequently, preventive actions can be planned and implemented during on-site activities. The results of the model also allow a comparison of proposed municipal engineering projects and alternatives with respect to the overall on-site environmental impact and the absolute importance of a particular environmental aspect. These findings are useful within the framework of the environmental impact assessment process, as they help to improve the identification and evaluation of on-site environmental aspects of municipal engineering works. The findings may also be of use to construction companies that are willing to implement an environmental management system or simply wish to improve on-site environmental performance in municipal engineering projects. -- Highlights: • We present a model to predict the environmental impacts of municipal engineering works. • It highlights significant on-site environmental impacts prior to the construction stage. • Findings are useful within the environmental impact assessment process. • They also help contractors to implement environmental management systems.« less

75 FR 51267 - Proposed Consent Decree, Clean Air Act Citizen Suit

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-19

.... Steel Corporation's Granite City Works facility. Under the terms of the proposed consent decree, EPA has.... Steel Corporation's Granite City Works facility. Under the terms of the proposed consent decree, EPA has...

The space shuttle payload planning working groups. Volume 10: Space technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The findings and recommendations of the Space Technology group of the space shuttle payload planning activity are presented. The elements of the space technology program are: (1) long duration exposure facility, (2) advanced technology laboratory, (3) physics and chemistry laboratory, (4) contamination experiments, and (5) laser information/data transmission technology. The space technology mission model is presented in tabular form. The proposed experiments to be conducted by each test facility are described. Recommended approaches for user community interfacing are included.

Private Yet Abuse Resistant Open Publishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danezis, George; Laurie, Ben

We present the problem of abusive, off-topic or repetitive postings on open publishing websites, and the difficulties associated with filtering them out. We propose a scheme that extracts enough information to allow for filtering, based on users being embedded in a social network. Our system maintains the privacy of the poster, and does not require full identification to work well. We present a concrete realization using constructions based on discrete logarithms, and a sketch of how our scheme could be implemented in a centralized fashion.

Digital pulse processing in Mössbauer spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veiga, A.; Grunfeld, C. M.

2014-04-01

In this work we present some advances towards full digitization of the detection subsystem of a Mössbauer transmission spectrometer. We show how, using adequate instrumentation, preamplifier output of a proportional counter can be digitized with no deterioration in spectrum quality, avoiding the need of a shaping amplifier. A pipelined architecture is proposed for a digital processor, which constitutes a versatile platform for the development of pulse processing techniques. Requirements for minimization of the analog processing are considered and experimental results are presented.

Estimating investment worthiness of an ergonomic intervention for preventing low back pain from a firm's perspective.

PubMed

Hughes, Richard E; Nelson, Nancy A

2009-05-01

A mathematical model was developed for estimating the net present value (NPV) of the cash flow resulting from an investment in an intervention to prevent occupational low back pain (LBP). It combines biomechanics, epidemiology, and finance to give an integrated tool for a firm to use to estimate the investment worthiness of an intervention based on a biomechanical analysis of working postures and hand loads. The model can be used by an ergonomist to estimate the investment worthiness of a proposed intervention. The analysis would begin with a biomechanical evaluation of the current job design and post-intervention job. Economic factors such as hourly labor cost, overhead, workers' compensation costs of LBP claims, and discount rate are combined with the biomechanical analysis to estimate the investment worthiness of the proposed intervention. While this model is limited to low back pain, the simulation framework could be applied to other musculoskeletal disorders. The model uses Monte Carlo simulation to compute the statistical distribution of NPV, and it uses a discrete event simulation paradigm based on four states: (1) working and no history of lost time due to LBP, (2) working and history of lost time due to LBP, (3) lost time due to LBP, and (4) leave job. Probabilities of transitions are based on an extensive review of the epidemiologic review of the low back pain literature. An example is presented.

New generation of wearable goniometers for motion capture systems

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Monitoring joint angles through wearable systems enables human posture and gesture to be reconstructed as a support for physical rehabilitation both in clinics and at the patient’s home. A new generation of wearable goniometers based on knitted piezoresistive fabric (KPF) technology is presented. Methods KPF single-and double-layer devices were designed and characterized under stretching and bending to work as strain sensors and goniometers. The theoretical working principle and the derived electromechanical model, previously proved for carbon elastomer sensors, were generalized to KPF. The devices were used to correlate angles and piezoresistive fabric behaviour, to highlight the differences in terms of performance between the single layer and the double layer sensors. A fast calibration procedure is also proposed. Results The proposed device was tested both in static and dynamic conditions in comparison with standard electrogoniometers and inertial measurement units respectively. KPF goniometer capabilities in angle detection were experimentally proved and a discussion of the device measurement errors of is provided. The paper concludes with an analysis of sensor accuracy and hysteresis reduction in particular configurations. Conclusions Double layer KPF goniometers showed a promising performance in terms of angle measurements both in quasi-static and dynamic working mode for velocities typical of human movement. A further approach consisting of a combination of multiple sensors to increase accuracy via sensor fusion technique has been presented. PMID:24725669

The hippocampus, time and working memory.

PubMed

Rawlins, J N; Tsaltas, E

1983-12-01

Rats were trained on a discrete trial working memory leverpress alternation task, following hippocampal lesions (HC), cortical control lesions (CC) or sham operations (SO). Each trial consisted of a forced information response, for which a randomly selected lever was presented followed by a free choice stage, when both levers were presented. The rats were rewarded for pressing the lever which had not been presented at the information stage. When the information response was not rewarded, all rats learnt the task equally well at IRIs of up to 12.75 sec. When the information response was rewarded, the HC rats showed impaired choice accuracy. The extent of this impairment depended on the IRI, being greatest at long IRIs, and least at short ones. Varying the number of leverpresses required to complete the information response affected choice accuracy equivalently in all groups: all rats chose significantly less accurately when only one leverpress was required than when ten leverpresses were required. There was no interaction between the lesion treatments and the information response requirements. It was concluded that both the length of the IRI and the occurrence of events during the IRI determine the extent of the hippocampal lesion-induced performance deficit in working memory tasks. It is proposed that hippocampal damage disrupts an intermediate-term, high-capacity memory buffer, but leaves both a residual short-term memory system and the long-term retention of associations unaffected. This proposal leads to the prediction that reference memory tasks should also be affected by hippocampal lesions when a delay is introduced between making a response and being rewarded for doing so.

Towards a parsimonious program theory of return to work intervention.

PubMed

Claudi Jensen, Anne Grete

2013-01-01

Presentation of a salutogenic theory of return to work (RTW). The study group include 118 unskilled Danish public employees and privately employed house-cleaners on sick leave due to musculoskeletal and/or common mental illnesses. Theory of RTW is discussed from a theoretical and empirical viewpoint, using baseline-data from an intervention study in a longitudinal, non-randomized study design with follow-up after one year. High work ability, strong social support from colleagues and over-commitment are the most important prognostic factors for RTW. An active coping style, high self-efficacy and Sense of Coherence (SOC) are found to increase RTW and high hostility and over-commitment to decrease RTW. Besides health elements in work ability are SOC, self-efficacy, social support and physical activity. Work ability and active coping mediate positive associations between RTW and health, and a negative association with stress. Work ability seems to express the intention to work decisive for RTW, reflecting the interpretation of the work/health situation based on comprehensibility, meaningfulness and manageability. It is influenced by the personal view of life, attitudes and interaction with the workplace. An ecological theory, integrating health promotion is proposed. A later paper will present the intervention study and further validation of the theory.

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.

SEIPS-based process modeling in primary care.

PubMed

Wooldridge, Abigail R; Carayon, Pascale; Hundt, Ann Schoofs; Hoonakker, Peter L T

2017-04-01

Process mapping, often used as part of the human factors and systems engineering approach to improve care delivery and outcomes, should be expanded to represent the complex, interconnected sociotechnical aspects of health care. Here, we propose a new sociotechnical process modeling method to describe and evaluate processes, using the SEIPS model as the conceptual framework. The method produces a process map and supplementary table, which identify work system barriers and facilitators. In this paper, we present a case study applying this method to three primary care processes. We used purposeful sampling to select staff (care managers, providers, nurses, administrators and patient access representatives) from two clinics to observe and interview. We show the proposed method can be used to understand and analyze healthcare processes systematically and identify specific areas of improvement. Future work is needed to assess usability and usefulness of the SEIPS-based process modeling method and further refine it. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Compact, semi-passive beam steering prism array for solar concentrators.

PubMed

Zheng, Cheng; Li, Qiyuan; Rosengarten, Gary; Hawkes, Evatt; Taylor, Robert A

2017-05-10

In order to maximize solar energy utilization in a limited space (e.g., rooftops), solar collectors should track the sun. As an alternative to rotational tracking systems, this paper presents a compact, semi-passive beam steering prism array which has been designed, analyzed, and tested for solar applications. The proposed prism array enables a linear concentrator system to remain stationary so that it can integrate with a variety of different solar concentrators, and which should be particularly useful for systems which require a low profile (namely rooftop-mounted systems). A case study of this prism array working within a specific rooftop solar collector demonstrates that it can boost the average daily optical efficiency of the collector by 32.7% and expand its effective working time from 6 h to 7.33 h. Overall, the proposed design provides an alternative way to "follow" the sun for a wide range of solar thermal and photovoltaic concentrator systems.

One-loop renormalization of a gravity-scalar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, I. Y.

2017-05-01

Extending the renormalizability proposal of the physical sector of 4D Einstein gravity, we have recently proposed renormalizability of the 3D physical sector of gravity-matter systems. The main goal of the present work is to conduct systematic one-loop renormalization of a gravity-matter system by applying our foliation-based quantization scheme. In this work we explicitly carry out renormalization of a gravity-scalar system with a Higgs-type potential. With the fluctuation part of the scalar field gauged away, the system becomes renormalizable through a metric field redefinition. We use dimensional regularization throughout. One of the salient aspects of our analysis is how the graviton propagator acquires the "mass" term. One-loop calculations lead to renormalization of the cosmological and Newton constants. We discuss other implications of our results as well: time-varying vacuum energy density and masses of the elementary particles as well as the potential relevance of Neumann boundary condition for black hole information.

PISA: Federated Search in P2P Networks with Uncooperative Peers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Zujie; Shou, Lidan; Chen, Gang; Chen, Chun; Bei, Yijun

Recently, federated search in P2P networks has received much attention. Most of the previous work assumed a cooperative environment where each peer can actively participate in information publishing and distributed document indexing. However, little work has addressed the problem of incorporating uncooperative peers, which do not publish their own corpus statistics, into a network. This paper presents a P2P-based federated search framework called PISA which incorporates uncooperative peers as well as the normal ones. In order to address the indexing needs for uncooperative peers, we propose a novel heuristic query-based sampling approach which can obtain high-quality resource descriptions from uncooperative peers at relatively low communication cost. We also propose an effective method called RISE to merge the results returned by uncooperative peers. Our experimental results indicate that PISA can provide quality search results, while utilizing the uncooperative peers at a low cost.

Dynamic Infinite Mixed-Membership Stochastic Blockmodel.

PubMed

Fan, Xuhui; Cao, Longbing; Xu, Richard Yi Da

2015-09-01

Directional and pairwise measurements are often used to model interactions in a social network setting. The mixed-membership stochastic blockmodel (MMSB) was a seminal work in this area, and its ability has been extended. However, models such as MMSB face particular challenges in modeling dynamic networks, for example, with the unknown number of communities. Accordingly, this paper proposes a dynamic infinite mixed-membership stochastic blockmodel, a generalized framework that extends the existing work to potentially infinite communities inside a network in dynamic settings (i.e., networks are observed over time). Additional model parameters are introduced to reflect the degree of persistence among one's memberships at consecutive time stamps. Under this framework, two specific models, namely mixture time variant and mixture time invariant models, are proposed to depict two different time correlation structures. Two effective posterior sampling strategies and their results are presented, respectively, using synthetic and real-world data.

SEIPS-Based Process Modeling in Primary Care

PubMed Central

Wooldridge, Abigail R.; Carayon, Pascale; Hundt, Ann Schoofs; Hoonakker, Peter

2016-01-01

Process mapping, often used as part of the human factors and systems engineering approach to improve care delivery and outcomes, should be expanded to represent the complex, interconnected sociotechnical aspects of health care. Here, we propose a new sociotechnical process modeling method to describe and evaluate processes, using the SEIPS model as the conceptual framework. The method produces a process map and supplementary table, which identify work system barriers and facilitators. In this paper, we present a case study applying this method to three primary care processes. We used purposeful sampling to select staff (care managers, providers, nurses, administrators and patient access representatives) from two clinics to observe and interview. We show the proposed method can be used to understand and analyze healthcare processes systematically and identify specific areas of improvement. Future work is needed to assess usability and usefulness of the SEIPS-based process modeling method and further refine it. PMID:28166883

Application of Flexible Micro Temperature Sensor in Oxidative Steam Reforming by a Methanol Micro Reformer

PubMed Central

Lee, Chi-Yuan; Lee, Shuo-Jen; Shen, Chia-Chieh; Yeh, Chuin-Tih; Chang, Chi-Chung; Lo, Yi-Man

2011-01-01

Advances in fuel cell applications reflect the ability of reformers to produce hydrogen. This work presents a flexible micro temperature sensor that is fabricated based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology and integrated into a flat micro methanol reformer to observe the conditions inside that reformer. The micro temperature sensor has higher accuracy and sensitivity than a conventionally adopted thermocouple. Despite various micro temperature sensor applications, integrated micro reformers are still relatively new. This work proposes a novel method for integrating micro methanol reformers and micro temperature sensors, subsequently increasing the methanol conversion rate and the hydrogen production rate by varying the fuel supply rate and the water/methanol ratio. Importantly, the proposed micro temperature sensor adequately controls the interior temperature during oxidative steam reforming of methanol (OSRM), with the relevant parameters optimized as well. PMID:22319407

Object-oriented Persistent Homology

PubMed Central

Wang, Bao; Wei, Guo-Wei

2015-01-01

Persistent homology provides a new approach for the topological simplification of big data via measuring the life time of intrinsic topological features in a filtration process and has found its success in scientific and engineering applications. However, such a success is essentially limited to qualitative data classification and analysis. Indeed, persistent homology has rarely been employed for quantitative modeling and prediction. Additionally, the present persistent homology is a passive tool, rather than a proactive technique, for classification and analysis. In this work, we outline a general protocol to construct object-oriented persistent homology methods. By means of differential geometry theory of surfaces, we construct an objective functional, namely, a surface free energy defined on the data of interest. The minimization of the objective functional leads to a Laplace-Beltrami operator which generates a multiscale representation of the initial data and offers an objective oriented filtration process. The resulting differential geometry based object-oriented persistent homology is able to preserve desirable geometric features in the evolutionary filtration and enhances the corresponding topological persistence. The cubical complex based homology algorithm is employed in the present work to be compatible with the Cartesian representation of the Laplace-Beltrami flow. The proposed Laplace-Beltrami flow based persistent homology method is extensively validated. The consistence between Laplace-Beltrami flow based filtration and Euclidean distance based filtration is confirmed on the Vietoris-Rips complex for a large amount of numerical tests. The convergence and reliability of the present Laplace-Beltrami flow based cubical complex filtration approach are analyzed over various spatial and temporal mesh sizes. The Laplace-Beltrami flow based persistent homology approach is utilized to study the intrinsic topology of proteins and fullerene molecules. Based on a quantitative model which correlates the topological persistence of fullerene central cavity with the total curvature energy of the fullerene structure, the proposed method is used for the prediction of fullerene isomer stability. The efficiency and robustness of the present method are verified by more than 500 fullerene molecules. It is shown that the proposed persistent homology based quantitative model offers good predictions of total curvature energies for ten types of fullerene isomers. The present work offers the first example to design object-oriented persistent homology to enhance or preserve desirable features in the original data during the filtration process and then automatically detect or extract the corresponding topological traits from the data. PMID:26705370

Mathematical models in simulation process in rehabilitation of persons with disabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorie, Nina; Dolga, Valer; Mondoc, Alina

2012-11-01

The problems of people with disability are varied. A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these. The major disabilities which can appear in people's lives are: the blindness, the deafness, the limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, the orthopedic impairment, the visual impairment. A disability is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions. A disability may occur during a person's lifetime or may be present from birth. The authors conclude that some of these disabilities like physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental can be rehabilitated. Starting from this state of affairs the authors present briefly the possibility of using certain mechatronic systems for rehabilitation of persons with different disabilities. The authors focus their presentation on alternative calling the Stewart platform in order to achieve the proposed goal. The authors present a mathematical model of systems theory approach under the parallel system and described its contents can. The authors analyze in a meaningful mathematical model describing the procedure of rehabilitation process. From the affected function biomechanics and taking into account medical recommendations the authors illustrate the mathematical models of rehabilitation work. The authors assemble a whole mathematical model of parallel structure and the rehabilitation process and making simulation and highlighting the results estimated. The authors present in the end work the results envisaged in the end analysis work, conclusions and steps for future work program..

Assessment of Attentional Workload while Driving by Eye-fixation-related Potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeda, Yuji; Yoshitsugu, Noritoshi; Itoh, Kazuya; Kanamori, Nobuhiro

How do drivers cope with the attentional workload of in-vehicle information technology? In the present study, we propose a new psychophysiological measure for assessing drivers' attention: eye-fixation-related potential (EFRP). EFRP is a kind of event-related brain potential measurable at the eye-movement situation that reflects how closely observers examine visual information at the eye-fixated position. In the experiment, the effects of verbal working memory load and spatial working memory load during simulated driving were examined by measuring the number of saccadic eye-movements and EFRP as the indices of drivers' attention. The results showed that the spatial working memory load affected both the number of saccadic eye-movements and the amplitude of the P100 component of EFRP, whereas the verbal working memory load affected only the number of saccadic eye-movements. This implies that drivers can perform time-sharing processing between driving and the verbal working memory task, but the decline of accuracy of visual processing during driving is inescapable when the spatial working memory load is given. The present study suggests that EFRP can provide a new index of drivers' attention, other than saccadic eye-movements.

Minimization of annotation work: diagnosis of mammographic masses via active learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yu; Zhang, Jingyang; Xie, Hongzhi; Zhang, Shuyang; Gu, Lixu

2018-06-01

The prerequisite for establishing an effective prediction system for mammographic diagnosis is the annotation of each mammographic image. The manual annotation work is time-consuming and laborious, which becomes a great hindrance for researchers. In this article, we propose a novel active learning algorithm that can adequately address this problem, leading to the minimization of the labeling costs on the premise of guaranteed performance. Our proposed method is different from the existing active learning methods designed for the general problem as it is specifically designed for mammographic images. Through its modified discriminant functions and improved sample query criteria, the proposed method can fully utilize the pairing of mammographic images and select the most valuable images from both the mediolateral and craniocaudal views. Moreover, in order to extend active learning to the ordinal regression problem, which has no precedent in existing studies, but is essential for mammographic diagnosis (mammographic diagnosis is not only a classification task, but also an ordinal regression task for predicting an ordinal variable, viz. the malignancy risk of lesions), multiple sample query criteria need to be taken into consideration simultaneously. We formulate it as a criteria integration problem and further present an algorithm based on self-adaptive weighted rank aggregation to achieve a good solution. The efficacy of the proposed method was demonstrated on thousands of mammographic images from the digital database for screening mammography. The labeling costs of obtaining optimal performance in the classification and ordinal regression task respectively fell to 33.8 and 19.8 percent of their original costs. The proposed method also generated 1228 wins, 369 ties and 47 losses for the classification task, and 1933 wins, 258 ties and 185 losses for the ordinal regression task compared to the other state-of-the-art active learning algorithms. By taking the particularities of mammographic images, the proposed AL method can indeed reduce the manual annotation work to a great extent without sacrificing the performance of the prediction system for mammographic diagnosis.

Minimization of annotation work: diagnosis of mammographic masses via active learning.

PubMed

Zhao, Yu; Zhang, Jingyang; Xie, Hongzhi; Zhang, Shuyang; Gu, Lixu

2018-05-22

The prerequisite for establishing an effective prediction system for mammographic diagnosis is the annotation of each mammographic image. The manual annotation work is time-consuming and laborious, which becomes a great hindrance for researchers. In this article, we propose a novel active learning algorithm that can adequately address this problem, leading to the minimization of the labeling costs on the premise of guaranteed performance. Our proposed method is different from the existing active learning methods designed for the general problem as it is specifically designed for mammographic images. Through its modified discriminant functions and improved sample query criteria, the proposed method can fully utilize the pairing of mammographic images and select the most valuable images from both the mediolateral and craniocaudal views. Moreover, in order to extend active learning to the ordinal regression problem, which has no precedent in existing studies, but is essential for mammographic diagnosis (mammographic diagnosis is not only a classification task, but also an ordinal regression task for predicting an ordinal variable, viz. the malignancy risk of lesions), multiple sample query criteria need to be taken into consideration simultaneously. We formulate it as a criteria integration problem and further present an algorithm based on self-adaptive weighted rank aggregation to achieve a good solution. The efficacy of the proposed method was demonstrated on thousands of mammographic images from the digital database for screening mammography. The labeling costs of obtaining optimal performance in the classification and ordinal regression task respectively fell to 33.8 and 19.8 percent of their original costs. The proposed method also generated 1228 wins, 369 ties and 47 losses for the classification task, and 1933 wins, 258 ties and 185 losses for the ordinal regression task compared to the other state-of-the-art active learning algorithms. By taking the particularities of mammographic images, the proposed AL method can indeed reduce the manual annotation work to a great extent without sacrificing the performance of the prediction system for mammographic diagnosis.

Working memory training improves emotion regulation ability: Evidence from HRV.

PubMed

Xiu, Lichao; Zhou, Renlai; Jiang, Yihan

2016-03-01

Emotion regulation during social situations plays a pivotal role in health and interpersonal functioning. In this study, we propose a working memory training approach to improve emotion regulation ability. This training promotes an updating function that is a crucial modulated process for emotion regulation. In the present study, the participants in the training group completed a running memory task over 20 days of training. Their working memory capability and high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) data on pretest and posttest were assessed and analyzed. Compared with the control group, the training group's reaction time in the 2-back working memory task was reduced significantly. In addition, the HF-HRV in the emotion regulation condition was increased after the 20-day training, which indicates that the working memory training effect could transfer to emotion regulation. In other words, working memory training improved emotion regulation ability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

48 CFR 452.215-71 - Instructions for the Preparation of Technical and Business Proposals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... contained in the technical proposal so that the contractor's understanding of the statement of work may be... required if appropriate.) (2) Business Proposal. (a) Furnish financial statements for the last two years... specified in the statement of work. Any “alternate” proposal may be considered if overall performance would...

Evaluation of occupational exposure to ELF magnetic fields at power plants in Greece in the context of European directives.

PubMed

Christopoulou, Maria; Govari, Chrysa; Tsaprouni, Panagiota; Karabetsos, Efthymios

2015-12-01

The scope of this paper is to comparatively present the extremely low-frequency (ELF) measurements performed at four power plants in Greece, focusing on: (a) the worst-case exposure conditions, (b) the existence of magnetic field harmonic components, (c) the technical similarities among the power plants and (d) comparison of the measured percentages of reference levels at typical working areas in the power plants. A detailed measurement methodology is proposed, including broadband on-site inspection of the working areas, weighted averaged root-mean-square and peak values of magnetic flux density, percentage of reference levels, according to 1998 ICNIRP guidelines and harmonic analysis of the multi-frequency magnetic fields. During the analysis of the occupational exposure in all power plants, the new Directive 2013/35/EU has been taken into account. The study concludes by proposing a mapping procedure of working areas into certain zones, in order to take measures for workers safety. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Simulation of Crab Waist Collisions In DA$$\\Phi$$NE With KLOE-2 Interaction Region

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

Zobov, M.; Drago, A.; Gallo, A.

2015-06-24

After the successful completion of the SIDDHARTA experiment run with crab waist collisions, the electron-positron collider DAΦNE has started routine operations for the KLOE-2 detector. The new interaction region also exploits the crab waist collision scheme, but features certain complications including the experimental detector solenoid, compensating anti-solenoids, and tilted quadrupole magnets. We have performed simulations of the beam-beam collisions in the collider taking into account the real DAΦNE nonlinear lattice. In particular, we have evaluated the effect of crab waist sextupoles and beam-beam interactions on the DAΦNE dynamical aperture and energy acceptance, and estimated the luminosity that can be potentiallymore » achieved with and without crab waist sextupoles in the present working conditions. A numerical analysis has been performed in order to propose possible steps for further luminosity increase in DAΦNE such as a better working point choice, crab sextupole strength optimization, correction of the phase advance between the sextupoles and the interaction region. The proposed change of the e- ring working point was implemented and resulted in a significant performance increase.« less

Arbitrary order 2D virtual elements for polygonal meshes: part II, inelastic problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Artioli, E.; Beirão da Veiga, L.; Lovadina, C.; Sacco, E.

2017-10-01

The present paper is the second part of a twofold work, whose first part is reported in Artioli et al. (Comput Mech, 2017. doi: 10.1007/s00466-017-1404-5), concerning a newly developed Virtual element method (VEM) for 2D continuum problems. The first part of the work proposed a study for linear elastic problem. The aim of this part is to explore the features of the VEM formulation when material nonlinearity is considered, showing that the accuracy and easiness of implementation discovered in the analysis inherent to the first part of the work are still retained. Three different nonlinear constitutive laws are considered in the VEM formulation. In particular, the generalized viscoelastic model, the classical Mises plasticity with isotropic/kinematic hardening and a shape memory alloy constitutive law are implemented. The versatility with respect to all the considered nonlinear material constitutive laws is demonstrated through several numerical examples, also remarking that the proposed 2D VEM formulation can be straightforwardly implemented as in a standard nonlinear structural finite element method framework.

Empirical Likelihood in Nonignorable Covariate-Missing Data Problems.

PubMed

Xie, Yanmei; Zhang, Biao

2017-04-20

Missing covariate data occurs often in regression analysis, which frequently arises in the health and social sciences as well as in survey sampling. We study methods for the analysis of a nonignorable covariate-missing data problem in an assumed conditional mean function when some covariates are completely observed but other covariates are missing for some subjects. We adopt the semiparametric perspective of Bartlett et al. (Improving upon the efficiency of complete case analysis when covariates are MNAR. Biostatistics 2014;15:719-30) on regression analyses with nonignorable missing covariates, in which they have introduced the use of two working models, the working probability model of missingness and the working conditional score model. In this paper, we study an empirical likelihood approach to nonignorable covariate-missing data problems with the objective of effectively utilizing the two working models in the analysis of covariate-missing data. We propose a unified approach to constructing a system of unbiased estimating equations, where there are more equations than unknown parameters of interest. One useful feature of these unbiased estimating equations is that they naturally incorporate the incomplete data into the data analysis, making it possible to seek efficient estimation of the parameter of interest even when the working regression function is not specified to be the optimal regression function. We apply the general methodology of empirical likelihood to optimally combine these unbiased estimating equations. We propose three maximum empirical likelihood estimators of the underlying regression parameters and compare their efficiencies with other existing competitors. We present a simulation study to compare the finite-sample performance of various methods with respect to bias, efficiency, and robustness to model misspecification. The proposed empirical likelihood method is also illustrated by an analysis of a data set from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

OWL2 benchmarking for the evaluation of knowledge based systems.

PubMed

Khan, Sher Afgun; Qadir, Muhammad Abdul; Abbas, Muhammad Azeem; Afzal, Muhammad Tanvir

2017-01-01

OWL2 semantics are becoming increasingly popular for the real domain applications like Gene engineering and health MIS. The present work identifies the research gap that negligible attention has been paid to the performance evaluation of Knowledge Base Systems (KBS) using OWL2 semantics. To fulfil this identified research gap, an OWL2 benchmark for the evaluation of KBS is proposed. The proposed benchmark addresses the foundational blocks of an ontology benchmark i.e. data schema, workload and performance metrics. The proposed benchmark is tested on memory based, file based, relational database and graph based KBS for performance and scalability measures. The results show that the proposed benchmark is able to evaluate the behaviour of different state of the art KBS on OWL2 semantics. On the basis of the results, the end users (i.e. domain expert) would be able to select a suitable KBS appropriate for his domain.

Estimation of Comfortable/Uncomfortable Feeling Based on EEG by Using NN and k-means Algorithm for Massage Chair

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teramae, Tatsuya; Kushida, Daisuke; Takemori, Fumiaki; Kitamura, Akira

A present massage chair realizes the massage motion and force designed by a professional masseur. However, appropriate massage force to the user can not be provided by the massage chair in such a method. On the other hand, the professional masseur can realize an appropriate massage force to more than one patient, because, the masseur considers the physical condition of the patient. Our research proposed the intelligent massage system of applying masseur's procedure for the massage chair using estimated skin elasticity and DB to relate skin elasticity and massage force. However, proposed system has a problem that DB does not adjust to unknown user, because user's feeling by massage can not be estimated. Then, this paper proposed the estimation method of comfortable/uncomfortable feeling based on EEG using the neural network and k-means algorithm. The realizability of the proposed method is verified by the experimental works.

Preparation and Characterization of Flexible Substrate Material from Phenyl-Thiophene-2-Carbaldehyde Compound.

PubMed

Rahman, Ashiqur; Islam, Mohammad Tariqul; Samsuzzaman, Md; Singh, Mandeep Jit; Akhtaruzzaman, Md

2016-05-11

In this paper, a novel phenyl-thiophene-2-carbaldehyde compound-based flexible substrate material has been presented. Optical and microwave characterization of the proposed material are done to confirm the applicability of the proposed material as a substrate. The results obtained in this work show that the phenyl-thiophene-2-carbaldehyde consists of a dielectric constant of 3.03, loss tangent of 0.003, and an optical bandgap of 3.24 eV. The proposed material is analyzed using commercially available EM simulation software and validated by the experimental analysis of the flexible substrate. The fabricated substrate also shows significant mechanical flexibility and light weight. The radiating copper patch deposited on the proposed material substrate incorporated with partial ground plane and microstrip feeding technique shows an effective impedance bandwidth of 3.8 GHz. It also confirms an averaged radiation efficiency of 81% throughout the frequency band of 5.4-9.2 GHz.